It's nearly the end of this political campaign season, and I'm sure many of us are glad. There's been a lot of "information" bandied about, and even some data. However, as usual, not all of the data is shared.
Campaigners on other side of the partisan line keep talking about failed programs of the current White House Administration. Even some campaigners on the same side talk about failed programs. What is the key piece of data? Unemployment.
Very, very, very, very few have mentioned the private sector job growth. I recently challenged our local newspaper editor on this point. He only looked at the unemployment percentage. I looked at the Bureau of Labor Statistic http://www.bls.gov/ for payroll employment. Over 1.5 million jobs have been added since December of 2009. Private sector jobs have increased by 950,000 in the same timeframe. The unemployment rate has remained the same because the government is shedding jobs at a tremendous rate; in September, 159,000 government jobs were gone.
Failed programs? Businesses are hiring and the goverment is shrinking. Doesn't sound like bad policy to me. Does it to you?
[Disclosure: I'm an independent. Not affiliated with any party. I would describe myself as fiscal conservative, but liberal on social policy. People end up in great situations and horrible situations through no particular skill or fault of their own. They happen to be in the right/wrong place or know the right/wrong people.]
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