The sign hanging in the Clinton election headquarters in 1992 read, “It’s the Economy, Stupid!” Created by political strategist, James Carville, it referred to the thought that the Bush administration had not focused on the economy and that Clinton would be a better choice to get the economy rolling again after the ‘90-‘91 recession.
Today, after the Great Reset of 2008, we should hold up signs in front of every elected official and candidate campaigning in the midterm elections reading, “It’s the Construction Jobs, Stupid!” Those signs would remind our elected officials that their way out of the current economic dilemma is the creation of new construction jobs.
Construction jobs usually lag the rest of the economy since we need owners to plan and architects and engineers to design before contractors and subs may begin to build again in earnest. Those jobs will only be created when private sector business owners can be assured that the uncertainty and massive changes which we have seen over the last 18 months are over, and that the economy will settle down to a reasonable pace. Then we can begin to build the rooftops, retail, industrial and commercial facilities to accommodate the growth for the next cycle.
Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics still says that the employment rate in the construction industry is only about 83% and several industry indicators show that 2011 might be a slow year, especially in the commercial sector.
So, to make for certain that they get our message, let’s make our banners and enlist Carville to start chanting,
“It’s the Construction Jobs, Stupid!”
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