In case you missed it…
Global water expert debunks “Jobs” myth from tunnels:
From the blog Aquanomics by water economist David Zetland, former UC
Berkeley professor, now in Netherlands
27 FEBRUARY 2013
Jobs, Tunnels and the Delta
RM sent me this press release, which says that peripheral tunnels
would create 136,000 jobs and “net 15,000” jobs in the Delta, etc.
First, jobs are COSTS, not benefits. Give me $1million and I could
create twenty $50,000 jobs for stoners who would play video games.
Second, “net” jobs are not the kinds of jobs that farmers want. Those
are jobs for restoration ecologists (and guys with shovels) that
outnumber the unemployed farmers.
Third, I wonder if it wouldn’t be easier and cheaper to STOP exporting
water from the Delta, “employ” lots of people to restore the
ecosystem, AND hire lots of people south of the Delta to turn now
unirrigated farms into pasture with cows. Hee haw!
Fourth, Dave Sunding is a great guy, and I am sure he deserves his
fees for these studies, but don’t forget how people screw up these job
numbers.
Bottom Line: Don’t tell me about jobs from the tunnel. Tell me who’s
going to pay for it, and who’s going to get paid off for the
destruction of their existing life (paper)
http://www.aguanomics.com/2013/02/jobs-tunnels-and-delta.html