It’s been a disheartening economic year for most Americans, rural and urban, and it’s bound to get a lot tougher before and after the winners of the 1992 election step into their offices.

Democrats in Congress, however, are serendipitously looking ahead to 1993 and finally are moving ahead on legislation which will create economic enterprise zones in America’s most impoverished and destitute communities.

Don’t be fooled. The “bleeding hearts” aren’t doing this out of sympathy for the hurting rural communities of the midlands or the unfortunates of bereft communities like East Central Los Angeles, but because they realize that Bill Clinton may inherit the Bush domestic fiasco known now in history as the 1992 American Recession.

Let it not be said that politicians should be eligible for sainthood. But the simple fact is that America hungers for change and fiercely needs economic help. Though the Democrats motives in pushing legislation through just 54 days away from the presidential election may not be immaculate, the bottom line is that anything can only help now—economically and politically.

Northern Illinois should count its blessings, and realize what it has in NIU—an established and currently very fertile enterprise zone. This should mean jobs, jobs, jobs.

NIU has approval for three construction projects on the DeKalb campus, and one still pending. The Faraday II project, Campus Life Building and the multi-tiered parking structure are all underway. A proposed on-campus engineering building is pending state approval.

These projects are a virtual fountain of economic youth, so like they say: If you have the gift, use it.