A not-so-happy Labor Day

Around our campus, Labor Day was a frequent topic Monday. We weren't discussing it to commemorate workers, but, as students, we were complaining that we didn't get the day off from class.\nThe occasional day off is something we have come to covet in America. We understand that we work (and learn) better when we get occasional vacation time. While that argument might not have been legitimate this Monday -- coming after four months of summer vacation -- it certainly is important to have weekends and holidays off from work and school.\nBut it hasn't always been like this. American workers -- often union members -- had to fight and sacrifice for vacation days, health care, overtime pay and other benefits. We now take such things for granted, but the rights American workers enjoy are coming under fire.\nPresident Bush is subtly advocating measures that would be detrimental to workers. The primary manifestation of the president's failure is his tax cuts. Under claims of populism, President Bush's tax cuts have lessened the tax burden on the top 1 percent of Americans, while increasing it on all others, according to an analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. \nTo be certain, the actual amount that all taxpayers are paying has gone down. But, the president has done this too, on the backs of hard-working Americans. His tax cuts have cut vital funds from federal aid. These funds, which go to state responsibilities such as K-12 education, have forced property taxes around the nation to rise and, in the case of higher education, the Bush cuts have indirectly made tuitions rise.\nAll the while, these deep tax cuts have not stopped us from losing three million jobs during the Bush presidency. Indiana has been hit especially hard. A recent IU study showed that Indiana lost 60,700 net jobs from July 2002 to July 2003, more than any other state.\nIt continually amazes and educates me that Bush is able to spin such actions as being helpful to the average American. He did a similar thing Monday when he spoke to an Ohio labor union.\nSpeaking to a union on Labor Day is not new for Bush or for any president. But, there is irony abound when a president who has been so unfriendly to working people -- those in unions especially -- takes the stage espousing his commitment to their well-being.\nAt this speech, The Washington Post reported, Bush promised to make efforts to stem the loss of manufacturing jobs (2.4 million, to be exact, during the Bush presidency). Manufacturing jobs are some of the best-paying in our economy, and, recently, they have been moving overseas in droves. One of the primary reasons for their departure is a trade policy that gives manufacturers incentives to move factories to countries where wages are low and environmental standards are non-existent.\n Bush, who has been a leading advocate of such policies, criticized unfair trade during his Labor Day speech, and he also promised to create a position in his administration to help manufacturers. It is heartening to hear the president make such a statement, but, considering his past actions and the upcoming election, a healthy dose of skepticism is necessary.\nOverall, workers do not appear to be in a strong position on this Labor Day. We must, however, use this plight as a motivation for change. Hopefully, the three million American jobs lost will force us to pay greater attention to our economy, and to the possibility that our leader in Washington is not the man to get Americans back to work.