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Mar. 10th, 2021 10:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fabrisseMy comment in response to this article:
https://slate.com/business/2021/03/biden-covid-bill-american-rescue-act-fdr-new-deal.html
Response:
Now that we've got the first round done, time for round two: a massive infrastructure investment. We have over 23,000 bridges in need of replacement. Anyone who's driven knows that potholes need to be addressed, and, since we'll have the money for it, we could repave everything in weather permeable tarmac which would help the environment at the same time.
Other ideas:
Expand the department of the interior and man fire lookouts. Expand the amount of territory the department can reach by training more rangers. Add to the environmental programs and hire a few Ph.D.s to run it.
Commerce Department could look at trucking regulations including cutting back on the number of trailers one truck can haul. Invest in independent truckers and businesses by giving out grants to improve the environmental friendliness of trucks. Get ahead of Elon Musk and figure out what driverless trucking will look like so it won't be a shock in 10-ish years.
Housing and Urban Development should invest in homeless housing.
Education could provide grants to get gardens at schools with a produce giveaway every week. It has the double benefit of teaching kids that food doesn't come from grocery stores and can get some healthy meals into them and their families. Mandate two semesters of shop: Metal, Wood, Auto, other materials, even teach basic welding techniques to seniors in high school who want it. Mandate two semesters of home ec: every kid leaves school with at least 10 basic recipes they can use to feed themselves. Every kid leaves school knowing how to budget. Every kid leaves school knowing how to fix a hem or a button, minimum. Ideally, they would have some basic tailoring skills and leave with something they can wear to job interviews. Bring back music programs (studies show kids who learn basic music skills do better in other classes including computer programming, if they actually learn to read music.)
There are more possibilities, but all of them create or maintain jobs as well as provide other social benefits.
https://slate.com/business/2021/03/biden-covid-bill-american-rescue-act-fdr-new-deal.html
Response:
Now that we've got the first round done, time for round two: a massive infrastructure investment. We have over 23,000 bridges in need of replacement. Anyone who's driven knows that potholes need to be addressed, and, since we'll have the money for it, we could repave everything in weather permeable tarmac which would help the environment at the same time.
Other ideas:
Expand the department of the interior and man fire lookouts. Expand the amount of territory the department can reach by training more rangers. Add to the environmental programs and hire a few Ph.D.s to run it.
Commerce Department could look at trucking regulations including cutting back on the number of trailers one truck can haul. Invest in independent truckers and businesses by giving out grants to improve the environmental friendliness of trucks. Get ahead of Elon Musk and figure out what driverless trucking will look like so it won't be a shock in 10-ish years.
Housing and Urban Development should invest in homeless housing.
Education could provide grants to get gardens at schools with a produce giveaway every week. It has the double benefit of teaching kids that food doesn't come from grocery stores and can get some healthy meals into them and their families. Mandate two semesters of shop: Metal, Wood, Auto, other materials, even teach basic welding techniques to seniors in high school who want it. Mandate two semesters of home ec: every kid leaves school with at least 10 basic recipes they can use to feed themselves. Every kid leaves school knowing how to budget. Every kid leaves school knowing how to fix a hem or a button, minimum. Ideally, they would have some basic tailoring skills and leave with something they can wear to job interviews. Bring back music programs (studies show kids who learn basic music skills do better in other classes including computer programming, if they actually learn to read music.)
There are more possibilities, but all of them create or maintain jobs as well as provide other social benefits.
