| The economic news continues to herald even more | | | | arguing that the economic crisis could only be resolved |
| horrible times up ahead. If only January were here, | | | | by putting a freeze on federal spending. Since that |
| already! If President-elect Barack Obama manages to | | | | time, however, economists such as Robert Pollin, |
| pull off the public works improvements he is proposing, | | | | writing for The Nation, spelled out a different plan. He |
| maybe blue skies are on the horizon. | | | | argues that money must be spent by the federal |
| On January 6, Obama laid out his expansive plan to | | | | government in order to maximize the number of jobs |
| revive the economy through a job-creating public | | | | created, to increase the long-term productivity of the |
| works project on a scale not seen since the building of | | | | economy, and to reduce our collective carbon |
| the interstate highway system in the 1950s. According | | | | emissions. |
| to the plan, millions of jobs will be created across a | | | | But the deepening economic crisis is pushing the |
| wide range of sectors, from construction jobs working | | | | working poor into complete destitution, and how will this |
| on the improvement of the highways, to high tech jobs | | | | stimulus proposal help them? Looking at statistics from |
| working on expanding broadband Internet access and | | | | 2007, more than 37 million Americans live in poverty, |
| improving the IT infrastructure at healthcare facilities. | | | | meaning they earn less than $21,200 a year for a |
| The expansion of broadband was on the slate during | | | | family of four. And unemployment is on the rise, and |
| the Clinton administration, but the effort never came to | | | | with it food stamp usage and the demand for social |
| fruition. And hospitals and doctors' offices have been | | | | service agencies and shelters. The USDA's annual |
| making do on antiquated systems running ancient | | | | report on food security reported that almost one in |
| applications for decades. | | | | eight Americans were "food insecure," meaning that |
| The plan also includes details about green-job | | | | they have trouble getting enough food as a result of a |
| programs and energy efficiency improvements in the | | | | lack of resources. |
| efforts to both address global warming and stimulate | | | | Preventing the human suffering brought on by the |
| the economy. The program would include weatherizing | | | | recession will have to be yet another item on the long |
| homes, installing monitors in homes to monitor and | | | | list of must-haves in the Obama proposal. Bolstering |
| reduce energy use, and upgrading federal buildings to | | | | food stamp funds, rental assistance, and extending |
| enhance their efficiency. It would also include tax | | | | unemployment benefits will be critical to stabilizing |
| breaks and subsidies to encourage clean energy | | | | distressed households. And the effect of this should |
| projects like wind farms, solar, biofuels, and technology | | | | likewise provide a boost to the economy. Focusing the |
| for capturing carbon dioxide emitted by power plants. | | | | economic policy on only the middle class won't be |
| This initial plan looks smart, progressive, and frankly | | | | enough as the economy continues to deteriorate and |
| pretty exciting. But will it work? Just a month ago, in | | | | more and more of the middle class falls into poverty. |
| the weeks prior to the election, John McCain was | | | | |