By Nancy Spannaus Nov. 11, 2018—In its quarterly release Nov. 1, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) threw a wet blanket on those who have been claiming that this year’s job growth has led to a qualitative improvement in the U.S. economy. The BLS stated that productivity growth between […]
Nov. 9, 2018—Speaking to CNBC on Nov. 8, former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood laid out his current thinking on the prospects for a bipartisan Federal infrastructure plan. LaHood, a former Transportation Secretary and long-time proponent of major federal infrastructive spending, pinned his hopes on President Trump supporting an increase […]
By Nancy Spannaus Nov. 7, 2018—One thing is definitive about the results of the U.S. mid-term elections: Neither political party put a solution to the country’s economic and financial disaster on the national agenda. That doesn’t mean that many of the new Democratic members of Congress don’t have a strong […]
Aug. 7, 2018—The Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board, now under mandate to come up with a plan to deal with highway congestion on Interstate 81 through the Shenandoah Valley, plans to consider an innovative rail solution to the problem. That is the report from David Foster, chairman of the non-profit lobby […]
Aug. 6, 2018—Six years after Hurricane Sandy, the Army Corps of Engineers has begun to present options for protecting the New York-New Jersey harbor area from future devastating storms. At stake is the fate of 16 million people living in the area; three airports; five major rail networks; the largest […]
By Angela Vullo April 22, 2018–Sometimes there are unintended, even deadly, consequences in neglecting basic infrastructure. This is one of those times. Not only is America’s once prided infrastructure crumbling to the ground, but the workforce most responsible for building that infrastructure is facing dire conditions. This reality was exposed […]
March 20, 2018–Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal model is still relevant today, Rep. Marcy Kaptur recognizes with her 21st Century Civilian Conservation Corps Act (H.R. 2206). Read about a part of that model below. March 18, 1933 began the second phase of FDR’s “Hundred Days” program, the one devoted explicitly to […]
Jan. 31, 2018—In an op-ed published in the Washington Post on the eve of President Trump’s State of the Union address, Senate Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer urged the President to propose “a substantial investment in our nation’s infrastructure.” Among the historical examples which he raised was none other than […]
By Nancy Spannaus December 23, 2017—One of the most egregious aspects of the recently passed stop-gap Federal spending bill is its treatment of those whose lives have been brought to ruin by the recent hurricanes and wildfires. After having increased the proposed new appropriation for additional disaster relief to Florida, […]
( Proponents of the American System of Economics, from Alexander Hamilton through FDR, insisted upon investing in constantly improving technologies in order to improve productivity and conditions of life for the population. Indeed, FDR himself called for “greening the deserts” of Africa in the wake of the Second World War, […]
By Nancy Spannaus Feb. 13, 2020—Yesterday my husband and I attended the commemoration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday at the Lincoln Memorial for the third year in a row. The hour-long ceremony is hosted by the National Park Service and the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States […]
Sen. Booker’s Federal Jobs Guarantee Act–A Glass Half Full
By Stuart Rosenblatt May 30, 2018–Over the past year, a new initiative to guarantee a job to anybody who wants or needs one has been making its way through progressive Democratic Party circles, and provoking a debate on what a competent jobs program should be. Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-NJ) bill, […]