America Used to Be Better than This

Bob Herbert write for the New York Times that "America used to be better than this". In his column "Reviving the Dream", Herbert outlines how working families had been in trouble for almost 30 years before the economy began its collapse early last fall.

Crediting writer David Cay Johnston, Herbert writes that Johnston noted:
"... from 1980 (the year Reagan was elected) to 2005, the national economy, adjusted for inflation, more than doubled [with a 66 percent increase per capita when population growth is factored in).

That sounds good, until the stats about average income for most Americans gets factored in. The problem -- all that growth, but no extra money for average families. In fact, the only way families managed to prosper was that women went to work, adding income to men's wages which declined during the 30 year period. Read more here.

The one good thing -- Herbert adds that:

"Now, with the economy in free fall and likely to get worse, Americans -- despite their suffering -- have a opportunity to reshape the society, and then to move it in a fairer, smarter and ultimately more productive direction."

Herbert also answers another question: Why is it that right winger conservatives want this country to fail? His answer:

"They like the direction that the country took over the past 30 years. They'd love to do it all over again."

We find that scary, indeed.

Stimulus Means New Broadband Access in Missouri

Actually, what we like about this story is how it begins. It's true that Broadband is coming soon to Missouri as a result of the Stimulus legislation, but the Stimulus will result in Broadband coming to many more states, too.

So how does it begin? The St. Joe News reports,

Franklin D. Roosevelt took office with about 10 percent of rural households having electrical service. The vast majority of city homes had it.

“Cold figures do not measure the human importance of electric power in our present social order,” the 32nd president said.

In 1935, Mr. Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration. Seven years later, nearly half of the nation’s farms had been wired for power.

Skip ahead seven decades and argue the parallels, but broadband Internet access has become the latest rural equalizer in the newest New Deal.

Read more here: "Broadband Could Be Expanded in Region Due to Stimulus" by Ken Newton.

Overall, President Obama's making broadband a priority in rural America is rural America's chance to get competitive with the urban areas of our country.