Obama's Jobs Council, Stacked with Business Honchos, Offers Nothing But Political Theater

[marmar]

AlterNet / By John Schmitt

Obama's Jobs Council, Stacked with Business Honchos, Offers Nothing But Political Theater
The administration's latest proposals flow from a fundamental misdiagnosis of the jobs problem we face.

July 5, 2011 |


In the run-up to his most recent State of the Union address, President Obama announced a "President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness" as part of efforts to demonstrate his laser-like focus on jobs. In an interim report in mid-June, the council made a set of "fast-action" recommendations, which the president trumpeted in a set-piece economic speech at a high-tech manufacturing facility in North Carolina.

Unfortunately, it is not an exaggeration to say that even if fully implemented, the council's collection of small-bore recommendations would have no discernible impact on the current jobs crisis. The main problem is that the proposals flow from a fundamental misdiagnosis of the jobs problem we face.

We have over 14 million unemployed and almost 25 million "underemployed" workers because employers have no markets for their goods and services --and therefore no need for workers to produce them. The bursting of the housing bubble wreaked havoc on family finances, leading Americans to cut back their spending. In a chain reaction, businesses cut hiring and investment, and the economy went into a tailspin. The only thing that kept the economy from falling off a cliff were the efforts of the federal government to make up for part of the catastrophic drop in demand.

Yet the collapse in demand does not feature at all in the Jobs Council's analysis or in any of its recommendations. Instead, the council mostly places the blame for the lack of jobs on workers and the government. Workers lack the skills for advanced manufacturing jobs, health-care positions and engineering jobs. The government impedes job creation by putting "red tape" in the way of construction and infrastructure projects, by blocking entrepreneurs from immigrating to the United States and by making life difficult for small businesses seeking financing or access to foreign markets. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/economy/151524/obama%27s_jobs_council%2C_stacked_with_business_honchos%2C_offers_nothing_but_political_theater__/

[eilen]

1. If workers lack skills

why is that those workers who have them are not getting raises? Doesn't that run contrary to supply/Demand?

This job council is a colossal waste of time and money. A real "millionaire's club" created to enable influence peddling.

[midnight]

2. The clock is being run down on all things for middle class and poor..

[Citizen Worker]

3. I'm surprised they haven't recommended a tax cut or have they? Pssst, Obama the jobs problem is on

the demand side of the equation. People don't have the always elusive disposable income required in order to consume.

[xchrom]

4. recommend

[blkmusclmachine]

5. None so blind as those paid not to see