To truly Make America Great Again, it will be necessary to make the average American town great again. Too many small and medium towns have fallen into decline. This, I believe, is by the design of the globalist elites, who are rigging the economy in favor of large cities, where corruption frequently runs rampant. Small and medium towns are suffering as a result. Many have buildings that are in poor shape, lack jobs, and lack amenities. We need to return to the days when small and medium towns were economically healthy, and draw people and power away from the large cities.
To this end, I believe we need a Small and Medium Town Revitalization Act. This act would contain provisions designed to correct the problems that have put the small and medium towns into an otherwise irrecoverable decline. First, incentives should be implemented to restore or replace failing structures in these towns. I should note that this would also serve to create construction jobs, strengthening the economy as a whole. Second, incentives should be implemented to ensure small and medium towns have the roads they need to survive. This would include encouraging states to convert more county roads where small towns are exclusively served by such roads into numbered state highways. It would also provide for corrective action for any deficiencies (e.g., potholes).
Third, action should be taken to establish jobs and a healthy sales tax base in these small and medium towns. This would involve incentivizing the establishment of key businesses appropriate for the size of the town, and ensuring that, where necessary, these businesses are strategically positioned according to their type. This will, of course, be easiest if the town has a significant road passing through it. If that road happens to be a well used truck route, then a truck stop (e.g., Love’s) would be an ideal choice, particularly if the town has undeveloped land on its outskirts along this route, but still within town limits so as to draw sales tax revenue. Convenience stores, restaurants, lodging facilities, vehicle maintenance facilities, and clothing stores would also be particularly well-suited for positioning along a significant road. To ensure this act would be forward thinking, where sufficient amenities can be established along a significant road, the establishment of an EV charging station in close proximity to them should also be encouraged. There are, of course, several amenity types that are beneficial to a town and its sales tax base, but are not of high priority for positioning upon its most important roads. These would include businesses that are to be primarily used by residents rather than those just passing through (e.g., grocery stores, bank branches, and entertainment facilities).
Businesses also require utilities, so where any deficiencies in the local utilities exist (such as needing more/better power, water, and sewer lines), incentives should be implemented to correct these deficiencies (which will generate additional jobs). Recognizable chains are certainly useful in attracting business from visitors or new arrivals. However, it is important that small, locally-owned businesses, often times at a disadvantage due to lack of name recognition, be given a fair chance. Thus, a provision should be included to help draw attention to these businesses where they are established (such as encouraging a visit by a restaurant reviewer to a local, single-instance restaurant). In the case of restaurants, it is also important that an appropriate balance of single-instance and recognizable chain be established in each applicable town of sufficient size to accommodate both, as well as between fast food / fast casual and more formal restaurants, particularly in the medium towns.
Of course, it is of utmost importance to ensure that the revitalization process is not corrupted. To that end, towns receiving assistance under this act would be required to repeal all remaining woke ordinances (e.g., mask mandates) and pledge not to impose woke ordinances for a minimum of 40 years following the completion of all work performed utilizing funds under this act, any violation of this pledge to be grounds for hefty fines, as well as removal from office (and possibly also imprisonment) of any culpable town officials (e.g., council members voting in favor of such an ordinance). Businesses established under this act would also be banned from imposing woke policies (e.g., mask mandates) on either customers or employees. For instances of chains and large corporations, this would apply to all locations established under this act. Furthermore, no company (including contractors) would be eligible for participation under this act if they have a history of woke behavior under their current ownership/management, nor any franchisee who has a history of imposing woke policies (e.g., mask mandates) independent of applicable municipal/corporate regulations. Nor would any company or franchisee be eligible for participation under this act if they have ties to (including full or partial ownership by) any well-known globalist or elitist entity (e.g., World Economic Forum, BlackRock, George Soros), any terrorist organization or RICO entity (e.g., Hamas, Tren de Aragua), China (this to avoid any CCP influence), or Ukraine (this to ensure funds from this act do not end up in the Ukranian Money Laundering Racket, which would benefit the globalist elites). Furthermore, no entity participating in this act may insure its activities under this act or place of business constructed under this act through Progressive (owned by the Soros family), any violation of this insurance stipulation to result in hefty fines and imprisonment of culpable individuals (e.g., officers involved in insurance procurement).
Once a town has enough jobs, enough amenities, and a healthy sales tax base, it should attract residents to replace those lost to the long term decline of small and medium towns. This, in turn, will strengthen the base for other forms of taxation, allowing the town to make the additional beneficial investments (e.g., bond issues for any needed school improvements, establishment of reserve funds, and strengthening of city services) that will keep the town attractive and ensure the long term health of its economy. As more and more towns recover in this manner, average patriotic Americans will have better choices in where to live and where to conduct business. Instead of going all the way to a large city, dealing with heavy traffic, higher crime, and a higher risk that sales tax revenue from their transactions would benefit a corrupt (and possibly woke) local government, they would be able to instead conduct their business in a small or medium sized town where their values are far more likely to be shared. As more and more Americans realize the benefits of living in a revitalized small or medium town, this would also shift population and with it, political power, back to the small and medium sized towns and away from corrupt, large city, globalist elites.