Did you see the
comment by Patrick that
Glenn linked to?
“I think it would be the ultimate act of honesty to dress the Secretary of the Treasury in a clown costume. I have no objection to that at all.”
Well that gave me an idea. What would be the value of having all
14.5 2.1 million federal government employees — starting at the top with the President — made to wear clown suits every day for, say, the next four years? Would it be worth as much as a trillion dollar coin? More? I propose we find out:
Step 1: Purchase
14.5 2.1 million clown suits through the
Althouse Amazon Associates portal, natch.
Step 2: Make federal government employees wear them every day for 4 years.
Step 3: ???
Step 4: Pay off national debt!
Posts
29 comments:
How about, like the TEA party sending tea bags, we just send Turbo Tax Timmy 14.5 million "Clown Noses"?
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=clown+noses&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aclown+noses
Well... it'd have massive entertainment value. Practical value, not so much, but I've despaired of getting much in the way of practical value from the federal government.
Step 3 is easy: Make 'em pay a buck to the Treasury every day they don't wear the clown suit.
Federal Government employees, including the military, total 4.4 million.
Good point, ddh. And we've got to exempt the military, for combat effectiveness reasons.
And I'm afraid that at $2K or so per day per exemption, which might at least keep us from adding to the debt, they'll all stick w/ the clown suit.
That's it, then. We're fucked.
Not according to what I read on TEXTThe Internet.
It would probably be simpler just to cut their pay.
Of course, that would eliminate the presumably critical feature of Step 1.
You come try to put that clown outfit on me and when you recover we'll talk again. Clown outfits for the political appointees is an entirely different matter.
Would be easier to just mint the god damn coin.
Actually, allow federal workers the opportunity to pay for dressing said political appointees in clown outfits and you might garner a windfall.
Greetings, Meade.
Mandatory clown-suits for gov't employees is an excellent idea. It makes them conspicuous. Just don't tell the Journal News about your plan. They're likely to publish the names and addresses of these gov't employees. And then only non-gun owners will have the "freedom to be left alone." Err, no, that won't work either. But never mind.
In any event, bring on the clown suits. Let us all see what we're getting for our money.
What's your objection, garage? Worried about a big runup in the price of clown suits?
@Chip
I predict there would be a more stimulative effect on the economy by simply sending every federal worker a check for the amount of the clown suit. Even helicopter drops of cash straight into people's hands makes more sense than the amount of money we spend trying to create jobs.
Make them wear the clown suits until we have a budget that really balances.
Good one, Meade.
What if, and I'm not saying there are, but what if there are attractive female federal employees who want to be naked some days during the next four years?
I have been de-clothing the affluent for some time now and would hate to have to change my ways.
Hey, we're paying the bills..wear the clown suit chump and any department heads have to wear a squeaky nose.
Bob said...
Actually, allow federal workers the opportunity to pay for dressing said political appointees in clown outfits and you might garner a windfall.
Watch it pal, or ya get the wacky giant shoes too.
You might check your facts. There's more like 2.1 million federal civilian workers.
Forget the clown suits. Give them cash instead. Lets try this thought experiment: give every member of congress a million bucks for every ten billion in actual spending reductions. In one election cycle we will have a surplus.
Cheap money all things considered.
Lets try this thought experiment: give every member of congress a million bucks for every ten billion in actual spending reductions.
That's dangerous. Someone would pass an amendment to strike out the reduction part in the dark of night, or just play the angles of the wording so that the spending reductions would be the typical book-keeping folderol which they're always passing as "reductions" but which never actual cut spending when it comes down to cutting cheques.
i think you are rather unfair and unfriendly to the clowns, poor things.
You need a Bryce Harper tag, madam.
I foresee a moment in the near future when the only reason I don't wipe my ass with a $100 bill is out of respect for Ben Franklin. (And the texture of course. But economically, it will make sense.)
Mandatory clown-suits for gov't employees is an excellent idea. It makes them conspicuous.
--Lawyer Mom (9:49 PM)
I'd rather those who voted for Obama be conspicuous.
Would be easier to just mint the god damn coin.
--garage mahal (9:46 PM)
You'd rather wear the clown suit, I guarantee it. You think it's a g.d. coin now...
Let's try this thought experiment: give every member of congress a million bucks for every ten billion in actual spending reductions.
--cubanbob (7:38 AM)
I had a sorta similar idea for term limits back in the 1980s. Once a Member of Congress had voted for a total of a trillion dollars in spending - outta there. Of course, back then a trillion dollar limit would'a kept even an imprudent member in office for a lot longer than a few months.
They would simply respond by outlawing clown suits (and clowns).
When clown suits are outlawed, only outlaws will have clown suits.
The Underpants Gnomes would be naturals as business consultants on your debt reduction plan...
The Underpants Gnomes would be naturals as business consultants on your debt reduction plan...
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