CommentsA WORD WITH HIGHTOWER--It’s time for America to go back to the future — a future of true greatness created by a people united to build a strong nation for the common good.
From the start of our United States, Americans have backed leaders who dared to do big public projects — Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, JFK, and LBJ all dared to achieve bold goals.
It’s only since Ronald Reagan’s “government-is-evil” demagoguery that our presidents and lawmakers shriveled to no-can-do mediocrities, unwilling even to try tackling America’s big needs or invest in our people’s unlimited possibilities.
Their failure is why our nation’s infrastructure — once world-class — has deteriorated to an embarrassing 16th in the world. It’s hard to muster any national pride in chanting: “We’re Number 16!”
But surprisingly, here comes Joe Biden — a lifelong, go-slow Democrat — unexpectedly proposing a get-serious, roll-up-our-sleeves, $2-trillion package of investments to modernize and extend America’s collapsing infrastructure.
In addition to roads, bridges, and dams, it gives a long overdue boost to such needs as rural high-speed broadband, replacing lead water pipes, building clean energy systems, constructing affordable housing, upgrading public transit systems, increasing home health care for the elderly, and providing affordable childcare facilities — all geared toward creating good union jobs and lifting local economies.
Even more transformative than the particular components is Biden’s back-to-the-future method of paying for this Rebuild America agenda by returning to progressive taxation.
Instead of the same old no-tax, laissez-fairyland extremism that Washington has practiced for 40 years (leading to the deep infrastructure hole we’re now in), Biden will at long last demand that multinational corporate behemoths stop dodging their tax obligations to America.
It’s the same fair-taxation policy that funded our nation’s real needs in the past, while also increasing productivity and raising living standards for millions of working families.
Let’s do it again!
(OtherWords columnist Jim Hightower is a radio commentator, writer, and public speaker. Provided CityWatch by OtherWords.org.)
-cw
