I’m From the Government and I’m Here to Help You.

by David Trumbull

October 16, 2009

The U.S. Department of Labor, on October 6th, announced a $553,237 grant to assist about 100 textile workers in the state of Maine affected by layoffs at WestPoint Home in Biddeford.

Here's how it works. Congresses passes laws to promote more imports of goods and the destruction of American jobs and then appropriates money for Trade Adjustment Assistance to train the unemployed for new jobs. But of course, those new jobs don't exist. With results that have been quite consistent—after five years the vast majority of the laid-off workers have not been able to find employment at anything near their former level. The former WestPoint workers were getting $15 to $17 per hour. A lucky few will get $7 an hour service jobs. But senators and congressmen don't care—each senator and congressman cares only about one job, his own.

And when those unemployed Americans lose their health care or their homes due to congressional action, the senators and congressmen see that as just another opportunity to "help" and justify their re-election. Our congress—once one of mankind's best examples of representative democracy—is now merely a racket that creates problems so it can come to the rescue with solutions that create new problems.

The people shouting down congressmen at the "Town Halls" on health care are rude. But at least they are finally paying attention to how the Washington power elite abuses the citizens. I hope we have some good candidates in 2010 so we can throw the bums out. That is if we can find out who the good candidates are. With Mr. Obama in the White House and Democrats in Congress there is talk of imposing a “fairness” doctrine on radio in order to silence anyone who does not stick to the government’s propaganda line. Campaign finance “reform” continues to be a favorite tool of the incumbents to prohibit any print, radio, or television reporting or advertising that may help a challenger to get past the tremendous advantages that incumbents enjoy. Be thankful that we have the internet to get uncensored news, one cable television network that is not a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Democratic Party, and local newspapers, such as this one, which for 113 years has operated free of government or other outside control as the Italian-American Voice of Massachusetts.

[David Trumbull is the chairman of the Boston Ward Three Republican Committee. Boston's Ward Three includes the North End, West End, part of Beacon Hill, downtown, waterfront, Chinatown, and part of the South End.]

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