Trickle-down economics does not work, and neither does taxing the snot out of the wealthiest.

On and on, the same arguments. We need a different approach to make everybody happy. Let’s think logically.

Let’s talk tax incentives. The right screams, “We want tax incentives and lots of them.” Some people agree. The left screams, “We need to keep the tax money in the government hands.” Some people agree.

What we can all agree on, however, is that we are all striving for something better.

Tax incentives should be available to businesses based on how many jobs they actually create. The current practice of giving tax incentives with no strings attached does not promise any jobs. Tax incentives based on job creation does promise jobs.

Jobs are also created with government funds.

With more jobs, wealth would increase for the whole of society. Less public funds would be needed because fewer people would be impoverished. The private sector would inevitably grow by using mere incentives.

If no jobs are created, then we have to keep the would-be tax incentives in government programs that benefit people who can’t find a job or cannot work at all.

The gist of a book titled “The Art of War” is that the easiest way to defeat a rival force is to divide them amongst themselves. Ironically, society has been effectively defeating itself for some time now. It’s interesting to meet so many grown men and women who think that they must be on one side or another according to political party.

Usually, one political party says it’s right and the other is completely wrong. They are both partially right and wrong on certain issues. All we need to do is stop fighting and think logically.

Tobey McAffee, Augusta