Guest Blogger: Joan Ruaiz
On the day of the historic unveiling of the Martin Luther King National Memorial on the Mall next Saturday, October 15, there will also be a march on Washington beforehand to reiterate some of the ideals supported by the Occupy Wall Street movement currently sweeping the country– the ideal that Congress needs to start doing its damn job of putting Americans back to work.
With unemployment hovering at 9.1%, Americans continue to suffer at the hand of an economy weakened by the Great Financial Meltdown of 2008, largely caused by the deregulation of financial markets. To add insult to injury, the prior administration giving massive tax cuts to the wealthy while plunging our nation into two unpaid wars has almost bankrupted the county. The Great Recession was nearly staved off via President Obama’s 2009 stimulus, until relentless Republicans and corporate obstruction, supported by media propaganda, brought economic growth to a screeching halt after the Republicans took back the House in January of 2011.
Although GOP candidates of the 2010 election ran on the platform of “jobs, jobs, jobs,” the only action on jobs that we have witnessed the Republican winners of that election act upon thus far is the cutting of over 500,000 public jobs, while engaging in a continuous national campaign of maintaining those massive tax cuts for corporations and the rich.
It is important to note that there are two rarely cited laws on the books regarding congressional responsibility to ensure that our nation is as fully employed as possible. These appear to be rules of law that the Republicans have chosen to ignore. The first is the Employment Act of 1946, which encouraged the federal government to “promote maximum employment, production, and purchasing power.” The follow-up 1978 Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act (15 USC § 3101) gave more explicit instructions to lawmakers that the nation should strive towards full employment, as well as growth in production, price stability, and balance of trade and budget. These laws need to be mentioned as often as possible, and lawmakers need to enforce these laws NOW in the spirit that they were intended. The President is doing just that, while the GOP-led House is doing nothing.
There are many in the media who want us to believe that no one has any idea why Occupy Wall Street is even happening. In addition, there has been little media publicity about the upcoming Jobs March on Washington, unlike the generous coverage that the media gifted the April 15th Tea Party’s rally a couple of years back. However, it can be said with certainty that regardless of how consistently the corporate media continues to misinform us, the people who have been hit the hardest by our weak economy and those participating in these two separate events, know doggone well why they are protesting a Do-Not-a-Damn-Thing Congress. It is not by accident that this particular Congress’s approval rating is at an historical low; they have yet to do a damn thing about jobs, jobs, jobs, and unless we put their feet to some hot coals, they will continue doing their business as usual, supporting the top 1% while ignoring the other 99% of us.
And so it is at this time that I proudly announce that the people have finally woken up and are letting the world know that they are tired of waiting for Congress to act, and are taking matters into their own hands, including those occupying Wall Street, and now this planned October 15th Jobs and Justice march in Washington DC.
The October 15 rally begins at 11 a.m. at the National Sylvan Theater, 15th & Independence Ave, Washington D.C. 20002. The march will begin afterwards, to the King Memorial site on Ohio Drive, SW and West Basin Drive, SW.
You can check out the Facebook page of the National Action Network for information and updates, and find a list of the the various organizations who will be participating at the National Urban League’s website.
The more Americans participating, the clearer the message sent to our Do-Not-a-Damn-Thing Congress will be. Those who have taken this country hostage for their own politically selfish, partisan reasons cannot be allowed to continue their war against jobs! So put on your best marching boots or your sneakers, and join the march to demonstrate that WE NEED JOBS AND JUSTICE and WE NEED THEM RIGHT NOW!
