I've been a reader for a short while and am now posting for the first time. I originally submitted my plan to solve the national financial crisis on a local blog but got NO responses, so I'm hoping for some feedback here. Be gentle with me, please, as I'm a half-baked virgin.
Bailout Bucks - sounds
like a game, doesn't it? It's more like a contest in my opinion. Who can get the most money the quickest and squander it the fastest? Who will then get to proceed to the next round to do it all over again?
It just chaps my backside to watch all these banks, insurance companies, auto companies and others running to the government with their fat, sweaty palms up in greedy anticipation - no, make that expectation - of unearned money. And particularly when some of them are responsible for the mess in the first place! It awards them for poor management and diinishes their incentive to run a successful business. Do we really have to pass out awards for bad decisions?
Recently I heard on the news that each person in this country (not each taxpayer – each PERSON) has incurred a debt of about $24,500 so far because of these bailouts. It’s a shame the government doesn’t offer such generous emergency cash to individual hardworking folks when they mismanage their own funds by spending too much on frivolities such as food, housing, insurance, etc.
How’s this for an idea? Rather than forking over our hard-earned dollars to be misused yet again, let’s make these companies work for their money. How about:
(1) Killing the auto unions. If this is truly the tremendous crisis as it's being claimed, then drastic measures are called for. I’m sure there are a lot of talented people available who would work for far less. Remember the government stepping in during the air traffic controllers’ strike years ago? This is as good a time as then to intervene, and
(2) Beginning February 1st, begin a one-time tax-free giveaway of a new green car (hybrid, electric, whatever) for every tax-paying citizen who holds a valid driver’s license. The make and model could be determined by a lottery; i.e., people born on a certain date receive a specific type vehicle. It could solve some of the unemployment problems – immediately in the accounting, auto, insurance and transportation fields. And don’t forget that somebody’s got to deliver these cars and keep track of the whole deal. It would also help secondarily in many other fields with people having more bucks in their wallets. And hey, it would improve the atmosphere too!
This puts the benefit of Bailout Bucks in the hands of the taxpayer and better controls it's use. Awww – you’re 16? Too bad! You need to get over it and work for your own car or talk Daddy and Mommy into getting you one. Lost your license because of DUI’s? Too bad! We want to keep you off our roads anyway.
Let’s make everyone present a current auto insurance policy when they receive their vehicles too. That way at least we know that they had insurance for at least a day! And how about making insurance companies follow up on cancelled policies by reporting them to the government? I could be mistaken, but I don’t believe there’s enough monitoring/follow up in that area. You hear of too many people being hit by uninsured drivers. I hate the thought of growing government, but a national database may be necessary for more effective monitoring. Whoops – there’s more jobs!
I keep hearing that the taxpayers will be paid back. Has anyone heard any specific plans as to how and when this payback will begn?
Bailout Bucks - Thanks for playing!