The American Spectator : We Have To Do Something

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We Have To Do Something

By Ben Stein on 5.24.12 @ 8:42AM

Finding a way out of the economic doldrums.

Saturday
A tiring day indeed. I flew in from Jacksonville, Florida, last night, took a car to Santa Clara, California, and checked into a spartan but perfectly fine Hilton. This morning, I spoke to and with my pal Ray Lucia and his friends about the economy.

The economy is getting to be a depressing subject. This is a feeble recovery indeed, and I would not be at all surprised to see either flat growth or negative “growth” in 2012.

Basically, this recession has been going on since 2008. This is a uniquely long postwar recession. A mood of discouragement is settling in around the nation, as far as I can tell.

Just for me, I see no way around a major league default by the U.S. Treasury at some future date. I do not know when. But the debt is so large and growing so fast that we simply cannot pay it off without wrenching changes in entitlements and taxes. Is the nation ready for such changes? We had better be. Otherwise, if we get to default, it will not be pretty.

After the speech, I went up to San Mateo to visit my dear pals, Al and Sally Burton and their lovely daughter, Jenny. Al and Sally have been incredibly encouraging, supportive friends since 1975. They are more than friends. They are saints. Truly saints. Among many other kindnesses, Al invented “Win Ben Stein’s Money.” It was life changing. As I said, they are saints.

Then, I went to SFO to get my Virgin America flight to LAX. What a shock! The terminal for Virgin and for American has been totally redone. It is spacious, light, enticing, with bewitching restaurants and shops. The Admirals’ Club is as open and bright and welcoming as any space I have ever been in. It was a miracle of design.

The terminal where the Virgin flight took off was as welcoming as most waiting areas are barren and gloomy. A charming check in agent talked to me as if I were person, not a superannuated number.

The flight itself had lush leather appointments and smoked glass and a space age purple light. The seats were roomy and firm. It was the best looking airplane I have ever been on.

What geniuses designed this terminal? What geniuses designed this airplane’s interior?

What a difference actually giving a damn about one’s passengers can mean.

Wednesday
I am out here in this very hot desert in Rancho Mirage. The news about the economy continues to worsen. “Are you better off now than you were 4 years ago?” Not for most of us. For most of us, Mr. Obama has added about many thousands per person of national debt. The unemployment rate is still horrific. We have a crumbling stock market and a moribund real estate market. As I said above, the national mood is awful.

Naturally, I have a few ideas, which I am putting together as “A Positive Program for a Lasting Recovery.” Borrowing lavishly from my father and others, I have three preliminary ideas:

1.) Taxation to produce a budget balanced over the business cycle. Taxes cut automatically when unemployment reaches uncomfortable levels. That would yield a deficit and government spending to stimulate demand. Taxes raised to create a surplus when (and if) there is ever a frothy recovery. That would take money out of the system and retard demand. And taxes unchanged in (what we used to think was) normal prosperity. This is the full employment budgeting and taxing model. My father thought it up. He willed it to me and my sister.

2.) An educational system that makes sure that every graduate, whether planning to be a physicist or a dropout, knows a useful trade — plumbing, electrician, roofer, TV repairman, power steering specialist, landscaper, picture framer — a trade that will yield an actual job in case the graduate needs one.

3.) Cable TV and Internet channels teaching skills needed in the workplace around the clock.

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About the Author

Ben Stein is a writer, actor, economist, and lawyer living in Beverly Hills and Malibu. He writes “Ben Stein’s Diary” for every issue of The American Spectator.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (110) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

Harry the Horrible| 5.24.12 @ 8:58AM

Geez, what's wrong with this Stein person?

We have to do something? As in "There oughta be law?" As in "We're from the Government and we're here to help?"

The Federale's BEST option is to STOP interfering. Let badly run companies DIE. Stop subsidizing sloth and failure in businesses and individuals. All the government ever manages to do is create perverse incentives that make things worse.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.24.12 @ 10:37AM

I know we can do it too, Ben. I'll keep you and your ideas in my prayers.

El Rancho Mirage sounds like a place I want to visit someday.

Thanks for the post.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.24.12 @ 11:52AM

And give my regards to your lovely wife.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.24.12 @ 12:18PM

The above represents two fake Albert Constantine posts for the price of one.

It is not too bad, though. All of the words are spelled correctly.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.24.12 @ 12:55PM

Those of you who read my posts daily know that I am a strict grammarian. My grammar and syntax are exquisite, and I always strike the appropriate tone.

I pride myself on my highly-developed language skills, and you will not find a misspelled or emproperly employed word in any of my writings.

I wish others on here would take the same care as I.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.24.12 @ 1:54PM

Such is the problem with a cheap imitation over the original.

You are using too many "I"s. Generally, it is not good form to talk about yourself unless someone first asks the question, or it is necessary to establish a premise.

It might take a while, but with some intensive effort, you might be able to post as Albert Constantine Jr. and fool a regular, but I kind of doubt it.

E| 5.24.12 @ 3:09PM

Let it go Albert . . . let it go! Who gives a shit.

You're always a pompous ass, but today you are even more pompous than ever.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.24.12 @ 5:15PM

Thank you for your well-intentioned advice, but as I've noted elsewhere, I'm enjoying the occasion of someone else appropriating Albert Constantine Jr. to post. Most days, I read much, but post just a bit. Today, I get to follow the imitator(s), and attempt to improve the quality of their false posts.

With respect to your less than kind characterization, I would offer the following suggestions:

1) skip over it
2) ignore it
3) go somewhere else

I have additional suggestions as well, but decorum limits my posting them here.

Herb| 5.24.12 @ 8:44PM

"emproperly"?

Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.24.12 @ 11:25PM

That's the problem with the fake posters. They have less incentive to proofread.

Vern Crisler| 5.24.12 @ 10:42AM

Ben is an old Republican, a pre-Kemp, pre-Reagan Republican, like his father. Republicans back then thought raising taxes was the solution to everything.

Jack in Wi.| 5.24.12 @ 10:50AM

So Ben isn't voting for Obama this time.

W| 5.24.12 @ 12:29PM

Vern
Absolutely correct. One of my economics courses was based on this theory. Full employment was considered at 5% unemployment. The federal govenment would incease or decrease spending to "stimulate" and control the economy. It was based on the fallacy that politicians and bureaucrats, some with economics degrees, could manage the economy and understood it better than businessmen.
Raising taxes when the economy is doing well is a good way to slow the economy so it does not do well.
Ben and his type believe the govenrment is smarter at spending money than the private sector.

Vern Crisler| 5.24.12 @ 3:04PM

Yes, it's just Republican me-too Keynesianism.

