Common sense
solutions are urgently needed to reduce crime levels, lessen the wealth gap,
create employment opportunities and address basic cost of living problems.
Fixes; long archived, often revisited, recalculated and, many times over, re-presented,
discussed and debated, some solutions were even tried and tested, a few
permanently implemented but over time, proved to be inadequate. Change is said
to be the only constant in life, but in a strong second place is Ideas, which
are on shelves gathering dust. The change that is urgently needed is to dust
off such ideas, mix old, invite new, and move quickly, from debated through to
tested and onto implementation.
How to reduce Crime?
“Paid Police more.” “Punish the guilty, hang the killers.” “Build more court
houses and appoint more judges.” Crime is proven to be rooted in a poor public
education system, which creates desperation and abject poverty. Hence, the
obvious solution is to fix the education system and deploy school-based
psychologists, but it is the crime prevention services of the police which
needs strengthening. Police detection, prosecution, Prison punishment and
rehabilitation, will all require less resources if social workers are efficient
and effective. Social programmes, which support individuals and families out of
hard times, with adequate training and re-training, are essential.
How to lessen the Wealth
Gap? “People in need should be given low cost housing.” “People who earn more
should be taxed more.” The wealth gap is
the unequal distribution of assets; homes, automobiles, personal valuables,
savings, and investments, among the population, which reacts along with changes
in economic activities. The haves verse the have nots has been a long-term
battle for equality, with one thinking being that, the wealthy, who save and
invest creates well-paying jobs while, the others, who earn wages and salaries
increase consumer spending. Both can exist under a balance budget (Revenue
equals Expenditure) but in the case of needed deficit budgeting, (Borrowing for
Balance) none has historically been successful.
How to create More Jobs?
“Invest money in new or expanding operations.” “Develop new and more affordable
product lines.” Lucrative employment is created by savings and investments from
the wealthy and/or the collective taxpayers (the Government) and found through
individual education and experience. Also, Invention and Innovation offers that
new operation and/or product mix. Investors, worldwide are constantly seeking
that new opportunity; better processes, higher production levels, competent
management and a highly skilled workforce, to improve their Returns On
Investment. Noting that, new unexplored markets may also provide such
employment expansion, forcing an increase in production levels, purchase of new
plant and equipment, and training or retraining staff to be more efficient and
effective.
Investment to
maintain and improve the surrounding infrastructure, transportation, water
works, electricity usage, all contributing to as basic cost of living problems,
are dealt with by the Government, via higher personal taxes or more taxation revenue
income from industries and sectors, and better use of monies collected.
Contracts, also awarded by Government to expedite works and reduce cost, maybe
in the form of Private Public Partnerships.
Business Light seeks
public opinions, and gives a voice to the voiceless, to question and understand,
to address and oppose, and to improve their lives. Remembering that, society is
made up of many groups of individuals with differing points of view. Such solutions
may well come from the bottom up and can be measured through a Happiness Index.
Rationale
T.A.J & Associates Company Limited
uses this occasion to comment on topics that have been covered, both academically
and by the mainstream media, to add its opinion and point out investment
opportunity, not to invoke any social action.
