Thursday, February 11, 2010
If it's dumb and it works it's not a dumb idea
We're into the fourth day of the Great Government Shutdown. And the country still chugs along doing whatever it is we do
For years we've paid farmers not to grow food. Perhaps we could pay the government not to show up for work.
Call it an extended paid furlough.[1] We pay them a salary and tell them to stay home. Bump them up the GS scale on a regular basis. Cost of living, you know.
Sure, we're out the money for their salary and benefits. But they're not busy making work, building empires, or thinking of more ways to tell the rest of us what to do.
So it's pretty much a win-win for everyone.
[1] There is precedent. After San Jacinto, Sam Houston found himself with a horde of volunteers who hadn't seen any war, wanted to fight, and were getting all rowdy and mutinous and trying to restart the war he'd just won. Houston solved the problem by giving the army a furlough and forgetting to call them back to active duty. 'Army .. oh we've got one somewhere. Can't remember where we put it ... '
space4commerce.blogspot.com
As long as (a) we didn’t hire new workers, and (b) the “jobs” didn’t become an inheritable “right”, I’m entirely down with this idea.
Like scenarios for privatizing the USPS, where you have to give the workers employees there all the stock just to make it politically possible, it’s not fair, but it might be the only way forward.
tjic.com |
