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13-02-2009 11:53
Emergency Back-To-Work Plan
Let's start with the math: 2 million workers paid $50,000 for one year would cost $100 billion, but that's on paper. In actuality, $100 billion could possibly put up to 3-4 million workers back to work because $50,000 would be the most the government would have to subsidize. I will focus only on labor here and not the other problems affecting our economy, so this is just for illustration. Here it is: In order to put people back to work, attract jobs back to the states and create new jobs, [1] the government must immediately create an emergency 1-3 million US worker labor pool accessible to domestic businesses, and international companies willing to move their production back to the US, a labor pool that is more affordable than any pool of labor anywhere else [2] the government should subsidize the salaries and wages of this emergency labor pool and other US workers to the point that those wages are lower than the wages of those workers who US workers compete with internationally, and [3] companies and small businesses can rehire many of the laidoff workers at wages much lower than they can get elsewhere. This should be a 2-6 year plan only, which would include several years for a gradual termination of the government program. Its purpose is to buy time for private business, the government and the public to change much of its unsustainable behavior, figure out how best to eliminate much of the bad assets from our economy, and return to a more sustainable economy. Now back to the math: if $100 billion can get millions back to work for one year then $400 billion can keep 3-4 million people working for 3-4 years. We would only get one shot at this. We would have to figure out quickly how to keep the manufacturers we attract, keep the jobs, keep the production, keep people in their homes, keep our retirees secure, keep our schools functional, and keep our citizenry healthy. The total wage that the government would subsidize would not be at the market level it was when the worker was laidoff, it may be slightly lower. Many people just want to get back to work to get through this economic shock. During this emergency back-to-work period, workers would get help with bad mortgages, credit cards and loans. Also, during this time, the government must oversee a return to real competitiveness in all markets. Any other plan has a resolution and payoff too far off in the future. Any other plan will not begin turning this Titanic until too late to avoid hitting the iceberg.[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=30616&page=1&viewID=754419]
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