What Is Not Working

Society has not stood idly by in the face of the indicators outlined above. This section presents a short summary of the responses to each problem and their effects.

· Stress: A Google search on the phrase “stress management” yields over 1.2 million sites hawking everything from pills to diets, exercise, and meditation. This maze of conflicting information and solutions can make relieving stress more stressful than stress itself. In essence, society’s chaotic and disorganized efforts surrounding stress have the effect of worsening the problem.

· Boredom: "The kids have given us some really good ideas," says Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Kelly Kollar. "They felt adults were telling them what they should do. They were really excited to have somebody ask them what they wanted to do."
(from Howell tackles teen boredom; Summer program offers beach fun, day trips by Karen Bouffard (Special to The Detroit News). Article is available online at http://www.detnews.com/2002/livingston/0205/16/d05l-491008.htm.)
Other responses include after school programs, Scouts, and church youth groups. The efficacy of these programs, which are organized by adults for children, (particularly middle school students who are the most vulnerable) is questionable, making the response a hit and miss affair with few concerted efforts.

· Poverty: “Generally, poverty is seen as either insufficient markets to efficiently direct individual actions towards economic efficient results (which would produce economic growth) or some non-market institution that is preventing markets from being efficient. If markets were allowed to do their magic, thus generate economic growth, poverty would be substantially eliminated. The faith in markets solving the problem of poverty is why economists and politicians frequently look towards economic growth as the solution to poverty.” (from Ending Poverty in America: The First Step (Draft) by Charles M. A. Clark, Senior Fellow, Vincentian Center for Church and Society, St. John’s University http://www.widerquist.com/usbig/discussionpapers/080-Clark-EndingPoverty.doc)

Most anti-poverty programs are plagued with excessive bureaucracy and a bewildering array of complicated, confusing, and compulsory rules that render them inaccessible to the people who need help the most. Meanwhile, people who are skilled at manipulating bureaucracies actually profit from these programs. This leads to more rules, more bureaucracy, and more rigidity, which only worsens the problem.

· Energy: “If we continue down the path of dependence on foreign sources without advancing new and innovative ways to improve conservation or increasing our domestic supply, U.S. energy consumption will continue to outgrow production, compromising our ability to remain safe and strong as a nation.” Rep. Gary Miller R-CA. 42nd Congressional District (http://www.house.gov/garymiller/EnergySelf-SufficiencyandSecurity.html)
A few non-profits such as Path to Freedom (http://pathtofreedom.com) and the New Roadmap Foundation (http://www.newroadmap.org) are working to find solutions to this issue. On a broader scale, nothing is being done to curb energy use. In fact, local governments actually encourage consumerism to generate tax income, particularly sales tax income.

· Land Use: Public/private programs such as conservation easements, purchase of development rights, and transferable development rights are severely limited by “private property rights.” Government agencies such as the EPA and educational efforts of such groups as the Sierra Club are equally powerless to stop the continual paving of farmland.
“Land protection, and its converse, development, must be viewed in light of private property rights. Government spending programs, regulations, and an individual's rights as a property owner drives the land market in this country. Daniels and Bowers (1997) remind us that "[t]he tension between the private ownership of land and the public interest is a fundamental and continual issue in the community efforts to manage growth." What land will be developed and what land will be protected is up to landowners, elected officials and the public to decide.” Protecting Farmland In Developing Communities: A Case Study Of The Tax Implications Of Agricultural Conservation Easements By Nanette Nelson, Laurie Fowler, and Jeffrey Dorfman, University of Georgia.

· Job Satisfaction and Workplace Culture: Many companies attempt “best practices” and “employee empowerment” programs. Implementing these programs often takes years, especially if the organization has a bureaucratic culture. These efforts also tend to be haphazard, meaning that few organizations effectively implement their ideas. This worsens employee frustration and dissatisfaction. Meanwhile, private consultants and coaches have created a huge array of products (workshops, audio/video presentations, customized seminars, consultancies, books, etc.) designed to step in where employers have failed with mixed results, due in large part to high price points that prevent mass entry.

· Workplace Anger: Many consulting firms offer anger management and employee assistance programs including psychological counseling, books, CD’s, and workshops. These programs, while possibly effective, are not nearly widespread enough to prevent problems from occurring and are most often employed reactively to respond to an incident that has already occurred instead of proactively to prevent problems from arising. Individual reluctance to step forward and admit a problem along with bureaucracy and red tape can also greatly hinder these programs’ effectiveness. Individual employees may fear job loss or other negative consequences if they enroll in such programs.