ColoLlines is reporting that President Obama's former top adviser Christina Romer blasted the government for inaction on joblessness. The economist, who left the White House last year, told attendees at an event at Vanderbilt University, "I frankly don't understand why policymakers aren't more worried about the suffering of real families."
Shani O. Hilton reports that many celebrated February's numbers for showing the lowest rate of unemployment since 2009. Yet unemployment for people of color is much higher than the average, at 15 percent for blacks and 12 percent for Latinos.
Though all signs point to a continuing jobless recovery, Romer insisted that the Obama administration take more aggressive action to alleviate some of the "devastation." Devastation is a good word for it, since the effects of long-term joblessness tend to compound: The longer a person is out of work, the harder it becomes to find a job. There are also negative psychological effects. Romer believes that there are fiscally responsible ways for the government to invest in job creation despite the concern of politicians over the deficit.
They weren't concerned about the deficit when they were giving tax cuts to the wealthy that added a ridiculous amount to the deficit. Perhaps they'll think about it as the next elections roll around, since unemployed people actually have time to vote. Romer hit the needle on the head: An unwillingness to invest in job creation in your own country is indeed shameful.
Read more at ColorLines.
In other news: Latino Voters Will Make the Difference in 2012.
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