What Cleveland needs (Washington, Union, Nevada: section 8, real estate market, hotel)

[CortlandGirl79]

Originally Posted by MsVFAB

We must be producing something, if US unemployment is currently at 5.7% (July 2008). That means 94.3% of Americans are producing something to get a paycheck...

Just so everyone knows, once somone's unemployment benefits run out they are no longer counted in the unemployment figure. I would venture to guess that the true rate is much much higher.

[MsVFAB]

Originally Posted by CortlandGirl79

Just so everyone knows, once somone's unemployment benefits run out they are no longer counted in the unemployment figure. I would venture to guess that the true rate is much much higher.

That is incorrect information.

Anyone looking for work in the 4 weeks prior to the monthly report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and who is jobless during the week the monthly report is prepared, is counted as unemployed.

People who are laid off, and waiting for recall, need not be looking for work to be counted in the unemployment figures.

http://www.bls.gov/dolfaq/bls_ques23.htm

[CortlandGirl79]

Originally Posted by MsVFAB

That is incorrect information.

Anyone looking for work in the 4 weeks prior to the monthly report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and who is jobless during the week the monthly report is prepared, is counted as unemployed.

People who are laid off, and waiting for recall, need not be looking for work to be counted in the unemployment figures.

How are the labor force components (i.e., civilian noninstitutional population, civilian labor force, employed, unemployed, and unemployment rate) defined?

Unemployed persons: All persons who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work, except for temporary illness, and had made specific efforts to find employment some time during the 4 week-period ending with the reference week. Persons who were waiting to be recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not have been looking for work to be classified as unemployed.

I believe the reference week is the first week someone is w/out employment. This means that once eligible they would collect unemployment benefits. In order to collect those benefits said person would have to "look for work".

Here is my point though..........if a person has run out of unemployment benefits and is not using the unemployment office to look for work the govt. is not going to know if they are looking.

At my previous job i was temporarily laid off several times, so i understand the "system".

Prove me this, when i took a buyout in 2007 i could not collect unemployment. I did not use the unemployment office to look for work. How does the govt. know if i was unemployed and looking for work or if i was going to school, etc???? They may know i took a buyout, but they don't know if I'm looking for work. Therefore, according to your quote above, i wouldn't have been counted in the unemployment rate.

Here's an article i found that shines a different light on things........How reliable is the unemployment rate? - Answer desk - MSNBC.com

It's much more complicated than either of us thought. This quote sort of explains the type of person I'm talking about,

"This survey also includes a category called "discouraged workers” for people who say they’ve given up looking for a job. This group is sometimes referred to as the “hidden unemployed” because they don’t show up in the official unemployment rate. And their numbers have been growing this year, even as job growth has picked up."

[Chef Boyardee]

Originally Posted by MsVFAB

We must be producing something, if US unemployment is currently at 5.7% (July 2008). That means 94.3% of Americans are producing something to get a paycheck...

Unemployment statistics are interesting. In Cleveland, for example, they are much higher than The National Average. Of course, that isn't surprising to anyone who lives here.

Perhaps you'd like to work in a factory. Sorry, those jobs are gone (remember, the exception doesn't prove the rule). How about Customer Service? Nope, those have moved to a strange and distant land. Well, how about professional work? That's an idea, healthcare is booming and funeral homes are poised to. Of course, they are picky. Naturally, that should rule out most people (I hope that isn't surprising). Well, how about construction! Not a bad idea, if you are physically fit and young (sorry, no charity cases in that field). Uh, well, how about McDonald's and Walmart!? O.k., they do have quotas to fill though and you can't expect them to pay very much, provide health care, retirement benefits or job security (that still is important). Oh!, I know, school teacher, cop and fireman! Those are "good" jobs! Yes, they are. Of course, they are tax payer supported jobs. Remember, most taxes are paid by The Middle Class and that class appears to be shrinking or as Lou Dobbs would say, "The Middle Class is Under Attack." On the other hand, Baby Boomers are retiring. So, there will be some "opportunities" (remember when being a civil servant was a lousy job?) for some kids. What about the rest? Sorry, but currently we are expanding The Lower Class and a little bit of The Upper Class, because we believe that The Ideology of Free Trade is more important than you and your petty middle class dreams. Still, you shouldn't think "we" don't "care" (I'm being sarcastic)

[The Cactus Leaguer]

OK, I've been holding my tongue for long enough.

Free trade is NOT what is ruining Ohio, or the country.

