The White House claims that 640,329 jobs have been saved or created by the stimulus package.

I love the “saved or created” scam.  While it’s possible to count how many jobs were created, it’s impossible to calculate how many were saved.   This lets them pull any numbers they like out of their ass and brag about their success.  They’ve gone so far as to claim that the real number is a cool million when you count all the peripheral jobs, like servers in a fast food joint, that were saved.  Or created.

The math is pretty simple – do the gazintas and it comes out to $160,000 dollars per job created (or saved).  The White House claims that’s “calculator” abuse because, well, just because they said so, that’s why, so shut up already.  They claim the real cost is a mere $92,000 per job.  Again, just because.  But even if we go with that number, is this a good investment?  How many of those saved or created employees are earning anywhere near that much?

Meanwhile, the official unemployment numbers, which don’t count those whose benefits have run out or who have taken jobs that pay a fraction of their former salary, continue to creep up.  It’s now higher than it’s been in decades, and the average length of an unemployment is entering record setting territory.   (I’ve never gone this long between jobs.)

I’ll make you a deal, Obama.  Give me $160,000 – hell, give me $92,000, cut off my unemployment benefits, and I’ll spend it, saving (or creating) dozens of jobs.