[Ludi]

"GOP, U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Beat Back Bill To Combat Outsourcing

Senate Republicans beat back an effort by Democrats Tuesday to end tax breaks for companies who send jobs offshore only to import products back into the United States. The House has passed a series of similar legislation over the past several weeks, as Democrats work to portray Republicans as in the pocket of Big Business at the expense of workers, the economy, the trade deficit and the budget deficit. That message was muddied, however, by the defection of four Democrats and Independent Democrat Joe Lieberman, who voted against the motion to end a filibuster....

The bill included a payroll tax holiday for companies that bring jobs back from overseas, ended tax breaks for plants that shut down to go elsewhere, and blocked companies from deferring their tax bill year to year by keeping money out of the U.S."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/2 ... 41970.html

So what is the GOP going to do to bring jobs back to the US?

[crude_intentions]

So what is the GOP going to do to bring jobs back to the US?

The same thing the democrats are doing: nothing. Those jobs aren't coming back until it becomes profitable to hirer americans to do them.

[Sixstrings]

Good post, Ludi. Yup, it's all a big sham.. they put up an anti-offshoring bill like this with no intention of ever passing, just gives some vulnerable members a chance to say they voted for it.

I saw a bit of some recent hearings on TV.. it was all about "Americans won't do these jobs." Uh-huh. Well maybe not for minimum wage or even $10 an hour, but a market can work by forcing wages up until people DO want to do those jobs. If it takes $15 an hour with generous breaks out of the hot sun, then so be it. Wouldn't even add much to the cost of lettuce.

And by the way, I think the biggest reason Americans won't "do these jobs" is because there's a stigma that it's "mexicans'" work. An English-speaking American would feel wholly out of place if plopped down in the middle of a 100% Latino Spanish-speaking dominated line of work.

[Ludi]

it was all about "Americans won't do these jobs."

People said Americans won't make shoes, but there is a very successful shoe factory in San Antonio, Texas (San Antonio Shoes). I buy their shoes, they are good shoes. I don't buy non-US-made shoes. It's likely their profits are slightly lower than those of companies which have factories overseas, and possibly their CEO only earns 30 times what the workers earn, instead of 300 times.

[Livewire713]

I saw a bit of some recent hearings on TV.. it was all about "Americans won't do these jobs." Uh-huh. Well maybe not for minimum wage or even $10 an hour, but a market can work by forcing wages up until people DO want to do those jobs. If it takes $15 an hour with generous breaks out of the hot sun, then so be it. Wouldn't even add much to the cost of lettuce.

And by the way, I think the biggest reason Americans won't "do these jobs" is because there's a stigma that it's "mexicans'" work. An English-speaking American would feel wholly out of place if plopped down in the middle of a 100% Latino Spanish-speaking dominated line of work.

I believe they are talking about manufacturing jobs in the article posted above. It's manufacturing jobs that were the bread and butter of the middle class. So now the unemployed are supposed to go pick vegtables. Even if they did pay $15 a hr isn't that a seasonal job in most places? It is here in Illinois. I did farm work when I was a teenager and it was hard work. Not to mention it was the middle of summer and out in the sun all day. I don't see to many 40 and 50 year olds out picking vegtibles or detasseling corn and then what do you do in the winter time?

[Ludi]

Corporations are not shipping lettuce-picking jobs overseas, they are shipping manufacturing jobs overseas.

Lettuce-picking is an immigration/migrant worker issue.

[Sixstrings]

I did farm work when I was a teenager and it was hard work. Not to mention it was the middle of summer and out in the sun all day. I don't see to many 40 and 50 year olds out picking vegtibles or detasseling corn and then what do you do in the winter time?

If allowed to work, a domestic free market naturally solves supposed labor shortages. It only breaks down when there's REAL labor shortage, which isn't the case with our millions of unemployed.

You may think it's impossible for vegetables to get picked without Mexicans, but I say if immigration were clamped down and protectionist tariffs enacted, the market would do its thing and wages / working conditions / benefits would rise until they attract labor to do these jobs.

Try paying CEOs minimum wage, you'd find only Mexicans signing up for that too. And then everyone would say "Americans just won't do these CEO jobs."

