I don't think anybody can compare to MLK Jr. I don't think anybody can compare to RFK or JFK. When examining what FDR did for this country, no one can compare to him. However, when I look at Edwards proposals for stimulating the economy and alleviating poverty, I can't help but think of FDR's New Deal. Right now, we can't just increase funding in existing programs, or give out tax breaks. We need to ring in a whole new era in America, and deal with our new set of problems.
Both Edwards and FDR have been champions for the minimum wage. FDR passed the Fair Labor Standards Act which created the first ever minimum wage. Edwards was first to propose increasing the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by the year 2012, and has been a tireless worker for fair wages in the Senate and in the years after his tenure in government. A livable wage is just part of the solution to fighting poverty. Here's a breakdown of some of the policies Edwards is proposing and the programs FDR implementeed that rescued our country from financial darkness.......
In 1932, Roosevelt took office at a time when the unemployment numbers were nearly 25%. The economy had crashed, banks were closed and the workers in agriculture, mining and logging were hit the hardest. FDR proposed numerous programs starting with the Works Progress Administration. The WPA employed 8.5 million Americans to rebuild America's infrastructure. The WPA didn't just focus on roads, bridges, airports and public buildings. The WPA also employed artists to build sculptures, murals and helped create numerous art programs that still exist today. When talking about the WPA, I would be remiss if I didn't bring up Harry Hopkins. Hopkins was an ex-social worker who was the director of the New Deal. Harry Hopkins famously said,
"Give a man a dole, and you save his body and destroy his spirit. Give him a job and you save both body and spirit".
Someone needs to speak these very words to our current members of Congress. Tax rebates will do nothing for long term stability. Tax breaks will not result in more people spending, which is what you need to reinvigorate the economy. FDR knew this. Hopkins knew this. Edwards knows this.
Edwards Stepping Stones Jobs Program
In case you didn't know by now, Edwards is proposing a massive jobs program for the unemployed. Each year, one million unemployed Americans will be eligible for the program. They will be placed in city/parks jobs near their place of residence. After their year in the program is up they will receive help transitioning into permanent employment. I can't stress enough how effective this type of program was in the 30's. I think it will be just as effective today, and can help literally lift millions of Americans out of poverty. Here's a snippet from his website:
Every American should have the chance to work their way out of poverty, but some willing workers cannot find jobs because of where they live, a lack of experience or skills, or other obstacles, like a criminal record. Edwards will create a million short-term jobs to help individuals move into permanent work.
FDR also implemented another jobs program called the Tennessee Valley Authority. This agency not only employed Americans in an area that needed dire attention, it helped boost the failed economies of the region. The TVA helped provide electricity, helped with the development of the agriculture business, improved conservation and much more. Right now in America, farmers are struggling with trade deals that have negatively impacted their income. Rural areas that needed our attention back in the 30's, need our attention now.
Edwards Rural Revitalization Program
Edwards believes we need to not only create jobs in rural America by investing in bio-fuel industries, he also believes we need to modernize rural America so that they can compete with the markets today. Here's a snippet from his website:
Edwards will create the Rural Economic Advancement Challenge (REACH) Fund to bring capital and management expertise to small town America. The REACH Fund will connect investors with rural entrepreneurs, organize businesses into networks to help them succeed together, and ensure that rural areas have access to the investment capital they need.
In rural America, children live deeper in poverty than any other area in the country. Edwards will not only raise the minimum wage and cut taxes for low wage workers, he will also ensure that federal funding for rural development is allocated to disadvantaged areas. Right now, over half of the 70 billion dispensed for rural development is not going to rural areas, but to small cities and suburbs. We need to seriously invest in developing rural areas that need the most.
The Green Streaks of FDR and Edwards
Another way FDR put Americans to work was through the Civilian Conservation Corps. Roosevelt put millions of young men to work revitalizing the nations forests. I don't know about you, but I'm sure thankful that those young Americans planted 3 billion trees. It was FDR's way (I should say Harry Hopkins), to help unemployed Americans support their families and help preserve the longevity of our natural resources.
Edwards Wants to Put Americans Back to Work by Going Green
We're living in different times now. We've got a climate crisis and we're seeing the rapid depletion of our natural resources. The manufacturing jobs of the past have left our nation for cheaper labor overseas. Other countries like Germany, Brazil and Japan are outsmarting us by investing in green technology. We haven't had a leader willing to stand up against the special interests in order to bring prosperity and stability to America. We need to jump head first into creating a green economy, and Edwards is willing to do just that. From his website:
Edwards will create more than 1 million jobs, many in struggling manufacturing communities, by capping carbon dioxide emissions to halt global warming and prompting a shift to renewable energy and energy efficient economy. He will train 150,000 workers a year in green collar jobs to meet these economic needs and ensure that the benefits of economic growth are widely shared.
Edwards will invest 13 billion a year into a new energy economy, which will result in the creation of one million new jobs. This is the kind of serious investment we need to see to create a new economy in America. Green energy is not going to be like the temporary tech boom of the 1990's. Population growth isn't going to slow down, and the polluting sources of energy we depend on will continue to be depleted. Green energy is our future, and we need a President ready and willing to put the American people before the ol' dogs of oil, coal and nuclear energy.
Dedicating Jobs to Specific Areas like New Orleans
The great thing about FDR's jobs programs is that he targeted specific areas of the country. Areas that not only needed attention, but areas that also had the potential prodcuce economic benefits for its citizens. It's been two and a half years since hurricane Katrina, and one of our cities has not been rebuilt. It's shameful. Edwards will give attention where attention is needed. From his website:
Edwards will make sure the jobs of rebuilding New Orleans carry good, local prevailing wages. He has proposed hiring 50,000 Gulf Coast residents to fill stepping stone jobs dedicated to rebuilding infrastructure that will help local and returning residents gain skills and experience.
Edwards also wants to build a new Veteran's hospital downtown in New Orleans. From his website:
Edwards called on the VA to stop delaying site selection and choose downtown New Orleans, and then fast-track the design process so construction can begin. Constructing the new hospital downtown—to recognized flood-safe specifications—will enhance development of the downtown medical district, create hundreds of construction jobs for local residents and bring back health care workers to the city.
FDR Began the Housing Movement....Edwards will Reform It
FDR created the Federal Housing Administration, which was intended to regulate the interest rates and make buying homes more affordable. The FHA did have its shortcomings, many loans were given to white Americans in suburbs and the majority of African Americans in the inner cities were left out of the process. This led to increased segregation in urban areas. Edwards wants to reverse that trend that still exists in America, and here's how he proposes to do that:
Edwards will create a million vouchers over five years to help low-income families move to better neighborhoods. At the same time, he will phase out housing projects that tie families to certain locations and are often lower quality and more expensive than private sector alternatives. He will reform and expand the HOPE VI program to replace dilapidated housing in areas of concentrated poverty.
Edwards will also address the housing mess we're in:
Edwards will pass a strong national law to prohibit the worst abuses in the mortgage market. The law will strengthen underwriting standards to ensure that borrowers receive affordable loans suited to their means and reach non-bank lenders and mortgage brokers. To help the estimated 2.2 million families already facing foreclosure, Edwards will create a Home Rescue Fund to help families get into more affordable mortgages and let families shed excess mortgage debt that exceeds their home's value through bankruptcy.
If you haven't read his policy proposals that would CHANGE our country, you should!
Creating a Working Society
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Revitalizing Rural America
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Creating a Green Economy
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Ending the Housing Crisis
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
These are just a few policies that Edwards is proposing that could have a huge effect on our economy. Just like FDR, Edwards believes the best medicine for our economy, is also the best medicine for Americans living in poverty.