"Where Are All The Jobs?"

I keep hearing all of the talking heads asking "Where are all the jobs?" What is missing in this question is the biggest part of the story. What kind of jobs are you asking about? If you're talking about government jobs, they are everywhere. That is, as long as you are not a white male, age 55. Walk into any government office in my part of the world and you'll see what I mean. The government has added jobs galore. Don't forget, government jobs cost taxpayers big dollars. Especially when you consider the legacy cost of their Rolls Royce pension and health care benefits. Now if your talking private sector jobs, the answer boils down to five rather simple factors. When I hear a politician talking about any of these I will feel hope.
First, the loss of manufacturing in this country is staggering. Try to buy something made in the U.S. I do try when I'm shopping, but I normally don't have the option. In search of bigger profits and less government regulation, American manufacturing has moved to other countries that offer cheap labor. That equals a ton of jobs lost in addition to putting an arrow through the heart of our American pride.
Second, sweet productivity. This country has been chasing the productivity quotient at the sacrifice of the service level for most of my life. Every new automation or cutting edge innovation has sent another wave of people looking for work. And what a cost. Remember when you would get your windows washed, tires and oil checked, and a smile and a "thanks for your business" when you filled up with gas? My favorite is the automated answering services and their extensive menus that will take you to anything but what you need. Government and the private sector have saved millions of jobs with this technology and caused an unknown number of heart attacks in the process.
Third, the unspeakable: Illegal immigration. There are many millions of non-citizens who are currently doing jobs that Americans just won't do. Does that sound funny to you? Americans used to do those jobs before the illegals came. You know the difference. When Americans did those jobs, their income was subject to our tax laws and generated some revenue. Now, a large part of the illegals get paid cash and are strangers to the IRS.
Fourth, government should be friendly to business. Business creates jobs and profits and thereby revenue. I'm sure many of you know people who have had difficulty keeping their business alive because of issues relating to taxes and regulation gone wild. We all understand the importance of clean air and water. To stretch this to Cap & Trade legislation that will create billions of dollars of profits for carbon credit traders on Wall Street is a crime. Government needs a new mindset when it comes to keeping business alive and well. Business is where they get their paycheck from. Er, Duh. Ask our Governor what part of this is hard to understand.
Fifth, unions gone wild. I think unions in this country started out with a noble cause. There were some real abuses going on that needed to be addressed. What they have turned into is a death sentence for jobs in America. Ask Detroit if they agree. The wages and pension/health care benefits they have negotiated for their members is rivaled only by government workers. The rest of society gets to live on what they have been able to save and any Social Security benefits they may receive.

Remember these words my fellow Americans: "All enemies, foreign and domestic."



McWeijun