In today’s politically charged atmosphere, hearing from informed voices about how to advance public policy changes that will grow wages and opportunity for the middle class should be important. In the past 3 months, former Congressman Harold Ford Jr has written at least 4 opinion pieces with specific recommendations for how to accomplish a pro-growth agenda, hold the government accountable for new spending and help Democrats maintain congressional gains from 2018 and pave a path to win the White House in 2020.
Having represented the 9th congressional district in Tennessee for 10 years, Ford Jr explained in an op-ed in the NY Daily News in January that, “Don’t spend more, spend well…the newly empowered Democrat House should focus on delivering cost effective, innovative solutions to entrenched problems…For example, in conservative Utah they are experimenting with bold solutions to get the homeless off the streets, such as giving them low cost housing. Not only has homelessness dropped 90%, but local governments have saved significant tax dollars with per ca-pita annual spending on the homeless decreasing from over $19,000 to under $8,000. And those homeless are healthier, largely gainfully employed and less likely to commit crimes. Again, spending smarter is solving a critical American problem.”