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Ten ways to spur job growth


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2014 Jan 11, 1:51am   8,346 views  80 comments

by tovarichpeter   ➕follow (6)   💰tip   ignore  

http://www.salon.com/2014/01/11/10_ways_to_and_spur_job_growth_and_jumpstart_purchasing_power_partner/

Americans is now employed than at any time in the last three decades (before women surged into the workforce). What does this have to do with the fact that median household incomes continue to drop (adjusted for inflation) and that 95 percent of all the economic gains since the recovery started have gone to the top 1 percent? Plenty. Businesses wont create new jobs without enough customers. But most Americans no longer have enough purchasing power to fuel that job growth.

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1   New Renter   2014 Jan 11, 3:32am  

Or re institute workers as legal property.

Slaves are 100% employed, right?

2   indigenous   2014 Jan 11, 7:07am  

This is a fantastic article with incredible ideas.

(1) raise the minimum wage at least to its inflation-adjusted value 40 years ago — which would be well over $10 an hour

This is guaranteed to be a sure fire winner that has been proven to grow the economy for 70 years or so.

(2) extend unemployment benefits to the jobless

This too has great prospects as everyone knows that paying people not to work is very effective in creating economic activity.

(3) launch a major jobs program to rebuild the nation’s crumbling infrastructure,

Absolutely no body knows better about what is wanted by the market place than the government just look at success of Solyndra, shovel ready jobs, and cash for clunkers. This is some very solid thinking.

(4) expand Medicaid to the near-poor

Yes this will make a huge difference it is not as though they don't get this already.

(5) enable low-wage workers to unionize

Again absolutely this strikes at the very core of the problem and will encourage businesses to start and grow.

(6) rehire all the teachers, social workers, police, and other public service employees who were laid off in the recession

Yes we don't have enough government employees great idea

(7) exempt the first $20,000 of income from Social Security payroll taxes and make up the difference by removing the cap on income subject to the tax. And because the rich spend a far smaller proportion of their earnings than the middle class and poor, pay for much of this by

Absolutely it is not as if the poor don't receive most of their "legal" income from government transfers and then work under that table for cash.

(8) closing tax loopholes that benefit the rich such as the “carried interest” tax benefit for hedge-fund and private-equity managers

That is right as the rich are the only ones who get breaks.

(9) raise the highest marginal tax rate

Yes also solid thinking there are enough investors going offshore.

(10) impose a small tax on all financial transactions.

Absolutely we should have a VAT as well.

Oh but wait a minute isn't this kind of thing we have been doing for
6 years or so, I guess we just haven't done enough of it.

3   tatupu70   2014 Jan 11, 7:12am  

Indigenous:

See--it would make sense if you understood why there are no jobs now...

Wealth/income inequality. That is the bottom line and the reason for most of our ills. All of the above items you listed help reduce inequality and give poor and middle class more money. Reduce inequality and it WILL lead to more jobs. Guaranteed.

4   indigenous   2014 Jan 11, 7:59am  

tatupu70 says

Well, here let me try to dumb it down for you to help.

Ok thanks I will try and focus.

tatupu70 says

Companies only produce what can actually be sold, and only hire enough people to meet that production goal.

Ok I think I'm following so far. Does that also apply to SEIU, CALPERS workers?

tatupu70 says

When 50% of the population has very little discretionary income, it severely limits their ability to buy anything--therefore lowering qualified demand.

Does this mean the companies will only sell to people who meet certain qualifications?

tatupu70 says

Since qualified demand is low, companies don't plan to produce much, and since the production goal is low--they don't need to hire many people.

Ok I'm following you there.tatupu70 says

NOW-if money were redistributed to the lower 50%, it would allow them to buy more things, creating more demand, and forcing companies to hire more people. See how that works?

Ok but just one question, aren't a historically high number of people already receiving money from the government through long term unemployment and permanent disability?

tatupu70 says

See how that works?

Not really could you say it again slower and louder?

5   tatupu70   2014 Jan 11, 8:10am  

indigenous says

Does this mean the companies will only sell to people who meet certain qualifications?

Yes--primary qualification is people have enough money to pay.

indigenous says

Ok but just one question, aren't a historically high number of people already receiving money from the government through long term unemployment and permanent disability?

