A fabulously rich king decided to build a fabulously magnificent palace. He got his privy council to agree because he argued that doing this project would create many jobs for the five years it would take to build it and for the years beyond that to maintain the palace.
For starters, he took by eminent domain 10,000 acres of prime farmland by the river. People said it would reduce the food the country could grow to feed itself. The king replied that the project would create jobs.
He had 10,000 acres of prime forest cut down to supply the lumber for his palace. People said it would decrease wildlife habitat and increase flooding. The king replied that the project would create jobs.
He hired 1,000 workers to build his palace. People said it would decrease the number of workers to build and repair houses. The king replied that these workers would be paid high wages.
He had a million gallons of water per day diverted from the river to supply all the fountains, to water his extensive lawns, and many other uses. People said it would practically dry up the river reducing the water downstream for drinking, washing, and irrigation. The king replied that the project would create jobs.
He built no sewage treatment system to handle the garden runoff or the flushing of 1,000 toilets. He said it would cost too much money. People said sewage would make the river downstream unsuitable for drinking and washing, and irrigation. The king replied that the project would create jobs.
And so it came to pass that many people were hungry because there was insufficient farmland to feed them.
And so it came to pass that many people became homeless as the cost of existing houses skyrocketed because no new house were being built.
And so it came to pass that many people became sick because of the lack of clean drinking water.
And so it came to pass that many people migrated to lands where there was plenty of farmland and clean water.
And so it came to pass that tax revenues dwindled because there were fewer people to pay them.
And so it came to pass that the banks foreclosed on the king's palace because he couldn't pay back all the loans he had taken out to build the palace.
And so it came to pass that after an unusually heavy rain, a mudslide from the former forest buried the partially built palace.
What's the point of this fable? It can't happen here. Oh, but we are a nation populated by people who immigrated from lands that did not have good governance. Will we follow as we lack the foresight to rein in the indulgences of the wealthy as they create short-sighted projects using jobs as a justification without regard to all the other costs?
