It's Jobs, Green Technology, and Rebuilding the Infrastructure, stupid!

It's jobs again... OK. Leonard Lopate had a guest on the other day, (8-31-11) discussing the 19th century's construction of the US railroad system, and how the shadows of the corporate greed we see today were echoed 100 yrs ago. My solution is simple... A jobs program; a green energy program; a national rebuilding program; a jobs program; a new works program administration; a canal; (whoops-- no canal). Everything we need to fix the economy; fix the nations' infrastructure, fix our under employment program, and more in one easy plan.. link to the discussion HERE...

And also to Ira Flatow (Science Friday) on 9/2/11.. Same thing. regarding your guest talking about the interstate highway system.

A reminder:

HERE: is my "Top TEN" list of what we need to fix the country.

These 10 items taken together will ENTIRELY fix our country

1. A Massive Reconstruction (infrastructure) rebuilding project to repair the "Eisenhower Highway" system (and also make it TRANSIT and FREIGHT Friendly). See Green transit here.
2. A Massive Job Training Program to ensure full employment and the ability for workers to work for an honest dollar, and learn a trade that will keep them employed.
3. A new, "Living Wage", not to be confused with today's minimum wage (which may be renamed as an "introductory" or "entry level" wage.
4. A new federally paid system of day care starting at six months, to make our nation more competitive by enhancing education as well as making our society more competitive.
   
5. Ensure EVERY American has Health Insurance that is NOT tied to an employer. Phase in over X years (to over-ride opposition from the insurance lobby). Eventually becomes a 2-3 plan duopoly, overseen by the government.
6. Just like the "Manhattan Project" that built the Atomic bomb, we need a new, massive ENERGY project (as our New president) stated that will eliminate our country's dependence on OIL within 10 years.
7. Tax reform. Start Here: I call this the Millionaire's Minimum Tax. Make over 1 million in GROSS income last year (individuals OR corporations!) You pay a MINIMUM of 1%.
   
8. Mandatory Job Training/Conscription/Community Service (whatever we call it EVERYONE will do it, either in Military or NON-Military options!
9. Lobbying Reform. Need to eliminate pay to play.
10. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission to uncover fraud, lies, and dishonesty in our society.

 BY THE WAY....

I Just can't believe the ABSOLUTE intense similarities between the period AFTER the Great (First) Stock Market Crash of 1929, and TODAY.... INCLUDING Hoover's response to the depression.  Right out of the "TEA-Bagger's Party" (I refuse to call them the Tea-Party... That insults our American Patriots of 200 years ago!)
The circumstances included:

• One in four workers was jobless.
• One in five Americans survived on meager relief payments. 
• The stock market was down 75 percent from 1929.
• Exports were at their lowest level since 1904.
• In just four years, the suicide rate had tripled.

Hoover's reaction to the "Depression" (not called the great DEPRESSION then, of course, but MAYBE called "A RECESSION!)  FDR's presidential Library (see HERE) says

"As the nation suffered, its government seemed paralyzed. President Hoover had tried to combat the Depression, but he believed in limited government and relief through private charity. Though he eventually approved credit assistance for businesses and some public construction spending, Hoover was reluctant to fund massive public works projects, provide federal relief money to the unemployed, or increase government regulation of the economy. By 1933, he was reviled and exhausted.

 Let's do an "INSTANT replay" on that again!

President Hoover tried to combat the Depression, but he believed in limited government and relief through private charity.

Though he eventually approved credit assistance for businesses and some public construction spending, Hoover was reluctant to fund massive public works projects, provide federal relief money to the unemployed, or increase government regulation of the economy.

Gee.... Sounds like the REPUBLICAN Campaign Platform ALL over again.  Especially for those like MICHELLE Bachman and the OTHER TEA-Baggers out there.

And guess what will happen.

We may actually be STUPID enough to VOTE them in again, and have ANOTHER 4 years of MASS damage to our economy.

PROOF: New Info coming...

I need to either put in a new blog, or a blog ENTRY where ALL articles that discuss points I have raised will be documented.