Yes--you're catching on. That is precisely BECAUSE of the inequality problem.

indigenous says

Not really could you say it again slower and louder?

I could, but I don't really think it will help.indigenous says

Does that also apply to SEIU, CALPERS workers?

Not sure what you mean--the unions don't typically hire people. People join the union after they are hired. So, doesn't really apply

6   indigenous   2014 Jan 11, 8:27am  

tatupu70 says

indigenous says

Ok but just one question, aren't a historically high number of people already receiving money from the government through long term unemployment and permanent disability?

Yes--you're catching on. That is precisely BECAUSE of the inequality problem.

Oh ok, but is there a danger that the guys who own companies will take their ball and go home because they are tired of being stopped from making a profit, after all there would be no incentive left for them to try?

tatupu70 says

indigenous says

Not really could you say it again slower and louder?

I could, but I don't really think it will help

Ok I will continue following your posts and try and cipher what you are saying.

tatupu70 says

Does that also apply to SEIU, CALPERS workers?

Not sure what you mean--the unions don't typically hire people. People join the union after they are hired. So, doesn't really apply

Ok I was just wondering because they have grown in numbers over the past few years and they average about twice as much as private sector workers so they are starting to resemble them rich fellers you were talking about.

7   lostand confused   2014 Jan 11, 8:29am  

tatupu70 says

It's pretty simple actually. Companies only produce what can actually be sold, and only hire enough people to meet that production goal. When 50% of the population has very little discretionary income, it severely limits their ability to buy anything--therefore lowering qualified demand.

Since qualified demand is low, companies don't plan to produce much, and since the production goal is low--they don't need to hire many people.

NOW-if money were redistributed to the lower 50%, it would allow them to buy more things, creating more demand, and forcing companies to hire more people. See how that works?

That was already tried in the last century. it was called communism.

8   Strategist   2014 Jan 11, 8:35am  

That is kinda what Cuba and Venezuela do, and they are pathetic losers.
This is what we need:
1. Free trade agreements. They create high paying jobs and improve everyones standard of living.
2. Free education for all. If it's free, the people will get more educated. Educated people are the ones who invent nice things and create wealth.
3. An all out effort to replace fossil fuels with alternative fuels. We wont have to spend $500 billion a year on imported fossil fuels that destroy our health, and environment. The fuel from the sun is free.
4. Death tax for billionaires 70%. They're dead, they don't need it.

9   indigenous   2014 Jan 11, 8:46am  

Strategist says

1. Free trade agreements. They create high paying jobs and improve everyones standard of living

But if it is free trade why do we need agreements, especially ones that are 1000s of pages long?

Strategist says

2. Free education for all. If it's free, the people will get more educated. Educated people are the ones who invent nice things and create wealth.

But we have had that in the US for a long time and our education keeps going down?

Strategist says

3. An all out effort to replace fossil fuels with alternative fuels. We wont have to spend $500 billion a year on imported fossil fuels that destroy our health, and environment. The fuel from the sun is free.

But the US is projected to produce as much oil as Saudi Arabia by 2015?

Strategist says

4. Death tax for billionaires 70%. They're dead, they don't need it.

Them billionaires are pretty smart fellers (I guess that is why they are billionaires) they will figure out ways to get around paying the taxes.

10   Strategist   2014 Jan 11, 8:59am  

indigenous says

Strategist says

1. Free trade agreements. They create high paying jobs and improve everyones standard of living

But if it is free trade why do we need agreements, especially ones that are 1000s of pages long?

You are right, it should be one page long. They have hundreds of exceptions, and hundreds of loopholes for each exception.
You also have to deal with corrupt politicians.

indigenous says

Strategist says

2. Free education for all. If it's free, the people will get more educated. Educated people are the ones who invent nice things and create wealth.

But we have had that in the US for a long time and our education keeps going down?

Only up to high school. It should be free all the way to PhD.
We are not as competitive as we used to be because we don't produce enough graduates with the right skills.

indigenous says

Strategist says

3. An all out effort to replace fossil fuels with alternative fuels. We wont have to spend $500 billion a year on imported fossil fuels that destroy our health, and environment. The fuel from the sun is free.

But the US is projected to produce as much oil as Saudi Arabia by 2015?

