Posted on 01/18/2019 1:01:00 PM PST by SeekAndFind
During this partial government shutdown, it's become nearly impossible to avoid news articles, and segments on television and radio outlining the many ways that federal employees are apparently suffering financially as a result of the partial government shutdown.
The stories are very diverse in topic. Some take a "human interest story" angle, simply looking at how the daily lives of some of these employees have been affected. Others look at the apparent injustice of the fact that some workers are "being told to work without pay." Still other suggest that the lack of federal paychecks will drive down economic growth figures. The number of ways to cover the story is quite large, and editors and journalists are apparently looking to see how many different options they can explore.
In truth, of course, virtually no one is working "without pay" since Congress has already approved a plan to provide nearly all affected workers with back pay. Nor is is mentioned that, on average, federal workers earn 17 percent more than private sector workers of similar education levels. Also not mentioned is the fact that the unemployment rate is at a historically low level — and thus changing careers is easier now than usual.
None of this, of course, is emphasized in the many media stories on the topic. Indeed, the usual slant of the articles is that federal workers somehow suffer more greatly than private sector workers.
Just imagine, though, if the media took a similar interest in small business owners and the self-employed in general. Would we then hear about the struggles of how the local Subway franchisee struggles to make payroll in the face of government regulations and taxes? Would we hear about how the local courier company with 23 employees had to cut wages — and thus lose some of his best employees — because tariffs (i.e., taxes) on autos has driven up his costs? Would we hear about how a new increase in the minimum wage forced the local mom-and-pop hardware store to increase prices, thus driving down revenues?
Here are some of the news leads we might see see if this were the case:
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Small business owners have cut back hours and laid off workers as the result of new minimum wage requirements that went into effect last week. Lisa Cooper, a single mother of three who opened Bob's Bar and Grille six years ago noted she'll have to lay off some staff and raise prices on some menu items. "It will definitely take a cut out of our revenues," Cooper said. "It looks like I'll have to cancel music lessons for the kids this year."
or
SEATTLE, Wash. (AP) — Mandatory paid family leave mandates have left some local business owners scrambling for ways to cover employee absences. New mandates passed by the state legislature went into effect last month. Rob Hunnicut, the broker-owner of Oak Realty is unsure how his employees will react. "This is a burden that will fall on all my employees," Hunnicut said, after a staff meeting Thursday morning. "When some employees take paid family leave, that means everyone else in the office has to pitch in to do the same amount of work. Even worse, since we have to keep paying the employees on leave, we can't afford to bring in temp workers." Hunnicut noted he has often provided paid leave in the past when business was brisk. "But now things are different," Hunnicut said. "With these rigid mandates, everyone who's left in the office, including me, will just have to do with less, including those of us who already have small children at home."
You get the idea.
Other possibilities for stories might include:
This isn't to say that the media never covers these topics. But it is fairly safe to say that beyond publications intended specifically for business readers, ordinary media outlets have rarely showed much interest in examining the plight of small business owners in a way similar to how they've been covering the effect of the current shutdown on federal workers. Rarely does mainstream coverage emphasize the daily problems that small business owners face in providing payroll for workers (and themselves), meeting customer demands, and keeping the lights on.
Moreover, business owners face these sorts of problems daily — and every time a government hands down a new regulation tax or mandate — while federal employees rarely face the sorts of uncertainties over income that are common in the private sector.
The media is a wing of the Dem Party. They stand for BIG Government, not private enterprise.
Or Americans that were devastated during the Obama administration.
Noooo, they don’t report about that. Never wanted the truth about 94+ million American people out of work under Obama.
Once in awhile, you might find something that alluded to it.
How about all the companies that went bust and millions of employees who lost their jobs and or health insurance because of Obama’s anti-business, anti-industry, anti-capitalism policies?
Pat answer was, “Bush’s fault” and of course there’s SanFran Nan promoting ‘Funemployment’.
And for illegals as well.
When are we going to get it through our thick heads that the “mainstream” media is really, truly, actually the propaganda arm of the Communist Party USA and their dupes in the Democratic Party?
Circa 1982 I was making serious big bucks in the oilfields as a consultant. Then came the crash. The media had zero coverage of our hardship. They did not care, as we were oilfield hands and not government workers.
Sold my house, sold my airplane and went back to school again and became a pharmacist. I blamed no one for my temporary economic hardship. It was just the way things worked in the oilfield. When times were good they paid us exceptional good money. When times were bad they laid us off.
When I was in pharmacy school there were some other oilfield hands with degrees in science such as I. One was a pipeline welder. He had former degrees in science. He became a welder because it paid so damn much money, far more than he could have been paid as a biology teacher.
We did okay.
Getting SPAM this afternoon from a local restaurant chain offering free meals for furloughed Federal employees.
Gag me with a greasy spoon.
They literally can’t. Their constituency largely works for small businesses - and hates it.
“Getting SPAM this afternoon from a local restaurant chain offering free meals for furloughed Federal employees.”
I hope you contacted them saying you expect the same thing from them if you or a family member ever gets laid off.
.
I’ll be honest. I think it did start with W.
Katrina wasn’t his fault, of course. No reasonable person could think that (so...exclude Democrats).
But his nation building debt, IMHO, brought us 2007 and 2008.
And eventually, Barack Hussein Obama.
These days, W likes to hang around Obama, said nothing bad about him for 8 years, and attacks President Trump.
Jeb! really brought out the hatred towards Mr. Trump.
But yes, to the media and Democrats, Barack can do no wrong.
Good heavens they are delusional...liars.
yeah, they had NO sympathy when O put all those regulations on business after business. What a burden the regulations were and no liberal cared!
[the “mainstream” media is really, truly, actually the propaganda arm of the Communist Party USA and their dupes in the Democratic Party?]
Yes they are. We should never expect truth from them.
I don’t remember anything like this when Obama crashed the economy and the result...8 years of depression, I used all my unemployment taking jobs I should and shouldn’t have with terrible periods of government ‘support’ in between...just doing what I thought was right.
This thing today, makes me sick to my stomach.
These people , most of them are simply getting a nice paid vacation....barf.
“Getting SPAM this afternoon from a local restaurant chain offering free meals for furloughed Federal employees.”
I hope you contacted them saying you expect the same thing from them if you or a family member ever gets laid off.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
I was thinking the ‘chaos’ it would cause if ‘WE’ went around picking up ‘hungry people’ and taking them to where the ‘poor Govt workers’ were getting freebies.
The fun part is when the ‘hungry’ get turned out because they don’t have a Govt Employee ID....naturally will want plenty of pictures....
Also some Pols getting ‘face time’ being at soup kitchens helping feed the ‘govt employees’.
Why don’t the Senate and Congress open their own PRIVATE restaurants to the laid-off workers and just take the funds THEY are alloted and also maybe the Pres will give them ‘special dispensation’ to take some of the stashed campaign funds to help feed them.
Also, why aren’t the laid-off workers calling on THEIR UNIONS to help?
“The fun part is when the ‘hungry’ get turned out because they don’t have a Govt Employee ID....naturally will want plenty of pictures....”
That is a SUPERB idea-——and videos posted on YouTube.
.
They sure as heck wouldn’t be democrats then! Nothing hurts small business’ and the “little guy” more than leftist rules and regulations. They are stranglehold’s on getting ahead. Small business cannot afford to stay in the game because of it.
The hand wringing about if they can collect unemployment benefits, how they’re going broke, and all the woes about not getting paid.....
Anyone else in American would just have to find another job.
Why can’t they?
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