Employment
When we work, we win!
American companies take jobs overseas to avoid child labor and other laws
With ungrateful corporations fleeing with American jobs overseas (and having the gall to require their outgoing American employees train their foreign replacements) the lack of employment in the United States is approaching levels not found since the Great Depression. Everywhere people are using up their unemployment benefits (and so falling off the offical rolls of the unemployed). This leads to an economic domino effect: loss of income, loss of health care, loss of home, loss of ability to pay for basic need. And the recent administration believes that cutting benefits to those "on welfare" will stimulate them to go out and get jobs. Uh, duh. Because this kind of failure is taking us back to the Depression, we're going to need to go back the the New Deal in order to fight it. Let's call it "The New New Deal".
First, we don't need to allow a laissez faire climate in our economy. Businesses who owe their phenomenal success to the American worker need to understand that they can't just climb over them on the ladder to success. If you promised them pension, you must provide it. If you promised them health care, you must provide it, even if your company moves. And, by the way, when a company takes 10,000 American jobs to India, they need to contribute to the unemployment benefits here in the US. Why should the American tax payer pick up the tab so a corporation can save money? For each job lost in a move (which by the way is made to pay less wages and dodge Federal child labor and environmental laws) the company must pay for six months unemployment benefits for each employee left behind.
And, when they bring that "American Product" back to the US, they should be paying tariffs high enough to make them realize they made a mistake leaving the United States. If they save $10,000 making cars in Darfur, then there should be a $10,001 tariff when they bring it back to us. It's time for a little protectionism FROM OUR OWN PEOPLE!
The second phase of this Deal is to improve America. Yes, the government can make jobs. Back in the Depression public buildings were built, art projects were commissioned, dams were built. And in the middle of the last century we put in the Eisenhower Highway system. Here are some job generating projects which the government can reasonably commission that will improve everyone's quality of life:
1) Energy jobs- Statistics say that we have the capability to provide enough electricity to run this country five times over with wind power, although at this time we are only producing five percent in this form. Pros? Clean, non-polluting energy, low initial cost, minimal environmental impact. Cons? Oil companies lose money.
This also goes for solar power. Fields of solar collectors convert a tremendous amount of energy into electricity. Plus, there is technology available right now with which solar collectors can be printed on virtually anything with a special ink. That means you can put them on your car, your house, your pool, your clothes, your dog, your cat, whatever you want. The only limitations to solar energy is battery efficiency. Perhaps taking away some oil subsidy monies and putting it into research and development could bring that efficiency up to a workable level.
With Energy jobs (wind, solar, geothermal, microwave, water, tidal, rotational) Americans can return to work for initial installation and remain at work as operators and maintainers. Pros? New jobs, cheap energy, clean air and water. Cons? Oil and coal companies lose money.
Building new energy resources will create jobs
2) Transportation- Forget the NAFTA superhighway, the corridor through which unregulated drivers from Mexico and other points south of the border may transport unregulated products (hazardous materials? biological weapons? nuclear materials? weapons? troops?) right up the middle of the United States with a cursory stop in Kansas City (the port there will be considered the Territory of Mexico). The highway systems are crumbling under the weight of constant truck use. Airplanes have high fuel costs and for obvious reasons can't run on solar power. Besides, the skies are way too crowded and if you run out of fuel... whoops! And AmTrak goes nowhere useful except up and down the east coast.
This country needs a new passenger rail system. And not the old kind of trains, mind you, but one of the magnetic levitation type which rides on a single rail on a cushion of magnetic repulsion. Once the electricity activates the magnets there is virtually no friction and they take much less power to keep moving. Plus, these bullet trains move at extremely high speeds. OK, have you been to Walt Disney World and seen the monorail? That's what I'm talking about.
They exist in Japan and in different parts of Europe. And a lot of the power can be collected along the right-of-way with windmills, solar collectors (which could also cover the top of the train) and whatever other types of energy may be gleaned from it.
These are just a couple of ideas that can generate jobs. There are many, many more out there. You let me know what YOU think will work.
Let's get America back to work, because when we work we win!