After 75 Years, Is It Time to Revive the WPA?

[Karmadillo]

http://www.counterpunch.org/welsh07122010.html

After 75 Years, Is It Time to Revive the WPA?
Putting America Back to Work
By DAVE WELSH

75 years ago, on April 8, 1935, Congress passed legislation creating the largest public works program in U.S. history. A month later President Franklin Roosevelt issued an executive order founding the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which created 8.5 million jobs during the Depression of the 1930s.

But the WPA didn't just happen because of the kindness and concern of President Roosevelt. It was a response to a tremendous mass movement in the streets and workplaces all over the U.S. – from the World War I soldiers’ Bonus March and the Ford Hunger March of 1932; to the San Francisco general strike and large industrial actions in Toledo and Minneapolis in 1934; to later sit-downs in the auto plants of Michigan; to militant actions by Unemployed Councils in hundreds of cities. It was this pressure from below that got us the WPA which put millions of people back to work. It’s also what got us New Deal programs like Social Security, which many of us depend on for daily survival to this very day.

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Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated the final months of his life to starting a movement for the right of everyone to a job or a guaranteed income – and we need a movement like that now. The issue of jobs is on the front burner: all it needs is a flame. And as in the 1930s, only a massive movement in the streets and workplaces will bring about a real public jobs program like the WPA.

In this 75th anniversary year of the WPA, which created 8.5 million public jobs during the Depression of the 1930s, we need to call on community, church and women’s organizations, the AFL-CIO and all of organized labor to do two things:

1) Fight for a real WPA-type program that is big enough to ensure that those who need work get work – work that is socially useful and paying union wages and benefits – a real jobs program fully funded by the government.

2) Organize a massive labor-community march on Washington, and regular actions in cities and towns all over the U.S., with the urgent demand: Put America back to work!

[Pab Sungenis]

1. Long past time.

It should have been set up the first week of the Administration.

[AngryAmish]

2. Step 1: Borrow more money from foreign nations.

Step 2: Put People to work.

Step 3: Profit?

[Taverner]

3. Yes - but I don't expect any politician to get behind this

Because it seems both parties are hell bent on making and keeping us poor

[Oregone]

4. Nooooo. What about Greece!?!?

We are in debt! This is socialism. Leave capitalism alone! Bread will costs $10.00. Id rather starve


Besides...the war is the new jobs program

[mikelgb]

5. If DK was president you would not be asking this question.

[sufrommich]

6. Yes! Bring back the WPA! nt

[msongs]

7. and the CCC - since a lot of $$ goes to unemployment convert it to useful work in the meantime nt

[no_hypocrisy]

8. + 1

[phantom power]

10. +oo

[laughingliberal]

9. Sure. But our government no longer works for us. nt

[jtuck004]

11. No need to borrow, we mfr our own money. Create the American

Investment Jobs Act, which will create a WPA like response to any current or futureunemployment emergency (Don't working Americans deserve as much attention as any corporate-induced oil tragedy?), defined as anything over 5% unemployment for more than 6 months

It invests an immediate funding of one-year jobs at 15% over min wage equal to the percentage of the workforce in the U3 classification.

It invests an immediate funding for tution and books at non-profit and state community and junior colleges for anyone who ha been unemployed and looking for work for more than 6 months.

It invests an immediate funding for 1 year of R&D at 5000 entrepreneur centers, with areas of interest set by what our nation needs for sustainability.

probably some other stuff (someone will want to add a bridge in their state, I am sure)

Will we have to worry about inflation or interest rates at some point? Someday, maybe. But they are not as important to our security and sustainability as jobs and self-respect for ourselves and our neighbors. Inflation and interest rates can be controlled later when everyone is working and paying taxes.

That whole borrowing thing is how China is adding to the over 2 Trillion American dollars it has in reserve. Why do you think they are on us about fixing our currency - the higher the dollar, the more they have. They would not like this plan at all...too bad ;)

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

12. I've thought this would be the way to go since Day 1.

I even recall Obama making some noise about starting something similar, but that didn't last more than a day or two before disappearing down the memory hole.

We could rebuild our entire national infrastructure by doing this. And that could be just the beginning...

[Kablooie]

13. Why do we need the White People's Association again?

[Kablooie]

14. Oop. Stupid dupe of a stupid post. Sorry bout that.

[upi402]

15. long past time, maybe solar and bettery storage

too late now, but yeah - And the NRA used to be the National Recovery Act. Now the modern NRA is a tool to radicalize gun nut workers into voting against their own interests. Like Christians with abortion. And chickens in love with the Colonel.

but kick and rec anyway!

[mdmc]

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