Tackling the jobs issue — not each other

Given the heated political environment and the tenuous state of the economy, Labor Day will take on added significance this year. The holiday is sandwiched between the Republican and Democratic presidential conventions, where the question foremost in most voters’ minds is, “Where are the jobs?”

On this we can all agree: America needs more jobs, and needs them to be better paying and more secure. That song is the same regardless of the choir. But the harmony ends when it comes to the particulars — how did we get to this place of persistent high unemployment and how do we get out? Instead of workable solutions and new ideas, we are treated to a constant refrain of grandstanding and finger-pointing. Politicians, as well as labor and management leaders, have perfected the art of war at the expense of job protection and creation and America’s success in a global economy.

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