Executive Editor of the Washington Post,
Mr. Matt Murray
Managing Editor of the Washington Post,
Ms. Krissah Thompson
Managing Editor of the Washington Post,
Ms. Matea Gold
Managing Editor of the Washington Post,
Mr. Scott Vance
Shuhratjon Ahmadjonov (Uzbek, born 1954)
Mailing address:
216 Tulip Dr.,
Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20877
E-mail:
havassh54@gmail.com ,
jiz54@mail.ru
Phone: 240-263-0683 (for messages)
August 7, 2024
COVER LETTER
Dear Mr. Matt Murray, Ms. Krissah Thompson, Ms. Matea Gold, Mr. Scott Vance,
I am sending you an important article entitled Unemployed, Farmers Markets, and the Election (eleven pages). Unemployment is a big problem. It is closely related to another big problem the $35 trillion US national debt. That is why the article is long. I have divided the article into 19 short paragraphs. Below is the table of contents of the article.
CONTENTS
1. 1930: Elimination of farmers markets in the USA.
2. The current state.
3. Simple and reliable method.
4. Positive sides of farmers markets.
5. Freedom at the farmers markets.
6. History of the Eastern Market.
7. What did mr. Donald Trump promise?
8. Mr. Joe Biden has increased the debt too.
9. Default risk.
10. Who feeds whom?
11. The way to reduce the national debt.
12. The attitude of the power structures.
13. Where to revive the Central Market?
14. How to ensure freedom of the farmers market
15. How is it in other countries?
16. There is a possibility to become a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
17. My proposals.
18. People's movement "For the Farmers Market".
19. Do millions of unemployed people have the right to happiness?
Literature
Uzbek-English translation programs, including
www.translate.google.com , translate poorly and inaccurately. Therefore, I wrote this Appeal in Russian and translated it into English using the program
www.translate.google.com I apologize for any possible errors in translation.
I have enclosed one copy of the article in English and one copy in Russian. If something is unclear in the English text of the article, you can refer to the text in Russian.
Briefly about myself. I was born in 1954 in Uzbekistan. In 1970-1975 I studied at the Samarkand State University, in 1979-1983 at the Moscow Higher Technical University named after Bauman. I worked in positions up to the lead designer in research institutes and in the main design bureau at large factories in Moscow and Tashkent. I have been involved in human rights since 1974. I have been publishing articles since 1988. I have written and published four books on websites, and partially published two more books. I have written and published 386 articles on websites, including 276 in Uzbek, 93 in Russian and 17 in English. I have been living in the USA since January 2010. I am human rights activist, freelance journalist, refugee and vendor Street Sense.
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UNEMPLOYED, FARMERS' MARKETS AND ELECTIONS
By Shuhratjon AHMADJONOV
August 7, 2024
This article is about the development of farmers' markets, the dramatic reduction in unemployment, the large revenues generated from the markets, and the reduction in unemployment benefits. Unemployment is a big problem. It is closely related to another big problem - the more than 35 trillion-dollar US national debt. That's why the article turned out to be long. I have divided the article into 19 short paragraphs.
1. 1930: ELIMINATION OF FARMERS' MARKETS IN THE USA
It is known that the Great Depression, that is, the global economic crisis, occurred in 1929-1939. The Great Depression most severely affected the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Germany and France. In 1929-1939, law enforcement agencies (the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), police and others) insisted on the closure and liquidation of the farmers' market structure in the United States. It was in 1931 that the Central Market in Washington, DC, one of the largest markets in the United States, was destroyed. Later, the Central Archives of the United States were built on the site of the Central Market (see [1]).
Years passed. The number of unemployed began to increase year after year. In May 2024, the national unemployment rate in the United States was about 6.65 million unemployed (see [2]). This is a tragedy for 6.65 million Americans and their loved ones. In the souls of other Americans, seeing their tragedy every day, the fear of losing their jobs and ending up in such poverty and lack of rights is settled.
