Not a Number to Celebrate

Every first Friday of the month, job numbers are released and today's figure came out at 9.4%, slightly lower than the 9.8% figure released in December.

I couldn't help but notice what seemed like breathless excitement of those in the news reporting these numbers, but let's face it, there is nothing to be excited about! These numbers are horrible and don't tell the whole story. The jobs created that the media cites are rather low in number to constitute a recovery and what I want to know are if these jobs created are full-time positions. Working in retail in college, I remember the company for which I worked, as well as others, hire temporary workers during the Christmas shopping season, and those positions usually end after New Years Day. If that is the case, U3 will go up again in February as those workers who have left the active working market will apply for unemployment. An additional thought to figure in as to the U3 drop are those who are "giving up" and bowing out of the job market, including unemployment. That figure, U6, which isn't as readily cited is around 17%; a figure totally unacceptable for the United States. But sadly, with the economic policy our leaders are endorsing and practicing, these numbers are the reality until our leaders change course.

I really hope the Mainstream Media and those in the Federal Government who are celebrating this figure put an end to their party as they are giving Americans looking for a job false hope in a recovery that isn't there. They should actually pursue (in the media's case) the reasons why unemployment has been over 9% for 20 months and (in the case of the Federal Government) propose and institute policies that will give job creators incentive to hire more Americans, returning them to the workforce and once and for all, bringing U3 and U6 down to their levels in 2006!

A Worthwhile and Needed History Lesson

On the next day of Congressional business, Speaker Boehner and the Republican leadership have called for a reading of the US Constitution on the House floor. This procedure is tying in with the new rules that state all bills proposed in the House must cite the Constitution.

It seems that our lawmakers have lost sight (and knowledge) of the Constitution so this rule change and procedure is effective. Educators have to justify how their lesson plans align with Core Content Curriculum Standards, so it should be just that members of Congress justify the Constitutionality of the bills they propose. It is very unfortunate to see those like Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Alex Altman, and Joy Behar have mocked the process and the document itself, not only in word but in action. The US Constitution has stood the test of time and has held firm as the supreme law of the United States for over 223 years! This will be a good civics lesson for all members of Congress!

Thank you, Jay Webber!

Big news out of Trenton today. Five months before the end of his term, Assemblyman Jay Webber of Morris County is stepping aside in his leadership position as NJGOP Chair. Assemblyman Webber is someone I greatly admire in state politics. Named one of the Top 40 Under 40 in 2010 by Time, Webber has served as Assemblyman since 2008 and is one of New Jersey's most consistent Conservatives.

After securing a win in the 2009 GOP Gubernatorial Primary, Governor (then candidate) Chris Christie named Webber as NJGOP Chair and this sent shockwaves across the state! Over the past 20-30 years, the Republican Party in New Jersey has suffered through an identity crisis, favoring more "moderate" candidates to run statewide and the one time a Conservative was chosen by the voters (Bret Schunder in 2000), many of the moderates stayed on the sidelines. So when Chris Christie, whose Conservative credentials were doubted by some, nominated Webber, that act stated Conservatives in New Jersey will not be placed on the back burner. And in his tenure, Webber has done a phenominal job, helping the Republican Party to unite in the election last year and has facilitated a fundraising effort that has greatly benefited the Republican Party and out-fundraised the NJ Dems.

Some may still doubt Christie's Conservative credentials, but placing Jay Webber as Chairman of the NJGOP was significant, smart and took steps to healing wounds suffered (and sometimes self-inflicted) by the Republican Party in New Jersey and gave Conservatives a true voice in the party.

"The 'Right' Solutions" thanks Assemblyman Webber for his leadership and looks forward to Saddle Brook Mayor Sam Raia, who in his own right, is as effective a fundraiser, and will likely be a key player in the 2011 New Jersey Legislative Midterms.

The 112th Getting Right to the Point

Last November, Americans spoke loudly at the polls, as voters threw out the Democrat majority and sent 63 new Republicans (2 short of my prediction) to Washington, which will bring about a Republican Majority in the House of Representatives. This new Congress will be sworn in tomorrow.

Smartly keeping their promise, first on their agenda is to repeal the Health Care Law. The bill has already been posted online and the vote is scheduled to take place next Wednesday. (Which just so happens to be Rush Limbaugh's birthday...I'm sure the left will have a field day with that.)

ObamaCare will make its way through the courts and will one day be argued before the Supreme Court, but the courts cannot and should not be relied upon as Campaign Finance Reform taught us. Americans want their leaders to lead and as I previously argued, stand by their principles and the principles of their constituency. It is for this reason, in the case of ObamaCare, the constituents of these newly elected freshmen will be closely following the moves of Congress, and as a result, the members of Congress must put their repeal intent in writing...and make the president put his veto in writing. So many campaign ads by the Republican running against Obama can be created as a result of that veto! If the repeal does not succeed this time around, the Republican Congress must have a strong resolve to keep moving forward, whether future repeal attempts or defunding measures. Standing by principles is a sign of honest and strong leadership and if these freshmen do not, voters will not support them in two more years.