StanO| 5.24.12 @ 2:07PM

The problem with that thinking is government spending takes $.80 to create $1 of retail value (bridge or what have you) and the private sector would take $.50 to create $1 in value. For every worker with a "shovel" there are two government workers, plus the companies administrators, and maybe even additional company administration for dealing with government contracts.

Government will take $.20 of every tax dollar just getting it to the Administration that spends the money!

Plus, revenue is NOT the problem, revenue streams have been consistent and rising for any 3 yr period in the last 50 years! It may slide as a percent of GDP, but that's because GDP tails off not revenue in raw dollars.

Alan Brooks| 5.24.12 @ 4:46PM

One thing libertopians are serious about is economics, but it means of course: elimination of many agencies. First we need a consensus on starting a process to start a process; then we start an agency to look into which agencies to cut ... and then... we....then...um...then...uh

Ronald Ackenberry| 5.25.12 @ 9:32PM

Sure: less laws, regulations and enforcement so we can get back to the 2008 bank crisis sooner. Next?

TLP| 5.24.12 @ 9:04AM

The Ben Stein in Ferris Beuller's Day Off?

That's the real Ben Stein.

Obviously, he has photos of SOMEBODY, dangling from the wrong side of one of Ann Romney's Horses.

Why else would he be here?

Bob Grant| 5.24.12 @ 9:13AM

I suppose his lifestyle DOES support the hotel, luxury airline, restaurant, and rental car industries; regardless if he pays or it's "comped".

Anthony| 5.24.12 @ 10:26AM

Might that horse be named Hillary? Or maybe dangling from the wrong side of Obozo.

SUBVET| 5.24.12 @ 10:51AM

Ben...........the last time I was in RM we took a little trip across town to Palm Springs.

Ben do you ever cross town ??

We walked the main street to find a cafe to eat lunch at and to my surprise all I saw were men and I use the term loosely holding hands and gazing into each others eyes. It seemed every outdoor cafe was loaded with this seen.

Not sure when Palm Springs tuned 45% but we decided to get back to RM and eat at 5 guys what a great hamburger.

SUBVET| 5.24.12 @ 10:52AM

That was my Ben Stein day.............

Occam's Tool| 5.24.12 @ 11:43PM

Government spending is NEVER the answer: taxation reduction is. When we get to the point that things are frothy, encourage charitable giving to reduce demand. But Government spending is NEVER the answer. Neither are Government price controls a la Nixon.

Bob Grant| 5.24.12 @ 9:09AM

Regarding 1): The process in which unemployment is reported must be completely overhauled in order for it to work. My suggestion would be to measure the number of work-eligible adults VS the number of available full time positions. How it's measures now is a joke.

Regarding 5): Along your line of thinking, I would simply overhaul the way in which we educate our children by eliminating unions (obviously) and bringing in retired professionals to teach courses.

I would bet a large pool of retired professionals teaching part time would result in a far better education than what we currently have teaching our kids.

Adam McCoy| 5.25.12 @ 12:22AM

You can make that bet with your own children's education, but don't make it with mine!

Teaching is a profession even if it isn't treated like one. Like many other jobs, many can do it, but few can do it well. I have seen the results of smart, but unskilled teachers. The current lot of teachers in this country leaves much to be desired, but the idea that a bunch of retirees who spent their careers doing something other than teaching can do it well is just wrong.
I was an excellent teacher of college students while I was in graduate school. I taught a summer course for high school students. I have an amazing team of scientists because I have a talent for teaching them how to be more productive. I would be a terrible teacher for my daughters 5th grade class. It takes a different set of skills.

The Big E| 5.24.12 @ 9:18AM

The idea about tying taxation to unemployment is foolish becaue unemployment numbers are so easy to manipulate for political reasons. In addition, even if it was possible to come a firm, objective means of reporting unempoyment, raising taxes when unemployment dropped below a certain level would act as a disincentive to hiring.

My two cents - there are two things we need to fo to spur growth:

1. Insure energy security. That means both fully exploiting our proven resources and doing business with people we can rely on for the energy we cannot provide ourselves, and also developing new sources of energy where economically feasible - and NO that does not mean subsidizing crazy stunt schemes.

2. Eliminating the tax code as it currently is and replace with a flat tax, ALONG with an amendment to the Constitution requiring a two thirds majority vote on any bill altering tax structures except during times of declared war.

Pecos Pete| 5.24.12 @ 9:33AM

Big E: Agreed!

Ben Stein: Disagreed! Never should government spending stimulate the economy. I guess this should read: Never could government stimulate the economy.

Harry the Horrible| 5.24.12 @ 9:55AM

Better yet, the Fair Tax - tax consumption, not production.

The Big E| 5.24.12 @ 10:27AM

The fair tax, as I understand it, involves a sales tax of about 23% on everything, with the government then giving "prebates" to every legal resident household at the beginning of each month so that purchases made up to the poverty level are tax-free, thus preventing an unfair burden on low-income families.

Sounds like cradle to grave welfare to me.

Futhermore, the idea that sending out "prebates" so low-income families won't be burderned by the 23% sales tax is absurd. They will spend that money at the beginning of each month on anything except what they need - in many instances - that why they are "low income" families in the first place - and thus by the end of the month they would be needing more "assistance," thus justifying the continued existence of entitlement programs which need to be eliminated.

No. The Fair Tax is, as far as I can see, nothing but an alternative way to keep people dependent upon the government instead of weaning them off the dole and into a life of independence - which is what really NEEDS to happen in this country.

A flat tax might be "harder" on the unindustrious, but it would also act as an incentive for them to work more and earn more money. Under the "fair tax," they can just pretty much sit around waiting for the monthly check to come in - kind of like they do now. I fail to see how that's a solution.

The Big E| 5.24.12 @ 10:34AM

By the way, I checked the FAQ's at the fair tax website and none of them address the issue what to do if those low income families blow their prebate at the start of the month on a big screen tv. The only way I know to address that is to issue the prebate in the form of a card, like food stamps, and limit what can be purchased with it. So then, not only would the government be providing everyone welfare, but they would also be telling everyone - even people who don't need the "wellfare" how they have to spend their money.

Again, how is this a solution?

Harry the Horrible| 5.24.12 @ 11:40AM

The prebate is a "refund" on the sales taxes spent for subsistence at the poverty level. It is there primarily to address an issue with the Fair Tax being called "regressive." It is not a "negative income tax" meant to sustain the indigent.

In any case, if someone can live on the prebate they they are a model of financial prudence and I don't have a problem with them doing so! Talent like that won't be poor long.

