Tag Archive for 'employment'

It’s All About the Power, Prestige, and Control

Published on July 30, 2010 in Fresh Brew. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

With the fall-out of my “taken out of context” blog article He’s Not One of Us (Tim Burns)…You’re Right! finally going to the wayside (Read the latest on PA2010.com), I find it very telling that no one in the business sector, here, has spoken out against the misconstrued attack ad Mr. Pasquerilla recently posted in the Tribune-Democrat against Mr. Burns.  When you talk in small circles here, the whispers support my article and it’s underlying idea that our governmental contracts truly only benefit “a few” here, and we’re now mostly at the mercy of whatever “pork” can be provided to us by skilled politicians who know how to work the earmark system in Washington.  While the silence is deafening, it DOES speak volumes, doesn’t it?  Even though Congressman Murtha is no longer with us, his “good ole boy” fraternity still presses on with the hope that Mr. Critz will continue Mr. Murtha’s legacy of “pork.”  And while Mr. Critz “does his dance” in Washington alongside Nancy Pelosi, Johnstown will continue to simply exist with no real chance of prospering.  As the Obama-Pelosi administration tries to instill this highly controversial concept of “spreading the wealth” and how “they (the government) will take care of us,” the people of this great area will continue to be blindsided and short-changed.  When all the glitter and stars dissipate (after we get our next year’s million dollars of “pork” and after the ribbons are cut on t.v.), I pray eyes will finally be opened and we all will truly see and accept we’ve been scanned by the very best!  These glorified contracts and grants are just enabling the very elite here to prosper while countless others continue to struggle.  Enough!

I found an interesting article on the internet (an older article from RollCall.com) which I’d like to share with you. It’s located here: Companies Follow Murtha’s Earmark Trail

The author, Paul Singer, writes:

“Aeptec’s story is not unique. Murtha has obtained millions of dollars in earmarks for firms in his district, many of them clients of PMA and KSA. But in many cases the money is not for local companies, it is for companies that move to the district, and frequently it is for start-ups that essentially would not be in business were it not for Murtha’s largesse. Some of the firms also are simply store-front offices of companies that do most of their work elsewhere.”

As I mentioned, this article is now considered “old news” (It was written back in 2007), but it points out some things our local media would never print or put on the nightly news.  There have been numerous articles like this printed all over the place and highlighted on the national nightly news channels, too, but we simply ignored it.  For the life of me, I can’t understand why — except the people here likely didn’t have a voice — a voice strong enough to be heard over the power, prestige, and control already established here.

The Democratic party has long been equated with helping the “working men” of this country while the Republicans have been characterized as the stingy, selfish ones who only care about themselves and “big business.”  (Side note:  I’m not sure how anyone can truly say that our former representative of the 12th wasn’t catering to big business!)  I COMPLETELY AGREE and ACKNOWLEDGE there are bad apples on both ends of the spectrum, but we’re focusing on the here and now — in little ole Johnstown.  We have the opportunity to turn things around and get ourselves back on the right path here — a path that can be successful and prosperous for everyone (not the elite “lucky ones”).  Of course there will be stumbling blocks (We already have a very grim national economy to contend with and there are always challenges involved when working with new leadership and administrations), but I am confident we can turn things around here.  I’m confident we can help to build up our economy here in the PA 12th congressional district so our children and grandchildren might finally stay.  It takes a lot of courage to admit when we’ve screwed up and it’s terribly scary to change direction (especially after years of doing things one way), but we can do this, friends.  With God’s help, a renewed commitment to this area and ALL of it’s residents, and with NEW leadership and experience, we can once again become the “great city” we once were so many years ago.  I’m not asking you to consider Tim Burns as a Republican; I’m asking you to consider Tim Burns as a fellow American.  He’s not the right man for the job because he’s Republican; he’s the right man for the job because he’s young, a successful business entrepreneur, a family man, and lastly, he’s NOT a career politician.  (*I’d like to also point out that Tim Burns has not utilized “attack ads” or campaigned in such a way as he understands the people of this district need integrity, honesty, and responsibility — something which is clearly missing in today’s political arena!)   Tim Burns has a FRESH, NEW perspective we so desperately need right now.  I understand that change is hard and with change comes great difficulty, but we cannot and MUST NOT re-elect another Murtha candidate.

Let’s try a new direction.  Let’s work on developing small businesses here in the private sector.  The key is jobs!  If we can provide good-paying jobs FOR EVERYONE, everything else will fall into place.

Please carefully consider Tim Burns this November.

Jobs 101: RED is best!

Published on May 25, 2010 in Stir It Up!. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

As we look forward to the November mid-term elections (both locally and nationally), we should review “JOBS 101″ and what we may/may not know about employment both here in Pennsylvania and nationwide.  Why aren’t we seeing “RED,” folks?!

I ask this question with two different thoughts in mind:

    1. With our economy in grave condition and unemployment so high, why aren’t we “seeing red” (acknowledging the signs) and demanding Washington REALLY start paying attention to this very real “at home” crisis?  Regardless of our political affiliations, why aren’t we mad as hell that the Obama administration seems to be incredibly apathetic?  Continuing to extend unemployment benefits and government-run programs with no regard to our already out-of-control national debt is NOT a viable solution!

