Think that’s too simple? Maybe. Or too hard, given the politics involved? OK, sure. So here’s an even better idea, courtesy of Dilbert creator Scott Adams: Make Rich People Pay the Entire Cost of Social Services. Then, they’d have incentive for the programs to work.
Talk about Business Change!
Now as Mr. Adams points out, this is not a practical idea. Both because the political backlash would be huge and because the extra accounting that would be needed to make this happen would overwhelm an already-way-behind-the-eight-ball system it isn’t going to happen. But it sure would simplify things. Rich people would pay a greater share of taxes (think what you will of that idea), and the budget deficit would go away, over night.
Maybe it’s worth making happen, anyway. The loudest rallying cry among people of means has long been that they know what’s best. They want to be in charge. It’s the theory that trickle-down economics is based on; if you let rich people hold onto their money they’ll put it into the system and benefit everyone. Fine. Let’s MAKE rich people take care of everyone, As Scott Adams points out, once a system like this is in place the rich will have an actual incentive for helping with the success of social programs so that the amount spent on them might one day be reduced!
Business Change. REAL business change. Change to business-as-usual, change to the way businesspeople think and act. Difficult, but easy.
Let’s get on that business change thing.
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