One possible solution to the unemployment and underemployment problems in the country would be a massive program to fix the infrastructure in this country.
Sadly, fixing bridges isn't nearly as much fun as illegal war-making, so I don't expect DC to be interested.
now only need 99,999
"Good jobs are the exception, not the rule."
Truer words were never spoken. All the economic woes we are staring in the face can be traced back to one cause: JOBLESSNESS!
Mortgage foreclosures would not be a problem if everyone was earning a paycheck commensurate to what they have been professionaly prepared to do. To a family with a steady middle class income, adjustable rate mortgages would be a temporary inconvenience. Instead, in today's economy they are devastating.
The same goes for GM, Ford, and Chrysler sales. It isn't just that they refuse to provide the fuel-efficient vehicles everyone is clamoring for, it's also that no one can afford to actually buy a car these days.
One of the big lies about the state of the economy is the low inflation rate. Excuse me? When you refuse to count the most critical indicators of inflaction in the mix (fuel, energy, housing,and food), you are lying, lying, lying.
And that brings me to the biggest lie of all: employment figures. This is the most oft quoted statistic for how good the economy is. Currently 4.6%.
Sorry folks, that's only counting the number of people currently receiving unemployment benefits, versus the "employed", meaning those receiving a paycheck.
What about those whose unemployement benefits have expired? Not counted. What about those who don't qualify? Not counted. What about those who have given up looking? Not counted.
What about those who are working 2 or 3 McJobs? Guess what? Every paycheck is counted as one "employed" person.
But what about the underemployed? The ones who used to make engineers salaries and now earn minimum wage slapping burgers? Not considered.
And here's a kicker: if you are in the military, you are counted as one of the "employed". We can thank Ronald Reagan for that.
We need a new, more truthful way to count employment figures and we need to hear the real inflation rate.
Either way, we're in for a rough ride.
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