Thurmond interview

An interesting interview by Creative Loafing with Athens resident and current Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, particularly this passage ...

It’s the workforce. Kevin Costner. Field of Dreams. “If you build it, they will come.” Build a workforce. One of the things we’ve not done, what we don’t recognize, is that in any business, the most important asset you have is your work force. It doesn’t appear on your ledger sheet or profit-or-loss statement. So that whole notion that we followed in the south of “strong binds, weak minds and cheap labor” is no longer a viable option for this state or country. We must in a very fundamental way, invest in this workforce.

We see now the fallacy of pursuing cheap labor in China or Taiwan. That’s not sustainable over a long period of time. Because when Americans lose jobs and can’t support themselves, can’t pay house notes or purchase the goods, that ultimately cripples the economy. Pursuing the cheap labor, now we recognize, is not the most rational strategy from an economic development perspective.

Because you need consumers. Not only are they your laborers, but they’re also your consumers. So when these laborers can’t earn salaries, that reduces their ability to consume. So it’s in my best interest — and your best interest — to make sure the laborer is well paid, if for no other reason, so he or she can consume more.