Robert Reich - Racist Redistribution of Wealth

Clintonista Robert Reich is now an OBAMA economic advisor. I said racist instead of simply bigotted in the title because of the power of money and position.

Check out how he wants the government to spend the federal stimulus money.

From his own blog .

And if construction jobs go mainly to white males who already dominate the construction trades, many people who need jobs the most — women, minorities, and the poor and long-term unemployed — will be shut out.
...

I’d suggest that all contracts entered into with stimulus funds require contractors to provide at least 20 percent of jobs to the long-term unemployed and to people with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. And at least 2 percent of project funds should be allocated to such training. In addition, advantage should be taken of buildings trades apprenticeships — wich must be fully available to women and minorities.

If he had just stayed with the 'let's try to hire the long term unemployed and let's try to provide some skills for the unskilled' .. then I would have given him a thumbs up and wouldn't be saying this is racist. But he starts out with whining about white males in construction.

He may have good intentions, but his delivery stinks AND the fact that he complains that some of the money might go to *GASP * white males ... that's just ignorant and racist.

In his statement - "many people who need jobs the most — women, minorities, and the poor and long-term unemployed" - he directly infers that white men don't need the jobs .. that they can't be poor or long-term unemployed. That's what is insinuated.

And this guy is an economic advisor?

reply to post by FlyersFan


And yet another one. Reich of all people. There is definitely something going on behind the curtain for that little elf to get the job.

A longtime friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton (he revealed in his first video blog Vimeo.com on March 7, 2007 that he dated Hillary Clinton while in college), going back to their days together at Oxford, Yale, and the George McGovern presidential election campaign in Dallas, Texas, he was invited to head Clinton's economic transition team.

Perhaps he and Hillary are still holding a flame for each other.

I would think that by having the First African American President that they would make every effort to leave race out of the picture and focused on how they could help improve the education of all Americans, regardless of whether they are minorities or not.

Will be interesting to see if Congress goes along with the proposal.

Originally posted by FlyersFan
From his own blog .

And if construction jobs go mainly to white males who already dominate the construction trades, many people who need jobs the most — women, minorities, and the poor and long-term unemployed — will be shut out.
...

I’d suggest that all contracts entered into with stimulus funds require contractors to provide at least 20 percent of jobs to the long-term unemployed and to people with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

That means 80% go to people who are already employed or were recently employed OR those who are not poor... It sounds to me that you're complaining about the 20% that he's wanting to set aside for those who really need it.

AND the fact that he complains that some of the money might go to *GASP * white males ... that's just ignorant and racist.

He doesn't complain that some of the money might go to white males. He states the IF the jobs go MAINLY to white males, people who need jobs the most will be left out.

he directly infers

No, YOU have inferred. YOU have come to the conclusion that he meant something racist about white men, just because he wants to make sure that women and the poor are not overlooked. That's YOUR conclusion.

Just because someone mentions race, doesn't mean they're racist.

That's what is insinuated.

Not really. You have totally, not surprisingly, misinterpreted what he said and inferred something that he did not say at all.

[edit on 22-1-2009 by Benevolent Heretic]

Didn't you know it's okay to practice reverse discrimination against White people? Besides, everyone knows we're all rich, own big houses, drive luxury cars, play golf, and go to Cozumel at least twice a year..

Why would we even want a construction job? We're all college-educated and have white collar jobs like CEOs and COOs, and pull in six figure incomes.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Well that doesn't look that bad Flyers, no racist, no really.

What I will like to see is . . . that contractors biding for the infrastructure jobs will only hire American citizens with valid identifications.

As you know this money will go to individual states in need of infrastructure funding and the states then will give this contracts to private contractors that then turn around and look for the cheapest labor available and that is mostly illegal immigrants.

I think that should be the most important thing to look into.

Reich's comment about construction jobs being dominated by white males can easily be picked apart depending on what region of the country you live in.

I worked for a Nationwide homebuilder for several years and I can certainly tell you that Hispanics dominated the trades in Charlotte and points south. It is the same story out West.

Up in Ohio, Hispanics still hold many jobs in construction from framing to drywall and masonry.

IMO Reich is full of bunk.

reply to post by jibeho


I agree, see here in my neck of the woods, GA, the labor goes to illegal immigrants, with the white collar mostly white, that means the engineers and college degree that are into land management.

No too many blacks doing the labor and this the south, I wonder why.

Originally posted by marg6043
reply to post by FlyersFan

 

Well that doesn't look that bad Flyers, no racist, no really.

We all know in our heart of hearts whether we admit it or not, f you replaced the word "White" with "Hispanic or Black" there would be a public outpouring of claims of racism and discrimination. There's a double standard in effect when speaking of Equal Rights for all.

Well I am as honest as I can be, and occurs I am not about to lie, here in the south with a majority African American population most labor goes to Hispanics, with most of the management that I have seen behind the scene in their nice company trucks wearing the nice white shirts and hard hats all clean and pretty were white with just maybe, just maybe one or two blacks.

