{"id":3181,"date":"2020-12-20T16:23:27","date_gmt":"2020-12-20T16:23:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=141625"},"modified":"2020-12-20T16:23:27","modified_gmt":"2020-12-20T16:23:27","slug":"biden-needs-to-spend-big-and-fast-here-are-4-immediate-priorities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2020\/12\/20\/biden-needs-to-spend-big-and-fast-here-are-4-immediate-priorities\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden Needs to Spend Big\u2014And Fast. Here Are 4 Immediate Priorities."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Expec\u00adta\u00adtions are high for the incom\u00ading Joe Biden admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion, not because the polit\u00adi\u00adcal cir\u00adcum\u00adstances are advan\u00adta\u00adgeous, nor because of Biden him\u00adself, but because our trou\u00adbles are so great. <\/p>\n

Tens of mil\u00adlions of Amer\u00adi\u00adcans are unem\u00adployed<\/a>. The death toll from Covid-19<\/span> in the Unit\u00aded States now tops 300<\/span>,000<\/span>. An avalanche of evic\u00adtions and fore\u00adclo\u00adsures is on its way. And this is on top of our ongo\u00ading polit\u00adi\u00adcal cri\u00adsis: A stub\u00adborn minor\u00adi\u00adty of vot\u00aders refuse to rec\u00adog\u00adnize the results of the elec\u00adtion, while many of Pres\u00adi\u00addent Trump\u2019s sup\u00adport\u00aders remain unwill\u00ading to observe ele\u00admen\u00adtary safe\u00adty mea\u00adsures to reduce the fur\u00adther spread of the virus. In Wash\u00ading\u00adton, D.C. last week, a ram\u00adpag\u00ading mob of fas\u00adcist goons assault\u00aded ran\u00addom passers-by and van\u00addal\u00adized black church\u00ades\u2009\u2014\u2009osten\u00adsi\u00adbly as a way to show feal\u00adty to Trump. To put it mild\u00adly, Amer\u00adi\u00adca is in bad shape.<\/p>\n

“No cred\u00adi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty should go to any Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic stuffed shirt who bleats about restor\u00ading norms. Work\u00ading peo\u00adple are des\u00adper\u00adate. This is class war, folks.”<\/p>\n

Much of the Biden administration\u2019s abil\u00adi\u00adty to respond to the health and eco\u00adnom\u00adic crises we face depends on the out\u00adcome of the Jan\u00adu\u00adary 5<\/span> run-off elec\u00adtions in Geor\u00adgia that will deter\u00admine which par\u00adty con\u00adtrols the Sen\u00adate. But even with vic\u00adto\u00adries in both of those races, cen\u00adtrist Democ\u00adrats in Con\u00adgress will con\u00adtin\u00adue to oppose major pro\u00adgres\u00adsive poli\u00adcies. And Democ\u00adrats\u2019 nar\u00adrow major\u00adi\u00adty in the House (and, if we\u2019re lucky, the Sen\u00adate) will make it dif\u00adfi\u00adcult for Pres\u00adi\u00addent Biden to spend as much mon\u00adey as necessary. <\/p>\n

Nev\u00ader\u00adthe\u00adless, there is a lot of new spend\u00ading we need, and ele\u00advat\u00ading the most urgent pri\u00ador\u00adi\u00adties is an impor\u00adtant polit\u00adi\u00adcal task: It applies pres\u00adsure on cur\u00adrent Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic offi\u00adcials, includ\u00ading the pres\u00adi\u00addent him\u00adself, and edu\u00adcates and moti\u00advates peo\u00adple who can vote for a new, more pro\u00adgres\u00adsive Con\u00adgress in 2022<\/span>. <\/p>\n

