Capitalism Isn't Dead.....Yet

As the government continues its power grab, it is easy to become disheartened. Projections I have seen estimate that if universal health care comes to pass, the government will control just under 50% of the economy. If capitalism is to survive and even thrive again, we the people need to revive it. How? We need to pay attention and tell everyone when we see capitalism in action and see it succeeding. We need to build our businesses from the sweat of our own brows and shun the Small Business Administration and other forms of government "support". We need to participate in the marketplace.

The purist form of capitalism that I have seen is the city-wide garage sale. The small town that I grew up in has such an event twice a year, in April and September. Our family regularly participates in these events. It works like this: A community organization such as the volunteer fire department auxiliary or chamber of commerce sets the date and coordinates the advertising. Anyone who wants to participate pays a nominal fee, $7 in the case of our town, for the advertising. Ads are placed, signs are made for the entrances to town and maps are available for shoppers to pick up at local businesses. These sales have been held in our town for a number of years, so it has gained a good reputation and has morphed into a huge event. The April sale was no exception. Thousands of people flocked to our town, sellers were selling and buyers were buying with abandon. There were lines at the local gas stations with visitors filling up, the local restaurants were filled to capacity with people eating lunch, the local grocery store set up a brat stand and had a line around the block. The community club rented table space at the local park for those that wanted to participate but didn't have access to other space and the Little League had a lemonade stand. The day was a winner all around. Individual sellers made some cash, buyers got great deals, local businesses were patronized, the community groups raised some money, and charities such as the Salvation Army, Goodwill and Disabled American Vets sent vans to collect the leftovers. This is the best stimulus around....just get the government out of the way and watch the money flow!

Capitalism can be applied to more than consumer spending. I believe that it is also the best way to accomplish huge projects. We love the Lake of the Ozarks. It is our home away from home, we go there as often as we can and we intend to move there when our 13-year old is grown and settled. This area of central Missouri is a testament to capitalism. The Lake exists because of the Bagnell Dam. Union Electric began construction on this hydroelectric plant in 1929 and it was completed in 1931. It was a $30 million project (imagine what that was in terms of 1930 dollars!), all privately funded. The constuction of this dam created a pocket of prosperity during the Great Depression. It employed thousands of laborers and spurred the development of communities all around its approximately 1200 miles of shoreline. Union Electric owns the resevoir, but the land surrounding it is and has alway been privately owned. The utility, of course, sells the electricity it produces to millions of customers and it also gains revenue from dock permit fees sold to homeowners and businesses on the waterfront. Moving forward a few years, the east side Horseshoe Bend area of the lake saw huge development, primarily from St. Louis, as people discovered the lake as a vacation destination. The west side Shawnee Bend area remained largely undeveloped. In the late 60s and early 70s, developers began petitioning the state of Missouri to build a bridge to connect the east and west sides. The request was repeatedly denied for the next 20 years because of funding, regulations, and a host of other reasons. Finally, in the early 90s, a group of private citizens got together and organized a grass roots effort to get legislation passed to allow them to form a corporation to privately fund and build the bridge. In 1992, the legislation passed and the Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge Corp. was formed. This non-profit organization sold more than $40 million in bonds, millions more was contributed by the Four Seasons Corporation (a local resort/property developer), and the Missouri Highway Commission aided in securing rights of way and rerouting existing highways to allow access to the bridge. The bridge was opened on May 1, 1998 at a cost of just under $26 million. Think about this, for 20 years the state government took no action. Once it was out of the way, the project was designed, financed, constructed and open for use in less than 6 years! It was even built with an eye on the future. Two lanes are open now, with the substructure already in place for another two. The bonds are being paid with revenues generated by the tolls. It costs $2.50 for a typical passenger vehicle to cross the bridge. Before the bridge, it took 90 minutes to get from Horseshoe Bend to Shawnee Bend, it now takes 15 minutes. That time savings is well worth the $2.50 to me! As a result of this bridge, property values on the west side of the Lake have skyrocketed and development is in a frenzy. All of this results in higher tax revenues for the state. The Lake of the Ozarks is a shining example of capitalism and what has been done there should be a model for all communities. Maybe that's why I love it so much, it is unspoiled by the heavy hand of government. It exists because of the vision and hard work of fellow Americans.

Let's start thinking outside the box! Let's innovate! Share your ideas, find a solution to a problem that doesn't involve the government and implement it. If we all do this, in big and small ways, we can take our country back.