President, Congress turn their back on jobless

by Peter Stern

How hard is it to provide jobs to those who need and want them?

Unemployment in the United States is at its highest rate in many decades but apparently is a mystery that only a Sherlock Holmes can solve. Despite his promises, President Obama has not fought significantly to bring jobs to hardly-working Americans.

Congress also turned its back on jobless citizens, merely offering short-term solace via extending unemployment benefits. Who can live on such a paltry sum for any extended period?

The banks have washed their hands of millions of homeless indigents who were foreclosed on or walked away from their mortgages. Americans who still have money are getting good deals on these discarded homes, but tent cities continue to grow across our nation.

It would be simple enough to issue tax incentives to businesses that expanded their enterprises by providing jobs to unemployed Americans. It would be equally easy for the government to hire people to build, repair and maintain our depreciating infrastructure. However, simple or not, jobs are not being created.