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Jobs: lip service vs. reality
Paul Sassone
Updated: July 25, 2012 5:39PM
I am confused.
Let me explain, then perhaps you can straighten me out.
Like you, I can’t help but be aware of the campaign for President of the United States. Each day we are bombarded by TV commercials for both parties. What these commercials have in common is the insistence that the No. 1 issue in the campaign is jobs, jobs and more jobs.
Creating jobs is job one for the Democrats and the Republicans.
I get it.
But when I look away from the TV, when I view what is happening elsewhere in America, that’s when I become confused.
If both political parties maintain creating jobs is the most important task for America, why does the rest of the country seem to be going in the opposite direction?
I mean, the rest of America seems bent on eliminating jobs, not creating jobs.
Just today I heard that J.C. Penney wants to get rid of all sales clerks and replace them with machines that allow customers to self-checkout, you know, like grocery stores — which is another instance of eliminating jobs.
And recently, I learned to my dismay that the Chicago Tribune outsources some of its suburban news coverage to workers in the Philippines. More job elimination. (On the positive side, this gives the paper an opportunity to replace its old motto “World’s Greatest Newspaper” with “Philippines’ Greatest Newspaper.”)
These are only two very recent examples of job elimination. I’m sure you can think of plenty more.
So, my confusion: How can any President create jobs when the rest of the country is hell-bent on eliminating jobs?
And what happens to America when most jobs are eliminated?
Because I have a great deal of faith in computer technology, I am confident that given enough time and enough thought, bright people will figure out how to replace most jobs with computers.
When that happens, who pays the taxes that fund our national, state and local governments? How do the police, firefighters, teachers get paid?
Who buys the goods that keep people employed to produce more goods that keep businesses in business?
I know who benefits when jobs are created. But who benefits when people are put out of work?
So, I’m confused. I can’t
reconcile the major theme of
both presidential campaigns with what I see actually happening in America.
Straighten me out, please.
