Let politicians feel sting of job cuts themselves

A 9.0 percent unemployment rate is totally unacceptable. 13.9 million people search for jobs today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That figure soars by 50 percent to 20.8 million, when you count those searching but not on the books.

Yet, all you hear from D.C. these days is, “Cut the budget; reduce the deficit!” I even heard one famous politician with the first name of John state that if 200,000 people lost their jobs in the public sector, so be it.

Deficit reduction without a plan for increasing jobs does nothing but put more people out of work. Last month, construction declined by 32,000; transportation and warehousing by 38,000; and, real average earnings fell 0.3 percent. Who’s dealing with this in D.C.?

Who’s attacking the causes of unemployment -- the artifically-stimulated credit card rate of $2.45 trillion; the 124 percent raise in real estate rates in a 10-year period creating millions of foreclosures; the crash of the banking industry making loans impossible for small businesses and the little man; the skyrocketing rate of job-outsourcing by corporate America; and, Iraq and Afghanistan wars draining us of $664 billion a year.

Who’s talking the talk about this?

Cutting the budget doesn’t deal with these causes of unemployment. Aren’t jobs critical right now? Are we to live by the words of the famous politician who said about those of us unemployed, “So be it!”

Don’t they understand talking about only budget cuts and deficit reduction increases unemployment? More joblessness equals more unemployment comp paid! For those who feel current unemployment rates arejust fineandbeing out of a job is a “so-be-it,” may they have a policy victory today but be out of work in a 2012 defeat. Then, they can experience what they’ve caused.

Gus Wilhelmy

Round Lake