Fixing the Economy
Okay, I got this as a joke via e-mail, but the more I look at it the more I realize that this is a 4 trillion dollar solution that could actually do far more than anything the President’s suggested so far…
Dear Mr. President,
Please find below my suggestion for fixing America’s economy.
Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the “Patriotic Retirement Plan”:
There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:
1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.
3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage -Housing Crisis fixed.
4) Make all members of Congress pay their current and back taxes.
It can’t get any easier than that!!
P.S. While you’re at it, make Congress retire on Social Security and Medicare. I’ll bet both programs would be fixed pronto!
Reader Comments
math fails…
paying 40,000,000 people $1,000,000 would be:
$40,000,000,000,000 - that’s 40 trillion. so what would that fix, exactly?
1. if 40,000,000 suddenly retire, there will be a huge gap in knowledge, especially for technical jobs. unemployment wouldn’t be fixed at all. if it was 40,000,000 farm workers, those could easily be replaced. scientists, engineers, managers - not so much.
2. why would we want another 40,000,000 cars on the road? this is asinine. we should be doing things to curb car use, trying to live better, healthier lives in zero-energy, walkable communities. this would be a terrible, terrible idea.
3. again, a terrible idea.
4. how exactly does this relate to 1-3? oh, i get it, it doesn’t. the amount of back taxes owed by congress is miniscule to the asinine tax breaks of companies moving HQs overseas, people funneling money through ‘tax free zones’ and ridiculous tax breaks for companies that don’t need them, like big ag, big pharma, big oil, etc.
PS. most congress alum are wealthy enough to not need social security or medicare (especially if you are a blue dog or republican). of the 420-ish receiving benefits, i think the average is less than 40,000 a year. qualifying is similar to other federal positions.
You’re right on the 40 Trillion. Government math-when the numbers are that large, what’s a zero here or there?
I wonder if Obama needs another economic advisor?