The Northeast Means Snow

Living in the northeastern US means you're going to get snow. There's no avoiding it, at some point during the winter you're going to have to deal with the fluffy white stuff. It might not last, and it might not be as much as other years, but it will happen.

Being that this is the case, both the residents and the state should be prepared for it. People who live here should both know how to drive in the snowy conditions, and to plan accordingly; and the state should know how to budget the money accordingly to prepare for snow removal.

Somehow, neither really seems to happen.

Every year we get dumped on, and every year there are a ton of people in ditches, trees, power lines (well, the poles really), and other such things. Some are merely accidents that happened regardless of how safe the driver was being, but most are just because people didn't allow enough time to get where they're going or are impatient, and so they caused an accident.

Of course, it doesn't help matters that since the state's broke, they've decided to cut back on the transportation departments, which means smaller crews to try and keep up with the snow. The effect of course is that there aren't enough plows and roads aren't properly cleared. It's a half-assed job that's done because they're not adequately staffed, and so that just adds fuel to the fire.

Thus, we have bad roads in bad conditions with idiot drivers. It's just not a good combination.

Honestly though, I think the state should initiate everything. They need to overstep the budget to allow counties to hire more personnel to keep up with snow removal.

Keep with me here now! I know what you're thinking, that this would end up costing us, the tax payers, even more money that we don't have! But it won't!

I know, you think I'm crazy now. But follow my logic with me.

To understand, we must first have a history lesson. I know, I know, I'm asking a lot of you. But it's worth it, I promise.

Back in the day when earning a nickle an hour was excellent pay, there was a man named Henry Ford. He invented not only the first affordable automobile, but the assembly line.

This man's goal was to make a car anyone could afford. And so he kept the prices low and employed a lot of people and paid them decent wages, so that they could afford the car. So his employees bought his product, as did many other Americans, and he profited greatly.

Source 1
Source 2

So lets take a look at this. A man took a calculated risk, and hired many people to do a job. He then paid them well. They in turn could afford his products, which he reasonably priced, and in the end he turned a huge profit; more so than anyone else.

Are we seeing where this is going yet?

If the state takes the risk to employ more people, and pays them right, then these people will in turn have the money to pay their taxes, purchase things, and thus support the economy. We will also have better roads in bad weather, which will lead to less accidents and less people with unnecessary bills. Both of these things lead to people being able to invest in the economy.

With people spending money, the state can collect more on sales tax, thus regaining the money they put into the system to hire the extra men to keep the roads clean, and then some.

You have to spend money to make money, after all. And if spending a little money to keep us safe on the roads, and make them a bit more idiot proof can also turn a profit to the state, then we should go for it wholeheartedly. I know that this is only a theory, but, history says it has a very high rate of success.

And it doesn't just apply to the roads, it applies everywhere.

When one of the local companies around here undercut their gas prices by 10 cents a gallon, I guarantee that they made a huge profit from that. If people would just do that and keep the price down, they'd sell more.

If businesses could take the chance to hire people, those people would in turn have money to spend. Maybe not at their particular store, but at a supermarket or something instead. And the employees at the supermarket would increase in number to support the demand, and they might in turn spend at novelty stores and the like. It's just a big circle.

I had a teacher in seventh grade, my history teacher, who taught us about the economy. She said there were two types, basically. The happy face economy, and the sad face economy. I don't think I need to explain them. But she's right. And right now, we're definitely in a sad face economy.

Time to put this country on some Zoloft and lift it back into a happy face economy. Starting with square one--taking the risk to hire people.

Spend money, make money.

And learn to drive in the friggin' snow.