“Our problem was not, and is not, a lack of growth. Our problem is 60 years of unproductive growth—growth that has buried us in financial liabilities. The American pattern of development does not create real wealth. It creates the illusion of wealth.” ~ Charles Marohn, Thoughts on Building Strong Towns, Volume 1
By Catherine Austin Fitts
Chuck Marohn joined me on The Solari Report in 2017 to discuss why U.S. federal government investment in local infrastructure is not working—and what to do about it. Since then, he has traveled and worked throughout America helping local officials and communities appreciate what is wrong with their existing economic models and transition to models that work.
To help citizens and communities do the same, Chuck has written a new book that describes the challenges and opportunities in detail: Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity. Chuck has a vision of communities that work for real people. His website Strong Towns offers a wealth of ideas for anyone who wants to take action locally.
On the launch of his new book, I invited Chuck to return to The Solari Report for an in-depth conversation—one of several The Solari Report is having in the first quarter of 2020 addressing “The Real Deal on Going Local”—to refocus on what is happening in our local communities and what we can do to protect and build prosperity on Main Street.
In Let’s Go to the Movies, I will review Motherless Brooklyn, Ed Norton’s story of local politics in the neighborhoods of New York in the times of Bob Moses’ aggressive development of the city. For those who want to know more, Ric Burns also describes this period in his eight-part series, New York: A Documentary Film .
Subscribers can e-mail or post questions and story suggestions for Money & Markets for this week here.
Related Reading:
Book Review: Follow the Money: A Citizen’s Guide to Local Government
Related Solari Reports:
Strong Towns with Chuck Marohn
Unpacking Your Financial Ecosystem
Who’s Your Sheriff? with Sheriff Mack
1st Quarter Wrap Ups:
1st Quarter 2020 Wrap Up: News, Trends & Stories, Part II with Dr. Joseph P. Farrell
1st Quarter 2020 Wrap Up – News Trends & Stories, Part I with Dr. Joseph P. Farrell
1st Quarter 2020 Wrap Up – The Real Deal on Going Local – The Final Mile with Patrick M. Wood
