March 21, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Mary Meeker is "a longtime Morgan Stanley tech-stock analyst who recently joined
legendary venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers," notes a Christian Science Monitor editorial today. Pointing to a recent presentation on the nation's financial condition by Meeker, a 1981 graduate of DePauw University, Josh Burek writes, "By
treating the country as a corporation (and citizens as shareholders) she
has brought fresh thinking and new urgency to the nation's fiscal
straits. If you have lots of time on your hands, you can leaf through
her 460-page PowerPoint presentation here."
In her analysis of "USA Inc.," Meeker offers, "Cash flow and net worth are negative, profits
are rare, and off-balance-sheet liabilities are enormous. The 'company'
has underinvested in productive capital, education, and technology -- the
very tools needed to compete in the global marketplace. Lenders have
been patient so far, but the sky-high rates on the sovereign debt of
Greece, Ireland, and Portugal suggest what might lie ahead for USA Inc.
shareholders and our children. By 
our rough estimate, USA Inc. has a net worth of negative $44 trillion. That comes to $143,000 per capita. Negative. To
be fair, the net worth calculation leaves out some assets, including,
most importantly, the power to tax. Which simply means that the
government can improve its own finances by worsening those of its
citizen-shareholders."
Burek adds, "Don't head to the hills just yet. As Meeker points out, 'USA Inc. has serious financial challenges' but 'its problems are fixable.' The key? 'If the American people embrace the need for bold action, their political leaders should find the courage to do what's right.' Perhaps the brightest news of all: USA Inc., Meeker says, is in better shape than Apple was in 1997. Ready to invest?"
Access the column at the newspaper's website.
A recent San Francisco Chronicle headline called attention to "Mary Meeker's Brilliant, Tech-Centered Turnaround Plan For USA Inc." Read more here.
A psychology major at DePauw, Mary G. Meeker was a technology analyst and managing director at Morgan Stanley before joining Kleiner Perkins in November 2010.