But regardless of what you believe, the title of this thread is "what Cleveland needs". As long as US trade policies are what they are (and I highly doubt that they will change dramatically in the near future... if it does, buy gold and other commodities because inflation will be rampant and the dollar worthless), you have to go with the hand you are dealt. Creating a protectionist, overregulated, overtaxed economy in Cleveland would be suicidal right now.

[Chef Boyardee]

Originally Posted by The Cactus Leaguer

OK, I've been holding my tongue for long enough.

Free trade is NOT what is ruining Ohio, or the country.

But regardless of what you believe, the title of this thread is "what Cleveland needs". As long as US trade policies are what they are (and I highly doubt that they will change dramatically in the near future... if it does, buy gold and other commodities because inflation will be rampant and the dollar worthless), you have to go with the hand you are dealt. Creating a protectionist, overregulated, overtaxed economy in Cleveland would be suicidal right now.

The value of a nations currency (that's what they call the money in your pocket) is, for the most part, determined by two things. First, does the nation support the currency? In other words, if I print up some "script" on my computer and pay some boy to cut my grass with it, he can't buy nothing with that paper, because I can't/won't make people take my script. So, you could say, I don't/won't/can't support "my currency." However, The United States of America does back up their "currency" (also called script, paper and coin), with the force of the most powerful nation on Earth, Praise God! That's the first part.

The second part is the percieved value of the currency. Imagine I issued script to people who worked for me and they took it because they knew I was worth more money than Rockefeller and everybody in town knew it. Furthermore, they (workers and townsfolk) trusted me. So, they would accept my script as payment. Now, lets say my business really took off and it looked like I was gonna become the richest man who had ever lived. Furthermore, it appeared that my reign would go on for a very long time. Well, that would ensure that people all over The World would take my script.
Heck, it might be enough just to show them my card and prove you were "on my team." Now my neighbor might issue script too, but he might have fallen on hard times. So, everybody who owns his script is crying the blues, because it only buys half as much as it used to. Of course, people who own my script can get people who own my neighbors script to sell them stuff and work for them cheaper, than they have to pay people like themselves. So, you could say, their script has "increased" (remember it is relative) in value.

Now, what made my neighbors script fall in value and why is mine so successful? Well, I built up my companies industries and services. We captured markets from others. We outsold them, out produced them, out qualitied them, out marketed and just plain "beat the tar" out of them, Praise God! Of course, we also had some restrictions on what our workers and "team members" could do. For example, if they bought something from someone else that we produced, we "punished" them. However, if they bought it from us, we rewarded them. Furthermore, I was very careful about who I let join my team and work for me. Generally, I promoted from within and hired my people's children for all my entry level work. Of course, people who refused to have children were "punished" and those who did were "rewarded." (remember, there are many other ways to reward and punish people, besides money) What did my unsuccessful neighbor do?

My neighbor used to be just like me and he was very successful. As a matter of fact, we were friends and found our competition, stimulating. However, one day my friend started hanging around with "radicals." They believed that people should be able to do whatever they want and that his restrictions were an unreasonable burden ("oppressive") to his people. At first he thought they were nuts, but over time they managed to convince a lot of people. So, he went along with their plans. I feel sorry for my former friend. I hope someday he repents, then we can be friends again and he and his people will prosper!

[aaronyoung777]

I don't live in Cleveland, but it seems like if you can get a mayor whos priority is attrackting jobs to the city, the other items could become a reality. You have to make your city appealing to companies, and this is done through lower taxes, less pointless regulation, more aid/tax brakes for newer local companies etc. Once the jobs start coming in, and people are able enabled build local companies the city will bounce back.

[aaronyoung777]

Don't know if Clevelanders would be interested, but taking a good look at the toll of having strong unions has on the economy would be helpful.

[CortlandGirl79]

Originally Posted by aaronyoung777

Don't know if Clevelanders would be interested, but taking a good look at the toll of having strong unions has on the economy would be helpful.

The statement "strong unions" is an oxymoron. Trust me, unions are no longer strong and union membership is declining. I think companies and people that have no experience w/unions have an unrealistic view of towns w/unions. Besides, i think most cities are looking to establish "white collar" jobs, which are rarely unionized, save nurses, teachers, etc. Clevelanders..........when was the last time you heard of a company in Northeast Ohio being unionized???? I haven't heard of anyone unionizing a company here in the Youngstown area in quite some time and this area is a supposed "union stronghold".

[Chef Boyardee]

Cleveland is a victim of Free Trade and De-segregation. If those things radically changed, then Cleveland would. Until then, Cleveland is going to shrink. So, I suppose, Cleveland needs to accept its' demise with grace and try to make the best of it. Which, is what a lot of people have been doing for a long time.