Two Jersey Guys at a Crossroads

Who would have ever thought one could put Rex Ryan and Chris Christie in the same category. Well, I will! In following the news these past two years, I've discovered these two men are closely alike in many ways (some readers are thinking I am going to touch on physical resemblances, but I'm focusing on personality and leadership), and both are at a major crossroads.

Bill Parcells brought the Jets to respectability in the late 1990s and since Parcells departed, the subsequent coaches from Al Groh to Eric Mangini have been riding his legacy on the team and while they have made playoff appearances, they have not been consistent, have not appeared in any Super Bowls and had quarterbacks of varying successes lead the offense. When the Jets hired Rex Ryan and brought him to Jersey, he brought with him his brash talk, strong defensive play and gained many fans both in the Jets organization and among the fans of Jet Nation. All look at Ryan as the coach who can get the best out of his players and his young franchise quarterback in Mark Sanchez.

Sad to say, New Jersey has not had a great governor since Tom Kean back in the 1980s. Democrats in Jim Florio, Jim McGreevey, Dick Codey and Jon Corzine were seen as tax hikers, big government liberals, big spenders, part of the machine (in McGreevey's case), leader of the machine (in Codey's and Corzine's case) and corrupt (in McGreevey's and Corzine's case). Republicans in Whitman and DiFrancesco have not fared better. While Whitman attracted new businesses to New Jersey, she was a big spender and borrower and in his short leadership, DiFrancesco was also the same, as well as the fact that he had some ethical questions surrounding his past. When New Jersey voters elected Chris Christie, the charismatic and blunt-talking former US Attorney who convicted 130 corrupt politicians, they wanted things done in a different way.

In their respective leadership tenures, both Christie and Ryan have seen successes. Ryan has led the Jets to two consecutive years of respectable winning records and playoff appearances while getting the best out of his players. Christie has held the line on taxes, he has come out strong against public sector unions, he has tried to throw a lifeline to major cities like Atlantic City, and is actively working toward cutting spending in the state. Both Ryan and Christie have shown they are aggressive leaders, both Ryan and Christie say exactly what they are thinking and Ryan and Christie have become YouTube celebrities in their own right.

While they have the potential for great things, there is also the chance they could slip up. This season, Ryan has had his list of problems between the Inez Sainz incident, gaining the reputation of attracting and signing malcontents to play for the Jets, embarrassing losses to the Patriots and Dolphins that cost the Jets the AFC East, the foot-fetish thing (more a strange distraction than anything else), his alleged role in the Alosi incident and his potential to go overboard in his rhetoric. He also hasn't won "the big one" yet, as a head coach.

Christie also has incidents that have the potential to derail his administration between the Schundler Affair, less of a focus on the 6 figure/mid-level/non classroom administrators, (Remember, New Jersey has 614 local school districts with their own Boards of Education, as opposed to the county leadership structure every other state uses. Also, some of the larger districts have 2 Curriculum Supervisors per content area and average around 8-10 Assistant Superintendents) and criticisms relating to the December 2011 blizzard. Furthermore, unemployment in New Jersey is still high and Christie has many conservatives questioning his conservative credentials because he has not joined either the Virginia or Florida Health Care lawsuits making their way through the Federal Court System, as well as the fact that he has mocked some Conservatives or not endorsed them.

With those potential roadblocks, both Christie and Ryan can bring the jury to a decision in their favor by backing up their talk with action; a Super Bowl in Ryan's case and job creation, an embrace of Conservatism and proper education reform in Christie's case. They can also work to avoid future distractions similar to the ones that have dogged them in the past two years.

I think this is a fair blueprint for both leaders and as someone with a vested interest in Rex Ryan's and Chris Christie's leadership (as a Jets fan and resident of New Jersey, respectively), I wish them the best and much success in achieving positive leadership, leading to positive change in their respective organizations.

NOTE: Explicit language in some of the Rex Ryan clips.

Uncle Jay Reviews 2010

For the past three years, I have been following the YouTube uploads of Jay "Uncle Jay" Gilbert, a Cincinnati radio personality who talks about current events like he's teaching children, yet he is targeting adults who are oblivious to what is going on in the world around them. At the conclusion of each year, Uncle Jay sings the events of the year to Christmas Carols. While I am sure my readers are cognizant of the world around them and don't need Uncle Jay to teach them about it, this is definitely of worthwhile entertainment value.

2011

It's finally here: 2011! The Right Solutions wishes its readers a happy, healthy and successful 2011. This is the time of year that we take stock in what we want to do personally and professionally and we hope that if those goals are declared, you, the reader, are successful in achieving them.