"Government does not create jobs."

The title of today’s posting is bookmarked with quotation marks because someone said it last week in front of all the mayors of the country who had gathered in the national capital. It was not TheFundamentals and, no, it was not the head of the US Chamber of Commerce. It was not even our hero, Steve Wynn. It was someone very close to BHObama. Very close indeed. His mentor. His boss. His hero. The one and only….

….Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago.

Now why is this obvious statement (read it all at: http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/01/in-dc-daley-makes-plea-for-unusual-jobs-bill.html ) by a man who has turned his city and the city’s public assets over to every union demand – both private and public, worthy of an essay? This mayor has caved to every union claim for self aggrandizement and has even reverted to the sale of public assets to meet their greed. Why would Daley make this statement in close proximity to the white house and contradict his young ‘un at this time?  The young 'un keeps saying government is going to create jobs.

Could Daley be in big trouble? Could his city be in big trouble?

There are no jobs for the urban youth in Chicago. His school system is and has been a disaster. The former head of this system is now running the nations unneeded department of education. His plan to fix everything? Guess? More money. Back in Chicago, the big conventions and conferences and meetings that used to love to come to Chicago so the spouses could wander the Magnificent Mile while the men downed big fat juicy steaks and large martinis at some of the best big juicy steak and martini restaurants in the world are now going to places like Orlando and Las Vegas. Why? Costs in Chicago imposed by outlandish union rules and wage rates and spectacular benefit/pension programs.

So, Daley goes to Washington, the nation’s capital, and says give business a tax break. Tax breaks for business will create jobs.

There is no greater canary in the coal mine than a bloated mayor from a bloated union town screeching for fresh air in the form of tax breaks for employers so he can get some jobs for his constituents. Something is big-time wrong in some cities and states of this land. Chicago is a union town. Illinois is a union state. In 2009, union workers were 17.5% of all workers compared with 12.3% nationwide. Illinois has had union membership above the nationwide numbers for all 20 years that the statistics have been provided. It’s even worse (or better if you are a union organizer) in Michigan. There, 18.8% of all workers belong to a union. In Ohio, its 14.2%. California 17.2%. New York leads all states – 25.2%. Remember, the nationwide union membership percent is 12.3%. Source: http://www.bls.gov/ . All these states have very high unemployment rates.

If you were to ask the employers in these states what would help them increase their employment, what do you think they would say? More government? More government spending plans and jobs plans and stimulus payments? Would they ask for tax breaks? Would they ask for more unions? Would they ask for lower unemployment insurance rates and workmen’s compensation costs? Would they ask for the simple ability to hire and fire without fear of litigation and union harassment? Would they ask to be able to run their businesses without constant interference from state and local and national bureaucracies and their endless fees and costs and rules and threats?

Mr. Daley, there is a lot more to the evaporation of employers in your town and state than a few tax breaks will solve. Why not go home and start using your local power to make a more favorable climate for employers in your town and your state? Not sure what to do? Here are the union membership percentages for some states you could learn from: Tennessee and Texas – 5.1%; North Carolina - 3.1%; South Carolina - 4.5%. Too far to travel you say, then how about Kentucky – 8.6% or Kansas – 6.2%.

Or, is it just a lot easier to whine and complain and go running to Washington DC?