This post originally appeared at Campaign for America's Future (CAF) at their Blog for OurFuture. I am a Fellow with CAF
Blame the unions, blame the unemployed, blame loans to the poor, blame the government. As income and wealth increasingly go to a few at the top, public anger is directed at the economy's victims.
I am in a clinic all day participating in a medical study, so I was talking to one of the nurses. She brought up that California is in real trouble, is going broke, it's a real mess. She says she doesn't know what we're going to do. She has heard that, "lots of states are going bankrupt. There is no money anymore."
So I asked her what we should do about it.
She said it is because of the unions. "It's just ridiculous. They want so much."
I asked if she follows the news closely, she said she does. "I watch the news a lot."
Some facts: California is famous for leading the country in a wave of anti-government tax-cutting and into Reaganism. We cut taxes an an anti-government ferver and increased prison spending in a law-and-order fever. Then the federal government cut taxes and increased military spending, leading to big deficits. Now we're out of money to run the state government and the country is getting there, too. California's problems have little or nothing to do with what state employees are paid, and a lot to do with tax cuts and people across the state not getting paid enough.
Blaming The Unions
This weekend CBS' 60 Minutes joined the anti-worker chorus, blaming public employee unions for the problems faced by the states. Media Matters, in 60 Minutes' one-sided, GOP-friendly report on state budgets describes the segment,
In 2,600 words about state deficits, you won't find the phrase "tax cuts." Instead, CBS adopts the Republican framing that deficits are all about spending -- frequently with loaded phrasing like "gold-plated retirement and health care packages." And throughout the report, CBS allows Christie, New Jersey's Republican governor, to launch attacks on unions and make unsupported claims about budget problems, all without ever challenging his assertions and without including substantive disagreement from Christie critics. ... You'd never know from CBS' report that a big part of the reason that "Christie and his predecessors" failed to make required contributions to the pension fund is that they decided to use the money for tax cuts instead. [emphasis added]
Mike Hall at the AFL-CIO blog explains that New Jersey's workers and pensions are not the problem,
While politicians like Christie rail against the pensions public employees have secured through collective bargaining--painting them as overly generous golden parachutes, McEntee notes the average annual pension for an AFSCME member is $19,000, and the workers contribute 80 percent during their lifetime on the job.
Tax cuts, income and wealth going to a few at the top, but the unions take the blame because they fight for a better life for working people.
Blaming The Unemployed
The unemployed and the checks they get are often blamed for their plight. They are called "lazy," and it is even suggested the be tested for drugs. CAF graduate David Sirota, in Why the 'Lazy Jobless' Myth Persists
The thesis undergirding all the rhetoric was summed up by conservative commentator Ben Stein, who insisted that "the people who have been laid off and cannot find work are generally people with poor work habits and poor personalities."[. . .] The trouble, though, is that the whole narrative averts our focus from the job-killing trade, tax-cut and budget policies that are really responsible for destroying the economy. And this narrative, mind you, is not some run-of-the-mill distraction. The myth of the lazy unemployed is what duck-and-cover exercises and backyard nuclear shelters were to a past era--an alluring palliative that manufactures false comfort in the face of unthinkable disaster.
Blaming The Poor And Government
Republicans on the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission are sabotaging the commission's work, demanding that "Wall Street" and "deregulation" not appear anywhere in the report. They are refusing to participate, instead releasing a counter-report blaming the government, claiming We, the People forced the giant banks to give home loans to the poor, and blaming the poor for receiving those loans.
What People Think
People tend to think about what is put in front of them to think about. That's why everyone goes to see a new movie on the first weekend instead of waiting until they can get good seats with no lines. Wall Street and the likes of the Chamber of Commerce understand this so they put scapegoats in front of the public to mask what they are doing. Right now there is a corporate/right campaign to blame working people for the problems they caused.
Like 60 Minutes this weekend, the news sources are run by big corporations, and they have been saying over and over (and over and over) that unions and the unemployed and the poor and the government are the cause of the problems. (When was the last time you saw a union representative on TV, explaining the benefits of joining a union?) And, naturally, after hearing these things over and over (and over and over), viewers like the nurse at the clinic I am in think they should blame the unions, the unemployed, the poor, the government, too.
So much of the income and wealth are concentrating at the top. Taxes have been cut so far. The things our government does for us have been cut back so far. Working people's wages have been stagnant for so long.
But the blame right now is directed at the unions, the poor, the unemployed and our government: We, the People.
As the AFL-CIO blog concludes,
The long term solution to state and local fiscal challenges ... is "a robust economy, one that is creating jobs and replenishing tax revenue."
To repeat: The long term solution to state and local fiscal challenges... is "a robust economy, one that is creating jobs and replenishing tax revenue."