Still does not beat free fuel that does not pollute. The will last for ever while fossil fuels are a finite resource.

indigenous says

Strategist says

4. Death tax for billionaires 70%. They're dead, they don't need it.

Them billionaires are pretty smart fellers (I guess that is why they are billionaires) they will figure out ways to get around paying the taxes.

Lets have a simplified tax code. Flat tax - no loopholes. That should actually be #5.

11   lostand confused   2014 Jan 11, 9:04am  

Strategist says

Lets have a simplified tax code. Flat tax - no loopholes. That should actually be #5.

That will never fly. All the takers and the welfare cases will have to pay taxes . Oh wait-they don't have income, live off our taxes and cry about the 1%.

I am ok with raising taxes on the rich-as long as the deadbeats get off their behinds and work and if they can't work then protest and make gubmnt listen to them.

12   Strategist   2014 Jan 11, 9:06am  

lostand confused says

Strategist says

Lets have a simplified tax code. Flat tax - no loopholes. That should actually be #5.

That will never fly. All the takers and the welfare cases will have to pay taxes . Oh wait-they don't have income, live off our taxes and cry about the 1%.

Not really. Flat tax at 17% is revenue neutral as per billionaire Forbes.
The needy will not be affected.

13   tatupu70   2014 Jan 11, 9:28am  

indigenous says

Oh ok, but is there a danger that the guys who own companies will take their ball and go home because they are tired of being stopped from making a profit, after all there would be no incentive left for them to try?

Not really. Let them go. There are plenty of people who would start new companies to fill the gap if they left. It's an empty threat anyway, because we all know they would never leave.

indigenous says

tatupu70 says

Does that also apply to SEIU, CALPERS workers?

Not sure what you mean--the unions don't typically hire people. People join the union after they are hired. So, doesn't really apply

Ok I was just wondering because they have grown in numbers over the past few years and they average about twice as much as private sector workers so they are starting to resemble them rich fellers you were talking about.

Let's not get distracted into a public union discussion again. But I will comment that if you think union workers are "rich fellers" then you aren't paying attention.

14   tatupu70   2014 Jan 11, 9:30am  

lostand confused says

That was already tried in the last century. it was called communism.

Actually it was tried in the last century. It was called the 30 years or so post WWII in the US. Until Reagan came along...

15   tatupu70   2014 Jan 11, 9:31am  

indigenous says

Them billionaires are pretty smart fellers (I guess that is why they are billionaires) they will figure out ways to get around paying the taxes.

Really--do you have any evidence of correlation between intelligence and wealth?

16   tatupu70   2014 Jan 11, 9:32am  

Strategist says

Lets have a simplified tax code. Flat tax - no loopholes. That should actually be #5.

lol--that is the WORST tax structure. If you want to increase wealth disparity, this is the way to do it.

17   tatupu70   2014 Jan 11, 9:33am  

Strategist says

Not really. Flat tax at 17% is revenue neutral as per billionaire Forbes.

The needy will not be affected.

You're delusional. If the rich are paying less, then who is paying more?

18   FortWayne   2014 Jan 11, 9:34am  

Bring back jobs from overseas. I remember when we had all the jobs in America, it was great, unemployment was by choice those days. But today, that's not the case... increasingly crappier jobs, lower pay, and worse economy for working men and women.

And I blame it all on outsourcing, because I've seen how thousands of jobs gone overseas and communities left to struggle with no jobs and pick themselves up.

19   thomaswong.1986   2014 Jan 11, 9:40am  

tatupu70 says

NOW-if money were redistributed to the lower 50%,

Redistribute.... LOL yea and when thats all spent what next ?

20   thomaswong.1986   2014 Jan 11, 9:42am  

indigenous says

Them billionaires are pretty smart fellers (I guess that is why they are billionaires) they will figure out ways to get around paying the taxes.

Billions of after tax savings... well the Billionaires give it away.. so they

are not taxed...

21   Strategist   2014 Jan 11, 9:43am  

tatupu70 says

Strategist says

Not really. Flat tax at 17% is revenue neutral as per billionaire Forbes.

The needy will not be affected.

You're delusional. If the rich are paying less, then who is paying more?

