Hey, hey, world, listen up. I can see last night's blog went nowhere. Alas, I do believe I have something big to say. After all, isn't the economy the trick question the last few years? Didn't Mitt Romney make it the theme of his campaign?
Hasn't the collapse of nations sometimes come with the collapse of their economies? And, isn't the U.S. doing quite a lot to act like the most misbehaving nation in all history?
At, least, I don't think any nation has ever accumulated such a debt as what we have.
Then, along comes me, the guy who mused in his chair an hour ago about how he could have been a great economist. Alas, alas, I never will be. But, I honestly think I could go a long ways toward saving our economy. I think I've got some pretty fair ideas.
To me, you break it down this way:
1. As long as people are working and working in jobs that contribute to the economy, the economy is not a complete failure. Indeed, it is possible that this, alone, could make it a healthy economy.
2. If jobs are the answer, give them jobs. Simply go out and create jobs. Create companies. Create new markets, if you can find them. Doesn't matter if it is government creating the jobs, or the private sector. A person in a job is a person in a job.
3. The U.S. government has not been shy of giving tax incentives and loans and sometimes even flat-out start-up inducements -- asking no money back. Why, is this not just as much a form of "socialism" as would be starting the companies, then turning the ownership over to the same citizens who are running them?
4. Now, the way the private sector goes about all this, is through market analysis. They look at how many grocery stores are in a city -- or in an area of the city -- and, they place their stores where there's a market. What would be so wrong with building our economy this way, looking for the markets that are being missed, and placing new, government-created stores in those locations? If we must have a "stimulus," do it this way.
5. Hold our punches when we're in industries that do not make too much money for their owners. Don't try to out price the competition. In fact, make sure they offer better prices. If it looks like we are running another store out of business, cut the hours we are open so the competition has more convenient hours. Or, raise prices, so his or her prices are even better.
6. But, in the industries where millions are being made, be more aggressive. I'm wondering if the aerospace and medical industries fit that mold. (I don't know, but I wonder.) Study out the richest Americans, and identify which industries they are making their millions at, and be more competitive in those markets. Actually, this might help fight inflation. Some industries have prices that I can't help but think could be reduced with some real competition. I do feel our aerospace and medical industries charge too much for their products. With defense spending being a large share of the national budget, cutting aerospace costs would go a long ways towards cutting the national debt.
7. Fill as many of the new jobs as you can with the unemployed. The goal is to put everyone in a job, so don't be too quick to hire the polished-looking applicants. If someone can do the job quite adequately even though they are now unemployed, rush them into the spot. I know some folks on disability who, yes, I think could fit into the job market. Let them. Encourage them. Nay, required them to take the job. With social welfare being a large part of our national budget, this will make a difference in the national debt.
8. But, raid the competition when it comes to finding one person to run the company. We do not want businesses that are to fail, and putting a proven person at the helm is the wise thing to do. In industries where the current top managers are not being paid oversly well, be competitive. Offer competive salaries. But, in industries where exectuives are making it rich, lure the best talent you can, but decline to pay them equal to what the market wage is. Pitch the opportunity to succeed, to start up a business, to be a good citizen by helping the economy.
9. Just a reminder of what I said in Point 3: As soon as possible, turn the new company over to those who you have running it. But, don't let these companies be given away without them making their money back, first. We have a national debt, and it will do us no good to add upon it. Let them turn a little profit, perhaps, before the government relinquishes ownership. In industries where executives are overpaid, allow the new owners personal profits to float up to a degree, but put something in the sales contract that will have some limiting effect. I guess I believe some of our filthy rich might could afford to be a little less rich, thus more of the profits going to the workers. Here's an opportunity to help equalize the disparity i the rich and the poor.
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