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Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Our Economy: Grim or Not So Grim. Depends on Who You Ask


 

Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


 

ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources


 


Grim Economic Picture – You Need to Prepare

 

There are jobs if you are qualified, are reliable and don’t do drugs and are willing to accept less money… Right now, half the country makes $27,520 a year or less from their jobs.

 

During my recent “island” trip I had dinner with a long time business associate who publishes business journals and is active in economic development in his region.  For a decade I also owned several business journals, trade shows and was also active in promoting economic development and small business.

 

My friend had attended a dinner with 250 business owners in attendance and the topic revolved around their inability to attract a qualified, reliable workforce with skills sufficient to operate 21st Century automated production.

 

Too few applicants had the necessary math skills or proved reliable.  They all agreed that they could train personnel to operate robots and other automated technology but more than 50% of prospective employees could not pass a drug test.

 

There are plenty of jobs being offered by this group but their inability to find workers has meant some of these manufacturers are not able to add a third shift.

 

Everyone agrees too that our government at the state and federal level puts up to many obstacles and roadblocks with a non-stop onslaught of rules, regulations and red tape – most are screaming:  ENOUGH ALREADY!

 

On the other hand, there are many who have given up looking for a job, often older workers who were previously let go in favor of cheaper, younger help had been inclined to start businesses, but many of these people are frustrated in this effort because of government regulation and other related costs or they find they cannot compete with bigger businesses.

 

Short sighted politicians who apply knee-jerk and band-aid remedies lack long term thinking skills in order to resolve the issues our nation faces, allowing other nations to surpass America.  Political greed and incompetence is the usual cause of societal collapse and there is no shortage of it in our country at every level of government.  Congress, in particular, has a history of self destructive policies that at best, kick the can down the street.

 

Also, the percentage of working age Americans not participating in the labor force is up to 37.2 percent - a 36 year high.

 

A recent TV news report interviewed returning military veterans who expressed their disgust with our leaders essentially asking, “Why did we serve – only to come home to no jobs, and a lot of broken promises and failed leadership from fat cat politicians, most of whom never served a day in their life?”

 


WHAT RECOVERY?

 

On the other hand many find the employment picture grim.  The Fed recently announced it will no longer peg interest rate decisions to any particular unemployment number.  Previously their position had been when that rate fell to below 6.5%, that will trigger them to pursue a tighter monetary policy.

 

It has become obvious our official unemployment figure fails to paint an accurate picture of joblessness.  The Fed chairwoman, Janet Yellen said she “wouldn’t dream of raising the federal funds rate target” under current labor conditions unless inflation became a greater threat…even though it was announced today that inflation IS taking a bigger chunk from citizens.

 

Everyone knows that our actual rate of workforce participation is at its lowest rate since the late 1970s!

 

Further eroding trust in government numbers – the reported unemployment rate gets suppressed by the inclusion of hypothetical jobs in a government run charade known as the “birth-death model.” 

 

The potential for extreme social unrest is at dangerous levels, especially if the government ever stops with food stamps and other handouts for low income citizens.

 

·         Our economy operates with 1.7 million fewer jobs today than when the recession began in 2008

·         More than 20% of US households do not have a single person who is employed

·         The number of citizens who receive some kind of government benefit now exceeds the number of full time workers in the private sector by more than 60 million

·         Only one in four Americans has enough cash on hand for emergencies lasting six months of expenses in the event of a job loss or other emergency

 

In the last 14 years alone, tuition costs have more than doubled – The value of a degree is in doubt!

 

A Government Which has Failed its People – Will You Survive?

 

For more than 200 years we’ve been the land of opportunity but a breakdown in common sense and shortsighted policies among the political elite and the bureaucrats who support them has created a dangerous cocktail of economic barriers, a breakdown in the rule of law and poorly administered public schools has allowed our nation to fall behind.

 

Our survival depends on our ability to reinvent government to once again serve its people as opposed to special interests.  The immorality and financial follies of the political elite are undermining our country. 

 

Since 1999 I have urged folks to get ready, to learn new skills, to stockpile food, cash and goods for barter.  It never hurts to be a Boy Scout.  Develop your own network with like-minded people, small farmers and local canneries [Where I lived in AZ local LDS families operated their own cannery] and take advantage of the many training resources we’ve written about in this letter such as the Red Cross, community colleges, libraries, co-ops and others.  You can find plenty of resources at our main site [most are free] at: www.PoorManSurvival.com

 

Yours in freedom,

Bruce ‘the Poor Man’

 

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