My friends all have job’s now, to the last they are working at mr. Ghetties or the millitary, pizza joint cause they all have 1 bud to hook them up, ormillitary cause they never left. What they need is good jobs like they used to have, working in the tech industry that got moved to malaysia and india, or some of the office jobs some of them had that got downsized, hell even I got laid off along with the rest of the company thanks to tycho and cisco pulling all thier orders and projected 3 year orders.

Anybody can get a job working for low wages at bad hours in food services or seasonal crap work, what we need back are careers. There isnt a candidate running that gives me confidence in any of my friends finding careers in their near future.

Posted by: Ronin at April 5, 2004 10:19 PM

These things move in cycles regardless of who is in office. The rest of the decade should be pretty nice.

Ironically, it should move back into recession again, about half-way through Hillary’s 1st term, meaning she probably won’t get a 2nd.

Posted by: eric at April 5, 2004 11:39 PM

Ronin might remember the old joke from the Clinton years—Clinton brags about how many jobs he’s created and a guy nearby says, “Yeh, I know—I have three of them.” But then, it’s 2004—there are no careers.

Posted by: Dave Clemens at April 6, 2004 01:27 AM

Ronin
could it be because tyco and cisco lost market share to competition, and you got sacked because of poor product, poor r+d?
If your any good, then pack up, and join a stronger team. Those aren’t “outsourcing” problems you listed, they are business failures. The US demand for hi tech workers is bustling, maybe you just don’t make the grade. Consider upgrading your skills instead of gripping, waiting for a hand out.

Alot of those jobs in india are CRAP jobs. I wouldn’t want to sit and stick chips ina board day in and day out, and no one here did either, they paid 10 bucks an hour. Woopie do. So does macdonalds.

Posted by: Fat Guy at April 6, 2004 01:52 AM

I’ll add that you should check out just whats in demand here. All top jobs, design, engineering, all fields, and It’s Europeans coming over and taking those jobs, because we don’t have enough skilled people. Don’t expect much as manufacturing goes, labor jobs, look higher up the ladder. Those jobs are there, waiting for you if you have the equipment upstairs. If you don’t, get your ass back in school and upgrade. Those old days are gone, you have to continuously learn and improve, all your working life. and beyond…

Posted by: Fat Guy at April 6, 2004 01:59 AM

Ronin; Considering how no one else has said it, I will. Could it be the “skill” you show in spelling ability may have something to do with your lack of a better paying job?

Mike, your exactly correct. Just finished watching Larry King and his quest Sen. Kennedy. When asked about the gain in jobs for the month of March the Sen. replied: What we are looking for are quality jobs, the ones that are being created are paying less than $8,000 the previous ones.

He didn’t hit on outsourcing, I bet the Dems leave that one alone. There are too many publications and studies that indicate outsourcing is at best an even deal and most show its a good thing for the economy.

Posted by: Cranial at April 6, 2004 05:38 AM

CNN just posted the transcript of the King, Kennedy interview. Here are his words on the economy:

http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0404/05/lkl.00.html

KING: Concerning the economy, the general — isn’t the general indication that it’s beginning to turn around? They had a job improvement picture in March.

KENNEDY: When I think of the economy, I think of a number of factors. I think of the issues of the jobs. And we know that all — with each of the new jobs, they are averaging $8,000 less in pay than the jobs they replaced. And we’re still two million jobs less than the jobs that we had at the time that this administration, the Bush administration, took office.

We — certainly the 300,000 that were added last week is a hopeful sign. But when we’re talking about the economy, we’re talking about the jobs that are paying less. The average pay is about 21 percent less for the new jobs created.

As I said in my last post Mike your exactly right they have switched their tune on the economy. One more month of 300K plus job growth and none of us will hear than meaningless rant again.

And just how bad does Kennedy want to slam Bush? Glad you asked. This from the same King interview:

KENNEDY “And also, we have an administration that opposes raising the minimum wage for seven years. We’re paying $5.15. This administration has been opposed and is also threatening to take away overtime for workers. And even for those that have been unemployed, now let the unemployment compensation fund lapse.”

Hmmm… He’s so badly affected by years of Irish Whiskey, and a desire to “run Bush out of town” he thinks Bush has been in office since 1997.

Posted by: cranial at April 6, 2004 06:18 AM

“KENNEDY “And also, we have an administration that opposes raising the minimum wage for seven years. We’re paying $5.15. This administration has been opposed and is also threatening to take away overtime for workers. And even for those that have been unemployed, now let the unemployment compensation fund lapse.”

Hmmm… He’s so badly affected by years of Irish Whiskey, and a desire to “run Bush out of town” he thinks Bush has been in office since 1997.”

