Neil from Cannock Chase in the West Midlands had the skills and experience to work on major transport infrastructure projects. But while transport workers across his region faced unemployment, the Department for Transport concentrated investment in London and the South East. The Treasury's household budget thinking meant that even when engineers, construction workers, and materials were available locally, Westminster chose not to fund the transport links the West Midlands desperately needed. Neil's story reveals how artificial spending constraints block economic opportunities in communities that have everything needed except political will from central government. Full disclosure: this episode explores how monetary sovereignty could enable different policy choices.