BS: One Million Jobs

Subject: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 12 May 03 - 11:25 AM

George W. has said that by cutting taxes he can create 1.2 million jobs. This is of great interest to me, because the economy recently ate mine. My question for all of you Wise 'Catters is this:

What industry is my new job going to be in?

I need to spin my resume and, frankly, I'm confused. According to the business section, all of the "successful" companies, i.e. the ones that the smart folks with all the investin' money will be looking at, are the companies that are in "cost-cutting mode". This is a veiled way to say they are getting rid of people/jobs as quickly as possible. Why invest in a company that is going to increase its payroll and more importantly benefits obligation by hiring?

So, please help by letting all us po' folks what kind of jobs you think we will be gettin' from the nice wealthy people for the $550 billion or so dollars the guv'ment's gonna let them keep.

P.S. The only silver attached to my reversal of fortune is that I now have time to play guitar and spend some time at the 'Cat once again. I missed you guys.

Have a wonderful day
Bart

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 May 03 - 11:27 AM

Folk busking. Go to it.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Bill D
Date: 12 May 03 - 07:43 PM

"job"...as in flipping burgers or doing telemarketing. Manufacturing is going overseas, and giant corporations are merging into MEGA-corps and tossing out thousands.

Remember those 16mm films in school which said we'd all be working only 20-30 hrs a week? Little did they know.

The Republicans simply cannot do math. Cutting billions from the tax revenues while spending many billions to ....ahem.....'fight terrorism' does NOT balance the budget...and if YOU think these tax cuts are gonna stimulate the economy and provide jobs in any meaningful way, then I have this bridge I'd like to sell you.....

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Tweed
Date: 12 May 03 - 08:02 PM

Register to vote now. Get them out before they take away the vote completely by some sort of anti-terrorist legislation. Dems are leaderless and without agenda but at least they seem to make jobs everytime they get in there.

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: reggie miles
Date: 12 May 03 - 08:13 PM

Apparently GW and his staff has seen the benefit of just saying the same thing over and over again, WMD for instance. Say it long and loud enough on the national airwaves, no matter how ridiculous the statement, as in this instance, and you'll get folks to buy into it and go along with it. Even if they don't go for it, he'll just do it anyway. Like he did with the war. He probably won't be around to clean up the mess he's made afterward. I guess he figures that somebody else's problem.

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Bill D
Date: 12 May 03 - 08:27 PM

yep....Democrats can sponsor reasonably decent legislation and keep the rich/poor gap closer...WHEN they can get a working majority and control some of the administrative process. The trouble is, the process of getting elected is becoming more & more corrupted by money and being controlled by those who study hardest on "how to manipulate the electorate". (The Republicans have learned they don't have to appeal to 'reason' or any particular region...they only have to push just enough emotional buttons ..)

The few Democrats in recent years who might have both been electable AND done a good job have chosen to stay out of that insane bickering and money-raising swamp. (Cuomo, Daschle..etc..)... Gore might have been ok, but he 'lost' the electoral vote on that funny little dance in Florida and the Surpreme court, and now is branded 'loser'..(I will never understand how a guy who wins the popular vote can be considered a bad candidate)....

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Bill D
Date: 12 May 03 - 08:29 PM

reggie, you posted while I was composing..*grin*...but WMDs are one of the things I was referring to under 'button pushing'

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Rapparee
Date: 12 May 03 - 08:30 PM

Like so very many -- including until very recently myself -- remember what has been done to you when the next election comes around.

Find a support group (often called a "focus group" or something similar) it there is one in a reasonable distance from you. Read and apply "What Color Is Your Parachute." And realize that you might have to move, perhaps a considerable distance (as I did). It's going to seem like you're alone, but you aren't.

And, oh yeah, apply for Unemployment, even if you don't think you're eligible. You'd be surprised what those folks can do for you, even if they determine that they can't give you any money.

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: NicoleC
Date: 12 May 03 - 08:35 PM

Same old argument: if you cut taxes to businesses, they'll use the savings to create more jobs and increase productivity. Which is true, in some circumstances. But currently US companies have a surplus of goods they can't get consumers to buy, and they are cutting production jobs for lack of demand, particularly when it comes to durable goods like cars.

