Working It! Not So Much …
It seems that the economy ain’t chugging along full steam.
The economy had about 501,000 fewer jobs as of March 2019 than the Bureau of Labor Statistics initially calculated in its survey of business establishments. That’s the largest revision since the waning stages of the Great Recession in 2009.
Market Watch says, “The newly revised figures indicate the economy didn’t get a huge boost last year from President Trump’s tax cuts and higher federal spending.” Well, surprise, surprise, surprise. Tax cuts for the rich have worked so well in the past, and we know that is true because Trump and Mitch McConnell tell us it’s true.
By the way, the new NBC / Wall Street Journal poll shows that a large majority of Americans say they are angry at the nation’s political and financial establishment and increasingly anxious about their economic future.
The poll finds that 70% of Americans say they feel angry “because our political system seems to only be working for the insiders with money and power, like those on Wall Street or in Washington.”
The anger is reflected across all demographic groups, regardless of age, race, income and party identification.
It’s going to be a change election which I think is why we’re seeing the upswing for Elizabeth Warren.
I think if we could go to a website called AskARichPerson.com, they’d tell us tax breaks have worked out extraordinarily well over the years. Very effective.
1Now that the U.S. has had a few years of a President with no interest in policy, perhaps we’re ready to listen to someone saying “I have a plan for that” – and also listen to the plans.
2Well, the Chronicle had a big article in the paper about a couple on Lazy Lane who renovated their home – I’m sure the tax break helped them
3I just hope Warren doesn’t peak too soon!
4Grandma Ada @3. I read that same article. I have to grudgingly give them credit for bringing the house back and not crassly smashing it and building some stucco monstrosity. On the other hand that chapel they looted from France looks bigger than my entire apartment. And I bet dollars to doughnuts they probably managed to find a way to write most of those “preservation” expenses off. Ironic that the orange fool keeps bleating about how everything’s rigged when he’s doing the rigging against us, the 99 percent.
5And here’s the bad news:
When there’s angst all over the place and people are p-o’d at the government, they tend not to vote.
I’m for Warren — and have been since 2015 [took part in the movement to try to get her to change her mind and run back then.] I’m hoping her latest surge in the polls and huge crowds actually mean something — but history says that even the folks at her rallies might be so worn-out by 15 months from now, they could stay home.
Please prove me wrong. Please.
6Economy good? Not so fast. In my job I also have access to job numbers etc. Employment/unemployment is one set. I also see any number of industries that are hurting for workers. These are industries that still use (horrors!) a good amount of manual labor. One of them is at sea: fishing. Actually, harvesting any kind of edible thing from the sea. That is a rough, tough job. Nothing glamorous about it. No coffee breaks at upscale places. Also, no chance of advancement from the ranks. The captain of the boat is usually the owner. And the sea can be downright rough and even murderous. Another industry that cannot get enough people when needed is agriculture. Yes, that is an honest to God industry. Crops and livestock are 24/7 deals. Again, it ain’t cushy and it ain’t upwardly bound. And, yes a large animal could permanently disable or kill you. And then there is forestry. Another industry that needs workers at the snap of a finger. Another dangerous work area, especially if a laborer is expected to climb trees, or chop them down or protect them in a forest fire! I have yet to discover anyone high tech oriented that is interested in working long hours in these industries. Americans consider it their BIRTHRIGHT to get an upwardly bound job with perks and they ain’t budging from that!
7Maggie, from what I’ve read about job safety, you just listed the three most dangerous jobs. But they can find workers, provided (a) they pay more, and (b) safety standards are rigoursly applied. Especially ag work has been spoiled by decades of desperate people from Mexico and further south working for less than minimum wage and getting paid by the bushel, not by the hour. Get injured? Too bad, go back where you came from and don’t expect any help.
Many years ago I picked cantalopes in the Rio Grande Valley and baled and stacked hay in north Texas. I’ve picked cotton and planted rice in JJ’s neighborhood, and in all cases 95% of my coworkers were migrant workers. And in every case they were screwed over by the Anglo owners and bosses. If they got uppity and tried to organize, the Texas Rangers were on call to come in and beat and kill with immunity. Caeser Chavez tried to organize in the Valley, but was driven out by the Rangers. I could have had upward mobility in those jobs, but only because I was Anglo.
Ag workers in Europe (and I’ve talked to many in England and France) can and do get decent living wages, plus national health care when things go wrong. You’re right that people with high tech training won’t jump at the chance to harvest cucumbers for Kroger. But there’s a vast number of Americans that could and would work at those jobs. But the whole system is set up for hiring serfs, not fellow humans who are treated as equals. This is what the “work requirements” for Medicare and EBT are about: if we can’t get the migrant labor because we’re using racism to keep in power, let’s turn impoverished Americans into serfs.
At university, I’ve run into many who think the way you describe (birthright). But I’ve also stayed tuned in to the people who live in the countryside, may not have finished high school, but are willing to work and learn. They just want to have a wage that will support a family, and have assurance that if accidents occur, they’ll have health care and a chance for physical rehab.
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