Infrastructure-the roads we drive on, the sidewalks we walk on, the pipes we drink from, the lines we plug into, and even more. Infrastructure is the measure of a country; the ability for a country to provide adequate services to its populace is one of the chief things that separates a "First World" country from a "Third World".
In America, much of this infrastructure is reliant upon the support of the government to be maintained and expanded. At the very least, private entities need to rely on government for permitting and oversight to implement infrastructure building initiatives. Lots of our infrastructure was built by the WPA in the Great Depression
When looking at stimuli to resolve our financial crisis (or at least stem the bleeding), fiscally conservative elements on both sides of the aisle have advocated for less direct government spending and more tax breaks.
However, with lower tax revenues, what will happen to our infrastructure that needs the government to survive? Privatization is not the answer. We need more stimulus to rebuild our infrastructure and ensure our economic and social viability into the future.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
2010: A Wishlist
I'm no big advocate of front-loading election cycles, but, as citizens of a state that is in dire straits, Michiganians have to start planning for 2010 today. With the Governorship, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Senate, and State House all up for grabs, the very future of our state hangs in the balance.
Michigan's economic woes are only part of our problems. Dragged down by the national recession, we are nearing year 9 of our own recession with 10% unemployment, and grim prospects for jobless figures next year too. Our state is heavily reliant on others for producing our energy, and our roads are in shambles with no clear way to fix them. In fact, to list the challenges that our new administration needs to surmount would take pages.
We can ill afford to stumble blindly into this election and be swayed by campaign politics on either side. Michigan needs to put the candidates to the test and challenge them to implement the people's solutions to our problems, rather than the political solutions.
This means forming a wishlist of what we want to see our officials do for us. This policy platform will be what we as a state want to see. How to do this, where to do this, and more are questions that are not up to me to answer. Our situation today, though, is far too dire to allow our next leaders to sneak into office by mastery of the political game alone.
Michigan's economic woes are only part of our problems. Dragged down by the national recession, we are nearing year 9 of our own recession with 10% unemployment, and grim prospects for jobless figures next year too. Our state is heavily reliant on others for producing our energy, and our roads are in shambles with no clear way to fix them. In fact, to list the challenges that our new administration needs to surmount would take pages.
We can ill afford to stumble blindly into this election and be swayed by campaign politics on either side. Michigan needs to put the candidates to the test and challenge them to implement the people's solutions to our problems, rather than the political solutions.
This means forming a wishlist of what we want to see our officials do for us. This policy platform will be what we as a state want to see. How to do this, where to do this, and more are questions that are not up to me to answer. Our situation today, though, is far too dire to allow our next leaders to sneak into office by mastery of the political game alone.
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