Hmmmm-maybe you ought to check your tenses. Last time I checked to say someone “opposES” doing something “for seven years,” it meant doing it for seven years in the future…as in the minimum wage shouldn’t be raised for another seven years (as “opposed” to saying they “have been opposed” to doing something for seven years which would have meant in the past…which would be silly).

Posted by: mythmongr at April 6, 2004 09:29 AM

Come to Austin Texas, bring your current aragant attitudes and look for work. OR better yet, mention to some of the ex dell or motorola employees about how thier job skills were just not up to par. A month ago my company had to hire on another delivery driver, pay sucked, only 20 hours a week, and advertised only in the local paper. We had over 250 applicants in one week. Yea nothing wrong with the job market here. You people have no clue what your talking about, insult all you want, i live here and thankfully i am employed.

Posted by: Ronin at April 6, 2004 09:52 AM

This administration has been opposed and is also threatening to take away overtime for workers.

This is so ridiculous. Has Kennedy fallen so far? He was once a far more effective liar. Union overtime is a negotiated issue. Bush couldn’t change an individually negotiated contract if he wanted to, which he doesn’t.

Also, for all the talk about jobs, these numbers don’t even take into consideration people who work or run businesses out of their home, yet we still hear constant bleating about loss of three million jobs. Yup, you read correctly, the Democratic playbook has been revised upward to three million. Instead of two million, I hear three million consistently. Expect it go higher the more jobs appear. By election, Bush will have lost more jobs than there are people working in the United States.

Posted by: johnnymozart at April 6, 2004 10:15 AM

Just yesterday my co-worker, who I share office space with, began chuckling gleefully and declaring “awesome” at the news that Bank of America would be laying off some 12,000 people. Why? Did he think that BOA was the devil incarnate and all those poor souls were finally free? No, he was reveling in the fact that the more Americans who lose their jobs the worse it looks for George Bush’s reelection. I was dumbfounded to hear such untethered logic.

Later he mentions that the recent 308K job gain was only one quarters worth and how former president Bill Clinton had many more positive quarters of job growth. I realized at that time how much he viewed national politics like a high school ball game with a cross-town rival. Winning and bragging rights are all that matter and a personal hatred of the opponent helps focus the force necessary to achieve victory. The consequences of such competition are irrelevant in his mind apparently.

My revulsion at such an attitude is not partisan. I found it surreal and despicable when many conservatives were giving high-fives when Clinton was on the verge of impeachment. Something has gone wrong in our society when we seek so strongly to undermine our leadership simply because they are not the people we wanted in office. Nationally, we are all on one team, yet many of us seem desperate to sabotage any success we might have simply to become the star player on the field. It is this attitude that I abhor most in my fellow Americans.

(Notice of copyright is hereby given)

Posted by: Jody at April 6, 2004 11:09 AM

I’ve been going back to candidatemap.com [ http://www.candidatemap.com ] a lot for quotes on the different issue, and it is amazing how each candidate feels as though he can “create” a job. Businesses create jobs, not the government.

Bush is the only one on the semi-right track, with this statement I found on candidatemap:

“Jobs are created when the economy grows; the economy grows when Americans have more money to spend and invest; and the best and fairest way to make sure Americans have that money is not to tax it away in the first place.” Bush, George.

Posted by: Lacey at April 6, 2004 12:44 PM

Posted by Cranial at April 6, 2004 05:38 AM
Ronin; Considering how no one else has said it, I will. Could it be the “skill” you show in spelling ability may have something to do with your lack of a better paying job?

Mike, your exactly correct.

Hmmm…

Mike,

I THINK he means you’re…!

Now what’s that saying about people in glass houses agane…?!

Posted by: TrollPatrol at April 6, 2004 02:35 PM

“Anybody can get a job working for low wages at bad hours in food services or seasonal crap work, what we need back are careers. There isnt a candidate running that gives me confidence in any of my friends finding careers in their near future.”

Ronin,

I own a business here in Chicago and as far as I can tell, there is a small positive trend in hiring. Just tiny.

Businesses are hiring, slowly. Right now they are choosing to invest in automation instead of adding ‘bodies’ to the company.

More and more businesses also use outsourcing (not to be confused with offshoring).

Health Insurance costs are ugly and they make any business owner to think twice before hiring a new person.

Posted by: Dody Gunawinata at April 6, 2004 05:10 PM

Kerry is going to have fun explainig why a FRAUD like him should be elected to anything:

B.G. Burkett: Navy Commanders to Cast Doubt on Kerry’s War Record

Several Navy officers who supervised Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry when he commanded a swift boat in Vietnam are preparing to publicly question his war record - including the circumstances under which he was awarded three Purple Hearts - a noted Vietnam War historian revealed on Sunday.

