Without question, the problems of rampant joblessness and a stagnant economy could both be addressed and solved if those who wield the power in this government and the corporate world would stop vacillating and procrastinating; and take action to create millions of new jobs that are waiting in the wings.
Which jobs and where exactly can they be found? I'm speaking of two areas of great potential, each of which has been identified time and again as the real answer to this nation's ongoing unemployment dilemma. The problem is that this message continues to fall on deaf ears as those corporatists who benefit from the status quo are far more concerned with their bottom lines rather than with employing American workers.
So, here are those two areas of great potential job creation that are just waiting to be created, one in the short term and the second in the somewhat longer term:
The Rebuilding and Improvement of the National Infrastructure:
This is an area of great need that has, for far too long, been largely ignored. The U.S. national infrastructure, in a state of gross negligence and deterioration, could employ millions of workers in a rebuild and improvement program. It has become a national disgrace; old, outdated, crumbling and in such a sad condition that it will have a tremendous negative impact on American commerce for decades to come if not addressed and soon.
For those who are either unaware of this massive deterioration or just won't accept that it actually exists, following are some startling and troubling statistics showing how bad its condition is. These statistics come from the excellent book by Arianna Huffington, "Third World America", subtitled, "How Our Politicians Are Abandoning The Middle Class And Betraying The American Dream." This book, excerpts of which I have illustrated with italics, could not possibly better speak to the pathetic condition of the national infrastructure.
In 2009 the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave the nation an overall infrastructure grade of D, down from D+ in 2005; here's just how bad that infrastructure is:
The ASCE report indicates that we would need to invest $2.2 trillion over the next 5 years just to bring our existing infrastructure up to a passable level (let alone a level appropriate for the twenty-first century). But only $975 billion has been budgeted for that period.
*Bridges: one in four of America's bridges are either structurally deficient or obsolete. The typical bridge, with an average life of fifty years, is now 43 years old. To get all of the bridges in America in good shape we'd need to spend $17 billion per year but are only spending $10.5 billion.
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