Haitian Boat Crash

The story of a small overcrowded boat of Haitians crashing is not a new one. Still, the heart wrench in the details creates a desire to help the "miserably poor" country. The U.S. Coastguard searched 52 hours for survivors. So often we see ourselves as protectors of the helpless but then feel helpless to create the change that would have a long term effect.

In step #3 of FPS we are allowed to ignore for a while the known barriers to solutions. All of the consideration of strengths and weaknesses of a proposal is reserved for the 4th and 5th steps. So for now, what are all of the ways we might alleviate Haitian misery?

1. Implement the LDS Church's PEF program (to educate poor people)

2. Give out Micro loans (to help start home business)

3. Give them reflector ovens like the ones BYU students took to South America (so they can cook without expensive electricity or polluting fires)

4. Merry-Go-Rounds that generate lamp light like the ones BYU students took to Ghana

5. Teach them the intensive farming techniques developed by the Benson Institute at BYU

6. Create housing like the capsule hotels in Japan

7. Use Mayor Giuliani's "Broken Window" philosophy to stop crime.

8. Make U.S. adoption of their orphans easier

9. Create factories for them to work in based on the Google model.

10. Teach them to spin cloth Gandhi style.

11. Make it safe for Doctors Without Boarders to work there.

12. Teach them the Gospel of Jesus Christ so they will find purpose in living and be able to make sense of difficult times.

13. Give them clean drinking water through "Operation Blessing" at the 700 club.

14. Create jobs for people like FDR did during the Great Depression. (Jill)

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I needed to add this report on the efforts of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Haiti since the earthquake. These people aren't just brainstorming, they are DOING what they can to help.

Of the People, By the People, For the People

The title is from the Gettysburg Address. It expresses the ideal of government accountability. Congress is voting for bills they haven't read and, to me, seem harmful. How can we make individual Congressmen more accountable to the people? (FPS Step #3)

1. Term limits

2. Shortened terms

3. Require a quarterly vote of confidence.

4. Make them read the polling numbers of their constituents on each issue.

5. Have them explain the bills they are about to vote on and how they will vote on a TV channel for that purpose.

6. Have them watch constituents debating the bill and then have them create a summary to prove they understand what they said.

7. Publish their daily time trackers so we can see what we are paying for. (This might be a case of Little Sister watching "Big Brother"!)

8. Make it so that every bill enacted into law would expire within one year and require a new vote for the law to continue in force.

9. Good Historians are "fair to the opposition" meaning they show understanding of opposing views. Make congressmen do the same.

10. Take the bit out of their teeth! Let them somehow feel pain when they go in a direction other than where their constituents want them to. For example: decrease their pay, give them jail time, or more hours of homework.
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If these suggestions seem outrageous, review brainstorming ground rules.

Medical Reform

I had an old college roommate do my taxes for me one year. She told me that I would have enough money to live well on if my medical expenses didn't take so much of my income. So now, when President Obama wants to reform the medical system part of me wants to cheer. Another part doesn't because 1) I don't believe bureaucracies ever increased the efficiency of anything, 2) I'm pretty sure the plans they are considering would put a bureaucracy in charge. 3) Although there are claims to the contrary, I'm pretty sure it would increase government spending and therefore debt.

Step #1 of Future Problem Solving helps us ask enough questions that we can come up with a question worth working on. They can't be yes/no questions. They should be questions that might generate many possible answers. I'll start the list:

1. In what ways might we reign in present government medical spending?
2. How might we convince people they might not be the recipient of a government give-away?
3. How might we convince the majority that it is corrupt to want something for nothing?
4. How can we decrease the number of people in poverty because of medical reasons?
5. What are better ways to detect corruption in medical billing?
6. What are better ways to detect corruption in government spending?
7. How might we pay the same money for medical services without risking poverty?
8. What are the equitable changes we might make in medical services?
9. Who are the best people or groups of people to design medical plans?
10. What are the ways we might take care of physical problems without going to a doctor?
11. Healthy habits for lifestyle and food consumption (Jonathan)
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Stimulus Packages

In the Constitution there are written safeguards to protect the people from the excesses of the federal government. Anything that creates a bigger, more intrusive government has the potential for becoming anti-Constitutional.

The present stimulus package sends the message that government spending is the solution to our individual and corporate financial woes. Permission to spend is granted by the Congress. The more they spend, the more we will be taxed. Money creates one kind of power. Accepting more government spending is accepting a bigger government. Gifts almost always come with strings, i.e. the power to control some aspect of our lives.

Carol Dweck, in her book Mindset, described an evaluation as being a stimulus to further student growth (p.76). It made me wonder if there were other, unusual measures, we haven't considered that might stimulate economic growth. It is hard for me to think in terms of trillions so to get my mind around the problem I'd like to apply the question to a person, a family, or a small business.

In FPS there is an emphasis on asking the right questions. One right question for this current event might be, "What, besides government money, stimulates financial growth?" I'll start the answer list. Please add to it in the comment box and I'll edit this list with your thoughts.

1. Work harder
2. Work longer
3. Work less...when the law of diminishing returns is in play
4. Work smarter...more focused
5. Work with others
6. Inspired work...keep praying
7. Bring creativity to your work (Ask me about Brian Tracy's morning lists.)
8. Pay down, then pay off, debt
9. Humility...learning from mistakes
10. Honesty is the best policy in work...avoiding corruption
11. Do a better job of providing what others need...finding the right market
12. Clarify wants as opposed to needs (Emilee)
13. Let Capitalism run its course (survival of the fittest) (Jill)
14. Innovation (Adam)
15. Consider carefully opposite views of best policy. (Marti)

As with any brainstorming, the first answers are always the easiest. Getting past the obvious is where the real creativity comes in. This is the FPS step #3. Step #6 asks us to create a plan using one of the #3 solutions. Can you imagine what a "Humility Stimulus Package" might look like???