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| From Comment Haven.com |
First celebrated as a national holiday in 1894, Labor Day came into being during a time of upheaval, as American workers struggled to organize and obtain collective bargaining rights.
These days, however, Labor Day is seen by most Americans as the last day of summer, a time for barbecuing and seeking out price rollbacks at Walmart and other commercial outlets.
During a time of government cover-ups concerning goings-on at the Department of Justice, the IRS and the Department of State, one is left wondering about the credibility of statistics emanating from Washington that concern American workers.
Although Americans were told this summer that the unemployment rate had dropped to 7.4%, the sad fact of the matter is that, from all indications, there may be some manipulation of figures going on. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not give an accurate picture of all areas of unemployment with the 7.4% figure. Excluded are people who might have part-time employment but are searching for full-time positions and individuals who have not sought employment in the past month, simply because they are disheartened of finding work. Not showing up in any government data are those who have been looking for employment for a year or more, but have given up altogether on finding employment. Thus, if all of the data were taken into account, the real unemployment rate would likely be closer to 23%.
Nationally, however, the numbers of persons who are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program (SNAP, or "Food Stamps") continue to grow. From May 2012 to May 2013, SNAP recipients grew from 47,500,000 to 47,600,000. In Texas, by May 2013, more than 4 million people had Lone Star Cards; and, in standing in grocery store lines in Brownsville, it often seems like every other person is checking out with Lone Star. Because of SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP, free phones and a host of other available benefits, the nation is in danger of nurturing a new generation which sees government as the source of its sustenance.
As for real household income, the picture is also dreary. Americans now face an ongoing problem of inflation, negatively affecting their ability to support their families and pay their bills. More and more financial institutions, in the form of credit cards and loans, are doling out funds to cash-strapped consumers. Since the recession began, the median household income in America has dropped from $56,000 to $52,000; and long-term prospects, owing to the distinct possibility of more inflation on the horizon, don't look encouraging. All told, Americans in 2000 were approximately 10% better off, as compared to their economic standing in 2013.
As America continues to allow socialism to embed itself into its economy, it might be well on this Labor day to consider traditional American methods of boosting our economy. A good place to start is with limiting government spending; which, in the long-run, always has a way of taking away from capital available to spawn new enterprises. We simply can't continue to mire ourselves in a swamp of debt.
This morning, while making a run to the gym, I happened to notice that gas had overnight gone up by 10 cents a gallon, no doubt in response to the latest developments in Syria. It doesn't take a John Sununu to figure out that we should not be dependent on the vicissitudes of the Middle East when it comes to our energy supply. We are a gas- and oil-rich nation, and we should be utilizing our abundant resources, while we are developing alternate, renewable energy sources. But, somehow, the commissars in Washington do all they can to discourage exploiting these resources.
And, while we're at it, we are becoming one of the most regulated nations in the world. Government regulation has and will continue to stifle our economy. In Texas, the EPA is running a veritable vendetta against the gas and oil industry. Only because the Lone Star State has a conservative state government, willing to take the fight to Washington, is this state able to hold its own and lead America in battling out of the Great Recession.
Most Americans don't realize it, but the United States has the highest corporate income tax rate in the world. And that certainly doesn't bode well for employment, when American businesses are tempted to set up shop in regions that are more business friendly and less tax happy. If the tax rate could just be lowered 14%, American corporations would be less likely to flee to foreign shores, and the resultant growth in capital could spur job growth. We can't continue to squander taxpayer money in ill-advised, pie-in-the-sky schemes such as Obamacare, which is not affordable, and will not be an efficient vehicle for the delivery of health care. At this point, major parts of the law have been delayed, others have been so characterized by dispensations for various groups such as organized labor, and made so full of exceptions for political cronies and members of Congress, that it has less and less of a chance to succeed. Speaker Pelosi's famous words were to the effect that Congress had to pass the bill so that it could be known what was in it. Now we know; and it is an unaffordable monstrosity.
The trial lawyers have contributed mightily to the socialists in Washington. Consequently, the atmosphere in the U.S. is conducive to frivolous lawsuits brought against business and industry, which is in many ways is another waste of capital. The punitive judgements arrived at in civil suits reach astronomical sums, and represent another halter on business growth. More needs to be done in the area of tort reform.
So this coming Labor Day, there will be many Americans longing for the time when Washington's lefties will be sent packing and our country will return to proven strategies for economic growth. With much determination and a bit of luck in the off-year elections in 2014, Labor Day 2015 might see us embarking on some real change that will offer not just hope but some positive results for American workers. Dear readers, let's keep those fingers crossed!
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