As for someone blowing the entire prebate, that's there problem. Let them starve the rest of the month.

I'd prefer the prebate to be done away with, but they have to figure out a way to get it past the Congress. The Fair Tax taxes consumption and manages to tax the hidden incomes from illegals and criminals, as well.

The Big E| 5.24.12 @ 12:15PM

"I'd prefer the prebate to be done away with, but they have to figure out a way to get it past the Congress."

I'd prefer to direct my energies to electing a Congress that won't need a gimmick like the "prebate" to pass something sensible.

The prebate can only work if that is the ONLY source of "assistance" available from the govt for poverty, and do you really think the govt will let those who blow it at the start of the month starve because it's "their problem?" I don't. You will see the continuation, or even expansion, of food stamps and similar programs, and what the prebae will become for many people is a mini-Christmas each month where they get a check to blow on whatever, since their other govt handouts will still be coming in.

The prebate idea kills the fair tax completely in my min.

A tax on consumption, which thus taxes the income of illelgals and those who earn their income through criminal activities, does have it's appeal. Tying it to what is, in essence, a giant welfare program for all is not.

If you want a national sales tax, say so. Exempt food and energy if you wish. Then defend it against attacks from the left. Don't tack on a gimmick in an effort to make it palatable to the left.

The premises underlying the philosophy of the left are fallacious. STOP ACCEPTING THEM AS TRUTHFUL!

Harry the Horrible| 5.24.12 @ 1:25PM

The "prebate" is not poverty assistance.
Everybody gets it. It is sort of like the personal deduction in Income Tax.

The Big E| 5.24.12 @ 2:27PM

The law, in all its equanimity, makes it illegal for both the rich and the poor to sleep under bridges or beg in the street.

If it is not intended to be poverty assistance, then why is it touted as necessary to minimize the impact of the Fair Tax on low income families?

W| 5.24.12 @ 12:36PM

E,
I agree with anything that gets rid of IRS. A sales tax is fair because it eliminates filing a federal income tax return that requires you to disclose everything to the government and eliminates IRS in its present form. Also a sales tax will capture the underground cash economy and current tax cheats/parasites who collect government benefits that are not taxable.
All you need for fairness is to exclude a sales tax on food and clothing as in Pennsylvania.

The Big E| 5.24.12 @ 2:30PM

I could easily support a national sales tax with food, clothing, and maybe energy exempted, and I could support it for the reasons you cite, W.

What I cannot support is the Fair Tax's "prebate," for the reasons cited in my posts above.

W| 5.24.12 @ 3:10PM

I do not agree with a prebate. In addition to your reasons, the definition of poverty includes those working earning over $40,000 who now pay the 7% FICA. With a sales tax they would not pay the FICA.

Vern Crisler| 5.24.12 @ 3:10PM

The problem with 1 tax fits all, is that it places too much of the burden on some, while leaving others unscathed. Income, sales, and property taxes were meant to shift this burden around so that no one group had too shoulder all of the burden of taxation.

If they can screw it up with three tax types, they can just as easily screw it up with one tax type. The problem is not that there are too many tax types, but that there is too much liberalism. Solve the one, and the other follows.

W| 5.24.12 @ 3:12PM

It is easier to screw up three than one.
I agree the problem is we spend too much because of the nanny state. That is why we have to reduce taxes and starve the beast to return spending to national defense and other essentials.

TSIndiana| 5.25.12 @ 11:22AM

Make a US Treasury Dollar and spend it into existance for government operations. Equal to a FED Reserve Note for all debts, public and private by law. Back it with ALL assets of the US.

Take the burden of funding government off of the FED for-profit debt money system and let the FED be entirely dependant on for-profit business to survive. No flood of new money, but instead a controlled introduction. Take the burden of funding a conservative level of government off of the tax system.

The Big E| 5.24.12 @ 10:28AM

Oh, I almost forgot, that Constitutional Amendment I mentioned would also require a balanced budget every, again except in times of delcared war.

Vern Crisler| 5.24.12 @ 3:14PM

The problem with yearly balanced budgets is that government has to use a meat cleaver approach to cutting spending, chopping off loads of workers. It may get rid of the occasional goofball, but it also knocks out highly trained, experienced people. Maybe a targeted approach would work better, say every four years, with some flexibility in terms of meeting those targets. Less incentive for axe wielding and tax raising.

The Big E| 5.24.12 @ 4:03PM

Your approach assumes that most, if not all, the things that government spends money are, if not necessary, certainly valid. I do not make that assumption.

The Feds could balance their budget NEXT YEAR in three simple steps:

1. Prioritize
2. Fund the priorities until the income is exhausted
3. De-fund everything else

Voila - balanced budget.

Obviously, I'm not saying this would be politically easy, but it would do the job. Of course, it will never happen unless the Constitution itself mandates it.

JayDick| 5.25.12 @ 1:27PM

Not all balanced budget amendments are equal. Submitting a balanced budget is easy; you just have to lie a little. I say spending in any year cannot exceed actual receipts from the previous year. This would at least be harder to game.

Occam's Tool| 5.24.12 @ 11:44PM

Big E: perfect again, my man. A lawyer I actually like.

TSIndiana| 5.25.12 @ 11:29AM

When they made the policy of "alternative defenses" they opened the floodgates to attorney and judge corruption. No attorney has the guts to expose the massive corruption and fraud in court today. If you will stand up to a judge that defrauds his own court, including the Court of Appeals, then and ONLY then will you get my respect. I won't hold my breath waiting.

Thieves and liars (in court) are winning in Indiana.

Lawrence| 5.24.12 @ 9:31AM

It's not just that the fallacy that deficit spending stimulates the economy has already been debunked by economists such as Milton Friedman...

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/r.....es-economy

...it's being debunked as we speak. It's no coincidence that the largest expansion of government debt is occuring alongside the most stagnant postwar recession.

Ben Stein strikes me as a nice enough guy, and he's right about the need for individuals to acquire marketable skills and the work ethic to apply those skills, but his suggestions on the growth of government spending are part of the problem.

TSIndiana| 5.25.12 @ 11:50AM

Perhaps if the bankers were not betting on foreign currency, they would lend, grant and invest in US entrepreneurs with productive, value adding ideas. Maybe we wouldn't need the Bain venture vultures then...

Solyndra created jobs...9 lawyers at $900/hr.

Over 20 years, my technology business has gotten "O" help from the government (mostly because I won't pay graft). Now my problems are a vindictive, arbitrary and caprice zoning director with NO oversight. Government, especially local, is a huge roadblock to my business.

