PRESS RELEASE
LaRouche Outlines Perspective
For Jobs from NAWAPA
Aug. 27, 2010 (EIRNS)—Economist and statesman Lyndon LaRouche stated Aug. 25 that the his upscaled NAWAPA (North American Water and Power Alliance) program will employ 3-4 million skilled workers—fast!—directly and indirectly, including such spinoffs as electrified rail-building and nuclear plant development essential to the vast NAWAPA work. To this "top-down" employment of the more skilled workers and experienced engineers and scientists, will be added "CCC" (Civilian Conservation Corps)-style employment in construction on a large scale.
And in both, LaRouche said, "Bring in the Army Corps of Engineers, and make a priority of employing veterans coming out of military service—absorb them first, with the highest priority. They performed honorable military service. We need them to constitute an inactive military reserve, dedicated to this kind of project under the Army Corps of Engineers."
The main relevant national jobs-training program for younger veterans, "Helmets to Hardhats," involves all of the construction trades unions and is funded by both the Department of Defense and the "Stimulus" act. But it is failing due to massive unemployment: In six years, training more than 200,000 Gulf War-era veterans, the total number successful job placements may not have been over 15,000. Male veterans 18-24 have an official unemployment rate of 20.8%. The program is failing, but can immediately succeed under this approach of LaRouche's NAWAPA, and with the Army Corps in charge.
"There's no need to be demoralized about the huge numbers of unemployment. Every time you take a percentile away from unemployment, you expand the economy," he said Aug. 25."That's our approach."
