Off-The-Shelf Projects

One of the claims of the new administration is that the limited number of off-the-shelf project prevents them from a large immediate investment in infrastructure.

There are quite a few projects that can start immediately, will employ substantially additional workers and will contribute to the future.

Rebuild schools and equip them with modern equipment

There are some plan to start this project, but it seem way too tentative. Many thousands of K to 12 schools are in bad repair, don't fit modern needs, are located in buildings that cannot be repaired and many neighbohoods don't have schools due to local narrow focused financial consideration.The National Center for Educational Statistics.

The average number of school per state was calculated as: 1,885.2. If one assumes that only 10% of the schools in the country are unfit for this century than we have close to 10,000 schools which need to be taken care of. The cost estimate of school building is about $10 million, therefore assuming $5 million is reasonable. This bring the total project cost to $100 billions. You can start tomorrow.

Rebuild the water in many cities that are 50-100 years old

Since January 2000, 2,318,275 watermains have broken, costing $9,273,106,557 to repair. for Canada & the U.S.A..

These figures will grow as times passes and the water pipe system gets older and corroded. Fixing it will be done one break at a time or can be done as a large project. This project will last many year at very large cost, but a smaller scale rebuild can start right away. Pipes production and installation will employ many individuals.

Install solar panels on roofs

Any solution to the energy problem will pass through residents being self sufficient in their energy needs. Large parts of the country enjoy sufficient sun light year around to be totally self sufficient. Even the colder states have many sunny days: "We get plenty of sunny days thorught out the period of December, January, and February with March and April beign the rainiest." Cleveland's weather.

Solar panels come in many forms.Types of Solar Energy A choice among the different types calls for experts, but again such a project can start right away and will employ installer and manufacturer and development.

Replace the inappropriate roofs houses typically have with solid eco-friendly plastic roofs

Many homes in the US have "asphalt shingles account for close to 90 percent of all residential roofing jobs" Bob Vila. Typical shingle life expectancies range from about 15 years to 40 years. The dark color of the shingles makes them collect heat and increase the cooling needs of the house.

There are much better roofing materials. Cool Roofs are roofs consisting of materials that very effectively reflect the sun's energy from the roof surface.

No doubt such energy saving project will cost a lot but will save a lot of energy. It will employ many in manufacturing and installation.


Initiate large scale projects to plan a transportation for the 21th century

Our transportation system is archaic. It assumes that oil is free; it pollutes, wastes and is inefficient. The stimulus program calls for fast trains. That's a good idea, but is only a minute part of the problem.

We need a massive plan that will cover all areas. Reduce personal cars rides, increase speed and make public transportation cheaper. Initially, such a program will be developed by experts in industry and academia; it will not require high employed but will require investment. Following the development, even a phased-in plan will employ many and will inject a lot of money into the economy.

Revamp the archaic legal system

Our legal and prison system has successfully incarcerated more the 2 million people many of whom are not even slighted guilty. Our civil litigation is unbearably long, outrageously expensive and rigged for the rich.

These two sides of the legal system as well as the prison system have to be rebuilt. Criminal justice has to be impartial, accurate and equalized across states.

Our civil justice has to be trimmed, use way more arbitration and mediation, shortened and made cheap so even poor people can get justice.

Our prison system has to blown up and a new system that is more human, more educational, allow higher level of rehabilitation should be built instead.

All this cost a lot money and employs huge number of people.