"You work three jobs? .... Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that." --G. W. Bush to a divorced mother of three, Omaha , Nebraska , Feb. 4, 2005
Now let's look at the economy from the point of view of job growth. This is a clip from the AFL-CIO Weblog:
Despite Bush administration claims that the economy is strong, job growth fell far behind the rate expected for the third month in a row, according to the Labor Department's monthly jobs report. The nation's job machine, which never really revved up after the recession, is slowing down-and that could mean even fewer jobs in the future, according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute.
The economy generated only 121,000 new jobs in June, for a quarterly average of 108,000 per month, far below the previous quarter's average rate of 176,000, making this the slowest quarter for job growth since the third quarter of 2003, says EPI senior economist Jared Bernstein.The increase in jobs is not even enough to keep up with the increase in the nation's population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. (My note: We need to generate 150,000 jobs per month just to keep up with population growth.)
If you look at these jobs that were created, they were all in the service sector, this excludes manufacturing, hi tech and construction jobs, and paid minimum wage or slightly higher and had limited or no health insurance or pension benefits.
Do you think that you could support a family on $5.15 per hour with no health insurance or retirement benefits? No wonder workers that once had high paying manufacturing and hi tech jobs have now been forced to take two or three of these crappy jobs just to barely support their families!
Now compare that minimum wage worker with an average CEO:
Average CEO Now Makes 821 Times As Much As a Full-Time Minimum Wage Worker
New analysis shows that the average CEO now makes 821 times as much as a full-time minimum wage worker -- an eye-popping statistic. By lunchtime on the first working day of the year, the typical American CEO has already made as much as the minimum wage worker will earn all year. "It is time for the leaders of Congress to stop blocking a vote on the minimum wage. America 's lowest paid workers deserve a raise," said Rep. Miller the Democratic Ranking Member.
And the Republicans in Congress have blocked a Democratic proposal for an increase in the minimum wage which hasn't been increased in almost a decade. And this is while Congress has voted for a pay increase for themselves every year over that time period.
My questions for you are:
1) Are you better off now than you were before 2000?
2) How can you believe this Bull S@#% artist again?
2) Is this what you voted for in 2004?
2) So what are you going to do Nov. 2006?
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