Obama's State of the Union Address was about many things, but one subject dominated: Jobs. His stimulus package, featuring job-creating projects, is already facing hurdles in the Senate, due to a new concern about deficit spending. If only lawmakers had thought of this when they passed, like greased lightning, the bank bailout bill. Maybe fewer of us would be out of work now, especially if that $700 billion had been earmarked for job creation!
A problem exists, however, in that well-paying jobs are scarcer than hen's teeth these days. One of the few in that category, the autoworker, has certainly seen his/her fortunes plummet with the problems suffered by the auto industry. Manufacturing used to be a fairly secure job sector, with good benefits and hourly wages. According to an article published last September by Leo Hindery Jr., Leo Gerard and Donald Riegle, Jr., those jobs paid 15% more, on average, than non-manufacturing positions in 2008. Additionally, manufacturing jobs induce a radiating effect, creating other supporting positions as well as additional spending for every dollar invested. These authors were encouraging the inclusion of "Buy American" language in the economic stimulus package.
The question is, where are all these manufacturing jobs? Surely, not in this country. Starting in the 1970s and encouraged by the Nixon administration, businesses began shipping their production overseas to poorer, "developing" countries in order avoid unions, environmental restrictions and other curbs on their pursuit of the almighty dollar. When I was a youngster living in eastern Massachusetts, I would go job-hunting at any number of factories on Friday and have a new job for Monday. These weren't high-paying jobs, but they paid the bills and if you lost that one, there was another to be had in short order. It's been a long time since job hunting was that easy.
What is the result of this capital flight? Increased profits for corporations, certainly, though how much profit is enough has never been clearly defined. For workers, it has spawned a generation of college graduates flipping burgers, and non-college graduates spending a lot of time in the unemployment line. At this point in time, unemployment is the highest it has been in 30 years, and more people are staying unemployed longer.
Can Obama turn this around? I can't see how. An AP article by Mae Anderson from October 13, 2009 stated that 80% of economists queried said that the recession was over and the recovery had begun. Well, nearly four months later, it is obvious that they were wrong. Hmmm, I wonder how many economists are are now standing in unemployment lines?
A problem exists, however, in that well-paying jobs are scarcer than hen's teeth these days. One of the few in that category, the autoworker, has certainly seen his/her fortunes plummet with the problems suffered by the auto industry. Manufacturing used to be a fairly secure job sector, with good benefits and hourly wages. According to an article published last September by Leo Hindery Jr., Leo Gerard and Donald Riegle, Jr., those jobs paid 15% more, on average, than non-manufacturing positions in 2008. Additionally, manufacturing jobs induce a radiating effect, creating other supporting positions as well as additional spending for every dollar invested. These authors were encouraging the inclusion of "Buy American" language in the economic stimulus package.
The question is, where are all these manufacturing jobs? Surely, not in this country. Starting in the 1970s and encouraged by the Nixon administration, businesses began shipping their production overseas to poorer, "developing" countries in order avoid unions, environmental restrictions and other curbs on their pursuit of the almighty dollar. When I was a youngster living in eastern Massachusetts, I would go job-hunting at any number of factories on Friday and have a new job for Monday. These weren't high-paying jobs, but they paid the bills and if you lost that one, there was another to be had in short order. It's been a long time since job hunting was that easy.
What is the result of this capital flight? Increased profits for corporations, certainly, though how much profit is enough has never been clearly defined. For workers, it has spawned a generation of college graduates flipping burgers, and non-college graduates spending a lot of time in the unemployment line. At this point in time, unemployment is the highest it has been in 30 years, and more people are staying unemployed longer.
Can Obama turn this around? I can't see how. An AP article by Mae Anderson from October 13, 2009 stated that 80% of economists queried said that the recession was over and the recovery had begun. Well, nearly four months later, it is obvious that they were wrong. Hmmm, I wonder how many economists are are now standing in unemployment lines?
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