Left In Lowell

This whole post by Devilstower over at Dailykos sums it up just perfectly. A taste:

Until recently, this boom-bust “business cycle” was kept in check by some measure of pragmatism. But a funny thing happened in the 1980s. As unrepentant conservatives took their fantasy of pure capitalism out of textbooks and into government, the swings of the cycle became ever stronger. Thoughtful, practical action fell out of style as people increasingly internalized the idea that laissez-faire capitalism was somehow related to democracy.
[snip]
Government now has a hard time stepping in to help not just because Republicans have taken the position of preventing government of playing its traditional role, but also because Republicans spent us into such a pit of debt that the government isn’t well positioned to shoulder the burdens of business gone sour. We should be able to afford a stimulus plan much larger than the one already established. We need such a plan, along with direct intervention in the job market, and swift re-regulation of the financial instruments used to take the nation to the brink.

The whole thing pretty much follows my thought on the matter, but he puts it way better than I ever could. How many times do we have to prove that bad crashes follow Republican deregulation?

Is there a point at which regulation is too onerous? Of course. I am not advocating being mid-century Russia. (Even if every conservative calls us anti-capitalism and commies and whatever else.) However, what a true progressive is, is very pro-capitalist - just that we are realists about what capitalism can and cannot deliver. It’s not the best way for every thread in the social fabric. If we have learned anything from Reaganomics, can’t we learn that? Hell, just look at your HMO premiums sometime, or your credit card interest rate. I guarantee you less regulation in either field will yeild even crappier and more expensive and painful results than we already have.

In Lowell civic life, that is. If the answer is yes, here is your chance. The City is seeking volunteers for the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). The committee is responsible for reviewing grant applications and recommending funding allocations to the City Manager for the HUD programs, CDBG (Community Development Black Gran), HOME, and ESG (Emergency Shelter Grant). The City is also seeking volunteers for another Citizens Advisory Committee. This one reviews grant applications and recommends funding allocations to the City Manager for the HOPWA Program.

The HUD program grants are “distributed annually through a competitive proposal process. CAC members review written grant applications, hear testimony from applicants at a public hearing, and meet during the winter months to formulate a recommended plan for awarding grants.”

And the HOPWA grant program is “designated to serve persons throughout Middlesex County who are living with HIV/AIDS and their families. Funds are distributed annually through a competitive proposal process to non-profits countywide whose programs serve this population. “

The CDBG/HOME/ESG CAC not only reviews the applications but listens to each applicant make a public presentation. In the past, I have attended a few of these marathon sessions and the CAC and the DPD should be commended for their efforts. Most of the non-profit organizations in this City present a proposal and because these past few years, funding has been cut back or eliminated in some cases, I would think next year’s process will be extremely competitive.

Here is the link to the current roster of the two CACs. I see that there will be at least one available position. City Council-elect Frankie Descoteaux will have to resign from the CAC since it is the City Council that has the final approval of the disbursement of these funds.