Illustration by Cody Angell

Supply-side economics is something I've always been a strong proponent of. Looking at the across-the-board tax cuts of John F. Kennedy and the two $3 trillion-plus cuts of Ronald Reagan 20 years later, cutting taxes for everyone - particularly corporations and the wealthy - has spawned millions of new jobs and brought in an amazing amount of revenue to the federal government.

I've also always thought that those who are opposed to "trickle-down" are opposed because they don't like the idea of the lower and middle classes making more money if it means corporate America will be making even more at the same time.

To a point, I can't say I blame them.

Corporations illegally take advantage of cheap labor from Mexico. There was the horrible Exxon oil spill of 1989. And most recently, a certain energy corporation whose name is plastered on the Houston Astros' ballpark has been rightfully brought to shame.

The way I look at it, capitalism works when the bad guys are brought to justice and the good guys are allowed to continue on. I'm a firm believer that corporate America can act within the rule of law and still create a good deal of economic prosperity for themselves and the rest of the country.

A couple weeks ago, my brother was saying how ridiculous it is that a guy who steals a $100 bucks from a 7-11 will go to jail, but a bunch of corporate crooks who steal millions of dollars from thousands of Americans probably won't see any jail time at all. I hope he's wrong about that, but I'm afraid he's not. As far as I'm concerned, Kenneth Lay needs to go to prison for the rest of his life.

After all, conservatives like myself, who are always preaching the benefits of lower corporate taxes, also like to make a fuss about sending a message to potential criminals by handing down harsh sentences to those who have already broken the law.

Like them or not, corporations employ millions of Americans who depend on them to pay mortgages and take care of their kids, and at the same time, businesses count on a high employment rate so people will be willing and able to buy their goods and services. And like it or not, the reality of the situation is that corporations don't hire people out of the goodness of their hearts; they do it to make more money for themselves.

While I do understand the underlying reasons why most liberals are opposed to tax cuts for the wealthy, I also think that if they truly cared about getting more financial aid to the poor, they should be in favor of them. Kennedy's and Reagan's tax cuts brought an incredible amount of revenue into the federal government. There's no reason to believe that, despite what the often-incorrect Congressional Budget Office would have us believe, similar tax cuts wouldn't have the same effect. More federal revenue would mean more money for what liberals have been advocating: social-welfare programs and revenue to help offset the national debt.

So what if the rich get richer if everyone benefits?

I guarantee you that if Ken Lay and his buds spend a long time behind bars, you'll see other would-be corporate crooks shape up quickly. But even better than that, a renewal of corporate morality will encourage more people to hop on the supply-side bandwagon. People living from paycheck to paycheck won't feel quite so guilty in supporting lower taxes for those who write the paychecks. Granted, there will always be those who will denounce capitalism no matter what - many of whom have spent their lives behind a desk in their university's political science department. I can live with that.

President Bush has recently spoken a great deal about greater corporate accountability. I hope his administration's actions match his words. It would go a long way to swell support for future across-the-board tax cuts and would help the economy recover much more rapidly than the snail's pace it's at right now.

In a country as economically prosperous as this one, only capitalists can bring down capitalism by breaking the law. The democracy and financial independence we enjoy depends on our businesses being law-abiding.

"Corporate ethics" need not be an oxymoron.