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The Obama Watch
Failing Upward
Labor secretary Hilda Solis should be fired — but then who would hire her?
On August 31, with job creation grinding to a complete halt, U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis was asked this question: “Why do you think there have been so many jobs created in the last decade in Texas?”
She laughed and said, “Come again.”
The questioner rephrased his query, adding a citation: “The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas estimates about half of the jobs created in the U.S. in the last decade have been created in Texas. Why do you think that is?”
Replied Solis, “I haven’t done a lot of research in terms of the economic growth in Texas.”
It appears that Labor Secretary Solis had no interest in looking at how a state with 8 percent of the nation’s population had created nearly half of the nation’s new jobs over the past 10 years.
That interchange occurred on the final day of a month in which the United States experienced zero net job growth — the first time that’s happened in the U.S. since 1945.
Extending her reply about not doing much research on job growth in Texas, Solis added, “I do know that they have different, ah, scales of pay.”
Everyone, of course, has “different scales of pay,” even the old commies in Cuba.
“Um, it’s a right-to-work state, I know that,” continued Solis, sounding more like a struggling student than a U.S. Labor Secretary.
“We’re also aware that the oil industry has done very well in this recession and those jobs continue to increase,” said Solis, “and that’s another area that continues to grow during this recession.”
There could have been good follow-up questions at that point, but they weren’t asked: If right-to-work and oil are the reasons for extraordinary job creation, why does the Obama administration oppose both? With jobs so hard to come by, why is the administration blocking off-shore drilling, and why is the National Labor Relations Board doing everything it can to shut down the new Boeing plant in right-to-work South Carolina?
“I would just say, on the whole, that’s my understanding,” continued Solis, referring to oil and right-to-work.
She didn’t mention that Texas had enacted pro-business tort reforms and regulatory rollbacks. She also didn’t mention that Texas has no personal income tax and no corporate income tax.
Solis concluded by saying she was invited to Texas some time back by “advocates” and “stakeholder groups” and held a “summit” in which they talked about things like “wage theft.”
I don’t know what “wage theft” is, but I doubt if it’s as important to job growth as a business-friendly regulatory approach, tort reform, zero corporate income taxes, and zero personal income taxes.
About the Author
Ralph R. Reiland is the B. Kenneth Simon professor of free enterprise and an associate professor of economics at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (30) | Leave a comment
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Mike Hawk| 9.13.11 @ 6:43AM
Just another Oborg incompetent. THis administration is full of the dumbest and the dullest.
Darin| 9.13.11 @ 7:05AM
She's the Labor Secretary yet she fails to do some research into how a state (a large one at that) is succeeding on the jobs front? She's either incompetent or willfully engaging in destructive tactics. There's no other viable excuse since promoting jobs IS HER JOB!
Dick Nome| 9.13.11 @ 9:55AM
I believe the first post answered your redundant question.
Mriordon| 9.13.11 @ 7:26AM
I think the real statistics have shown that the jobs created in Texas are NOT low paying jobs, but if they were, who cares. When they count up jobs around the country every month they count all jobs, not just high paying ones. Most other states can't even create low paying jobs, let alone good ones.
Grant Johnson| 9.13.11 @ 10:34AM
I don't have any statistics in front of me, but would bet you a donut that "hourly workers have earned 4 to 7 percent less" is highly correlated with the number of illegal workers in Texas. Anyone who feigns concern about wage rates for lower skill workers while simultaneously advocating for the illegal importation of millions of low skill workers is either woefully lacking in their understanding of how markets work or is lying about their true policy priorities.
Timothy L. Pennell| 9.13.11 @ 7:33AM
Why would you think that she would know, or even CARE, about Jobs, when there are so many ILLEGALS to get Benefits to? To make sure that they are getting PAID enough. And that they're not being DEPORTED.
Why would anyone think that ANY of Hussein's people, care about what they are SUPPOSED to be doing?
Does that Black babe Energy Secretary seem like she's tying to maximize our Energy Supplies? Or, is she doing the OPPOSITE?