Right now, the imbalance is on the demand side. Average consumers are already so deep into debt that eventually that pimple is going to pop, and probably soon, which is why credit cards companies that were glad to pump up credit limits for overspent consumers are lobbying so hard to prevent those consumers from filing bankruptcy -- while preserving their OWN precious bankruptcy protections.

I think the strategy of cutting national taxes to spur job growth is dying in a world with a multi-national labor force. Even those few companies who are in a position to expand production are sending their production jobs overseas. It means workers in one country pay taxes to artificially subsidize jobs in another country. To some extent it can't be helped as the flow of money spreads wider, but as an economic strategy is smells like disaster without a balancing flow of money from the other direction.

What's more, I think the hard right-wingers in office right now DO understand that that tired old argument doesn't fly right now, but they simply don't care, since they stand to personally gain a lot. Nor are the spineless left-wingers putting up much of a fight, since most of them are pretty wealthy, too.

The poor moderate Republicans (typically the true fiscal conservatives) are squeezed in the middle. Everytime I see one of them on TV, they seem to be plagued by pressure from the right wing of their party while trying to reconcile their actions with their personal philosophy.

In short: if you want to survive the "New Economy," you'd better leverage your brain power or the indispensable service you can provide. If you lack major brain power and/or education and/or opportunity, it's hard to send jobs like plumbing and auto repair overseas. (And they still pay relatively well.) Or teaching, or bus driving or garbage pick-up...

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 12 May 03 - 09:05 PM

Rapaire - Oh yes. I have collected some from unemployment; after all, it was put there by my company for that purpose.

Nicole C - Just to show you what kind of "brain power" we're talking about leveraging here, I used to think I'd be able to make a living playing music. And I did sort of well, until the 1980's (Reagan) when the music business went pretty much into the dumper. Then I got my teaching degree and did pretty through the 90's (Clinton) as a Corporate trainer. Now under GWB I'm back to substitute teaching, hoping to catch on full time in the fall; unfortunately, it seems that the "teacher shortage" is being offset by the need for school districts to cut budgets. In other words, other than the Sciences, Mathematics or Special Ed., they aren't hiring "new" teachers. Their letting attrition and larger class sizes solve two problems at once.

Geez, I read somewhere that if you take the money their cutting and divide it by the number of jobs expected, it works out to over 300 grand per job. Give me 100 grand and I will start my own business and hire a couple other guys, too. That's a savings of 800 grand to the country, plus the taxes me, my employees and my company would pay. Do you think they'll go for that deal?

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: GUEST,Sorch
Date: 12 May 03 - 09:53 PM

Wanna buy some prime grazing land in Florida???

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: diesel
Date: 12 May 03 - 10:23 PM

Don't know if this is of any help, being the other side of the pond.(ie.The Atlantic).

Very much the same as what you've done before work your talents from different perspectives.

You play music : therefore, you can teach music, therefore you can instruct, write critique or reviews, you can write therefore you can admin and on the list by association goes, all based on the one common skillbase.

Add a second or third skill and all you have to do is then word or tailor the resumé towards what a prospective employer 'wants'.

Or go it alone and hire others........

Best of luck whichever it goes

Diesel

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Greg F.
Date: 12 May 03 - 11:08 PM

Yessiree, Dumbya's gang's FIRST tax cut did so well, it put the economy right in the crapper its in now. So what do they propose? More of the same. And the electorate supports them.

Not much hope, folks. Oh, ye generation of morons.......

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Cluin
Date: 12 May 03 - 11:18 PM

1,000,000 jobs! Make Money Fast!!!

Grab your shovels and spaghetti strainers. There's bucks to be made searching for WMDs in the sands of Iraq. Set your own hours! Be your own boss! First one to find a hunk of anthrax wins a free Big Mac and fries at one of the new McDonalds going up in Baghdad....

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: NicoleC
Date: 12 May 03 - 11:19 PM

What about teaching music therapeutically? People seem to be recognizing that mentally ill, disadvantaged and just plain underachieving kids respond well to music training. (Not to mention the regular and exceptional kids, too.)

No doubt there are community centers that could use some volunteers to get you started in your spare time.

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Doug_Remley
Date: 13 May 03 - 02:51 AM

Learn a foreiegn language and become a resident alien, then wow them with your grasp for the job they give you.

