That is a joke that my Dad likes to tell when we are working on a project, and we screw up. The joke does the trick. The levity breaks the tension, and it allows us to refocus on the job. I was thinking of this today on my way home from work. On NPR, it was reported that Ben Bernake, the Federal Reserve Chairman, announced today that the Fed would again cut interest rates. I'm sorry, but I think the job ahead (staving off a recession) is much bigger than the tool (cutting interest rates) that we are using. Unfortunately, using ineffective tools is typical for the Bush administration.
Of course Mr. Bush, with Bill Shuster's approval, likes ineffective tools. They have no interest in fixing the problem. They and their fat cat pals get even richer off the broken system. They are more interested in rewarding wealth than developing a vibrant economy by creating family sustaining jobs. Before I offer my own ideas, let's (briefly) review their failed policies.
First, there were tax cuts for the uber-rich. The average tax cut for a person making $40,000/yr was $60. For Dick Cheney, it was $90,000. The average working person got a tank of gas. One. In an entire year. I hope they used it go somewhere fun, but my guess is is that they used it to go to that second(or third) job. Dick Cheney, meanwhile, got a house. Did these tax cuts stimulate the economy? Not a lick. They didn't work on getting us out of the first George W. Bush recession. They won't prevent the second George W. Bush recession (It's here folks.)
What did we get for these tax cuts? Nothing. George W. Bush has the worst jobs record of any President since Hoover. In the 9th district of Pennsylvania, we have lost over 20 major employers since George Bush AND Bill Shuster have come to power. These are not just words and numbers. These are people's lives. These jobs provide sustenance for families, and they are gone. If you are not outraged, are you dead?
The next on the failed policies list was the Iraq War. Make no mistake. This war had nothing to do with terrorism and everything to do with oil. Unfortunately, even this atrocity (Last I checked, stealing was still a sin) did not benefit the American people. Before George W. Bush chose to start this war (with Bill Shuster's approval) gas cost less than $1.50/ gallon. Today, I paid $3.20/gallon. Who benefited? George W. and Dick Cheney's pals in the oil industry.
Lastly, we have the sub-prime housing fiasco. People are losing their homes left and right. What solution is Bush and Co. proposing. They want to reward the sleazy bankers that got us into this mess in the first place. Enough. Instead of giving our tax money to the bankers thus rewarding their criminal behavior, I say let's make the bankers honor the mortgages at the interest rates that they initially offered the loans at. The bankers will whine. But I say to them to be happy with what they're going to get. They will still make a buck. We could make them bleed. I don't doubt that another peace-preaching table-turning prophet would agree with me.
By no means is this an exhaustive list of the incompetent and evil actions foisted on the American people by George W. Bush and Bill Shuster. The good news is that one will definitely be gone in a year, but that doesn't fix things. Getting rid of the second would be an even better step. But, what do we do about the recession?
Let's put people to work. Our infrastructure is crumbling. (Remember the bridges?) Let's fix the bridges. Let's go even farther than that. Let's be smart about what we do. I know that there are some cynics out there who say that our government can't be smart. And yes, you will get a laugh out of me also.
But, let's look at knocking off a couple (maybe three) birds with one stone.
People need jobs. Schools have aging (inefficient and expensive) heating systems. Schools are spending lots of money on heat. And, oh yeah, school taxes are going through the roof. Let's invest in updating these heating systems, putting Americans to work, saving schools money, and thereby, saving taxpayers money.
I know that some of you got to have some tax cuts. Here's one for you. Let's renew the tax cuts for updating old windows and doors with energy efficient ones. This was a great idea, but it didn't go far enough. The tax credits were much too small ($200-500) compared to the real cost (~$10,000). Some people took advantage, but the price of the updates compared to the tax cut was not enough for more people to take advantage of these tax credits. Let's make the tax credits equal to the cost of the job. People would take advantage of this. It would put lots of people to work, and it would save this country lots of fuel. Reducing demand for petroleum-based fuel will cause the cost of gasoline, diesel, and home heating oil to drop. We save twice!
These are only two examples, and they are too simplistic. I know this, but my point is that solutions DO exist. Why aren't they being implemented? Our government is being controlled by lobbyists with corporate money. Our government is no longer serving us. We have the power to change this. We must, though, get beyond the silliness of tax cuts for the uber-rich. We must get beyond the silliness of voting for a person because we voted for their Dad. We must do the right thing and vote for people who have more than one tired tool in their toolbox. Let's rebuild our communities and our country together. I'll bring some tools. You bring some others.
You can find out more about my campaign at http://www.tonybarr2008.com