If you have ever gone into our state and national parks or monuments and noticed beautiful stonework and trails cut out of sheer rock or buildings of stonework and artistic style you have been witness to the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) created during the great depression by President Roosevelt in 1933. The CCC was a major part of The New Deal that provided manual labor jobs related to the conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands owned by federal, state, and local governments. The WPA or Works Progress Administration was created in 1935 which created jobs and provided training resulting in the building of parks, water lines, improved roads and manufactured clothing among other things.
While we cannot say our economic situation is the same as then, it is a time for action and planning for recovery from the effects of COVID-19. The distribution of money is needed now, but soon we will need job creation and training, hopefully with an eye to changing our energy dependence on alternatives to oil, and repairing our degrading infrastructure of roads and buildings. Consider the possibilities: building affordable housing and fixing abandoned buildings, creating green spaces within our cities bringing nature within walking distance to children, the list is endless. A government supported and implemented plan could do much to spearhead these projects. I imagine there are many talented people who are available and willing to volunteer to help out if such projects were implemented.
We are supposedly a wealthy country, but it is certainly not evident with so many homeless people living on the streets, our prisons overflowing, the inequalities of our schools, and the food banks serving more and more families. A fair system of taxation can afford to bring back these successful projects for as long as we need them. Surely, this is the time to write to our Congress members and ask them to bring them back.
Alice Mural is a resident of Ashfield.