2. THE CURRENT STATE
According to USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), from 1994 to 2019, the number of farmers markets rose from 1,755 to 8,771 in 2019, averaging growth of nearly 7 percent per year. [3]
The farmers markets industry has seen revenue growth at an expected CAGR (Compound annual growth rate) of 7.5% over the five years to 2024, when revenue is set to reach $1.4 billion. [4]
Unfortunately, existing farmers markets operate one or two days a week for 4-6 hours. Each farmer and his workers have to do a lot of work: they clean and pack the products in boxes and crates, put them in a truck, drive them to the place of sale, unload them from the truck, set up tents and counters, put the products on the counters and start selling. After 4-6 hours, they collect and pack the remaining products in boxes and crates, load them into the truck, and drive to their farm.
I have been selling the Street Sense newspaper at Dupont Circle Market and Eastern Market since 2012 on Saturday and Sunday. I have seen their hard work many times on each market day.
3. SIMPLE AND RELIABLE METHOD
There is a simple and reliable way to sharply reduce the number of unemployed people, and thereby stop the growth of the US national debt. To do this, it is necessary to recreate and revive farmers' markets with a full working day and week throughout the US.
In my proposal, farmers' markets will work seven days a week from morning to evening, like grocery stores. The farmer will have a permanent place of trade and premises. He will leave unsold products on his premises in the farmers market.
4. POSITIVE SIDES OF FARMERS' MARKETS
1. Millions of unemployed and part-time workers in the United States will be provided with full-time jobs.
2. Many farmers, as well as various small and medium-sized stores, can additionally sell their goods in the revived markets.
3. One of the main problems is the sale of goods and products. Regular markets create great opportunities for the sale of goods and products.
4. The emergence of additional sales outlets for millions of people will stimulate the production of more goods for the market. Many current unemployed and part-time workers will participate in this work.
5. The unemployed will help with the transportation and sale of goods in the market.
6. The market structure does not require special education or qualifications, as in other professions. Young Americans and uneducated unemployed people can freely work in the market structure. There is no need to spend time and money on their training.
7. Currently, supermarkets in the United States buy only the best part of the crop from farmers. The middle and small part of the crop remains in the field. Farmers can sell this part of the crop through the market, at reduced prices than in supermarkets.
8. The implementation of the "Revival of Markets" project at the first stage requires almost no expenses. The heads of districts and cities of the United States are required to allocate a convenient place for citizens and sufficient area for the market. In the future, based on the existing market infrastructure, convenient market buildings can and should be designed and built for sellers and buyers.
9. This project can be implemented in a short time in all cities and districts of the 50 US states and in the Washington, DC. Currently, on some days, often on Saturday and Sunday for 4-6 hours, tent trade is organized in cities and districts. It is necessary to allow such trade to be carried out daily from morning until evening, seven days a week (one day a month - Sanitary Day).
10. The revived markets will not harm the existing system of grocery supermarkets in any way. Those citizens who want supermarket products can continue to buy at the supermarket.
11. The sales tax will go to the state (state) treasury. This will enrich each state, and the United States as a whole.
12. Currently, a lot of money is spent on the US state budget to provide the unemployed with a living wage. Most of these costs will be saved.
There are other positive aspects of the project to revive markets called "Markets".
5. FREEDOM AT THE FARMERS' MARKET
For a thousand years, most markets have been built on the following principle: medium and small shops with permanent sellers are built and operate at the edges of the market. In the middle of the market and outside there are hundreds and sometimes thousands of trading stalls that are not attached to anyone separately. Whoever came earlier has the right to take one of these stalls at his own discretion, pay a small tax for the provided stall for that one day and sell his goods. This is what ensures the freedom of market trade. If the goods are food, that is, fruit, vegetables, etc., then the seller must obtain permission from the employees of the market laboratory.
6. HISTORY OF THE EASTERN MARKET
If officials begin to attach a certain stall to a certain seller, then the farmers' market will turn into another big store. The store officials will manage the sellers at their own discretion and will eventually kill the free farmers' market. As an example, I can give a brief history of the Eastern Market in Washington, DC.
The first Eastern Market was one of three public marketplaces included in Pierre L'Enfant's (1754-1825) plan for the city, to supplement existing markets in Alexandria and Georgetown. The plan also called for a Center Market and a Western Market.
