by Writers With Cats
Monday, December 20, 2010
We were all watching "60 Minutes" last night, the five of us. It's hard for cats to take an interest in a talking head on the screen, but they realized we were interested, so they feigned it nicely, curled up together on the floor.
"Geez," I remarked, "So New Jersey's governor, Chris Christie, thinks the best way to get out of the current state's debt is to cut every tax, cut as many jobs as possible, and forget paying back the state-sponsored or civil employee pensions anytime soon..."
"It's root hog or die now," Paula scoffed, "Nothing personal, America, just back to the jungle, every man for himself, pick your cliche..."
Mystery looked up at us with her wide boo-eyes. "Hogs?"
"Well, yeah, in Colonial times, we let the pigs go out into the fields to fend for themselves after a corn crop. It was cheaper to let them forage, and not have to feed them. So Mr. Christie here is simply doing the same. He's counting on the disgruntled people picking up work somehow, to fend off bankruptcies, foreclosures, etc..."
Mystery snorted. "What a way to run a state. Why is it that your leaders seem to see that the only solution to anything is to cut taxes and expenses?"
"It's called saving money," Grimalkin yawned and then curled up on his side. "The main focus of just about any business these days is to cut expenses. Less expenses, less overhead, and you get more profits..."
"Well, sure, everyone knows THAT. But this isn't a business; it's a state, or a country..."
"Runs the same way, sweetie," I knelt down to the floor to pet her, and she rolled onto her back, batting at my hand. "Think of America like this huge apartment complex, and we're tenants who pay for the services around it; like electricity, heating, water," I pointed to the TV, "entertainment, internet, and so on. Now a lot of apartments are starting to get older, more run-down, and dilapidated, and we can't take the time or effort to spruce them up again. So other apartments either have to take on the expenses of caring for these eye-sores, or look for other places that interest us."
"So people might stop shopping for things in New Jersey?"
"Possibly, yeah..."
"Well, that's just dumb." Karma sat up on her haunches and gave us her coldest stare. "The POINT is spending. If New Jersey is suffering, shouldn't we be plugging MORE money into that area?"
"Absolutely. Online shoppers might want to consider going only to places like New Jersey to get goods, just to help businesses there succeed, and they in turn help others..."
"How will that help?"
Paula replied, "I recall a story on NBC News, about a pharmacy in the South that was offering a $100 bonus or something to each of his employees. The stipulation was that they could only spend that $100 in their own small town..."
"Why?"
"Oooh, I know," Mystery sat up too, "Because they are putting money back into the businesses there, which allows them to thrive and continue paying their employees, who are in turn serving customers, who will continue to buy from them..."
"That's exactly right. So instead of shunning New Jersey, and letting them fend for themselves, we, and more people like us, should be doing as much business as we can in New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, any of the states with the worst debts right at this moment. We help these states pull out from under, and they'll be able to help their own people more...think globally, buy locally..."
We all looked at the TV deep in thought for a moment.
Karma whispered to Mystery. "Do you think Americans are willing to do something like that?"
Mystery chuckled. "I have no idea. If they're truly Americans, and care about their country, I sure hope so..."
>^^<
"Geez," I remarked, "So New Jersey's governor, Chris Christie, thinks the best way to get out of the current state's debt is to cut every tax, cut as many jobs as possible, and forget paying back the state-sponsored or civil employee pensions anytime soon..."
"It's root hog or die now," Paula scoffed, "Nothing personal, America, just back to the jungle, every man for himself, pick your cliche..."
Mystery looked up at us with her wide boo-eyes. "Hogs?"
"Well, yeah, in Colonial times, we let the pigs go out into the fields to fend for themselves after a corn crop. It was cheaper to let them forage, and not have to feed them. So Mr. Christie here is simply doing the same. He's counting on the disgruntled people picking up work somehow, to fend off bankruptcies, foreclosures, etc..."
Mystery snorted. "What a way to run a state. Why is it that your leaders seem to see that the only solution to anything is to cut taxes and expenses?"
"It's called saving money," Grimalkin yawned and then curled up on his side. "The main focus of just about any business these days is to cut expenses. Less expenses, less overhead, and you get more profits..."
"Well, sure, everyone knows THAT. But this isn't a business; it's a state, or a country..."
"Runs the same way, sweetie," I knelt down to the floor to pet her, and she rolled onto her back, batting at my hand. "Think of America like this huge apartment complex, and we're tenants who pay for the services around it; like electricity, heating, water," I pointed to the TV, "entertainment, internet, and so on. Now a lot of apartments are starting to get older, more run-down, and dilapidated, and we can't take the time or effort to spruce them up again. So other apartments either have to take on the expenses of caring for these eye-sores, or look for other places that interest us."
"So people might stop shopping for things in New Jersey?"
"Possibly, yeah..."
"Well, that's just dumb." Karma sat up on her haunches and gave us her coldest stare. "The POINT is spending. If New Jersey is suffering, shouldn't we be plugging MORE money into that area?"
"Absolutely. Online shoppers might want to consider going only to places like New Jersey to get goods, just to help businesses there succeed, and they in turn help others..."
"How will that help?"
Paula replied, "I recall a story on NBC News, about a pharmacy in the South that was offering a $100 bonus or something to each of his employees. The stipulation was that they could only spend that $100 in their own small town..."
"Why?"
"Oooh, I know," Mystery sat up too, "Because they are putting money back into the businesses there, which allows them to thrive and continue paying their employees, who are in turn serving customers, who will continue to buy from them..."
"That's exactly right. So instead of shunning New Jersey, and letting them fend for themselves, we, and more people like us, should be doing as much business as we can in New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, any of the states with the worst debts right at this moment. We help these states pull out from under, and they'll be able to help their own people more...think globally, buy locally..."
We all looked at the TV deep in thought for a moment.
Karma whispered to Mystery. "Do you think Americans are willing to do something like that?"
Mystery chuckled. "I have no idea. If they're truly Americans, and care about their country, I sure hope so..."
>^^<