OPEN THREAD: Please note how YOU have been a JOB CREATOR in the last week.

[RBInMaine]

We the consumers are the "job creators". Simple as that. We need policies of investment in education-technology-science-research-and infrastructure, fair taxation, INsourcing, a proper minimum wage, unionization, and re-igniting middle class housing (and a number of other measures) to put more money into the hands of the masses who are the CONSUMERS or, in other words, the REAL JOB CREATORS. Here are some jobs I helped create in the last week in Maine:

1) Kayak Manufacturer at Old Town Canoe Co. and Salesman at Old Town Canoe outlet store when I bought my new kayak.

2) Local hardware retail sales reps when buying paint and supplies to paint my living room.

3) Retail sales positions when buying a few products at a local department store branch.

4) Grocery sales positions when buying groceries at the local store.

5) Auto care technicians at the local quick lube.

6) Gas station/car wash workers when buying gas and getting a wash.

7) Movie theater workers when taking my kid to see a movie.

8) Local parks and rec workers when paying to swim at the local pool.

(And also created the jobs of all the owners and makers of the goods as well.)

We need to press the fact that it is we the people who are the real "Job Creators" and not the millionaires like Mittens RoMONEY who KILL jobs, ship them overseas, and hide their money in the Caymans. You don't create jobs by consolidating wealth into the hands of a small number of rich people. You do it by increasing the incomes of millions of middle and working class folks who will spend it and thus create jobs. Most small business owners are saying: "I don't need a tax cut. I need CUSTOMERS."

[benld74]

1. Hired a good carpenter to fix our front door instead of buying an expensive new one!

[RBInMaine]

2. Awesome one !

[Neoma]

3. Went to the library!

Uhm... does that one count?

[RBInMaine]

5. Yup. Librarians and their assistants.

[Neoma]

9. I know, except I only ever give them overdue fees.

[RBInMaine]

25. Libraries are subsidized. Just by going you up their census and so support those jobs.

[steve2470]

4. Hired a plumber to do some work nt

[RBInMaine]

6. Another good one !

[cherokeeprogressive]

7. I bought gas on my way to the grocery store.

[kestrel91316]

8. I own a business and have two employees (I don't count myself though I work F/T),

I have bought hundreds of dollars of medical supplies in the past 2 weeks, employing manufacturers, scientists, shipping people, customer service people, yadda yadda yadda; I have used the services of the power company's employees, the phone/internet company's employees, and xray equipment maintenance guy; I have purchased retail miscellany for the office, which keeps retail store employees employed.

At home I have purchased groceries, which employs stockers and checkers and marketing people and growers/pickers; I have purchased sundries at the drugstore, which employs more stockers and checkers along with manufacturing and shipping labor; I have again kept the phone and internet and power people employed, and let's not forget my apartment manager and the maintenance staff here.

I do not directly employ gas station clerks, but I do employ liquor store clerks when that bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos calls my name as I stroll down the street.

And the Cheeto factory workers. And the farmers that grew the corn or wheat or whatever the Cheetos are made of.

I could go on.

[RBInMaine]

26. Amazing how many jobs in the chain we support when we purchase items.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. Major remodeling of my kitchen and bathroom -

work for 2 carpenters, an electrician, a plumber, and several others.

[RBInMaine]

28. It's why housing is so important. Think about construction of new homes, repairs and renovations of

existing homes that are sold, new products bought for new homes, etc.

[Woody Woodpecker]

11. I paid my budtender today....

To grow what God gave us.

Legally.

[RBInMaine]

27. Gotta wet the whistle once in a while. Grain was never grown in better cause.

[KatChatter]

48. Me too but I am an International Job Creator too

some local farmer in faraway BC, the people who transported it in 2 countries and my local supplier are all directly employed by me!

Can I get a tax break for creating international jobs?

[freshwest]

12. 95% of my income goes into someone else's pocket for everything I need every month.

