Putting Families First?

 

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) became President in 1933 the country was in terrible shape. The Stock Market had collapsed, the economy was in turmoil, and millions of Americans had lost their jobs. Farms were being foreclosed upon as banks called mortgages in. The banking industry was unstable. Health Insurance was mostly not an option. Americans had no social safety net. Much of the western industrialized world was also suffering. Historians credit the bold new policies of FDR with restoring trust in our government and rebuilding an America that had teetered on its core principles. Rugged individualism can only do so much.

The New Deal came in 2 phases; the first policies were implemented with great urgency. The others came in over his first and second terms. FDR had 5 areas of emphasis as he set out to restore America:

1.    He set out to save capitalism and stabilize the banking and finance industries.

2.    He established programs to relieve hunger and create jobs.

3.    He tried to stabilize agricultural production with limits and subsidies and control pricing; he brought electrification to much of rural America, improved roads, and power grids adding jobs along the way.

4.    He provided funds for bridges, dams, hydroelectric power, hospitals, and government buildings.

5.    Prices were stabilized, child labor was abolished, and unions were encouraged.

Subsequently he added the programs whose success we now appreciate, Social Security, The Works Progress Administration, the National Labor Relations Board, and some governmental re-organization and long-term financial stability. In a speech, he lamented that one-third of America was “ill-housed, ill-clad, and ill-nourished.” Even so, his policies were not universally appreciated by certain members of the power elite; he was opposed by legal, political, and business structures. Not all the programs were as robust as might have been hoped and the nation had a modest depression in the late 1930s which was remedied by the industrial push before and during the Second World War.

This week, in a speech to Congress and the nation, President Biden advocated for his national infrastructure program, which was presented earlier, and introduced his American Families Plan. These are both multi-pronged plans and cover many issues which impact families and communities. The primary components of the families plan are divided into Child care (nutrition programs, child care subsidies, and national paid family and medical leave), education (free community college, free pre-kindergarten, grants, and credits for minority education) and tax credits (dependent care and child tax credits). The Infrastructure plan considers transportation infrastructure (roadways, railways, ports, airports, and electric vehicles and power services) quality of life and home (school buildings, clean energy, schools, childcare, care for the elderly, water quality, and broadband expansion) research and development (new technologies, workforce, and disabled workers development, clean energy initiatives, increased industrial production).

These programs would be paid for through tax incentives, increasing corporate and individual tax rates, and closing tax loopholes. The American Families Plan is projected to cost 1.9 Trillion dollars over ten years, while the jobs or infrastructure plan is expected to cost 2.3 Trillion dollars over ten years. Republicans are already complaining about the costs and decrying the idea of any tax increases. They were elected on promises to not raise taxes and appear to not have concerns about poor water systems, decrepit bridges, or lack of a robust power grid. Their lack of concern for families without health care, proper nutrition, housing and support is well known and was shown by lack of support for the Covid relief funds and their party’s long-tern opposition to Obama-care and Medicaid.

Nicholas Kristof writes about this in his column in the New York Times. He claims that for the last fifty years our government has under-invested in its people. From the days of Nixon and Reagan, the middle class has decreased in income produced and access to services. Services for communities have decreased as Republicans pushed the ideas that big government was bad, taxes were too high, and the best way to help people is to have them provide for their own needs. Welfare to work was implemented, and many states decreased support for needy people, food stamps, and housing subsidies. Kristof noted how his small hometown in Oregon had been revitalized by FDRs electrification and works programs. He believes these programs helped his town and America enjoy the advantages of the middle class with good jobs and educational services in 1970. Now, he noted that one-third of those who rode on his school bus have now died of ‘drugs, alcohol or suicide-deaths of despair’ as he calls them. He also noted that ‘we slowed investments in health and education and nourished the harsh narrative that people should pull themselves up by their bootstraps.' The middle class is being hollowed out as real incomes which were averaged weekly at $860 in 2020 income decreased when compared to the 1970 earnings-$902 (in adjusted dollars). We spend vast sums on incarcerating large numbers of our residents, yet do not seem to believe that we need to support our local towns and cities.

