So What's Your Answer to the Pickle We're In?

I dont think creating job opportunities can be a permanent solution to economy stability,because there is this saying that instead of giving an individual fish,teach him how to fish. That is to say let the government create a training forum where individuals can be trained on different enterprenueral fields,and then being empowered with a token to start thier own business.

I cannot believe anyone with a semblance of intellectual honesty would advocate spending 3%… and sending it through the pork barrel that is DC, and expect that money to work for the average american.

I am not some tea party psycho, or liberal wingnut. I am a regular citizen, us air force vet.

the reason our unemployment numbers went up is because they failed to report we have a SURGE in recalcitrant folks who have GIVEN UP FINDING WORK.

And you propose borrow money to subsidize companies like IBM to ship tech jobs overseas.

What you are witnessing is a confidence bubble bursting. Not lost confidence in the american worker or the american dollar or the american dream. A lost confidence in the shadowy machinations run by those with W Spann LLC money.

Eventually you talking heads will understand.

Wow! Good question! What do we do to fix this mess? In the 1930’s and the Great Depression there were people that were still making money! Supply and Demand! It could be too late to implement more projects to build the infrasstructure in the US. It appears the jobs would only be temporary. There is no more Ford and GM 40 year jobs with defined benefit plans! The fiat money is becoming worthless. However what if the dollar loses its pizzazzas and the value depreciates to paper nothing. We are in real trouble -hyperinflation! Solution: Start again – I believe the only game in town is small business! Go back to real currency like gold and silver! A shoe shine business or a theatre business so we can go to the movies for 1 silver dollar. Maybe take in a ball game and have a hot dog for 75 copper cents. Think of Volume! Then we can start hiring again in both are infrastructure and jobs. Even if we must barter for our goods and services. Survival and attitude is the key! We will survive! Even if the Washington guys continue to mess this economy up! At this point I would let the system collapse and start over again. Look at Roman Empire! Action/No Action – Hands off policy instead of kicking the can down the road further! Have a spectacular week, Gary

1. Enact the Fair Tax Act.
The Fair Tax Act would abolish income tax, replacing it with a consumption tax on new goods and services. This allows people to keep their entire pay check, lower’s business costs, and actually increases government revenue by taxing currently untaxed segments of society (not low income, I’m referring to underground trades). There is more to it than that though, so, details at http://kylesouza.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/the-fair-tax-act-part-1-the-contents/ and http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer.

2. Remove Dependence on Foreign Energy Suppliers.
We can keep (or lower) energy prices using only our domestic resources if we (over a ten year period) dedicate to researching and developing sustainable energy sources utilizing hydro, solar, and geothermal technologies.

3. Improving Education Standards.
It is a global fact that the nations doing bad economically (USA, Spain, Greece, Portugal) have been lowering their education standards over the last 30 years. We need to train people to be educated and dedicated. We are producing more low-income workers because of lack of education than any time since the Industrial Revolution. China and South Korea have high standards, and are stable. India and Brazil are improving their education standards and are growing. It is a major indirect contributor.

4. Immigration Reform.
We want the best and the brightest from other nations to come here. We want to keep out criminals (we have enough of our own). We need to make legal citizen or workers status easier and quicker to attain, while at the same time improving border security (land, air, and sea; not all illegal immigrants are from Mexico, or even Canada).

Brielfy, building Infrastructure will is not sustainable since it does not generate dollars on an ongoing basis such as manufacturing. The FDR plans failed, for many reasons, and because the WPA had no control of objectives although the PWA did (You can see this tragedy in the making via one of his supporters: Harold Ickes, Secretary of Interior, and his 1932 to 1936 Diaries; Also, Truman’s insight into the increasing dangerous FDR, this in Truman’s book; Memoirs)

For government to assist in today’s environment, it needs to join industry in developing accelerating serious learning programs in manufacturing, business, marketing in several fields. And this mostly from home, using online programs that have both teachers and software; the latter to allow people to learn at their own level. There needs to databases as a repository for new tools and procedures, software, finance, markets, etc. For example the new 3D printers that develop a complete plastic example of tools or parts that even have gears that rotate in an hour…and this with no assembly! which saves the terrific cost of engineering, prototyping and machining, and the lost months.

We all have University Degrees, but going back to a University, after some years, is too slow and expensive, and with questionable courses and results (unless someone wants to be an Accountant, Attorney, etc.). While some Univerisities and Two year colleges have Extension Courses; these are still based on Semesters, or Seminar based.

We need stimulus packages for today’s issues that generate rapid development of business and manufacturing (even though some part will be offshore). And not return to 1932 programs, which were mostly manual labor type of work… and failed.

For starters, I think we are being fed a line all the way through this mess. I think it was a well-planned scheme and one that will take place again since nothing was done to prevent it. I don’t believe unemployment is down. I think people have ran out of it and, naturally, no longer apply for it.
There are a number of elements leading up to it and a number of things that need corrected. The deficit, of course. We can’t continue on this path-and if the government can’t live within it’s means, what is this teaching it’s citizens? A deficit that is *never* mentioned is the trade deficit. No one buys anything from us-what’s to buy since the USA makes nothing anymore, I guess-but we’re expected to buy all the products everyone else produces. Money, marbles, or chalk-it’s still a *deficit* that needs to be controlled.

