So what do we do about it?
A huge portion of the unemployed are young people, whose labor value does not exceed minimum wage. Republicans should propose either lowering the minimum wage significantly, or allowing employee-employer to sign a waiver.
Young people would benefit from the initial job training that even burger-flipper jobs provide. How to show up. How to show up on time. How to show up on time dressed propertly. How to follow business protocols. How to cooperate with others. How to achieve goals. How to run a business. Plumbers would hire apprentices and train them. Construction people would train carpenters, roofers, electricians.
Perhaps the saddest of the sad unintended consequences of raising minimum wage is the loss of the willingness on the part of business to train workers, thereby increasing the value of their labor over time. This is why each minimum wage bill includes more and more tax money for worker training, which the private sector would do far better, and for free, in the absence of a minimum.
This is an issue that I hope the tea parties, since they're probably wondering what to do next, will take up. The tea parties should take it one issue at a time, and be willing to march to get a discussion going on this issue. The time is right. It is now a winning issue.
Outstanding! Too many skilled people go to the grave without an opportunity to pass their skills on to others...a great way to cut back on educational expenses. There ARE solutions out there...and they don't involve standing outside an unemployment office collecting petition signatures to extend UI benefits...