Big business also responsible for killing job growth

[Crazy Dave]

Nobody hardly ever talks about that and I'm curious as to how much real damage they've done and continue to do to our economy and small business.

First, we know that they stay headquartered here for tax loopholes, subsidies and political protection while shipping tens of thousands of jobs overseas every year.

Second, we know that they do everything they can to destroy their competition which especially targets small start-ups. Say "Widget Global" sells one million plus widgets a year, then along comes a small company named "Widget Cleveland" that opens up and plans on manufacturing and selling fifty thousand widgets a year, Widget Global will do everything in it's power to put Widget Cleveland out of business. Things like pressuring and threatening all the global suppliers for widget materials that they will cease doing business with most of them if they continue to supply Widget Cleveland with parts and materials at competitive pricing. Next they try to buy the company out just to shut it down or they will start numerous, ridiculous and expensive lawsuits against them that they know they can't win but they know after two or three years of court battles and legal fees, Widget Cleveland will finally fold.

It happens all the time.

[jtuck004]

1. What if that is the way it is going to be?

This is a globalized world. A large portion of the 15 million unemployed are competing with 100 people around the globe for that job.
(Such as engineers, architects, doctors that work in China for $800 a month, and can do it online).

Do we figure out the jobs that we can do better, train people and set them up in a business structure that encourages them to compete for this country?

or

Try finding out if everyone will go around us by putting tariffs in place (those used to work, but I am not so sure post-Internet)

or

Try taxing business to stop it. Which would be a HUGE fight with a low probability of success, unless your lobbyists provide much better pizza than an $8 billion hedge fund can provide...

[Crazy Dave]

3. I think the way wages keep dropping soon we'll be competitive in the world market again

I'm a CAD technician who used to make over $40k ten years ago and now I currently make $30k. The company where I'm currently working isn't hiring people like me anymore to do drafting, they're actually hiring licensed architects and engineers to do the same work I'm doing for the same pay and there's plenty more out there who would work for less. I never thought I'd see a licensed architect from an accredited college working for only $15 an hour but I know some who haven't worked at all for over two years.

[jtuck004]

4. I got my first community college degree using Autocad, and had

the same problem, in the 80's. They still had draftsmen, but the community college didn't tell us that we would be competing against architects and engineers who could also do CAD work. This has been going on for a long time. For a while there was enough of a largess to employee one to draw, one to design, one to...today, much of that has gone up in smoke, and some places are back where they were in the 80's. You may be lucky to still have a position.

I wonder if at this point one goes to engineering school - who is going to be working in the future?

[Crazy Dave]

5. Is it even worth going to school to be an engineer, architect or a teacher?

Only to make $15 an hour and be lucky to get it. My sister-in-law was laid off as a high school teacher early in 2008 and now tutors rich kids for about the same $15 an hour. No benefits, no retirement and no unemployment during the summer. Most of the few jobs that are available in my area only pay $8 an hour and I'm in a large city. The ads really crack me up too as most of these employers like lawn services, restaurants, warehouses, etc. who not too long ago were begging for help and hiring illegal workers are now feeling real important. You'll see an ad for a busboy or dishwasher and it will say,

Please email or fax your resume and cover letter to us.

Have at least four years experience.

Be willing to take a drug test and background check.

And the one that cracked me up the most, please write at least one paragraph letting us know why we should hire you. I think that was on a dishwasher ad that I read on craigslist last week.

[liberal N proud]

2. That is why the right wants to give them more tax cuts.