Everyday there seems to be another crisis, report, or question raised about the economy. I wonder if there isn't a simple way forward. In the past we have seen war build back an economy through creating demand for manufacturing and industry growth. What if this time instead of war, the answer is in building. The true cause of the economic collapse seems to be speculation and greed. So there is no way to get out of it using the same concepts. We cannot tax our way out of the hole and we can not cut programs enough to get out of the hole. What we need is for people to act in an honest manner, use the programs only when needed, and focus on building community. Our energy grid needs upgraded, our road systems are failing, and our homes and businesses are not energy efficient. Would it be possible to create a comprehensive jobs package that focuses our attention on making every home in the country energy efficient? How about actually investing in smart transportation system that allow us to only own one car and drive less daily. Wouldn't this reduce our need for foreign oil. Can we build an electric grid that encourages solar and wind to be integrated into the system to eliminate the need to build more power plants that rely on toxic means of energy creation that destroys the environmental prosperity of the area?
I want to see a real economic plan that is focused on building our communities. One that invests in small towns and small businesses. If you had a low cost way of making your home more valuable through energy efficient retrofits that places a power plant on your roof (solar panels) so that you would have more equity, wouldn't you have more confidence in our country's economic future. I certainly can see a utopia in front of us, we just need to choose to make it a priority instead of looking for who to blame.
Perhaps none of this is possible, but it certainly seems like a solution that could help everyone, build jobs, and add to our country's real worth.
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