Today, John McCain has embarked on a weeklong journey to discover “forgotten places in America,” also known as a “It’s Time For Action Tour.” After the first stop in Selma, Alabama, Sen. McCain will make several more stops in the state, and will continue on to the other “forgotten” parts of the nation including Youngstown, Ohio; the Appalachian region of Kentucky; New Orleans and Little Rock, Arkansas.

These economically struggling areas have large African American populations.  Selma, for instance, is 70% African American, with $28,000 a year median family income and 27% of the families living below poverty line.  Some have referred to the area that McCain’s tour will cover as “The Black Belt.” 

And what solutions does John McCain offer for these economically depressed communities?  According to Carly Fiorina, McCain’s economic advisor, the candidate will discuss his proposals for a summer gas tax holiday, which would save about 18 cents a gallon, and his “HOME Plan,” in which the government would help the owners of primary residences who meet certain qualifications pay their mortgages.

How about proposing some real changes on which to build a long-term economic policy, like reviving the industrial base in The Black Belt that create good-paying union jobs?  Studies show that unionized African Americans continue to make more money (on average, 12 percent more) and are much more likely to have health-insurance benefits and a pension plan than their non-union peers. 

If John McCain is serious about lifting people out of poverty in some of the “forgotten” areas of our country, instead of resorting to quick-fixes with unrealistic timelines, he should give some serious thought to a long-term economic policy solidly based on reviving the U.S. manufacturing base.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 21st, 2008 at 11:09 pm and is filed under Manufacturing in the U.S., Economic Security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.