    2. Why don’t we take an educated look at our traditional “red” (Republican) states and thoughtfully compare employment and opportunity for growth with our “blue” (Democratic-run) states?  The facts are there.  We just need to take a deliberate look at the information available to us and start making SMART decisions based upon this information.  The livelihood of our children and grandchildren depends on our ability to discern the facts and apply the knowledge in a responsible way.

With our national debt sky high (and multiplying by the minute) and our unemployment rate right behind it, I find it appalling that the Obama administration doesn’t make jobs and job growth our number one priority right now.  If you want to bring politics down to a local level, this is about as local as you can get!   Many of us are unemployed/under-employed and the job prospects are very slim right now (This, too, depends on your location, unfortunately.).  Location is key, as well as the political makeup of the area/state you reside in (as I hope you will see…)  Let’s talk some facts and statistics, shall we?  Let’s put down our political guns for a moment and try to really look at these very unbiased facts with logic and truth.  Won’t you join me?  Okay, here we go…

Traditionally, our “red” (Republican) states have done very well in the job sector, and these red states tend to be in the southern and western parts of our great United States (These states are known as “Right to Work” states which do not require union membership as a condition for employment.).  So, let’s talk about these red states and their approach to business and job growth.  What do the red states offer both employees and employers/businesses?  Red states are business-friendly.  They understand that small business enterprises are the backbone of a successful capitalist society, and job growth is generally created and sustained (long-term) by businesses in the private sector.  Because red states are business-friendly, they support tax breaks for businesses (so businesses can keep more of their revenue TO CREATE MORE JOBS) and this in turn, provides more opportunity and growth for employees and job seekers.  Red states tend to discourage government regulation — not because they don’t want to be environmentally conscience or compliant (they do) — but because government regulation can be obsessively overbearing and restricting.  As witnessed all over the United States and here in western Pennsylvania, our cap and trade policies continue to hinder our ability to access and use the energy resources available right here for us, thus tightening our reliance on other countries and prohibiting job growth in our already job-challenged areas (like western Pennsylvania).  Here, in western Pennsylvania, we have both the natural resources AND a ready-to-go workforce able to harvest these resources, but our cap and trade policies have sadly paralyzed us.

For too long, Republicans have been lumped together into this seemingly apathetic group of selfish, money-hungry businessman who back big, Corporate America and the injustices we’ve recently experienced on Wall Street.  Nothing is further from the truth!  We are angry and we demand accountability, too; however we don’t believe accountability should come in a way which will completely snuff out entrepreneurship and our system of capitalism, here, in America.

Traditionally, our “blue” (Democrat) states have higher unemployment rates, lower wages, and they support labor/trade union memberships (as part of employment).  Unions, in the past, were once very respectable “for the blue-collar, working man” type entities which helped to identify and correct mishaps and inequalities in the workplace; however, I think most would agree some unions have evolved into unrecognizable “political monsters” which now are directly involved in our elections (much alike the special interest groups the Republicans are almost always accused of bedding with).  Unions are a big factor in the inability of blue states to bring new businesses to their areas and create jobs.  The threat of lawsuits and the difficulties associated with working with unions often prevent businesses from moving forth in a positive and productive way (and many employees face harsh repercussions if they do not back unions and their agendas).  Lastly, blue states generally favor higher taxes, government funding, and lots of regulation and oversight.  All of these factors are proven job killers.

I challenge you to do some research on your own and “google” employment and business information for both our red states and blue states.  Regardless of your party affiliation, I think you will find some valuable truths out there for your careful contemplation.  The Debt Weight Scorecard from Forbes.com provides some interesting facts about how unfiscally responsible our blue states are compared to our red states (This, too, plays into how well we create and sustain jobs over the long run.).  Of course there will be anomalies with some blue states fairing better than some red states, but the general rule of thumb will show that red states promote more opportunity overall.  The United States Department of Labor has a revised list of unemployment rates, by state, available for your review, as well (last modified May 21, 2010).

*Regarding the labor statistics — We don’t truly know how many are unemployed (or in my case, under-employed), or who have simply given up on finding employment because our labor statistics are based upon criteria the White House deems important and relevant.  I’m not confident that the numbers available are truly accurate (and we don’t know how these numbers are calculated).  I tend to think the actual unemployment rates are much more grim!

As we prepare to vote this fall, keep in mind where you reside.  Are you living in a “red” or “blue” state?  If you’re living in a blue state (like me), take a hard look at your state’s leadership and political environment.  Is your leadership supporting job-killing policies?  The facts are the facts.  It’s time we take this information to the polls with us in November and select the candidate(s) who can best help us to CREATE JOBS and reignite the American dream once again.  We need to carefully study our red states and their strategies and plans… and apply THEIR successful business and job-creating approaches (both on a state and national level)!

For us in the 12th congressional district, our “best” candidate is Tim Burns (Republican).  I’m liking RED!  What about YOU?!