So far, in the WSJ, I see an interesting discussion in following the lead of Roosevelt, ie, In 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression, Congress and President Herbert Hoover created the Reconstruction Finance Corp. which invested 50 billion and owned stakes in OVER 6,000 financial institutions before it was terminated in 1957.
10-11-08 WSJ

Energy: Save our Environment NO offshore DRILLING

just say NO. Traitor Bush (and John McCain too) has just proposed that we re-open the Oceans for Drilling for oil

This is bad because:

1) it will take 7-10 years to See ANY oil from any wells found and developed.
2) wasting (and trying to perform a bait and switch) the American People's time to follow this boon-doogle.
3) It will NOT reduce the current price of gas.
4) it will Not (ever) reduce future gas prices.

5) The RIGHT answer is to the cost of gas includes:

1. An IMMEDIATE cessation of federal (and state) taxes currently required for non-diesel fuels, such as Waste Vegetable Oil, Natural Gas, (Compressed, or otherwise)
2. An immediate Tax CREDIT to those CREATING new alternative FUELS-- WITH A limit. Subsidies will AUTOMATICALLY phase OUT when the producer goes over X barrels produced per year. This will make sure that the new producers do not get rich, when they are already making money... I would say this limit should be (perhaps: 50% of subsidies end at 25,000 Gallons {per year}, and all will cease at 50,000 Gallons per year)
3. IMMEDIATE tax credits for alternate energy RESEARCH.
4. Immediate TAX credits for ALTERNATIVE fuel DEVELOMENT (said that already..oh).
5. Stricter Recyling requirements for restaurants. No dumping of oil.
6. Research getting engine oil (used) to be used in cars as gasoline.
7. IMMEDIATELY re-instate the Carter energy policy (reversed by Good old Ronny Reagan)
8. IMMEDIATELY DOUBLE the newly enacted CAFE energy standards. REMOVE the 'city driving' option, double the goal to 50 miles within 7 yeas.
9. Encourage Car companies to import their European cars into the US, by verifying import standards will not be affected.
10. New yearly Income Tax Surcharges on all new SUV or Mini-Van purchases that do NOT meet 25 miles per gallon (numbers will rise every year)
11. Immediately banning the incandescent lightbulb. Fund and RESEARCH for implementation of a WHITE LIGHT LED replacement bulb, to be sold for under $5.00 within 10 years.
12. Immediately banning sale/(and eventual banning of display of) of ALL holiday lights that are not LED based. Enforcement by an income tax surcharge. Violations (and those documenting them) will be rewarded/enforced by giving a percentage of electric rates for December to those sufficently documenting the display.
13. Immediate Green Home building program...percentage tax savings for building/retrofitting homes, items ranging from solar panels, to heat pumps, to solar walls, to elimination of all incandescent light bulbs. All new buildings (within X years) MUST conform to these new "greener" standards.
    
14. Elimination of the "cap" on tax incentives on plug-in hybrid cars.
15. Encouragement of plug-in charging stations for hybrids.
    

Mark Brown
6-19-08

Background - Why we need a New "New Deal"

Our Society has broken down. Institutions that were established in the 1930's that were meant to protect our society have been repealed, gutted, or simply ignored.

There was a reason, that among the institutions that President Roosevelt regulated were banking, investment houses, industry and the media (TV, Radio and Newspapers).

The Glass-Steagall Act (formally called the Banking Act of 1933) created a firewall which limited bank ownership by forbidding banks from owning other types of companies. This firewall is gone, since it was repealed by the 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley_Act.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which regulated media ownership has been gutted.

The Security Exchange Commission (SEC) has in the past generation consistently ignored corporate malfeasance and greed.

Media deregulation, repealing the fair use doctrine, the station ownership limits, and TV/Radio - Newspaper cross ownership have caused nothing but the escalation of the media consolidation of our country to the point of today.

It is quite obvious that six to seven huge companies control everything we read (newspapers, magazines, books), or everything we watch or listen to on TV, Radio or cable tv.

Gone is diversity.
Gone are fresh ideas.
Gone is the ability to have varied views or independent reporting.

These are some of the reasons that we need to start to repair our society.