Creating Jobs For Younger Americans

Minnie Bee's Rant:

     Recent census data reveals that in the U.S., unemployment for younger people is at its highest since World War II.  In fact, for people 16-29 years-old, employment is at only 55.3 percent, down from 67.3 percent  in 2000.  Even more significant than this, is the ugly truth that for 18-39-year-olds in the U.S. who are graduating from high school with a diploma, an associate's  degree from a community college, a certificate from a vocational training institute, or a degree from a four-year college or university,  many are graduating without a job prospect in sight, and are remaining unemployed for long periods of time. 

     A case in point is my cousin's son, Michael, age 23, and his fiancée, Ann, age 22,  who both graduated from an accredited four-year college last summer with bachelor's degrees in education.   Hoping to become a high school history teacher,  Michael, unable to secure a teaching position due to a decrease in teacher vacancies, was forced to take a low-paying part-time retail job that doesn't require a college degree, and to keep living at home with his parents.  Ann, hoping to become an elementary school teacher, has taken a job waitressing in a restaurant, and is also living with her parents.  Due to the high cost of rent, food, and everything else, they are unable to support themselves on their low wages as their Depression Era counterparts might have done, and they have put their wedding plans on hold for the foreseeable future.  

     Some experts on the economy say that to a large extent, the unemployment numbers for younger Americans can be explained by the fact that younger people are staying in school longer to extend their education and training.  While this may be true, I agree with other economists that a more significant reason for unemployment among younger people is that older people in the 55 - 65-year-old age group are not retiring as readily as they did in a more positive economy.  These older adults  are holding on to their jobs longer and working to an older age because, with rising costs for everything, they can't afford to retire, or because their retirement is tied to the unpredictable stock market and the unpredictable future of Social Security and  they're just too afraid of what the future may bring, or ironically, like my cousin, they are having to support their young adult children longer.  All of this, combined with a decrease in jobs creation, translates into a lower number of job vacancies and more competition among workers for available jobs, leaving the young Michaels and Anns of the country unable to secure the jobs for which they have prepared.        
     On his national TV program, "Hardball," host Chris Matthews recently called for expanding the Peace Corps.  This, I think, is a great idea.  With high unemployment  among young adults, combined with increasingly negative attitudes towards the United States in other countries,  creating American goodwill through increasing volunteer opportunities for younger Americans in the Peace Corps would be a win-win situation.  Along these same lines, the Job Corps should also be expanded.   An expanded Job Corps would be a perfect vehicle for training, re-training, and employing young people, while at the same time, repairing and expanding the U.S. infrastructure.  Another win-win situation.

          President Obama's American Jobs Act gives Americans a much-needed boost to getting the U.S. economy rolling again, but as with other human endeavors, it's not perfect.  It doesn't specifically address the rising unemployment of younger people in this country. The American Jobs Act presently includes creating jobs to improve and repair our infrastructure, but it does not include a plan for funding for expanding  the Jobs Corp or the Peace Corp.  Under FDR's New Deal, many young people were put to work building and improving infrastructure in the Works Progress Administration's (WPA) National Youth Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC.)  Likewise, the Jobs Corps and the Peace Corps could put younger Americans to work, and give them additional training, experience,  and exposure, as well as a sense of purpose.  Expansion of the Jobs Corps and the Peace Corps should be incorporated into the proposed legislation for the American Jobs Act.

***************
We create and keep U.S. jobs when we demand, promote, and buy Made in USA
goods and products.

This week's recommended products:

With the official start of autumn and cooler weather just around the corner, many of us will want to start our day off warm and cozy with a bowl of hot cereal.  Here are some recommended hot cereals "Made in USA" and some not recommended hot cereals made elsewhere. Remember to check labels. Please feel free to post your own research to this blog!

·         Safeway Instant Oatmeal - Made in USA by Safeway, Inc., Pleasanton, CA

(http://www.safeway.com/)

·         Maypo Maple Oatmeal and Wheatena hot cereal - Made in USA by Homestat Farm, Ltd., Dublin, CA

(http://www.homestatfarm.com/)

·         Old Wessex Creamy Oat Bran, Irish-Style Oatmeal, and 5-Grain Cereal - Made in USA by Old Wessex, Inc., Providence, RI

(http://www.oldwessex.com/)

·         Nature's Path Hot Oatmeal - Made in USA by Nature's Path Foods, Inc., Blaine, WA

(http://www.naturespath.com/)

NOT recommended (made elsewhere):

