>>SOUTHERN INDIANA —  

The quicker a newly-released inmate finds a decent job, the more likely he is to stay out of trouble and out of jail. A job means an income; with an income, he can find a place to live, get reliable transportation, cover his basic living expenses, and begin to make a dent in his other financial obligations, such as paying his fines, court and probation fees, spousal and child support, and so on.

He also becomes a taxpayer. This means that he’s no longer a drain on the public treasury, but a fiscally responsible adult contributing his share. Many ex-offenders also join churches, and through their tithes and offerings contribute to those works of benevolence that help ease the grip of poverty and suffering in our community. When an ex-offender finds a job, everyone benefits.

All this comes back to finding a job right out of the box. The longer it takes to find gainful employment, the more discouraged the job seeker with a criminal record may become, until he gives up and makes a stupid decision to “earn” a living the old way, dealing drugs or otherwise breaking the law. From that point on, it is only a matter of time — usually three years or less — before he is caught, convicted, and becomes a guest of the county or state again — at taxpayer expense.

With so many more job seekers out there, these days it’s an employer’s market. They can afford to be choosy — and they are. Why take a chance on a guy with a criminal record when there are so many other qualified people looking for work? For that matter, how did the greatest country in the world find itself in our current financial mess?

In my opinion, today’s trouble began when the federal government bailed out Chrysler Motors back in the seventies. Using the scare tactic that Chrysler was “too big to fail,” Mr. Iacocca succeeded in convincing the government to guarantee loans to keep the company afloat. Chrysler paid back the loans, but as history shows, the company still failed in the long run.

The Chrysler bailout sent a message to the rest of our nation’s CEOs that the federal government would come to their rescue if they made bad business decisions; at least, they would do so if they deemed that your enterprise was too big to fail. By artificially removing the risk of failure from big corporation capitalism, government unintentionally encouraged the kind of risk-taking that eventually led to current economic conditions.

For example; AIG should have been allowed to fail when it got into trouble. Recognizing opportunity, smaller, leaner companies would have moved in and picked up the pieces. One dominant company would have been replaced by many smaller ones, fostering competition, lowering premiums, and encouraging better customer service.

Rather than experience a painful but temporary financial dislocation, followed by the entry of new players and subsequent dynamic growth in the insurance industry, we have instead settled for the false security of government-funded malaise.

Ford decided not to take bailout money; they have done better than the car companies that did. Coincidence?

The most important issue, largely ignored by the national media, is not what is happening with the biggest companies in America, but what is going on with small business. Small business accounts for more than 90 percent of new job creation. Why aren’t they getting 90 percent of the news coverage?

Here’s the story; right now, most small business owners are paralyzed by uncertainty. They dare not invest in creating new jobs until they know what the new rules are going to be. Business people cannot make plans to expand as long as government keeps changing the rules.

There are at least two issues holding back job creation; first, the federal government’s apparent eagerness to increase the tax burden on the people who create most of our jobs, and second, the possibility that government will take over our health care system.

The rich, that is to say, anyone earning more than $250,000 a year, are already paying the lion’s share of taxes; making them pay more means there will be fewer resources available for the small business owners among them to create more jobs.

Given the choice between giving more money to our government to spend, or letting employers keep it so they can hire more people and expand, I vote for the people who actually create new jobs.

Until they know the outcome of the health care debate, many small business owners are going to try to get by without hiring more people. What will the additional cost of a reorganized health care system be to employers?

Important question. Answer? No one really knows. Business is risky enough when you know the rules; it is too much to expect business people to hire more workers when they don’t know what new hoops our government will require them to jump through, or how much more they will have to pay for the privilege.

Four of the men I mentor are out of prison; two have jobs, and the other two are still looking. For one of them, it took a year before he found steady employment. No one should have to look that long.

The other 14 men I mentor are still doing time, but all of them will be getting out between now and the end of the year. Almost all of them will need jobs.

These men are serious about starting over on a new foundation of faith, long-term sobriety, hard work, and accountability. All they are asking for is a chance to prove themselves. All they are asking for is a job.

Johnson is executive director of Christian Formation Ministries. His organization has numerous volunteer opportunities available. For information, e-mail richard@christian-formation.org, or call 812-945-0886.