D-Day for the 8th!
Jobs & Other Problems
Talking to people as a candidate for office, it’s not hard to determine what their main concern is. It’s Jobs.
What has happened to our jobs here in
From 1900 – 1970, America produced 96% of all that it consumed.
And in all those years we also had trade surpluses,which means we produced more than we consumed; like China is doing today.
But since 1970 it has been down hill all the way.
And since 1994 it’s been downhill at an accelerated pace.
In the 1970’s we signed a trade agreement with China under President Nixon.
In 1994 under President Clinton, China devalued their currency and their trade surpluses with America skyrocketed.
Two years later NAFTA was passed and they devalued their Peso, and we now have close to a 50 Billion Dollar trade deficit each year with Mexico.
Our trade deficit with China has hit as much as 50 Billion dollars per month.
We also have unprofitable trade agreements with other countries in the world.
Today we import:
One-third of our Steel
One-half of our Cars
One-half of our Machine Tools
Two-thirds of our Clothing
Nearly all of our shoes, radios, telephones, TV’s Cameras, DVD players, bicycles, and Umbrella Frames.
72% of pharmaceuticals
56% of Engines and Power Equipment
67% of Communication Equipment
70% of Computer Equipment
64% of semi conductors and electronics
President Obama wants to create Jobs.
My question is,what does he want us to manufacture?
You all remember the debate over NAFTA.
We were told that if any jobs were lost they would be low paying dead end jobs.
Since 1994 we have lost 700,000 jobs in the apparel and textiles industry alone.
Those people now flip hamburgers and sell clothing at retail stores for 25-55% less than they were making before.
But it’s not just low-end jobs that are at risk.
Mexico ships more cars to America than America ships to all the rest of the world.
Boeing- General Dynamics-Honey Well- & GE all make aerospace parts in Mexico.
China makes vertical fins, horizontal stabilizers, etc. for Boeing.
Boeing may be going to South Carolina but it’s not the only place they are going.
You and I in our lifetime have witnessed the
De-industrialization of America.
Many people in America feel like the Israelites of Nehemiah’s day who said we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others. In America, our jobs belong to others and people are feeling it. Our politicians are the ones who have set the stage for our loss of jobs.
The people of the 8th District are not wealthy enough to compete with multi-national corporations and foreign countries for the vote of their senators and congressman. For example Bill Clinton has received over 40 million dollars from foreign countries for his presidential library.
That is why Christians of integrity need to be our representatives in Washington DC.
In 2007 the price of steel spiked, so I tried to get my steel umbrella bases made in America. The capacity to make such a product in America no longer exists.
No one could do it, so after 8 phone calls I gave up.
That’s true of thousands of small items that you can no longer get made in America.
We are short 15 Million jobs in America. Where are they going to come from?
We would create 3.4 million jobs over 10 years if we aggressively pursued the problem of solving the energy crisis in America, which includes all forms of energy; natural gas, wind solar, nuclear, oil, etc.
But to do so, we must get the Federal Government out of the way. Their ideological mindset about going green, redistribution of wealth and socialism prevents them from tackling the problem aggressively.
Assuming we get the 3.4 million jobs, where are the rest of the jobs coming from?
We must create in America a climate favorable for business as past administrations have done before 1970.
This battle to protect American business is not new.
The battle started in the 1700’s with Great Britain forbidding Americans to manufacture their own products, but insisted we ship our raw materials to them and then they would do the manufacturing.
But after the Revolutionary war in 1789, Congress gave George Washington it’s very first piece of legislation; the Tariff Act, which he signed. And that generation saw the beginning of the industrialization of America.
Still later, Lincoln said, “Give us a protective tariff and we shall have the greatest nation in the world.”
President McKinley as a conservative republican fought for the gold standard and a tariff. He won on both counts.
So this fight is nothing new. It’s just getting worse today in part, because the Republican Party has failed to lead the charge as it had in the past.
Here are some of the steps needed to help America’s industry recover.
1. To help business today, we must peg the dollar to the currencies of our trading partners, so they will no longer be able to create an advantage over our industries by devaluing their currencies.
