Thomas Friedman wants a reboot . . .
Maybe the Obama Administration will surprise me - and seriously irk some people - and go for for tax incentives. You know, trusting that people will do the right thing based on their own selfish interest instead of doing the knee-jerk thing and dictating people do this or do that because Uncle Sugar said so.
I know. But it could happen.
That’s why we don’t just need a bailout. We need a reboot. We need a build out. We need a buildup. We need a national makeover. That is why the next few months are among the most important in U.S. history. Because of the financial crisis, Barack Obama has the bipartisan support to spend $1 trillion in stimulus. But we must make certain that every bailout dollar, which we’re borrowing from our kids’ future, is spent wisely.
It has to go into training teachers, educating scientists and engineers, paying for research and building the most productivity-enhancing infrastructure — without building white elephants. Generally, I’d like to see fewer government dollars shoveled out and more creative tax incentives to stimulate the private sector to catalyze new industries and new markets. If we allow this money to be spent on pork, it will be the end of us.
Maybe the Obama Administration will surprise me - and seriously irk some people - and go for for tax incentives. You know, trusting that people will do the right thing based on their own selfish interest instead of doing the knee-jerk thing and dictating people do this or do that because Uncle Sugar said so.
I know. But it could happen.