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Hrothgar
Date: 13 May 03 - 07:39 AM

John Maynard Keynes is laughing a bitter laugh ...

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Cluin
Date: 13 May 03 - 02:00 PM

So is Meyer (the man with no first name), or he would be, if old John D. was still around.

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 13 May 03 - 04:34 PM

diesel and NicoleC - Thanks for the nice advice, but (and it's a big but at that) I think what most people look for in a job is a source of income, rather than something to do. Yes, I can play music and I have a teaching certificate (social studies), but I am not certified to teach music (other than beginner guitar lessons down at the local music store). That's the bind that this modern economy puts you in.

I was reading an article on Sunday about graduates with Harvard MBA's who are going to go unemployed this year. THERE ARE NO JOBS FOR NEW HARVARD MBA's. These guys spent over 150 grand on a piece of paper that makes them over-qualified to do any of the sh*t jobs that people are standing in line to get.

It's a sad and twisted world, economically speaking. Good thing we have the music, isn't it.

Believe it or not, I am doing OK, relatively speaking. And I believe that something good is going to happen soon. I just know it has absolutely nothing at all with GWB's guarantee of a MILLION (count 'em) jobs.

BART

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 May 03 - 04:38 PM

Bart, I was serious about busking, and people are making good money working in schools and nursing homes. See threads on nursing homes or PM Mudcatters Genie or musicmic-- both have been making a nice living playing music.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: NicoleC
Date: 13 May 03 - 04:48 PM

Sorry, Bart, I thought it sounded like you were looking for a new career.

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 15 May 03 - 09:17 AM

Nicole - no need to apologize, I appreciate your thoughts.

WYSIWYG - I have been thinking about playing out in the parks this summer if nothing else comes through. The problem (as you know) is that the good Mayor Daley has made it tougher to play anywhere in the City of Chicago without some kind of permit. Last thing I heard, they were even assigning "performance artists" spots on specific corners, outside the zoo, by the Lincoln Park Lagoon, etc. That would be too much of a drag to be believed. Like going to work. . .

But I can't think of a way I'd rather spend this summer than playing. It's been so long since I've had that luxury. Real life keeps intruding.

BTW - when are you going to be getting back into the the Chicago area?

Catch you all later. Have a wonderful day
Bart

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 May 03 - 10:09 AM

Bartholomew-- numerous visits this summer, some quick and some not, some maybe on and some not, some together and some just me. Hardi's dad's health has been in a bad downturn this spring and we are waiting to see how much bounce-back there may be. Also having computer problems. Simplest would be if you PM me your home phone, as well as what info I would need to look you up in the phonebook because once we are there, there is no computer. :~)

So, remember, in the tricounty area are many parks Richie does not control. :~)

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: An Pluiméir Ceolmhar
Date: 15 May 03 - 04:56 PM

Wish I could offer some useful advice, but you've probably already thought of anything I could suggest. Have you tried talking to someone who can articulate in more generic terms the kind of skills that you've developed over your career. That's a service that the French employment services call a "bilan de compétences" - a statement of skills.

It sounds a bit fatuous when you're unemployed, and it's still no more than an attempt to give you a slight edge chasing after an insufficient number of job opportunities in an economy that has been wrecked by grossly irresponsible "policies". An economist friend of mine reckons that it isn't all just down to the current Bush régime, and places a lot of the blame on a long-established Republican appointee that many Americans seem to believe walks on water, so much so that he carried on through the Clinton era: the one and only Alan Greenspan. I'm not qualified to argue the case, but I would trust this friend's judgement.

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Bobert
Date: 15 May 03 - 08:26 PM

Bart:

Find something that you have a skill level in and do it! Heck, it don't matter if it's house paintin' 'er plumbin'. Get you a business licesne and do it! Forget this ecomony! It's going down fast and furious. The tax cuts won't do jack! Except make the working man poorer. That's reality!

And keep an open mind toward doing more than one thing to bring in income! Like busking and plumbing? Heck, these desperate times cal, fir desperate actions.

Good luck.

Bobert

p.s. Ahhhh, just for the record. Those of you who think that the ruling class needs this tax give away so they can build more plants to hire more workers. Ahhhh, what am I missing here? What happened to the plants they just closed down and laid off the workers. Did the aliens steal them plants, 'er what? Hmmmmmmm?