My cash flows swiftly, never stays in one place long. I don't get much of what some call 'wants,' but for me it's all the same, thus good. The energy from money is meant to be moving all the time.

[RBInMaine]

29. This is why we need fair taxation, to up middle level income.

[freshwest]

43. I'm not sure what you're talking about in reference to my post.

[marybourg]

13. Gave an entire week's work, plus

overtime, to my handyman; bought 11 pieces of re-sale furniture at a consignment shop and had them delivered by a separate company; had an old dental crown removed, new innards put in and was fitted for a new($1650) crown, ordered a new compressor for my rental condo, added time to my phone, food to my fridge, talked to "customer service" at 2 companies I regularly deal with. and more.

[RBInMaine]

30. Wow. You created LOTS of jobs in the last week.

[marybourg]

41. Yes. But I live a generally frugal

life. Every once in a while expenses bunch up. Years ago it used to involve car repairs. Thankfully there are now Toyotas. I have had only 1 car repair in 12 years. Not creating any jobs in the repair shop.

[stevedeshazer]

14. Went on a three day road trip.

Me and my adult kids. We supported a non-chain motel locally owned. We ate at locally owned food joints. We bought convenience food, too. We bought excellent cherries, berries, and smoked salmon from a local native american fruit stand. We got a speeding ticket. And we supported a local weed dealer.

The winners? The workers. Local motel workers, restaurant workers, farm workers, cops, and the local weed dealer.

My only regret is the petroleum industry assholes who severely overcharged us for gasoline. All the rest earned their money honestly.

Money is like manure. If you spread it around, things grow. If you let it pile up, it stinks.

[mzteris]

15. I've helped hire over 100 people

In the past 20 ish months.

These people travel - fly mostly, some driving, they stay in hotels, they eat, they rent cars they seek out local entertainment where they go, where they live. They're buying houses and condos and cars. They're renting nicer apartments. They're saving money. They're utilizing insurance services. They are contributing to society. They make well above average salaries.

We are a company who genuinely cares about our people and it shows. Hardly anyone has left us once they come to work for us. Some by our choice, some by circumstances beyond their control, some by offers they couldn't refuse, though they know they can come back to us in a heartbeat.

It's a liberal co owned by a liberal compassionate man. He gives back to the community. Helps those in need and engenders an environment that makes people proud to work for our company.

[RBInMaine]

31. Progressive capitalism at its best. AWESOME ! A model for many businesses.

[SmileyRose]

16. i've been sick

I flushed so much this week the folks working at Clayton Water probably all got overtime.

[RBInMaine]

32. Sorry to hear about that. Use any over-the-counter meds? If so, you created jobs.

[Historic NY]

17. Have an under-employed contractor working on my house...

were getting close to finishing waiting for the gutter guy. It been 3 months.

I've had a neighbor thats a self-emplyed painter do some painting
The local garage door company replace the old door
Local electricians replace the outside main lines
Local utility replace the meter
Two local building inspectors to check out the modifications
My local independant blacktopper to sealcoat and put in a drain

I've spread my money around, thank to the local credit union the gave me an advance.

I ended at my local massage therapist after taking on a job the landscaper never showed up to do.

[RBInMaine]

33. Excellent. Another good example too of needing to boost housing with all the construction and

repairs and renovation work that go with building a new house or buying existing homes that need fixes.

[2ndAmForComputers]

18. Mostly everything I did. Food, transportation, entertainment, utilities...

Well, I may have spent a couple hours here and there indulging in hobbies that don't require me spending money. During those, I wasn't job-creating.

[RBInMaine]

34. Did you wear down or use up anything with your hobbies? If so, future jobs are in the making.

[XemaSab]

19. Bought some beer from Sierra

It's my local brewery.

[kcass1954]

20. I went to the grocery store, and let the bag boy carry two small-ish bags out to my car.

There's no self-service checkout where I shop.

