By Terry McGaheyLet me start off by saying I am not an economist, nor do I claim to be one, but some of the things I hear and see in this day and age don't make sense to me at all.
First off, we hear from the news and even coming from the mouths of some politicians implying that jobs, such as working in fast food establishments, are the types of jobs people support their families with, and how the low pay needs to be raised so folks can do so. Sad part is, some people today do have to take those jobs for that very reason.
When I was a young man those were typically entry level jobs for kids coming out of high school or to help others with college tuitions. Very few of the fast food workers in the past made it their career.
My first two jobs were working as a bus boy and washing cars at a car wash. I knew the pay was low but I also knew I would be moving on in time.
Those jobs were stepping stones into the working world and nothing more for most people back then.
Just since 2001 there have been over 40,000 factory closures in this country and who knows how many before then. This number applies only to the factories themselves, not counting the support companies who supplied them with goods and services.
Jobs of this nature were the backbone of our country and the types of jobs that people could support their families with, even with only one bread winner.
But now, due to the unreasonably high corporate taxes, as well as government, state and the wonderful EPA regulations which have been put into place, which by the way are completely unreasonable, many of these companies have either folded or moved to other countries to reopen their doors.
For years now, I have either known of, or have heard of, people who have lost their twenty dollars an hour plus jobs because of these factories shutting down, then being replaced with ten to twelve dollars an hour jobs because there are no other alternatives or very few out there.
It is very easy for politicians sitting in their ivory towers to tell us the economy is growing and things are getting better when the reality is much different.
Maybe we have seen a slight growth in jobs but they are jobs that do not pay enough to support a single person much less a family.
As a single person, try to live on twelve dollars an hour in places like southern California, New York and others. I don't believe it can be done and even with someone to split the bills, such as a room mate, you will be broke all of the time with nothing left over for car repairs, emergencies etc. Just going to the grocery store now is a major expense.
It must be nice for the so-called "leadership" in this country to live the opulent life styles that some of them do, all the while telling us how the economy and job markets are growing.
Seems to me that certain politicians, such as the likes of former vice president Al Gore, think we are stupid enough to believe it.
Like the old saying goes, "If you tell a lie long enough and often enough, sooner or later the people will begin to believe it."
Today they push the idea that technology is our wave of future jobs. To a point this is true, but the only thing in my opinion that will put this country back on its feet is manufacturing period.
We must take a few steps back in order to take ten steps forward to once again be the great country we were meant to be.
That's how I see it.
