A fine wine economic stimulus proposal

[JimHow]

With world financial systems in crisis, it is clear that bold intervention measures are necessary to stimulate economic growth.

We all have personal obligations to assist in addressing the problems. We should not ask what our country can do for us, but what we can do for our country.

Perhaps even more-so during harsh economic times, it is important to assist those in the wine and restaurant businesses to keep their people employed. I'm sure there are many out there who would just let the fine wine market crash. I refuse to just sit back and see us do nothing. The domino effect would be devastating.

I propose that the president and Congress allocate $10,000 to each BWEer to puchase fine wines in an effort to stimulate the economy.

As a condition, I'm prepared to purchase wines only from financially devastated California, to assist the wine industry there.

It will be important that we be given unlimited latitude in our purchases, and not be required to disclose purchases.

This will have a direct benefit to not only the wineries, but the wholesalers, retailers, restaurants on down the chain, to the packers and waitresses and cooks and Fed Ex delivery men.

Congress should give the president authority to allocate a second $10,000, so that we may spend it at restaurants that allow corkage. This will clearly put money in the pockets of struggling restauranteurs and their employees, who will in turn spend their money on goods and services that will directly impact the economy.

The economic impacts will be immediate: The funds will be circulated into the economy almost immediately, not two or three years from now like many of the current proposals in the president's plan.

What makes more sense: Giving $20,000.00 to each BWEer to circulate immediately into the economy, or millions to Wall Street moguls to reward themselves with bonuses for crashing their businesses into the dust and taking all of the rest of us down with them?

I am prepared to agree to not give myself a bonus in excess of $500,000.00.

The times require great sacrifice. We simply cannot let the fine wine markets collapse. I'm willing to do my part.

[alchemeus]

Well, I would and do, purchase East Coast wines.
But I always have.

[Chasse-Spleen]

I second this motion. However, I want to add an opinion borrowed from a guy who works for Caterpillar I saw on the news, the guys who make all that construction equipment. He was aghast that Obama included a "buy American" rider in one of his proposals, saying 'we can't afford to lose our business from South America and China if we piss them off by buying American only.' At the time, I thought this was one of the most ironic and un-American statements I'd ever heard. But now I see the light. I propose to amend Jim's proposal by saying, we must not offend the millions of French tourists, restauranteurs, waitresses and boulevardiers who visit, work in and spice up the NYC wine and restaurant scene by insisting on the purchase of California wines only. As all of the best restaurants are mainly French and Italian, it's imperative that the BWEers be able to spend their $20,000 stimulus packages on French and Italian wines, as well as a small percentage on California wines, to be fair.

[DavidG]

This is the most logical thing I've heard all week on the stimulus. Speaking of the stimulus package...

The talking heads on the news have had me chuckling over the notion of Obama having to justify the size of his "package."

[JimHow]

I second that motion, Chris. And I promise to leave big tips.

[Rick]

Jim
The only problem i have with your idea is that you are undershooting
I think we need much more than 20k to help out the wine biz

I was thinking if we had 100k ea we could agree to 4 conventions thus helping out wine shops, resturants and hotels in 4 different cities during the year

I only suggest this out of concern about those in our country who depend on the wine biz for their livelihood this concern of mine is in the best interest of the country. i will fly commercial and will not hire any lobbiest

rick

[JimHow]

You're right, Rick. This is the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression. We really need to think big if it is going to have any meaningful impact. I will rent an American car and drive to these events if they agree to increase it to $100K per BWEer. Hmmm... Okay, let's see.... Spending money that goes directly into the economy to help wait staffs, and struggling retailers, and restaurants, or... Spending the money so that rich bankers can give themselves millions in bonuses in compensation for ruining the economy.... Hmmm.... a difficult choice....

Hey, if Larry Flynt can ask for TARP monies for the porn industry, and if the gambling industry can ask for TARP assistance for Foxwoods and Las Vegas, why not us???

[JimHow]

You know, the two quiet Republican lady senators from Maine-- Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins-- came through in the true spirit of bipartisanship to help pass the bill, I'll have to lobby them for this "BWE Amendment"!

[JimHow]

I ran into Olympia once a few years back in a wine shop in Falmouth, Maine, where she lives with her husband John McKernan, a former Maine governor, and she asked me for recommendations on wine during the holiday season. I suggested the wine I had in my arms-- three bottles of 1989 Lynch Bages.

[Rick]

Jim
great idea on how we could helpt he auto industry

I will not rent an American car I will buy one!!

i think we are now on to something helping out people all over the country applying trickle down economics

rick

[Tom In DC]

Great idea, Jimbo!

Now, with a $500K stimulus check, I'd buy an American car (as opposed to a "made-in-America" car...by the way, what's the cheapest such car, since to achieve the best use of such a vehicle, I'd promptly donate it to the local public radio station for the tax deduction?) to support our automakers, then buy a new 3 BR, 2BA condo in a ski town in Colorado (or maybe Taos) to support our construction industry and its workers. I'd then spend the balance on US wines, coming around to the original intent of the wine stimulus package after allowing for some pork, er, uh, earmarks, uh, no, locally-directed spending, yeah, that's it, locally-directed spending.

[JimHow]

I think this is something that surely can appeal to all members of Congress in a bipartisan spirit, Tom. With a $500K stimulus check, I would "invest" the money into the next Zachy's auction, focusing primarily on the cellars of American "gentlemen," thus contributing to the local economy and better enabling our friends in the Empire State to meet their local, state, city, county, borough, neighborhood, street tax obligations. Surely this is an idea that Charlie Schumer could latch onto quickly. The key here is speed, we need to get these funds into the economic system as soon as possible.

[DavidG]

Spending, Tom? SPENDING?!?! It's not SPENDING, it's INVESTING.

Try it now. First a Deep Cleansing Breath...

Ease into it gently...

Inve$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ting...

[JimHow]

It's a jobs program, I tell you.