I tend to agree with Kristof and President Biden. America needs to again value its families and invest in initiatives that support people and communities. Before the pandemic, the Econofact network reported that 10 million children (about 14%) were living in poverty, as were approximately 8% of adults and 8% of seniors over 65. The poverty level for a family of 4 is between $20 -$26,000 annually. There is some variance in different areas of the country. Black and Hispanic children had the highest rates of poverty at 26% and 21% respectively. The pandemic has seen food lines across this country not seen since the Depression. In December 2020 Time magazine estimated that 50 million Americans, including 18 million children, were suffering from food insecurity and implored incoming President Biden to make this a priority once in office. His American Families Plan will address some of these concerns. More than two million women left the workforce during the pandemic because of virtual schools, loss of service jobs, and lack of childcare options besides concerns about safety. Republicans have proclaimed that Biden wants to make mothers work and take child care decisions out of the family and move them to the government. That is so untrue. Universal pre-K and daycare subsidies are both options. In urban areas, child care costs may take a huge portion of a worker's salary, sometimes making it more reasonable to stay home. But what are the choices if that worker's job carried the health care insurance when the spouse was a gig worker? In reality, many families need two incomes to provide for the needs of the household since costs have increased and salaries have not. The tone-deafness of the opposition to a $15.00 an hour base (gradually increased) from the current federal minimum of $7.25 an hour considering these statistics is astonishing.

Issues such as support for free community colleges and expansion of broadband can do for this country what rural electrification and the GI Bill did more than a half-century ago. The closing of schools and move to virtual schooling has demonstrated the digital divide quite vividly; schools handed out laptop computers and set up wi-fi stations in their parking lots to assist students who did not have options in their homes. I read recently where one student sat on his roof to get connected; I doubt if he was the only one in that situation. I posit that our country should support the plans offered by President Biden. I think that these will provide long-term stability for families and bolster the infrastructure of this country for generations to come. The suggested tax supports do not seem overly burdensome as businesses will stand to make more money when roads and transit are improved and the people in general are better educated, housed, and fed. So, while I hope that some Republicans (and Senator Manchin) will see the light and support both of these initiatives so they can pass rapidly, I am unsure. I do hope that the American people will speak up and soon! Now is the time when America needs to invest in its people.

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Covid is now devastating the country of India with thousands of new cases and deaths being reported daily. 19.6 million cases and 214 thousand deaths have been recorded to this date. Lack of oxygen, medications, and hospital beds contribute to these devastating numbers. Countries across the world have been rushing needed supplies, vaccines, and oxygen to India. Brazil has tallied 14.1 million cases and 406 thousand deaths to date, making it the country with the second-highest death totals after the US.

In the US vaccination rates are increasing with over 100 million people fully vaccinated, thus far. However, vaccination rates are slowing and officials are worried about reaching herd immunity if enough people do not get vaccinated. There are still significant pockets of vaccine hesitancy and refusals; many of these people are anti-vaccine advocates, while many others are Republicans who do not feel it is necessary. The CDC has released new mask requirements and reduced uses in vaccinated persons. Although the vaccinations are free to all who live in the US, Florida is requiring proof of residency before registration. Some of this may be due to vaccine tourism, but some may also be a threat to undocumented residents. Maryland reports that 35% of its residents are now fully vaccinated.

COVID stats – NY Times

US totals: Total cases: 32,448,723. Total new cases: 49,266. Total deaths: 576,638. New deaths: 694.

MD totals: Total cases: 448,340.     Total new cases: 939        Total deaths: 8,764. Total recent deaths: 20.

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I could not close tonight without mentioning the new culture wars started by the right and Fox news media. It wasn’t enough to go after Dr. Seuss, Mr. Potato Head, and VP Kamala Harris children’s book, - now they are claiming that President Biden will allow you to have only one hamburger a year. House Minority Leader McCarthy has taken to calling Biden the “Hamburgler”. These absurd statements are debunked by PolitiFact in an article that notes that his climate plan covers no intention to ban any measure of meat consumption. Fox News did eventually announce a brief retraction. Wonder what the next culture crazy push will be – banning little Red Riding Hood?

“Til next week – peace!