It’s a New Year, But Has Anything Changed?

USA Today, Opinion Column: Black public servants bear brunt of cuts.

This column, in USA Today, is unfortunately indicative of our inability to talk or debate any subject without bringing the matter of race immediately to the forefront.  With it comes the question of expectations and legitimacy.  Dr. Julianne Malveaux, as president of “a small, private, historically Black liberal arts college for women” clearly has a social and political agenda to push.  She makes the statement that Black citizens will bear the brunt of layoffs when federal and state governments when they begin the inevitable process of downsizing.  To me that means these layoffs will push more Blacks out of work than non-Blacks.  Yet her numbers do not support her supposition. 

Perhaps as an economist she is trained to ignore the obvious and see deeper meaning in the math, or perhaps there are facts not in evidence in the article that she attempts to convey.  For example, she talks of the financial difficulties of the Post Office and its need to close offices and terminate 100,000 employees.  She then says 21% of the workforce is Black.  Taken at face value those two statements suggest that 21,000 (more or less) Black employees should be laid off, if the layoffs are non-discriminatory.  That would leave 79,000 (more or less) non-Black workers laid off.  I don’t see the brunt of layoffs being carried by the Blacks here, unless there is some other determinant, for example the layoffs and closing will come in areas that are predominately minority areas where a larger percentage of the workforce is Black.  That qualifier is never discussed.

When talking of the public sector workforce she outlines how a greater percentage of Blacks then non-Blacks have entered that force because earnings and advancement opportunities are greater than in the private sector for them.  Why is that?  Is it because there is little competition for advancement in the public sector, and once you have your job historically you are not likely to loose it, or since the organization is not profit driven it will maintain all workers, not just those who strive to excel? 

At what point do we focus on building a strong economy and not using the government to further experiments in social engineering?  At what point do we hold all citizens equal with the same rights and entitlements?  When does race become not the focus of our social arguments but a reason to celebrate our individual heritage and diversity?