economicmultipliers_170

Economic Multipliers (170)

Do you know what these are?

They help CREATE wealth in systems.

Poverty is not an economic multiplier. (No. 1)

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Elections are a great time for young people to ‘meet’ their leaders.

For that reason, I’m hoping young people will think about some things they observe in their world related to how their ‘leaders’ lead.

Government lotteries are a form of taxation. Imagine politicians giving people an opportunity to tax themselves. The people who set up government lottery systems want more money to spend. They probably want some property tax relief for their own properties. And, it’s likely that when others are plunking down $10-20 a week for lottery tickets, they are investing in education, property, the stock market, their families, their health and their communities. When they don’t think you’ll spend your money well, they work to ‘lure’ your money away from you.

When business owners want to make money, they may not use the products they sell (like alcohol or an opportunity to gamble). They do want people to buy a lot of their ‘product.’ Never be upset that a business person wants to legitimately make money or that they can get wealthy doing so. Simply make the decision to buy products that create real value for you, your family and your community.

In today’s world in the United States, business/corporate income should not be taxed. It’s too easy for sophisticated ‘groups’ and larger corporations to figure out ways to avoid business income taxes and smaller businesses usually need all their money for growth and investment in their companies, jobs and their communities.

If anyone ever says they plan to cut income taxes so you can keep more of your money, ask them what will be taxed to make up for the loss. Garbage collection fees go up (or municipalities start cutting back on services). Water rates go up (or basic system-wide repair and replacement programs go unfunded). Gas taxes go up (or basic infrastructure like roads and bridges go unrepaired). School participation fees that didn’t used to exist go up (and some children’s parents never know about or are too proud to ask about assistance programs if they can’t afford the fees).

The practical replacement for business/corporate income tax revenue is an individual ’EXTREME REVENUE’ tax (put in place one year BEFORE cutting business/corporate income taxes). ‘Extreme revenue’ is different than extreme income. In today’s world, ‘income’ can be offset by losses in so many different ways that a person with ‘extreme cash flow’ and a good accountant can literally avoid paying income taxes.

U.S. citizens need to recognize AND state that the ability to generate ‘extreme revenue’ is not only the product of individual hard work but the product of opportunities provided by democratic, capitalistic societies.

When a talented corporate executive gets a huge bonus as he’s laying off workers who don’t make sense (for the business) while getting compensated by other corporate boards in companies which are doing the same thing, first applaud the talent. Then know that the bonus is money from products and services people buy that laid-off workers created and recognize that taxing ‘extreme revenue’ is a way for the ‘system’ to get some money back for things like community maintenance, education/employment transition services and sometimes even temporary housing and food assistance (other businesses with part-time workers can be affected and those people may not have unemployment benefits to fall back on).

If you want people, communities and nations to create jobs and help provide opportunities, never steal from anyone (or support it) because it seems like they have too much or are making too much. The only reason most of the opportunities exist in the United States and most other developed nations today is because at some point in time, someone long gone was allowed to make a lot of money.

You can tax people broadly (in that you don’t punitively target AN individual or A business or AN organization). You can ask people for donations. You can ask them to help provide ‘in-kind’ services (like when a computer programming company programs something for a local not-for-profit or a local plumber allocates some time for a Habitat for Humanity house). You can ask people to learn more about something and ask if they have any ideas that might make more sense. You can ask people what they normally spend excess time and money on. You can even ask them to spend some time with you. Just don’t expect they’d want to spend time with you if the only reason is because you want something from them.

When people have insurance benefits or retirement benefits that provide (currently) non-taxable revenue, applaud their or their family’s foresight. If they ever start receiving ‘extreme revenue’ that gets taxed (hopefully the U.S. will move to an ‘extreme revenue’ versus ‘business income’ model), know that it was a relatively ‘uncorrupted’ financial system that allowed that money to accumulate.

Look around the world. The more that people in countries are willing to corrupt their (or even others) financial (and other) systems, the ‘poorer’ their nations ultimately become.

Did you ever notice that when corrupt leaders siphon off money, they tend to deposit it in the banks of countries with a lot less corruption? And, where do those leaders send their kids to school or encourage them to get jobs?: Many times, in those same less corrupt countries … meaning that their own educational institutions get ‘less funded.’ I doubt that the kids of those leaders get them but I expect they need courses in how ‘corruption’ impoverishes and destabilizes nations. Imagine teaching/telling a child that their parent is ‘screwing up’ a lot of things in the country they came from.

Pay attention. The mass Syrian migration wasn’t to Africa or even Iraq, a neighboring state. Many parents saw their children’s opportunities elsewhere … in countries which tend to have less corruption (and are wealthier and more educated as a result).

The United States has some groups today (2016) promoting: ‘Fight the power.’ Why? If you really want to accomplish something today in the United States, you’re promoting: ‘BE the power.’

Do you have a cell phone? Take pictures of ANYONE abusing ANY other person. Send copies to the social service agencies, the newspapers and the police departments.

Do you have a cell phone? Get together with some of your friends and contact the local police department and see if they have suggestions on how you might help collect (at a distance, mind you) information that could lead to the arrests of people who transport recreational drugs into your communities or who ‘traffic’ other human beings (including young boys and girls).

‘BEING the power’ is not so easy. Your local motels are ‘businesses’ possibly run by people you know. Since they need business, they may have no financial incentive to ‘see problems.’ They may also be related to people in law enforcement or the judicial system who want them to do well financially and who don’t want negative news about any family-related businesses in the newspapers. You’ll find a LOT of gray areas in every community you’ll ever live in or visit.

Do you have a cell phone? Find out the hours of your local library and take kids there for their summer reading programs.

Do you have a cell phone? Take a picture of something that needs to be cleaned up in your neighborhood and then organize a group to do it (or if it’s a small job, do it yourself). Try to think: leather and/or rubber gloves, appropriate clothing and cleaning solutions and proper disposal and/or recycling.

Do you have a cell phone? Call someone and see if they will go for a 2 mile walk with you. Along the way, look around and think about what needs to be done.

Do you have a cell phone? Call an elderly person you know and see if they need any ‘equipment’ or repairs which would make them safer (their health insurance policy or a local organization might pay for it if they can’t). See if they have enough money for food or need help grocery shopping or arranging ‘meals on wheels.’

Do you have a cell phone? Find out how you can get more education tied to something you want to learn.

Do you have a cell phone? Find out how you can get more education tied to something you want to do in the future.

If you don’t have a cell phone, go to your local library and start there. Librarians know a ton of ‘stuff.’ When they don’t know a ton of ‘stuff,’ they know a ton of places to start looking for it.

Do you have a few extra dollars to spare? Support your local library and support the expansion of their programs.

The latest ‘new idea to me’ that I saw was a library program which lends seeds to people so they can grow things. At the end of the growing season, borrowers have to let some of their ‘crop’ go to seed so they can collect seeds to return to the library.

Nations and communities are the product of the seeds that they plant, be it ideas or knowledge or trees or flowers.

Look again at Syria.

What can take people lifetimes to build can be destroyed in an instant.

‘BE the (lifetime building) power.’