I was driving to work the other day, listening to the news about the latest stimulus package when, BAM!, it hit me. Or rather, I hit it…a pot hole.

Now I’m not a politician or an economist so I’m sure this is a stupid idea, but why not fix our roads?  I mean, better roads are something everyone can get behind, right? It’s a local problem. I don’t want to take your money or borrow money against your kids to fix roads in another state. I want them fixed on your street.

It is also a measureable and trackable stimulus package.  For each dollar of stimulus, how many pot holes did we fix?  How many new jobs were created? How much of that money stayed in the US? We could even do metrics or competition between states and counties. If you waist your road money on vacations or bonuses we will know.

A friend who is a journalist has a phrase, “Follow the money”.   So let’s follow the money.  We give $1 to the county (or whomever) with the pot holes.  They hire people from the unemployed pool of workers giving the people a salary and medical benefits.  Need flexible hours? There is no bad time to fix roads.  No skills? If you are able bodied, it’s not a problem.  Over qualified?  Math and computer guys, we have a new problem for you called the traveling road crew problem (find the shortest distance between a set of  potholes fixing each pot hole only once).  Sales guys, we need you to negotiate a good deal on equipment.

Local businesses, guess what?  We have a lot of thirsty, hungry people out there fixing the roads.  The need shoes and clothes and good washing machines. Ok, we might be subsidizing the beer industry a bit more than some people like but no plan is perfect. 

Now I’m not saying to make this a total manual effort just to create jobs.  If it makes sense to buy equipment like a dump truck or earth mover, that is fine. We want the most roads fixed for our money. So some of that stimulus dolar goes to buying some equipment from local companies.  

Now some people will say, “hey, a lot of our equipment is from overseas.  We want to help OUR people”. I understand but it’s never that easy (do you know what % of your car is actually American made?) . So, instead of spending stimulus money for the new, amazing pothole fixer from Japan, we send corn or software or something that has at least caused money to cycle through the American economy at least once.

CEO’s, eventually this money will come to you as people buy new cars or dump trucks or baby clothes or start putting money in banks.  It is “trickledown economics” – ok, “trickleup economics” but you get the point.

 So is it just potholes I’m thinking of?  No but it’s an easy metaphor for starting locally. Is this a stupid idea?  I’m sure it is.   At least if it fails to fix the economy our children will have good roads to ride their bicycles.