How about his Tax Cheat Treasury Secretary? Is our Dollar getting better? Or, is the OPPOSITE occurring? I know that his friends in High Places are being bailed out, and the European Banks that his SEC and IMF buddies own, are getting money, but, what about US?
His Interior Secretary, that affable dunce, with the Cowboy Hat, is SUPPOSED to be "Managing" our Natural Resources. He has decided that the only way to do that, is to QUARENTEEN them from anyone who might want to use them. You know: For Logging or Fishing or Mining for Coal or Metals or Drilling for Oil and Natural Gas. JOBS, in other words.
There's a Secretary of State, who thinks that AL-JAZEERA is the way to go, if you want "REAL NEWS". A new Secretary of Defence, who's job it will be, to CUT DEFENCE to the bone, just as the world is hurtling over the edge. And a Secretary of Health and Human Services, who cried when Tiller the Killer received his PAYMENT, for services rendered. Who seeks to preside over a Soviet Style Health Care System that will do for SENIORS, and the SEVERELY HANDICAPPED, what they've been doing for all of those Unborn Babies, for all of those Years.
These people aren't Public Servants.
They are Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Pecos Pete| 9.13.11 @ 7:54AM
TLP: Sometimes you crack me up. Like the above, "They are Weapons of Mass Destruction."
Perfect description.
And, I read yesterday that King O is thinking about unionizing the military.
Google: "unionizing the military"
Unbelievable.
Mike D.| 9.13.11 @ 9:59AM
Thats the first step in creating the "Preatorian Guard". A military unit that you can funnel money through a union to, so as to keep yourself in power.
Melvin| 9.13.11 @ 7:46AM
Democrats and the United Nations have one thing in common. They must have study after study, after study, then research after research, after more research.
They love sitting around big round tables with bottled water and lean back in those high back executive chairs and take long deep breaths and enter into long analysees in what color to paint the new bathroom for the female Congresswoman.
When passing a tax or a regulation it can be done in a matter of hours, "We must pass it before we know whats in it." But to remove a tax or a regulation so a US company can thrive, Oh No! this takes much, much study, commissions have to be created then Blue Ribbon Panels, and the Democrat favorite. "The Study group."
Come on people, Solis wasn't appointed because of ability, her being appointed is like every other Democrat appointee, their appointment is based on race, followed by gender, and Democrat Party loyalty.
Every single one of Barrack Obama's appointees or czars have turned out to be as worthless as Tits on a Boar Hog.
Dan Hirsch| 9.13.11 @ 8:07AM
Hilda Solis proves, beyond any shadow of any doubt that the Department of Labor is useless, not performing the function for which it was intended. Therefore don't fire just her, fire the entire Department!
Let's see, now, in the past four years Labor has spent:
2007- $47.544 billion
2008- $58.838 billion
2009- $138.157 billion
2010- $209.265 billion
Obviously it George Bush's fault. See he spent so little that Barack had to quadruple spending to fix the problem.
Let's see now, that would have paid for the so-called President's latest so-called Jobs plan.
Note the upswing in spending - obviously our current deficit is the big increase in social security and Medicare spending. NOT!
Hilda Solis has no excuse, she should be fired, not now, but last year, with a clawback of her salary for the last year or two. And if she can't find a job, it could be the first meaningful step in her economics education!
So far it seems, everything they know is wrong.
Don't tread on me!
PS: Interested in the spending numbers? Look here:
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/ar.....anded-dems
Stammon| 9.13.11 @ 8:16AM
The Democrats, in their pursuit of a perfect world, fail to realize that any job is better than no job. For anybody and everybody, all the time.
Or maybe it's "refuse to realize".
Michael Tomlinson| 9.13.11 @ 9:34AM
When we fire Obama next November this moron will be gone too. The real problem is the 2 idiots he got on the Supreme Court. Just one more reason to hold you nose and vote for the Republican even if he's/she's not perfect.
Karl Jay| 9.13.11 @ 9:50AM
There is no such thing as perfection...only opinions of what it might be. At this point I would not have to hold my nose to vote for Sarah Palin's lowest ranking gofer or even Mitt Romney.
The national experiment of Barack Obama must end soonest...