[gollum]

Corporations are not shipping lettuce-picking jobs overseas, they are shipping manufacturing jobs overseas.

Lettuce-picking is an immigration/migrant worker issue.

I'm in the medical field, there are now a LOT of nurses from Asia coming over on 401b visas, these people are definitely not picking lettuce they are taking jobs and driving down wages.

[Ludi]

401b visas, these people are definitely not picking lettuce they are taking jobs and driving down wages.

There's no need for those visas but corporations lobby for them claiming there aren't enough qualified Americans to fill the positions, which is of course complete claptrap.

But again, this is an immigration issue and not an issue about shipping jobs overseas, so not really relevant to this particular thread.

[dissident]

America desperately needs a third major party. The current two party regime is not representing the voters. Unfortunately the grass roots movements get co-opted like the tea party which is quickly becoming another Republican branch. Ross Perot had something going in the early 1990s but he was first threatened and then smeared out of contention.

The yapping about "throwing away your vote" for third parties is nothing more than propaganda chatter to keep the sheep in the pen. It does not make a difference, especially to the rest of the world, whether you have Bush or Obama.

[Ludi]

It does not make a difference, especially to the rest of the world, whether you have Bush or Obama.

Yeah, it does, actually.

Yap! Yap!

<<<< propagandist who votes for third party candidates in most elections

Obama remains very popular overseas, though not his administration's policies. His supporters and former supporters wish he were more progressive. There's no progressive third party even slightly in position to gain power. If there were progressives out there promoting a progressive or truly populist third party it might take off, but there is no such thing. So what is a progressive voter to do? Stay home and let the Republicans take power? That seems like a more sheep-like position.

[Outcast_Searcher]

I saw a bit of some recent hearings on TV.. it was all about "Americans won't do these jobs." Uh-huh. Well maybe not for minimum wage or even $10 an hour, but a market can work by forcing wages up until people DO want to do those jobs. If it takes $15 an hour with generous breaks out of the hot sun, then so be it. Wouldn't even add much to the cost of lettuce.

As others have pointed out, the jobs being offshored are primarily manufacturing jobs, although I have seen lots of stories about skilled service jobs like medical techs and accounting getting offshored too.

Protectionism, including artifically raising wages is one way to do it. However, do you realize that you then artificially lower the standard of living for everyone by doing that? Likely by a lot? (Which greatly diminishes the positive effect on the people you're trying to help). Protectionism has a high cost. Tax and labor differentials are the major reasons companies are incentivised to move jobs overseas.

On the other hand, giving tax breaks to corporations to give them an INCENTIVE to ship jobs overseas seems insane to me. How do these clowns (on the left AND the right) think they are going to fund their massive spending programs as they hollow out the tax base?

edit - fixed typo

[Cloud9]

People are still in a disconnect with the true picture of the labor market. During a deflationary cycle, wages go down. Florida is one of the leading states in loss of income. Still, my local teacher’s union has found a little money in the county government and is clamoring for a raise. It is nuts. I told the union leadership this is political suicide. They just blow me off with the retort that the county has plenty of money. None of them, not a single one of them wants to make the connection between the foreclosure signs popping up everywhere and declining tax roles.

[Roy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkgx1C_S6ls&feature=player_embedded

Ross Perot calling it correctly in 1992. I watched this debate live. I voted for Perot. I lost my first job as in Industrial Engineer, in 1994, as a result of the factory closing and moving to Mexico, putting roughly 500 Americans who worked there out of work.

As I watch it again, I can't help but notice people laughing at him. Reminds me of Ron Paul in the 2008 debates. Truth tellers are ridiculed by both parties.

Sad and fills me with un-hope.

[Sixstrings]

People are still in a disconnect with the true picture of the labor market. During a deflationary cycle, wages go down.

Except on Wall Street. Rather than suffer any loss of profits, wages, and bonuses, they get bailed out. And end up profiting even more from the bailouts.

A deflationary bust is a great reset, the massive transference of wealth from almost everyone to a very small elite.

[Ludi]

A deflationary bust is a great reset, the massive transference of wealth from almost everyone to a very small elite.

The thing that astonishes me is how many people think it's just fine that CEOs in the US make 300 times what their employees make,that wealth disparity in the US is increasing, and that corporations are being granted more rights than individuals.