America's New "Entrepreneurs" (Scoop.co.nz) President George W. Bush, in an effort to counteract the news of ever-increasing unemployment as the result of out-sourcing and recession, constantly harps on the fact that Americans are turning to ''entrepeneurship'' in droves, going into business for themselves and ''growing the economy''. This claim could use a little closer look. I know a few of these "entrepeneurs" and their stories are not nearly so rosy as he depicts them.

One man of my acquaintance lost his job three years ago, and began to work in the local gas fields as a maintenance man for the pumps and lines through which the natural gas is distributed to surrounding communities. The gas is directed from local fields through a metered system and purchased by local comsumers who are billed for it by the multi-national petroleum companies who, in trun, pay the owners of the gas fields. Now, you might call the men who do the work of pumping and delivering this product "entrepeneurs" since they are not considered "employees".

These men are considered "contract workers" which relieves the employer of responsibilty for collecting Federal withholding taxes, Social Security payroll deductions, or of maintaining workers' comprehensive or unemployment insurance. In any other business, this would not be allowed but, for some reason, the oil companies are exempt from the requirements with which all other employers must comply.

(More ... Opinion: Mary Pitt: America's New "Entrepeneurs")  ¶ 10:27