How to create jobs

Barbara, thanks / props for this article …and making the cover! Will you frame the cover and hang it on your office or cubicle wall? I’m buying a dead-tree edition to see the graphics. I was a day early w/ comments: my #2 reply to your jobs bill post applies to this post, sorry for not looking in the crystal ball.
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It’s frustrating that demand-creation (to spur job-creation) has no silver bullet this time like the Internet earlier (start an online biz instead of opening a “brick” store, etc.). Your article gave diverse examples to increase / create markets or deal with our mess in new ways. Will most solutions will be local or industry-specific (as I whined yesterday) …but needed everywhere? Alas, some fields – like construction, sigh – still need lots of money for equipment, contractors, supplies, etc. Creating a web site to help others deal with empty homes is one thing (for example), but someone still has to do the work.
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But again, thanks for your COVER story. It will help us ponder new ideas. I’ll be trying. If the jobs aren’t there, create one …but one that lasts (or pays well while it lasts, close enough!).

…hmm, and re: graphics in dead-tree but not online, could this be part of the media print / online solution? Get basic info. free online but buy dead-tree for the extras? It’s a hassle to set up a paid online subscription but easy to pick up a copy at the store with the groceries. Maybe your cover experience here (must be a great feeling!) can help your own magazine’s bottom line.

A good way to create jobs would be to eliminate the FICA tax and have the federal government support Medicare and Social Security. Eliminating FICA would put more money in the hands of business, stimulating hiring, R&D, production, etc. Eliminating FICA also would put more money in the hands of the people, stimulating buying.

The government is about to put a toe in the water by eliminating the employers’ side of FICA for new hires — another example of the tentative “too-little, too-late” approach this administration prefers.

For those who claim large deficits are “unsustainable” (whatever that means), or cause inflation, last year we had a $1 trillion + deficit. Today, the debt exceeds $12 billion — an astounding 1,400% increase in just 40 years. No federal checks have bounced, where’s the inflation and where’s your evidence?

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell

Roger.
You’re arguing with a tree. In this country, we currently have a firm dichotomy. One group is firmly planted in the land of facts, evidence and rigorous testing of any assumptions. The other exists on conspiracy theories, ia afraid of its own shadow and wouldn’t recognize a fact if the entire library of Congress dropped from the sky on their house. So, please save us- really me, from any further embarrassment….too many Americans are just fact and evidence averse these days preferring Alice in Wonderland economics over the reality (which is unreality) theather which accurately explains our situation. Thanks.
Bryan

Right Bryan,

The problem with facts is you actually have to study them, think about them, analyze them and then be willing to let go of your preconceived notions. It’s hard.

How much easier it is to “moo” along with the herd, mindlessly repeat what everyone else says, and rely on intuition. Thus, we have the debt hawks, newspaper editors and oft-quoted economists, who using absolutely no historical data, are sure in their guts that zero money growth is better than deficits and government spending.

They got this idea from the Republican hero, Ronald Reagan, who said, “The problem is government,” just before he (correctly) ran the biggest deficits (i.e. money growth) in history.

You sound like a thinking man. So, my blog, called “Money is Debt” can be found at http://rodgermmitchell.wordpress.com. You’ll see some facts there.

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell