ON MY WAY FROM THE LIBRARY TO THE BUS STOP...

I noticed that one pane of sidewalk had "WPA" etched in the concrete. I have occasionally seen this in other cities and I bring it up now because I'm tired of conservatives calling the New Deal a failure. This particular pane of sidewalk has lasted over 70 years and I would say that's a pretty good deal. Of course, the WPA did a LOT more:

During its eight-year existence the WPA put some 8.5 million people to work (over 11 million were unemployed in 1934) at a cost to the federal government of approximately $11 billion. The agency's construction projects produced more than 650,000 miles (1,046,000 km) of roads; 125,000 public buildings; 75,000 bridges; 8,000 parks; and 800 airports. The Federal Arts Project, Federal Writers' Project, and Federal Theater Project—all under WPA aegis—employed thousands of artists, writers, and actors in such cultural programs as the creation of art work for public buildings, the documentation of local life, and the organization of community theatres. The WPA also sponsored the National Youth Administration, which sought part-time jobs for young people.

SOURCE:
Works Progress Administration. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved August 13, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online:

http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9077479