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Action Plan for U.S. Economic Recovery
America is in trouble like never before! For years, political figures have bemoaned losing so many manufacturing companies and products to countries that undermine our economic system through determining what businesses in their countries will manufacture or grow, how they will accomplish those functions, what the companies will pay employees, provide funding support / start up funds to those businesses, negotiate trade deals, and determine pricing. China, who has long stated as a goal world domination, at the least in economic terms, is our primary adversary. China is not a competitor, they are our adversary.
The pandemic does provide us with an opportunity as a nation to demonstrate resolve, creativity, resourcefulness, and grit as never in our history, certainly not since the end of the Civil War. Democrats and Republicans need to stop merely complaining about China, and other nations to a lesser extent and how we are losing our markets to China, but take positive actions.
A starting place would be to make a list of the 300-500 products we import from China that make us most vulnerable economically, as well as in terms of our national security and national health. Tops on my list would be items such as computer chips and associated products, a field where China now has a frightening advantage over the U.S.; PPE supplies that I firmly believe will be critically needed for at least the next decade and should never be purchased from China again; any products used by our military, which should have been a foregone conclusion two decades ago, but those who refuse to see China as the aggressor and adversary have been blind to this; pharmaceuticals, ( so very many produced in China and we trust them for what reason? ) solar panels, electrical equipment as simple as light bulbs and home power strips ( American Made products like those are virtually impossible to find ) to more complicated electric supplies; to tools and toys and so many more products.
Instead of stimulus checks, and I am presuming the new mutations / variations of the virus are going to create terrible illnesses across America and daunting challenges / choices for our economy for years to come—our government should look to create a NEW ECONOMY! Stimulus checks can’t continue to be sent month after month - while our economy continues to slide into complete chaos and destruction. This is NOT a sustainable solution.
Let’s be creative! Let’s truly take our economy back! Actions, NOT words!
In 30 days, our federal government should develop a series of Requests For Proposals—for individuals and existing businesses to take one or more of the top 300-500 products China has developed a stranglehold on our economy with and create a safe but effective workplace to produce those products. We are capable of including criteria such as workplace safety, a business plan, a cap on what senior management can make for the initial 5 years, other oversight as needed.
Then instead of stimulus / survival checks being followed by more stimulus / survival checks being sent to us almost monthly for the next year or more, our governments, particularly the Federal government, would make grants to businesses / start-ups that meet the criteria, and are able to quickly get moving! These grants will create hundreds of thousands of new, safer ( nothing is ever going to be “safe” again ) jobs! The U.S. already -in reality—does this kind of process with defense spending, along with other “kinds” of spending. This is a dramatic expansion of that process, but is in a real sense national defense, as one can view the virus ( and some military and infectious disease experts, as well as this writer, remain convinced this was no unfortunate coincidence but an attack by China on the economies of the U.S. and the world—but even if not—the results are the same ) as an attack on our way of life, our economy, our people, and our future!
The only common- sense response to what dominant economies and nations, including China, India, and others who control their own economies in every way, is to adapt a new national economic strategy. We can still be a nation of Free Enterprise, but at the same time we can, and should, encourage in real tangible ways the development and growth of new businesses and a new economy that will ensure the future not just for our generation, but our children and grandchildren and beyond.
The other primary elements in the construction of a new economy are TRULY affordable housing for lower middle class / working class people, middle class people, as well as the poor, the elderly, and disabled populations---and affordable health care. Affordable health care is much debated so I choose not to write about that today. BUT HOUSING is a REAL CRISIS in America! Affordable housing goes hand in hand with the economic growth, and if we choose to be creative and have the determination to take actual steps ( instead of the usual empty talk and hand-wringing by most elected officials ), we can achieve so much, so quickly, and doing so would be another economic engine!
There currently exist a number of fabulous, cost effective, attractive to live in “models” for low-cost housing. Many of these models are smaller apartments but are well designed for being sound proof and attractive and efficient / relatively inexpensive to live in. EVERY Congressional District around the U.S. has a severe need for lower cost—not “market rate with 3 low- cost units in the development” -but entire developments of low- cost housing! Housing as I envision will allow individuals and families to have some cost relief from the crushing cost of apartments now, address some of our national homeless crisis, and be a way to allow people to survive while not having to adjust for a higher minimum wage increase almost annually in an attempt to help people merely survive. These increases do result in fewer jobs and less job growth.
REAL Low – Cost housing will allow people to save, allow us to stop raising the minimum wage every year-thus creating / maintaining jobs, particularly entry level jobs, and rebuild communities that have become worn down or gentrified. Building this housing -from models already developed such as small apartment style to tiny houses in some parts of the country to larger housing projects based on existing blueprints, also has the positive result of creating jobs.
Both of these components, creating a New Economy to address the reality we face, along with aggressively and immediately beginning to build new, truly low-cost housing, puts millions of people around the country to work—which means over a not very long period of time, pays back the country’s coffers via a dramatically enhanced revenue stream—taxes. Real growth and a future for Americans and America itself vs a year or more series of stimulus / survival checks leading to our eventual economic collapse, that seems to be the choice for Congress and the President.
Matt LaBarre is a former Corporate Community Affairs Manager, Non-Profit Executive, and current free-lance writer and local access television host in Massachusetts.
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