Lynchburg not hit as bad as some areas by the Recession

I was reading online today that Lynchburg hasn't been hit as hard as some areas in the Great Recession. There are some parts of Detroit that look almost like a war zone.

Although unemployment and under-employment is at almost record levels for the past few decades, more rural areas, especially more rural areas with a diverse background, are faring much better than other places.

I think that's good to remember, because wherever we pick up our paycheck stub, it's better than not having anything at all.

What I think is happening is that people are finding little entrepreneurial jobs here and there -- selling on E-bay, going to the flea market, doing some light housework, helping out in a construction job. Americans are very good at making do, and I know there are a lot of jobs that "fly under the radar."

The problem is, of course, that politicians like to stick people into little boxes. There's the "corporation" box and then there's the "working 9-5" box. What I think is happening is that an astounding number of people don't fit into those two boxes any more.

Ideally, the government should completely leave alone until they are growing very big -- say more than 4 or 5 employees, and then start in with the regulation and taxation. This would help grow a tremendous base that could withstand all sorts of hardship. But instead, I'm afraid, the corner grocer with 2 part-time employees is going to be stuck into the same box as "millionaires and billionaires" and "big business" and we're all going to suffer for it.

But hey, that's why we have elections, right?