I Didn't Mean What You Thought I Said

It's Wonderful! Horrible!An Opportunity!Discrimination!

It's another spin by people on both sides of the isle to encourage others to come over to their way of thinking.

On January 8, Robert Reich spoke in his blog, and afterward in Washington about the stimulus package and how to best distribute it among the masses.

The far right throw around the “No White Males” theory. Stating as though it’s
fact that no white male construction workers will be given jobs.

The far left praise the progressive attitude of Reich and see this as a way to bring hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty.

Neither side is paying attention.

Let’s take a look, first, at what Mr. Reich actually said.

“But if there aren't enough skilled professionals to do the jobs involving new technologies, the stimulus will just increase the wages of the professionals who already have the right skills rather than generate many new jobs in these fields. And if construction jobs go mainly to white males who already dominate the construction trades, many people who need jobs the most -- women, minorities, and the poor and long-term unemployed -- will be shut out.”


He then went on to say:

“I'd suggest that all contracts entered into with stimulus funds require contractors to provide at least 20 percent of jobs to the long-term unemployed and to people with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. And at least 2 percent of project funds should be allocated to such training. In addition, advantage should be taken of buildings trades’ apprenticeships -- which must be fully available to women and minorities.”

If 20% of the jobs are going to the long-term unemployed, women and minorities, it would be safe to say that white male construction workers and professionals aren’t going to be turned away at the door.

On the other side, many are excited thinking how these job opportunities are going to be the help for those less fortunate that have long been denied.

Wrong again.

The people deciding these criteria have good intentions, no doubt. In theory, once those who have long been without a job will now have one….problem solved. The problem is the theory is decided by people who have never hired or dealt with the frequently unemployed. The truth is, most of those who fall into the “long term unemployed” fall there by choice.

These are frequently people who live off of their girl-friend’s welfare check. They usually have several children with this woman. They would get married, but they just can’t “afford” to. Afford being codeword for “she’ll lose her benefits”. They work jobs here and there under the table to add to their girlfriend’s stash. They usually have more disposable income than the full-time employed, blue collar, one income family. They’ll be happy to take the jobs given by the government. I’ll go out on a limb here and predict that they won’t be happy to keep them. Come hunting season, football season, or just after 3 weeks of having to get up and go to work every day, they’ll find an excuse to quit.

Part of the reason lawmakers don’t see this side of the “working” force is because most in government have either been handed an education or, like our new president, they have worked hard, been given opportunities, and made the most of them, and never had to deal with the laziness that festers like a boil and is rampant among the “long-term unemployed” . It would be difficult, as someone who wanted more, to truly understand that there are so many who simply do not. Well, not if they have to work for it, that is.

The things said the most among the long-term unemployed is, “Man, if I just had a chance. I keep getting screwed over. I won’t let you down.” All of these are invariably lies. Most have had many chances. Most were trying to cheat, or did cheat, their employers, and most let you down.

Our stimulus package will begin with an effort to raise these people above the poverty they live in. It will work for a while. I hope that, when the jobs become available a second time, because most of them will, the government will look to the people who have already proven themselves capable of completing a task; the people who aren’t unemployed right now because they’re willing to take any job to keep food on the table, but not willing to take a hand out. Those are the people you want building your bridges, your roads, bringing you into the next era. Those are the types of people who made America what it is today. I believe they’re qualified, and have earned the right, to make America what it will be tomorrow.