Musings

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Jobs

Young black people in the inner cities have a 50% unemployment rate. This is weighing upon those in the Congressional Black Caucus and they accuse Obama of not responding to the needs of the black communities. This is Obama's great challenge and I am sure he suffers personally as he ponders: "What can I do to get all those unemployed kids to work?" "How can it ever be done?" The Congressional Black Caucus should realize that there is nothing the President can do to put them all to work. They place their trust in the wrong place to get jobs.

Unemployment is the default condition of all mankind. Nobody hiring? Default to unemployment, start searching for another job. Graduate from college and no jobs available, default to unemployment. Lose a job due to your company's loss of work, your not getting to work on time, your not following the company rules, your company moving to another location; default to unemployment. If working is dependent on the weather and there is flood, lack of rain, excessive cold, excessive heat: default to unemployment.

It takes money to hire somebody. It would be a remarkable condition for a poor person to hire another. The up coming payday may require some real talking and flim-flaming and how long would that condition last. Not every person with money has the inclination to hire somebody. They may not have the entrepreneurial spirit, or an idea that can be productive, or the building, or the land, or the knowledge, or the health.

Yet, today, there are entrepreneurs that do have money and are willing to invest. Suppose we could find one-hundred of these peculiar people that already have an idea, a product, enthusiasm, a can-do spirit. Suppose also that, as a group, they can locate anyplace in this country that they want. What are the chances that they could be persuaded to locate to an inner-city neighborhood so that inner-city youth can get jobs?

Can you see the problem here? It takes a very robust economy to discover the work force available in the inner-cities and to take advantage of that workforce. It does not help if that workforce has unrealistic ideas about the worth of their labor, or the desire of benefits, or limitations on hours of work, or air conditioned work space, or proximity to home, or (dare I say it) a chip on their shoulder against working at all. For many, the government for their whole lives, has provided their basic necessities. This is one of the major failures of "The Great Society" proposed by President Johnson.

Our hearts ache for those persons that are caught in that culture.

6 Comments:

  • I think you should note:
    Unemployment compensation is not an option for the inner city youth. You hsve to work first. There is a pamphlet available to explain unemployment benefits and it does not cover terminated for cause, employment upon graduation or much of what youbattribute to it.
    The inner city youth unemployment rate has not gone up, it has been that bad under Bush 1&2 Clinton etc.
    I don't think great expectations are a problem. They have had their worthlessness drummed into them for years.
    However, I have known many white suburban youth that are only looking for a position, not a job, because they hsve been told from birth thst they are the best and most deserving person to ever lived.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:52 AM  

  • The above was me.

    I noticed you used the word antithetical in you last post. It isn't a word you hear often so I was suprizen when one of the candidates in the depate mast night used it. Must be part of the republican talking points.
    I do think, however, that with the talking points they should have given a pronouncing guide. He blew it. This is one of those strange English words that you can use an alternative spelling, but the pronouncement is the same. No 'al' in speech there is no such word as antithetical, you can write it, but don't say it.

    Za



    Za

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:59 AM  

  • Marty,

    The "default to unemployment" was just that and not default to unemployment compensation. If you have not worked for it - you don't get it.

    About your last paragraph, "kids that have been told they are deserving", how true.

    By Blogger Marcel, at 3:04 PM  

  • My theory on the current unemployment crises is that it may or may not have been caused by government but it is being perpetuated by government. Unemployment insurance was meant to help the unemployed for a few months while between jobs. To collect you had to provide proof that you are actively looking for a job (provide names and addresses of businesses you solicited). Today our government has extended unemployment insurance to 99 weeks and Obama's new jobs plan will double it. If you want less of an activity tax it. If you want more of an activity subsidize it.

    BTW: Marty, you need to invest and use a spell checker. hsve? youbattribute? thst?

    By Blogger John Beauregard, at 7:30 AM  

  • Pads have a mind of their own so if you don't pay attention, and I don't, they see a Kettering or two and, like a wife, decide what it is you want to say.

    Za

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:26 PM  

  • I thought I was writing 'letter.'

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:27 PM  

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