History shows that when people think times are desperate –
like they did in Germany in the early 1930s, or in Russia during World War I,
and Americans right now, which is why U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va) lost his
party’s nomination to a Tea Party candidate last night – any demagogue will
do.
So it’s no wonder that people in Massachusetts, upset as
Margery Eagan says they are (Boston
Herald, June 10), think the fanciful, emotional-laden proposals of U.S.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) will save them.[i]
The Massachusetts Miracle is long gone and, according to two
different studies, one from a UCLA professor and another from United Van Lines,
which studies where people are going since they’re in the business of moving
them, the Bay State ranks 8th among states that people are leaving.[ii][iii]
This means the remaining Bay Staters, especially the middle
class ones, might face an increase in their state taxes because there are fewer
citizens to pay the state’s bills.
As always, the rich can afford the advisors who tell them where to hide
their money.
Massachusetts’ biggest industries – the ones that drive the
economy – says one state government website, include advertising, architecture,
financial services, information technology, life sciences, fishing and renewable
energy.[iv]
None of them are about to put the middle class, like Joe and
Josephine Six Pack, back to work because, with the exception of fishing, they all
require considerable amounts of education.
To put Joe and Josephine back to work – or give them opportunities
to earn more money – the state needs more employers.
But the only thing in the hopper to improve the state’s
economic woes is a proposed casino for either Everett or Revere and that’s not
looking so good.
What Gov. Deval Patrick and his cohorts need to do – and
where Senator Warren could stand out – is to start attracting more businesses,
like manufacturers, which have traditionally employed the middle class.
More regulations might make some of Senator Warren’s constituents
feel good – we showed them, damnit! – but let’s call it what it is: A full employment program for college-educated
regulators in government and college-trained lawyers in private industry to
make sure their clients are following the rules.
It doesn’t do a thing for the Six Pack family.
I spent nine months in Texas in the mid-80s. Every time I turned around, the
governor or a mayor was on an economic development mission to sell the state or
their city as a place to do business.
In other words, they wanted a company’s jobs in Texas because
they knew something that appears to escape Bay State politicians: More jobs will beget more jobs.
That mission continues to this day, with The Washington Post
reporting recently that Texas has done an outstanding job of producing jobs that
are equitable across the pay scale.[v] In addition, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics reports that Texas’ unemployment rate of 5.2 percent[vi]
is lower than that of Massachusetts’ 6 percent.[vii]
Tragically, for the Bay State, there’s something in the DNA
of its public servants. They don’t give off any signals they’re interested in
new businesses moving here, unless it’s a quick hit, like the possibility of
hosting the Winter Olympics in 10 years in Boston, or has the potential to
addict, like casino gambling.
So it’s no wonder, as Margery Eagan says, people in
Massachusetts are upset. Their
junior senator is so angry and distracted with Wall Street and big banks that
she hasn’t the time to do the one thing that will help the Six Pack family –
making the Bay State business friendly so jobs that may very well employ Joe
and his wife are created here.
[i] http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/margery_eagan/2014/06/eagan_elizabeth_warren_hammers_her_message_home
[iii] http://www.unitedvanlines.com/mover/united-newsroom/press-releases/2014/2013-united-van-lines-migration-study.htm
1 comment:
Your style is unique compared to other people I have read stuff from.
I appreciate you for posting when you've got the
opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this web site.
Take a look at my blog - stancheva
Post a Comment