What we should do - My own to-do list for a revitalized "Rust Belt"

[MrScorpio]

In order to get America back on its feet, I think we must transform the states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin from the old "Rust Belt" into a new Industrial Center for the Future.


- Tear down old factories and clean up those areas

- Rebuild the Midwest manufacturing capacity, make it the center of new energy technology (Wind, solar, wave, battery)

- Invest in a nationwide high speed rail system, with new steel processing and train manufacturing

- Educate the engineering students in America needed for this reinvestment in American infrastructure

- Build new smart neighborhoods, with added emphasis on pedestrian, bike and public transit (i.e., Reston VA)

- Invest in an area wide single payer health system and free public education system through university level

- More investment in small businesses rather than the big boxes that have destroyed those small business entrepreneurs

- Guarantee participation by organized labor

- A progressive tax structure with no sales tax on US-made products



Yes, I know that it's a fantasy. The Banks, Republicans, major corporations and goddamn filthy rich assholes would stand in the way and not budge an inch, even if it meant the country go hell in a hand-basket, rather than seeing a reversal of all the policies that have lined their pockets in the last forty years.

But fuck it, we need to start building things in this country again.

This race to the bottom that we've been living in is the source of all of our economic woes.

Nobody will admit it.

[postulater]

1. Add Wisconsin to that list. And no sales tax on US-made products.

[MrScorpio]

2. Added

Done!

[FBI_Un_Sub]

3. Pete (and RePete) Flaherty did the exact opposite and it took Pittsburgh 40 years to recover.

Pete killed mass transit ("Sky Bus"), declared war on the Universities and on down town renewal. It took 40+ years to make Pittsburgh the fine place (relative to the "Rust Belt" big cities (like Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, and Chicago0 that it is now,

[anthroguy101]

4. Stop what you're doing and run for congress nt

[Catshrink]

5. Yep!

That would be something all of DU could agree on.

[Catshrink]

6. Yep!

That would be something all of DU could agree on.

[safeinOhio]

7. Replace "free trade" with

"fair trade".
Mid-West has location, infrastructure, educated work force, water, transportation and energy. It will come back if given the chance.

[handmade34]

8. good ideas

market a movement of 'urban homesteading' and engage people with out of the box ideas and energies

[FBI_Un_Sub]

9. See Leineberger

[Motown_Johnny]

10. agreed on what we should do... the question is how we do it

IMO we need to start by renegotiating all, yes ALL our trade agreements. We can talk about rebuilding manufacturing in the Midwest but until we have better trade deals there won't be enough customers to support those businesses.



High speed rail is something we are 20 behind on. Right now it should be more convenient to take a train than fly, if the trip is only a few hundred miles. Our rail system is still stuck in the 1800s and Amtrak isn't helping.

[abq e streeter]

11. The sad truth of modern day America: common sense =fantasy

And you're right: "The Banks, Republicans, major corporations and goddamn filthy rich assholes would stand in the way and not budge an inch, even if it meant the country go hell in a hand-basket, rather than seeing a reversal of all the policies that have lined their pockets in the last forty years". Just a fucking tragic situation that we've somehow been unable to stop. And I blame a Democratic Party that's been spineless at best, corrupt and in bed with the same corporate criminals as the republicans at worst, for being complicit in allowing this to happen. And I despair at how to turn it around with the "news media"/ propaganda machines being so tightly controlled by those same criminals.

[OHdem10]

12. We need to get people behind a Move to have just 15% GDP in

Manufacturing. GE recognizes this is a basic need if our
country's economy is to be sustained.

J. Immelt , GE has committed himself to put so Mfg Jobs in
this country if he has need to outsource some jobs/

If someone could appeal to other Business Leaders to make
similar committments.

Could we appeal to their patriotism as well as their bottome line.
Our citizens can better buy their stuff if they have jobs.

[amborin]

13. 4+ yrs ago, huge US fed grants for dev'p of regional economic growth in that area