Please understand it first. The first $33,00 would not be taxed. Closing the loopholes and deductions is why it would be revenue neutral.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Forbes

I highlighted this part for you:

His flat tax plan has changed slightly. In 1996 he supported a flat tax of 17% on all personal and corporate earned income (unearned income such as capital gains, pensions, inheritance, and savings would be exempt.) However, he supported keeping the first $33,000 of income exempt. In 2000 he maintained the same plan, but instead of each person receiving an exemption of $33,000, it more closely resembled the Armey Plan (Forbes' version called for a $13,000 per adult and $5,000 per dependent deduction). Forbes himself is very wealthy, with a net worth in 1996 of $430 million.[4] In response to this criticism, Forbes promised in his 2000 campaign to exempt himself from the benefits of the flat tax, although he did support the repeal of the 16th Amendment in a debate with Alan Keyes the previous year.

22   thomaswong.1986   2014 Jan 11, 9:45am  

FortWayne says

Bring back jobs from overseas. I remember when we had all the jobs in America, it was great, unemployment was by choice those days. But today, that's not the case... increasingly crappier jobs, lower pay, and worse economy for working men and women.

And I blame it all on outsourcing, because I've seen how thousands of jobs gone overseas and communities left to struggle with no jobs and pick themselves up

Best Answer here by a mile... and of course who is the road block...

" Those jobs are not coming back - Bill Clinton "

Get rid of the road blocks and distractions and get American jobs

back to in the hand of the American people... let them be masters

of their own destiny.

23   Strategist   2014 Jan 11, 9:51am  

thomaswong.1986 says

FortWayne says

Bring back jobs from overseas. I remember when we had all the jobs in America, it was great, unemployment was by choice those days. But today, that's not the case... increasingly crappier jobs, lower pay, and worse economy for working men and women.

And I blame it all on outsourcing, because I've seen how thousands of jobs gone overseas and communities left to struggle with no jobs and pick themselves up

Best Answer here by a mile... and of course who is the road block...

" Those jobs are not coming back - Bill Clinton "

Get rid of the road blocks and distractions and get American jobs

back to in the hand of the American people... let them be masters

of their own destiny.

Guys, I am sorry to break it to you, but that is not gonna happen.
The world is getting smaller, we are steadily moving towards free trade, and there is no going back.
This country has a lot going for it to be competitive and beat the shit out of everyone else. Lets work on that.

24   New Renter   2014 Jan 11, 9:53am  

Strategist says

Only up to high school. It should be free all the way to PhD.

With scholarships it can be. The problem is its overkill for most careers.

Ph.D. work also pays terribly for up to a decade. Coupled with the bachelors that's nearly 1/3 of one's working years with minimal or even negative earnings.

25   Strategist   2014 Jan 11, 9:57am  

New Renter says

Strategist says

Only up to high school. It should be free all the way to PhD.

With scholarships it can be. The problem is its overkill for most careers.

That is right. What good is a history or an arts major. A total waste of scarce resources.
We need to divert more resources towards the sciences and business majors. Even vocational skills. But not humanities.

26   FortWayne   2014 Jan 11, 10:02am  

Strategist says

Guys, I am sorry to break it to you, but that is not gonna happen.

The world is getting smaller, we are steadily moving towards free trade, and there is no going back.

This country has a lot going for it to be competitive and beat the shit out of everyone else. Lets work on that.

It's a system that makes labor cheaper and wealthy wealthier. Race to the bottom. Sure this country has a lot of going for it, but if it doesn't trickle down to an average American it doesn't matter to an average American.

27   New Renter   2014 Jan 11, 10:07am  

Strategist says

We need to divert more resources towards the sciences and business majors.

We already have an excess of scientists. We really don't need more. Programmers and hardware engineers we could use.

28   Strategist   2014 Jan 11, 10:11am  

FortWayne says

Strategist says

Guys, I am sorry to break it to you, but that is not gonna happen.

The world is getting smaller, we are steadily moving towards free trade, and there is no going back.

This country has a lot going for it to be competitive and beat the shit out of everyone else. Lets work on that.

It's a system that makes labor cheaper and wealthy wealthier. Race to the bottom. Sure this country has a lot of going for it, but if it doesn't trickle down to an average American it doesn't matter to an average American.

That is a very common argument by those who oppose free trade agreements.
What happens is :
1. Those with limited marketable skills lose out.
2. Those with high skills come out ahead.
3. The standard of living of the general population increases.
4. The developing countries in the 3rd world benefit the most, but so do we.