·         Wegmans Instant Oatmeal, Quick Oats, and Old Fashioned Oats

·         Farina Mills Farina

·         Hodgson Mill Multi-Grain Hot Cereal

·         The Silver Palette Oatmeal

·         Quaker Grits, Instant Oatmeal, Old Fashioned Oats, and Steel Cut Oats

·         Better Oats Oatmeal and Multigrain Hot Cereal

·         Earth's Best Organic "Yummy Tummy" Instant Oatmeal

Blog Sources:

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/09/22/325717/unemployment-young-adults-highest/  

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/09/22/general-us-census-recession-apos-s-impact_8696311.html

http://www.americanjobsact.com/

http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/

http://www.jobcorps.gov/home.aspx

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1599.html

http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/N/NA014.html

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1586.html

Stimulating The American Economy

Minnie Bee's Rant:

     Almost immediately after President Obama unveiled his proposed American Jobs Act (AJA) to create jobs in the United States and put Americans back to work, many Republicans in Congress, including key members of the Republican leadership, were proclaiming to the media that the plan wouldn't work; some said that the plan was also too little, too late.  One of the examples they used in order to support their claim was the stimulus package that the President used early in his administration to resurrect the American auto industry.      
     
     Apparently, these Republicans must think that the American people have really short memories, or are really stupid, or both.  The approximately $800 billion stimulus bill, including the "Cash for Clunkers" program, which was signed into law by President Obama two years ago, boosted the ailing American auto industry, creating more demand for American cars and allowing American automakers to add jobs. The stimulus package also positively impacted other businesses associated with the U.S. auto industry, such as auto suppliers.  With more money in their pockets, auto industry employees also energized local businesses by spending more money in local restaurants, retail stores, etc.  As a result of the auto industry stimulus package, the American auto industry is doing well even to this day.

     Adding insult to injury, some Republican members of Congress are now claiming that the earlier stimulus package didn't work because the President didn't spend enough to revive the American economy two years ago.  This is both frustrating and ludicrous because two years ago, many of these same politicians tried to block the President's stimulus plan. 
    
     The Republicans who say that a stimulus plan from the federal government won't work were wrong then, and they are wrong today. The stimulus package worked for the auto industry two years ago, and most economists agree that federal government spending to stimulate the U.S. economy would work now. Moreover, President Obama's "American Jobs Act" like FDR's "New Deal," is focused on creating actual jobs, and not just on increasing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP);  in other words, it wouldn't just create more work, but it would put more Americans back to work.  According to former President Clinton, the American Jobs Act would result in a 1-3% decrease in unemployment and would grow our GDP by 1.3-2%.  In addition, the AJA would seed an infrastructure bank that would support public-private partnerships for investment in the American infrastructure, and would cut taxes for the American middle class, giving us more money to spend on goods and services.

     So, Republicans, what specifically don't you like about the American Jobs Act - and why? Other than lowering the corporate tax rate, and doing away with regulations that protect our air, water, earth, and employee safety, how would you help the American economy and the American worker?  Be more specific!  Lately, I have heard Republican lawmakers, and a few corporate CEO's saying that any job is better than no job.  Really?  Do you apply these same rules to yourselves?  What about to your children?  Would you like American families to breathe toxic air like the Chinese?  Would you like the American worker to be paid less than fifty cents an hour like the Vietnamese?  Sure, we can increase our employment numbers with these kinds of measures, but at what price to our quality of life and to the quality of life of our children? 
    
     The American Jobs Act is essential to reviving our economy, as well as to the quality of life of American families.  With more money in American workers' pockets, just as it did in the revival of the auto industry, more Americans will be spending money and creating a demand for other products.  Let's make sure that the American Jobs Act is passed by contacting our representatives in the House and Senate and urging them to pass this bill.  Let's also try to reward companies who are keeping jobs here by buying "Made in USA" goods and services whenever possible.  If we do this, the AJA will not only boost the American economy, but it will create a win-win situation for American businesses and the American worker.
************** 
We create and keep U.S. jobs when we demand, promote, and buy Made in USA
goods and products.
       
This week's recommended products:

Now that the 2012 models are out, are you thinking about buying a new or new used vehicle?  I don't ordinarily recommend products that have less than 95% Made in USA content, as well as being manufactured/assembled in the USA.  However, finding such vehicles in the auto industry is nearly impossible these days.  I have done some on-the-ground research, plus used the findings on the web site cars.com (see hyperlink under "Blog Source" below) to come up with these results.  The vehicles listed here are 2011 makes/models that contain at least 75% Made in USA parts, and are assembled in the USA.  Please feel free to post your own research to this blog, or on our blog FB page!

