Did you know the government can't create jobs? Nearly two years ago on CNN, former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele said, "Not in the history of mankind has the government ever created jobs." And then, "Trust me."
When Steele said those words, he was widely panned. It was dismissed on the right as a gaffe and debunked on the left as grossly inaccurate.
It was laughable ... when Steele said it.
Cut to "Meet the Press" last Sunday. CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" host Erin Burnett said, "Government can't create jobs." It was left unchallenged by any of the other panelists and host David Gregory.
Karen Hughes, who worked in the Bush administration (her government j-o-b) added, "Well ... the president seems to have had a revelation that it's actually business that creates jobs."
Then to top it all off Democratic Congressman James Clyburn agreed. "No, we can't create jobs, and we shouldn't. We want them created in the private sector."
Over 16.5 percent of Americans are employed by the government, about 22 million of the 135 million payroll jobs. And they're not just pencil-pushing, useless cushy benefit collectors, but scientists. There are no private sector astronauts. None. Firefighters are government employees, as are police. "More cops on the streets" means more government trained and compensated people in your community. The district attorneys, judges and bailiffs draw an Uncle Sam signed paycheck. The government? Law and order.
The second largest employer in the country is the United States Postal Service. Try telling the lady raising her family by delivering your overdue notices that the government can't create jobs.
So the government does, in fact, create jobs. It also slashes them. Cities and states have been balancing their budgets by cutting back on everything. Most infamously Camden, New Jersey is eliminating half of their police force.
It seems government workers are the new illegal immigrants. They are the new group who are treated like parasites on the system; their jobs are illegitimate and disposable. Lawmakers gleefully talk about eliminating government employees' livelihoods. The rhetoric would have us believe those aren't even jobs.
It's not the banksters and hucksters on Wall Street who wrecked our economy. It's not a general revenue slowdown tied to a collapse after the Saturnalia of liar loans and real estate cheats. It's those comfortable public servants who are bleeding us dry!
Out of our $3.5 trillion annual budget we dole out around $1.5 trillions on "defense" spending. What is the military? Jobs. Careers too. Plus a retirement plan and socialized medicine. It's a jobs program the government created. It's also a big wasteful unaccountable sieve for tax dollars. If the GOP-controlled House is really looking to weed out pork (which they arguably are not) they would check out the bacon haven we call the Pentagon.
But, better to stick with the empty and symbolic than tackle the difficult.
• Tina Dupuy is an award-winning writer and fill-in host at The Young Turks. Tina can be reached at tinadupuy@yahoo.com.
