(as of December 2009)
by Win Wenger, Ph.D.
<< SocioTectonics Index
Ten Ways To Ensure a Real, Long-Term, Economic Boom and Avert Second- and Third-Dip Returns to the Recession
- Incentivize flexfuel vehicles via tax credits, while taxing gasoline-only engined vehicles. Opens mass market for alternative fuels, makes petroleum have to compete with other energy sources, save up to a half trillion dollars per year in the US-International Balance of Payments. Mandates have been discussed, but incentives accomplish pretty much the same results while preserving individual initiative and freedoms. Please see How to Free Us from OPEC and 8-Point Economic Recovery Plan.
- Incentivize long-term investments by adjusting taxes and tax credits. Pretty much is clear as to what affects our future productivity and well-being, these should receive more emphasis in the total mix of what we spend on, incentives preserve flexibility, initiative and individual freedoms, in contrast to administered governmental and agency programs. See On Incentives as a Preferred Instrument of Corporate and Public Policy
- Substitute incentives to the private sector for more direct, expensive means of government control. Especially, tax credits should go to offset benefit externalities in such key areas as basic scientific research. Taxes should be used to offset classes of economic activity which feature heavy cost externalities such as pollution. Main argument in On Incentives as a Preferred Instrument of Corporate and Public Policy and in Mixed Economy
- Incentivize long-term investment in such infrastructural matters as will create inexpensive access to inexpensive land and land developments. That in several ways lowers the costs of starting up new enterprises. New enterprises are always the main source of real and substantive new economic growth.
- Likewise incentivize also such infrastructural investment as will lower the costs of commuting to work. That cost factor also works through to affect the cost of starting up the new enterprises upon which so much else depends.
- Incentivize cybercommuting as a way to lower costs of commuting, to lower costs generally, and enlarge generally the milieu which encourages the starting up of new enterprises.
- Gradually tax the distance between one’s residence and his place of work, while providing tax credits for moving his residence closer to his place of work.
- Tax sugar instead of continuing to subsidize it. This will make a huge saving in the costs of health care.
- Provide matching funds to private grants to communities, schools, private schools, and education programs, which experiment with non-standard teaching methods, philosophies and systems.
- Expand by an order of magnitude the prizes now being awarded by NASA to incentivize various aspects of space development through and in the private sector.