As I hit 60, I noticed I became one of the invisible people, relegated to the retirement area and considered senile. As it happens, I am neither retired nor senile and I have the doctor's report to prove it. So there!!
We are at a crisis in this country. The only way to get more jobs is to get more money into the economy. If we cut government spending, we cut the jobs created by that spending and no matter how much the Tea Party wants you to believe it, it will not create private sector jobs. The private sector is just going to farm those jobs out to India, China and the rest, just like they did our jobs and caused this cute little Depression. Anyone with two firing neurons in their brain should have figured out that neither business nor the rich intend to help us.
Local tax revenue went down the toilet with property values. That has created a huge deficit in needed services.
We are in expensive wars on three fronts and if we bring our troops home, we bring them home to no jobs. Keep in mind, most of these troops are reservists that will be returned to the private sector the moment they are brought home.
Every time we cut the Pentagon's spending, the huge multinational corporations that supply them, simply use it as an excuse to close American factories while happily profiting on the remaining Defense Spending Contracts using overseas labor and factories.
So, what do we do?
Well, first off, let's just forget the old big government is bad government. No one but the government is going to do anything for us, if we can kick them out of their lethargy and imaginary world.
Instead of bringing our troops home to no jobs, let's bring them home to repair our infrastructure. It is a miracle we don't hear of bridges collapsing every day or is it because they just got washed away in the last flash flood. It doesn't look like we own a levee in this country that will hold. Our roads are so bad it's a miracle any of us have tires left. There is plenty of work and the government owns the roads so let's fix them. All those paychecks will immediately return to local business for food and shelter and not take a quick trip to the Cayman Islands like they do when the rich folk get their hands on them. Heck, I think most of our currency is now bilingual. Some of it only saw the USA when it was printed.
Step two, we have a huge population of elderly that are capable of working a few hours a day or week for money. Let's put them back to work. One place they are sorely needed is the school system. we need to educate our children beyond passing a standardized test. Let's use them as tutors. Most of us actually remember how to read and write and do math. These skills tend to be very useful in life, a lot more useful than filling in the little bubble with a number two pencil.
I have even thought of a use for the dreaded Condo Commandos and they are going to love it. Most schools had to give up their "Resource Officer" who was an off duty cop. Can you imagine some kid trying to get something past one of those eagle eyed Condo Commandos? The halls would be safe by sundown. Those kids would be marching to a really different drummer. Bullies, hey meet what you grow up to be and they have the power.
Seniors make great teachers' aides. We remember how to schedule, organize and pick out the kids that need help that the teacher just doesn't have time to do. Not only that, but kids need interaction with us old folks, some of whom are in their second childhood. Those displaced executives took all the greeter jobs at Walmart and you can sit down in a classroom.
We make great information people in government offices as we not only know where every restroom is but all the best gossip. Put us at the front desk and I guarantee, efefficiency will improve because no wants to everyone to know what they are doing and we are the best broadcast system in the USA. No more hiding around the coffee machine. That becomes our territory.
There are even some old ladies that would gladly help out with day care. Most of us even know how to cook. We make great servers and you will eat your broccoli.
Being well past the romance stage, we aren't preoccupied with finding a date. There is no need to drug test us, because we are taking drugs, loads of them, so live with it. We can't afford the illegal ones. We may not be able to hear well, but we shout well. So, let's use that resource. We might even tell those kiddies some stories about how to survive the Great Depression. I'm sure that information will come in handy later in their lives.
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