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This Is What Democracy Looks Like
Today's Note From a Madman
May 6, 2008
Jobs Lost
Another 20,000 bite the dust. That's how many of our fellow Americans have lost
their jobs in the month of April 2008. After months - nay, years - of President
Bush touting his economy stating things such as, "We've had ('X'-number) of
months of continuous job growth," there is not a peep out of his White House on
the not-so-good news that we've had "Y"-number of months now of jobs being lost.
In total, there have been more months of jobs lost during "The administration of
Diminished Responsibility" than there have been months with jobs gained.
And that isn't good news, no matter how you spin it.
Here is just a small sampling of the trades which have lost jobs in just the
past month alone:
Goods-producing: -110,000
Construction: -61,000
Manufacturing: -46,000
Retail trade: -27,000
If there is any spin which the Bushies might attempt to put on these awful,
awful numbers, it is that some industries actually gained jobs. However, within
that statistic, one of the big gainers was our government itself. Yes, the
"small government" Bush administration actually increased government by an
additional 9,000 jobs.
And to add insult to injury, as the Bushies like to do, the total average weekly
earnings for all private industry employees has gone down - yes, DOWN - by $1.45
from $604.01 to 603.56 per week.
Believe it or not, 362,000 more Americans joined the ranks of the employed, but
with an additional 189,000 joining the ranks of the unemployed, another 173,000
joining the labor force and 30,000 more "joined" the "not in labor force" group
which, according to the Bush administration, are just not searching for work
anymore.
Not good numbers to be sure.
And when one compares the situation from the "good times" last year (as a Bushie
might remember them, not how most of us remember them), the news is even more
horrible:
"The number of unemployed persons (7.6 million) and the unemployment rate (5.0
percent) were little changed in April. A year earlier, the number of unemployed
persons was 6.8 million, and the jobless rate was 4.5 percent,"
-The Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics
In just one year, as our population grew and our dollar fell, the unemployment
rate increased by ten percent and an additional 800,000 Americans went jobless.
Where's the good news in that?
When one checks our President's website (www.whitehouse.gov), one would notice
by its absence any mention of the job numbers for this month. It's a pattern
which is constantly repeating itself amidst statements such as, "Although some
are still having problems, the economy remains strong," and "the tide hasn't
lifted all boats yet."
That tide's a long time in coming and when it gets here, it will probably be a
tidal wave which drowns many of us.
Maybe it just isn't President bush's fault. After all, it never has been. Maybe
he's just unlucky.
Or maybe we are.
-Noah Greenberg
Don Sloan responds to the trio of candidates left for the presidency:
I understand and sympathize with your frustration over this coming election./
Sorry, but none of the candidates has earned my vote.
Yes, the McCain presidency is another Bush term. But the Obama and Clinton
choices are not close to be worthy. Now that Kucinich dropped. Sad.
I will select a minor candidate like Family party on the NY ballot.
But I will not vote for someone unless the primary direction is to give us
universal health care and end the war immediately.
As Debs said, I would rather vote for someone I want and not get him/her than
vote than for someone I do not want and get him./her... In solidarity, Don
Sloan.
Send your comments to: NationalView@aol.com
-Noah Greenberg