As economic opportunities have been eroded in rural Ohio, rural activists propose reforms
Almost a quarter of Ohio’s residents live in rural areas, and it’s no secret that many have been losing ground for a long time. Decades of federal trade policy and agribusiness consolidation have eroded economic opportunities, giving people who can an incentive to move away.
In the face of those problems, 40 organizations led by the Rural Democracy Initiative last week released their Rural Policy Action Report. It’s a set of policy prescriptions to address the ills confronting millions of Americans.
“Rural America must lead in building a more prosperous, sustainable, and just future for the entire country,” a written statement accompanying the report said.
“Rural people demonstrate fundamental American values like defending working people, investing in locally driven solutions, protecting core freedoms, and respecting our close connection to the land. Yet our rural communities are often ignored or actively harmed by the policy choices of elected leaders and the unchecked power of corporations and the ultrawealthy.”
The report lists 26 policy priorities organized into four pillars. It also contains polling data indicating that the reforms are overwhelmingly popular with rural Americans in battleground states.
For example, 88% supported cracking down on meat-processing monopolies and 92% wanted to see rural hospitals protected.
One pillar is to “Rein In Corporate Greed and Support Workers, Small Businesses and Farmers.”
“Rural workers earn less, are less likely to have benefits like paid leave, and are more likely to be injured on the job,” it said. “But when workers are valued and have more money in their pockets, they can continue to drive demand, support businesses, and keep local economies strong.”
Among the fixes, it says workers should have more power to organize, workers should have a $17 minimum wage by 2030, and people should be able to “… work safely without fear of being targeted on the job because of their immigration status or the perception of their immigration status based on their race, ethnicity, culture, or industry.”
That pillar also calls for stronger antitrust enforcement so farmers can do things like repair their own equipment. It also called on the federal government to refocus federal trade policy and resources to support small businesses and make sure essentials like food are available and affordable in rural communities.
Another pillar listed in the report calls for investment in the “foundational infrastructure” of rural communities.
It wants a more equitable tax system in which billionaires pay more and corporations don’t get tax breaks to move jobs overseas. It also calls for more investment in public education, rural housing, job training and improvements to credit and lending.
A third pillar is titled “Everyone Gets a Fair Deal.”
It calls for better treatment of immigrants and for the creation of a viable path to citizenship instead of the outdated, patched-together system we have now.
The final pillar calls for the protection of land and other resources in rural communities.
That includes safeguarding water and land, coming up with a rural energy plan, and protecting public lands.
Fairness is the goal, the report said.
“We need to build an economy that respects hard-working people,” it said. “When we have what we need — like good-paying jobs with benefits — we are all better off. But for a generation, the federal government has supported big corporations to hoard profits and consolidate land ownership. Wages are too low, and costs keep rising, leaving families struggling.”
It added, “These harms aren’t random — they are business decisions, often with government permission. But if the federal government protected us from corporate abuse, then working people would have a safe and level playing field to grow the economy, support thriving local businesses, and drive demand so we can all have a good life.”
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