Economic Catch-22

It's the worst economic crash since the Great Depression, jobs are practically nonexistent, charities can't cope with the increased need, and social safety net programs are too underfunded to take up the slack.  Maybe you'd consider being a starving artist, but since women artists get paid less (big surprise), that's not really an option either.

So you think, "Hey, perfect time to go back to school and finish that degree."  Well good luck, because financial aid money is drying up and loans for school are harder to get (but if you're in school, here are some tips for getting by in tough times).

But that's ok, because you can join a union and the economic benefit for women is the same as attending a year of college.  Except that Bush is reclassifying jobs as no longer eligible for union representation, and union organization rules are still skewed against workers, and where the heck is our Employee Free Choice Act?

If we're going to get out of this, it's going to take a lot more than giveaways to automakers and banks.  It's going to take programs that address the economic problems of working individuals and families, and that give people a rope to climb out of this economic quicksand.

That means jobs that pay a living wage and ways to finance higher education without leaving students with loans so big that they have to flee the country.

I haven't seen a recovery plan like that yet, have you?

Comments

[Melissa Silverstein]

Hi-

Just wanted to let you know that Women & Hollywood has moved.

Please update your links and bookmarks to: www.womenandhollywood.com

Thanks

Melissa