How to Fix the Economy...TODAY

If President Barack Obama truly wants America to rebound and jobless Americans to find work, then I have the solution that will put our country on an upward slope.

First step: Energy.
We address the energy crisis with real passion and fervor. We announce that the continental shelves in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic coast are open for drilling. Each company that applies to drill in those areas will be required to put up $1 billion into a lock-box, rainy-day fund that will act as an insurance policy against any oil leaks. The funds will be kept in a savings account, earning interest, and any company that halts drilling will be allowed to cash out of the fund.

Second, announce the immediate construction of oil refineries in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. As the new oil refineries go up, we will also add 25% more state-of-the-art nuclear power plants, a number of which will be located in or near California and in or near New York City.

These two steps will IMMEDIATELY cause a massive drop in oil prices. On Monday, July 28, 2008, George W. Bush announced an end to the Executive Moratorium on harvesting the oil shales in the in the western US. Within, literally, hours, oil prices dropped, causing a sudden drop in gas prices as well. The sheer announcement of a new direction in American energy policy will cause OPEC to panic and drop rates to keep our business. Instead, we will harvest our own resources and stop relying on OPEC, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other countries in volatile situations.

With energy costs lower, people will have more money to purchase goods and services, and also pay off debts (including their own mortgages!). With more money in their pockets, there will be more vacations, more vehicle upgrades, more clothes, more consumerism.

So, a byproduct will be more need for employees to serve the new influx of people coming in to businesses. Thus, taking those people off the unemployment rolls, thereby taking the burden off the taxpayer for these people to survive. More people working, more people paying taxes, and suddenly we can stop borrowing money.

Oh, and let's not forget the immediate jobs coming from the construction and operation of the refineries and power plants. (More people working and paying taxes).

Second: Government Spending
There are so many things the government has it's fingers in, it is hard to start tackling the huge, over-reaching federal government. So, let's start with unemployment and Welfare assistance.

Unemployment rules should include clauses requiring drug testing and requiring legitimate evidence of job searching. For instance, if someone on unemployment can be shown to have intentionally flunked an interview or otherwise inhibit their own employment opportunities, then they will forfeit their benefits permanently and not be eligible for 3 years. This will force people to take job-seeking seriously instead of taking for granted an unending government paycheck for staying at home. There are many stories, a couple of which I've seen in person, of people on unemployment tanking an interview so they would not get hired and stay on paid vacation. There are some jobs out there, perhaps not the glorious jobs once available, but a working person is much more valuable to society than a person sitting at home getting a check.

In addition, if there is a problem finding work in an area after 3 months, then a person must spend 30 hours a week doing legitimate volunteer work in their community to earn their check. Schools need help, churches need help, homeless need help, and many others all over the country need some attention. And, if you're going to get a check courtesy of taxpayers, you need to serve your community. The contributions will be immeasurable in the communities with our tax dollars not just going into an endless, wasteful pit.

These suggestions will deter abuse of the unemployment system and encourage people to get off as quickly as possible.

Welfare recipients will be required to pass drug tests prior to receiving the first dime in benefits. Once every three months, a social worker will administer another drug test at a random time during normal business hours.

The selling of food stamp cards will be equivalent to credit card fraud. The maximum number of children covered will be 4 at any one time. And, like with unemployment, if, after 3 months there is no change in situation (as in no job secured), Welfare recipients will be required to volunteer 30 hours per week and make a contribution to bettering the communities in which they live. This will be required of all able-bodied adults in a home. Obviously, enrolled students that have not yet graduated high school will be exempt.

By encouraging people to get themselves and their families off the taxpayers' payrolls, the tax base will grow, jobs will be taken, and more money will be infused into the economy.

Third: Stop Borrowing money.
Ronald Reagan said,(paraphrasing), "The federal government should not try to find the money they need, but instead find a need for the money they have." Instead of borrowing money to bail out failing businesses, failing industries crippled by over-powering unions, and people who cannot afford to pay for the homes they are in, it is time to let people to actually take and accept responsibility for their choices. There is nothing wrong with renting or living in smaller houses. There is nothing wrong with living without the great luxuries of life. There is something wrong with taking my earned money to bail out failures.

It's time the federal and state governments stop spending and start saving. When our interest payments on our loans are more than many countries' entire economies, there is something grotesquely wrong.

If the public employee unions won't budge and think that union members are somehow exempt from struggling in tough times. and should not see higher premiums in their insurance and retirement, then perhaps it's time to replace all union employees with non-union so we can stop over-extending our budgets to pay for unreasonable, lavish benefits for public employees.

These are some lofty ideas to fix our economy, but I guarantee they will work. Just the sheer announcement of the energy idea would be a shot of adrenaline into our economy.

So, why is our government more concerned with getting involved in a state dispute with the state union and not so much with the repair of our national economy?