Kerry’s former commanders will allege that the top Democrat’s Purple Hearts were awarded for “self-reported injuries that were virtually nonexistent.”

“He never got a day of treatment, he never spent a day in a medical facility,” Burkett said. “These were all self-reported wounds, which you’re going to hear from some swift boat guys in the future as to the nature of those wounds.”

Burkett said he had personally spoken to the Navy commanders who were preparing to go public about Kerry’s decorations.

“You’re going to get quite a showing [of those speaking out],” Burkett told Malzberg. “I don’t know [the number] yet. They’re trying to get it to be unanimous of every swift boat guy who ever served.”

As to the timetable for the upcoming revelations, Burkett said that Kerry’s superior officers “were still discussing that.”

“You’ve got some major rallys being planned against John Kerry by Vietnam veterans on the mall, at the convention - this type of thing,” he said. “And we’re going to make America aware of John Kerry’s military record.”

If all this comes out, it will show what a FRAUD this guy was, his entire life is an ACT.
This guy has mental problems, he belongs in an mental patient office, not an oval office

Posted by: Fat Guy at April 6, 2004 05:21 PM

I here you there, dody, health insurance costs are savage. But, any move to a single payer system has to be done very gradually, it will cause massive job losses, a hit the economy couldn’t possibly handle. Countries like Canada were able to implement that system while at very low population levels, and they grow around the system, but in the USA, our insurance companies and processing systems have grown WITH the system. Our costs are high because administration costs are high, we’d lose well over a million jobs that are related in one way or another to the US health care system.
What has to happen is to take the burden off employers, and have employee pay their own way.
Imagine the advantage Canadian businesses have because they don’t have that cost to bear.

Posted by: Fat Guy at April 6, 2004 05:30 PM

I live in the heart of Silicon Valley. San Carlos, CA, right near Oracle and EA.

I contend that the economy, even the high tech one, is not that bad. Want proof?

The downtown is booming. We’re getting a Whole Foods (upscale) where an Albertsons (medium scare supermarket) once was.

Also, my house continues to rise in value; its now over $1M whereas I paid $330K for it in 1995.

Thats true all over except for the priciest towns. In fact the cheapest towns had the largest increases.

So cheer up!

Posted by: adam at April 6, 2004 08:19 PM

“Imagine the advantage Canadian businesses have because they don’t have that cost to bear”

And a weaker dollar.

“What has to happen is to take the burden off employers, and have employee pay their own way.”

In the current system, this means the employee will have to pay a much higher premium. That’s not a good thing either.

And boy, if you are an employee and raising a young family…

Posted by: Dody Gunawinata at April 6, 2004 08:53 PM

adam: “Also, my house continues to rise in value; its now over $1M whereas I paid $330K for it in 1995.”

I hate to break it to you, but the California housing bubble is about to burst, bigtime. Your house will be back to around $600k quickly, as soon as interest rates start to tick upward.

Posted by: x at April 6, 2004 10:16 PM

Which means, Adam, that you will only net an 80% profit in 10 years — quite a ways ahead of inflation for a USED FREAKIN’ HOUSE!

MG

Posted by: MG at April 6, 2004 11:19 PM

x, I don’t know if it’s possible to be a more rude, abrasive and a gold-plated pissant than you.

I don’t care if you wipe your butt with $50s, your ugly soul is exposed in your every noun, verb, prepositional phase and article.

You are the best reminder I have that America is a free country. When I see you post I see the value in hearing from the lowest common denominator. I WANT to be on the other side of every argument.

You’re the absolute bottom of every bell curve I can imagine. Nothing you’ve written so far has been tainted with value, taste or reason.

Congratulations! That takes some doing.

Posted by: torpedo_eight at April 6, 2004 11:25 PM

Has anyone seen the picture of Kerry being arrested at one of his demonstrations? There is also the picture of him sitting at a metting as the Viet Cong flag is draping the wall behind him.
Last but not least, look for his book “Winter Soldier”.
You will have to see it to believe it. War protestors with the American flag upside down mock the marines of Iwo Jima. By the way, Kerry had the front cover suppressed.
And this man is running for President of the US? Teressa Hinez Kerry donates more money to radical groups than you can shake a stick at.
http:/25thaviation.org/johnkerry

Posted by: Eugene at April 7, 2004 12:18 PM

Eugene The picture of him sitting in front of an NVA flag is a PhotoShop fake. He did participate in parades and demonstrations where the NVA flag was flown, as well as pictures of Mao.
The rest of the stuff is true.

Posted by: Cap'n DOC at April 9, 2004 09:24 AM