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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 2011)
Lack of demand, not over regulation, caused jobs crunch, says Treasury official By ADELE STAN Businesses are not creating jobs for one simple reason, says Jan Eberly, as- sistant treasury secretary for economic policy at the U.S. Department of Treas- ury: lack of demand for the products those businesses make or sell. One of the lingering effects of the 2007 housing crash and the ensuing 2008 stock market crash is a lack of spending among those who are holding on to decent jobs, and the obvious lack of available disposible income among those who have found themselves either unemployed or underemployed. Ken Lansing, an economist at the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, found in July that since the recession be- gan in 2007, Americans spent $7,356 less per person (in inflation-adjusted dollars). Yet right-wing politicans continue to blame the jobs crisis on either existing government regulation of businesses or on proposed regulations in such areas as greenhouse gas emissions. But data pre- sented by Eberly Oct. 25 demonstrates that the assertions of the anti-regulation crowd are patently false. She writes: “If regulatory uncertainty was a major im- pediment to hiring right now, we would expect to see indications of this in one or more of the following: business prof- its; trends in the workforce, capacity uti- lization, and business investment; differ- ences between industries undergoing significant regulatory changes and those that are not; differences between the United States and other countries that are not undergoing the same changes; or surveys of business owners and econo- mists ... none of these data support the claim that regulatory uncertainty is hold- ing back hiring.” Among owners of small businesses, more than twice as many cite lack of sales as the major reason they’re not hir- ing (29.6 percent) than those who say government regulation is the sticking point (13.9 percent), according to a re- port by the National Federation of Inde- pendent Business, which Eberly cites. In addition, Eberly writes: “[I]n a re- cent Wall Street Journal survey of econ- omists, 65 percent of respondents con- cluded that a lack of demand, not government policy, was the main im- pediment to increased hiring.” Read the entire article at the U.S. De- partment of Treasury website: www.treasury.gov/Pages/default.aspx. (Editor’s Note: Adele Stan is the Washington bureau chief for AlterNet. This article appeared on the AFL- CIONOW news blog.) UNITE HERE Local 8 calls for boycott of Seattle Hilton SEATTLE — UNITE HERE Local 8 has called for a boycott of the Seattle Hilton at 6th Avenue and University Street. The approximately 100 union- ized workers are fighting not only for a fair contract; they are standing up to demand a successorship agreement that would protect their jobs and their union if the hotel is sold. The hotel’s owner, R.C. Hedreen, put the hotel on the mar- ket over the summer and has repeatedly rejected demands to protect workers’ jobs in the event of a sale. “We could be fired any day when the hotel is sold, and replaced with minimum-wage workers,” says Chuck Cruise, a second-generation bellman at the Seattle Hilton with over 20 years experience. “They have the power to save our jobs as a condition of sale, all we’re asking is that they use that power to take care of their workers. We’ve given them years of loyal service.” The union said even in this tough economy, hotels continue to remain profitable through a combination of layoffs, decreased work schedules, and increased workloads for staff. Accord- ing to the industry’s own projections, hotels will be returning to record profits by 2012. UNITE HERE Local 8’s