Huckster Aced Out

Byran, Hot Air, points out that Mike Huckabee had an interesting point about rebuilding I-95 rather than sending out individual rebate checks:

Mike Huckabee makes some sense on the economic stimulus. He says, essentially, if we’re going to borrow $150 billion from China to finance the stimulus package, why not use it to do something useful instead of just handing it over to be spent on goods imported from China? 

Video:

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Jonah Goldberg, NRO, ponders, note not endorses. the idea:

The  choice isn’t between doing nothing and buying more highways or doing nothing and giving out rebates, the choice is between rebates or roads. And I keep trying to figure out why I’m wrong. But, while I’m against waste, fraud and abuse and all that, I’m not in fact against the federal government building infrastructure, when that infrastructure is needed. Boondoggles are bad. But  it seems to me we really could use an expanded I-95. And since we really are all Keynsians now to a certain extent, it seems to me creating jobs through road-building and the like is better than giving “rebates” to people who haven’t even paid taxes. Or maybe I’m just tired.   

But Ace puts up a far better idea:

If Huckabee wants a little FDR make-work project, how’s about instead of two lanes of highway that the country really doesn’t want, we put some folks to work building a wall? — Jimmie from Sundries Shack

We could start building the fence immediately, and the benefits would be nation wide.  Win-win.

Addendum:

Riehl World View  thinks the Huckster’s idea is ignorant:

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee threw out a truly dumb bit of economic populism during tonight’s debate. And it seemed to resonate with, of all people, Jonah Goldberg at The Corner. Goldberg admits to being tired, perhaps he was actually asleep. What is being discussed here is a quick, short-term, shot in the arm for a sagging economy bordering on, if not in recession.

On the other paw, Ross Douthat, Atlantic, likes the idea:

Of course he can – because America’s transportation infrastructure simply hasn’t kept pace with our population growth, our average commuting time has tripled in the last twenty-five years, and our country needs those extra lanes of traffic. Families need them. Businesses need them. Suburban and exurban voters – the swing vote in elections these days – need them.

Hat Tip: Memeorandum.