2. Cut corporate taxes so American corporations can compete with foreign corporations. Our corporate taxes are far higher than the average.
3. Fight for the annual audit of the Federal Reserve. Congressman Ron Paul has been trying for years with no success. This would create stability; business needs a stable environment to thrive.
4. Stop Cap & Trade. This will hurt most domestic corporations; however, America’s international corporations will just move manufacturing offshore, to circumvent the increased cost of doing business.
5. Protect the freedom of the American worker. No to Card Check. This also helps Corporations by not forcing them to deal with over aggressive unions.
6. Stop allowing foreign governments to subsidize their industries.
The Republican Party presided over the manufacturing preeminence in America during the first two thirds of the 20th Century. But today both parties are to blame for the mess we are in, which is one reason why many voters say they see no difference between the Democratic & Republican Parties. Both parties involve themselves with big government, deficit spending, pork-barrel politics and favoring globalization which is where our jobs have gone.
Under George Bush we lost 1/6 of our industrial jobs.
The federal government grew to the point of consuming over 20% of our GDP.
He cut taxes like Ronald Regan but he allowed Congress to spend money like drunken sailors.
President Obama uses Bush’s reckless spending record as an excuse for his own.
Unless the American voter puts Christian Conservatives in office Americas reckless spending shall continue.
Unless the Republican Party offers the voter a choice, a third party will arise. The American people are beginning to realize that they are losing control of the political process.
Jobs are many people’s number one priority.
But another problem we have is deficit spending.
The national debt, along with continued deficit spending is going to destroy our country.
We are currently in debt $40,000 for each person in America, and when interest rates go up this is going to bury us.
The debt is also a drag on job creation because the economy is being directed more by deficit spending than by Obama’s stimulus spending.
You can tell that this has surprised him. That’s why he held a meeting with business people to discuss the creation of jobs, ten months after his stimulus package, which cost us billions.
A third problem we have is the size of government. Some say it’s too big to fail.
Conservatives say it’s too big to succeed.
Ronald Reagan said government is not the solution, government is the problem.
Under President McKinley, ‘A Christian Conservative,’
Americas Economy grew at 7% annual growth. while the government only consumed 2.6% of the GDP.
We conservatives would love to see that again, and it can be accomplished by eliminating many government agencies and being frugal with the rest of government. Government is an intrusion on our freedom of choices.
Another problem is education – or the lack there of.
Our primary and secondary education systems are disasters.
Our test scores have fallen for decades and are far below other developed countries. Here in the U.S., Unions are a problem. They want unqualified tenor and they oppose vouchers and charter schools.
There are a host of other problems:
1. Illegal Immigration
2. High Taxes
3. The need for Energy self-sufficiency
4. The fight against traditional marriage
5. The fight against Christianity in the public square.
6. And many other problems as well such as people trying to hit the lottery by suing someone.
We have so many problems it’s almost like we are under a curse.
Well the Bible says, “The Lord will send curses, confusion, and rebuke in all that you do until you are destroyed or until you repent.” We need to repent because we have turned from God. What’s taking place in Washington today is ungodly. Our political leaders are there for themselves, so they take money and give deals to anyone who is willing, including foreign countries.
Unless the Republican Party turns back to conservatism and fights for small government, encourages the people to trust God and not government, the Republican Party is going to be of no value to the American people.
May we resolve to be on God’s side and help to restore righteousness in America?
Noah Webster said, “When a citizen gives his vote to a man of known immorality, he abuses his trust.”
John Jay, our first Supreme Court Justice and head of the American Bible society said, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”
John Adams said, “As Christians we would be foolish to vote for anyone other than a Christian.”
God said if a nation will obey him, the blessings will follow.
God can easily direct our leaders to solve the problems we face, if our leaders are listening. To listen, they must first be Christian. Christ is the one who changes the heart.
May we the people be the people God is looking for!
Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule the people grown.”
We have a lot of groaning going on in America today. It’s up to us, the voter to stop the groaning by electing Christian conservatives into public office.
