Friday, April 5, 2013

Friday, April 5, 2013

Another Jobs Disaster 

The Labor Department released a bombshell jobs report this morning. The Obama economy created only 88,000 jobs last month -- well short of the 200,000 new jobs expected by most economists. 

Miraculously, the unemployment rate fell yet again to 7.6%. I'm sure faithful readers of this daily report already know the explanation. The labor force participation rate fell to a 35-year low because663,000 people dropped out of the labor force last month. 

Administration apologists argue that the large number of people leaving the workforce is the result of retiring baby boomers. That is true to a point. But there are countless baby boomers who are not retiring because they can't afford to do so. They have not yet dug out from the financial morass of the last five years and must continue working whether they want to or not. 

At the same time, the number of Americans collecting disability hit another record last month. Just 16 years ago, the ratio of full-time workers to those collecting disability was 24:1. Today it is 13:1. 

What that means is that there are fewer workers and taxpayers supporting a growing percentage of Americans who are either retired or not working. Don't misunderstand me -- I know there are many good folks who genuinely depend on disability payments. But why would disability skyrocket in the Obama years? The numbers speak for themselves. America is on an unsustainable path under current policies. 

Don't Blame Sequester Cuts 

The spinners in the White House and the media are suggesting that the slowdown in growth is due to the sequestration cuts, which began in March. That is absurd. The budget cuts that have gone into effect to date are minuscule compared to our massive economy. Moreover, the retail sector lost 24,000 jobs last month while the government lost only 7,000 jobs. 

But there are other "big movers" in the economy that took effect months ago, namely the tax hikes that went into effect on January 1st. The Social Security payroll tax affected everybody. In addition, there are higher rates on capital gains and higher marginal tax rates. Conservatives have argued for years that such tax increases result in lower economic growth. 

And then there is the 800-pound gorilla everyone is trying to ignore -- Obamacare. Every day its effects multiply, as we have often reported here. Small businesses are not hiring. It is reducing hours, forcing many full-time workers to become part-time workers. It is delaying investment. 

This should not be new news to anyone. Conservatives warned three years ago this would be the result. Even some in the media have been forced to concede the obvious. Just before the year began,USA Today ran a story headlined, "Health Care Law May Mean Less Hiring In 2013." And Obamacare will continue to become a heavier and heavier burden on the economy as more and more of its mandates, regulations and taxes kick in. It must be repealed! 

ACLU Sounds Alarm Against Gun Control Bill 

You know Obama is having a tough time when even the ACLU bails out on his left-wing agenda. To the surprise of many, the ACLU now believes that the Obama/Reid/Pelosi gun legislation is threatening the Second Amendment.

According to the Daily Caller, the ultra-left ACLU considers itself among those with "serious concerns" about universal background checks. 

It's a focus-group tested phrase that might seem innocent enough. But as many on the right have warned, even the ACLU agrees that universal background checks have the potential to lead to the creation of massive new government databases. Such databases could easily become a national registry list, potentially enabling government confiscation of firearms. 

"[U]nfortunately, we have seen in the past that the creation of these types of records leads sometimes to the creation of government databases and collections of personal information on all of us," explained Chris Calabrese, an ACLU privacy lobbyist. "As we've seen with many large government databases, if you build it, they will come." 

Priebus & Blackburn Rebuke Planned Parenthood 

I've been pretty harsh on the GOP leadership lately and will continue to call out their fecklessness on normal marriage. But I also want to give credit when it is due. 

This week RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) publicly blasted Planned Parenthood after its Florida lobbyist defended infanticide. 

In a column posted at RedState, Priebus noted, "Liberals often attack conservative lawmakers for casting a wary eye toward federal and state funding for Planned Parenthood. They can't seem to comprehend why anyone would oppose giving taxpayer dollars to the abortion provider. Maybe now they can understand."

That's where Rep. Blackburn comes in. Not only is she demanding answers from Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, but she is also sponsoring legislation to cut off taxpayer funding to organizations that perform abortions.

More politicians on both sides of the aisle should have joined them in sending out press releases and op-eds, but I applaud Chairman Priebus and Rep. Blackburn for the having the courage to speak out in defense of life.