When FDR fought for the original New Deal it was opposed by financial and industrial elites. It was called ‘socialism’ and considered an unwarranted government intrusion into the affairs of the ‘free-market’. But against the backdrop of the Great Depression FDR was able to implement the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). They put people back to work, modernized infrastructure, and built the foundations for a post-war economic boom.
The New Deal did not undermine capitalism, it saved it.
We need to:
- Implement federal legislation and programs to replace our crumbling infrastructure including smart water storage, distribution, and usage conservation techniques
- Pass a federal jobs and public works bill to fully fund the Climate Conservation Corps and WPA to begin reforestation, habitat reclamation, and clean energy infrastructure development.
- Use the Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Defense assets to directly combat the effects of increasingly frequent severe weather events while developing scalable carbon sequestration projects all over the globe.
- Continue to expand the partnering of Universities, Scientists, and subject matter experts with ranching and farming communities to ensure climate-smart production practices are developed and implemented while increasing yield and efficiency.
