This tickled my funnybone. Proves they ain't all been locked up yet.
Curious Carl
dslextreme.com> wrote:
AlterNet: The 10 Craziest Economic Policy Ideas Of 2011
By Travis Waldron, Tanya Somanader and Pat Garofalo, Think Progress
Posted on December 23, 2011, Printed on December 24, 2011
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/752912/the_10_craziest_economic_policy_
ideas_of_2011
The economy continued to struggle through 2011, with persistently high
unemployment, a foreclosure crisis that kept on burning, and banks behaving
badly in a whole host of ways. And there were plenty of ideas from
economists, lawmakers, and pundits about what to do about it. But some ideas
were, shall we say, more.unique than others.
Here are ThinkProgress' nominations, in no particular order, for the ten
craziest economic ideas of the last twelve months. Think we missed a good
one? Let us know in the comments below:
Florida State Rep. Proposes Ending Ban On Dwarf Tossing To Create Jobs: In
October, Florida state Rep. Ritch Workman (R) filed a bill to end the
state's ban on dwarf tossing - the practice of "launching little people for
the amusement of an audience." Workman may not condone throwing little
people across his lawn, but he introduced the bill because he wanted to
remove a "Big Brother law" that would create jobs: "Well, there is nothing
immoral or illegal about that activity," Workman said. "All we really did by
passing that law was take away some employment from some little people."
New Jersey Gives MTV's 'Jersey Shore' A Film Credit Worth $420,000: Despite
Gov. Chris Christie's (R) unapologetic hatred for the MTV series Jersey
Shore, the state Economic Development Authority awarded the series $420,000
in taxpayer funds to pay for the show's production costs. Not only does the
credit fail to create virtually any long-term, stable jobs, the EDA offered
the credit without even considering the show's content. The Jersey Shore
cast, however, did succeed in producing rare a agreement among Democrats and
Republicans to veto the credit, a veto Christie happily delivered.
Kentucky Provides Tax Credit To Build Theme Park Modeled After Noah's Ark:
In May, Kentucky gave a Bible-themed amusement park - replete with a model
Noah's Ark and Tower of Babel - a $43 million tax break, even as the state
was cutting social services. In August, the state went even farther, giving
the Ark Encounter theme park a 75 percent property tax discount for the next
three decades (the tax break, it turns out, will last 10,580 days longer
than the Great Flood itself). The justification for the tax breaks? Ark Park
officials say it'll create 900 jobs - based on a study Ark Park officials
did themselves and never showed state officials.
Virgina Bill Provides Tax Credit For Blasting Cremated Remains Into Space: A
Virginia state representative proposed a bill that "would provide a state
tax credit of up to $8,000 to those who agree to have their cremated remains
loaded onto a rocket and blasted into space," in an attempt to bolster
Virginia's nascent space industry. There's just one catch: Virginia's lone
spaceport doesn't actually offer space burials. The bill is scheduled to be
debated in January.
Read more.
C 2011 All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews//
AlterNet: The 10 Craziest Economic Policy Ideas Of 2011
By Travis Waldron, Tanya Somanader and Pat Garofalo, Think Progress
Posted on December 23, 2011, Printed on December 24, 2011
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/752912/the_10_craziest_economic_policy_
ideas_of_2011
The economy continued to struggle through 2011, with persistently high
unemployment, a foreclosure crisis that kept on burning, and banks behaving
badly in a whole host of ways. And there were plenty of ideas from
economists, lawmakers, and pundits about what to do about it. But some ideas
were, shall we say, more.unique than others.
Here are ThinkProgress' nominations, in no particular order, for the ten
craziest economic ideas of the last twelve months. Think we missed a good
one? Let us know in the comments below:
Florida State Rep. Proposes Ending Ban On Dwarf Tossing To Create Jobs: In
October, Florida state Rep. Ritch Workman (R) filed a bill to end the
state's ban on dwarf tossing - the practice of "launching little people for
the amusement of an audience." Workman may not condone throwing little
people across his lawn, but he introduced the bill because he wanted to
remove a "Big Brother law" that would create jobs: "Well, there is nothing
immoral or illegal about that activity," Workman said. "All we really did by
passing that law was take away some employment from some little people."
New Jersey Gives MTV's 'Jersey Shore' A Film Credit Worth $420,000: Despite
Gov. Chris Christie's (R) unapologetic hatred for the MTV series Jersey
Shore, the state Economic Development Authority awarded the series $420,000
in taxpayer funds to pay for the show's production costs. Not only does the
credit fail to create virtually any long-term, stable jobs, the EDA offered
the credit without even considering the show's content. The Jersey Shore
cast, however, did succeed in producing rare a agreement among Democrats and
Republicans to veto the credit, a veto Christie happily delivered.
Kentucky Provides Tax Credit To Build Theme Park Modeled After Noah's Ark:
In May, Kentucky gave a Bible-themed amusement park - replete with a model
Noah's Ark and Tower of Babel - a $43 million tax break, even as the state
was cutting social services. In August, the state went even farther, giving
the Ark Encounter theme park a 75 percent property tax discount for the next
three decades (the tax break, it turns out, will last 10,580 days longer
than the Great Flood itself). The justification for the tax breaks? Ark Park
officials say it'll create 900 jobs - based on a study Ark Park officials
did themselves and never showed state officials.
Virgina Bill Provides Tax Credit For Blasting Cremated Remains Into Space: A
Virginia state representative proposed a bill that "would provide a state
tax credit of up to $8,000 to those who agree to have their cremated remains
loaded onto a rocket and blasted into space," in an attempt to bolster
Virginia's nascent space industry. There's just one catch: Virginia's lone
spaceport doesn't actually offer space burials. The bill is scheduled to be
debated in January.
Read more.
C 2011 All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews//
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