Nixon buck-passed while Ferguson burned. With the city’s main business district laid to rubble, buycotts won’t have much effect. And Christmas is around the corner.
Who got hurt last night?
*1. People who own businesses *2. People who work at businesses *3. People who rely on businesses
Time is short. The people affected by last night’s riots need help rebuilding and jobs right now. While I don’t have complete plans, I can throw out eight ideas. Please make one of these come to life.
*1. 100 St. Louis companies hire 1 affected person for 1 year. Longer if they wish, but guarantee a job for 12 months starting December 1. *2. 100 companies (St. Louis or elsewhere) adopt one damaged business each to rebuild. And it’s not just the businesses with physical damage. Most Ferguson and Dellwood business need out of business funding. *3. 100 St. Louisans can sponsor Christmas this year for one affected family in Ferguson. Start with a list of employees who are out of work because of the violence last night. *4. Companies and charities can establish a fund for rebuilding destroyed property. Let the private companies’ CFOs manage the money, not government or NGOs who have a way of making a billion dollars disappear. *5. What if our well-endowed universities donated from their endowments to a redevelopment fund? Maybe give students credit for helping rebuild. *6. I’ve been asking for this since August, but how about a state sales tax holiday for Ferguson, Dellwood, Florissant, Hazelwood, and other affected cities? If I were governor, I’d call a special session next week to pass that law in time for the holidays. *7. Add an option to the 2014 Missouri Income Tax forms allowing business and individuals across the state to donate from their tax refunds to offset the cost of the state sales tax holiday. *8. Hold Saturday morning resilience classes for business owners and their employees, followed by a two-hour workday to help in recovery.
These ideas need your help.
If you know someone who can make one or more of these ideas come to life, please email a link to this story. Ask them to get it started.
If you have better ideas, please include them in the comments. (Yes, people read the comments almost as much as they read my nonsense.)
Thanks. Let’s not let St. Louis go the way of Gary, Indiana. We cannot rely on government—government is the problem, not the solution. We have to rely on ourselves.