Some WPA Projects

John Henry, of the University of Missouri- Kansas City, has a fascinating article about the WPA. Perhaps the most interesting part of the article is this list of WPA projects:

• 560,000 miles of roads built or improved
• 20,000 miles of water mains, sewers constructed
• 417 dams built
• 325 firehouses built; 2384 renovated
• 5,000 schools constructed or renovated
• 143 new hospitals, 1,700 improved
• 2,000 stadiums, grandstands built
• 500 landing fields; 1,800 runways (including participation in the construction of LaGuardia Airport, NYC)
• State and municipal parks, including the foundation of the extensive California state park system.
• 100 million trees planted
• 6,000 miles of fire and forest trails created 
• Education: Through 1941, 1 million enrolled in adult education courses, 37,000 children in classes and nursery schools; 280,000 received music instruction, 67,000 art instruction.
• Libraries were built. These were especially directed toward poor and rural communities.
• Zoo buildings constructed

It's been almost 80 years since the start of the WPA. Look at the list again and review how much we Americans of the 21st century have benefited from the work of the WPA. Do you think we could do as much for the future America if we had leaders, not political hacks?