Jobs Summit

The Urgency Of The Jobs Summit At The White House

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On Thursday afternoon, a Jobs Summit will be held at the White House with businessmen and academics trying to figure out how to deal with the unemployment crisis, with 10.2 percent unemployed officially, but counting those who have stopped looking or are off unemployment compensation, making it closer to 17.5 percent, and even higher numbers in poorer areas, particularly in African American neighborhoods.

The Congressional Black Caucus is threatening, along with others, a jobless people’s March on Washington, unless strong action is taken to deal with this growing crisis.

Sixteen million are out of work, and one third of those are out of work for six months or longer. Six workers are competing for each job that is available. More people are out of work now than at any time since 1983.

There is no more important initiative for the unfortunate citizens who are unemployed, or for the Democrats and President Obama, than to solve the issue through rapid development of public works projects. It will be interesting to see what transpires at the summit.

Obama’s Challenge As He Nears A Year In Office

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President Obama enters the month of December with two challenges that seem overwhelming: to prod the Senate to pass a health care bill after weeks of debate starting Monday; and convincing the nation that deeper involvement in Afghanistan is for the national interest, and will not be a disastrous cause that will bankrupt us over many years and cause thousands of lost American lives.

These challenges, along with the climate summit he will be attending; the jobs summit he is hosting this Thursday at the White House; and the new challenge of Iran developing more uranium enriching facilities and refusing to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency are enough to drive any normal human being bonkers.

How in the world is he to accomplish all of his goals, with united GOP opposition to his domestic initiatives and expected fury by his liberal supporters at his move to increase troop involvement in Afghanistan and face the challenge of Iran where diplomacy is not working?

All Americans need to step back and take a deep breath and wish that, somehow, Barack Obama has the wisdom and the courage to meet the challenges ahead because they will affect all of us for many years to come!