Republicans are playing the cynical game of forcing work requirements for food stamps, Medicaid and other services. It’s a game because most people on those programs already work, and because adequate jobs don’t exist to pay a living wage, resulting in “workfare” — low paying jobs that keep people in poverty.
About a month ago, I wrote All of a sudden, the Job Guarantee is Everywhere. At the time Senators Gillibrand, Booker and Sanders had endorsed it. Since then, more have endorsed it, including former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. Reich is on of the best “explainers” and he has released a video where he does a great job of explaining it in just a little over three minutes.
Some of the points he makes.
- The “low” unemployment percentage still means about:
Over 6 million officially unemployed;
About 6 million working part-time but wanting full-time work;
About 6 million who want to work but are not counted in the official statistics.
Millions more who are working at wages below the poverty line
- The job guarantee would include a $15 minimum wage with health benefits
- This will give private sector workers bargaining power to meet the public job guarantee wage.
- The program will largely “pay for” itself, through:
- More and better paid workers creating more demand, leading to more jobs
- Increased tax revenue from the new and better paying jobs
- Decreased need to pay for programs, e.g., Medicaid, no longer needed because of the benefits and higher pay in the new jobs.
Democrats should run on the job guarantee. It’s popular, helps answer the (stupid but still asked) question, “What do Democrats stand for?”, and will help families get out of poverty with benefits to the whole economy.
It likely will have to wait for a Democratic President, but this is the best time to open the window to making it viable and possible.