Herding cats

All of the "experts" on the financial channels insist that lowering corporate profits is the way to stimulate job growth. As if just due to the fact that someone has a few extra bucks in their pocket they will be incentivized to start a new business or hire more workers into their existing business. I don't buy it. No business hires more workers unless they have a demand for the products or services they are in business to sell.

However, business owners are keen on not paying taxes. From a personal wealth standpoint as well as just from a philisophical perspective. So it seems to me that the way to incentivize business to invest in production would be to have high taxes on corporate profits. Eliminate the safe-haven loopholes as best as possible so money can't be hidden. And of course the business deductions for capital investment/improvement and labor/pension cost stay in place. This incentivizes a business owner to put the profits back into the business instead of putting them in a US Treasury bond or in a Bahamian offshore tax shelter.

And raise the depreciation rates on capital equipment purchases that are manufactured in the U.S.
Give a little extra deduction for labor expenses. This puts more money in the hands of Mr. Ford's factory workers who can then purchase a new Model T.

And as an added incentive, and I know this is patently unfair, put in place a tax on wealth. Maybe 2% on wealth over 5 million or so. Assessed yearly. With a deduction for business expenses for investment in this country of course. Get these super rich cats to stop sitting on a pile of money and put it to good use. That is what money is for! We printed all this money over the last 30 years, we need it put to some good use now!

And finally, raise the Medicare payroll tax as well as the Social Security tax and make those programs solvent. Put some safety in the future of workers and they will go about spending the money they make instead of saving it for the calamity that they know is coming because that is all the talking financial heads are talking about! Talk about the future of all the citizens of this country. Young as well as old. If you want to rant about "uncertainty" as a reason that business is not investing, keep in mind that that same uncertainty is a sure killer of consumer demand.

Getting the most out of capitalism and capitalists is a lot like herding cats. They all have an independant streak and like to go on their own. If there is a mouse to catch they will only rarely co-operate, and the one who catches the mouse will not share willingly. This is the role of government of the people. Herding the capitalists, keeping them in mice, and making them share in the catch.

Get going. Don't just sit there!