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logo    Danger at the Bottom


Right on, Scott. Two kudos for Danger at the Bottom (Dallas Morning News). But isn't it odd that you should have to display this exercise in simple arithmetic to a supposedly literate nation whose economic leadership, both in government and business, displays such august credentials? Isn't it obvious that the disposable income of consumers cannot be reduced without reducing the consumption that seventy percent of our GNP relies on? And isn't it also obvious to our business sagamores that profits falter when consumption falls? I was tempted to give you three kudos for this article, but something is missing.

For many years, I engaged in competitive ballroom dancing. We dancers have a rule, viz., don't tell me something is wrong unless you can tell me how to fix it. Well, you haven't told anyone how to fix it.

Some months ago, I came across the Tax Foundations ranking of states having legal systems and taxes that are favorable to business. Just looking at it caused me to suspect chicanery, so I pulled down my latest almanac and plotted these rankings against per capita income by state. Guess what I found! States with high rankings on the Tax Foundations list have the lowest per capita income while those with low rankings have the highest; the slopes of the lines are in opposition.

There is an old maxim, illustrated by the gold-rush days, that businesses follow the money. Businesses rushed to places where gold was discovered, stayed until the gold ran out, and then promptly left. No money, no sales; no sales, no profits. Simple as that.

So how do we fix things. Abandon our business friendly, conservative outlook which has corrupted both business and government and is leading this nation to ruin. That's the part you omitted. (Burns DMY 11/5/2005)