Dick Nome| 9.13.11 @ 9:54AM
I believe the first post answered your redundant qustion.
Dick Nome| 9.13.11 @ 9:57AM
Ignore previous.
Dan Hirsch| 9.13.11 @ 10:13AM
Was it also redundant, too...
HeeHaw...isn't this fun?
DTOM
Herb| 9.13.11 @ 11:31AM
I worked for the Labor Department for 36 years, for Presidents from Ford to Obama. I can only guess how many Labor Secretaries that tenure included. I can say unequivocally this woman was the worst political hack to occupy that office. She's a puppet for Big Unions and the Quota Industry. She is also weirdly focused on homosexuals and illegal aliens.
Mrs Vito| 9.13.11 @ 8:10PM
Actually, she's the second political hack. Don't forget Robert Reich...
VinnieCCT| 9.13.11 @ 12:23PM
Since Rick Perry is Gov of Texas, she will automatically disregard anything that would possibly make him look good.
WillyP | 9.27.11 @ 11:18AM
True but any reasonably intelligent person... even a liberal... would have, could have, and should have anticipated this question.
PAUL| 9.13.11 @ 1:12PM
Another affirmative action super star that should be working at McDonalds.
As Mr. Tomlinson noted above, the real problem is the Supreme Court picks. You have your "Wise Latina" far left affirmative action super star, and your lesbian Marxist. These 2 will haunt this country long after the Muslim commie goes back to....well, wherever he is from.
PCP Smoker| 9.13.11 @ 1:57PM
"Wage theft", that's liberalism for paying someone what they are worth. The theory is that everyone is worth a high salary. Reference Arne Duncan's call for teachers to make "$130 to 160K per year".
shipley130| 9.13.11 @ 2:55PM
The entire Obama administration is full of intellectually incurious advisors and civil officers. It's all about a thin line of ideology.
Just Plain Bill| 9.13.11 @ 4:08PM
Speaking of labor issues; how about the UAW
talking with so-called management about wage
increases and benefits. Since Zero fired the CEO
of GM and told the stockholders that they would
get nothing since he was going to give the company to the UAW. I guess the workers will
find out how it is on both sides of the issues, since
they will be bargaining with themselves! I will
NEVER buy another GM or Chrysler product.
GO FORD!!!
Flee| 9.13.11 @ 4:09PM
She is by far the most incompetent public employee I have ever seen posted. She doesn't seem like she should be employed at our local DMV much less the Sec of Labor. She answers like a high school sophomore that didn't read the assignment last night and wings it based on what she heard on the radio on the way in. Wage theft? Did she define what that was per chance? Does it mean bricklayer in NYC makes more than bricklayer in Houston? Duh. If someone wants higher pay they can go to the big cities and compete with all those extra people there that drive up the costs of living and working. Or they can go to Texas and other southern states and avoid union cronyism and extra added costs of living and do the same thing. A labor secretary should realize she represents all Americans not just those union thugs beholden to Obama. This administration and its minions continue to amaze with their ineptitude.
DaveS| 9.13.11 @ 9:29PM
Go easy on her! Do you not have any idea how much effort it takes to stay ignorant? Janet Reno - the previous example of how a leader picks incompetent but loyal (he picked me out of obscurity) soldiers - is a benchmark. No solace in Solis.
Leroi| 9.13.11 @ 10:39PM
"I don't know what "wage theft" is,"
Mandatory deduction of union dues from wages without the prior written consent of the wage earner.
-----------------
There is a saying that applies to bureacracies: F*** up and move up.
That would mean Solis replaces VP Biteme on the 2012 ticket.
WillyP | 9.27.11 @ 11:27AM
I had to google 'Wage Theft' (I would have thought it meant high taxes), and apparently it originaly meant employers were stealing from wages, ie by under-counting hours, paying less than promised, extra deductions for things like tools and uniforms, etc.. But now it is lib-speak for not paying what libs think someone should make, like pay that is based on performance, geographical areas, etc...
Nite| 9.13.11 @ 11:22PM
She is a joke. However, the majority of appointees by Obama are just that. Jokes.