Extreme Liberal's Blog 
The code specifies “to foster and promote free competitive enterprise and the general welfare, conditions which promote useful employment opportunities, including self-employment, for those able, willing, and seeking to work, and promote full employment and production, increased real income, balanced growth, a balanced Federal budget”
The act does not say the government needs to hire but does say it needs to promote full employment and self employment, there is also a mention of balanced budget. Instead of promoting full employment the administration only wants employment if it is union labor or government workers. Look at stimulus two, build roads, union contractors have preference, hire teachers (union members) add to the government workforce. Stimulus one bought a bunch of used cars and “saved or created” a few jobs at a cost of 1/2 a million each. Why doesn’t the administration listen to the people he appointed to work on the deficit and on jobs. The Bowles Simpson study was very balanced and would accomplish what this country needed but the administration was against it because it had entitlement cuts.
Jeff Immelt is the administrations jobs Czar yet his suggestions to the administration aren’t acceptable because they lower corporate taxes to be in line with the rest of the world. Stimulus two has no co-sponsor, Harry Reid will not bring it to the floor yet it is the other party who won’t vote on it.
I was listening, on MSNBC, to an interview with one of the organizers of the Wall Street protesters. She was asked what their goals were, answer “we are discussing that now”. They are a group of privileged kids who are bored living at home in Westchester and looking for some excitement. One actually said the food was better than his mom serves him at home, he is 26 years old living at home. We had Woodstock they have Wallstreet and in both cases it was a reason to party.
@skudrunner, you are very incorrect in identifying the Wall Street Protestors’ demographic, unfortunately for you and your rant. I am one of the 99%, and I celebrated my 53rd birthday on Friday. I am the owner of a small business, and have been self employed for the past 25 years, and understand that I want this jobs bill to pass because unlike you, I know what is in it.
The fact that you say “Instead of promoting full employment the administration only wants employment if it is union labor or government workers.” doesn’t make it a fact, and indeed, it isn’t. As for this job’s March, I cannot be there this time around, but it is needed, if for no other reason, to let the GOP (Greedy One Percent) know that talking smack about the President non stop is not a jobs plan, nor have they presented one to date.
I see our skidmarks presents “data” and in true TROLL fashion, doesn’t link “his facts” to any credible sites. For sure, he hates UNIONS. He also hates anyone not a gun totin’ teabagger to exercise their right to assembly and free speech. I guess Russell Simmons, a multimillionaire music producer is part of the “debris” demonstrating on Wall Street.
Ten states in reality have NO teachers unions including Texas, Georgia, Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) rankings, all but one non-union state rank in the bottom half of the nation, several right at the bottom. Virginia, a no-teachers union state ranks highest at 17th. Yes, demographics play a role too and Northern Virginia is one of the wealthiest sectors of our nation with a healthy tax base.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/guest-bloggers/how-states-with-no-teacher-uni.html
Wisconsin, a strong teachers union state, ranks near the top in SAT/ACT testing and also does well in the NAEP measure of student performance, too. Its scores on the in 2009 were above the national average in three of four measures (fourth grade math and eighth grade math and reading) and at the national average in the other (fourth grade reading). States with the strongest teachers unions tended to out-perform states with weaker unions too.
I did belong to the American Federation of Teachers while teaching in Texas, one of a mere handful of teachers in a district with hundreds of non-union teachers. It was voluntary of course and most of us who paid our AFT dues wanted the union benefits like professional help, even legal support in case of lawsuits. The non-union teachers were the biggest complainers about wages and conditions but many had grown up in the South convinced that unions were the work of the devil.
You stated that Texas does not have teachers unions than you state you belong to the American Federation of Teachers, which is it?
Skidmarks, that is cute. I have nothing against the marchers on Wall Street except they have no plan, no agenda and have no clue what they are trying to accomplish. All they can say is they are part of the 99% and don’t like the 1%. I would expect most on this board are part of the 99%, myself included. I don’t like the idea that we gave the banks and Wall Street billions of dollars without any conditions. Banks should release loans to viable companies but new regulations get in the way in a lot of cases.
Corporations will spend money to hire additional workers when their is a demand. they cannot meet. Corporations work for their stockholders only. Most working Americans are stock holders so they work for us. There was a time when unions were needed and in some industries they still are. Unions no longer represent the downtrodden workers. The union leadership is a huge reason companies have moved production off shore. Unions were in total agreement with the companies moving the electronic industry off shore because they got a big payday.
