CORTES: Three Bold Economic Proposals for Virus Response

“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood.” Legendary Chicago architect and urban planner Daniel Burnham used those words more than a century ago to exhort a post-fire Chicago toward great renewal. His compelling words, combined with the action of a key builder, spurred the remarkable recovery of a city, from ashes to skyscrapers.

In a similar way, if President Trump boldly confronts the economic challenges of the global virus calamity, he will stimulate a swift renewal in every city and hamlet in America once this health crisis abates. No one could foresee such a growth-stifling blow to the world — not Donald Trump, not travel industry CEOs, and surely not line workers at now-shuttered stores, restaurants, and myriad other engines of American economic output. But we must deal with the situation as it is, and deal resolutely and forcefully. In terms of fiscal measures, far better to temporarily overreact rather than to underwhelm.