In 1805, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) issued a proclamation calling for the Eastern Market to be set up at 7th and L Streets SE, near the Navy Yard. The current Eastern Market was designed by Adolf Cluss and was in continuous operation as a public market from 1873 until April 30, 2007. [5]
The interior of the Eastern Market building was converted into a kind of store many years ago. For this purpose, counters were installed on both sides of the hall and permanent salespeople were placed behind them. Thus, the Eastern Market was transformed into another large grocery store.
On Saturdays and Sundays, outside the Eastern Market building, from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, farmers' market lines operate. They sell various fruits, products and goods. Our task is to create conditions so that the Eastern Market also functions from morning to evening during 7 days of the week as a farmers' market.
7. WHAT DID MR. DONALD TRUMP PROMISE?
Mr. Trump predicted in an April 3, 2016, interview with The Washington Post that he could rid the United States of its $19 trillion debt in two terms as president. At a campaign stop in Wausau, Wisconsin, he warned that the U.S. is sitting on a bubble right now that's going to burst. [7]
Over the course of President Trumps four years in office, the gross national debt grew from $19.95 trillion to $27.75 trillion a $7.8 trillion increase (debt held by the public the more economically-meaningful measure of debt grew by $7.2 trillion over this period). [8]
Mr. Donald Trump has failed to reduce the national debt. Instead, he has increased the economic bubble by $7.8 trillion between 2017 and 2021.
8. MR. JOE BIDEN HAS INCREASED THE DEBT TOO
President Joe Biden has increased the economic bubble by $7.25 trillion over 2021-2024, and it is over $35 trillion as of July 30, 2024!
The largest holders of U.S. government debt as of May 2024:
Japan - $1,128.3 billion;
China - $768.3 billion;
United Kingdom - $723.4 billion;
Luxembourg - $385.4 billion;
Canada - $354.5 billion. [9]
1979 $10,000 Treasury Bond [10].
9. DEFAULT RISK
One day, a default may occur, that is, failure to pay interest or principal on a debt obligation on time, and this large debt bubble will burst. The country and its 333 million people will be hit hard economically. The global economy will also be hit, since the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States in 2022 was $25.46 trillion, which is about 15% of the world's GDP. [11]
According to World Bank estimates, a country's public debt is considered problematic when it is equal to 77% of the country's annual GDP. The US public debt was 105.4 percent in 2019, and now - July 30, 2024, 137.4 percent of the US annual GDP [11]
The US has the largest external debt in the world. The US spends more than $570 billion a year on interest payments on its securities. For example, in 2019, $574.6 billion was paid [10]. And the US national debt continues to grow.
A further increase in the US national debt poses a great danger to the country's citizens due to a possible default in a few years. In the end, such an increase in the national debt cannot last forever.
10. WHO FEEDS WHOM?
For thousands of years, the people fed themselves and the government. Usually, the government does not feed the people. Those governments that tried to feed the people inevitably failed. This is evidenced by the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Bolshevik leadership of the Soviet Union forcibly created a collective farm system in the 1930s, and tried to provide the people with cheap bread. Later, the government was unable to provide people with bread, and from 1963, it began to buy millions of tons of grain from the United States. Ultimately, the Soviet Union, having the largest territory in the world, collapsed and fell apart into 15 independent states.
The US government allocates many millions of dollars annually to pay unemployment benefits and salaries for numerous officials. This means that the US government feeds part of the population for many years. As a result, the US national debt as of July 29, 2024, amounted to more than 35 trillion 4 billion dollars and continues to grow by billions of dollars daily. The debt per capita in the United States is more than $103,829. [6]
11. THE WAY TO REDUCE THE NATIONAL DEBT
In order to reduce the national debt, we must find ways to reduce government spending. One of these ways is to revive the markets in the United States. This will provide most of the unemployed with jobs. They and their families will no longer receive assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, which provides assistance with food purchases for people with low and no income.)
Today's unemployed will work in the markets and pay taxes. They will bring in billions of dollars in additional income to each state and country.
If we provide jobs for today's unemployed, most of them will have enough money to rent a house or apartment. As a result, the housing problem for millions of homeless people will be partially solved.
12. THE ATTITUDE OF THE POWER STRUCTURES
Some law enforcement officials find it very convenient to keep the majority of the American people under threat of dismissal and unemployment. That is why they will oppose the re-establishment of farmers markets in the US.