Most of the US believes in the magic job fairy... I believe we are suffering the results of corruption and greed that goes with an oligarchy.

Minuteman78| 5.24.12 @ 9:33AM

The 'something' we need to do is to throw the lying, America-hating, business-hating, communist Muslim the h*ll out of the White House, and then get Government off the backs of everyone who is a producer of wealth and value!!! How about that, Ben, huh? How about writing a check to Romney in between all these pleasure trips you wax so poetically about???

R Martin| 5.24.12 @ 9:46AM

Mr. Stein, you are rightly a loyal son who is proud of his father, a fine man of many accomplishments. However, knowing what to do in difficult economic circumstances was not among you father’s strong points, so I would not borrow lavishly from him to address today’s economic maladies.

Mr. Herbert Stein, your dad, was an establishmentarian economist, a Keynesian who, along with others such as Paul McCracken and Walter Heller, was unable to deal with the stagflation of the 1970s yet denigrated mercilessly the new thinking of people like Art Laffer and Jack Kemp who proposed new ways and new ideas to deal with the problem. Your father is even credited with coining the term supply side economics, and he did not do so as a compliment.

By now, of course, we all know supply side economics works—lower taxes and spending and let business get on with the job of creating economic prosperity. Your convoluted tax proposal, which would certainly be a nightmare to administer, is not needed. What is needed is a climate where business can plan and invest with certainty about the future, including certainty about taxes.

I would respectfully suggest you focus your intellect on dealing with the educational issues which you raise.

John Viertel| 5.24.12 @ 9:53AM

It still sounds Keynesian. Government will not solve this problem, the people will (if it happens at all, it will be inspite of bumbling attempts by lawmakers, unless they take steps to get out of the way). Government manipulations just impede.

Carl Peter Klapper | 5.26.12 @ 10:39AM

I am all in favor of big government getting out of the way and letting local sovereign governments create their own currencies, maintain their own borders and determine their own mode of internal transportation. In addition, I am in favor of big corporate governments, like SprawlMart, getting out of the way and letting people open up home shops.

Anthony| 5.24.12 @ 10:02AM

6-10. Get rid of Obozo and the Democrats.

David T| 5.24.12 @ 10:09AM

If deficit spending worked, we'd all be living like Mr. Stein does. We need to cut government spending now, reduce regulation on business, and open up federal land for private energy production. Next, we need tax reform to restore sanity to a very broken system. Last, but very important for long-term growth, we need to break the teachers unions and return public schools to full local control.

Gary B| 5.24.12 @ 10:12AM

Here's my 11-word plan: "Eliminate every federal agency and program that is not clearly Constitutional." The odds of success for this plan are 100%, as long as Liberal squawks about fairness are ignored. The free market will take care of every one of Ben Stein's concerns.

Old Soldier| 5.24.12 @ 10:53AM

Yes. Please no more government programs to help us - or just to "Do Something"!

Focus on doing less. Cut the government and set the economy free.

Not Special Ops Bill| 5.24.12 @ 12:32PM

There IS one advantage to electing SOME Democrats to federal office. It it's done right, we can establish gridlock at the federal level, then, with the government unable to act, we might have a chance to get ourselves out of this financial crunch.

Not Special Ops Bill| 5.24.12 @ 12:34PM

In his Two Treatises of Government, John Locke expressly said that if the legislature delegates its law-making power to some other agency, it has violated its obligation to govern properly, and the People are not obliged to obey any of the laws, rules, and regulations made by the delegatee of the law-making power.

wally| 5.24.12 @ 10:37AM

Always a pleasurable read, but I concur w. R Martin above- your dad's tax policy is insane. Its part and parcel of everything that has NOT worked in the past. Still, enjoy the columns.

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 5.24.12 @ 10:49AM

Ben: I want you to come clean on that Burger King snack.

Crawler| 5.24.12 @ 10:53AM

I'm not saying what Mr. Stein has suggested is the panacea for the current woes of America, but I do agree that something has to be done no matter what perceived or non-perceived hardships lie ahead.

Americans can either vote to start addressing this critical problem next November or they better start stocking up on food, water, firearms, ammunition and bartering goods preparing for the eminent chaos and rioting coming our way.

I'm also for trimming the federal government to much more manageable size, eliminating its intrusive and costly bureaucracies, letting the states set their own education standards and policies (it worked just fine for many, many years) , abolishing public sector unions, going full throttle toward energy independence, work details for prisoners (make 'em work for their suppers and roofs) and weaning generations of entitlement-ingrained Americans from the government teats until these failed and costly programs are gone and obsolete.

And this is just for starters...

Sandy| 5.24.12 @ 10:58AM

I graduated from high school with a couple skills (sewing, budgeting, some basic electrical), and some knowledge (of vertebrate anatomy, plus the reading, writing and advanced algebra/geometry, basic civics) and a little more than a faint idea of what I wanted to do next.

I enlisted in the USAF, where my couple years of physics in HS came in handy to work avionic maintenance on B-52Ds; and the rest of it came in useful when I switched career fields.

In that time I have learned lots of things, many useful, some so specific there is no other use, at first.

What I tried to instill in my kids, and the kids that have been entrusted for a time into my care (Scouts, Church, volunteer mentor/tutoring) is that THEY HAVE THE MEANS to not just survive, but thrive.

As a very, very junior airman in the USAF, with little money, I made money for filling my gas tank by sewing patches and insignia on my fellow airmen's uniforms. I was both CHEAPER and FASTER than the Exchange concession.

I made drapes and dresses, pillows and bridal party gowns, as well as mending and fixing. There is ALWAYS someone that is very willing to pay for the most basic of real skills.

Best advice I ever heard was "learn a trade, something you do with your hands and your mind. " That is so very true!

Sandy| 5.24.12 @ 11:01AM

I forgot, none of this needs to be done by ANY governmental agency. Better if no governmental agency at any level was involved!

Larry Tilford| 5.24.12 @ 11:09AM

I have always respected Mr. Stein and enjoyed his writing but this position he has taken in support of increasing taxes is beyond ignorant. I am troubled by all of these celebrities who have achieved financial and/or other success and now want to deprive other Americans of it by taxing them into the ground. He should stop writing in a conservative publication and go over to CNN or MSNBC where he belongs.

Aquanomics| 5.24.12 @ 11:17AM

With respect, Mr. Stein, you are not an economist, even if you play one on TV.

America's malaise has grown as her government has grown. It has grown in each of my 57 years and regardless of the party in power.

Yes, we've got to do something and that something is less government. Much less government, much more private sector.

