on August 13, 2020
Compromise
Congress left this weekend, August 8th and August 9th, without reaching a compromise on a new stimulus package. Democrats are blaming Republicans. Republicans are blaming Democrats.
BOTH SIDES ARE EQUALLY AT FAULT.
NOW is the time to put differences aside and do what is best for the country as a whole. Anyone who puts party over people and our need to secure our country’s future is simply wrong.
Since both sides believe the other side is presenting something that is unacceptable, let’s try this: Each side must propose something not currently advocated by either party. No idea previously proposed can be incorporated into the solution. Examples of new ideas abound –
- RE-ESTABLISH the WPA. It was established during the depression. People were paid for providing needed services. It was used to sponsor public work programs, arts programs, the distribution of medical services and food, etc., and could serve as a model.
- TEACH AMERICANS – many skills, especially in the field of manufacturing, can no longer be accessed in the US. Tool and dye makers, production of medicines, and soon, the manufacture of chips, have left the US. Its time to bring these skills back home, even if subsidized. We have seen the effect our need to import essential PPE has caused. Now is the time to change this trajectory. It is cheaper to subsidize valuable skills, secure our future and our technology, rather than make us vulnerable to outside forces. Pay unemployed Americans to learn essential skills.
- REPAIR, REPAIR, REPAIR. Our society used to pride itself on each individual’s ability to be self-sufficient. A family member would save up for something special and then maintain it. Things were passed down. Furniture, bedding, clothing, cooking utensils all were shared. For many decades now, we have transitioned into a throw-away society. We consume and replace it because it is cheaper to buy new than to maintain things and keep them in good repair. This is especially true for clothing and household items. If we learn to repair and incentivize repair, we reduce the need for cheap imports, teach new skills, and conserve resources. Whatever happened to learning how to sew? Learning how to use tools? Now is the time to reengage.
We could change people’s lives. People could learn something new. We could see value in what we possess and act to preserve it. Those who participate don’t have to be technical geniuses; they can be environmentally conscious, good with their hands, mechanical, or artistic, depending upon the program they participate in.
We have an opportunity to reinvest and reinvigorate America. NOW! Isn’t it worth taking a chance?