Monday on Twitter, radical “Squad” congresswoman Ayanna Pressley renewed her call for a federal job guarantee, claiming it “lays the foundation for economic justice & freedom.”
“A reliable job. A living wage. A federal job guarantee lays the foundation for economic justice & freedom,” Pressley tweeted, after introducing a resolution last week for the government to “provide every person with an enforceable legal right to a quality job.”
“By ensuring everyone has access to a good job with dignified wages, safe working conditions, health care and other benefits—including full worker rights and union protections—a federal job guarantee would address the current jobs crisis while laying the foundation for an equitable economic recovery,” the resolution stated.
Fact check: it would do neither of those things. You know who was solving the jobs crisis and boosting economic recovery for minorities? Former President Trump and capitalism, not Ayanna Pressley and the federal government.
A “permanent job guarantee,” Pressley declared, would protect the economy from recession and make it “more resilient as well as more” — wait for it — “inclusive,” by ensuring employment for those she claims are discriminated against in the job market: “Black, Latinx [sic], and Indigenous workers” and “transgender people, caregivers, and people with criminal records.” Newsflash: discrimination is already against the law.
Pay would begin at $15 per hour and would include full benefits: health insurance, paid sick days and family medical leave, vacation, and retirement benefits.
Among the vaguely-worded examples of “guaranteed projects” the government would provide are “producing works of public art and documentation,” and “augmenting the staffing of public education and early childhood learning.”
Just what this country needs: taxpayers footing the bill for millions of unskilled, uneducated, and unambitious adults to have full-time jobs creating ugly public art and “augmenting” the social justice indoctrination of schoolkids.
“It’s time to establish a legal right to a job for all people in America,” Pressley wrote in a statement. “For years, we have legislated hate, harm and injustice in this country.” It’s unclear which laws she was referring to that legislate hate, harm, and injustice — perhaps because there aren’t any. “It’s long past time to pursue bold, intentional policies that affirm equity and recognize the dignity and humanity of all people.”
First, there is no freedom, dignity and humanity in having the federal government force an employer to give you a job, or hire you for meaningless make-work like creating public “art.” Second, where is the money going to come from for this big-government boondoggle? Third, this will not create a stable, “equitable” economic system for all, but will absolutely eradicate small businesses, destroy the middle class, and eliminate innovation and growth in every field.
But that’s the Progressive way.