It continues to surprise me that your nanny-state, Keynesian comments are tolerated by AmSpec editors.

hardcard| 5.24.12 @ 11:35AM

Dear Benny,
Wow they (RET) pay you to wright this crap. Please take a nap.

hardcard| 5.24.12 @ 11:38AM

sorry "write" I'm not a pro like you Benny.

Cobalt| 5.24.12 @ 11:50AM

Mr. Stein,

With all due respect; take a day trip from Rancho Mirage up to Simi Valley, and pay another visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.

Not Special Ops Bill| 5.24.12 @ 12:28PM

Yes, we have to do something.

I suggest we end government regulation of business, taking government regulation back to, say, about 1972 or so. Also, cut taxes for business and re-institute a tax burden for the 47% or so of people who don't pay income taxes.

That hasn't been tried in the last 4 or 5 or 8 years.

Not Special Ops Bill| 5.24.12 @ 12:31PM

Better yet, don't touch the 47% who don't pay income taxes; the system is working for them. Leave 'em alone, Barack.

Joel Wischkaemper| 5.24.12 @ 1:33PM

Also, cut taxes for business and re-institute a tax burden for the 47% or so of people who don't pay income taxes.

The cost of collecting and processing those taxes would probably yield LESS than the value of the taxes. A far better solution seems to be a flat tax concept down to X dollars a year. A deduction for one child: no deductions beyond that. The IRS has dozens.. (did you miss that?) DOZENS of buildings filled with the regulations that are in place today. Everyone in this country has committed a crime when they filed this time around. Congress is filled with worrying about that at the Happy Hour downtown, so in no time at all, (23 years?) we will have an answer to yet another very serious problem confronting a Untied States with a massively crumbling facade.

Big Tony| 5.24.12 @ 12:40PM

Why not just tell all the bond holders to take a hike the government didn't have a problem doing that to GM bond holders and they won't have a problem doing it with US debt holders when the time comes. And the time is rapidly approaching.

Chef Schnauzer| 5.24.12 @ 12:43PM

Thanks, Ben - as usual your ideas have value. I just wonder if our society isn't fatally fractured. People seem to have lost the concept of 'big picture' and any sort of moral gps. Both are free for the asking. No, I suppose not - this country's leaders are giving God the finger and we all will pay the price.

Pat| 5.24.12 @ 12:45PM

Like the weather, everyone talks about the economy, nobody does anything about it. Everywhere you look the economic news is bad and pundits like Stein attempt to top their competitors in the dire predictions department. The worst is yet to come we’re told – cue the shark music from “Jaws”.

Nobody is exactly sure, but the official guess is America currently has 80 million Boomers – enough to start their very own country - "Viagrastan". And, in Viagrastan, only about 15% of the citizens have an adequate nest egg to fund their Golden Years. And we’re talking the famous Golden Years here; the 40 foot motor home, the condo inside the gated country club, the thrice yearly cruise ship vacations – the traditional American good life for old geezers.

But what about the remaining 85% of this vast Boomer nation? Many have present retirement savings totaling less than $30,000 – and how do you stretch 30 grand over a remaining life span of 20 years give or take? And has anyone seriously questioned America’s Golden Years concept? Old folks living comfortably off massive savings and investment income isn’t recognized anywhere within the Bill of Rights. It’s a very recent phenomena and historically unheard of when referring to a population of oldsters on such a vast scale.

Young folks considering these numbers from the basements of their parents’ homes have to be sighing in frustration and searching for the Suicide Hot Line’s phone number. Europe and Japan have the exact same problem as America, so we needn’t feel alone and isolated – and assuming that brings us some measure of comfort.

Politicians everywhere are worried sick because past political promises will shortly come due and the financial cupboard is bare. Boomers will stubbornly cling to their present employment if they’re smart and we can expect to see a lot of gray haired counter jockeys at McDonald’s over the next few decades. Young folks won’t be able to fully enter the workforce because the old geezers will refuse to leave. Thanks to the Boomer generation we can all expect recession to become America’s permanent economic condition and our nation’s Golden Years may turn out to be Twilight of the Gods.

shipley130| 5.24.12 @ 1:09PM

Well, Obama isn't the one to get that done. He is so busy trying to figure out how NOT to take the blame for overspending by 5 trillion dollars in 3 years. He is absolutely disgusting.

Willis| 5.24.12 @ 1:11PM

Mr. Stein, You're headline reminds me of the old Doctor Who series when Tom Baker played the doctor, and his sidekick was a girl called Sarah Jane. Whenever danger reared its ugly head Sarah would lament, "Doctor, do something!" Naturally, the doctor would, in fact, do something, always averting catastrophe. As I recall he never had to call on the government for assistance.

Stuart Harris| 5.24.12 @ 1:15PM

What has happened to Ben Stein? Or, might it be that we never really knew who he was?

I live in Sandpoint, his second home, and I credit his musings about this town as being a main reason I moved here ten years ago. So, it saddens me to hear the big government appeal he has been making recently in print and on talk shows. His article here is a five point plan for more government programs with increased taxation and borrowing. Ben, there is no more wealth being created that can be taxed, and our credit for borrowing wealth is busted.

He ends his article with an ominous "more to come". God help us.

shipley130| 5.24.12 @ 1:19PM

WE SPENT NEARLY A TRILLION DOLLARS AND THE ACTUAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DIDN'T DROP VERY MUCH!!!!!!! HELLO, WERE YOU ASLEEP DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS, BEN?

Joel Wischkaemper| 5.24.12 @ 1:23PM

An excellent, excellent article.

And this:
and how do you stretch 30 grand over a remaining life span of 20 years give or take? And has anyone seriously questioned America’s Golden Years concept?
I don't know the numbers, and I don't want to know the numbers. I saved money, and what I saved is hardly what it was a mere four years ago. What I saved is hardly what it was after the Enron Debacle and the Banking meltdown. In addition, there is no known way I could have protected myself. Look at the advice before and after, and the advice on protecting yourself took a thousand roads. Literately, the American People would seek shelter for its retirement money and the rats would seek to make that Club Med fodder for themselves. Trust me.. the system is not working.

7 trillion dollars went missing from our retirement accounts when the Banks collapsed. I think Bush knew about it, and protected the banks. I think Obama saw the future, and protected the banks and Auto Industry. In both cases.. not the American People in a straight line. Our Social Security is the last obstacle to putting all of this behind the U.S. Government and it is the retirees who are going to fall. Trust me folks: the system isn't working.

