Dash For Dunkers

You know how it is these days. Tough economic times are everywhere. They have us tightening our collars and keeping our old toys for the long haul.

Of course, we aren’t just sitting around, biting our tails (which is pretty easy to do when they curl over your back). Everyone is struggling to come up with ideas that will dig us out of the recession pit.

But, so far most of the ideas haven’t worked. In fact, there are almost as many out-of-work ideas as out-of-work people. Just about the same number of bankrupt brainstorms as bankrupt businesses.

Why? Some of it is because folks underestimated the difficulties we’re in. But, it also seems like the ideas up to this point just don’t have the firepower to ignite the economy, no matter how much money is poured into them. Instead, things actually get worse.

It’s sort of like a crash of clunkers. Worn-out ideas that cause pileups on the economic interstate. And, they leave it littered with so much wreckage that forward progress comes to a halt.

So, what to do? Here’s an idea. I call it “dash for dunkers”. A contest to identify those slam-dunk ideas that can rev up the good times. Put us back on easy street. And run all of those bad ideas that are polluting our economic environment right off the road. That’s right. Trade in bad ideas for the good ideas that will clean up the mess we’re in.

How do we find these good ideas? By making the dash a true test of merit, giving all ideas a fair chance. It can’t just be a single-player race. And its got to include ideas that are fine-tuned and road-tested for our type of economy. Not just those gas-guzzling brain drains that stall at the starting line. Or the ideas that are so poorly constructed that the wheels come off in the middle of the track. And may the best ideas win.

So, how about it? A fair and square dash for dunkers with the true performers steering us on the right course? Or the crash of clunkers that has blocked off the economic super highway? You’ll have to choose. I can’t drive.

See you in the mirror.