Crossposted from JobParty.us
The top issue in every poll is the need for jobs, but President Obama and Congress are ignoring the obvious solution: a WPA for the 21st Century modeled after FDR's successful program, as advocated by Nobel-prize winning Paul Krugman.
When FDR was inaugurated in 1933, four years after the stock market crash that launched the Great Depression, the unemployment rate was a shocking 25%. To address the job crisis of his time, President Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to put millions of Americans to work quickly in useful government jobs.
WPA ultimately created 8 million jobs to help Americans survive the Depression. WPA also left a lasting mark on our infrastructure with 651,087 miles of roads, 124,031 bridges, 125,110 public buildings, 8,192 parks, and 853 airports.
The current Great Recession started with the financial crisis of 2008. Official unemployment rose to 10% (15 million), with another 7% (12 million) underemployed or discouraged.
We see the resulting devastation everywhere we look. Bankruptcy. Homelessness. Despair. Food stamp use at record levels. Every day the jobs crisis tears at our societal fabric, mostly leaving millions of small psychic wounds imbedded deep in the souls of our citizens. We cannot possibly "win the future" if we lose the present.
To address the job crisis of our time, President Obama should launch a 21st Century WPA to create 15 million jobs for two years.
Create Jobs Now!
Our plan to Create Jobs Now! is simple and fast. We would create 15 million useful jobs paying $30,000 per year for two years. The total cost is $900 billion, which is roughly the same as the 2-year extension of the Bush Tax Cuts that heavily favored the richest Americans who need no help.
That trickle-down stimulus will create only 1 million jobs. Our plan would create 15 million jobs for those Americans who need help desperately. We'll replace "trickle-down" with "gusher-up" to stimulate robust economic growth for everyone.
What are the jobs?
The 2009 "stimulus" bill saved millions of existing jobs, but failed to create many new jobs because "shovel-ready" projects require expensive equipment and time-consuming contracts. Create Jobs Now! avoids both problems through "paycheck-ready" projects that require no equipment or contracts.
- Teacher's Aides (3.25 million). There are 3.25 million public school teachers in the U.S. who are struggling to prepare our children for an increasingly competitive world. We would give every teacher a teacher's aide to give personal attention to students who are struggling to keep up. This would not only raise average test scores, it would also let teachers give more attention to the students who are keeping up - helping realize President Obama's goal of "winning the future" while we "leave no child behind." We would also inspire thousands of teacher's aides to go back to school to become certified teachers themselves.
- Nurse's Aides (2.5 million). There are 2.5 million registered nurses in the U.S., who are struggling to provide quality health care for our aging population while completing ever more paperwork. We would give every nurse a nurse's aide so patients get the personal attention they need. This would significantly reduce the pain of injuries and illnesses caused by overwork and carelessness, which adds billions to our out-of-control medical costs.
- Artists (.5 million). Artists were an important part of the WPA. In the first year of "Federal One," 40,000 artists were paid to paint murals, make theater, document history, teach music, and more. We would create an "Artist in Residence" program for 501(c)3 arts organizations that have a lease for a public space to increase the number of performances and exhibits. We would give every school an "Artist in Residence" to inspire children to appreciate the arts and develop their own artistic talents. We would also put "artist trainees" to work under the supervision of practicing artists and professional arts organizations. They would bring the arts to nursing homes, hospitals, community centers, and other groups whose lives would be enriched by increased exposure to the arts.
- Home Energy Contractor Helpers (.5 million). There are 130 million housing units in the U.S. and many could be made more energy efficient through weatherization, new appliances, and solar additions. Certified home energy contractors could employ helpers to reduce the cost to homeowners for energy efficiency upgrades, which would encourage more homeowners to hire a contractor. This would reduce our dependence on foreign oil, reduce energy prices for everyone, and reduce global warming. It would also give helpers a range of skills that would help them get jobs and improve their own homes, further stimulating the housing economy.
- Food Pantry Workers (.35 million). 37 million hungry Americans rely on 70,000 food programs supported by Feeding America. Each food pantry could employ five workers to collect, store, and distribute unprepared food; prepare meals for on-site and off-site eating; educate clients about nutrition, exercise, and health; and provide primary healthcare. This would significantly reduce hunger, and improve educational outcomes for hungry children. It would significantly improve the health of poor Americans and reduce healthcare costs for everyone. And it would give workers practical skills to find permanent jobs and improve their families' lives.
All of these jobs could be created immediately, with simple safeguards like instant background checks and online reporting to prevent abuse or fraud. By giving paychecks to 15 million poor Americans, Create Jobs Now! would create a massive "gusher-up" stimulus for the entire economy that would create millions of permanent jobs. And these temporary jobs would give workers the skills to compete for those permanent jobs.
It's a win-win-win for everyone. So while we all figure out how to "win the future," let's "win the present" right now.