Friday, February 6, 2009

Tax Cuts And Jobs

It looks like there is going to be a tax credit of up to $1500.00 dollars for people buying a new car in 2009, a credit for new home buyers, and tax cuts so you get more in your paycheck. The idea is to encourage people to spend money to get the economy moving.  All well and good, but if my job is not secure or I’m not working because I lost my job why would I want to buy a new car or a house? How can I benefit from more take home money if I don’t have a paycheck?

It does not take a rocket scientist to see that each day we are losing thousands of jobs in this country. I’ve said it before if we want to get the economy back on its’ feet we need to get people back to work. It has been a spiral down effect. Starting slow and small and getting faster and bigger as it moves downward.

Tax cuts and credits are nice, but if the government wants to stimulate the economy they need to spend money to create new jobs and create demand for goods and materials so the factories start bringing back workers.

There are lots of things wrong with the way things have been run and I’m sure there is enough blame to go around for why things are the way they are. We can and must work on fixing the system, but first we need to get people back to work and feeling secure enough that they will spend money.  Until then they won’t buy, goods won’t be produced, and more jobs will be lost.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Cabin Fever

It’s February, it’s cold, and I’m tired of all the snow in the yard. In short I’m suffering from cabin fever. I can’t get out and get away, so the only thing to do is get away in my mind. Mentally I need to hop in the car and drive to someplace sunny and warm.  The Golf Coast, California, or one of the south east states like Georgia or the Carolinas.

I’m a Michigan boy born and bred so what might seem cold to some is sunny and warm to me.  When the temperature is below zero, sixty is a heat wave. We have friends who winter in South Carolina so I guess I will head there.

We could run over to Charleston to walk on the beach, see Fort Sumter, and drive down Rainbow Row. Go see the restoration work on the confederate submarine Huntley, visit a plantation or two, and just spend time with are friends. I feel warmer just thinking about it.

Spring will be here in a month or two, the trees will leaf out, and the landscape will turn green again. When that happens I’ll ride my bike on the trail near here, take some photos, and enjoy the warmth of the sunshine. Till then I’ll just have to be satisfied with day dreams.

Monday, February 2, 2009

The Problem With Our World

The problem with our world is that it is being run by a lot of children being paid minimum wage to do jobs that affect the lives of all the rest of us. Many years ago someone told me that you knew you were getting old when you looked around and realized that all the people in charge of the world were kids. Well I must be old because everyone from bank tellers to police people (policeman is probably sexist) seem way too young to be doing their job.

I’ll be the first to admit that they seem to be doing their jobs, but it would make me feel better if they were older. That way they would have more wisdom to go with their knowledge. I’m sure they all have had a good education and lots of on the job training, but knowing how to do their job and doing their job are two different things. One takes training the other takes experience.

Youth is truly wasted on the young. I know that once upon a time we were also young. It’s just that back then we knew so much more than young people do today. Oh if I could know what I know today and live my life over again, just think what I could accomplish.

No, I had my time and really have no regrets about what I did with it. Now it’s their time and they must be allowed to use it. They can not gain experience if they do not go out and make the best of the life they have ahead of them.

As for our world, they probably won’t mess it up any worse than we did. On second thought let’s hope they do better than that.