Pat| 5.24.12 @ 3:20PM

Joel: Good points all and we may witness the first violent revolution where arthritic senior citizens assault the barricades in Washington D. C.. Many Boomers have worked hard their entire lives. Social security taxes taken from both themselves and their employers were collected with the bright promise of a comfortable old age. But then things went horribly wrong as our government squandered the Nation’s nest egg it was charged with preserving. Our government purchased condoms in the millions for promiscuous Africans, fought expensive wars in every hemisphere, built taxpayer funded museums dedicated to the history of American made waffle irons and shot enormous rockets into space so we could experience the convenience of Teflon coated frying pans.

The hard working Boomer taxes poured in but the money went out even faster – the cupboard isn’t exactly bare though, the SSA’s massive cabinet does contain billions in IOU’s from the Treasury Dept. Unfortunately, IOU’s don’t go as far as they once did.

The world looks much different from the mature age of 62 than it does from 22. Saving the world was once a Boomer mainstay and America could afford to purchase and then give away condoms to the world - it was for a good cause after all – or so we were told. Alternatively, we could have invested the funds in productive assets which would have returned profits well into the 22nd century. But we didn’t: Ideals were always more important than financial security. Or our government could have left those vast tax collections safe within our individual wallets - but it didn’t. Maybe the Boomers would have invested that extra after tax income wisely with an eye toward their personal futures – or perhaps not. We’ll never know because now the money is gone. It’s frustrating to have once been promised so much only to look forward to a cold and bleak future.

Bob From District 9| 5.25.12 @ 8:31AM

From the mature age of 64 I can say, you really don't know.

All that boomer saving came to an end under Reagan. During Reagan's time the savings rate went down 50%. That boomer Social Security debt filled cabinet was actually an outcome of Reagan's mis '80s Social Security reform act. He raised Social Security taxes, then borrowed the money to get more tax income into the government without admitting he was raising taxes.

There is only one threat to social security, and to this country, high unemployment. Get unemployment under 5%, real not the fake numbers they use now, and social security becomes easy to make social security secure into the forseeable future.

Slacker| 5.24.12 @ 1:28PM

Ben’s a smart guy who can’t see the forest from the trees.

We should not even expect, or even want, a recovery under the current circumstances. The economy should be dreadful. Crooked and totalitarian governments don’t get the benefit of good economies.

Our current trajectory is towards full-blown despotism. The government is corrupt and crawling with totalitarians. The media outright aids and abets their deceit. Politicians ALL leave office rich -which should say everything.

Not so very long ago, when his term was up, Truman drove himself home in his own car. Contrast that with Michelle Obamas vacations and consider just how fucked up things have gotten.

In this context, Ben’s comes up with two concepts: Raise taxes to keep the tyrannical government well-funded, and training the workforce into productive worker bees for the collective good. God help us.

Here is a plan that costs nothing: Reinstate personal freedom and liberty. Everything else will quickly fall into place.

Ron| 5.24.12 @ 1:44PM

Ben, Ben, Ben...that whole mantra of "we have got to do something, anything" got us slammed with all of the BS TARP plans, the takeover of GM (should have let that Titanic sink, IMHO), NerObamacare and now you want to dredge up that mantra again? it is just what the .gov wants...more control, more monopoly money to play with.

Cuneo| 5.24.12 @ 1:57PM

"What geniuses designed this terminal? What geniuses designed this airplane's interior?" It's been a long time since I've heard that phrasing used in a positive tone.

Tim the Enchanter| 5.24.12 @ 2:00PM

Looks like Ben is in full senile mode today.

Wes| 5.24.12 @ 2:00PM

Ben, as always, you entertain and educate. I was hoping to see some cuts to go with the taxes, but I LOVE the idea of everyone learning a trade. LOVE it. Keep up the good work.

Appleby| 5.24.12 @ 2:39PM

Daddy always said that everyone should have both a profession and a trade, so that he'd never be out of work; and that a girl should always have a profession and a trade so she'd never have to marry any old guy just to be sure of a meal, or be unable to feed her kids if her husband died.

And he always emphasized that ALL lawful work was honourable and we should take pride in doing the best job we could do, whether we were shining shoes or conducting the New York Philharmonic.

If there was some way to re-instill pride in the American worker and aspiring worker, I think a lot of the problems we have today would solve themselves.

Melvin| 5.24.12 @ 3:56PM

Two things Ben, first your absolutely right, second unfortunately no one is listening. I remember when Detroit was a vibrant, strong and beautiful city. I was born and raised in Oregon,but even then I read about the wondrous and beautiful cities of the East.

But somewhere along the way the Progressives, Communists, Socialists, Bloombergs, or Moderates doesn't matter in the name they are all the same in their Marxist philosophy, came to town. "Vote for me, I"ll make it to where you never have to work again and you can live on easy street, just like the big wheels." "Hey Mr. Union man, partner with me and we can rule this city and live like kings, on the public dole." "Hey lady, you don't need to husband, just keep having those kids and we'll keep the money rolling right on in."

As the city began to die, people left, and those that we the people entrusted stole every last single copper penny out of the city treasury and then some. "The city fathers and the Unions begged the federal government, just one more grant and we'll see the light at the end of the tunnel and happy days will be here again.

But they stole, the robbed, they shook down local businesses till the only thing left is the rats.

I'll be perfectly honest with you Ben. The only way to lift this curse, this pox, this cancer that is upon this Country and it's cities is to clean out those two legged rats just like Americans used to. Those that are corrupt need to be either in one or two places, prison or the graveyard. Because we can't vote em out, because they're like Herpes they just keep coming back, so we're left with those two options if we are to save our great cities and this Country.
What those that we the people have entrusted have done to the American people is criminal, we trusted them, we believed them, and we gave our consent to be governed by them.
If our politicians do not feel the need to follow the Constitution then why should we be forced to follow the edicts and laws that the politicians dictate we follow?
Why can't we invoke our individual right to revoke our consent to be governed? As an American I do have that right. I freely chose not to be a part of those who wish to impose their Marxist philosophy upon me. We need to clean this Marxists out, and if they refuse....Then we just won't be very nice to them will we? If you know what I mean.

PCP Smoker| 5.24.12 @ 6:06PM

Ben Stein wanted Obama not to fail. Obama is definitely succeeding.

Pat| 5.24.12 @ 7:06PM

Ignoring our brother socialist nations and their vast Worker Paradises, are there any governments who get it right? Well, Singapore would qualify, they do everything wrong according to popular wisdom and somehow get it exactly right. And what’s Singapore’s magic formula? Reduce taxes, completely eliminate taxes on capital gains, reduce government spending, eliminate the – whoa, hold on there - reduce government spending? – we’re straying into fantasy land here. The two most obscene words in Washington D. C. are “reduce spending”. Sure, every American politician is absolutely, without reservation for reducing spending - heck, even their pet beagles are for cutting government spending and two bark outs for reducing government waste as well. But, like every healthy 4 year old, when you ask a politician who authorized irresponsible government spending, the responses vary between: “I dunno”, “I didn’t do it”, “It wasn’t me (the Republicans did it)” and “Can I have another cookie?”.

