Worse than no jobs at all
Amidst all of State-run Media's joyful noise over those wonderful temporary Census jobs, the real engine that drives the Republic's economy is necrotic and withering away.
We were all bombarded on Friday by a dutiful State-run Media, ecstatically slavering over the Obama regime's monthly job report. Yes indeed, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its report on June 4, proclaiming that "employment grew by 431,000 in May, reflecting the hiring of 411,000 temporary employees to work on Census 2010."
State-run Media was agog and tingling with excitement, flaunting colorful graphs and trumpeting the "biggest jump in jobs in ten years." The BLS report added to the patchouli-scented feel-goodism by adding that "The number of unemployed persons was 15.0 million in May. The unemployment rate edged down to 9.7 percent." Happy Day ... only 15 million. Edged down. By temporary guvmint work.
"But B2, B2!" you wail, thinning hair askew, sweaty upper lip quivering, and your last remaining dendrites and axons given over to synaptic misfire, "What about the private-sector jobs? Were there many more of those created?" Ahh, mais non, mon cher ami! And that is the problem. The private sector is the engine that drives the Republic; Without its recovery there is no recovery.
And it appears that amidst all the joyful noise over those wonderful temporary handouts, the media celebration is a tad premature. Why? Because in May, we added just 20,000 total permanent jobs. This means that the economy actually lost ground since most economists say it takes at least 100,000 jobs each month to keep up with that pesky population growth.
Smoke and mirrors, mostly smoke
Erm ... so would someone please explain to me exactly why this is something to celebrate? Why? How does the creation of temporary public-sector positions signify an upward shift in our miserable economic fortune?
You can't. Because it doesn't. In fact, Wall Street didn't buy it any more than you should. According to Reuters, "Stocks cascaded to their lowest close since February on Friday after May's jobs figure slammed investors already reeling from worry over another developing debt crisis in Hungary."
This should tell you everything you need to know about the real current state of employment in America: With the BLS report reflecting a weakness in the U.S. jobs number, the value of U.S. stocks fell $480 billion in one day. $480 Billion.
... And guvmint jobs are paid how?
And what about the unemployed? Folks, we have a baseline unemployment figure of between 15 and 16 million Americans, and that is with those 411,000 shiny, new, temporary Census jobs. But there is something far more insidious lurking beneath that number:
Who is footing the bill for all those public-sector salaries? Is it the Obama regime? No. Is it the Democrat Congress? No. Is it the unionized labor thugs? No. Then who or whom pays?
We pay. We foolish individual employee and private-sector employer taxpayers. Now I ask you, exactly what type of economic recovery can you expect from growing a bloated government even larger and adding a plethora of public-sector jobs when they eat up the taxes we pay, the future tax increases we are going to pay, and the remaining national wealth that hasn't yet been pilfered by the statists?
A reckoning is nigh
This wonderful "job growth" State-run Media is touting is actually harming our economic recovery by destroying free enterprise. The Obama regime and its enablers are systematically siphoning capital out of the private sector and wasting it on payola scams and wealth-redistribution schemes that produce nothing, create nothing, and grow nothing -- except more debt.
Be mindful of this the next time you hear Obama or one of his toadies proclaim that our economy is "moving in the right direction" like he did last Wednesday at Carnegie Mellon University. The same for when Clueless Joe again predicts "100,000 to 200,000 new jobs per month through 2010."
Finally, remember that our deficits and debts were near-unsustainable even before Obama and the Democrat Congress herded the country on a fast-track to double them. These jokers, in the middle of a crisis created by debt, are trying to see how far they can run up debt.
And when you do hear them utter this nonsense -- and you will -- be sure to cough up your tongue after you swallow it. You're needed in November.
Hype and Chains for 148 more days.