Bob Herbert’s column in the OP-ED pages of January 19th’s New York Times has given his readers a lot to think about. And a lot to worry about. “Good Jobs Are Where The Money Is”, was his headline, and his initial paragraphs ran like this:

“I think of the people running this country as the mad-dashers, a largely confused and inconsistent group lurching ineffectively from one enormous problem to another.

“They’ve made a hash of a war that never should have been launched. They can’t find bin Laden. They’ve been shocked by the subprime debacle. They’re lost in a maze on health care.

“Now, like children who have eaten too much sugar, they are frantically trying to figure out how to put a few dollars into the hands of working people to stimulate an enfeebled economy.

“They should stop, take a deep breath and acknowledge the obvious: the way to put money into the hands of working people is to make sure they have access to good jobs at good wages. That has long been known, but it hasn’t been the policy in this country for many years …”

“Good jobs at good wages — lots of them, growing like spring flowers in an endlessly fertile field — is the absolutely essential basis for a thriving American economy and a broad-based rise in standards of living …”

“I’d start with a broad program to rebuild the American infrastructure. This would have the dual benefit of putting large numbers of people to work and answering a crying need …”

“The possibilities are limitless. We could create an entire generation of new jobs and build a bigger and fairer economy for the 21st century. If only we were serious.”

Mr. Herbert’s point is well taken, and we must get serious. Before that can happen, however, there has to be a game plan, but those “mad-dashers” don’t have a clue. They should realize, but they don’t, that a bigger and fairer economy can begin in only one way. A labor-intensive system must be devised so that “working people” can be put to work. How else could one “put a few dollars into the hands of working people to stimulate an enfeebled economy”?

That’s right, buying power is what fuels an economic engine, and U.S. citizens have little, if any, buying power remaining. Another important consideration is the inflationary pricing that is discouraging U.S. consumers. Inflation, unemployment, no buying power — sound hopeless?

Not at all. If we install our patented systems in all U.S. container terminals, thousands of jobs would be created and our systems’ efficient operations would cause prices to tumble. These lowered prices would restore the nation’s buying power and allow the “working people to restore an enfeebled economy”. “Good Jobs Are Where The Money Is”. You can take it to the bank.