So, if no one in Washington does the irresponsible spending, then how is it happening every second? We can only guess but the good folks of Singapore don’t have to guess – their elected employees simply aren’t allowed to do it. Of course, in Singapore bad boys and girls can still be flogged for minor criminal offenses. When adults run a government, good things happen, not here in the States of course, but in some locales. Is anyone for the Singapore method of good government being adopted by Washington? And while we’re on that subject maybe should we throw in the flogging post as well.

Paul from SA| 5.24.12 @ 8:34PM

1. reduce spending
2. reduce taxes
3. reduce debt
4. reduce regulations
5. reduce uncertainty
...
prohibit federal public unions, encourage gas and electricity production, eliminate federal minimum wage, pass on to states all responsiblity for welfare and medicaid....

Chef Schnauzer| 5.25.12 @ 6:06AM

EXCELLENT and correct. Like Reagan said, "The best social program is a job." He didn't mean government make work. Put your hand in your own pocket for once, get off the couch and get a blessed job.

POST American| 5.24.12 @ 10:47PM

"The Federal Reserve has pumped so many
BILLIONS into [--NAZI--] Germany that
they dare NOT name the total."
-Rep. Charles McFadden
(1935)

That's right! --during the very height of the
Wall Street/FED engineered 'Great Depression'.

Back to 2012.

Watching the last of our economy being
transferred to RED China ---at OUR expemnse!
------in this, the 11th hour of the CFR----RED
China handover, takedown, USURPATION
and OCCUPATION op ----

---ONCE AGAIN!

--making it as simple as possible

-----the BREAD ---of the 'FED' ----is DEAD!

--------------and the CFR --------AIN'T OURS!

Globalism ---with its age old, debt serf generating
instrument of domination and enslavement
-----------------------USURY---------------------
and its standardizations and 'CULL---chore' of
---------------------EUGENICS--------------------
are ---the-- issue ------evermore!

TAKE HEED!

-------------HUAC is NOW Nuremberg 2012-----------

Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.24.12 @ 11:38PM

Imagine, if you will, it is once again 1950. American troops led by the 1st Marine Division push farther into North Korean into the area of the Inchon Reservoir. Siberian winds blow freezing cold down the peninsula.

Suddenly, the sound of bugles can be heard. The lead elements of the Americans assume hasty fighting positions on the cold hard ground, and see the dreaded human wave swarming towards them. As they loom closer, bugles sounding, the Marines can see the enemy, and instead of hordes of Chinese, they look exactly like them.

Metaphorically speaking, this happened here today, as I confronted a mass of other posters claiming to be Albert Constantine Jr.

It appears the treason op may be underway.
I hope my rhyme will survive another day.
When it's done we'll make those posters pay.

(How's that three line rhyme?)

Occam's Tool| 5.24.12 @ 11:46PM

Albert: you can't fake genius, sir.

Timely Renewed | 5.24.12 @ 11:38PM

These are fine ideas. The problem is implementation. As long as the effort to implement them is carried out by a centralized, one-size-fits-all federal bureaucracy, the results will be disastrous.

Our first priority must be to reduce the federal government to its original limited functions and powers under the Constitution. Of course DC insiders, GOP as well as Dems, will not do this. Therefore, we must resort to the ultimate power the Framers gave us - constitutional amendments restating and re-affirming those original limits on the national government. Only then might state, local and private efforts to implement these ideas have a fighting chance. See http://www.timelyrenewed.com

casquette new era | 5.25.12 @ 4:03AM

good!

mbt france | 5.25.12 @ 4:03AM

great!

sweeterjan| 5.25.12 @ 4:19AM

These are fine ideas. The problem is implementation. As long as the effort to implement http://www.vendreshox.com/nike-shox-nz-c-5.html them is carried out by a centralized, one-size-fits-all federal bureaucracy, the results will be disastrous.

Bob From District 9| 5.25.12 @ 8:51AM

Ben, you are generally clueless as usual. It is evident you never actually had to have one of those jobs you want to train everyone for.

Yes, the recovery is slow compared to a normal recession, but is it slow as the worst recession since the Great Depression? Obama is busy desperately trying to keep the nation from falling all the way in, and the Republicans are trying to block him at every turn.

Now tell me, why should we even want to pay off the debt? This country has not had one single year without a national debt since it was founded. If no administration and congress in 236 years has felt it imperative to pay off the debt, why should we. It's not even necessary to pay it down, the key is not the dollar amount of the debt, but the debt to GDP ratio. That alone determines the solvency of this country. Obama inherited a debt to GDP ration pushing 90%, and he has to work with that to keep this country alive.

Remember, the debt to gdp ratio fell after WWII, until 1981, when it was 33% of GDP. After that, 100% of the increase in debt to GDP ratio Obama inherited came under 3 tax hating republicans, Reagan/Bush I/Bush II.

Default is not necessary, a growth based policy is. It would be relatively easy to avoid default, if Obama ever gets up enough nerve to tell Boehner to shove it.

As to your policy ideas, the first one is pretty bad. Taxes are an incredibly inefficient method of controlling the economy. Use taxes to pay the bills, and let interest rates and stimulus cover the rest.

The rest of your points make up a very good liberal democrat plan for economic development and social justice. Congratulations for finally seeing the light.

Simon Templar| 5.25.12 @ 10:16AM

Ben has no clue? LOL.

Your comment was so riddled with falsehoods, I just do not know where to start or have enough time to tear every one of them down. It is interesting to note that you contradict yourself.
On one hand, you complain about those tax hating republicans and there supposed responsibility for the debt because we were not taxing enough and on the other hand, you state that taxes are an incredibly inefficient method of controlling the economy.

The basic and major flaw and falsehood you are shoveling here is the idea that if we had not had tax cuts we would be in great shape economically.
Absolute flummery. Your ignorance and simple mindedness is astounding. But what is really astounding is it is coupled with that typical liberal arrogance and stupidity. Of course, differences in opinions and solutions is inevitable and actually a good thing in a open democratic Republic. Dealing with your level of ignorance and propaganda is another thing entirely.

The question is, what do we do with liberal idiots like you, as you unfortunately are a part of this society and have created most of these problems?

