President-elect Obama's economic plans aren't left-wing and government-centered enough for CNN anchor Rick Sanchez, who about 20 minutes after Obama's Friday afternoon press conference shared his personal suggestion for another WPA (Works Progress Administration) and/or CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps), two government make-work programs from the 1930s. To a guest who lived through the Depression as a child, Sanchez proposed: “I'm thinking WPA, I'm thinking it may be time for Americans to do something like that once again because there's so many people unemployed and there's so much that needs to be done in this country.”
With another guest in the same 3:30 PM EST segment, Sanchez cited energy requirements and wondered: “Isn't this the kind of need that could be met by American workers if the government created a WPA or CCC plan?”
Sanchez's comments:
RICK SANCHEZ: I want to bring in John, because John's a World War II veteran which means he's old enough to remember when this country had to pull itself from its boot straps in the past. John's sitting in the middle of our everyman panel over here. You know, John, as I listen to these conversations and I read these numbers about how bad things are, I'm thinking WPA, I'm thinking it may be time for Americans to do something like that once again because there's so many people unemployed and there's so much that needs to be done in this country. Give us your own personal historical reference to this.
JOHN GALLAGHER: I'm one who grew up during the depression and I know a great amount of frustration that people had. The WPA did a lot. The CCC did even more to give people something to do to improve their spirit and just give them a sense of purpose.
SANCHEZ: Do you think something like that would be effective at a time like this?
GALLAGHER: For people who don't have work to do: yes.
....
SANCHEZ: Patricia Murphy joins now us as well. You know, that conversation we had moments ago about this country, you know, there's so much that we need when it comes to energy, the possibility, as Boone Pickins has mentioned, that we can go to wind, to solar. Isn't this the kind of need that could be met by American workers if the government created a WPA or CCC plan like we had as John, our World War II veteran, mentioned moment ago?
