I think of it as some sort of catapult program. The government would expect the money to be spent on establishing a solid foundation for a young adult: modest home, solid transportation, all the proper insurance, and the benefits would be even more far-reaching than that.
The way you qualify for your "pre-heritance" is by staying out of trouble up to that point. For every run-in with authority, you would lose a portion of the money. Rather than lock a kid up for his first public intoxication charge, dock him a grand out of his fifty. Let him earn it back with appropriate behavior.
We are not doing a great job in our country of teaching children right from wrong. There is a lack of structure and discipline in far too many children's lives. We have to put something in place to motivate children extrinsically. As much as I hate it, nothing does that better than money. It's a fact of life, and particularly of American life. My boys say "Money can't buy me love," but they also warn you of the power of the "TaxMan." Children in our culture equate money with freedom -- which is a grand commodity. If they know they will get at least a shot, a boost, they will strive to do everything necessary to reach the goal.
Graduating high school gets you a bonus. Graduate college, roll into the courthouse and pick up your $75,000 check. The possibilities are limitless, but it should be simple. I would love to see a pilot project in one of the states. I guarantee you, teen crime would go down. Bring them in to sign up for the program. They can come in when they are twelve, a rite of passage into adolescence. You sign a paper that says: "I intend to receive my 25 Catapult payment from Uncle Sam. I understand that this is a privilege, not a right, and that I could lose portions of the payment for inappropriate behavior. Amen." Then, you get $100 on the spot. Who wouldn't sign up?
OK, obviously, I hear the realist in the corner, "Where will the money come from Glenn?"
I'm probably not the first one to come up with this funding plan, but couldn't we build one less airplane or boat for a year or two, and just redirect that money from whichever millionaire was going to get it, if it cuts the crime rate, ups high school and college graduation, and infuses a constant stream of money into the economy? I'm being naive I'm sure. It just seems to have some good points.
And the IRS can start collecting it back with the 25 year olds first paycheck. Just start pulling 25 percent out until half of it has come back to the government. That's fair. Steady stream of income for Uncle Sam again.
I don't know, it makes sense to me. I'm thinking of putting it into play at my school. How about I offer a $2,000 college scholarship to students that stay through eighth grade and then go on through high school and get accepted to a college. Then they come back to me and claim their scholarship. Same principle. Maybe I'll be the pilot. "Over Unger, Unger, Dunn..."
This is probably an influence of near socialist England still lingering on me from my three months there. This ol' worn out US of A probably can't afford it. We'd rather just keep letting our 19 year old kids keep gunning each other down in the street, losing everything because they have nothing to live for anyway. There has to be a better idea. I'm just trying to get the ball rolling.
Grizdawg Out.
