Washington Has Abandoned the Unemployed Krugman: Why are we obsessed with the deficit when millions need jobs?

He has basically been saying this for months. Sadly, it seems WE are the only people listening. Please all read this, but do yourselves a favor and stay away from the comments section.

Agreed. Comment sections are Troll havens.

DesperateInRI wrote:"The clear and present danger to the prospects of young Americans isn’t the deficit. It’s the absence of jobs." - Paul Krugman

http://www.newser.com/story/114400/paul-krugman-barack-obama-congress-have-abandoned-the-unemployed.html

A more accurate statement would be to leave out the word 'young':
The clear and present danger to the prospects of Americans isn’t the deficit. It’s the absence of jobs.

Many of us are witnessing, probably for the first time in our lives, just how cruel this government can be. I'm sure back in the 80's when factory and steel workers had their jobs taken away, the government did the same thing to them. Speaking for myself, when I was gainfully employed at the time, I paid little attention to their plight, because I was too busy tending to my own live. Once that problem got pushed toward the back of the newspapers and not mentioned anymore by the network news, I thought those displaced workers were being retrained and then were able to find work again, not abandoned by the government.

I have to agaree with you all. We "all", from the youngest to the oldest are being grouped and branded as unemployable. This HAS to stop. But, I and many others are guilty of not paying complete attention when this has happened before. However, there were some differences. It still isn't right, but the differences were, economy was a little better, many did find suitable replacement positions (not that it replaces a job you thought after 20-25 years you would retire from), many were able to take early retirement packages, 2007-2008 was like an ax that just swung at anything and everything. There really was not one position or category that was hit, everyone was hit from unskilled to highly skilled and highly degreed positions. With hiring almost non existent to this day, and that just really started to happen within the last 6 months, there are no replacement positions. And hiring, well if hundreds of thousands are opening new claims weekly (even if it is the lowest number of late), the flip side is creation and that's not yet hitting 100,000 weekly, we can't possibly begin to start this recovery. Particularly, when the positions being created, minus retail, farm, etc, doesn't leave much. Any 99er will tell you they would take any work, but any work may not pay all bills. You still have to consider that. Rent/mortgage, tuition, clothing, food, utilities, medication/Dr. visits, car payments, insurance all for $8-10 per hour 32 hours a week, yes, it helps, it's better than nothing, but you cannot live on it unless you are single and living with someone who isn't charging rent and utilities. You can afford the car insurance, but probably not the car payment. Let's not get into the Dr/medication thing or the rising cost of food just for one every month.

So I agree with Mr. Krugman, why are we so worried about the deficit which took years to create and not worrying about jobs. Consider this, if every unemployed American obtained suitable work and started paying taxes to their respective cities, states and of course, the Feds, it would go along way toward lessening the deficits of those cities, states and the Feds. If we had a tax rate that was JUST AND FAIR, that would help too. But we'll attack state workers, teachers, police and firemen, just wait, next on the list will be nurses, all of whom are now currently probably paying more taxes than many corporations. But somewhere, someone heard someone else say they wanted the deficit tackled and that jobs could wait??? Nobody did. That's just what they wanted to hear. Nobody ever mentions that all these tax cuts to corporation, 10 year tax abatements to builders for the mega-mansions and "life style of the rich and famous" condos, pay day loans, 0% mortgages, fake mortgages, credit, credit and more credit is why we are here right now. It can't be sustained. But when you correct that, you basically don't spend more than you take in, good rule of thumb. But here's the big problem, yes you do have to spend less, not cut everything to the bone, but you still have to take in. So even if you reduced the spending on some programs, you still have to collect, not reduce corporate taxes to 0. Why is it, that we are expected to buy into this philosophy of owning a corporation ENTITLES you to no taxes. Because you employ people (who do pay taxes). The profits and success are not enough, they are not paying taxes. Why do we keep hearing this and not questioning it loudly? We have Senators and Governors who are so willing to take on unions, yet we continue to pass legislation for corporations who basically hold cities and states hostage with the threat of pulling out if they don't get what they want. We don't negotiate with unions and state workers, but we give in constantly to the demands of Corporate American. And yet, we villanize Entitlements, just not the one's that go to major campaign contributors.