I completely agree on your point regarding the visa/immigration BS. Some of the best talent I work with is from south america or eastern Europe. They are ALL in this boat, and it's heartbreaking to see (and makes me feel like I have something I shouldn't, when a lot of these people are just more talented than I).

The US does need to monetarily attract new start-ups.

Our brightest minds are still going to the IB/PE firms of NYC and sucking money out of a zero-sum system instead of creating something worthwhile. Give them incentive to create (in terms of personal cash reward) in the same way the banks do, and you have something.

Spending a few billions on startups (who would spend it?) would not alter the long term balance between startups and wall street.