The Jobs Program
Is there anything that can get the economy moving?
Yes. Quite a bit in fact.
Spending powers the economy, and there are three areas that make the economy move: 1) the private sector; 2) people; and 3) the government. Currently, the private sector and people aren't spending, so that leaves it up to the government. This can be accomplished with a combination of jobs in medicine, science, technology, engineering, the Arts, and other areas.
The NDP Approach:
A Works Progress Administration (WPA), that will create over 48 million new good paying jobs ($52K+/yr, full benefits & retirement) to provide financial security for people through worker-owned businesses and increased unionization in the following industries/areas:
PROGRAM |
JOBS CREATED | PROGRAM |
JOBS CREATED | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. ARTS | 1 million |
16. JOURNALISM & MEDIA | 1 million |
||
2. AUTOMOTIVE | 1.5 million |
17. MEDICINE | 4.5 million |
||
3. AVIATION | 500,000 |
18. MILITARY VETERANS | 2.3 million |
||
4. BICYCLE INITIATIVE | 400,000 |
19. NASA | 500,000 |
||
5. COMMUNITY LIBRARIES | 400,000 |
20. NATIONAL HIST. PRESERVATION | 100,000 |
||
6. DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION | 1 million |
21. NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE | 500,000 |
||
7. EDUCATION | 500,000 |
22. OPEN BORDER INITATIVE | 200,000 |
||
8. EMERGENCY | 200,000 |
23. PEACE CORPS / AMERICORPS | 300,000 |
||
9. ENERGY | 1 million |
24. PHARMACEUTICAL | 1.5 million |
||
10. ENVIRONMENT | 1 million |
25. POST OFFICE EXPANSION | 1 million |
||
11. FINANCIAL | 500,000 |
26. PUBLIC DEFENDERS | 500,000 |
||
12. GREEN ENERGY * | 21 million |
27. REGULATION | 1.5 million |
||
13. HIGH-SPEED TRANSPORTATION | 2 million |
28. SHIPBUILDING | 500,000 |
||
14. IP / COPYRIGHT | 100,000 |
29. TELECOMMUNICATIONS | 1.5 million |
||
15. IRS | 600,000 |
30. UTILITIES | 1 million |
In addition, there is a need for state-owned and federal-owned banks for business & personal loans as well as low-interest credit cards. A detailed breakdown of the jobs and the number of openings to be created can be found here.
Family farms are important too. Rather than a small number of large monopolistic conglomerates like Monsanto feeding the world, we need to grow the number of family farms and ensure they receive a fair return for their work, and that land and equipment are affordable. We need to ban GMO crops and rein in Monsanto and regulate it.
Also, the Public should be in control of the money supply. The country needs to reform and remove the power to create money from private banks, and to fully restore the supply of our national currency to democratic and public control so that it can be issued free of debt and directed to environmentally and socially beneficial areas.
How do we know government funding for job creation will work? Because FDR and the New Deal did it back during the Great Depression of the 1930s. It provided the "3Rs" - Relief, Recovery, and Reform; Relief for the unemployed and the poor, Recovery of the economy to normal levels, and Reform of the financial system to prevent a repeat depression.
* Thanks to Jon Rynn and his work on the Green New Deal
Resources:
What a 21st Century New Deal Would Look Like
The Case for a 21st Century New Deal: Adding 4.5 Million Doctors and Nurses
The Case for a 21st Century New Deal: A Stronger People's Post Office
The Case for a 21st Century New Deal: World Class High Speed Internet
The Case for a 21st Century New Deal: The Jobs Program
Honoring Dr. King's Call for a Job Guarantee Program
The Case for a 21st Century New Deal: Passing FDR's Economic Bill of Rights
The Case for a 21st Century New Deal: 5.1 Million Jobs for Revitalizing America's Cities
The Case for a 21st Century New Deal: Minimum Wage and Basic Income