Governor Perry and the Miracle Jobs

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"Sure, Perry has created thousands of jobs....I'm working three of them."
— joke currently circulating in Texas


Which, my gentle snowflakes, leads to a thought--always a dangerous thing.

While it is true, that since the beginning of 2008 Texas has added about 75,000 jobs, it does NOT follow that 75,000 more Texans are employed now than in 2008.

There may be, as the joke suggests, simply many more minimum-wage, part-time jobs being held by not that many more people. Each worker having 2 or 3 or more "jobs." No one of which would allow that worker to provide shelter and food and a modicum of comfort for her (or him) self and family.

That's what makes it a good joke: a tight, hard kernel of bitter truth.

So, when Governor Perry suggests he can do the same thing for the whole country, are we sure that is what we want? A country of sub-par, minimum-wage (or less), part-time jobs with little or no benefits, little or no worker protections, perhaps even "off the books" so that these jobs do not even accrue Social Security earnings for the employee? A country of economic serfs?

Just saying.
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