Posted by Tina
In an effort to address the staggering unemployment that blacks face the President met yesterday with several prominent black leaders to discuss what might be done to improve economic conditions in the black community:
“Black leaders meet with Obama on economy” AP, MSNBC
On a day of treacherous weather in Washington, Obama kept his scheduled meeting with Benjamin Jealous, president of the NAACP; Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League; and the Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network. Dorothy Height, chairwoman of the National Council of Negro Women, could not make it to the White House because of the pounding snow and winds that kept most of the nation’s capital shut down. ** The meeting did not yield immediate announcements or initiatives.
Hmmm…snow can be a big problem…but, how ’bout we stay focused on economics and jobs, MSNBC!
I would think that by now the President would be smart enough to call on some people that have real world experience in job creation within the black community. One good choice might be Harry Alford of the “National Black Chamber of Commerce. The problem, of course, is that he might tell the community organizer in chief everything he doesn’t want to hear. As one article
from the website suggests:
The Clinton Campaign’s slogan still applies: “It’s the economy stupid!” ** Listen Congress and listen White House, not another program or major project until the economy gets right. If the jobs don’t start rolling in between now and November a whole lot of you are going to be “toast”. ** Don’t start talking about Cap and Trade. That is a hustle as much as the healthcare mess was. Card Check, Project Labor Agreements and anything else the radical, almost communist, unions pay you to put up to the people is going to be slammed down hard and with certainty. Your political careers will fizzle right before your eyes. From California to the East Coast the people will once again vote for change. That is a change for a better economy. ** Here’s the big deal that they refuse to look at. 70% of all new jobs come from the growth of Small Businesses. Yes, small business creates 70% of all new jobs. So Congress and Mr. President, how about setting the market for small business growth? – Harry C. Alford, co-founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce
Another great suggestion, especially if Obama is serious about getting ideas from many points of view, would be Dr. Thomas Sowell, a highly respected economist. The following excerpt from “Answers.com” show that he is imminently qualified to address the issue:
Sowell is an advocate of the “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” philosophy, which encourages people to improve their positions not by government intervention, but by personal ambition and hard work. He believes that government initiatives to ensure a fair playing field for African Americans have actually hurt their chances for equality. Regardless of whether or not one agrees with his views, Sowell is respected as a top economist, having published extensively in economic journals and general periodicals. ** “The word ‘genius’ is thrown around so much that it’s becoming meaningless,” remarked renowned economist Milton Friedman in Forbes, “but nevertheless I think Tom Sowell is close to being one.”
Read Dr. Sowell’s article on todays summit meeting on TownHall.com
Let’s go back to square one. What does it take to create a job? It takes wealth to pay someone who is hired, not to mention additional wealth to buy the material that person will use. ** But government creates no wealth. Ignoring that plain and simple fact enables politicians to claim to be able to do all sorts of miraculous things that they cannot do in fact. Without creating wealth, how can they create jobs? By taking wealth from others, whether by taxation, selling bonds or imposing mandates. ** However it is done, transferring wealth is not creating wealth. When government uses transferred wealth to hire people, it is essentially transferring jobs from the private sector, not adding to the net number of jobs in the economy.
Activism, advocacy and legislation targeted to the black community are the things the President likely heard about today instead of the wise advice of Dr. Sowell or others in the black community that have successfully created jobs. He needs advice that will work and if he would take it the advice would also bring him some much needed redemption of respect. More spending will offer a bit of hope and short term relief to a few people but it will not solve the unemployment problem or grow the economy. This is an opportunity to show the world you are smart and willing to do what you keep saying you will do. Mr. President seize the moment, discover what works.