Despite 14 Straight Months Of Public Job Loss, Republicans Continue To Block Obama’s Jobs Plan

[ProSense]

Despite 14 Straight Months Of Public Job Loss, Republicans Continue To Block Obama’s Jobs Plan

By Tanya Somanader

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In August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the private sector added 17,000 jobs, but the public sector lost the exact same number (those numbers have since been revised). This month, the private sector created 137,000 jobs, but the public sector continued to hemorrhage jobs, losing 34,000. As Matt Yglesias notes, “month after month we see a labor market that’s basically treading water primarily because government employment is shrinking rather than keeping pace with population growth.”

Political Correction charted the plummeting public sector growth next to the steady rise in private sector jobs over the past two years. While the private sector marked a net gain of 1.4 million jobs, budget cuts have eliminated 572,000 government jobs. If governments maintained the same employment rate since 2009, “the economy would have grown by about 2 million jobs”:



This trend of public job depletion puts the Republican jobs agenda in stark contrast with the administration’s approach. President Obama’s American Jobs Act would not only add 1.9 million jobs next year, but makes targeted investments to arrest the trend in layoffs. The plan includes $35 billion in direct state aid infusion that will “prevent up to 280,000 layoffs of teachers, who are — along with cops and firefighters — particularly vulnerable to local government budget shortfalls.”

However, Republicans continue to block Obama’s much-needed plan because, in part, they see public job loss as a positive. As Yglesias points out, “this shrinkage is exactly what conservatives claim to believe will spark growth once they bring the era of Kenyan Anticolonialism to an end.” Buying into the conservative campaign against government workers, Republicans governors like Chris Christie (NJ) and Rick Scott (FL) openly tout laying off thousands of workers as a badge of honor. Scott actually bragged about getting rid of 15,000 jobs in his state. In talking up his draconian budget cuts, Scott admitted that his “biggest cut” is “.” [br />
more

Enlarged chart available at Political Correction.

[annabanana]

1. GREAT bumpersticker:

[ProSense]

2. Awesome! Thanks. n/t

[paparush]

15. Agreed

[ProSense]

3. Republican Crowd At Christie Speech Cheers Laying Off Thousands Of Government Workers (Sept. 28)

Think Progress, September 28: Republican Crowd At Christie Speech Cheers Laying Off Thousands Of Government Workers

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Last night, the focus of the presidential race again turned to the Reagan Library for a speech given by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R). Again, the crowd proved its indifference to those in dire straits, cheering when Christie mentioned Reagan laying off thousands of American workers:

CHRISTIE: In August 1981, the air traffic controllers, in violation of their contracts, went on strike. President Reagan ordered them back to work, making clear that those who refused would be fired. In the end, thousands refused, and thousands were fired. (applause)

Watch it:

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August 2010: N.J. unemployment jumps from Christie budget cuts

February 2011: Democrats fight Gov. Christie's plan to privatize N.J. government functions

[OwnedByFerrets]

4. Repugs care NOTHING about this country.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. 
[link:www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html|Click
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[Tarheel_Dem]

6. K & R

:kick:

[golfguru]

7. And why is this a surprise?

The worse the job situation gets, better it will be for the Repug running against Obama. The Repugs are crazy, but they are not stupid politicians.

[flamingdem]

8. This, along with their "cannot"idates seals their fate

Ideally deep underground next to Cheeny's bunker.

[Tx4obama]

9. Anyone have a link to an updated BIKINI job chart/graph? n/t

[ProSense]

10. Here:

[Tx4obama]

11. Thank YOU :) n/t

[r0nr0ntaiwan]

12. But....

... keep in mind that the Jobs Bill isn't even passing the Senate, which is controlled by the Democrats. It would simply be inaccurate to point fingers at one side of the fence.

[joshcryer]

13. It would simply be inaccurate to say the Democrats control the Senate with the virtual filibuster...

...though they do get blame for not changing the filibuster rules when they had the chance. One could say they didn't do it because we lost the House.

[r0nr0ntaiwan]

14. not much urgency

Obama is saying that the bill needs to pass now. But Harry Reid isn't giving it much urgency at all. Democrats may be able to pass it if they, themselves, weren't divided on it.