In the last few weeks,
I have been working on the publication of my newest novel Meet Me at Moonlight Beach; however, during this time, the topics
for my Metaphor Café Blog have been
piling up. So in the interest of time and brevity, here is what I’ve been
reading about that old political slogan “It’s the the economy, Stupid”:
First, let’s talk
jobs, specifically the jobs at the Carrier plant. The NY Times business section of 8/12/18 did an in depth story on
those folks who have still have their jobs. Remember, Indiana gave tax credits
to Carrier (due to Pence’s appeal as its former governor) in return for keeping
some of the jobs that were going to
be outsourced to Mexico. Most jobs were still heading south. One might think
those who still have jobs would be happy.
Truth be told, “…the factory which
Mr. Trump is credited with saving is plagued with rising absenteeism and low
moral.” Writer Nelson Schwartz
concluded, “Instead, employees share a looming sense that a factory shutdown is
inevitable—that Carrier has merely postponed the closing until a more
politically opportune time.”
This is despite growing demand for air conditioners
for the company. “No one feels secure or hopeful…’People still don’t trust
Carrier,’ said Paul Roeli, who has worked there for 19 years.”
Generally speaking, blue collar workers see a tad more in
their pay but inflation is eating that away and with the trade wars starting to have impact in the coming months, the workers
are the most likely to feel the brunt; meanwhile, the shareholders keep seeing
their profits rise…for now.
Second, let’s discuss
the wage gap and the difference between the haves and the have-not-so-much
folks. Steven Brill’s newest book is chock full of data about how my generation has rigged economic growth
for ourselves. (Well, not all of my generation,
but hear me out.) For example, in 1975 the average CEO pay was 1.2M and the
worker pay was 46K; in 2016 it’s 15M for the CEO team and 53K for the worker
bees.
So in 40+ years, worker pay has risen microscopically, and I do not need
to tell you that insurance coverage has gotten worse, inflation has zoomed up
and up. Needless to say, even though the job situation in terms of having a job under President Obama and
Trump has improved, nobody on the ground floor has much hope of seeing the
American Dream that some in my generation have inherited.
Brill concludes “The
result is a divided America. On one side the protected few—the winners—who don’t
need government for much and even have a stake in sabotaging the government’s
responsibility to all its citizens. For them, the new broken America works fine….”
They have private schools, gated communities, private security, and the gold
standard of medical care with the insurance coverage that few can afford. So
they say, who needs government—Obamacare, public schools, etc.?
And Brill points out that it’s likely to stay that way since
the cost of running for higher office has risen with 6.4B spent per election
cycle overall. So the interests of the average Joe or Josie working paycheck to
paycheck depends on, as Tennessee Williams once wrote, “The kindness of
strangers.”
Yes, in 2008 all hell
broke loose economically for the Bush administration and the thousands upon
thousands of folks who lost their jobs, their homes, and their dreams in the Great Recession. And, yes,
President Obama steadied the ship in his eight years in office. That is a fact.
Even the anti-Obama folks cannot argue that the USA was on the verge of
financial disaster, and it was averted—but not without pain and decades of
suffering.
Beware those who now feel that the economy is “just doing
great”—chances are, it is for some, but for a far larger audience and their
children…not so much. A steady hand will be needed at the helm to keep America
from harm’s way. I could say more…and I will, but sometimes one has to accept
the reality, acknowledge the truth, and set a course for more “domestic
tranquility”…
I am confident that “Yes,
We Still Can.”
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