The U.S. Department of Labor announced last week that the economy had shed another 190,000 jobs, which pushed the unemployment rate to 10.2 percent.
According to the Department of Labor, if you take into account discouraged workers, who are unemployed workers no longer seeking employment, the unemployment rate is at 17.5 percent.
Our country has not seen an unemployment rate this high in 26 years. The last time was in April 1983 in the midst of another very deep recession.
President Obama took swift action to address the economic situation before taking office in January by proposing a massive and far-reaching stimulus plan that would eventually cost American taxpayers almost $1 trillion dollars.
On Jan. 3, in his weekly radio address, President-Elect Obama said, “If we don’t act swiftly and boldly, we could see a much deeper economic downturn that could lead to double digit unemployment and the American dream slipping further and further out of reach. That’s why we need an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.”
Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the president signed the legislation into law on Feb. 17. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act cost the American taxpayers $787 billion. Ten months into his administration this is now President Obama’s economy.
Where are the jobs that President Obama promised when he pushed for passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act? The 35,000 West Virginians who have lost their jobs since January are asking that question.
Instead of focusing on jobs, this president and the Democrat controlled Congress has spent the majority of its time focusing on legislation and policies that will do very little to create jobs in a faster-than-normal pace. Instead, this administration has pushed policies, like cap and trade, which will result in more job cuts.
It’s time for our leaders in Washington to call a time-out in the health care and cap and trade debate and begin to immediately address the economic and employment situation in our country. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has failed West Virginians.
The supporters of the stimulus plan owe West Virginians a response to a very big and important question. Mr. President, Mr. Mollohan, and Mr. Rahall, as supporters of the stimulus plan, where are the jobs that you promised would be created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act?
Roman Stauffer
Princeton
