Dancing With The One That Brung Ya
By Mitch Berg
Churchill once said the US and Britain were “two people divided by a common language” .
Sometimes I think American conservatives and liberals are, too.
For example – to a conservative, the idea of responsible government involves carefully limiting what it gets itself involved in, taxing as little as possible, and spending within those means.
To a liberal, it seems to mean that taxation keeps pace with government’s self-assessed needs to accomplish all of the missions, great small and idiotic, that it takes on for itself.
And by that standard, the Obama Administration is doing pretty dang well:
It looks like a happy new year for you — if you’re a public employee.
That’s the takeaway from a recent Rasmussen poll that shows that 46 percent of government employees say the economy is getting better while just 31 percent say it’s getting worse. In contrast, 32 percent of those with private-sector jobs say the economy is getting better, while 49 percent it is getting worse.
Nearly half, 44 percent, of government employees rate their personal finances as good or excellent. Only 33 percent of private-sector employees do.
It sounds like public- and private-sector employees are looking at different Americas. And they are.
Seems most of those “Shovel Ready” jobs went to government shovelers Shovel Operations Technicians I, II and III:
Private-sector employment peaked at 115.8 million in December 2007, when the recession officially began. It was down to 108.5 million last November. That’s a 6 percent decline.
Public-sector employment peaked at 22.6 million in August 2008. It fell a bit in 2009, then has rebounded back to 22.5 million in November. That’s less than a 1 percent decline.
A squib?
This is not an accident; it is the result of deliberate public policy. About one-third of the $787 billion stimulus package passed in February 2009 was directed at state and local governments, which have been facing declining revenues and are, mostly, required to balance their budgets.
The Dems goal, in Washington, was to keep their little buddies in the various state houses all warm and fed.
How ya feeling about your Hope and Change now, private sector?
January 15th, 2010 at 9:53 am
Democrat politicians must be very depressed regarding the employment picture. Their reelection prospects in 2010 are tied very closely to the unemployment numbers, and there are so many people working reduced hours that even if the economy did start to pile on jobs their is no way it will decrease the number of unemployed by late summer.
Obammy is no economist. He’s surrounded himself with bankers and union guys. Wall street is not suffering the equivalent of 10% unemployment, SEIU doesn’t give a damn about the unemployed & the UAW is as good as a branch of the civil service.
For those of us employed in the non-government sector, all that lies ahead is flat wages and tax increases — meaning a real decrease in income. Welcome to Obama’s America.
January 15th, 2010 at 10:32 am
And thanks to yesterday’s deal, union members and state and federal government employees – the groups most likely to have “Cadillac” health plans – have miraculously been exempted from the tax on Cadillac health plans. Oh well, I’d rather have a Lexus health plan anyday.
January 15th, 2010 at 10:51 am
Oh well, I’d rather have a Lexus health plan anyday.
I would, too. We’ll be getting a Trabant, though.
January 15th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Read a good comment after the super secret meeting with Big Union to finalize the plan. “I don’t recall giving the unions permission to negotiate my mandatory health care plan. Must have been a card check thing.”
January 15th, 2010 at 11:33 am
I work in the private sector. At the end of ’08 the company said that due to the economy we would not be receiving any raises for 2009 (and our health care deduction was raised). At the end of ’09 the company said that since business had improved more than expected, we would be receiving our 2010 raises five months early.
I guess everyone has a different perspective, but personally I am doing just fine, and much better than I was a year ago.
January 15th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Cadillac plans… Lexus plans…
How about taking Ford’s lead and go with the:
http://stark-raving-sane-dont-go-in.blogspot.com/2010/01/fords-new-marketing-angle.html
It’s not your great-grandfathers Model T.
January 15th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
“but personally I am doing just fine, and much better than I was a year ago.”
Fantastic. I will alert the 10% or so who are unemployed to let them know. They should sleep much better tonight.
January 15th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
“but personally I am doing just fine, and much better than I was a year ago.”
There is 90% chance patheticboy is employed by a private sector company working on a government contract, being funded by the shamulous package.
January 16th, 2010 at 5:09 am
I want Apathy Boy’s job! Do you make more than a buck-three-eighty, Apathy Boy? I won’t put on a hairnet for less than that.