I cannot recall the last time I picked up a newspaper without immediately noting a glaring headline regarding the state of the national job market and the disappearance of the middle class, and what little money a middle class citizen had to begin with. Honestly, I am at a point that I no longer wish to read or watch the news (largely because I am one of those struggling middle-class souls).
So where have all of our personal wealth and jobs gone? Some would argue that the fate of the middle class in America was decided a long time ago and that this process has been slowly but surely in place for decades. And of course there is the issue of the job market, with the nations lack of infrastructure and production to keep our overly populated society employed. At the extreme and unfortunate end of the economic spectrum lies the ugly truth regarding true poverty in our nation. Many workaday people in the US have been languishing in poverty due to job loss and extended unemployment. Even college educated individuals are having a hard time finding even the most meager of jobs, and are buried alive under thousands of dollars in student loan and credit card debt. No doubt they must all be wondering if their college degree was worth it in the long run, as there seems to be no light at the end of a long and bleak tunnel.
Ask and ye shall receive? Perhaps not entirely, however, President Obama speaks of his keen awareness of our economic crisis and has responded thus far with the American Jobs Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The American Jobs Act is a bill that has been introduced by the Obama Administration to give a shot in the arm, so to speak, for small businesses. This includes a host of tax cuts, aimed at helping small to mid-sized businesses ramp up their hiring of new employees (thus creating more jobs). The Act also focuses on the modernizing and building of greater infrastructures throughout the nation (this will also introduce more jobs), as well as various ways for workers to refinance their homes to more affordable payments, and alleviating layoffs in various sectors.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was also established to provide some relief for those struggling with poverty through this grueling economic period. This Act introduces more tax breaks for working families, as well as programs to fight hunger and to help make peoples homes more energy efficient (thus saving money on electric and heating costs, etc). Included in this measure is the renewed funding for the Neighborhood Stabilization Fund, which helps keep unemployed people in their homes or at the very least assists in rehoming them quickly in case of foreclosure.
One would think that with these remarkable initiatives in place to help our economy and get people working that we would enjoy a notable uptick in employment and personal wealth, however, these measures take time and funding that may not be readily available. Unfortunately, while these acts are very workable in general and look good on paper, our overpopulated society keeps them from being largely effective. We simply do not have enough federal funding or resources to maintain the current population as is in a manner that society deems as an acceptable and comfortable lifestyle for each person. The nations resources for jobs and even food is currently stretched very thin, and will continue to worsen as the population is forecasted to drastically increase in the next few decades.
As I see it, we have a few more miles down that long, dark tunnel before we find a truly workable solution to our economic and jobs crisis, however these Acts are very much a sign that we as a nation and our government are moving in the right direction to provide assistance for it's citizens in need.
Please visit the below links for detailed information on the American Jobs Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:
http://www.recovery.gov/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/poverty
http://www.whitehouse.gov/jobsact#overview
I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed your article. To be honest, I am surrounded by very heavily conservative influences, so, generally, it is hard to get a true opinion on more liberal movements. The three acts that you mentioned, the American Jobs Act, the American Recovery, and Reinvestment Act, are all terms I have not come across before.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, the one that interested me the most is the American Jobs Act. Being raised in a Catholic family, we always participated and funded charities that benefited the homeless, jobless, etc. But, we wouldn’t have been able to without my parents wealthy and stable income.
This brings me to ask the next question. Would a less regulated TRUE free-market economy be better than a more regulated one? As in would jobs create themselves? My question is not one to belittle the seemingly generous acts obama and his team are proposing. Like someone, justifiably questioning their faith, It is merely a question that asks if this is the best way to get america out of this jobless mess. As you stated above, the acts proposed by Obama’s administration lack resources and ultimately, still would leave citizens in financial trouble, much like any another economic move or proposition.
All-in-all, I really liked the way you ended your editorial. Like you said, “we have a few more miles down that long, dark tunnel before we find a truly workable solution to our economic and jobs crisis” , but it should make us proud that we have a dedicated leader and politicians that are looking out for not only our economic well-being, but our human well-being.