On msn dot com this morning, one of their stories was a list of each state's wealthiest person. They were listed in order of wealth, from least to most. Of course, the wealthiest was Bill Gates (WA). His wealth was listed as $76B. Economics wasn't my best subject, but I seemed to understand the concept of stimulating the economy with an infusion of funds. I find it so annoying that while some can't rub two pennies together, others have money that just sits there. It can't be spent in this lifetime, or many lifetimes. I've often said the country's entire economy is hidden in the Caymans. It's not even a fairness issue. I don't think everyone needs to be wealthy. I think my concern has more to do with the fact that life is finite. And life is even shorter if it's spent in a constant state of worry. Or sadness.

So what would happen if we took all but $1B from Mr. Gates and divided it evenly amongst every man, woman, and child in the country? My quick math came up with somewhere between $2,000 and $2,500. And then we add a rule that the money can't be used to pay old debt. It must be used solely for new consumption. And rule #2, the funds won't be taxed. For a single person family, it's not enough for major purchases, like a car or house (unless it's used for a downpayment, I guess). But for larger families, it could allow for something really nice, like a trip. Whatever!

The question really is----what does it do to the economy? And, I'm sure no one would mind if you came up with ideas for how you would spend your allotment. Anyone wanna play? Reality is such a bummer these days.