Unemployment, Mr. Obama's Biggest Problem...if only he faces facts...
Posted: Friday, December 04, 2009
by Richard Vail
Chisel & Plane
Mr. Obama in February had the opportunity to fram his huge stimulus package as a "new" New Deal...instead, he allowed the Democratic majority in Congress to pass a gigantic pork barrel bill that "paid off" various Democratic constituencies. Thus in a period of rising unemployment, Mr. Obama allowed what could have been an opportunity to keep blue collar workers working in desperately needed infrastructure projects...instead allowed billions to be thrown away in in what are essentially bribes.
Mr. Obama pitched his jobs summit as a means to find "every demonstrably good idea." Had he actually remembered the basic idea that new jobs mean new voters, I believe that idea has slipped from the party's conscious...A program like the WPA, one of FDR's pet projects would have been possible, but no longer, not with voter's worries of excessive spending, but Mr. Obama never attempted this route. Roosevelt had a great deal more support on both sides of the aisle, however reluctant by conservatives of the eay. Nor did he face the threat of filibusters to the extent today. Additionally, FDR had far more focus on the economy and didn't allow himself to be side tracked by peripheral issues as has Mr. Obama. Also, the "stimulus package" with it specific pork projects was much easier for his opponents to oppose and supporters to justify than a jobs bill would have been.
Furthermore, in the stimulus, at the urging of special interest within the Democratic camp, had very few insfrastructure projects within it's spending than any other area of the economy. According the to Bureau of Labor and Statistic, nearly 2/3's of all jobs lost have been blue collar workers. Thus, Democrats have repeated the Keynesian falacy...FDR's "forgotten man" is still forgotten.
In an article in Real Clear Politics, David Paul Kuhn says that the "Administration officials say that direct jobs programs are inefficient to administer. Never mind the irony that liberal red tape, like environmental concerns, has undermined the core liberal agenda. [empasis mine] But here we are, nearly nine months later, and Obama's way has hardly proven efficient. Only about a quarter of the stimulus has been spent. He further believes that, "Blame rests on the powerful. That's the Democrats. And liberalism is, in Lichtman's words, "a huge casualty."
Thus any possibility of a large scale jobs package will probably fail to pass both houses of Congress...and this will only further anger those workers who are unemployed. This extended period of unemployment may well reach into 2011. If it does...Mr. Obama will only rue the day he allowed Congress to hijack his "stimulus package."
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Insightful. Scary and I am glad that my hope isn't in Pres. Obama or government period....Thanks for stopping in. You should hit my blog on blogspot, it's called Thevailspot.Might have to do that but am having a hard enough time trying to keep up with SW and 2 sister sites and Faith Writers where I also post... whew! Know what I mean?Yes I do...I post 3-6 posts a day on my blog...as well as adapting some of those posts for searchwarp...Is writing your "job" (as in paid?) Writing is my job (as in I am retired)writing is my job as I'm unemployed...if I can ever find work again...then it will become a sideline once more.For 20+ years I did restaurant work...as I was a "professional student" (actually paying for it on my own was the reason why it took so long), then I taught for a couple of years...when I realized that I was never going to get tenured as a professor of history...I decided to do what I really wanted to do, and became a cabinetmaker. Fall a year ago...the cabinet/carpentry light manufacturing/building trades crashed...and I've been kinds stuck ever since...just lost my job at the beginning of last month (rest. mangr)...so I've been writing a lot more...I am so glad you are writing more but suspect it would be nice to have some pay - I hear you, my hubby has been a builder for 33 years and was actually laid off for 4 months this year (he is not working under his own license but for 14 years has been a construction superintendent for a boss who has kept his SO busy until this year....) He is working today (well, since July) MarijoI have a job interview for a job as a cabinetmaker at 2pm est today...it's the first one I've had for that industry since summer 2008...hopefully, I'll get the job.Lord Jesus, please give Rich favor in the interview!
I don't care if it is the New Deal, old Deal, whatever you want to call it... our Nation needs to go back to work..., without bankrupting our businesses along the way... agreed it is, and should be our #1 concern.Indeed sir, you are right...but our Congressmen/women aren't listening to us...they continue to spend, spend and spend some more. You need to contact your Congressman and Senators and VOICE YOUR OPINION...and tell all of yoru friends and family to do so as well!
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