One Year Ago: Senate Failed to Pass Jobs Bill

One year ago this week, twelve Senate Democrats joined Republicans in defeating a jobs bill which would have gone a long way toward preserving the jobs of public sector employees such as teachers and fire-fighters. The bill would also have provided aid to the long-term unemployed. Ignoring warnings of Pres. Obama that failure to pass the bill would have a large negative impact on state budgets, the Senate fell for the line that the budget deficit must be fought (at the expense of jobs).

Now in 2011 we hear the same cry: cut, cut, cut the budget. One wonders how long this deficit-fighting rhetoric will keep up in light of all the recent dismal job numbers.

America needs a government support or stimulus plan equal to the size of the problem. The first stimulus plan of 2009 helped stave off complete disaster, but being too small -- as many warned -- it failed to bring about anything like a robust recovery, one people could feel.

So now we have stagnation. Amidst all the suffering, recalcitrant ideologues in the House and Senate insist on pursuing a policy which never works in a capitalist system in a depressed economy -- cutting aid programs for the poor and needy. (And the needy now definitely include many who had been in the middle class.) In order for an economy to be healthy, the citizens must have money in the pocket.

It is time for a Rooseveltian economic plan -- one large enough to be meaningful.




http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0616/New-Obama-backed-stimulus-package-fails-in-Senate-vote