Bah! Humbug!
Tim Williams
November 22, 2009
Ebenizer Scrooge is alive and well in today's economy. If the Republican party in state and federal office had their way health care is fashioned that famous line from A Christmas Carol " If they rather die than be in state institutions they had better do it and decrease the surplus population" is the attitude coming from the legislation that they are trying to pass on to the general public. Not only in the debate on health care but in all aspects of business in the United States corporate executives are behaving more like Scrooge every day and the lowly Bob Cratchets everywhere are facing the pinch of ever increasing selfishness from their employer.
With the economy degenerating at a rate of .02% unemployment every month with apparently no relief in sight our lawmakers have already shielded themselves from the harsh reality that more millions of Americans face each day. Do I buy medicine or food, or pay that electric bill before they shut it off and forgo buying food or medicine, or do I forgo purchasing gas to get to interviews and to get to a pittance of a paying wage job just so I can get food. These are some of the real decisions that are being made every day all over this country. Yet, our illustrious leaders in state and federal governments really can't get it with the type of legislation that is currently being discussed. In particular in Florida with a Republican Governor refusing the federal stimulus funding allotted to this state of 444 million dollars has put this state in serious jeopardy. An infusion of 444 million dollars would have gone a long way to improve the state's overall economy but now is faced with having business having to make up with the tax revenue to fund the states unemployment insurance benefits. This will trigger more layoffs and will continue the stagnation of the states economy as well. Every employer now is faced with a rate increase of $92 per employee for employers who generally retain employees for unemployment insurance. Where is the employer going to come up with this drastic rate increase? Most likely thru more cuts in jobs, materials and supply's, which means the quality and durability of goods and services provided or manufactured will decline and only push the economy into a domino effect of economic retardation all over the state of Florida. If this is happening in Florida all those states that refused the federal stimulus funding are all facing serious budget shortfalls.
The Scrooge effect is happening all over the United States with new evidence of corporate greed is remaining unabated through-out. A report by the Government Accounting Office has revealed that top executives all over have continually under funded employees pension plans and have managed to garnish billions of dollars in total compensation, salaries, retirement, stock options, and other perks while the rank and file employees are being paid less every year in retirement benefits at the same time the cost of living keeps increasing at a rat of over 10% annually. Where is the honor and equality in all this?
The American public has to feel that the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future persuade the Scrooges of today that there is a way to actually achieve economic growth, prosperity for all and a quality of life that is better than our parents preserved for future generations to come. This starts with using the federal stimulus funding to put in place a massive public works projects necessary for all states and the nations infrastructure. Putting people to work through programs like the WPA of the 1930's will propel business to hire and retain employees. This creates economic expansion.
A living wage job for every American has to be the rallying cry of every hopeful and incumbent legislature in America, A reality, yes. But it starts with the massive public works projects that will build this countries energy independence while reducing the continuing escalation of energy costs for consumers and improving the nations infrastructure using the technologies of today. A win win for every American will follow.
With the economy degenerating at a rate of .02% unemployment every month with apparently no relief in sight our lawmakers have already shielded themselves from the harsh reality that more millions of Americans face each day. Do I buy medicine or food, or pay that electric bill before they shut it off and forgo buying food or medicine, or do I forgo purchasing gas to get to interviews and to get to a pittance of a paying wage job just so I can get food. These are some of the real decisions that are being made every day all over this country. Yet, our illustrious leaders in state and federal governments really can't get it with the type of legislation that is currently being discussed. In particular in Florida with a Republican Governor refusing the federal stimulus funding allotted to this state of 444 million dollars has put this state in serious jeopardy. An infusion of 444 million dollars would have gone a long way to improve the state's overall economy but now is faced with having business having to make up with the tax revenue to fund the states unemployment insurance benefits. This will trigger more layoffs and will continue the stagnation of the states economy as well. Every employer now is faced with a rate increase of $92 per employee for employers who generally retain employees for unemployment insurance. Where is the employer going to come up with this drastic rate increase? Most likely thru more cuts in jobs, materials and supply's, which means the quality and durability of goods and services provided or manufactured will decline and only push the economy into a domino effect of economic retardation all over the state of Florida. If this is happening in Florida all those states that refused the federal stimulus funding are all facing serious budget shortfalls.
The Scrooge effect is happening all over the United States with new evidence of corporate greed is remaining unabated through-out. A report by the Government Accounting Office has revealed that top executives all over have continually under funded employees pension plans and have managed to garnish billions of dollars in total compensation, salaries, retirement, stock options, and other perks while the rank and file employees are being paid less every year in retirement benefits at the same time the cost of living keeps increasing at a rat of over 10% annually. Where is the honor and equality in all this?
The American public has to feel that the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future persuade the Scrooges of today that there is a way to actually achieve economic growth, prosperity for all and a quality of life that is better than our parents preserved for future generations to come. This starts with using the federal stimulus funding to put in place a massive public works projects necessary for all states and the nations infrastructure. Putting people to work through programs like the WPA of the 1930's will propel business to hire and retain employees. This creates economic expansion.
A living wage job for every American has to be the rallying cry of every hopeful and incumbent legislature in America, A reality, yes. But it starts with the massive public works projects that will build this countries energy independence while reducing the continuing escalation of energy costs for consumers and improving the nations infrastructure using the technologies of today. A win win for every American will follow.
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