Blind Division

The Divide We Can No Longer Ignore: A Plan for Equal Care Across America

You’ve seen it. The clean, pristine streets of wealthy neighborhoods turn into cracked sidewalks and overgrown grass within a few blocks. This divide isn’t an accident—it’s designed. But what if we could change that? What if the government committed to giving equal care to every part of the country, regardless of income? Here’s the blueprint for how we could make that happen.

Legal Grounds for Equal Care

The government’s unequal distribution of resources—clean streets, infrastructure, and landscaping—violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The current system, where public services are based on property taxes, keeps wealth in rich areas and neglects low-income neighborhoods. A strong legal case could force cities to redistribute resources fairly.

What Would It Take?

According to estimates, providing uniform public services—clean streets, maintained public spaces, regular infrastructure repairs—would cost around $100 billion over the next decade, or about $10 billion annually. That’s less than 1% of the federal budget.

But here’s the game-changer: Instead of introducing new taxes, we could repurpose funds already earmarked for urban development and infrastructure—funds that are often unused or stuck in bureaucratic red tape. A national infrastructure fund could be streamlined and dedicated to neighborhood upkeep and beautification, creating a fair distribution of resources without increasing the tax burden.

Creating Jobs, Not Just Solutions

We can also solve two problems at once: urban decay and unemployment. By establishing a national infrastructure workforce, we could hire thousands of people from low-income areas to maintain their own neighborhoods. This would offer economic empowerment and ensure that every community is taken care of by people who live there.

Who’s Afraid of Equal Care?

Of course, the wealthy may resist. They’ve benefited from a system that protects their neighborhoods while neglecting others. But here’s the truth: equal care benefits everyone. Clean, well-maintained cities reduce crime, improve health, and boost property values across the board. A city without neglected areas is a city where businesses want to invest, where people feel safe, and where the economy thrives.

Urban economist Dr. Richard Florida says, “Cities that invest equally in all neighborhoods see broader economic growth and stability.” The payoff for everyone is clear: a cleaner, safer, more prosperous community.

A New Approach: The Federal Fund for Urban Renewal

Instead of a new tax, let’s rethink the existing system. We already allocate billions to urban development—why not demand that these funds are spent on real, visible improvements in neglected areas? By simplifying the process and making cities accountable for fair distribution, we can finally bring neglected neighborhoods up to the same standard as affluent ones.

The Road Forward

We don’t need new taxes or complicated programs. We need to use the money we already have, create jobs, and demand accountability from our local governments. The time for action is now. America can’t afford to keep its cities divided by neglect and wealth. Let’s break the cycle and invest equally in all of our neighborhoods.

Are we ready to demand that change?