members say they simply want their fair share of the recovery. Local 8 says the boycott will be in effect until the hotel agrees to protect workers’ jobs if the hotel is sold. The EE R F BARGAIN COUNTER Free classified ads to subscribers DEADLINE: Friday prior to publication Published 1st and 3rd Fridays Now accepting e-mails Send to: Michael492@comcast.net Mail to: NWLP, PO Box 13150, Portland OR 97213 (Please include union affiliation) • 15-20 words • No commercial or business ads • 1 ad per issue • All lower case (NO CAPITAL LETTERS, PLEASE) • A UTOMOTIVE ’76 NOVA 2dr Cabriolet, 6cyl, AT, PS, AC, 101,000, new trans, DEQ'd, nice driver, $2,800, 503-956-3655 ’98 HONDA CIVIC, 4dr, auto, sunroof, 123,000 miles, $4,000/obo. 971-219-3519 ‘72 DODGE 440 eng complete, 30k on re- built steel crank, Holley 4 brl carb. $750 OBO 503-477-1946 (Art) 4 STUDDED SNOW tires on 16” Chrysler rims, used 2 seasons, $125 each/all 4 $400. 503-760-7803 (after 4 p.m.) TIRES, (2) 225 60-16 studded tires, $100; (1) 215 65-15, $20; and (1) 205 75-15, $20. 503 281-1580 or 503 473-4706 H OUSING ROCKAWAY ocean front 503-777-5076 http://home.comcast.net/~rockaway.beach 5 bdrm, 2 bath, call for fisherman’s special LINCOLN CITY vacation rental, 3 bdrms, 2 bath, $100/night, slps 8, wi-fi, 2 blocks to beach, 4 blocks to casino. 503-804-7976 ROCKAWAY BEACH rental, 3 bed, 2 bath, sleeps 10, Jacuzzi, 5 min to beach/shops. Vacationhomerentals.com/43026. 200 OR MORE acres, $750 per acre, will carry contract, Spray, Oregon. 541-468- 2961 M ISCELLANEOUS WEATHER WiZARD III, weather station by Davis, $125. 503-669-5324 ONAN 10 KW gasoline powered genera- tor, pad mount, low hours. $2,000/obo. 503-723-3734 PORTA-CABLE GENERATOR, 6500 wt, model H650cs, 13 hp Honda motor, like new, only 38 hrs, $1,200. 541-510-6099 CHILDS WHITE wicker rocking chair, $25; 3 suitcases, small, med, large; make offer. 503-774-7891 TOOL BOX for standard size pickup bed, like new, $100. 503-666-7383 STABLIZER JACK assembly for R/V trailer or 5th-wheel, adjustable, $40. 503-761- 0003 DEEP THROAT, heavy duty band saw w/case, like new, $265. 503-643-6897 ENGINE CYL HONE, Craftsman 3-4” dia cap, $25; 6-ton hydro jack, Wilmar, $20. 503-753-1714 RADIAL ARM saw, 10” w/stand, like new, $300 cash. 503-256-2416 5000 WATT DEVILLBISS generator, new, never used, $650; gas welding outfit, com- plete, $125. 503-222-7419 S PORTING G OODS MINI 14,FN-FAL, Rem, 7mm, 22cal bolt action, Ruger 9mm, priced to sell, others available. 503-657-1206 IMPEX LEISURE 4000, $50/obo. 503 652-8590 KIMBER MODEL 82-C .22 high grade wood, 1 of 600 with extras, $950 or trade for Kimber .45. 503-894-2126 F OR T HE H OME FROST-FREE FRIGIDAIRE refrigerator, 21 cu ft; glass shelves; beige; 1995; clean, excellent cond, $150 cash. 503-543-2847. 4 POSTER OAK headboard, footboard, side rail, queen, $100; chandelier, antique gold, $45. 503-669-5324 W ANTED OLD WOODWORKING tools, planes, lev- els, chisels, handsaws, slicks, adzes, wrenches, folding rulers, leather tools, tool chests. 503-659-0009 MOTORCYCLES, quads, scooters, riding lawnmowers, boats, trailers, tractors, cash paid, will pick up. 503-880-8183 COLLECTOR PAYS cash for older toys, older oil paintings and older American art pottery. 503 703-5952 SILVER COINS, US and Canadian, 1964 and older dimes, quarters, half-dollars and dollars for top silver prices. 503-806-6287 COLLECTOR wants German, Japanese & American military items, swords, uni- forms, bayonets, rifles, pistols,etc. 503- 852-6791 LIFELONG COLLECTOR buying US and world coins, paying fairly, any amount wel- come. 503-939-8835 6-WHEEL ATV, running or not, WA or OR only. 360-275-7595 (days) ‘American Made’ in the Northwest Mon-Fri 9:30-7:30 Sat 9:30-5:30 Sun 12-6 PAGE 10 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS NOVEMBER 4, 2011
