Houston, TX: The following is an op-ed by YRNF Chairman Dennis Cook (IL) and Co-Chairman Chris Carmona (TX) ahead of the YRNF’s Summer board meeting Houston, Texas this weekend.
Friday, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the latest employment numbers, most people paid attention to the overall unemployment, where no change occurred, as well as to the number of jobs added to the economy. However, other numbers tell a more important story.
In July, 94,333,000 of our fellow Americans were not in the labor force. The number of the long-term unemployed — those who are jobless for 27 weeks or more — did not change in July. But the problem goes deeper than employment numbers, to an economy that is still struggling, and an economy waiting to be unleashed. Young Americans, those within the age range to join our Young Republicans organization, are often most directly impacted when people cannot find work, or when people give up on looking for work.
Economic writers such as Greg Ip are even suggesting to people thinking about retiring to reconsider, writing in the Wall Street Journal, “The economy needs you more than you know.” What does this do for the young people either looking to move up or looking for a first job to begin building a career? What does this mean for the young couple who wants to buy a home and begin a family, but struggles simply to find the opportunity for the employment that will get them where they desire?
We are six years removed from this administrations so-called Recovery Summer. We are thirty years removed from the last major reform to our tax code. Our tax code should be built for growth, both in the economy and for the future population of our country.
Many things, beyond just the unemployment measures need to be part of a larger discussion as we move toward the November election and part of our next President’s First 100 Days agenda. Investor’s Business Daily editorialized last week, “It’s time for the government to come up with a new jobless measure which more accurately depicts what’s really going on in the job market today.” We agree.
Here’s the bottom line: If some of these problems are not solved or addressed now, we will see Washington grow even more bloated than it already is. Local municipalities, cities and states will see themselves caught up in the undercurrent and will have no recourse but to turn to Washington, and when Washington is the place eventually holding all the power, freedom and liberty are diminished for young and old alike.
Have you tried to start a small business? Not everyone has, but the amount of rules and regulation to go from an idea to actually “open for business” is breathtaking, and can only get worse if we do not begin to institute real reform now.
When it comes to the economy, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution for everyone. This week, the Young Republican National Federation will be gathering in Houston, Texas for our quarterly meeting. As part of this meeting, we will be putting service into practice in one of Houston’s less fortunate parts of town. We have been able to partner with a local ministry to provide supplies to families with children as the kids get ready to go back to school; while the ministry provides some guidance, some hope and some counseling.
The economy affects people in different ways. In this instance, a local ministry is helping families in need. This ministry is connected to the people it serves, and even more broadly, it is connected to the community that surrounds it. In most cases, the ministry can provide for personal and emotional needs, in ways no government entity can. When the economy leaves people behind or makes it difficult for some to get by, we should have a mechanism there to help, a springboard if you will. We, as a nation, are capable of this, and it is what we do as we watch out for our neighbors. We can also do some commonsense things right now that will start solving problems that a stagnant economy cannot even begin to address.
This year, and moving into next session of Congress opening in January 2017, the Republicans are advancing a Better Way policy agenda developed by Speaker Paul Ryan and Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady among others. The ideas within a Better Way on the economy, jobs and tax reform are vital enough to our country that they merit not only now and through to Election Day, but into the next legislative session to be implemented.
Young Americans deserve a Better Way. Young Americans are counting on a Better Way. It is time we start advancing it.
About YRNF: The Young Republican National Federation, headed by Chairman Dennis Cook and Co-Chairman Chris Carmona, is an official auxiliary organization under the RNC. YRNF represents Republican voters between the ages of 18 and 40 across America. The national youth wing of the GOP includes members of both state and local chapters of the Young Republicans.
For any questions inquiries or more information about YRNF please contact Chief of Staff Clayton Turner at claytonmarkturner@yrnf.com.
