Gary Bauer
Campaign for Working Families
Leading into the election, the Obama campaign assured us that the economy was on the mend. Unemployment had dropped a little, and there were other signs that another recession may be averted.
But now with the election over there are plenty of counter indicators to that claim. A new report from the Labor Department shows 350,000 people left the labor force in November – nearly three times the number of people who got jobs. Economists are scratching their heads. What’s going on?
Here's a shocking statistic: one million people were added to the food stamp rolls in August and September alone. In September, more than 607,000 people became eligible for food stamps.
Could there be a cause and effect relationship here? According to the Heritage Foundation, recent research indicates that government expansion of transfer payments, including food stamps, plays a role in discouraging potential workers from returning to the labor force.
There are signs of an economic recovery, to be sure. Housing is looking better, as are the oil and gas industries, no thanks to the administration’s policies. But it appears that under Obama we really are creating two Americas. In one America, investors, entrepreneurs and workers are doing their best to overcome government regulations to put food on the table and create jobs. In the other America people are relying more and more on government programs.
But now with the election over there are plenty of counter indicators to that claim. A new report from the Labor Department shows 350,000 people left the labor force in November – nearly three times the number of people who got jobs. Economists are scratching their heads. What’s going on?
Here's a shocking statistic: one million people were added to the food stamp rolls in August and September alone. In September, more than 607,000 people became eligible for food stamps.
Could there be a cause and effect relationship here? According to the Heritage Foundation, recent research indicates that government expansion of transfer payments, including food stamps, plays a role in discouraging potential workers from returning to the labor force.
There are signs of an economic recovery, to be sure. Housing is looking better, as are the oil and gas industries, no thanks to the administration’s policies. But it appears that under Obama we really are creating two Americas. In one America, investors, entrepreneurs and workers are doing their best to overcome government regulations to put food on the table and create jobs. In the other America people are relying more and more on government programs.
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