Re-building Rome Overnight

"The economy isn't growing fast enough."

So, should it?  Recent economic downtrends, are the result of overpriced goods on the market taking a big hit, 'houses' in this instance.  Too many bought things they could only afford in times of plenty, then an extended period of not-so-plenty occurred triggering the tumble into another recession.  Our recent economic tendencies seem to be that of bomb then bust, rather than mild to moderate sustained growth.

We seem hell-bent on growing the economy fast, rather than slowly building a sustainable economy, but why?  Why not stop, and take a long term view on things, chart a reasonable course that leads us into a future we can all live in, and then do it?  Our use of fossil fuels will end, either when we run out, or when our use finally causes undeniable global climate change, that forces us to abandon their use.  So, why don't we pre-empt the move, and start building an eco-friendly economy now, based only on renewability?

Democrats should become much more progressive in their economic policies, focused on ending our addiction to foreign energy supplies.  We have coal, natural gas, geothermal, and all the sun, wind, and tidal power you could want.  So why in the world are we paying kings and dictators inflated prices for a resource that is killing the planet?

Instead, we should announce a new policy, immediate and mandatory reductions in foreign crude purchases.  Followed shortly by the institution of a short step-down process, by which America begins buying less energy from non-domestic sources, with a goal of less than 5% by 2020.  The goal being to get started in a positive direction, today.  We should begin building, even if only slowly, a sustainable economy.

Let's start by providing tax cuts, subsidies, AND 'raising taxes' to do so, to put solar panels on every roof, and a wind generator on every lawn.  While at the same time, we should raise taxes to renew our rail system. We should become that which we've been accused of, and take on the roll of "tax & spend".  Both our economy and our nation NEEDS these services, and given our debt, we need to raise taxes to pay for it.

We spend $700 billion a year on foreign crude.  Imagine if that money stayed in our economy, and enriched American businesses...