Your Government Owes You a Job

[Tom Joad]

This is right in line with what I have been saying all along. We need more government, not less.


http://www.thenation.com/article/179...-owes-you-job#

The federal government can easily afford a job guarantee program, becoming our employer of last resort.
Raúl Carrillo
April 23, 2014

Involuntary unemployment is barbaric. In the wealthiest country in history, almost 30 million people wish they had full-time work. But, as always, there aren’t enough jobs. And because economic security requires decent work, it’s unsurprising that 50 million people are poverty-stricken and 16 million children are hungry.

This is a disgrace and an economic error: the US government can easily afford a Job guarantee (JG) program, becoming our employer of last resort.

A right to a job may sound outlandish, but it’s common sense. You need dollars to eat, and unless you steal the dollars, you generally have to earn them. If the government wants to protect property with cops, courts, and prisons, issue a single, common currency, and tax and fine us in it, it should at least guarantee we can work for our own dollars. Politicians ramble about equality of opportunity and the dignity of work, but to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, we need boots. And lest our boots stomp each other’s necks in senseless competition for too few jobs, we need a job guarantee.

continued

[mpholland]

A job guarantee at what type of wages???

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by mpholland

A job guarantee at what type of wages???

I'd go with the GS pay scale and benefits.

Where on the scale a person would fall would depend on the type of job they fill.

The base for GS1 is $17,803 per year.

That's about $8.50 an hour.

And then of course there would be the benefits package that federal employees get too.

http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-overs...ry-calculator/

[Oerets]

If the statistics showed the majority of government workers voted for the GOP you bet they support the hiring of more. Same with the attack on unions. It all and two prong attack on government jobs, one to eliminate a voting block and outsource, privatizes those jobs so a profit is made from the tax dollar.



Barney

[4-2-7]

Lets Nationalize the whole country, everyone can just work for the country.

[donquixote99]

The way to go is a combination of guaranteed minimum income and (for more income) guaranteed work.

The current system is non-owners 'deserve' only what they can successfully compete for, in a marketplace governed by forces beyond their control, and by the rapacity, prejudices, and whims of the owning class. Owners, on the other had, 'deserve' UNLIMITED EVERYTHING--save what they are forced to pay to labor, despite their best efforts.

And the right wind* will tell you any change to the above is immoral. Why?



* right wing, but I like the typo

[icenine]

There is a false logic of zero sum game. If more government workers how can we pay for it.....

there must be a loser in the process


however the benefits of more consumption in our economy would make things better.

[whell]

Originally Posted by icenine

There is a false logic of zero sum game. If more government workers how can we pay for it.....

there must be a loser in the process


however the benefits of more consumption in our economy would make things better.

The only ones who don't lose are the political class. Everyone else would be made subservient to the gov't to support such a system.

[icenine]

Originally Posted by whell

The only ones who don't lose are the political class. Everyone else would be made subservient to the gov't to support such a system.

What I meant was that people who oppose government jobs perceive there is a loser ......I was not clear enough.

If I sent you a pair of Klipsch RB-5s would you feel bad that my Navy salary bought them?


of course not

no I am not going to send you those speakers lol

[whell]

Originally Posted by icenine

What I meant was that people who oppose government jobs perceive there is a loser ......I was not clear enough.

If I sent you a pair of Klipsch RB-5s would you feel bad that my Navy salary bought them?


of course not

no I am not going to send you those speakers lol

No, I'd suggest that you bought them while earning money while executing a legit function of the gov't. Make-work jobs are not a legit function of gov't.

FYI, I used to own a pair if RB-5's and every day I regret that I sold them. Such is this hobby of ours....