Any business student, econ major or fledgling entrepreneur that has ever opened up a lemonade stand knows you have to spend money to make money. This is the same rhetoric Mayor Dave Cieslewicz used in his recent plea to lawmakers to approve a $44 million-plus loan for city public works. He says that by taking advantage of the incredible deal of a low interest rate on borrowed money, we could update public works and create jobs in Wisconsin. Another project on the list of potential projects to create jobs that Cieslewicz supports is the infamous addition to the Edgewater hotel, which will come to a final vote in the coming week. Unemployment remains high, the economy remains low… isn’t it about time we listen to Cieslewicz and put our money where the jobs are?

Jobs seem to be the biggest thing on the mayor’s mind: “Let’s keep putting America to work” is his call to arms, and he frequently covers layoffs, infrastructure spending and stimulus allocation. He is positively giddy about the new rail system, heralding it as “a huge win for Wisconsin’s economy,” and his extensive construction project, a five-year plan that already lowered the percentage of substandard streets in Madison from 26 percent to 19 percent, is a huge source of Madison jobs.

Now, two huge issues could provide Dane County with jobs for months to come, if the city puts its trust in its mayor. On Sept. 21, Madison “went out to do our borrowing for 2010,” as Cieselwicz put it, and discovered the city could receive a $44 million plus loan for infrastructure projects because of its continued AAA excellent credit rating. Improving infrastructure takes construction workers at the very least, and would be an excellent way to create jobs. On top of this opportunity to better the city we are poised to embrace another potential jobs gain: The Edgewater Hotel. Recently passed by the Urban Design Commission, plans for the hotel’s remodeling are about to face their final vote, 14 months after the project was originally proposed.

Cieslewicz was always the Edgewater’s most loyal cheerleader, which seems out of character for the progressive Democrat mayor of a town that’s often downright frigid towards business. Although his policies have left many in the business community sore, he paired up with local union workers on the Edgewater project, calling it, (as reported by the Badger Herald) an “Important economic step,” toward the creation of jobs. However, the hotel’s renovation stumbled before it even left the starting blocks, as it was subjected immediately to complaints by previously loosely collated neighborhood organizations and concerned taxpayers.

While Cieslewicz may seem to be acting against his fundamental interests in regard to the Edgewater, what’s the chance that our mayor, who in part, helped raise state minimum wage and enacted mandatory inclusionary zoning, is all of a sudden trying to placate big business? Especially considering there’s a much more liberal progressive outcome of supporting this project? What Cieslewicz was sure of at first was an easy victory might just now be tripping across the finish line, a sad fact considering it could provide guaranteed jobs in the still-struggling economy.

Says Cieslewicz in his blog, “The [interest] rate for our largest piece of borrowing, $44 million, came in at just .837 percent. That’s not a misprint… Now is the time to make significant progress in infrastructure investments.”

“In addition, we’re getting good construction bids, and people need the jobs now more than ever.” This is the gamble: Cieslewicz wagers Madison will not fall into financial disarray and will continue to be able to pay off loans as our strong credit history shows that we have done in the past. If we don’t, the implications could be harsher, but with superior infrastructure and employment for Wisconsin residents on the line, we have so much more to gain by taking this risk.

Says Cieslewicz, “It’s right to be concerned about too much debt, and we do need to show some restraint.” But it’s also true that you’ve got to spend money to make money. Whether it be at the Edgewater or in infrastructure, jobs are what we need most right now, but we can’t take advantage of new job opportunities if we keep refusing to listen.

Taylor Nye ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in anthropology and intending to major in Spanish