Everybody Grab a Saw!

When we were much younger than we are now, my brother and I had the great opportunity to work for a small home builder.  One of the members of the crew that we worked with, Billy*, was very nervous when the boss was around.  It didn’t matter if we had just started a 15 minute break or were half way through lunch break, if the boss rolled up in his pick up truck while we were sitting, Billy jumped up and felt like he needed to do something - hammer nails, move lumber, or sweep the floors - even if there was no specific plan or strategy that would help get the house built faster or more efficiently.  We all gave Billy quite a hard time for this, but he continued to do it anyway.

One day, about 10 minutes into a 30 minute lunch break, we saw the boss driving up to the job site so Billy jumped up and started his doing and moving.  Another member of the crew, Matt*, jumped up also and shouted, “Everybody grab a saw and just start cuttin’!”  While the rest of the crew saw the folly in a building crew grabbing and cutting, the joke was lost on Billy.  (Can you imagine a crew of 8 guys, each with a Sawzall, hacking away at the wood inside of a house?)

What does this story have to do with economic and financial issues?  While the phrase “Everybody grab a saw and just start cuttin’!” has become a catch-phrase for my brother and I, the notion of trying to feel good by doing something, regardless of whether that something was beneficial or not, can apply to the financial issues of today.  We now use this phrase when we talk about politicians in America.  Because of their desires to get reelected, and by extolling the virtues of what they have done for their constituents, politicians consistently act like they have to do something even if their desire to “help” has a negative long-term impact.

If doing something may have a deterimental long-term impact, wouldn’t doing nothing be better until a better plan was developed?

Like the home builder, politicians have a lot of tools at their disposal.  However, if the wrong tool is used at the wrong time, the home builder could cause catastophic harm the house.  Isn’t it safe to assume the same for politicians and the economy?  Does the American economy really need a stimulus plan?  Only history will tell.  But we need to remember that just because we see a bunch of politicians with saws in their hands, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are working in a constructive manner.

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

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