Saturday, December 5, 2009

Community Jobs Forum

Thank you so much for signing up to hold a community jobs forum in your area. Just like the Jobs and Economic Growth Forum hosted by the President at the White House, these events are opportunities to gather ideas for continuing to grow the economy and putting Americans back to work. Hearing from working Americans and communities across the country means understanding what’s really happening on the ground, what’s working, and what’s not.
From what you have heard about the President’s Jobs Forum, what seems relevant to your community?:

That the whole affair seems glib, perfunctory, amateurish and superficial (if that's not too redundant). Fifty years ago, the Senate Special Committee on Unemployment Problems, chaired by Senator Eugene McCarthy, held hearings in 25 communities in addition to Washington D.C. over the course of four months

What parts of your local economy are working or thriving? What businesses and sectors are expanding and hiring?:

Well the bankers are doing just fine. And the military-industrial complex. The insurance industry and the big pharmaceuticals manufacturers. Not to mention the unofficial drug dealers. Oh yes, and the stock market is up, up, up.

What parts of your local economy are not working or thriving? What businesses and sectors have been hit the hardest? What are people struggling with the most?:

Youth, who have an unemployment rate of 18% and a U6 underemployment rate of around 30%.

What are the opportunities for growth in your community? What businesses and sectors seem poised to rebound? What do you see as the "jobs of the future"?:

Toxic waste removal. Cancer treatment. Greenhouse gas emissions. Species extinctions. With the polar ice caps melting there will no doubt be jobs in the future for people to build and operate dikes and drainage pumps around coastal cities. Swimming instructors?

What are the obstacles to job creation in your community? What could make local businesses more likely to start hiring?:

Stupidity. Leon Keyserling's NSC-68 brainchild. Supply-side voodoo economics. Larry Summers. More of the same.

What other issues and ideas should the President consider?:

Read this: Submission to the White House Task Force on Middle Class Working Families.

Describe your event:

A blog post.

PS: Your answers to the above questions are welcome in the comments. I will summarize the suggestions and submit them to the White House site.

1 comment:

run75441 said...

Sandwichman:

I attended the "Showdown in Chicago" October 27th. Unfortunately, I had pneumonia and as the night went forward my energy was sapped by my illness, unknown to me. My heart was in going on the march to the ABA convention kickoff party with a theme "Roaring Twenties;" but, the physical prowess of this 10k runner was sapped. The ABA was proud of their donation of "1" rehab home after all the homes foreclosed. One amongst how many tens of thousands?

I managed to collect my notes, talk to Senator Durbin with Mary Battori from Banksters.com, and get on the Brown Line back up to Andersonville where my son picked me up at the station. My walk through Chicago included handing out $1 bills to those on the corners. I handed out far too many this trip to the city in which I grew-up. I stopped and chatted with one 30-something year old woman with her cat on her lap, homeless, and I took her resume which I left with my daughter-in-law who passed it to others. It is unusual to see younger people on the streets. A sad scene awaits those who come after us.

My request to you is a usage of the remainder of TARP for job creation with smaller companies < $500 million in fields other than asset appreciation. Rebuild the infrastructure such as the Moses electric generation facility in Lewistown, highways and bridges (the same as China is doing), and the cities such as Detroit and Cleveland. Too much of the population, 95% of them have seen either stagnant wages or decreased payroll wages in the last 20 years.

Thank you for the invitation and I am sure you will do far better than the words I have placed here.

regards . . .