I can tell this much, is been a lot of construction around my area and this is what I have seen.

When the power companies were doing work in my street I went to the Hispanics digging the hole in my yard to ask them a few questions in Spanish !!!!!! they played dumb and stupid and when I said, What you are not allowed to talk to people? they just lowered their heads and said nothing.

I wonder. . .

[edit on 22-1-2009 by marg6043]

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


See my thread entitled "explosive video" and then come back and tell me what this man is saying BH. I really think you got it wrong this time

edit to add link

[edit on 1/22/09 by redhatty]

Originally posted by marg6043
Well I am as honest as I can be, and occurs I am not about to lie, here in the south with a majority African American population most labor goes to Hispanics, with most of the management that I have seen behind the scene in their nice company trucks wearing the nice white shirts and hard had all clean and pretty were white with just maybe, just maybe one or two blacks.

I can tell this much, is been a lot of construction around my area and this is what I have seen.

When the power companies were doing work in my street I went to the Hispanics digging the hole in my yard to ask them a few questions in Spanish !!!!!! they played dumb and stupid and when I said, What you are not allowed to talk to people? they just lowered their heads and said nothing.

I wonder. . .

Marg,

I'm not disputing what you say about most of the execs being White, they're just not representative of all White males. There's definitely an Elitist class in this country, but it's not exclusively White anymore.

There are plenty of White males that work minimum wage jobs in our country that have family's to support too. It really irks me when people speak of equality while at the same time promoting reverse discrimination. If discrimination is bad, then it should be bad in all instances.

Well, my husband has been in construction for 25 years, there are not a lot of blacks in our area that seem interested in this line of work, I have actually asked him about this, he has worked with maybe two I know of and they were laborers not carpenters, I don't know what that is all about, he says they always quit, I actually think you have to have a love for this kind of job,

It is so physical, and the work conditions sometimes horrible, the heat and the cold, sometimes he comes home so filthy, especially when doing burn jobs.

MY husband loves building, but I think he is nuts,




[edit on 093131p://bThursday2009 by Stormdancer777]

reply to post by FlyersFan


I'm so pissed!
He's out of touch. How about helping veterans? Whites are not the majority in every zip code in the USA. Education is the key, not affirmative action. Do you want your Grandchildren to drive across a bridge that was constructed by unskilled workers? Doesn't having a black president show that we no longer need this? When will you liberals stop reminding us that we have different color skin?

reply to post by LLoyd45


Ah Lloyd, don't you know - there is no such thing as reverse discrimination. Not officially at least.

Unless you are a minority, you can't possibly be discriminated against *cough*

Once upon a time there was a concept of the best qualified got the job. That no longer exists.

And under qualified, minority owned/employed businesses will now be building the bridges we transport our children over.

reply to post by FlyersFan


I think that it just shows how out of touch with the real America he is. I guess there "are" places where his statement may be true but in many places it is not. Where I live you may find one or two white men, every now and again a black man but by and large the workers will be Guatemalan, Mexican or Cuban. So how would his plan work here?

reply to post by SailorinAZ


This is hard work and low wages for skilled labor, we are just below poverty level, Like I said it is the love of the job, not the pay, 25 years and my husband makes under 20 an hr.

Edited to say, I have never heard him complain.



[edit on 093131p://bThursday2009 by Stormdancer777]

Originally posted by NightSkyeB4Dawn
reply to post by FlyersFan

 

I think that it just shows how out of touch with the real America he is. I guess there "are" places where his statement may be true but in many places it is not. Where I live you may find one or two white men, every now and again a black man but by and large the workers will be Guatemalan, Mexican or Cuban. So how would his plan work here?

OH yes this is happening here too, a lot of Mexican workers.

See I understand everybody's views and I can only talk by what is going on around me and in my state and.

Been in the south I am not about to talk with derogatory remarks against one group of the other, I don't know what are the personal circumstances of the people around me.

But It seems odd that in the south in my neck of the woods with such a shortage of work the construction is booming and the workers are mostly Hispanic.

Now I am not going to deny that I have seen Black Americans and whites working but they are sporadic and few.

Now when it comes to the ones with the clean clothes and nice company cars doing the inspection I am sorry but I am not going to lie to make anybody happy, they are mostly whites.

Now the reasons why this happening I don't know, perhaps education and and background plays a role, I don't know.

So with all the unemployment how is any administration including Obama going to force people in minorities beside Hispanics and illegals to take the jobs in labor.

I see a problem here, well at least in my neck of the woods.

reply to post by marg6043

But It seems odd that in the south in my neck of the woods with such a shortage of work the construction is booming and the workers are mostly Hispanic.

They work for less, and it is taking jobs from our local guys.

Edited to say, like I said it is hard work for what you get paid.



[edit on 103131p://bThursday2009 by Stormdancer777]