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As we all know by now, the US government, or rather, the US taxpayers, are funding a $700 BILLION bailout for some companies that were recklessly throwing money around.  I can understand not wanting our economy to fall into a depression, but why are we essentially giving money to people who apparently haven’t been able to take care of it?  Should an investment bank that failed be dug out by the American taxpayer?

Small Town, USA has long been the heart and soul of America.  Yes, the big city is portrayed as the hip place that everybody wants to go to, with their massive skyscrapers and millions of people, but it all starts in rural America.  Whether it’s raising grain, mining for coal, drilling for oil, or going there to visit Wally World, those big cities wouldn’t survive without the basics we provide.  Your resources for manufacturing have to come from somewhere, and it isn’t Central Park.

For decades and decades and decades, small town folk have started businesses, and upon reaching a certain level of success, often expand the business to other places, big cities often being a prime location, as people from small towns all over visit the big city.  So why don’t we use that money to help promote small business?

Of the $700 billion dollars, allocated equally, each state could have $14 billion.  Yes, $14 billion.  Tell me Nebraska and Kansas can’t find something to do with that?  I know North Dakota can.

That’s a lot of money, and we want to make sure this is used to get the economy rolling again.  So no more than $10 billion of those dollars will be put into a small business fund that can replenish itself year after year.  Each year, a set amount of that money can be doled out equally to every county in the state.  It is now on the counties to determine how many people can get to that money, and how it will be divided among them.  I put this at the county level, because more people know each other within the county, and should have a better idea of what will work there.  Rather than having state legislators scratching each others backs every year, every county will get the same amount, every year.

The emphasis of this money each year will be placed on NEW business.  Some could be given to existing business that is ready to make a push for major expansion, but we want to grow our communities, and a new business in town every year would go a long way towards helping that cause.

We will now have $4 billion left, possibly more.  Some of you may be thinking about building a new city hall, or a brand new football field, but I’ve got much bigger, more impactful plans.  Push that $4 billion dollars out right away to those who can bring true high speed internet to rural areas.  We’re talking fiber in the ground, to the house, and beating Verizon’s FIOS.  Don’t give this money to Verizon or AT&T or any of those big corporations.  Give it to smaller players already serving the town with 300 people in it.  It’s a global economy, and the new small businesses are going to need fast internet.

• $10 billion in a self replenishing fund, divied down to the county level annually, for new business
• $4 billion given out now to bring high speed internet to rural America

I’d like to see someone prove, without a doubt, that that won’t have a more meaningful impact on the economy than bailing out a couple of big investment banks.  Our economy is supposed to thrive on successful business.  That means if you can’t cut it, your business fails, and somebody else picks up the pieces and does it better.  Where there was once one big, bumbling giant, there are now 20 smaller, nimble, aggresive groups looking to be very competitive with each other.

All we’re doing right now is sending a message out that you can run a place in charge of hundreds of millions of dollars into the ground, and the government will bail you out.  We need to send a message out that America’s entrepreneurial spirit is not only alive and well, but we’re going to make it easier to get your idea off the ground.