the 1960s and 1970s involved the War on Poverty stimulated by this and
other efforts. They also involved the highest level of education degrees in
the nation. Medicare and Medicaid redistributed health and income in the
US. Major efforts in education and health increased growth of income and
population at 30% levels across all geographic areas of the nation.
The United States also invested in hospitals, clinics, and medical schools,
building significant infrastucture often in areas that never had much.
although 1973 was the beginning of the energy crisis, during the 1980s oil
prices skyrocketed. Recession, especially in rural areas in the mid 1980s
were devastating. This alone might have been enough, but doubling the
defense budget from $300 billion to $500 billion a year and moving expenses
to certain defense industry cities and states and out of the country on
defense and foreign policy instead of investing in cities and states across
the nation involves a huge impact.
Only in the major metro areas with over 1 million was there any significant
growth in income and in the lowest income and in the most rural areas,
there were losses of income, population, health resources, and education.
Education and health and economics improved during the 1990s and the US
distributed physicians the best every, again with a doubling of Medicaid
expenses and improvements in education spending. The nation also enjoyed
one of the longest periods of economic prosperity, a critical factor in
rural areas that often lag years behind in recovery from recessions.
Because of massive budget deficits and a return to sluggish economics the
nation returned to similar problems by the end of the 1990s. Now the 1980s
have returned with even worse energy problems, a rise from $300 billion to
$500 billion and even more on defense, and more to come in foreign policy
because of defense, energy problems, and increasing recognition of poor
peoples regarding how different that they are. New competitions from China
and India have also contributed.
Our major cities have become some of the most inefficient places on the
planet. It costs far too much for education, security, transportation, and
other systems when you have public, private, and personal demanding their
fair share. Personal security expenses also do nothing to diminish crime,
they only shift crime to the poorer areas of town. In some ways it appears
easier to go to a foreign nation to root out terrorists but no one wants to
touch the inner cities or support police efforts to secure neighborhoods.
Private and public education do not cooperate, and major corporations prey
on all education by selling materials and required standardized testing
materials at break the bank rates. Health care costs in schools are $1100 a
child and teachers are cut to balance school district budgets, making
schools more and more inefficient and ineffective. The US is slipping down
the scale for college graduates as nations pass it standing in the dust.
New development stagnates. Those gaining ground such as those in India and
China may even begin to root out software and technology pirates as they
make gains on providing information and technology and want to sell more to
the world community and not have it pirated.
Families, children, schools, teachers, basic access to health. Not a lot
to ask, and all the foundation of efficient societies, governments, and
systems of all types.
Robert C. Bowman, M.D.
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