Posted on 01/12/2014 6:43:40 AM PST by Kaslin
The economy is sluggish and job creation is almost non –existent. That means it’s time for politicians and government bureaucrats to control yet even more of our money – right?
If you really believe that government is the entity from whom all blessings flow, and if you really believe that politicians and government bureaucrats do better things with your money than you do, then yes – it’s time for more government control of our economy.
That’s what President Obama was calling for last week in his speech about “income inequality,” the buzz phrase of choice for 2014 among those who believe, as he does, that politicians can and do spend our money better than “ordinary” citizens. And with the President having established the phrase, its now up to like-minded liberals in the worlds of academia, media, entertainment and government to repeat that phrase incessantly between now and November’s elections.
That’s why it was no surprise to see University of California – Berkley Professor and former presidential advisor Robert Reich combine the President’s “income inequality” phrase with the disastrous employment report from December in an editorial that calls for – “shocking!”- more control of our economy by politicians! Mr. Reich won’t be persuaded to rethink his views, but his ideas will be reiterated all year by people who have no alternative ideas of their own, so be prepared to hear both the President’s and Mr. Reich’s rhetoric to be frequently repeated.
Below is a list of some of Mr. Reich’s plan, with accompanying details that he, and other “government knows best” liberals prefer to ignore:
Launch a major jobs program to rebuild the nation’s crumbling infrastructure: Mr. Reich is correct, that huge chunks of our nation’s infrastructure are “crumbling.” What he ignores is the fact that President Obama and the previous congress already launched what was promised to be a “major jobs program” to rebuild our infrastructure – it was called the “Economic Stimulus Bill.”
Remember Senator Obama’s promises of “shovel ready jobs” once he took office? That’s what the President’s stimulus plan, officially known as the “American Recovery and Reinvestment” Act, was supposed to have produced. It began with a price tag of $787 billion and ended up costing about $831 billion (note: only government can get away with miscalculating by $50 billion, not private businesses). Our infrastructure is still crumbling, but current and future generations of Americans are nonetheless saddled with the $831 billion in debt (and that isn’t including the interest).
Rehire all the teachers, social workers, police, and other public service employees who were laid off in the recession: This sounds and “feels” terrific – why wouldn’t everybody want full employment for teachers, cops, and so forth? The real question, however, is this: how badly were federal, state and local government workers actually hurt by the recession, as compared to us lowly people who work in the private sector?
In truth, huge chunks of President Obama’s “stimulus bill” funds were spent either on state and local government workers themselves, or on government programs that provided things for already existing government employees to do. The Obama Adminstration’s “Race to the Top” program for public schools took $4.35 billion out of the stimulus bill fund, and gave employed teachers and school administrators lots of hoops to jump through. The Administration’s “Booty Call” sexually transmitted diseases education program spent another $335 million of the stimulus funds, and gave government social workers lots of important things to do (although one can imagine that this program, in particular, stimulated something other than the economy).
Indeed, state and local government workers (as well as federal employees) have done relatively well since the recession, as compared to the rest of us. Combine this with the fact that most all government employees receive a defined benefit retirement pension that is backed by taxpayers (where do you fine retirement like that in the private sector these days?), and a government job looks pretty confortable in light of the frailties of the private sector.
Raise the minimum wage at least to its inflation-adjusted value 40 years ago — which would be well over $10 an hour: Once again it feels good to propose such an idea, as long as you don’t look at the consequences – and higher wage requirements imposed by governments almost always bring about a decline in business and job growth.
Worse yet, Reich makes no reference in his recent editorial to the actual source of genuine job creation: the local small business owner who is willing to work hard, take risks, and hopefully create genuine authentic wealth over time. If liberals would listen to what small business America is saying, they might learn about the perils of a lack of small business lending, or the fear instilled in the hearts of business owners by an out of control I.R.S. and E.P.A. and U.S. Department of Justice.
