Column: Obama's Plan Reminiscent Of FDR's New Deal

This story was written by Larry Burge, Arkansas Traveler

In simple terms, here's the plan Sen. Barack Obama has laid out in his campaign for us and America. It starts with all Americans and ends with all Americans. He invites Americans to become a part of something bigger than themselves.

His plan is simple. It will do for us Americans what Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" did for my grandparents and my parents after the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Obama's plan is different from FDR's in many respects, but the fundamentals of it sound the same.

In place of building the Grand River Dam, like Roosevelt did at Langley, Okla., to put my folks back to work, Obama first wants us to discover new and better ways to use our frugality, something most of us growing up in Northwest Arkansas are very familiar with.

That's because many of us havehad to become very thrifty at one time or another and find creativeways to make or sell things to put food on our tables.

Second, Obamawants us to turn our frugal ways into ideas using green technology andsustainable products that we can sell not only in America, but also through the global network.

For instance, if you come up with such an idea, Obama promises tohelp you through business grants to pay for the lab work and the testingit takes to see if your idea will work.

He wants to fund such agencies as the Green Valley Network here in Fayetteville.

Next, he wants all of us to pitch in, to do something as simple asgo around our neighborhoods, pick up trash, sort out allof the recyclables and ask another neighbor to give it and us a rideto the recycling center and fairly split the money.

That way, all sides win. The streets are clean and neighbors get toknow one another while they sit around Saturday afternoon talkingabout green ideas, sipping on the six-pack they bought with the moneythey earned.

Obama will do it by using part of the $700 billion Wall Streetbailout money to stabilize the banking system. That will allow local banks and individuals to feel good about lendingmoney to their neighbors who have the next good, green ideas.

Ideas thatcan not only make the person with the idea rich, but also save the economy, put people back to work, save our planet and allow people with goodgreen, sustainable ideas to make an honest buck.

Now, that's a good plan. It's the same type of plan Obama implemented onChicago's South Side that worked so well to energize people and help them help themselves with a little boost from someone who cares deeply about their plights.