President Joe Biden talks on the phone with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India from the Oval Office. Photo taken February 14, 2023. | Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Part XII of the “Pocketbook Politics” Series
Amazingly, President Joe Biden tells a journalist that it was his policy to pave the way for more socioeconomic development in red states than in blue or even purple states. Perhaps POTUS Biden also shares what this writer paraphrased years ago: the words of a famous native son of Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln: “The economy, like their government, must be by the people, for the people and of the people and their cooperatives.” The Lincoln quote was also mentioned in Part XI of this series on “Pocketbook Politics.”
It may still be conceivable that President Biden, in his last weeks of office, may sign Executive Orders that shall initiate and promote federal assistance to the poorest states. The proposals are written in this column for the states, such as the urgency to start educating and training millions of nursing and other medical students- even out-of-state and foreign students- in their red states’ local colleges and universities. This move would have enabled the poorest states to expand their number of taxpayers and, thereby, boost the local economy. The column suggestion is designed to supply board-certified nurses in North America and the world, as there is a projected universal shortage of 13 million nurses by 2030.
President Biden can also add to his legacy by including the promotion and organization of “Cooperative Economics” in the executive orders. Why? Distressed rural hospitals and community banks can invite cooperatives to become their stakeholders and stockholders. Yes, co-ops and credit unions comprise medical administrators, medical staff, other workers, patients, consumers, vendors, and suppliers. And state, country, or city employees’ pension funds can be “reinvented” as co-ops and invited to join the federation of state cooperatives and credit unions. Or even lead them to success.
“Look: I’ve invested more in red states than in blue states with all these programs we just talked about,” said President Biden. “The reason for that was that the red states didn’t operate very well, and they really hurt their constituents so those factories closed and the like.”
“The fact is that I represent all of America, not just Democrats,” the president continued. “And I think what it’s going to do is bring the country more together than separate it.” (Parts of the reply by POTUS Biden to Ben Meiselas of MeidasTouch, who asked in a new interview how he’ll react when Donald Trump falsely takes credit for all of his accomplishments.)
Then President Biden may also like to initiate — even in his last weeks in office — the so-called “Old Man River (OMR) Renaissance.” It is a back-to-basics proposal for the areas along the Mississippi River and the 32 states in the river deltas. And/or have tributary rivers contributing water to it. The outgoing POTUS may issue an Executive Order requesting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to start working with states like the Commonwealth of Kentucky that may like to spearhead the formation of a consortium of states for the said “OMR Renaissance.” State governors may reorganize National Guard units to recruit and deploy their men and women in uniform to join the various co-ops, especially those that will venture into engineering, construction, healthcare, and security projects.
“And so what I’ve decided to do is to change it to build the economy from the middle out and the bottom up,” explained President Biden. “The wealthy still do very well but the middle-class and the working-class people do much, much better. And that’s exactly what’s happening, and so I think the long-term prospects for the country are very good,” he added in his remarks to Ben Meiselas of MeidasTouch. Perhaps in deference to President Biden, can we suggest an alternative name for “Livelihood Politics” to “Pocketbook Politics”?
In short, what President Biden said, “build the economy from the middle out and the bottom up,” may become the mantra for the projects proposed for the “OMR Renaissance” project(s). Another Executive Order may be issued to require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to help in finalizing feasibility studies and business plans for the cooperatives organized to implement projects like co-ops to retrofit or rebuild closed hotel resorts like in the case of the six distressed hotel-casino resorts in Tunica (Mississippi) and other adjacent or nearby similarly-situated marginalized states. And turn hotel rooms and suites into “condotel” units, cooperative-owned restaurants, and food courts in the hotel-gaming resorts.
Or a federation of co-ops can operate electronic vehicles (EVs) for airport/hotel shuttles as part of an EV-rental firm with charging stations adjacent to hotels, rest stops along highways, and routes to airports and downtowns. In a matter of one decade or less years, ultimately build and operate electricity-powered commuter trains running to all the participating OMR-connected states. A Public-Private Partnership (PPP) can raise human and financial resources for the electric-train venture, as done successfully in Taiwan — with negligible government capital input except for help providing public land for the rail lines and train stations — on long-term leases.
“The 32 states in the OMR Renaissance consortium (or consortia) may even bid for distressed airlines, cruise-ship firms, and cargo companies. Then, they can invite the home countries of the foreign firms doing business already in the 10-to-20 poorest states to join them in doing more joint ventures in North America or even in their respective geographical areas. “
Foreign manufacturing firms- especially those already invested in OMR states like Kentucky- can be given the right of first refusal to join and invest in the said cooperatives or PPP ventures. In turn, they can supply- at competitive rates- the needed EVs and components, such as car lithium batteries, for all the infrastructures that need their products. And produce and grow other necessities required by the co-ops — from clothing and uniforms to bottled water and food that can be cultivated in cooperative-owned farms, ranches, canning factories, and other producers.
The 32 states in the OMR Renaissance consortium (or consortia) may even bid for distressed airlines, cruise-ship firms, and cargo companies. Then, they can invite the home countries of the foreign firms doing business already in the 10-to-20 poorest states to join them in doing more joint ventures in North America or even in their respective geographical areas. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has a collective population of more than 600 million people (read, consumers). This move shall increase the market for the OMR Renaissance participating states and their respective industries.
Let us now discuss more cruise ships currently calling on ports of the OMR. On December 22, 2021 (yes, 2-0-2-1), this columnist discussed “Mixing History With Economic Development in the ‘Old-Man River’ Renaissance Idea, ” part XXVI of the “EDEN America” Series.
The December 2021 article discussed that “Modern cruise ships sail the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee Rivers on 5- to 14-night theme cruises. Cruises depart from New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, St. Paul, Louisville, Nashville, and Cincinnati. Many cruises offer onboard and on-shore ‘cultural enrichment’ trips or excursions as advertised.
“Perhaps all the cruise-ship companies operating in the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee Rivers can pool their resources in collating and documenting all the historical narratives for a massive 13-part documentary series and coffee-table books. The cruise ships can serve as floating mini-museum, libraries, book stores, and theaters. Or the cruise-ship passengers can watch them via closed-circuit television in the privacy of their cabins (or at their respective residences when they return home) at their convenience.”
This columnist and some of his reader-friends sent links to his articles to their White House contacts and other U.S. policy-and-decision makers. Two of this author’s six books on Amazon Book have President Biden on the cover. But this columnist can bet his farm (if he were a farmer) that nobody in The White House forwarded a note to Mr. Biden that he was on the cover of the two books. And much more to inform the Boss of the ideas that could have added more highlights to his legacy as POTUS.
Just imagine if this column’s ideas on the “OMR Renaissance” had reached the eyes and ears of the world’s most powerful head of state as early as December 22, 2021. Perhaps U.S. presidential history could have been different today.
Nevertheless, this columnist also wrote in the said December 22, 2021, op-ed piece, “But the words in Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (KJV): To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die … ” And often writers’ ideas are quickly born online and on print. But many decision-makers staffers delete them or throw them into the waste basket. Amen.