Catherine, if this “jobs bill” is so great why does the presidents own party not support it? They knew this bill is not about jobs when it was drawn up, after he asked congress to pass it. This bill is all about blame and political posturing not about jobs. How many people are going to be employed building roads? The high rate of unemployment is unacceptable for anyone and the economy will not improve until jobs improve. The problem is spending 450 billion to hire road workers is not where the emphasis should be. Where are all those jobs that the “stimulus bill” created and at what cost. BTW you should have gone to the protest because I remember the 60’s and they were great.
Neither party has the gumption to do what is needed to get the country started because they are too busy pandering to their side.
Some in the President’s own party are bought and paid for, although there are fewer of those in the Democratic party than in the GOP (Greedy One Percent) Party.
The problem is a GOP holding the economy hostage, because they care more about Party than they do country.
The Jobs bill will reduce the deficit and create jobs, and I won’t rely on your non fact based statements to come to a different conclusion.
You can read about the Job’s bill here: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_10/cbo_dems_numbers_add_up_on_job032697.php
I read you stating the problems as you see them, but I don’t see your suggested solutions. You sound like a Republican, full of rhetoric without back up.
There will be a Job’s March whether you like it or not.
Skudrunner, once again you’ve shown your ignorance. I would like to flush you down a toilet, because you are one big POS! You are definitely in the wrong place.
At least you site a non-patrician publication, just kidding. All but a handful of politicians are bought and paid for, just depends on who writes the check. I may sound like a republican but they are far to fiscally liberal and socially conservative for me.
We place far too much emphasis on a college degree and to little on a skills. When I graduated from college in the late 60’s and post graduate in the early 70’s there were jobs for anyone with a degree. Now we have an abundance of college graduates with no skills. How many history majors do we really need? There are a lot of jobs but they require a skill. The government needs to stabilize taxes on corporations, quit making small business the enemy, clean up the individual tax code by having three tiers and eliminate deductions to make taxes “fair”. How “fair” is it that someone can own two houses and deduct the interest and taxes on both. Only the rich can afford two dwellings so take away the interest and property tax deduction. Everyone pay a percentage of their income, 10% to 50K, 15% between 50 and 150K and 25% above 150k. Simple, no deductions so the “rich” can’t use loopholes to reduce taxes and everyone pays their fair share. Corporations need a treason to bring jobs back to this country and making them the enemy and raising their taxes is not going to work.
Back to the jobs bill. the first one was a waste of your money and so will the second.
skudrunner:
your post was plausible. Until the last paragraph.
fail
There are scattered teacher’s unions in Texas but in a right-to-work state, they are toothless as they have NO collective bargaining power to negotiate contracts. Less than 20% of Texas teachers belong to any union whether AFT or NEA affiliated. They are more like public relation organizations, the AFT here mostly giving voice to teachers’ concerns along with offering legal benefits. If there were teachers’ unions in Texas, do you think professionals with college degrees would start teaching at $33K a year, be expected to put in long hours and perform all the extra duties they are required to do, plus pay for much of their health and retirement benefits? I think not.
I’ve carried cards in 5 unions since 1955, 4 shops in Indiana and Illinois. My Republican parents were union members in closed shop Indiana. The benefits provided by their unions gave us kids very good health care, including dental and eye care, while growing up.
skudrunner:
I will make it plain and simple:
NO thank you.
I am not buying what you are selling.
I am glad that this rally/demonstration is taking place. I hope that ‘we are the 99%’/OWS gathers momentum ; and becomes something very serious.
All this empty rhetoric about ‘no plan or no program’ is just that: empty words. That sort of thing will arise later.
Now is the time to mobilize and organize.
Haha! Demographics of OWS here: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s320x320/315620_294544820571036_108038612554992_1207666_1146401102_n.jpg