The police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have hundreds of thousands of employees and staff positions due to the existing 6.65 million unemployed and 2.2 million people behind bars. Many crimes are committed due to unemployment in the US.
The United States leads in the number of prisoners in absolute terms - about 2.2 million people are behind bars. This is 25% of all prisoners on the planet (more than in the 35 largest European countries combined, and 40% more than in China), although the population of the United States is only 5% of the world's population (329 million people). Of these prisoners, about 71 thousand are minors. The maintenance of the penitentiary system costs US taxpayers $80 billion annually. [12]
As of July 26, 2023, there were 1,767,200 prisoners in the United States. There is an average of 531 prisoners per 100,000 residents. [13]
By solving the problem of employing the unemployed in farmers' markets, we will significantly reduce the number of crimes and the number of people behind bars. This will significantly reduce the number of law enforcement officers. Some of them will move to market structures to ensure law and order and the safety of citizens in the markets. They will be selected on a competitive basis. As a result, we will save billions of dollars that are spent on maintaining the penitentiary system.
A sharp reduction in the number of convicted persons will raise the authority of the United States in the international arena in the field of human rights.
13. WHERE TO REVIVE THE CENTRAL MARKET?
In the center of Washington, DC, there are old two-three-story buildings that have exhausted their internal resources and have no historical value. The owners of several dozen private two-three-story houses standing nearby should be offered new apartments in a multi-story building with all modern amenities. To do this, it is necessary to build one or two multi-story buildings to accommodate these families. Then demolish these dozens of two-three-story buildings and build a modern, beautiful, large market for residents and guests of the capital. It is necessary to provide a parking space for many cars or a multi-story garage near the Central Market.
14. HOW TO ENSURE FREEDOM OF THE FARMERS' MARKET?
To ensure farmers market freedom, the following requirements must be met:
- some of the trading counters are free, that is, they are not assigned to someone separately;
- whoever came earlier has the right to occupy the counter of their choice and sell their goods.
The following organizational measures are appropriate:
- Adopt a separate program "Revival and support of ordinary farmers markets" or simply "Farmer Market".
- Study the experience of various countries in organizing farmers markets, production, delivery and sale of fruits, vegetables, products and goods in farmers markets.
- Develop a list of recommendations for better organization of the market, including production, delivery and sale of fruits, vegetables, products and goods in markets.
The attitude of people in the markets is one of the real manifestations of civil society. Therefore, it is appropriate to prepare annual reports on the state of the markets in the US states and in countries around the world.
15. HOW IS IT IN OTHER COUNTRIES?
It is known that there are currently more than eight billion people living on Earth. In industrially underdeveloped countries, more than a billion people work in farmers' markets and for farmers' markets. They are provided with work, have more or less income, pay taxes to their government, provide for their families, children, and are to some extent happy.
How are our unemployed fellow citizens worse off compared to them? Nothing.
Please give them the opportunity to work in and for farmers' markets, provide for themselves and their families financially, pay taxes to enrich their country - the USA, and not sit and wait for handouts from the authorities ...
By creating farmers' markets everywhere, we will put an end to the tragedy of 6.65 million unemployed Americans.
16. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY TO BECOME NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE
Which of the leaders will lead and decide to recreate farmers' markets in the USA, and thereby provide jobs for millions of unemployed people, there is such a high probability: he (she) will become the next Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
17. MY PROPOSALS
1. US President Joe Biden and US Vice President Camilla Harris, please take the initiative to recreate farmers' markets in the USA.
2. US Vice President Camilla Harris, please introduce a new chapter in the election program called "Farmers Market", which will include a solution to the problem of unemployment in the USA. Your "Farmers Market" program will be supported and approved by the majority of US voters. Therefore, you and the US Democratic Party will win the elections with a large advantage on November 5, 2024, over Mr. Donald Trump and the US Republican Party, and you will become the 47th President of the USA.
3. US Senators and Representatives of Congress, please take the initiative to create farmers markets in your states.
18. PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT "FOR THE FARMERS MARKET"
US citizens need to create initiative groups everywhere to recreate markets and unite in the people's movement "For the Farmers Market". And also vote in the November 2024 elections for those candidates who support and do specific things to create and develop farmers' markets in the USA.
