The Obama budget bars no holds in its plan to reverse the flow of goodies:

"The past eight years have discredited once and for all the philosophy of trickle-down economics, that tax breaks, income gains and wealth creation among the wealthy eventually will work their way down to the middle class. In its place, we need economic opportunity to trickle up."
Steven Thomma and David Lightman, McClatchy Newspapers

His critics are not sold on the proposal:

Republicans and other critics argue that Obama's plan would punish success and stifle the very kind of spending that would foster investment and economic growth.
Lori Montgomery, The Washington Post

But neither argument credits the power of imagination to foster growth, and the lack thereof to squelch it.  NPR's David Folkenflik links the financial meltdown to

'a failure of imagination among economists, policy makers, as well as journalists.'
Peter Coy, economics editor for Business Week

As imagination deficit silenced due diligence, the profit motive juiced the system:

'The fact is many, many banks took on far too much risk in the interests of trying to juice their profits. Often one of the results of juiced profits is higher pay.'
Gretchen Morgenson, business columnist for The New York Times

Can you hear the CEO squealing, 'but all the other banker jocks do steroids - if I don't, my team can't win!'

The profit motive, where Atlas shrugs and the little people scramble, has left homes, 401Ks and executive soul-scapes desolate.  Trickle down.  Trickle up.  Is this the extent of our economic vocabulary?  I think it's time to hand the baton to stewards and imagineers with problem solving riches and a strong sense of what impassions them.  Not the ostentatious life.  Rather, the fluvial currents of invention, trickling everywhere.

Photo Susan Weber, Cleveland Botanical Garden