How do we get more jobs?

[kentuck]

Despite all the success for the Senate and the President in the last week or so, there remains the lingering problem with lack of jobs.

It seems that almost everyone has taken their jobs overseas? No matter what you buy, it is made in China or Korea or elsewhere outside of the US. This is the problem.

These companies have gotten very favorable tax treatment to move their jobs. They make more profits because they have few expenses and little overhead and they get reimbursed for their taxes. There is no reason for them not to move overseas.

But as we sit close to 10% unemployment, the present economy is not going to solve the problem with unemployment. We must do something about shipping these jobs overseas. There is no other option. Unless we wish to create a large government jobs program. Then who pays for that?

These trade treaties and "global economy" have America on its knees. It's time to recognize the problem instead of misplacing the blame.

We need to make it more expensive for companies to move overseas. We need to make it more expensive for them to bring their products back into our markets. We need reform of the taxcodes, in regards to these foreign operations. Only then can we compete with the cheap labor overseas. The politicians are turning the other way, rather than to face the problem head on.

Jobs. We know where they went and we know where they are. They aren't in America.

[kentuck]

1. Also, I do not have a lot of faith in taxcuts creating jobs...

..as President seems to think? I just don't see it happening and I see it as the main threat to the President's re-election. In my opinion, they are not facing the reality of jobs that have disappeared. Computers, printers, vacuum cleaners, you name it. They have left this country.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

10. I have faith in tax cuts destroying jobs.

Eight years of Bush tax cuts was a disaster. Eight years of tax increases on the greedy rich (under Clinton) was the biggest economic success in history. The Reagan tax cuts were also bad, but before NAFTA and globalization.

The current tax policy is a proven recipe for economic failure. Things will get worse economically for the poor and shrinking middle class. I hope I'm wrong, but history indicates otherwise.

[slackmaster]

2. Invade Canada

We really have no other viable options.

[Motown_Johnny]

16. .

cross linking to something I posted about Canada last night


Not to try and keep it kicked (don't bother) just to point out how close to the truth you are. (Although I think the better solution might be if Canada conquered us.)




http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=59388&mesg_id=59388

[MadHound]

3. The only way to get the jobs picture turned around is to create a WPA style jobs creation program.

Tax cuts aren't going to do the trick, that's for sure. Private industry isn't going to do the trick until demand picks up, but demand isn't going to pick up until people are working, and around and around that vicious cycle we go.

So what is needed is an intervention in that cycle, a true, WPA style jobs creation program. One that we can use to update and repair our infrastructure, one that puts millions to work. Those working millions will create demand for new goods, add to tax revenues and stimulate further hiring, etc. etc.

But sadly, it doesn't look like the Dems, or this administration, are willing to fight for such a program, they would rather follow the easier path of supply side economics and doom us all to a lost decade or more like Japan experienced.

[RKP5637]

5. I agree, the model is not moving into place to create jobs. We could easily

have a lost decade or more like Japan experienced.

We're treading water and will be lucky if we can keep this balancing act up. We need a range of jobs, varied skill sets, varied education like we used to have.

We need imaginative jobs innovation, not the same old stuff where we're stuck now. All supply (from outside US) and no demand from inside US. How could anyone be expecting different... the current model is flawed. And I really have little faith that the tax cuts will change anything. It's just more of the same without attacking the root cause of the problem, jobs are created offshore, not here.

[GoCubsGo]

14. Bingo!

A WPA style program is one of the ways to go. Along with increasing hiring in federal agencies where they are grossly short-handed. There are complaint throughout the government that they don't have enough people on hand to enforce the various regulations. Also aid to states so they can rehire the people they have laid off--including teachers. And, increase funds to the National Science Foundation, USGS, Fish and Wildlife Service, Agriculture, etc. for research. Not only would that open up jobs for researcher, it would be a boon for the companies that make the equipment and supplies they use for that research.

[Tippy]

4. K&R......Who is behind the jobs moving overseas?

And who is helping them?
http://whitehouse.senate.gov/newsroom/speeches/speech/?id=c348dd00-9672-4560-9889-0262f7bd32c2

[HughBeaumont]

6. 1. Firing Freeze. 2 and 3 - raise existing wages/smaller scale WPA

1 would restore consumer confidence. Consumer sees companies still firing, they remain scared and won't buy.

2 and 3 will be a "whatever comes first" thing. Either way, DEMAND (the TRUE creator of jobs) will be increased if people's wages go UP or they get a job rebuilding our ubiquitously crumbling and seriously-overdue-for-an-update infrastructure.

Stagnate their wages or fire them, and guess what. No products will be bought because the people are too busy trying to survive to care about the iPad II.

[no limit]

9. How exactly does a firing freeze work and how does a government mendate that?

[HughBeaumont]

18. Not up to the government. That's up to the corporations, collectively.

I know, I know . . . "Wish in one hand, shit in the other, see which gets filled first" and all that.

If the consumer/worker remains scared, they won't buy. If employers, even after their tax break was extended, still try and pull this "weeeeelllll, I'm just . . . not certain enough" crap, the consumer will get jittery and still not buy. In order for people to start buying bigger ticket items, they have to be confident.

No confidence, no buy.