[B Calm]

21. Bought a bag of potato chips

[RBInMaine]

35. Spud growers thank you. We have tons of them in northern Maine.

[Lugnut]

22. I went to the drug store and grocery store twice this week.

I picked up my mail at the mailbox.
I watched TV and used the phone and internet service I buy from the cable provider.
My house had electric power that I buy from PPL.
I watered the plants that I bought from local nurseries and farmers.

[RBInMaine]

39. All things that create jobs.

[limpyhobbler]

23. did groceries, waited in line extra 5 minutes for the cashier instead of using automated self scan

I also ate out twice, both times at Wendy's.

[Chan790]

24. I bought groceries.

It's not much but it's what I can do on my pittance of an income. Next week, I get to stimulate the economy by paying my rent.

[Raine]

36. Along with things like the market etc. I went to an amusement park

helping to create summer jobs for students.

[RBInMaine]

38. And then the students pay tuition which helps their colleges.

[Fumesucker]

37. $140 to the dentist to find out it's going to cost way more money than I have to fix my teeth..

Had an abscess and went to get antibiotics and see about pulling the tooth, they insisted on writing up the rest of it..

Five thousand dollars, might as well be five million..

On the bright side the prescription for antibiotics was free at Publix..

[madokie]

40. Yup, like the new larger pool that we replaced our old one with

Every single piece of it was made here in the good old USA too. I made sure of that before we purchased it. Like the new vinyl low E glass windows and house wrap we put in/on last fall. Like the new replacement Harman wood pellet stove we bought two winters ago, All made right here by Americans in our own shops. Yeah we are doing our part in creating jobs and will continue as long as we're able too.

[RBInMaine]

45. Great that you are buying American. I do that as much as I can too. New Kayak is Made in MAINE.

[Tracer]

42. After 40 years of car shuffling in a one-car driveway ...

I hired a local paving company to widen the driveway. Kaching!

After that, I hired a local landscaper to redo the weed-ridden, ant-infested, chipmunk-ridden front lawn -- which was the eyesore of the neighborhood. Kaching, Kaching!!

Each of these two companies had at least 6 men working on the driveway and lawn. So the money spent was spread around quite a bit to some very hard-working people.

[RBInMaine]

46. Perfect examples. Congrats on the improved driveway and re-done lawn.

[Tanuki]

44. Donated to two non-profits---a portion of the donation will go to hiring people to implement

the work that they do with children and wildlife, respectively. I also took an elderly relative out and treated her to a mani-pedicure and having her hair done, so that helped support the workers who provide those services. Then there was the usual grocery and pharmacy shopping for myself, purchasing gasoline, and two meals at a restaurant....numerous workers were supported throughout the supply chain for every bit of it. I pay someone to mow my lawn, and I also rent office space for my professional practice, so that helps create jobs for maintenance and custodial workers. I pay someone else to do my billing....gee, now that I think about it, I (like everyone else here) am quite the job creator! And others are equally involved in supporting and enabling the work that I do for a living. Thank you for making this point concrete for all of us today.

[RBInMaine]

47. Great examples. Last night I went to a local restaurant and a concert. More jobs created !

[KatChatter]

49. If We the People want to Make a Point About who REALLy Spends the Money

and creates jobs...

Pay all your bills and purchases that you can in cash, but clearly mark all your money with "Courtesy of the 99%" or something else referencing the 99% but mark it every time you get it even if it already is marked.

If enough people do it most of the money in circulation will have multiple 99% marks on it and a very loud message will be sent that will not be ignored.

It has worked before.
Back in the 80's the City of Virginia Beach did not want sailors haning out at the beach in Summer and businesses were asking the Navy to be added to the banned list during the summer but taken off the list in winter when all the tourist were gone.

so the Navy decided to pay its sailors with two dollar bills. By Monday and all the weekend deposits were made the banks in Va Beach were flooded with 2 dollar bills. The point was made and the message was well received by the business community where their money was really coming from and the nonsense stopped.