But to acknowledge that government agencies and programs might be a part of our economic problem is incomprehensible to the government-centric liberals among us. Hopefully there are sufficient numbers of our fellow Americans who do comprehend this reality, and make better choices in the elections that lie ahead.
The case can be made that certain of the politicians’ efforts to improve the economy, and thus maintain power, have actually contributed to the continuing doldrums. And then there’s Obama.....
The cure for Jimmy Carter’s disasters was Ronald Reagan.
Even the Republicans don’t talk about tax cuts anymore. The MSM and the Demonic Party own them. Just like the Globetrotters own the Generals...
They can fix the problem if they have the will to fix the problem.
It means major regulatory and tax reform.
The only way job creation will get started again is if govt steps out of the way.
Is this a trick question?
Neither party is creating American jobs.
Bring back jobs, and bring jobs back to America.
Jobs have been exported to China now for an entire generation.
China. A massive, communist nation, now exports more than America, and is rapidly growing.
Bring back AMERICAN jobs. Now.
Political parties do not create jobs. Entrepreneurs do
Anything can be fixed if there is a will. (If there is a will, there is a way)
Yes and no.
America currently has a very unfavorable atmosphere for job creation, that is true.
We need tariffs against cheap imports, and we need less taxation on its profits.
But “American” business isn’t American when it has moved all production elsewhere.
It is Chinese. Or wherever it goes.
America needs American production.
If American businesses don’t return home, then replace them with real American businesses.
I’m completely series.
We are 17 trillion dollars in debt. And that is very rapidly growing.
BRING BACK AMERICAN MANUFACTURING.
Our government seldom rescinds a law or regulation because they are made by lawyers for lawyers. Instead to fix something they add more laws and regulations and make things worse for us but better for them, the lawyers. A lawyer making a law or regulation has an automatic conflict of interest.
Rand Paul’s enterprise zones idea is a good one.
Cut business and personal taxes to 5%. Cut payroll and income taxes to 2%. Tax free repatriation. Granted its intended for specific areas of the country but we would never get it nationwide without proving it in economic disaster zones first. I see it as planting a seed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLtwpI4xn4o#t=15
Dave Stockman’s book (which is extremely depressing) says the number of true “breadwinner” jobs in the US peaked in 1998 and continues to decline.
I think he’s right.
We need a level playing field and unfortunately much of the corporate world doesn’t want the competition and its amazing how petty they can be about eliminating even the most minimal competition. They actively support taxes and regulations that they can overcome but little guys can’t.
Detroit is the only major city in the country that doesn’t allow street vendors downtown to sell food. Its the result of downtown restaurants lobbying against them. After all, how is the Hard Rock Cafe going to sell a $25 burger if a guy can walk out of his office and buy one for $5 on the street.
The drive to ban smoking in Michigan bars was funded almost exclusively by Michigan casinos. Those casinos however have a loophole by virtue of having the 10,000 feet of space required in the law to allow smoking.
Thanks.
I just watched the first 10 minutes of your video.
I like Rand Paul.
I however saw one huge thing missing in his presentation:
American jobs are flowing elsewhere, in part because America is not protecting American jobs.
America needs import tariffs.
Make it more difficult to profitably export American jobs. Every other country in the entire globe, encourages businesses to set up manufacturing in their country.
China is particularly aggressive in this
We need to protect American manufacturing, and encourage manufacturers to repatriate their manufacturing right here.
That is a huge step, and neither party dares mention it.
Until the American government starts making it more difficult to export American jobs, we won’t bring them back.
Otherwise, that is a good video.
I believe we must bring back American jobs however.
It is that simple.
America needs to manufacture things right here.
For real.
Yes!
Get the Federal Gov’t the hell out of the way.
Shut down the intrusive regulatory agencies.
Stand up and tell the public that 90% of the budget EPA does NOTHING for clean air and water. It’s all about shutting down energy production, industry, and our economy.
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