Let’s talk trash for a moment, shall we? The reason for this not-so-savory subject is that it’s getting ugly out there and, once again, President Trump is to blame. Those in the trash industry are calling the nationwide shortage of garbage men a “perfect storm.” The dearth of folks willing to pick up your refuse is causing a panic, and the real cause behind this unholy mess is the unemployment rate.
By now you may have heard that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the number of those out of work has fallen to 3.6%. This is being touted as the lowest rate in America since 1969. Yes, that 1969, the year we put a man on the moon and the New York Mets won the World Series – though there is still an argument in some quarters as to which of those two events represents a miracle.
Along with that is the figure 263,000. That’s the number of new jobs that were added to the U.S. labor force in April. Much to the dismay of the Democrats, 76,000 of these new employment opportunities were in business services, 33,000 in construction and 27,000 in health care. Unfortunately, the federal government added another 12,500 to their already bloated number.
Unable to ignore this economic boom any longer, media outlets like CNBC, The Washington Post and, dare we say, CNN have begun to recognize what rank and file Americans already know: There’s no one left in the country who wants to pick up your trash.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics verifies this and reports the unemployment rate in the waste industry is 2.4%. In the trash lexicon, these people aren’t known as garbage men but rather “trash haulers.” As you can well imagine, picking up your empty Amazon boxes, hollow soup cans, and heaven knows what else left curbside, is considered “amongst the least sexy professions.”
Democrats Are Not Amused
Put all this together, and you have really, really, really bad news for the Democrats. First, it’s a challenge to make the case that only the top 1% are benefitting from a Trumpian economic boom when so many people on Main Street are getting jobs. Then there’s the issue of all these new folks joining the workforce who will be part of labor unions. From health care to the feds to manufacturing – these were always the Democrats’ bread and butter. Take out union support and what are the Dems left with? Well, there’s always illegal immigrants and felons. Is steadfast Democratic support for these two groups now coming into sharp focus?
CNN – yes, that CNN – has a poll out that shows 56% of Americans approve of the job President Trump has done with the economy. Here’s the most frightening part of that survey for those on the left:
“Trump has improved his ratings on the economy by double-digits among those under age 35 (up 16 points), non-whites (up 13 percentage points), independents (up 11 points), women (up 10 points) and even Democrats (up 10 points).”
These demographic groups have been consistent Democratic voters for many decades. Looking at it another way, would Barack Obama, Bill Clinton or even Jimmy Carter have made it into the Oval Office without blacks, Hispanics, women, or those under 35? Perhaps this is why Democrats are making every effort to keep the president off the ballot in 2020.
Democrats are making every effort to keep the president off the ballot in 2020.
But back to the urgent matter at hand – your trash. You can bet the folks that have changed Virginia from a red state to a blue one live in and around Fairfax County. So, in addition to losing voters and having to admit to a smokin' hot economy, they are being treated to a lovely tableau of blue and green trash cans sitting in front of their swank abodes all the live-long work week.
While the president’s supporters may throw their hands up and admit that – in Trump parlance – “I’m tired of winning,” Democrats are panicking that they may not see a “w” in their column for some time to come. But in the meantime, if the Dems in D.C. can’t find anything else to do, they can be directed to the local waste management company. I hear there are a lot of openings for trash haulers.
