then we need to shut the doors of the losers. And for the winners, the private stock holders of the "winners" need to be told their stock holding is worthless so that we can properly, and publically, recapitalize the winners.
Oh, no I was just talking about classes - in economic downturns such as this one, the working class is harmed enormously more than the owning class.
I'm all for dissolving a good portion (but not all) of the "safety-net" during boom times so that we're not feeding the chronically lazy;
But, jmfcst, the only 'chronically lazy' in our capitalist society are the owners. The whole system is built upon preserving their leisure and privilege.
2. I like his idea of a pre-packaged bankruptcy plan for the autos. Hopefully it will be enacted quickly and tied to greatly-increased MPG standards.
Oh please. We're in a crisis here. Who cares about gas mileage? Particularly with the spectacle of nearly-free oil returning lickety-split!
4. State budgets need Federal aid so that teachers and policemen aren't laid-off. We have to protect the fabric of our infrastructure.
I certainly agree that state budgets should be fully funded by the Fed.
5. A plan needs to be passed to keep people in their homes. Their mortgages are going to have to be restructured. (Not sure I want to protect the value of their homes since I am not convinced prices have deflated to pre-bubble levels…but once they have deflated to those levels, prices need to be stabilized in some fashion)
It doesn't seem like this should be too difficult.. just have the Fed take over ownership of foreclosed homes by paying whatever is owed, and then rent the home back to the resident through the Section 8/HUD program.
6. In addition to aiding the states, a Massive Stimulus package in the range of $500-700B needs to be passed, BUT not executed until the economy starts to rebound (probably late 2009). Otherwise you're just throwing money down a hole.
The economy won't start to rebound except
only as a result of government action, jmfcst.
7. On top of any stimulus package, Obama should propose a $1Trillion infrastructure package to be spent over the next 3 years.
Sounds good to me - but I would stress that any and all jobs connected with such government spending should be required to be unionized and at 'prevailing rates' in the 30+ dollar/hour range.
8. Energy Plan is needed that hits the problem at ALL angles - nuclear, coal, wind, solar, natgas, bio (except ethanol which will do nothing but starve people), drill for oil, etc, etc, etc. Including a plan to have every car sold in the U.S. by 2020 (date can be flexible) to run on something other than imported fuels. The goal of this policy is not only to make the U.S. energy self-sufficient, but it is also aimed at bankrupting the USSR once again.
You're fighting the fad battle of last year, old man.
9. Our military dominance needs to be maintained. Don’t cancel missile defense, the F-22, or the F-35. Modernize our nuclear forces.
Woah, talk about off the point. There's no threat to the imperial dominance, jmfcst. And its better to gut it now before we get another crazy president. If the next tiem we get a nut in office the military is half its current size, with little 'projection' capability, we might be off the hook.
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