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The problems have been compounded by OutsourcinÂÂÂg and Rampant SpeculatioÂÂÂn allowed in all the exchanges. The problems are hereto stay as till date no one in the political arena has even acknowledgÂÂÂed the problems let alone find solution to them.
The too big to fail bunch of banksters have a lot of influence on the political class, the rule makers and the rule enforcers due to their enormous purchasing power. So irrespectiÂÂÂÂve of the position in the governmentÂÂÂÂ, everyone works for the benefit of the banksters.
The rest of the population have to be dumped with lots of problems like unemploymeÂÂÂÂnt, high cost of living (thanks to speculatioÂÂÂÂn in commodity exchanges)ÂÂÂÂ, foreclosurÂÂÂÂes, etc. so that they don’t devote their thoughts to the root of all problems and revolt against the comfortablÂÂÂÂe arrangemenÂÂÂÂt between the banksters, central bankers and the governmentÂÂÂÂs.
This too big to fail group has grown more powerful in size and influence in the last two years and is likely to end up being too big to bail bringing down complete economies of countries with them.
http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article24581.html
Until the voices we hear, represent the voices of 'we the people', nothing will change. Mainstream media is able to spin the message, with the use of selective voices parroting their message. Today it's unions bad, unemployed bad. What's next? Who will be their next target? You and me?
That should be shameful, but it's not. We just move along. No matter what is said, or done, we just move along. Sad, sad, sad!
Yet hope is not lost. Especially for THOSE willing to sacrifice (with love); GIVE AND TAKE. Those not willing to sacrifice should not be rewarded for their "poor choices".
In my town, I see 'sandwich generation' physically moving with one or other, whom they have to care for. Thus all significantly reduce the cost of two roofs; using their resources and savings (one home) to provide for supportive and caring family(ies)
There's one situation that give me delight to observe - as a role model. This is a widowed grandmother who "cares" for her two-earner son's family and their children. She also has "adopted" a 80+ old couple. Here's a "trans-generational family", where everyone gains. Right now they have three roofs. Yet 'this unit' is prepared to weather any storm that may come their way (and they've had quite a few). This unit is not an exception. Many others are doing it, instead of moaning their situation and expecting a handout or services from their govt.
We should highlight such models for America's future. Sociologists, economists and progressives should encourage the media and govt about such options; which brings people / America together; instead of pitting one generation against another; in a scramble for diminishing financial resources.
Truth is these resources aren't diminishing, they are being redistributed upward. I'm sure the family you speak of is a great bunch of people, but not everyone has such a family or any family at all. Most Mexicans live like you describe and they are so happy to do so, those that can jump the border for better. Oligarchy isn't the answer and people like rtx47 are enablers to the 1% driving us there.
Thus one who has a "gimme" attitude, to govt. programs or anything else, will not fit in this or any other self-help model. They have a zillion (totally unrelated) excuses to justify their attitude.
Part of that attitude is fueled by the perception that they "are owed" because we are a rich country; and sadly there are voices that encourage that thinking.
It's a blast from the past. "Trans-generational family" a.k.a. "TRIBE".
Tribal living by the masses wouldn't bring a country together.
You'd just have a bunch of tribes fighting for survival.
What about the consumer of natural gas? He and I are paying three times more for gas now than nine years ago even though plentiful natural gas has been selling at historically low prices. There is no more perfect example of the plunder and pillage of the American people than this thief and betrayal of the public interest for greed, avarice, self-interest ande selfishness of leadership.
We don't have anecdotal problems; we have major dilemma. 90% of seniors want to die in the comfort and security of their home. Only 20% do (+/- hospice). About 30% die in hospitals and 50% in nursing homes wearing hand-me-down gown! In the process, third of the healthcare budget - about 700 Billion dollars is consumed.
Why?
Children avoid the burden and inconvenience of end-of-life care and seniors don't want to be a burden. It also cost nothing for them to say, "Go to the nursing home." If, we made children pay for that care (last month of life), there will be a different perspective and dynamics from patient and relatives.
I have no intention to be argumentative. Beyond theories and economics, you consider govt to be first-line of support; while I consider family; which is basic unit of society. Unintentionally, Govt programs have undermined family unit.
Perhaps we've moved too far from family unit. In which case, "support systems" helped this happen; and exploited the victim and not prevented or helped the victim. Over the decades we have used a lot of band-aids to deny and cover underlying festering problems and issues.
I think support systems came into being because family units dispersed as individuals like my grandfather left the family farm for the city and went to work as a laborer for a company that he ended up owning. Its freedom and the American dream, but the extended family has withered because of it. I will probably end up in a nursing home because we do not have enough support systems to fill the void caused by my children's continued pursuit of their dreams. In countries like Austria, there are low level social workers who go to several homes every week to do the heavy cleaning for aged homeowners so that they can remain in their home. My sister who teaches in Bahrain did that in Austria while she was learning German as part of her Doctoral studies. We could put a lot of people to work with a program like that and keep a lot of older people in their homes.