·         Chevrolet:  Corvette - Made in USA by General Motors in Bowling Green, KY;  Malibu - Made in USA by General Motors in Kansas City, KS  (union)

·         Chrysler:  Dodge Ram 1500 - Made in USA by Chrysler Group, LLC in Warren, MI; Jeep Wrangler - Made in USA by Chrysler Group, LLC in Toledo, OH (union)

      ·         Ford:   Escape - Made in USA by Ford Motor Co. in Kansas City, MO; Focus -
           Made in USA by Ford Motor Co. in Wayne, MI (union)

·         Honda:  Accord - Made in USA by Honda Motor Co. in Marysville, OH and Lincoln, AL; Odyssey - Made in USA by Honda in Lincoln, AL (non-union)

      ·         Toyota:  Camry - Made in USA by Toyota Motor Corp. in Georgetown, KY and
            Evansville, IN; Tundra - Made in USA by Toyota Motor Corp. in San Antonio, TX;
           Sienna - Made in USA by Toyota Motor Corp. in Princeton, IN (non-union)

Blog Sources:

http://moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/article/stimulus-package-report-card-has-it-worked/343932/

http://www.economy.com/mark-zandi/documents/The_Economic_Impact_of_a_750_Billion_Fiscal_Stimulus_Package.pdf

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/business/01view.html

http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/video/interview-eric-schmidt-14546842

http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/video/interview-bill-clinton-14546621

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/44568123#44568123

http://discovermagazine.com/2011/apr/18-made-in-china-our-toxic-imported-air-pollution

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2010/09/28/121397/sanders-chamber-vietnamese-americans/

http://moneywatch.bnet.com/spending/blog/cars-money/made-in-usa-5-great-american-cars-made-here/3164/

Ten Years After 9/11: Do We Need Protectionism?

Minnie Bee's Rant:

      Most Americans over the age of 15 remember where they were on 9/11/2001.  In a matter of minutes, our lives were changed forever.  Ten years later, the effects of that day are present in our lives in many ways.  The Department of Homeland Security, the TSA with associated scans and pat-downs at airports, the Patriot Act,  and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -  these have become everyday fixtures in the United States. There has been relatively little disagreement among American politicians and the media that these conflicts, agencies and laws have made our country safer. No one has complained of “protectionism” in response to their establishment, although, in fact, they exist to protect the United States.

      In contrast, in the ten years since 9/11, the U.S. economy has been left largely unprotected.  Many of our present economic difficulties originated with 9/11, yet whenever there has been an attempt to encourage Americans to buy American-made products, or to reduce the influx of foreign-made products flooding U.S. markets, or to level the playing field for U.S. companies by increasing U.S. duties and tariffs on foreign-made exports,  many politicians and the media have complained that such measures are “protectionism,” as though to protect the U.S.economy is something negative.

     "Protectionism" and "isolationism" are not one and the same, although these politicians and their lackey media representatives would like us to think they are. Why?  Because it is to the advantage of wealthy, American multi-national corporations  to keep the  United States in an inequitable trade position.  By doing this,  these big corporations can outsource American jobs to foreign countries, and exploit cheap foreign labor and undervalued foreign currency - for example, pay less than $1 per hour to workers in Viet Nam -  then turn around and import these products back to the U.S. in order to sell them to Americans at huge profits.  Keeping the U.S. in a position where exporting products from a foreign country to the U.S. is inexpensive, and exporting products from the U.S. to a foreign country is expensive helps these greedy, unpatriotic corporations maximize their profits at the expense of American jobs, and to justify what they're doing.

     Economic protectionism, far from being the negative idea that has been sold to the American public, would have a positive effect.  In times of crisis, no matter whether the crisis is military, social, or economic, one must get their own house in order first. This is as true for countries as it is for individuals.  Economic protectionism would help us to get our house in order by incentivizing corporations to manufacture goods in the USA and export goods from the USA, thereby creating U.S. jobs and boosting the U.S. economy.

     On Thursday, when President Obama laid out his plan for the American Jobs Act (AJA), he mentioned that the AJA would encourage the export of USA-made goods and products to foreign countries. He also said that he was anticipating the establishment of additional free trade agreements. In the past, President Obama has talked about a "level playing field" for trade between the U.S. and foreign economies, and, in fact, has made some early efforts in that direction.  I hope the President keeps in mind that although free trade agreements can be positive, if such agreements don't contain conditions and requirements for a level playing field, they are usually detrimental, like NAFTA, to our economy. In any fair trade agreement, participating countries should have to pay fair and equitable import/export duties and tariffs.

