Kaptur in the New York Times: Promote the Creation of a Civilian Conservation Crops to Create Jobs
The New York Times has published a letter from Congresswoman Kaptur in which she promotes the creation of a 21st Century Civilian Conservation Corps as a way to create jobs.
Congresswoman Kaptur's letter responded to a Times editorial on August 15. She argues that "one proven way to create jobs in America" is to revive the CCC from the New Deal era.
The CCC, she said, put almost 300,000 Americans to work within three months and proved to be one of the most effective and popular of the New Deal programs.
She said investment in infrastructure produces much more "bang for the buck than tax credits and other arcane policy options…"
Here is a copy of Congresswoman Kaptur's letter about her legislation (H.R. 494) to create a modern-day Civilian Conservation Corps:
To the Editor:
One proven way to create jobs in America ("A Jobs Agenda Anyone," editorial, Aug. 15) is to reprise the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was one of the most effective and most popular programs of the New Deal.
I have introduced legislation (H.R. 494) that would create a modern-day C.C.C. to employ currently idled Americans, with returning unemployed veterans leading civilian teams of unemployed workers in rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, repairing our damaged environment through tree planting and other conservation projects, and revitalizing local communities.
Every dollar of investment in bricks, mortar, infrastructure and environment returns $1.59 to the economy. This is six times more "bang for the buck" than tax credits and other arcane policy options whose economic impact drain through the economy and yield only 30 cents for every dollar expended.
Moreover, the 21st-century C.C.C. could be quickly mobilized to address the job crisis. Its predecessor was up and running and employing almost 300,000 Americans within three months.
Rather than allowing the economy to stagnate and leaving our public assets to deteriorate, we can build our way out of this economic downturn. We simply need to remember one of the important lessons of the "greatest generation": useful work transforms lives and builds our nation forward.
MARCY KAPTUR
Member of Congress, 9th Dist., Ohio
Toledo, Ohio, Aug. 17, 2011