"A horrible idea and a suggestion"

I enjoy reading your perspective on current issues. If a political party in Canada existed that shared some of your thoughts, I'm sure we could rally the working people around them. In times like these, it is refreshing to see a common sense approach and thoughts to the problems we all face.

Burt Miller
Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada

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Hi Jim,

A thought provoking idea closing high cost mills and governments paying for the cleanup. It would make our pulp/paper companies financially stronger in the long run and create a whole new job force for the environmental market. Unfortunately, our politicians are not smart enough to understand the possibilities.

Up here in Canada, we have just been advised by the Federal Minister of Finance to expect deficit budgets for the next 5 years ranging from $1 to 5 billion per year. Tiny when compared to the USA, but significant to Canadians as we have spent the last decade getting out from under 3 decades of deficits to having budget surpluses. And, I expect that the actual deficits likely will be much more than forcasted as the line-up for bailouts has already started including $3 billion for the Big 3 automakers and followed by forestry and a host of others.

Re this weeks riddle, the words are: mirth - laughter, misery - slaughter.

Bob Hurter
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

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Well, I wish it was my idea, but it wasn't. I did study banking when I did my MBA. The banking system in the US "creates" most of the money. They have reserve requirements, used to be 15% or so for "demand deposits" like checking accounts. Thus, for every dollar in a checking account, they could lend it out about 7 times. Those dollars ended back up in some bank, somewhere. There is also a concept called the "velocity of money" meaning a given dollar is spent several times in a year.

So, we wanted to "bail out" the financial institutions. Why give them money? The $700 billion could be handed over to every man, woman and child. That's over $2000 per person. That money, even if initially spent on drugs in some cases, would eventually end up in the bank anyway... making almost $5 trillion available for loans.

Larry Wells
Atlanta, Georgia, USA

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Laughter and Slaughter.

Merry Christmas!

Jeff Reese
International Paper
Loveland, Ohio, USA

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Jim,

For this week's riddle, how about Laughter and Slaughter.

Jack MacBrayne
Champion Int'l (Retired)
Orland, Maine, USA

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Dear Jim,

Further to the conversation we had two weeks ago: you more or less warned me that you were going to say something about old mills.

Today I read your latest Nip Impressions and guess what? I think it is a brilliant idea to use this economical downtime to get rid of the garbage and proceed with a 'fresh', economically and ecologically much healthier industry indeed. (The cleaning operation even has an OK economical pay back for the 'consumers', because their future paper and board products will be less expensive (or less subsidized) and more sustainable indeed.)

I wish you and the people you care about a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009!

Best regards,

Kees Herder
Coldenhove Papier
Eerbeek Holland

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Hi, Jim,

Thank you so much for sending me the e files of PaperMoney. There are a lot interesting and useful information about the industry.

Merry Christmas and happy new year to you and your family.

Have a blessed and prosperous 2009.

Enjoy the holiday.

Delong Song
IPST
Atlanta, Georgia, USA

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I know you sent a broader, deeper message, I focused on one example.

"...one sees the highly efficient machines of the Caterpillar company and others do what used to be done with a tenth of the labor.."

While certainly agreeing with your ideology (generally), it must be the generational thing at work, I also see an opportunity with rebuilding our (the USA's) infrastructure. And yes, it will not likely involve 'shovels' and picks, but it should positively impact our manufacturing base.

Can you imagine the amount of 'paperwork' alone that would be required to transact the proposed process? How many additional higher paying jobs would be created as a result of replacing manual picks and shovels with automated and semi-automated modern machinery such as that manufactured by Caterpillar?

Stimulus for manufacturing, whether it be fulfilling domestic 'shovel ready' or international needs, is the key IMHO. Rebuilding our highways and bridges, our electrical t&d and broadening our access to the internet are all worthy goals which benefit us all, right here at home, wherever that may be.

Keeping the non-value adding 'pork' out of the project is the issue of most concern, especially after seeing my tax dollars making their way into the hands of the misguided greedy, benefitting the few who believe, one suspects, that limousines', safe drinking water, functioning sewers and instant access to more and more electricity is a birthright of no concern.

As always good controversial subject matter, Bring it on.

John Yolton
SKF
Eureka, California, USA

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Thanks one and all for all of your letters throughout the year. And, if English is not your first language, may I encourage you to write anyway? We are here to respect your thoughts, not examine your grammar.

And, by the way, John Yolton, speaking of Caterpillar, you might want to check out "Closing with Creativity" this week.

Jim


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