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Sam L
Date: 16 May 03 - 09:41 AM

Well, that's what I wonder too. If the last round of tax cuts didn't produce jobs, why will this one? Same answer to every question. I guess that's how you get a gentleman's C.

   I'm becoming more interested in playing around some, with my kids, maybe, since they can actually sing. I don't really know how to start, or about permits. Anyone tip me how to look into it, general advice for a novice, thread names, busking for dummies?

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 16 May 03 - 09:49 AM

I read an article asking the musical question "Will the Liberals Save Capitalism Again?" and I think it gets down to the heart of the matter. After the stock market crash and depression, it took a lot of propping up to keep the system going. Now the current administration is determined to kick as many of the remaining props out so their friends can steal as much as they can before it all falls down.

Thinking about this stuff makes me tired.

Bart

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Mooh
Date: 16 May 03 - 10:06 AM

While unemployed a few years ago I was seriously counselled not to put everything in my resume for fear of it backfiring on me. Employment Canada (or whatever it's called these days) said that music qualifications might put off an employer looking for grunt workers, as would my labour relations experience. I suspect it was very good advice.

Funny thing is that like you I've no paper qualifications to teach music, and so credentials be damned, I teach from my home. (My only ticket to teach was in occupational health and safety, and it's kinda out of date now.) If you teach guitar at the local music shop, even just beginners, you can likely cut your overhead and increase your rates by doing it from home. Depending on your locale, it might do more than make ends meet. I figure in the past four years I've increased my business at least tenfold, created my own credentials, established a reputation, and improved my job security significantly. In the meantime I've become a better player. The only downside is I've got less time to fish.

I don't honestly know if it's a possibility for you, but self-employment might be the answer. I started it as a moonlighter, but now it's my chief source of income, and I'm considering making it my only source of income.

Music sells, you just need to find the market.

Good luck!

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Sam L
Date: 16 May 03 - 01:53 PM

Bartholomew,
It helps, at least for me, to give yourself permission to do any job, at least for a while. I've quit some jobs that sounded pretty cool, but really weren't, to do grunt work, which I enjoy, most of the time. Good luck in whatever you do, I don't think Bush can get re-elected. I hope not. Fred

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: DougR
Date: 17 May 03 - 01:38 AM

If you have to "spin" your resume, I think you are already in more trouble than simply being out of a job. Spin your resume, you probably will be caught. Not a good idea.

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 17 May 03 - 01:58 AM

Right DougR! Take GWB for instance...
ttr

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Sam L
Date: 17 May 03 - 08:48 AM

Don't think you were listening DougR, that's another thread. And if I recall you had slightly different ideas there, about a false resume.

There's a difference between spinning and falsifying a resume. If you're applying for most jobs, they want the most relevant information, not a diary. But if you're going to drive a truck, for example, they want all time accounted for, or else they suspect you were in prison, or abandoned a truck, or are a job-hopper.

I think the spin mentioned was simply leaving out some interests that don't interest and may bias the employer. Also, if you have an African-American sounding name, studies show that it might be a good idea to leave out your name, since less qualified applicants will almost always get called before you. Anyway, it can help to spin your resume.

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: GUEST,Johnny
Date: 18 May 03 - 01:24 AM

Call it "CURRICULUM VITAE" to give it some class,
then spin like crazy. If they fire you, are you
any worse off?

More bad news: today George Bush filed for
re-election.

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: BlueJay
Date: 18 May 03 - 04:44 AM

Go to nursing school. If you need a career change, have compassion and intelligence, consider nursing. They can't export those jobs, and it pays well. The nursing shortage is growing exponentially here in the U.S. and overseas as well. I worked for the railroad until I quit and went to nursing school at age 42. Nursing jobs hve served me well, and I'm happier than when I was on call 24/7 with the damn railroad.

Nursing is not for everybody. The schooling is a bitch, the boards are a bitch, the job is usually a bitch, and some of your co-workers are total bitches. Let's not talk about the bosses.

But if you can overlook all that, as I try to do, you can go anywhere in the country and get a job immediately. Thanks, BlueJay

Subject: RE: BS: One Million Jobs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Aug 03 - 09:47 PM

One Million?