Similar to the universal call of the real estate profession of
location, location, location… the battle cry of Americans today is Jobs, Jobs,
Jobs!! Where are they? The current ruckus
in Washington may have centered on the debt ceiling debate and those Tea Party
scoundrels having the nerve to force our Government to curb their drunken sailor type spending habits. Our clueless
President continues to call for higher taxes on the so-called wealthy – from
small business owners to corporate jet owners (really?) who won’t pay their
fair share. The stock market is tanking
faster than Tiger Woods comeback. And
the White House continues to act like eleven year old girls pointing fingers at
the GOP, the Tea Party faithful, Standard & Poor and even George W. Bush
for getting us into this mess.
As a conservative, I never thought I would be longing for the
presidency of Bill Clinton who lingered over an economy that was close to full
employment. It was also helpful that the
Monica Lewinsky saga so engulfed Clinton in legal proceedings, rendering him
neutered in setting policy, thereby allowing the invisible hand of the market
to work its magic without interference from the White House.
The overriding issue in our country can be summed up in three
words -- Americans Need Jobs – and now. Instead
of raising taxes on an already struggling working class, which includes those
upwardly mobile and much maligned affluent professionals, wouldn’t it be better
to raise “revenue” from a few million more workers who will make up the
government shortfall by contributing their fair share of federal income tax and
payroll taxes (Social Security), instead of being a huge drain on spending by
collecting an ever extending 99 weeks of unemployment insurance?
At this point, all we have received are those “shovel-ready”
road fixing government “chain gang” jobs to upgrade our national infrastructure. But where are the private sector knowledge
based opportunities that were so indicative of the 90’s high tech boom and an
emerging college educated work force?
It is no secret that many successful companies are reporting
excellent financial returns … and they are doing it with fewer workers, thereby
driving American productivity to record highs.
How nice... but why aren’t
American companies hiring. The unemployment rate dipped ever so slightly last
week one tenth of a point to 9.1% due to a better than expected jobs report of
117,000 new jobs created. It was a modest
report that did little to quell the free falling stock market and the high
level of uncertainty that is handcuffing American business. It is a climate caused by this President’s
continual threats to raise taxes and increase Employers health care costs
through the oncoming national Obama care program. It is
a formula that falls altogether short of what is needed to reverse the trend of
our “jobless” recovery.
We have waited eagerly for some semblance of leadership from
our President and/or anyone from the administration with experience in
job-related economic matters. Unfortunately
we can’t hold our collective breath while Rome continues to burn and the
current administration “fiddles” around without viable ideas or proposals that
could work.
We can probably all cite the ghastly numbers relating to the
job market… 13.9 million people unemployed; when the
underemployed and the discouraged are added to the numbers, the unemployment rate
rises to 16.6% (from the actual reported 9.1%). Teens looking for jobs this
summer faced one of the toughest job markets in 60 years. Their rate is close to 25%.
But I want to offer some simple advice to the political class
along with solid business axioms that have actually worked in the past:
1. Tell the truth and stop playing the
class warfare card with the American people!
Government
doesn’t create the type of jobs that are needed in a free market system, but the
private sector does. Public and private companies need to be engaged in
producing goods and services that are of a marketable nature. Many of these companies are very
entrepreneurial in nature and operate small businesses, a key engine of job
growth in our economy... These are the very people Obama continues to pick on
as wealthy millionaires driving corporate jets and walking away without paying
their fair share of taxes. Never mind
that the top 1 percent of income earners paid 38 percent of all federal
income taxes in 2008, while the bottom 50 percent paid only 3
percent; .Forty-nine
percent of U.S. households paid no federal income tax at all and the top 10% of wage earners pay
71% of federal income taxes. Those are
the hard cold facts and the dirty little secret that our politicians fail to
point out. It kind of changes the notion
of “fair share”
2. Relieve businesses of the enormous
burden of costly Government regulations that stifle job growth.
As part
of an ongoing debate, small business owners have spoken of the devastating
impact the tsunami of Obama Administration regulations is having on their
ability to grow and create jobs. They
are far too numerous to mention here but just turn to the EPA to get the
picture. It really defies all common sense that the EPA would move forward with
instituting some 30 new costly regulations and not take into account any job
losses that will be a direct result.
3. Create incentives for businesses to
loosen up that cash they are sitting on and begin hiring workers.
Institute immediate tax credits for any
Company hiring workers over the next year.
This would help defray the costs and allow government to participate in
the private sector job engine.
4. Allow companies to bring in workers
who are being paid unemployment insurance at no cost to them.
This would
tie in to the very successful welfare- to-work program initiated during the
Clinton Administration (Democrats do have it in them to expect some return for
entitlements). I can speak from personal
experience that being unemployed creates not only financial hardship but a
psychological barrier. Work is intrinsic
to our human need to contribute to our families and society. A pattern of unemployment is destructive to
this very fabric of life. The longer
someone is unemployed, the harder it is to return to the work force. Can you imagine how many businesses could use
the extra help if it is being subsidized by Uncle Sam? Those workers could even end up gaining full employment
by virtue of their visible work ethic.
It is a “try before you buy” scenario that currently works today in the
temporary employment business. We have
that ominous sign of 13.9 million people collecting money for up to 99 weeks
with more talk from our political leaders to extend it. These “99ers” need an incentive to lead
productive lives until jobs become available.
Those are some ideas, Mr. President! Please stop blaming the Bush tax cuts, the Tea
Party, S&P, etc. and come up with a
plan. Try not to speak in platitudes like a college professor. You
don’t have to walk on water, just get out of the boat and get wet. That’s what
true leadership is about.
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