> If you've got a
> better idea, please suggest one.
Since you didn't qualify that with "in the realm of the possible," I've got plenty. How about public works? Build affordable housing, build new schools and hospitals, build public transportation, build this clean energy infrastructure everyone's always talking about, etc.
And let's couple those projects with serious public investments that will produce new, well-paying service jobs. Universal single-payer health care and complete financial aid for all students in the working and middle classes would be excellent starts on that front.
I believe we could pay for most of those things by repudiating the military portion of our national debt, at least $470 trillion.