America faces the greatest economic and social challenge since the Great Depression. Yet, instead of calling on this generation to pull together and tackle these issues together, many Republicans are pitting neighbor versus neighbor, having them scramble for a piece of the pie that they are continuously responsible for shrinking.
We see this most clearly in Wisconsin, as Gov. Scott Walker tries to use the current economic crisis to strip away the collective bargaining rights of public sector unions.
The fact is that over the last 30 years, corporations have demanded more from but paid less to their workers, all while their profits continue to rise. As we've seen jobs shifted overseas and once-mighty companies downsized, we have also witnessed the top 1 percent increase their share of the nation's wealth to 40 percent. The policies that have artificially enabled this shift in wealth, as well as the unfunded Bush-era tax cuts, are among the key reasons that our economy nearly collapsed three years ago -- that and the Enron-like accounting that allowed our immoral war in Iraq to remain practically invisible in our budget estimates only until recently are why record surpluses have turned into trillion dollar deficits in less than 10 years.
Not labor. In fact, the labor movement not only helped create this nation's vibrant middle class, it also created better conditions for workers of all pay scales across all industries. Without our unions, ideas that were once unacceptable -- the 40-hour work week, the eight-hour day, child labor laws, a minimum wage -- are now seen as common sense. The investment of union pensions into state and municipal bonds have not only spurred local economic development, but also saved the fortunes of a number of cities, including New York, during other hard economic times.
Certainly our current economic crisis demands tough decisions and sacrifices. However, no new math exists that makes it morally and economically logical to ask that those who are least able to shoulder the majority of that sacrifice. Eliminating jobs and demonizing those who guard our streets, teach our children and serve the public good does very little to spur economic recovery. In fact, it's a recipe for the kind of hopelessness and despair that has both social and economic consequences.
Some don't see it that way. They would rather plunge this nation into chaos all in an attempt to cut the size of government. If it costs jobs, then so be it. If it costs American innovation, then so be it. If it costs people the right to expect some kind of security in their senior years after hours upon hours of work, then so be it.
We cannot be so shortsighted. The hard truth is that we cannot just cut our way to a better future. We have to invest in the resources that will give people the tools to improve their lives and the lives of their neighbors. Just as importantly, we cannot let the current crisis reduce us to breaking from the ideals and values that have made this nation an inspiration to the streets of Cairo and all across the world.
We can balance our budgets and our ideals of due process without bankrupting our future. To believe otherwise would be to cave in to the kind of cynicism that is unworthy of our national history. Too many people have died to make this a better land- -not just for unions, but for us all.
This article was originally published in the New York Amsterdam News on March 3, 2011.
Follow Rep. Charles Rangel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cbrangel
Please disappear you and Reid have disgraced the Dem party.
WI Teachers make more than 78% of US workers, twice as much as most workers, and more than most US families. WI teachers (not including administrators) average $52K (puts them at 78%, median is $26K, see [1]). Median WI household income is $50K, US is $46K. That's before teachers superior benefits.
http://en.Âwikipedia.Âorg/wiki/HÂousehold_iÂncome_in_tÂhe_United_ÂStates
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_States
Huge tax cuts JUST before Walker turned on the teachers.....
Nothing subtle about what/who is important to Walker.
Americans had prosperity and a comfortable middle class when the income tax rates were higher. (On everybody.)
Now? The tax rates are lower......which adds to the need to cut the budget.
However, you notice the military is untouchable no matter how bloated it is.
And the politicians have good salaries and benefits. Top notch health care.
We care more as a country in making war in Afghanistan than we worry about what happens to people when they are too old to work.
We try and save fetuses but turn our backs on the living people who can't afford health care even if they could die from lack of timely treatment. (Yes, it happens.)
Private workers against public workers.
Those with a pension against those without.
Those with benefits and those without.
Some families have pro-teacher/union AND anti-teacher/union members of the same family.
'.RANGEL ROCKS"
And a person who never committed any crime may have nothing worth listening to.
Democrats are pitting neighbor against neighbor, because they tell everyone they are entitled to the same size piece of the pie as the person that baked it, bought the groceries, or put it together, even though they contributed nothing.
Everyone has the right to contribute to get their fair share of the pie. Do you honestly believe a street bum looking for a handout wants to live that way?
Its so wonder people worry about the damage the right wing echo chamber is having on America. They actually believe the Democrats want to take your pie away. Its sad. Its like greed sucked a bunch of you in never to return and you will defend the wrongful practices of the rich with white knuckled intensity.
I
Excuse me, but you and your party just spent two years plunging this nation into chaos with your successful attempt to radically grow the size of government at the cost of American jobs, innovation - and freedom.
http://politifact.com/virginia/statements/2011/jan/06/gerry-connolly/rep-gerry-connolly-says-federal-workforce-hasnt-gr/
According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, in 1990 total government employment -- including all branches and uniformed military personnel -- was 5.23 million. By 2009, that number dropped to 4.43 million. If we exclude military personnel, the number fell from 3.128 million in 1990 to 2.84 million in 2009.
After years of decline, those workforce numbers did begin to rise in 2008.
To get a more current read, we turned to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which has preliminary figures as recent as November 2010.
According to BLS data, total federal government employment was 3.103 million in January 1990. Preliminary numbers for November 2010 are 2.837 million.
Even if you don’t count postal service workers, the story holds true. In January 1990, the figure was 2.273 million excluding those employees and in November 2010 it was down to 2.195 million.
>>
While official workforce figures have gone down in recent decades, use of government contractors has exploded, especially in the defense sector following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
In fiscal 2000, the government spent $208 billion on contractors. In fiscal 2009, that figure was up more than 150 percent, to $540 billion.