February 03, 2008 01:04 am
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As you and your staff work on details of your economic stimulus package, I suggest that it would be well to consider the tools used by President Roosevelt in bringing our country out of the Great Depression. These tools included the P.W.A., W.P.A., R.F.C., C.C.C, N.Y.A.
The P.W.A., Public Works Administration, made contracts with private firms for construction of public works. It provided employment, stabilized purchasing power, improved public welfare and contributed to revival of American industry. Big money was spent on big projects.
The W.P.A., Works Progress Administration, employed millions of people and affected nearly every locality in the country. Under this program many pubic buildings were built, roads and bridges were built. It fed and clothed people and provided housing.
The R.F.C., was started under Hoover and enlarged under Roosevelt. It was started to give financial aid to railroads, financial institutions and business. In 1932 it was broadened to give aid to agriculture and financing for state and local public works.
The C.C.C., Civilian Conservation Corps, was a work relief program for young men from unemployed families designed to combat poverty and unemployment. The C.C.C. operated in all of the states and several territories. The C.C.C.operated many conservation projects, including prevention of soil erosion and building of lakes. The C.C.C. planted over five billion trees.
If the C.C.C program was started up again for tree planting purposes this would go a long way toward answering the greenhouse gas problem. The new trees would use up carbon dioxide in the photosynthesis process.
The National Youth Administration, N.Y.A., served high school and college age youth providing these young people part time work and job training. This program included aid for young women.
The building products industry in our country has been in a recession for a little over a year now. Many mills have closed. We need to get these mills back in operation providing jobs and restoring our manufacturing base.
I am an 83 year old person who lived through the Great Depression. I can tell you in no uncertain terms, "We Don't Want Another Great Depression."
Charles F. Clark
Shubuta
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