Hello again Dear Friends,
With all the economic problems facing our country, our businesses, and our own households why aren’t our leaders coming forward with answers we can all embrace? We all know that we need job creation, and we all know that our country’s deficit spending, where we borrow over 40 cents of every dollar we spend, is completely unsustainable. Without job creation we are witnessing a rapidly shrinking middle class, and our country’s reliance on debt to fund its day to day existence threatens our entire society as we have come to know it. Why then, do we only seem to witness political bickering with seemingly no solutions from our elected leaders?
The answer is pretty obvious isn’t it? THE TRUTH IS UNELECTABLE, and being elected and re-elected is the number one priority of most of our leaders. I don’t think our divinely inspired founding fathers ever anticipated it, but frankly, if you were a congressman earning $175,000 per year, with lots of perks and benefits, and if you could lose your job every two years, what would your number one priority be each and every day of your life? Clearly it would be how do I keep the job, right?
So, then what is the best way for them to keep their job? That’s right; you appeal to the selfishness of your constituents and keep them fat, dumb, and happy with selfish rhetoric so they will continue to vote for you. Isn’t that what’s going on here, and isn’t it perhaps time for change?
It’s taken us thirty to forty years to get ourselves in this economic mess and it will take some time to get out of it, but sooner or later we need to get started. The vast majority of people I speak with understand this, but most are unwilling to make a personal sacrifice.
To get back on track the United States needs to reduce spending EVERYWHERE, including but not limited to defense, social security, unemployment compensation, Medicare, public pensions etc, etc, etc. Once spending cuts are in place tax revenues must be increased and then, we can start to get back to even. Is this so difficult for anyone to understand? We cut spending, we raise taxes and ultimately we balance the federal budget and start paying off our debt. Why then is this not happening? Just look in the mirror! We, yes we, are too selfish to make the individual sacrifices required and therefore the truth becomes unelectable and our leaders know it! Their attention is not on the huge problem we are leaving to our children, it is on appealing to our greed and selfishness in order to keep their job. It’s time for someone to stand up and take a chance on saying what truth is, and it’s time for you and me to bite the bullet and give a little. THIS IS EVERYONE’S PROBLEM AND EVERYONE MUST PARTICIPATE IN THE SOLUTION!
When it comes to jobs it’s easy to see the problem and it’s frightening to see the path we are on as once again very few solutions are being offered. As most of us are aware, both manufacturing and many service jobs have shifted overseas to countries offering a hardworking, educated, and competent workforce. At the same time, ongoing corporate mergers and acquisitions typically lead to both job and salary cuts in the name of profit and shareholder value. Also technology has obviously eliminated many jobs, and foreign countries have created very attractive business alliances with our US corporations with incentives which also keep many jobs away from home.
Let’s face it, with hard working, motivated, and educated foreign competition we (the United States) now need to compete for jobs, and that means, like it or not, that we will need to accept many lower paying employment opportunities. That’s the way competition works and we are not coming to grips with this. In my daily local travels, including twice yesterday in Denver, I still see many businesses with signs in the window offering employment opportunities. They may not be the jobs we have grown accustomed to or desire, but they may represent much of what now exists. It’s the ‘New Normal’! Bringing back lower paying factory and manufacturing jobs is urgently needed as well, and we need to be accepting of this. We need to make it profitable for companies to do business in America; is this difficult to understand. It’s not about what we want, it about what is available!
It’s a new world out there! Hoping, praying, and waiting for the ‘good ole days’ is fruitless. Like it or not, our corporations (the job providers) need incentives to keep and create jobs here in the US. They need to be able to hire employees for less and they need government tax benefits like they often receive overseas. I know this, once again, sounds very uncomfortable, but what is the alternative?
We urgently need leaders who will stand up and state the truth regardless of the consequences. Perhaps strict term limits, lower salaries and benefits, and campaign reform for our elected officials would make a difference in the way we attract our leaders?
One thing for sure, the status quo is failing from an economic standpoint. What can we do individually? ALL OF US should be willing to sacrifice a little for the good of our country, our children and our society? Next, individually, we need to work towards being debt free (not a bad idea for our government as well) and reducing materialism as it pertains to our personal well being. An age of extravagance and easy money may no longer exist, and it may well be the wake up call we all needed.
Still feeling a bit sorry for yourself? Checkout this wonderful video I received on 9/11 and try a little personal appreciation for all that’s good in your life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W86jlvrG54o&feature=share
I will be speaking to organizations this month in Idaho Falls, Pittsburgh, and Conifer, Co about some of the above topics and how to cope and thrive. Would love to speak with your group as well! www.andyfeld.net
With Love and Appreciation, Andy
