A more Stimulating Economy

There was a minor splash of news about Japan's cash-for-clunkers program a week or so ago which went away as soon as it came. However, there remain some skeptics about the effectiveness of such a thing, especially when it is targeted at a small percentage of an already declining number of car owners in Japan. Almost any stimulus could have some benefits somewhere,* but is this the most effective?

Over on Japan Economy News & Blog, Ken Worsley has come up with an idea which would be much more effective in stimulating the entire economy over a much longer period of time. Why nobody in the government has thought of this is beyond me.

*Another ¥12,000 would stimulate me.