What can I say, but you have to face reality. There is no turning back the clock on free trade.

29   FortWayne   2014 Jan 11, 10:11am  

Strategist says

We need to divert more resources towards the sciences and business majors. Even vocational skills. But not humanities.

We can't all be science majors, the way markets work... when everyone goes into one direction... that direction becomes really really cheap and miserable for the working class.

30   Strategist   2014 Jan 11, 10:12am  

New Renter says

Strategist says

We need to divert more resources towards the sciences and business majors.

We already have an excess of scientists. We really don't need more. Programmers and hardware engineers we could use.

We have very few, which is why we import them from India and China.

31   Strategist   2014 Jan 11, 10:14am  

FortWayne says

Strategist says

We need to divert more resources towards the sciences and business majors. Even vocational skills. But not humanities.

We can't all be science majors, the way markets work... when everyone goes into one direction... that direction becomes really really cheap and miserable for the working class.

I would agree. Not everyone goes into these fields because it is difficult.
It is easier to flip burgers, which is why it pays peanuts.

32   thomaswong.1986   2014 Jan 11, 10:15am  

Strategist says

Guys, I am sorry to break it to you, but that is not gonna happen.

The world is getting smaller, we are steadily moving towards free trade, and there is no going back.

you remove the roadblocks...

free trade zones ... no such thing

href="http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/dispu_agreements_index_e.htm?id=A6#selected_agreement" >http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/dispu_agreements_index_e.htm?id=A6#selected_agreement

33   indigenous   2014 Jan 11, 10:16am  

tatupu70 says

indigenous says

Them billionaires are pretty smart fellers (I guess that is why they are billionaires) they will figure out ways to get around paying the taxes.

Really--do you have any evidence of correlation between intelligence and wealth?

So Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, them Google fellers aren't smarter than the average bear? Please learn me some something regarding this?

34   thomaswong.1986   2014 Jan 11, 10:19am  

Strategist says

We have very few, which is why we import them from India and China.

shortage.. like the onese we had in 70s 80s and 90s but managed anyway.

with fewer tech companies and the most heaviest work behind ... why import?

DIVERSITY... thats all ! you have to be some rainbow of colors...

Its absolutely outrageous you have all those white people working in Silicon Valley...

35   indigenous   2014 Jan 11, 10:26am  

FortWayne says

Strategist says

We need to divert more resources towards the sciences and business majors. Even vocational skills. But not humanities.

We can't all be science majors, the way markets work... when everyone goes into one direction... that direction becomes really really cheap and miserable for the working class.

Well the reality is that when the Chinese devalued their currency it gave them a huge advantage that sucked jobs out of this country like a Monica Lewinsky. Don't be too outraged because before them the Japanese did the same thing and before them the US did the same thing back in the 20s.

The good news is that the Chinese are going to take it in the ass for the foreseeable future. One Caveat they might go to war to solve their financial problems. Barring war the Yuan is going to have a higher value and jobs are going to be leaving China.

36   tatupu70   2014 Jan 11, 10:30am  

thomaswong.1986 says

Redistribute.... LOL yea and when thats all spent what next ?

lol is right. The money doesn't go away. You are really clueless about how an economy works...

37   tatupu70   2014 Jan 11, 10:31am  

Strategist says

Please understand it first. The first $33,00 would not be taxed. Closing the loopholes and deductions is why it would be revenue neutral.

I understand it fine. I'll ask again--if the 1% are paying less, then who is paying more to make it revenue neutral?

38   tatupu70   2014 Jan 11, 10:33am  

Strategist says

That is a very common argument by those who oppose free trade agreements.

What happens is :

1. Those with limited marketable skills lose out.

2. Those with high skills come out ahead.

3. The standard of living of the general population increases.

4. The developing countries in the 3rd world benefit the most, but so do we.

What can I say, but you have to face reality. There is no turning back the clock on free trade.

How exactly do we benefit?

39   tatupu70   2014 Jan 11, 10:34am  

indigenous says

So Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, them Google fellers aren't smarter than the average bear? Please learn me some something regarding this?

I don't know. How about Paris Hilton? Kim Kardashian?

40   thomaswong.1986   2014 Jan 11, 10:35am  

tatupu70 says

lol is right. The money doesn't go away. You are really clueless about how an economy works...

sounds like your in favor or Tax refunds..

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