Bold Experimentation
By Albert B. Kelly
I’m not sure what it is we’re seeing when it comes to the economy, but it is troubling. What started as a temporary inflation, caused by the pandemic, has now become baked into the economic cake. Next to that, we have supply chain issues caused by the pandemic. We’re dealing with severe labor shortages, also caused by the pandemic, while at the same time we have more people than you might think struggling to get back into the job market.
Much of what we’re seeing is no doubt caused by the unbelievable disruptions brought about by the pandemic and the shutdown of the global economy and this just a decade removed from the global financial crisis. With these things as a backdrop, I found myself wondering what past leaders would do faced with the things we’re contending with today.
Since this right now mess is largely financial, I thought of Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR was elected President in 1932 and he steered the country through the Great Depression and then World War II, dying in office in April of 1945. During his first campaign for office, in May of 1932, while still Governor of New York, FDR gave an address at Oglethorpe University in Georgia.
In that speech, FDR said, “The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something”
As I think about what we’re up against at the present time, FDR’s approach sounds about right. It is a time for bold experimentation and honesty about whether that experimentation fails or succeeds. I’m doubtful that any will have the courage to try and the integrity to be honest about it and I doubt that many of us would give that person a chance. But the prospect of bold experimentation is still worthy.
For example, talking with business owners and managers in just about every industry, the common refrain is that they simply cannot find people to fill all of their positions. The conventional wisdom is that generous government benefits are the primary cause. Perhaps, but I’m not at all sure that a few thousand dollars goes all that far so I can’t imagine that this is keeping people on the sidelines.
But that doesn’t mean the thing shouldn’t be scrutinized. Many jobs, especially minimum wage and entry-level jobs, simply do not pay enough so that people can cover rent, buy groceries, pay for daycare, car insurance, gas, electric, heat, internet, and all the other things that go into living life these days. Many people who have subsidized housing and other forms of assistance are afraid to jeopardize “good enough”.
But would happen if the safety net actually provided a backstop and incentivized not only transitioning into the workforce, but building longevity, developing skills and institutional knowledge, and earning raises and promotions over time with an additional byproduct being the dignity and pride that comes with work? What would happen if we used the safety net to make the pathway to employment, even entry level employment, the safe thing rather than the way it is now where the safest bet is doing nothing that might cause government to pull stability right out from under you?
One place to try something new might be daycare. When the world went on lock-down and the schools closed, parents suddenly had to figure what to do with their children during the work day. Some were fortunate to have family and others the financial means to manage the disruption. But for so many families figuring out what to do was a crisis.
It was not only finding accommodations that were safe, but finding an affordable option. Daycare in this country is expensive, could run between $225 and $350 per child per week. For some families, daycare alone might consume between a quarter and half of their annual income. This is an area where experimentation might help families while also alleviating the labor shortage.
This is just one example. We are dealing with issues and problems unique to our time just as FDR dealt with problems unique to his. To solve these problems, I think we need to take a page from his playbook to “take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something”