Desperation, Part II

Please read part one here.

So rather than “feeling your pain” as President Clinton said without any substance, I have a fix.

The fix is a two step process…

The short term fix is to extend unemployment benefits, and reduce other federal expenses by that amount. Part two, and bound to part one is the elimination of corporate taxes. Why? Because the United States will become the number one global tax haven and immense amounts of money will flood the United States. That will create huge numbers of new jobs. They say that all boats rise with the tide. It’s true; jobs will be so plentiful that if you want to work, you’ll find a job.

So what will it take to eliminate corporate taxes? Votes in the House and the Senate. You get those by forming a caucus of other congresspeople who actually want positive change and not pretend to. They add riders to must pass legislation, and with enough votes and leverage, these bills are passed complete with these riders. It’s not going to be easy, but positive change must come or we’re doomed to borrowing more and more to make ends meet.

If Washington doesn’t do something fast, within five years the Chinese will cut off our credit lines and other nations will lose faith in the dollar. Even the Federal Reserve “forgiving” the immense $4 trillion of public debt that our government owes it will not help. I estimate that we have about five years left.

So what do you need to enact change? First, the public must elect candidates that actually want to fix the problems. That’s an enormous challenge if you’re not an incumbent as getting elected with a sitting incumbent is almost hopeless. Why? Because voters across the country want change, but only all of the other incumbents and not their own. So nothing changes.

That’s why candidates come out of the woodwork when there is an open seat. My Georgia district has about eight and counting as Phil Gingrey is running to fill an open Senate seat. Incumbents are reelected with very little effort. Why? Because they know that voters only vote for names that are familiar. The incumbent’s name is very familiar as they are the incumbent, and get all of the press coverage and have millions to spend if need be. They usually don’t need to spend much money, and getting reelected is a slam-dunk in most instances.

Once you’re elected, you typically just lean on the special interests and the people who want favors and you’re flooded with money.

For a non-incumbent, just reaching about 400,000 voters in any district is very expensive. A single mailing to 200,000 household’s will cost at least $100,000. Raising money is a non-incumbent’s biggest challenge. Being voted for is easy, if the public knows who you are.

The Federal Election Commission keeps track of income and expenditures but due to the unbelievably poorly written legislation, the McCain-Feingold bill of 2001, it made changes to reinforce that once you’re in, you’re in for life and if not, it’s really hard to get in. The bill sponsors were obviously on the inside. I’m shocked; or maybe not. Perhaps that “poorly written legislation” phrase should be “very cleverly written legislation?”

That said, raising money is difficult until you get in and then it’s easy.

It occurred to me that if each of the 1.3 million Americans who are on the verge of becoming desperate, send a single dollar to my campaign through PayPal I am almost guaranteed election as will have $1,300,000 more in my campaign committee’s bank account. Every penny will go to the election process.

Even better, I could share that money with other challengers around the country with similar goals and we could all get elected and make positive changes for our nation. That can dramatically boost the number of jobs available.

Will they? I doubt it. They have big problems, but I doubt will do anything to help themselves except near term. I don’t think that they have taken the long view, just live week to week awaiting their random fates.

Prove me wrong. I love being wrong; it helps me to think more deeply and figure out why I made the mistake so I can correct it.

So give a single dollar, and forward this to as many of your unemployed friends that you know. Encourage them to do the same. If you have a job, give a little more.

I live to solve problems, not create them.

Editor’s note, February 7, 2014. Read this LA Times article about desperation.