How do we Improve the Economy and Create Jobs?

As our country enters is 235th year, let's take a brief look (above) at which party has done a better job as president in keeping unemployment down. As we can see, the majority of improvements come under Democratic presidents.  Something to keep in mind for the 2012 elections!

Jobs and the Economy

Here's something new - today President Obama will be holding the very first Twitter Townhall starting at 2pm Eastern Time. The focus will be on... jobs and the economy! It's nice that someone in Washington is willing to have a conversation on this, since the GOP has yet to introduce one jobs bill since they won power in the House of Representatives.

In Wisconsin the GOP has continued to prove its disdain for working people - by choosing not to accept $89 million in federal funding that would have extended these benefits to the out-of-work for another 13 weeks.

On the federal level, corporations are quietly getting a tax cut - at the expense of the unemployed due to an expiring levy. The expiring levy was a 0.2 percent surtax on the first $7,000 of a worker's wages. Getting rid of it effectively lowers the federal unemployment tax from 0.8 percent to 0.6 percent for most employers. That's a decrease from $56 a worker to $42 a worker each year - a 25 percent cut.

And we already know that the rich have been doing quite well throughout the Great Recession (which was purportedly over two years ago this week). Daily Kos posted this story that the " Jobless, wageless 'recovery' sure ain't profitless." And ThinkProgress puts it out in terms of real numbers: Since the "end" of the recession, 88 percent of income growth went to corporate profits, just one percent went to wages.

However, struggle does pay off. Gov Chris Christie of New Jersey prides himself on being a hard charging tea bag type. Yet he just signed legislation that increases company unemployment taxes for three years to help keep the state unemployment fund solvent. In the past he favored cutting benefits but now with mass pressure he is backing off that kind of solution.

Let's Keep Fighting Back!

Joe Sims in the People's World writes: "Demands to address the country's jobs crisis are accelerating with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) joining a growing number of groups calling for federal action. The CBC will be hosting a 'For the People Jobs Initiative' in several urban areas stricken by high unemployment."

MoveOn.org and Van Jones' "Rebuild the Dream" are putting their heads together to choose the best ideas for a plan to create an economy that works for ALL of us—a new "Contract for the American Dream." The key is simple: get as many people as possible to rate ideas. Click here to join in.

Please make sure to visit the People's World online for the best in worker's news!             

In solidarity,            

Scott Marshall

Labor Chair, CPUSA

Source: Letter from CPUSA