We’ve *supposedly* driven off a lot of major businesses to other countries by our high taxes and a refusal to make the business climate any better. In fact, Obama is still making restrictions to this day. (Obama; another story…) Ok, then why are we still buying what they produce? I have tried to tell people for several years now that they were buying themselves out of a job. They ignored me, as is their right.
I have never seen stastics on it, but I would “guess” that Americans buy the majority of what *our* companies produce somewhere else using cheap labor and better tax breaks. I understand that many would prefer to be in the US and it wouldn’t take a lot for them to return if the business climate were made better for them. Under the present circumstances, this is unlikely to happen. It is also unlikely many small businesses will be able to get the finances they need to succeed.

I don’t believe any of it to be rocket science. Some common sense and a willingness to get something in place that will actually work could go a long way, however. It is very doubtful anything will change until after the election and the current agenda is ended.

We can have FULL EMPLOYMENT!!!by planting trees=jobs, lumber,products,+trees make BREATHING AIR,atmosphere,air purification,air conditioning,humidification,rain for crops.EMERGENCY=politicians prove destroy all for personal gain.Therefore President must be bold,fire all congressmen both sides,executive order,put in business incentives,upgrades,trees.If already going in debt invest thru business incentive and direct good ideas.FIX IT or perish.Politicians cutting back and destroying,instead of FIXING IT.

100%Full Employment=PLANT TREES=Jobs for All,Lumber,Paper,endless products,Trees make BREATHING AIR,Atmosphere,Air Conditioning,Purification,Carbon eaters,Humidification,Rain for Food Crops,Soil preservation,BIG MONEY.President must be BOLD.Politicians proved they destroy World for own money gain.As they Destroy and Cut back everything as they Do nothing,Fix Nothing.Emergency Mr.President=FIRE all congress,both sides,FIX Problems by Executive Order,while putting inBig incentives to Big and Small Business to FIX IT OR PERISH.

Rebuilding the infrastructure would not only be far more valuable than the cost, but it would have long-term dividends as well.

Although lets not ignore the problem debt creates. It borrows from the future, and for all the debt we amassed in the 1980-2008 era, the future arrived. This had to be a contributing factor to the drop in the economy. Debt is like a big ponzi scheme – it only works for a short time as long as there are new sources of money to pay off the old. When private debt defaulted, it didn’t really go away, we just transfered it to the Feds, the next big pocket in line for this pyramid.

I think you scared everyone off with the ‘real thought’ part of your request. I will be following this discussion with great interest. I want to see if people can indeed stop blaming everyone else and come up with an answer that will work for the Feds, the states, and the counties. I have no idea what I would do, it seems like such a huge broken thing, in a million pieces. If it were a shattered vase, we would sweep it up, throw it away and maybe get another. It isn’t a thing,per se, but the analogy seems fitting.

Excellent question!

ROLE OF TAXES
1. Lowering corporate tax rates might not make that big a difference — It’s 35% for corporations now, although few corporations actually pay that. Fortune 1000 rarely pays any taxes. Rates were near 90% in the ‘50s, and we were doing fine then. (Corporations aren’t spending the cash they have now, so will giving them more make a difference?)
2. Keep the tax breaks available for starting a business – e.g., low or initially no property taxes, R&D write-offs, etc.
3. Give even more resources to help people start businesses? Nah. There’s already huge amounts of help available, much of it low-cost or free.

IMPROVE EDUCATION AND INNOVATION
1. The success of entrepreneurship comes, in large part, from innovation. Which comes, in large part, from ideas and investment. We have to completely change our school system from memorization of facts, to creative and team thinking. That requires a change in expectations and performance of the educational system, including the role of unions.

CULTIVATE MORE MARKETS
1. The gap between the rich and poor is increasing. As the needs of the rich and poor become even more specific and disparate, so will the markets. The tax system needs to be revamped to, frankly, produce more economic equality (no, I’m not talking about socialism!).
2. Protect intellectual property and sustain free trade – This is increasingly difficult when foreign government don’t do this!

BUT THE BIG PROBLEM’S AT THE TOP
1. Cultivate statesman, not politicians — Corporations aren’t spending money because they lack confidence in leadership. Political parties are squabbling over dates to have speeches, and can’t reach consensus on other matters. That must come from them – and from us.
2. American people have gotten what they wanted – We’re fat and lazy, value entertainment over enlightenment, and blame everyone else for our problems. The country’s leadership can’t be afraid to confront us with ourselves.

Get rid of subsidies to major industries and replace them with tax incentives. For example, an investment tax credit for purchasing equipment,and as in the past,you get the tax credit immediately. Subsidies, anymore than tax cuts are not producing jobs. Let the gov’t fund job producing projects…with accountability. Working people buy things and create demand.

I agree highly that investing in infrastructure is financially wise in the long run. It’s like the old adage about “give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish…”