Opinion Editorial
Memorial Day is a time when we commemorate the ultimate sacrifice made by the men and women who died in military service. As we reflect on the tremendous sacrifices that members of our armed forces and their families make when they serve our country, we must also remember our responsibility to assist those returning from the battlefield.
On April 18, President Obama once again delayed the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline – an astonishing decision considering public support for this project is at an all-time high. According to a recent Rasmussen poll, more than 60-percent of Americans are in favor of the pipeline, and that figure continues to climb.
In my office sits a "U.S. debt clock" which tracks each dollar added to our debt. The debt clock has only ticked upwards in large part due to wasteful spending and harmful government regulations. By pushing back against Washington's excess and promoting commonsense rules, I believe we can reverse this trend, increase opportunity and enable more take-home pay for all hardworking taxpayers.
Balancing the needs of work and family can be tough. A job is necessary to provide for the needs of your household while families also require your time and attention.
While there will never be a perfect formula for the work/life balance, one key lies in giving workers the flexibility to make the right choice for themselves, and their families.
A functional job training system is critical to helping connect employers with people in our community who are looking for work. Unfortunately, the existing system is broken. According to a February report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 11 million Americans are currently looking for work, while millions of jobs available right now go unfulfilled because of the skill gaps.
A higher education degree is increasingly critical to attaining financial stability and career success later in life. Gone are the days when just a high school degree could easily lead to a well-paying job and a comfortable middle class life.
Graduating from high school greatly increases the chances of finding and keeping a job later in life. Unfortunately, current trends paint a bleak picture, as nearly 30 percent of students across Michigan fail to graduate and in Jackson County Public Schools the number is even higher. Everyone recognizes problems with our current system, but we differ on solutions.
As the president's health care law unravels, more individuals and small businesses are coming forward with their experiences of how new health care rules and regulations are hurting them through increased premiums, the loss of health plans they like and uncertainty about how to plan for the future.
Last week, the Department of Labor announced that 347,000 people dropped out of the workforce in December, making the Labor Force Participation Rate stand at a meager 63-percent– the lowest level since the Carter Administration.