We have to do something. That’s the lawmakers response when
people voice displeasure in the stimulus package. As usual,
I have a few thoughts on the issue. I will even make some
suggestions that won’t cost a trillion dollars, will help the
economy, and might even shorten the economic problems we
now face.
Congress has been telling us the banking industry is corrupt.
I’d guess banks have been around since there’s been people. Now
after all this time, in our lifetime, we get all the lemons.
They’ve also told us our automakers are inept and greedy. Our
country has a one hundred plus year history with the automobile.
And once again, we were cursed enough to get all the bad apples
running all the companies into ruin during our lifetime.
Man, what did we do to deserve this? We elected them.
And now the Democrats are dancing in the streets because they
got rid of George Bush, who couldn’t run again anyway; and have
the majority in the House and Congress. Now we are tirelessly
reminded that Obama inheirited a $1.2 trillion deficit. Instead of
learning from the mistakes that got us to that figure,
our new President, and his Democratic legislature have decided it
would be better for us citizens if that figure was doubled in his
first month in office. Even knowing that the stimulis didn’t work
last time, won’t work this time, and will most likely prolong the
economic woes, this group has decided pork is more important than
progress.
So What’s the alternative to a gazillion-dollar pork-laden
stimulis package? Glad you asked. First, we have to get people
back to work. How? Put people to work securing our border, and
them put more people to work sending illegal aliens back accross
the border. Fix our rotting roads and failing infrastruture.
Make realistic wages a reality for everyone. While a CEO isn’t
worth $100 million a year, a person working on an assembly line
at one of the automakers isn’t worth $75 an hour and a kid who
is learning to flip burgers isn’t worth $10 an hour.
Next, we should look to technology we have. Let’s use coal and
nuclear power. We should also get our national electric grid more
secure. We should look at ways to lower utility bills, and the
fuel bills of our trucker friends. A lot of people forget that
while gas prices are down, diesel prices are still high. Get the
prices down and it would help with our grocery costs.
We should also revamp our schools. Not by throwing more money
into them. Put the money into finding the reason our school costs
are the highest in the world but on math tests our children score
32nd. We have a high dropout rate, and a lot of our graduates are
not prepared for college. That is unaceptable. Our children are
our future. At some point they will take over.
A serious effort should be made to lower our health costs. They
have balloned to an almost unaffordable level for working families.
We don’t need government insurance, we need affordable insurance.
Then we should take a long hard look at how our politicians are
running the store. There should be an instant pay freeze for all
member of the House and Senate. They’ve been giving themselves
a pay raise every year and calling it COLA, regardless of their
record. Well, why the rest of us are tightening our belts; they
should do the same. Instead of spending trillions on an unwanted,
unneeded stimulis, cut spending. Term limits should be enacted,
and the retirement should also looked at with a fine tooth comb.
Where else can you work a few years and get retirement?
We should limit campaign fundraising, and length of campaigns.
We should also have a limit on inauguration spending. It is not
a corination, it is the taking over of an elected office.
Then it wouldn’t hurt to look into lobbyists, special elections, and
early voting. On top of getting rid of the pork we have to get rid of
the fat.
It also wouldn’t hurt to look at all subsidized programs. Ethanol
comes to mind. Ethanol producers can make money if gas is above $3
a gallon, and the 54 cent a gallon subsidy is in place. All this
hocus-pocus to make ethanol appear a dime cheaper than regular at the pump.
To me, this is corporate welfare. It cost many to benefit a few.
Spend less money and let things work themselves out. By all means
help, just don’t put all of us in the poorhouse doing it.
Not all these ideas are mine, but are my take on how they could be
implemented.There are a lot more things that could be done, but I
don’t want to turn this into a novel.
Comments are always welcome.