So, the following is not really addressed to you but those unsuspecting people who are misinformed and sincerely trying to find out exactly what is going on.

The idiot liberal fails to mention that 'great benevolent guvmint' in the past century has grown astronomically relative to the private sector that actually pays the bills. It has grown to such a degree and has misspent monies to the level that taxation levels would need to be a 75 percent just to put a small dent in its ever growing entitlement appetite and size. Taxes at this point are irrelevant. Spending is the real issue. Government interference and overreach is also the major culprit in most of these problems that we face whether it is in the form of the community reinvestment act or its interference and taxation of the energy industry and small businesses. Useful idiot would like you to believe that it all stems from those greedy, 'do not want' to pay their "fair share' Republicans. Ridiculous simple minded drivel. The current housing crisis was CAUSED by 20 years of PROGRESSIVE GOVERNMENT FORCING banks to make unsafe loans to people who could not afford these homes and thus artificially driving demand and prices of housing up through the roof.
They can not even run the damn Post Office!
Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security are on the verge of bankruptcy because of mismanagement, fraud, illegals, failure to secure these tax funds for their purposes, and obviously shifting demographics. The DC area is now its own economy literally. The size is so enormous it almost covers the entire state of Maryland with so much duplication, branches, offices, departments that coordination is almost impossible. The money spent in the last three years has surpassed all previous spending. A little fact, Bob from Liberaland does not want you to pay any attention to or recognize. Yes, most economist (those not working for the white house) have recognized that this has been a very slow recovery and are frightened that this spending level is going to push our nation into DEFAULT and economic crisis. Buying GM did not help GM nor the nation, throwing billions down the drain on Solyndra and the rest of the boondoggles did nothing, giving away drilling and oil purchasing contracts to Brazil did not help the US economy, spending billions to expand guvmint jobs and its size did not help the economy, forcing banks to accept bail outs that did not need them or want them served no purpose.....the list goes on.

Growth policy!? Of what, the GUVMINT?
By the way his statistics are absolute crap, he made most of them up and distorted the rest.

Yeah, forcing students to not only get higher ed degrees and also a trade is going to solve our problems. Ridiculous. Yeah, that is social justice.

Bob , stay in your 1984 district 9 and do not come out.

jfrizzle| 5.25.12 @ 2:25PM

I like Ben Stein. Always have. Ben, stop writing this crap. You lost me at "temporary tax increase"....Chicago tried that nonsense with the Skyway. $2.00 toll "until it was paid off"....guess what, the toll is still around and now it's more expensive. Time to retire to bingo, Ben.

Ronald Ackenberry| 5.25.12 @ 9:28PM

Well, yes, I'm all for prison and education reform, too. And, I agree the Hilton isn't so bad.

However, the mood of the people in and out of power is to formulate more draconian punishments for wrong doers in order to make themselves feel good momentarily and destroy the entire public education system altogether rather than tweak the curriculum.

I too predict a recession.

I just don't know exactly when it will start, how long it will last or how to make any money out of it and I am not even an economist!

As for reducing taxes to assuage the debt...?

IMO an equally effective method to reduce debt would be to borrow more....lots more.

Same result.

Carl Peter Klapper | 5.26.12 @ 10:25AM

As an economist, I just wanted to point out that:

1. The stimulus from government spending is based on a net increase in the money supply directed toward demand;

2. Borrowing to pay for increased spending pushes that net increase in the money supply out into the future;

3. Shifting the same near-term money supply, as per (2), from investment to consumption requires that the government spending gets into the hands of consumers, not investment "banks";

4. Allowing foreign entities to import our debt requires a corresponding export of real goods or, from our perspective, our net export of debt causes our net import of manufactured products; and so:

5. The Obama stimulus and the Bush bailout both failed to increase domestic monetized demand and shifted our economy overseas.

My "quick fix" solution is to stop issuing Treasuries (federal debt) and start issuing US Notes (pure fiat currency) so that the money supply is increased in the near-term and we can revive our exports.

MAC1000| 5.28.12 @ 10:55AM

The trouble with 'all students having a skill' and 'all prisoners having a skill' is it ignores the simple truth that you can't FORCE anyone to learn anything. In a welfare culture where kids sleep until noon because their parents are asleep and don't get them up. Where kids quit school at 16 but they've yet to pass eighth grade at that point and are maxed out at a fifth grade reading level because of fetal alcohol syndrome, how do you INSIST on anything?
I'm sorry there's not a better way but I think these folks (I work with them EVERYDAY) have got to get hungry before they'll get off their backsides and work. And I don't think anyone in this country has the guts to let them get hungry. So we're stuck.

DANSHANTEAL| 5.28.12 @ 4:41PM

We use to live in Oakland. My brother once said if you didn't get the minority kids in a steady job by 18, you've lost them. i believe he was right and we've lost a lot of kids in the past 50 years. Now it's a matter of jobs for everyone by 18.

Tom of the Missouri| 5.29.12 @ 6:42PM

I say default and get it over with and start over with the original constitution with its real meaning. Divide the country up to red and blue if half won't agree to follow the original version. I really don't think my kid should be a slave for the next 50 years to pay for the trillions the idiot big government Bushes and criminal Marxist Obama administration and the fools who voted for them wasted and put upon us and my extension them. Where is the morality in that? Default is inevitable anyway under the present system and course so we might as well start fresh now. I think someone once said "When in the course of human events...when a government becomes destructive to these ends.... it should be overthrown and ended...." or something like that as I paraphrase. I think the time has come.

Oh and Ben, maybe get yourself another TV comedy gig. When it comes to economics, political systems and picking candidates (can you say Obama?) you jumped the shark long ago. You were part of the problem not the solution. Save your breath on that and tell us more about how you spend your remaining fiat dollars and about airplane, airport and hotel interiors. The latter is why I read you. Your sybaratic life is very entertaining like your TV show once was.

Occam's Tool| 5.30.12 @ 1:51PM

Just read "intracoastal blues." I'm sorry, Ben, but the thought of a guy who advocates lawsuits against MDs being tied up in what may be a frivolous case, with the prospect of it going on for years of pure torture is...Hilarious. Ball Breakingly funny.

Ben, by the way, a guy who owns multiple homes in multiple georgeous places would be considered by most people "Rich." And you appear on TV and are mildly famous. That's what makes people assume this. The difference between you and me is that you want to tax away any wealth I earn and I want you to be able to keep it to do what you want to with it. Major difference.

Enjoy your lawsuit. Whatever the outcome, rest assured, I will be enjoying it very much.

Occam's Tool| 5.30.12 @ 1:54PM

Sorry: "Gorgeous."