Rockford's WPA Projects and my thoughts on the word "hateful"

In a recent email Rockford Tea Party organizer David Hale called my blog "hateful". While this did not bother me too terribly much it did get me thinking and searching for any hateful words in my blog. Alright, I will admit that it may not have been the nicest thing to write when I mentioned that I would rather have my email box inundated with porn, ads, and requests for money from "Nigerian kings" than notices from that crackpot group. I apologize for that comment. Requests for money from Nigerian kings are seldom legitimate and I'm sorry for writing that I prefer them over invites to attend misdirected protests with ill-informed protesters committing possibly illegal acts.

As I looked through my various blog entries I could not find this "hateful" tone to which Mr. Hale is referring. In fact, I created my blog with a deep love for the people around me and a deep sense of pride and passion for my hometown. I have to thank David Hale and the Rockford Tea Party, not for their plan to dump tea in the Rock River, but for calling to my attention some aspects of Rockford history of which I was not previously aware. It is because of them that I am now even more proud of "the forest city" and that I am even more excited about the current stimulus plan.

Last night and this morning I visited the local history room of the Rockford Public Library. They have records on just about any local topic and records putting a local spin on any number of national topics. I requested to see any information they had regarding the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the Rockford area and I received three files of information. I wanted to see just how much of Rockford was built up by a previous large stimulus package. They had original WPA paperwork, listing the heads of various departments within the WPA. They had paperwork highlighting each division of the WPA, listing what projects were to take place, the order in which they were to take place and the funding available to each project. The library also had one large file full of newspaper clippings spanning from 1934 - 1943. I thought I knew a little about The New Deal and FDR, the CCC and the PWA but what I learned in the library today thrilled me. Our town was at the epicenter of tax funded economic stimulus during the great depression. The papers I reviewed are a direct reflection of our city's history of hard work and community effort.

In 1935 headquarters for all Northern Illinois WPA, with the exception of Cook County, was located in Rockford, Illinois. Northern Illinois WPA Lead Administrator Robert J. Mogens Ipsen set up his office in our Federal Building. This Rockford native was in charge of the 21 surrounding counties, including Winnebago. His initial goal was to find and submit projects to the government for those on relief in our area to have at least one year of work while improving our overall quality of life and infrastructure. The first three projects he submitted and had approved for work were the widening of 18th st between 7th and 9th avenue, extensive sidewalk construction throughout the city, and a massive sewer project that brought the first working sewers to people in Loves Park.

Not only did the unemployed of Rockford take up shovels and begin work on these projects as soon as money came in for supplies and labor, (1935), but many people here who had been unemployed and on relief began working in school cafeterias and day cares. Some of them worked at a sewing factory, that, at one point, employed 300 workers who sewed clothing for people on government relief and materials for other WPA projects. 35 people in Rockford worked as teachers; teaching free courses in literacy, music and art, citizenship and naturalization, parent education, photography, crafts and first aid. They had 850 students as of September 1936.

I hear the worry, by David Hale and his ilk, that this stimulus package is socialism. It's nothing like socialism. First of all, this is a bill that elected officials passed. Yes, some voted against it, but those of you who are constantly mentioning how great our country is must surely respect the democratic process that led to the stimulus bill passing. Second, this stimulus package won't take over. It is to stimulate... get things moving. FDR enacted The New Deal legislation and even after the government employed 8,500,000 people at one point or another from 1935 - 1943... even after all those people worked for "big government"... we still have private industry. Somehow, we are still (still!) not a socialist state. So, what is the worry? Such a massive spending plan didn't turn us socialist or communist or red back then and it won't now. In fact, by 1943 most people who were once employed by the WPA found private sector employment.

For those of you who are still worried about the big scary threat of socialism hiding beneath the President's stimulus package I submit to you that the Socialist party repudiated The New Deal. They felt it only laid the ground work to maintain capitalism. Those of you living in Rockford might find it interesting to know that in July of 1935 Socialist party candidate Norman Thomas visited Rockford, where he held a rally at Lyran Hall and spoke against the WPA. Incidentally, the rally was brought to an end when someone threw a tear-gas bomb through the window thus wreaking havoc. No one was hurt and attendees were told they could pick up any left-behind jackets or items at the home of Rockford's first socialist alderman, Oscar Ogren. Just imagine, we managed to pass a massive spending bill to stimulate the economy, the government managed to employ millions and create jobs as well as infrastructure, a socialist visited Rockford, and yet we are still a democracy.

I know. There's that other worry... the one about (how did it go again?) something about paying for your neighbor's second bathroom? We're simply not in this crisis because everyone ran to Home Depot and updated their homes. Social welfare is something long neglected. In this "every man for himself" race to the top we forgot that if society declines there will come a point when no one will move... not up, not forward, not at all.

If we allow the decline of our city and the decline of our country to continue who will want to live in our city? What will be left? If so many of our houses are foreclosed on and so many of our citizens are in shelters who will be left? I volunteer at a homeless shelter and I see people who have had all kinds of problems in their lives: drugs, domestic violence, generations of poverty... you name it. But I also see people who had always been one catastrophe away from devastation. Often times they are people with medical injuries not covered by their insurance. Sometimes they are people who simply just cannot find work. We have to use tax dollars to bring some of these people out of their state of misery. It makes them more productive to us and it makes us more important to them. A society where everyone matters... how's that for hateful blog rhetoric?

I also submit this to you bathroom tea dumping protesters:
You have work right now, but nothing is certain in this global economy. If you lose your job today will you proudly refuse unemployment benefits? If you lose your health insurance today will you remain principled in your anti-tax, tea dumping belief and refuse COBRA for yourself and your family?

Many Rockford white-collar, professional workers felt that way in 1935. They felt excluded from work projects and frustrated that they would have to "dumb down" their skills to participate in WPA projects. Ah, but wait, that guy Ipsen, always on top of things, recognized that concern and called on a guy named Robert McKeague to take on the responsibility of finding work for white-collar relief workers. A dignified wage and job was offered to all under WPA funding. White collar-workers in Rockford were teachers, health care providers, symphony orchestra musicians, writers, legal clinic workers and so much more. Actually, it was a group of white-collar professional WPA workers who undertook the task of organizing and analyzing the City Clerk and City Collector records. They found that oftentimes the city clerk records were off on figures as much as 35%! This is huge! A government sponsored, tax-funded program brought a hault to a government inefficiency.

My research tells me that Rockford, like many cities all over the country, has proven what tax stimulus money can really do for a community. In 1938 as many as 88,000 people in 21 counties enjoyed WPA recreational activities every week. 1100 Rockford workers worked on the WPA project constructing a $1,835,220.00 sewer project for the city and the surrounding area and last but most certainly not least WPA money and workers helped keep the Rockford Public Library alive.

I ask those of you who plan to dump tea in the Rock River as part of a protest against taxes to please turn around and look at the Rockford Public Library, where you plan to meet. This is what you are against. Walk down a mile or two and look at the Sinissippi Rose Garden. That too enjoyed funding and labor from big tax stimulus dollars. Walk down even further to the Auburn Street Bridge. You guessed it.... more tax dollars.

There's nothing hateful about wanting to preserve the institutions that have made our city great. It is, however, terribly sad that those dumping tea into the Rock River this Tuesday do not see the work just two generations ago that was put into the very spot they will stand.


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