[OneGrassRoot]

7. Another DUer posted this site:

http://jobparty.us/

About:

The Job Party isn't a third party. It won't seek a ballot line.

The Job Party is a nationwide grassroots movement dedicated to creating 15 million jobs - one for every unemployed American.
In 2011, we will lobby the Tea Party Congress to create those 15 million jobs. And if they refuse, will recruit Job Party candidates to run against them on existing ballot lines in 2012.

The centerpiece of our efforts will be a Job Party Bill that we will all draft collectively by Martin Luther King Day (January 17). In 2012, we will only support candidates who co-sponsor our Job Party Bill.


Seems they're also inviting people to gather to brainstorm about the jobs issue as well.

:)

[stray cat]

8. According to some protests magically create jobs

[tridim]

11. This may not be popular, but how about making two-income households undesirable?

It shouldn't be impossible to live on one income or two half-incomes.

Cutting the 40-hour work week would certainly help.

[kentuck]

15. I agree about cutting the work week.

Even by cutting it only by 1/2 hour per day would create over 5 million jobs, if the employers wanted the same production and the same profits? It would ease the unemployment situation a lot.

[Motown_Johnny]

17. or they would insist you get the same work done in less time

and fire those that couldn't.


What do you think is more likely?

[MadHound]

19. Are you serious?

There are millions of households out there that are barely above water, with both parents working two jobs, three jobs, four jobs between them. And now you want to limit their employment to somehow "create" jobs:banghead:

[WiffenPoof]

12. A WPA Program

Our infrastructure is a mess and there are tons of people willing to do this kind of work. Why we don't have a WPA program on the table is beyond me.

Could you imagine just some of the money we used to bail out the bansters going towards this kind of program?

-PLA

[onethatcares]

22. when this first came up, I

thought only about the hands on welders, carpenters, masons etc, but after a lot of thought, it also puts secretaries, programmers, inspectors,and a myriad other types to work also.

I guess having our politicians in the pockets of the wealthy doesn't help very much either.

[Motown_Johnny]

13. Tariffs, Import Taxes, call them what you will

We need to make imported products more expensive so that domestically produced products can compete.


The problem with this global economy crap is that the workers in the poorer nations that get paid next to nothing to produce items we buy will never have the buying power to purchase items made here.

They only have the buying power to purchase items made in other poorer nations.

Then end up trading with each other and we are left out.

American manufacturing will never thrive by selling to South Korea or China. There simply is not a large enough percentage of the population who can/will buy our products.


These trade deals have failed. Time to scrap them.



P.S. the money from the import taxes can help lower our deficit. I would also have some percentage of it go directly into Social Security since it is the loss of manufacturing jobs here that has contributed to the funding problem it will develop.

[hootinholler]

20. I'll only take one, please. n/t

[FogerRox]

21. This is not a recovery. It’s a continuing jobs emergency and it demands action.

http://robertreich.org/post/2082971308

We now have over 15 million unemployed. plus another 1.3 million who have given up looking for work. U6 has been 16.5% to 17.3% for the last year or so. And we no longer have the infrastructure to replace those jobs, that infrastructure must be rebuilt. Tax breaks for the wealthy to build the factories that manufacture solar panels and wind turbines, start up incentives for installers, and incentives for the consumer to buy. But thats only a few million jobs, but its a start.

[pitohui]

23. as another poster said already a WPA/new deal type program

new orleans was not as hard hit as other parts of the usa by the economic crash, ironically because we had a lot more "real" jobs re-building homes, repairing roads and bridges etc -- most people who need a home have rebuilt by now but you can still see lots of work being done on roads and bridges

it's my guess that there are similar roads, bridges, dams etc. in need of repair all over the usa -- start a program, hire only usa citizens or legal green card residents for such jobs -- and a lot the missing jobs for young men are going to be replaced with opportunity -- you can't build a bridge anywhere but where it is

i also feel that there are lots of opportunities going lacking in areas like ecology, tracking our wildlife and so on...too many of these jobs are done by volunteers or by students making $16K for a year's work because we simply DON'T take the environment seriously -- some of the top ornithologists in the world live in louisiana and teach at lsu or nearby, yet it's embarrassing how little some of these top guys are paid if they're paid at all

arts, theater, music (not pop crap but niche stuff) could also be supported, new orleans just lost its little theater because they can't afford to keep the building operating, not everybody can work in engineering and construction, you know, arty types need jobs too! i have heard the argument "well only rich people go to the theater, let them pay for it" but waiting for the rich to pay their way just hasn't worked, we have to actually tax them and take the money and fund programs, not by wishing and hoping

there are lots of programs that could really make this country work better and look better, we just have to fund them --

killing trade deals/treaties is not on the table, america already had a poor reputation in times gone by for not honoring treaties, ask a native american to explain it to you, if we make agreements we need to start honoring them

but there are ways to create jobs right here, right now, without breaking our word

[dgibby]

24. I seriously doubt jobs will come back until the Corporate Globalists

have accomplished their mission of destroying whatever's left of our economy.
Until we are reduced to working for 3rd World wages, there will be no jobs.

[EFerrari]

25. We'd have to repeal the Bush tax cuts and NAFTA.

But, we know that already.