Milestones
By Miles H. Barber

Doesn’t it make you shake your head in disbelief when you see our government trying to fix the economy by trial and error; especially when it’s their error and our trial?

A jobs bill?

At a cost of $200,000 a job?

Please. This is not an intelligent economic decision. It is another political fiasco.

We tried the TARP bill, Cash for Clunkers, first time home buyers credit and a dozen other politically invented waste programs that have left us with a debt even our grandkids will never pay off.

This is one of the major problems with an administration packed with long-time government employees. What do they really know about creating jobs, making a product or selling a service that others really want? Have they ever had to make a payroll, cover the actual cost of benefits, workers compensation, insurance, vacations, sick leave and wrestle with dozens of government laws and requirements while they are doing these tasks?

Few, if any! They can however, invest $500 million of your money in a defunct solar company like Solyndra.

Ever notice when you put a few dollars into an entrepreneur’s hand he turns it into more dollars?

When you give a politician a few dollars he spends it and keeps his hand out for more.

While it has not been popular to elect a fiscal conservative, considering the alternative of what “change” has brought us, it may become a great deal more acceptable.

You have to admire the immigrants who have come to America without knowing our language, without a lot of resources and they see opportunity. They go to work and before long they own a 7-11, a dry cleaner or a grocery store. They, and every small business person in America are a tribute to ingenuity, hard work and sheer tenacity.

This is where change happens. It is not at the trough of government hand outs and manufactured legislation to redistribute wealth.

There is plenty of wealth to go around for every citizen of this country. However, true wealth is not doled out; it is earned, usually in spite of government not because of government.

How is it that the wealthiest 10% in this country pay 50% of the tax burden and still remain wealthy?

They are not waiting for their next pension deposit to make the rent payment. These are industrious entrepreneurs; too busy working to worry about their next government hand out.

Abe Lincoln told us “You cannot make the poor rich by making the rich poor.” It just doesn’t work that way. The $10 trillion we have spent for the War on Poverty is living proof.

If there were only $1,000 on an island of 10 people, within a month $800 would be in the hands of one entrepreneur because that person would create a product or service the others needed.

Do the other nine then vote to sit on their ass and insist the rich man feed them, or do they create a product or perform a service that the rich man and the others need?

It is so easy to be philanthropic with OPM (other people’s money).

It is hard work to be the creator of products or services that other people really want.

Miles Barber can be reached at Scweekly2011@yahoo.com