Lazy Hands Make a Man Poor...

I think King Solomon would look on recent legislation supported by this administration with grave input: "Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth." Proverbs 10:4. It appears that we are rewarding idle hands while punishing those who work. And that my friends, will never prove prosperous.

Proponents of recent congressional partisan legislation have no sense as to what really makes the world go round. Put folks to work and inspire charity, I say! I don't give a hoot what profits are happening with the gamblers on wall street. Nothing produces well being to a nation like jobs for its citizens. And what is this administration doing to improve the highest unemployment since 1983 at 10.2% (that's not including a more accurate % @ 17 - 20% when you include those, like me, who are looking for full time, 18mos. now, and are not getting by on part time. Also those who have gotten discouraged and stopped looking)? Nothing - absolutely nothing. In fact, stimulus or not - it doesn't create new jobs! Until folks are working again and unemployment goes down will I applaud this leadership's actions and get excited that the economy has improved. Quite the contrary - it's bad and I suspect going from bad to worse.

A look at a little history should teach us the way out of this slump. Reaganomics folks. It was the answer then and will do the same now. With the mistake of printing money at nearly 10 times the rate of the Jimmy Carter years; it would behoove us to rethink the direction we're going. Printing money begets inflation. Inflation begets high interest and that begets less capital out there. This means lost jobs with high unemployment. Less people paying into the coffers means less revenue. And there's not enough wealthy people to fund that mistake. Seriously, when I had my water meter rates raised due to not enough city revenue (50% increase over the next 2 years!); the first thing I plan to do is replace my lawn with desert plants and rock beds ~ or move. The point being: we're not gonna get the money to cover the short falls. We've got to lower taxes, unyoke small businesses and spur on, with our blessing, entrepreneur-ism. I realize that the oxen of free enterprise have different obstacles today that have contributed to our demise; but we've got to get back to that "no worky, no eaty" principle. It does a body good... generally speaking.

It looks pretty bleak even so, when I figure that interest rates will climb to highs like we've never seen (the Carter years are a glimpse of what's to come and why). I was there and remember the hell of those years (18% - 22% prime). That's from the stupidity of printing money to pay for all this deficit spending. In itself, that will hold back the capital necessary for a healthy come back. And now adding to this is the aggravation of legislating more spending for Health Care reform; (which pays for itself by taking from Peter to pay Paul).

I do have this hope though - on that which usually yields from adversity... a couple of things, actually. One: folks will find faith in God. There are no atheist in foxholes (and that's a good element for our present society). And two: when they find faith; the church will provide better for the social welfare needs of grassroots America. As it should be - where relationships (black and white) bond and truly develop, healing a broken nation. The private sector, even with its ills, does it better than the government.

Perhaps that sounds cold. But I suggest that within its cold approach there's mercy. Because when we are left with only each other to depend on; human compassion is at its best.