Here are four of the top priorities:<\/p>\n

1<\/span>. Send mon\u00adey now! <\/em><\/strong>When it comes to stim\u00adu\u00adlus, there are always dual objec\u00adtives: boost\u00ading the econ\u00ado\u00admy, and pro\u00advid\u00ading relief for those in the great\u00adest need. Send\u00ading checks to every\u00adbody, extend\u00ading unem\u00adploy\u00adment ben\u00ade\u00adfits, and bail\u00ading out belea\u00adguered small busi\u00adness have already been shown to be effec\u00adtive. The reces\u00adsion and pan\u00addem\u00adic are far from over, so these poli\u00adcies should con\u00adtin\u00adue. The skin\u00adny com\u00adpro\u00admise<\/a> that might be struck in Con\u00adgress pro\u00advides no more than a small respite. To speed up a return to eco\u00adnom\u00adic health, the first step is to avoid sink\u00ading deep\u00ader into the cur\u00adrent rut. <\/p>\n

Just as impor\u00adtant is pro\u00advid\u00ading relief to state and local gov\u00adern\u00adments<\/a>, which pro\u00advide ser\u00advices of vital impor\u00adtance to work\u00ading peo\u00adple. These gov\u00adern\u00adments nev\u00ader quite recov\u00adered from the Great Reces\u00adsion of 2007<\/span>\u2009\u2013\u20092008<\/span>. They are oblig\u00aded to bal\u00adance their bud\u00adgets, so unlike the fed\u00ader\u00adal gov\u00adern\u00adment, their bor\u00adrow\u00ading capac\u00adi\u00adty is restrict\u00aded. The triple hit to state and local finance\u2009\u2014\u2009reduced tax rev\u00adenue, added reces\u00adsion-relat\u00aded spend\u00ading, and addi\u00adtion\u00adal virus-relat\u00aded expens\u00ades\u2009\u2014\u2009has deplet\u00aded their reserves.<\/p>\n

2<\/span>. Pub\u00adlic invest\u00adment and the Green New Deal: do every\u00adthing. <\/em><\/strong>A reces\u00adsion is always an oppor\u00adtune time to ramp up pub\u00adlic invest\u00adment on a per\u00adma\u00adnent basis. Many pos\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adties will com\u00adpete for fund\u00ading. Two impor\u00adtant angles should be kept in mind.<\/p>\n

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The tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal sort of invest\u00adment in \u200b\u201c<\/span>infra\u00adstruc\u00adture\u201d\u2009\u2014\u2009roads, bridges, school build\u00adings, air\u00adports and rail sys\u00adtems\u2009\u2014\u2009has been neglect\u00aded for decades. A revival, how\u00adev\u00ader, needs to be done through the lens of cli\u00admate change aware\u00adness. Among oth\u00ader things, this means a pref\u00ader\u00adence for pub\u00adlic, mass tran\u00adsit rather than roads; the upgrade of pub\u00adlic facil\u00adi\u00adties (includ\u00ading rail sys\u00adtems) with a view towards reduc\u00ading car\u00adbon emis\u00adsions; and the mod\u00adern\u00adiza\u00adtion of the nation\u2019s pow\u00ader grid. <\/p>\n

The oth\u00ader con\u00adsid\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion is to take seri\u00adous\u00adly what might be called an infra\u00adstruc\u00adture of care<\/em>: work\u00aders and facil\u00adi\u00adties devot\u00aded to hous\u00ading and car\u00ading for those unable to do so for them\u00adselves, includ\u00ading the per\u00adsis\u00adtent\u00adly unem\u00adployed, the indi\u00adgent elder\u00adly, the dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly abled, those in fail\u00ading men\u00adtal health, those with\u00adout hous\u00ading, the incar\u00adcer\u00adat\u00aded, and belea\u00adguered immigrants.<\/p>\n

3<\/span>. The Peace Div\u00adi\u00addend. <\/em><\/strong>Cur\u00adrent\u00adly, the fed\u00ader\u00adal bud\u00adget devotes<\/a> $697<\/span> bil\u00adlion to nation\u00adal defense. When it comes to the fed\u00ader\u00adal gov\u00adern\u00adment actu\u00adal\u00adly doing things oth\u00ader than mail\u00ading checks to indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adals and med\u00adical care providers\u2009\u2014\u2009what is clas\u00adsi\u00adfied as \u200b\u201c<\/span>dis\u00adcre\u00adtionary spend\u00ading\u201d\u2009\u2014\u2009defense takes near\u00adly half. Much of this mon\u00adey is devot\u00aded to sup\u00adport\u00ading the capac\u00adi\u00adty to wage war, and we have to ask, against whom? The inter\u00adven\u00adtions in Iraq, Syr\u00adia, Libya and Yemen have not gone well, to say the least. <\/p>\n

