Posted on 05/12/2012 7:59:16 AM PDT by CHRISTIAN DIARIST
I’m a Republican. I’m also a compassionate conservative.
That’s why I’m troubled by remarks this week by Maine Gov. Paul LePage suggesting that the unemployed are jobless by choice.
“To all you able-bodied people out there,” he said, during a speech at his state party convention, “Get off the couch, and get yourself a job.”
Well, I understand that the cost of providing unemployment benefits to Maine’s 51,000 jobless is taxing the state’s treasury.
But, I simply don’t believe that most of those out of work in the Pine Tree State– including the able-bodied of whom LePage spoke – prefer government welfare to a full-time job.
LePage is no compassionate conservative. If he were, he would sympathize with the out-of-work. And he would hold the party of Obama accountable for the nation’s jobless recovery.
Indeed, in 2009, Democrats enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the massive $825 billion economic stimulus package that was supposed to create millions of jobs and keep the nation’s unemployment rate below 8 percent.
Three years later, the stimulus has proven a complete failure. The unemployment rate has topped 8 percent a record 38 straight months (and counting). And there are today 740,000 fewer jobs in post-recession America than when Obama moved into the White House.
A close look at the U.S. Labor Department’s April jobs report reveals a labor market that remains in the worst shape since the Great Depression.
Some 12.5 million Americans were officially counted as unemployed. Of those, some 5.1 million were categorized as “long-term unemployed,” meaning they were out of work a half-year or more.
Another 7.9 million Americans were underemployed. They held part-time jobs because they couldn’t find full-time positions.
Then there were 2.4 million persons identified as “marginally attached to the labor force.” They wanted and were available for work, had looked for a job sometime in the previous 12 months, but had not searched for work in the four weeks prior to the jobs survey.
Nearly 1 million of the marginally attached were considered “discouraged workers,” having given up hope of finding work.
When you add the officially unemployed to the underemployed and the marginally attached, you come up with 22.8 million Americans lacking gainful employment.
It is a statistical portrait of pain, hardship and loss. It should move people of faith to compassion for those seeking work. Not to contempt.
That’s why Gov. LePage’s remarks have done damage to the GOP. It makes it appear that those of us who are Republicans lack sympathy for those who are unemployed through no fault of their own; who are victims of the jobless recovery.
Actually I agree with you that the governor’s comments were foolish bluster but not because of sympathy.
My issue is that guys like him tell others to do something while they themselves are the ones with the power to stand up to the feds and their job killing policies but they don’t.
If governors actually got off their butts and actually blocked federal policies that kill jobs, there might not be so many unemployed in the first place.
Some people are unemployed by choice. Some are unemployed by the economy. Some have worked for years at a desk job and lost that job, and are no longer physically suited for physical labor. They are far from disabled, but taking a job as a ditch digger is just not possible anymore. Attempting to turn “the Unemployed” into a monolithic group with one motive and one problem is foolish.
Yeah, let’s have a nanny state. Forget about self reliance, and rugged individualism. Our “poor” have cars, cell phones, air conditioning, food, in some cases, they get more money from the government than a hard working person. I’m tired of this.
“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
Christians are not saved by works, but they do show their faith by their works (James 2:18, 26).
There are lazy minds as well as lazy bodies - Richard Saunders (aka Ben Franklin
That is wrong like how?
Your title is really misleading.
You lump all republicans together for what one Gov said
and even further you lumped all unemployed with the ‘ able bodied” the Gov referenced.
Are there jobs available in your state ? maybe jobs involving manual labor or less desireable jobs?
Why shouldn’t he want able bodied people to work?
When they work they relieve strain on busineses that are paying part of their unemployment
and that could free up those businesses to hire more people
so pay attention to what was really said and to the person who actually said it.
Nothing unChristian about wanting able bodied people to work
I agree. If he hates unemployment, he should kick the EPA and NLRB out of his state and open it up for manufacturing without burdensome regulations.
“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
Christians are not saved by works, but they do show their faith by their works (James 2:18, 26).
There are lazy minds as well as lazy bodies - Richard Saunders (aka Ben Franklin
That is wrong like how?
Well, you certainly have on your judgmental britches today. Putting aside the Governor’s professed faith for a second - because I think God can figure out his sincerity or lack of it without my help - I would like to dig into the psychosis of being a “compassionate conservative.”
By saying that, you are judging all “normal conservatives” as “compassionless conservatives” which frankly is both morally and intellectually insulting. True conservatism IS compassionate by its very nature - including some “tough love” parts to it.
Thus, I cannot get past your “compassionate conservative” label, which is usually another name for “liberal.” Or, put another way, compassionate conservatism = dispassionate capitulism.” Think about it.
As for the "able-bodied unemployed," they are going on disability at a rate of about a million a year, correlating closely with the end of 99 weeks of benefits, which is why the "Unemployment" rate and number of jobs are both going down at the same time--quite an amazing achievement.
Politically indelicate, but I know tons of people who avoided taking a job until their unemployment ran out. Hear it all the time.
Worth a repeat!!
What part of the descriptive adjective “able bodied” did you not understand?
This is a pretty liberal tactic, bending the language to confuse a real issue. Lets also look at illegal alien = undocumented immigrant, women’s health = free contraception.
If you don’t want to adhere to honest language usage, post elsewhere.
Gov. LePage’s remarks aired repeatedly on the national news. While he is but one Republican, he reinforced the widespread view that Republicans, as a whole, lack compassion.
As to the 22.8 million Americans who are unemployed are underemployed, the vast majority are no doubt able-bodied. Are you suggesting there are 22.8 million readily-available full-time permanent jobs for them all?
Welcome, Newbie/blogger. Was it your intention to join FR in March so you could get hits on your blog? In any event, you take a statement and apply it to Republicans in general. Furthermore, it would be more evenhanded to criticize the Democrats as well, as they haven’t lifted a finger (outside of the worthless stimulus) to help the unemployed. They even prefer to raise taxes during a recession, laden businesses and individuals with thousands of new environmental mandates, and work against a strong national energy policy that would make use of our vast oil resources.
Finally, if someone came to me and bemoaned insufficient aid from the government, I’d tell them the same thing. Government isn’t here to support them. It’s our responsibility to support ourselves and our family. Got it?
Now, if you still have a problem with that, come back on me. You’ll find out just how warm a welcome to FR I can dish out.
Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself
“Social Justice” begins as a 1:1 awareness of
Others Needs/Concerns/Aspirations
Using Government to do this however is
counterproductive, inefficient, and siphons resources from individuals
who can better do acts of Charity at a local level
Acts of Caesar (Government)
Compel, Punish, Take, and Kill
This is what Government does.
A Christian Governor might organize the State so that
Individuals can be efficient in Acts of Love
But otherwise get out of the way.
A family friend was laid off 3 years ago at age 62, health problems(bad knees). Guy worked hard all his life as a service writer at a large dealership that closed down. No one will hire him.
Can get a p/t job but they all require physical movement such at Lowes or Wal Mart which he cannot do.
BSCO, I think we have a “new labels” troll amongst us. Or, a religious lefty.
Amazing how that pesky "human nature" kicks in, ain't it?
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