44-US President Mr. Barack Obama, please support the initiative to recreate farmers markets in the USA and become the leader of the people's movement "For the Farmers Market". This will be a worthy example for a person who holds the title of Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2009.
Citizens' meetings and rallies throughout the United States demanding the re-creation of farmers' markets will actually turn into support for the US Democratic Party. As a result, there is a high probability that the Democratic Party will win both the Presidential election and the US Congressional election.
19. DO MILLIONS OF UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAPPINESS?
The fathers of US democracy wrote this in the Declaration of Independence.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. [14]
So, 6.65 million unemployed people in the US, including me, have every right to be happy. To ensure these rights, US citizens have established a government that exercises its power with the consent of the governed. And let them take decisive measures to recreate farmers' markets and thereby provide jobs for all unemployed people in the US.
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P.S.1. Uzbek-English translation programs, including www.translate.google.com , translate poorly and inaccurately. Therefore, I wrote this Appeal in Russian and translated it into English using the program www.translate.google.com I apologize for any possible errors in translation.
P.S.2. Briefly about myself. I was born in 1954 in Uzbekistan. In 1970-1975, I studied at the Samarkand State University, in 1979-1983, at the Moscow Higher Technical University, named after Bauman. I worked in positions up to the lead designer in research institutes and in the main design bureau at large factories in Moscow and Tashkent. I have been involved in human rights since 1974. I have been publishing articles since 1988. I have written and published four books on websites, and partially published two more books. I have written and published 386 articles on websites, including 276 in Uzbek, 93 in Russian and 17 in English. I have been living in the USA since January 2010. I am a human rights activist, freelance journalist, refugee and vendor Street Sense.
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LITERATURE
1. Center Market (1871-78) (20). English version). - http://www.adolf-cluss.de/index.php?lang=en&topSub=washington&content=h&sub=3.5.20
2. Monthly number of unemployed persons in the United States from May 2022 to May 2024 (in millions, adjusted). - Unemployment level seasonally adjusted U.S. 2024 | Statista (www.statista.com/statistics/193280/seasonally-adjusted-monthly-number-of-unemployed-persons-in-the-usa/ July 5, 2024).
3. Growth in the number of U.S. farmers markets slows in recent years. - USDA ERS - Chart Detail (www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/gallery/chart-detail/?chartId=104402 2019. Last updated: August 10, 2022).
4. Farmers Markets in the US - Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2024-2029). - Farmers Markets in the US - Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2024-2029)| IBISWorld (www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/farmers-markets-industry/#IndustryStatisticsAndTrends January 2024).
5. Eastern Market, Washington, D.C. Eastern Market, Washington, D.C. - Wikipedia (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Market,_Washington,_D.C From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
6. US Debt Clock. - https://usdebtclock.org/
7. Trump: I'll eliminate U.S. debt by end of 2nd term by Jeremy Diamond. - https://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/02/politics/donald-trump-national-debt/index.html (www.edition.cnn.com April 3, 2016).
8. How Much Did President Trump Add to the Debt? - How Much Did President Trump Add to the Debt?-2024-01-10 (crfb.org) (www.crfb.org/blogs/how-much-did-president-trump-add-debt January 10, 2024).
9. $35 (The US national debt has exceeded $35 trillion for the first time in history). - $35 | (rbc.ru) (www.quote.rbc.ru/news/article/66a776849a79478324217bbb July 29, 2024).
10. National debt of the United States. - National debt of the United States - Wikipedia (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_debt_of_the_United_States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
11. (US Economy). - (wikipedia.org) (www.ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/_ ).
12. . - (wikipedia.org) (www.ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/____ ).
13. List of countries by incarceration rate ( ). - List of countries by incarceration rate - Wikipedia (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarceration_rate From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
14. "Original Rough Draught" of the Declaration of Independence. - "Original Rough Draught" of the Declaration of Independence - Wikisource, the free online library (www.en.wikisource.org/wiki/"Original_Rough_Draught"_of_the_Declaration_of_Independence From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
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Mailing address:
216 Tulip Dr.,
Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20877
E-mail: havassh54@gmail.com , jiz54@mail.ru
Phone: 240-263-0683 (for messages)