We see touching stories of single mother with children. Where's the father? And four grandparents? Why no mention of them? This distorts the writer's narrative. First degree relatives should be - voluntary or involuntary - the first line of help.
President Clinton by sunsetting govt programs for teen mothers, significantly reduced incidence of teen pregnancies; and likely helped mother and child by making them dependent on grandparents.
In your personal situation, (again thanks for sharing), it's important seniors have their own "personal network" (within their town) of mutual responsibility - SURROGATE FAMILY, with hired help (private enterprise) as back-up - not govt program with bureaucratic overhead. In my town, there are adult baby-sitters to help / watch-over the sick - at 1/4 cost of a nursing home. Such solutions are not appealing if govt pays nursing homes - (thanks to their lobbying).
Often seniors are in-denial with "we don't need help" and "we expect govt to do it and write to our representative." Many are loath to share problems with children, using an excuse, "they have their own issues" or "children cant do much from far." These excuses mushroom into bigger problems later. Hope the unemployed utilize their unfortunate situation to connect with, spend quality time and catch-up with aging relatives.
My second point is why has our federal government not figured we are in a world economy and choses to advance policies that are in fact Racist? Not the overt type of racism where you see signs, "No colored's Allowed", but the type where a city has no black Fire Captains even though the city is 50% black?
Everyone says to escape poverty you need education! But education is the second rung on the economic ladder to escape poverty. The first ladder in America has always been that entry level factory job! It is why poor blacks left the South for the North and West and prospered building cities like Detroit!
Our trade policies and even our environmental policies hurt minorities far worse than whites. Just look at our Criminal Justice System. Draw a graph of Free trade and increased EPA regulations verses the percent of minorities in jail against the population!
I'm not saying throw out our environmental gains! I'm saying when the EPA sets levels for electricity generation mercury emissions it should not apply only to the U.S. If the mercury gets into the environment from Asia for products made for Americans it still does the same harm to the environment. Is it OK to poison Asians? The EPA should apply standards for products made here or imported.
Do this, jobs will come, stop the Racism!
Food stamps is a form of agricultural subsidies.
School education is a major subsidy to those affiliated with education.
Student loans are subsidies to colleges.
Mortgage tax deduction subsidizes home-builders, real-estate and mortgage industries.
Medicare and (must-have) healthcare insurance subsidizes PhysiciansÂ, Healthcare and Pharmaceutical industry; medical-malpractice industry, bio-engineering corporations, etc.
Other countries have better social programs (judged by world comparison tables) at half the cost.
Between treating preventable illness and end-of life care, we spend one Trillion dollars - half the healthcare budget. Yet this is something we could / should do ourselves. In healthcare our economic competitors provide care to all their citizens at 60% to 100% LESS cost. The same can be said of education.
So many vested interests economicalÂly benefit from "social programs" that its difficult to introduce meaningful and cost-efficÂient changes without upsetting entrenched interest groups; whose cries are led by their lobbying efforts and trade groups.
Third of "foreign aid" is spent in Washington DC on lobbyists and lawyer-groÂups that POOR recipient countries hire to get the "aid."
Ultimately its we-taxpayeÂrs including our children and grandchildÂren who are suckers.
Progressives - we need to wake-up. We should team with Tea Party (OK hold your nose on both sides) to bring the massive debt (14 Trillion) and our annual budget-deficit (1.5 trillion) under control.
As someone who works on the front-line of serving people, one sees the unintended consequences of many otherwise good programs.
As an example, "meals on wheels" a great program, is often a disincentive for a child / children to care for their parent or encourages the parent to dis their children. Yet there is a lot more to a meal when family is involved with caring for a parent.
I am not sure that I have the answer to such abuses. But I am increasingly a silent observer of may abuses of the social programs which is no longer a safety net; but a right.
I have stated before. It is time we reward good behavior rather than rewarding bad choices. Rewarding good choices is an incentive for those 'sitting on the fence' and motivates and encourages them to make the good choices and engage in 'good behavior.' This may be wishful thinking and is not likely to change society overnight; just like it did not take us overnight to reach of present state of affairs.
You talk about people like they are squirrels or something, that become dependent. Or dogs, and you "reward good behavior."
//end snark
This is what's called "good behavior." Some of the experts need to get into the real world.
Likely the hospital association or nursing home association would'nt like such a solution.
Another stupid govt. regualtion is the legal need in NY for a (foreign language) translator for a patient; when the service can be provided free by the family. Of course the agency running the translating service would not like such common-sense and cost-free ideas.
Why do they hate their neighbors right here in America?
In fact, conservatives always come out more personally generous than liberals when research on charity is done.
I know, liberals feel superior because they advocate that the government should do something, and the "wealthy" should pay, but they are less likely to actually give of their own time or treasure.
Go count your money.