It's hard to believe that a huge segment of our population is contributing virtually nothing to the economy, but it's true. And now, when everybody needs some extra cash to buy gasoline, is the perfect time for these freeloaders to get to work and earn their keep.

We're talking, of course, about children.

It's time to repeal those silly child labor laws. They've existed at one level or another since 1938 when Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Anything that old needs to be replaced.

Some of you might be saying, "But, Skippy, children shouldn't have to work." To which we reply, "Yes, they should, and stop calling us Skippy."

Think of it: kids have been living on Easy Street for 70 years. As an untapped labor pool, they could put some money into the pockets of their poor old moms and dads and finally become productive in the overall economy.

Let's face it: As we baby boomers get older and less productive, we need some young bloods to fill the gap.

It's an absolute fact that every family could use a little extra dough right about now, so it's time to recruit Dick and Jane.

We're not being greedy about this. Not every child would have to work. Only those, say, maybe age 8 and older.

Compared to normal people, children are smaller. This would be a factor in how they're paid. Because of their size, they would make half the minimum wage. And employers wouldn't expect them to do things beyond their physical abilities. Children shouldn't, for example, be expected to lift anything heavier than themselves.

Their size would even be an advantage in some jobs. They could use their compact size and sneakiness, for example, to catch shoplifters.

They could stock shelves, especially the ones that are close to the floor.

In toy stores, they could help totally confused adult customers. Likewise, they could also work in computer stores because they already know more than most of us.

Working kids are the perfect answer to the high cost of gasoline. They alone could help stimulate the stagnant economy.