     I believe that the American Jobs Act will help to create jobs and revitalize the economy.  I  hope that you will support the AJA,  and let your Congressional representatives know that they should pass this jobs-creating legislation.  I hope that you will also tell your representatives that you want all fair trade agreements to establish a level playing field for "Made in USA" products. This will serve to nurture and protect the U.S. economy. We can recognize that we exist in a global world, and we can do business in a global economy, but economic protectionism would be good for us and good for our country.
************
We create and keep U.S. jobs when we demand, promote, and buy Made in USA
goods and products.

This week's recommended products:

Is the weird weather we're having causing you bad hair days?  Try these Made in USA hair care products.  Remember to check labels.  Please feel free to post your own research to this blog!

·         California North Hair Care Products - Made in USA by California North, Sausalito, CA

            (http://www.californianorth.com/)

·         J Beverly Hills Hair Care Products - Made in USA by Juan Juan, Beverly Hills, CA

(http://www.jbeverlyhills.com/)

·         Pureology Serious Color Care - Made in USA by Purelogy Research LLC, Irvine, CA

(http://www.pureology.com/)

·         Alterna Professional Haircare - Made in USA by Alterna Professional Haircare, Beverly Hills, CA

(http://www.alternahaircare.com/about/)

Blog Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/business/global/10yuan.html

http://www.economicscenarios.com/public/pdfredir_sample.asp?issueNo=11

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/11/AR2009091103957.html

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/09/u-s-senator-to-obama-hike-tariffs-on-chinese-panels

Putting The Labor Back In Labor Day

 Minnie Bee's Rant:

     This past week, President Obama, like a shrewd and skillful fisherman, quietly baited his hook.  He sent a request to Speaker of the House John Boehner:  may the President come to address a joint session of Congress next Wednesday evening, Congress’s first day back from summer recess, to lay out his proposed plan for putting Americans back to work?  The bait would draw out those members of Congress who didn’t really give a damn about American jobs – those who found it politically expedient to act as if jobs were their first priority – while complaining that it was the President who was holding things up. 

    

     The President calmly cast his line into the water and waited.  He didn’t have to wait long to get a bite.  Boehner sent a letter to the President that on Wednesday, Congress had “parliamentary and logistical impediments,” lame excuses meant to cover up the complaints of the most conservative Republican members of Congress that Wednesday night was the scheduled time for a debate among Republican presidential candidates.  Not the first debate, mind you, but one of many that will take place in the next 14 months, before the election finally happens in November, 2012.  Publicly catching the "fish" who are politicizing the problems of the American people in order to benefit their own political careers, the President graciously moved his address to Thursday.   

    

     During those 14 months leading up to the presidential election, some of the Republican presidential hopefuls debating on Wednesday will drop out of the race by the end of the year.  Many more will drop out in the early months of 2012.  Yet the harsh realities of unemployment and our weak economy will remain.  People will go hungry; unemployed breadwinners will lose their homes; some families will end up living in shelters; high school graduates will be unable to afford to go to college and will join the ranks of the unemployed, along with many college graduates.

     Is the Republican debate on Wednesday really more important than this?   The most conservative Republican members of Congress think so.  By going fishing last week, President Obama demonstrated that these people don’t give a damn about their country or the U.S. economy. 

     I, for one, won’t be watching the debate on Wednesday.  I will be watching the President’s address on Thursday.  I will be doing my part to help put Americans back to work, whether it’s by phoning and emailing members of Congress to support the President, helping unemployed relatives, friends, and neighbors find jobs, supporting and voting in local elections this November for candidates who make local jobs their first priority, or buying “Made in USA” products.  I ask you to do the same. 

************  

This week's recommended products:

Planning a Labor Day cookout with family and friends?  Add these Made in USA condiments to your table:

• Original Juan mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, salsa – Made in USA by Original Juan Specialty Foods, Kansas City, KS

(http://www.originaljuan.com/)

Blog Sources:

“Obama moves on jobs, and foes feel an elbow,” Peter Wallsten, The Wasington Post, 9/1/11

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/todays_paper?dt=2011-09-01&bk=A&pg=1)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/08/obama-to-address-congress-on-sept-7/1

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/31/us-obama-jobs-speech-idUSTRE77U40T20110831