Deficit Commission Lets Big Spenders Off the Hook

Thomas Sowell, RCPAnother deficit reduction commission has now made its recommendations. My own recommendation for dealing with deficits would include stopping the appointment of deficit reduction commissions.It is not the amount of money that these commissions cost that is the issue. It is the escape hatch that they provide for big-spending politicians. Receive news alertsDo you go ahead and spend the rent money and the food money-- and then ask somebody else to tell you how to escape the consequences?If President Obama or the Congress were serious about keeping the deficit down, they could have had this...

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Employers Pickier About Job Applicants' Skills

Employers have millions of jobs they are trying to fill. But in some cases, they are having trouble.

How can that be with 15 million Americans out of work and looking for jobs?

Part of the answer lies in the mismatch between the needs of the employers and the skills job seekers have to offer.

Few professions have been hit harder in this economy than architects. In Seattle alone, thousands of them are out of work. "I know everything there is to know about building a building from a garage in your backyard to a high-rise in downtown Seattle," says Gary Barber, a practicing architect for 30 years. "I have that experience and skill set."

Skill And Passion Aren't Enough

Barber exudes passion for his work. But as an architect, skill and passion are no longer enough. There's not much demand for new houses or commercial buildings, and that means not much demand for architects, crane operators or escrow officers.

There are fewer jobs in other parts of the economy too — consider the plight of travel agents, newspaper reporters and midlevel managers.

The skills job applicants have often don't match what employers are looking for, says Ed Beaulieu, president of West Coast Careers, a recruiting and staffing company. "Now you've got a segment of the population that doesn't have a chair to sit in," he says.

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