It is pos\u00adsi\u00adble to over\u00adstate how quick\u00adly a peace div\u00adi\u00addend could be pried out of the defense bud\u00adget. Work\u00aders and uni\u00adformed mil\u00adi\u00adtary can\u00adnot be sum\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly dis\u00admissed\u2009\u2014\u2009they will need tran\u00adsi\u00adtion assis\u00adtance. Big-tick\u00adet hard\u00adware con\u00adtracts that are set for a peri\u00adod of years can\u00adnot be instant\u00adly can\u00adceled. Even so, there is an oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to redi\u00adrect a large quan\u00adti\u00adty of fund\u00ading to non-defense purposes.<\/p>\n

4<\/span>. For\u00adget about the nation\u00adal debt. <\/em><\/strong>In a down\u00adturn, the econ\u00ado\u00admy los\u00ades more than it gains by fail\u00ading to ramp up fed\u00ader\u00adal deficit spend\u00ading. Of course, Repub\u00adli\u00adcans have shown them\u00adselves to be com\u00adi\u00adcal hyp\u00adocrites when it comes to wor\u00adries about deficits. Unfor\u00adtu\u00adnate\u00adly, some influ\u00aden\u00adtial Democ\u00adrats may actu\u00adal\u00adly believe such non\u00adsense. They would be well-advised to read a recent paper<\/a> by Jason Fur\u00adman, Obama\u2019s chief econ\u00ado\u00admist, and Lar\u00adry Sum\u00admers, omnipresent Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic Par\u00adty econ\u00ado\u00admist, where\u00adin they basi\u00adcal\u00adly admit every\u00adthing they used to say about bud\u00adget deficits was hog\u00adwash and is par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly inap\u00adpro\u00adpri\u00adate under cur\u00adrent cir\u00adcum\u00adstances. As far as elite eco\u00adnom\u00adic think\u00ading is con\u00adcerned, there should be no obsta\u00adcle to mas\u00adsive increas\u00ades in non-defense deficit spending.<\/p>\n

Biden will also have impor\u00adtant tools that do not depend on Con\u00adgress. A recent col\u00adumn by Dave Roberts pro\u00advides a nice overview<\/a>, both tech\u00adni\u00adcal and polit\u00adi\u00adcal. Biden can issue exec\u00adu\u00adtive orders, make recess appoint\u00adments of nom\u00adi\u00adnees the Sen\u00adate refus\u00ades to approve, fumi\u00adgate Trump\u2019s ter\u00admites from the wood\u00adwork of the fed\u00ader\u00adal civ\u00adil ser\u00advice, re-reg\u00adu\u00adlate what has been dereg\u00adu\u00adlat\u00aded, and un-fire good peo\u00adple who were dis\u00admissed by Trump. <\/p>\n

Trump flout\u00aded every con\u00adceiv\u00adable legal and infor\u00admal con\u00adstraint on his rule, to the utter silence of the Repub\u00adli\u00adcan Par\u00adty. He has giv\u00aden Biden a license to do like\u00adwise. No cred\u00adi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty should go to any Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic stuffed shirt who bleats about restor\u00ading norms. Work\u00ading peo\u00adple are des\u00adper\u00adate. This is class war, folks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

This post was originally published on Radio Free<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Expec\u00adta\u00adtions are high for the incom\u00ading Joe Biden admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion, not because the polit\u00adi\u00adcal cir\u00adcum\u00adstances are advan\u00adta\u00adgeous, nor because of Biden him\u00adself, but because our trou\u00adbles are so\u00a0great.\u00a0 Tens\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3181"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3181"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3181\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3182,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3181\/revisions\/3182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}