Manufacturing job cuts taking toll, group says

[UpInArms]

http://wichita.bizjournals.com/wichita/stories/2004/10/18/daily4.html?jst=b_ln_hl

The loss of jobs in manufacturing and construction has taken its toll on working Kansas families, say representatives of Kansas' local Community Action Agencies.

Between 1999 and 2003, Kansas lost more than 40,000 "well-paying" jobs, and about 18,000 Kansans have exhausted their unemployment benefits, says Tawny Stottlemire, executive director of KACAP.

New jobs that are being created typically pay less than what's required to meet "a basic family budget," she says.

Those are some of the findings in a just-released report called "Living on the Edge: A Report on the State of Low-Income Working Kansas Families."

...more...

[Cobalt Violet]

1. But won't they still vote for Bush? n/t

[ClintonTyree]

5. Oh yes................

Kansas is a solid Bush State, all of those "traditional family values", "God, country and apple pie" type folks. There's nothing wrong with that, they just haven't awoken to the fact that Republicans use those issues to pry their votes from them, then abandon them after they've used them up. The core of this country is solidly Bush country, the perimeter (those highly educated, metrosexual LIEberal States) go more for a Progressive Government.I hope to God that one day the core of the country will see that they're just being used.

[Robert Oak]

2. hope an angel sprinkles them with fairy dust that says

WAKE UP, WAKE UP, Your country has just been hijacked!

[VegasWolf]

3. But at least they'll be safe from gay marriages!! n/t

[rkc3]

4. So let's do some tax math.

40,000 people making $40,000 year fall into the 15% federal tax bracket and say 3% state tax (close to here in PA). Now they are unemployed or working for $9 an hour at McDonalds.

40,000 x $40,0000 x .15 = $24,000,000 in federal tax revenues (assumes they aren't making contributions to an IRA or 401k plan)

40,000 x $40,000 x .03 = $4,800,000 in state tax revenues

All of those revenues are lost to the fed and state govt's.

That's almost $29M that won't be put back into the economy as funding for social programs or public works projects (e.g., road/bridge work).

Now consider that every dollar earned gets recycled 5 times through the economy - now we're taking some serious dollars out of the economy.

So when someone tells you 40,000 jobs is not a big deal, tell that not only to the unemployed worker, but to the rest of the people impacted by the loss - which is nearly everyone in the community.

[Wright Patman]

6. Rural people

are not motivated much by economics.

That is why their eyes glaze over when you talk to them about greed and corruption which is rampant at the top of *'s contributor list. Think Enron and dozens of other corps just like it.

Had they been motivated by economics, they would have long ago moved to the big cities along with everyone else. No, they vote on abortion and homosexuality and therefore can never vote for the Democratic candidate ever again. When I think of Kansas I think of Fred Phelps of "God hates fags" fame.