We should be exploring cures for our dysfunctional economy. If we can bail out banks and Detroit automakers, we can bail out tax-paying Americans.

An out-of-the box solution is to give a super stimulus, a set amount to seniors who are willing to retire. Two hundred thousand dollars would do. This would accomplish vacating thousands of jobs for young people, give an infusion of fresh capital into the economy, allow huge income and luxury taxes to flow into the treasury, and provide an avenue for homeowners to pay their boated home loans.

Perhaps we could also give most adult tax-paying citizens the opportunity, to get their share of this bounty in a revolving manner, so people would keep their jobs.

Can you imagine poor people spending money on clothes, vacations, homes and Detroit cars? It would not last long, but nobody could say that there is no future in this country. And the money would circulate back into the economy.

Rugged individualism is a fine axiom, but no man is an island, we need to live with everyone. I do not know about you, but I do not want to live behind walled-in compounds, I saw enough of them in Vietnam.

Instead of riots, we might see excesses by paupers, suddenly rich, but the money would not be going to Cayman Island accounts. It would be fueling our economy and tax base, paying for itself, in perpetuity so to speak.

Spending, credit and job creation need a good ol' kick-start. What if we gave all those on welfare $200,000 if they gave up welfare for at least a year? I know, some might be back on welfare the following year, but they would put this “super stimulus” right back into the economy. We need spenders, but they have to possess money to spend.

Outrageous, yes, but we need looser credit, a way out of the housing disaster and a fresh infusion of money into the economy.

Borrowing from China is not the answer. We pay interest on debts, and sooner or later it will climb so high we cannot afford to pay it.

It cannot climb indefinitely without reaching critical mass. Whereas, investing into our own economy and people would make an investment in our own citizens, with no interest demands.

It would also involve all our citizens in our economy, allowing people to share in our bounty who never dreamed of being part of it.

Dave Gebhard lives in Lakeport, Calif.