The Jobs Just Aren't There. So What Happens Next?
By Susie Madrak Monday Jun 22, 2009 3:00pm
The same people who insisted the first stimulus package was plenty (remember that famous "bipartisan" compromise?) and that the economists who said otherwise (Paul Krugman, Nouriel Roubini, etc.) were overreacting now quietly agree: It really wasn't enough. It wasn't enough, and now it will be even more politically difficult fr Obama to go back and ask for more - just as Krugman warned.
Despite signs that the recession gripping the nation's economy may be easing, the unemployment rate is projected to continue rising for another year before topping out in double digits, a prospect that threatens to slow growth, increase poverty and further complicate the Obama administration's message of optimism about the economic outlook.
The likelihood of severe unemployment extending into the 2010 midterm elections and beyond poses a significant political hurdle to President Obama and congressional Democrats, who are already under fire for what critics label profligate spending. Continuing high unemployment rates would undercut the fundamental argument behind much of that spending: the promise that it will create new jobs and improve the prospects of working Americans, which Obama has called the ultimate measure of a healthy economy.
"Our hope would be to actually create some jobs this year," Obama said in an interview with The Washington Post in the days before taking office.
Obama has defended his economic approach -- which includes the $787 billion economic stimulus plan and record investments in health care, alternative energy, education and job training -- as necessary to stabilize the shaky economy and point the way to job growth.
So far, the White House has counseled patience even as the political debate surrounding its economic policies grows more urgent. Officials point out that job growth will not come until robust economic expansion takes hold, which they expect will happen as stimulus funding works its way through the economy. Still, the flagging job market is likely to stir calls for further stimulus efforts as polls show voters growing increasingly wary of federal spending in the wake of a costly series of financial- and auto-industry bailouts and amid current efforts to expand health-care coverage to the uninsured, which is estimated to cost at least $1 trillion over the next decade.
With many forecasters projecting unemployment to remain above 10 percent next year and not return to pre-recession levels of roughly 5 percent for years after that, Obama is likely to be confronted with defending the effectiveness of his economic policies as the nation endures its worst employment situation in a generation.
Analysts say the high levels of joblessness would be accompanied by increases in child poverty, strained government budgets, and black and Latino unemployment rates approaching 20 percent.
"I find it unfathomable that people are not horrified about what is going to happen," said Lawrence Mishel, president of the Economic Policy Institute. "I regard all this talk about how the recession is maybe going to end, all the talk about deficits and inflation, to be the equivalent of telling Americans, 'You are just going to have to tough it out.' But we're looking at persistent unemployment that is going to be extraordinarily damaging to many communities. There is a ton of pain in the pipeline."
The final federal benefits extension, the one that's the end of the line? They make you prove you're looking for work and require you to accept any job they find that pays as much as your unemployment check.
You know, as if it's your fault you're unemployed during a major recession and you're just too lazy to look.
I guess that was part of the "bipartisan" solution. You'd think they'd be smart enough to figure out that if they're funding a third benefits extension, duh! It's because there aren't any jobs. On the other hand, you get to brag to the voters back home how you're making those bums pay - and in addition, you get the sheer fun of kicking people when they're down. So there's that, too!
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Wasn't the Obama stimulus the THIRD one, when you count Bushies big tax rebate spendathon? It's been obvious to ALL economists that there was no way in he** that even put together, these stimulus packages would create jack squat, with every state and municipality basically bankrupt. The money is all going to what it isn't supposed to be going to. Paying bills of other governments and not stimulating anyone's economy. The alternative? Massive tax increases across the board at state and city levels. What will that help though, with so many with no incomes? Nothing. Until Mr. Corporation decides his belly is full of taxdollars, this charade will go on and on and on and on. Prepare for Stimulus Bill 2009 Part Deux. Coming soon to a CONgress near you.
We're not interested in hosting your flame war.
Please keep your comments on topic and off other posters.
Sorry. There is alot of pent up anger out there. I apologize to one and all if I fueled the flames.
I am sick of the hate speech. Good for you! Good post!
I agree.
ConcernedCannuck, that is.
referring to me?
the 'ignore' feature exists. I have concernedcanuck on ignore, and I enjoy my time here much more because of it.
Obviously it hasn't "been obvious to ALL economists that there was no way in he** that even put together, these stimulus packages would create jack squat" ..
Do your homework. Lotsa economists were saying it was too much, or just right. Krugman, Stiglitz, et al were warning it wasn't enough, but by and large they were ignored.
None of them really know and its gonna be a crapshoot when it comes down to it.I check statics on various sites and they are over the place,Its up in this place down over there-then wait you go somewhere else and its something else.all I can say is that anyone that is too smug about what they think they know may end up with egg on their face.
I heard an interesting thing about Economics the other day on the radio. It is really not a true complete science. Economists can propose a theory like a regular scientist but the cant then perform true experiments to test and prove or disprove the theory. That is probably why there is so much disagreement between Economists on a subject as compared to regular scientists in the similar fields.
What complicates things even further is the mob mentality of how people deal with the swings of economies, and how easy it is to manipulate them with simple rumors.
Now is the time for some innovative thinking. Granted, Michael Moore came up with this idea (so Obama would have a hard time selling it), but what if a certain major car manufacturer were to prove unable to get out of bankruptcy?
What if, in rescuing it, the federal government declared, "OK, we'll save you, but in doing so, we're going to connect this entire country to high-speed rail. All of your factories will be retro-fitted to build the rail lines and cars--converted to a new industry, just like in WWII"? Hundreds of thousands of domestic jobs would be created (as when the interstate highway system were built).
There is precedent for this, in both Democratic and Republican administrations (Roosevelt and Eisenhower). The only questions are: a) are things bad enough for Americans to accept it yet, and b) does anyone in our federal government have the political backbone?
Krugman predicted this months ago. He said from the very beginning that this was going to be a jobless recovery for years.
...in the year when it came to the banks.
M1 needed M2 then, it doesn't need it now nor want it and that sucks because we're in for a hurting as people live off what they've got and learn to appreciate the littler things in life
State secret and all that.
The Paul Krugman Negative Channel is 24/7 all negative all the time. Then when something he "predicted" comes true, Paul trotts out the "told you so" banner.
It doesn't take a degree in Economics to be a nay saying arm chair quarterback, anybody can do it quite easily.
Sorry, but if Krugman were really an "expert" then he would have a range of predictions some negative some positive. Just seems like no matter what, or who is in office they are doing everything wrong according to Paul Krugman.
My apologies to Paul fans.
Krugman predicted this months ago. He said from the very beginning that this was going to be a jobless recovery for years.
If Krugman is so smart then maybe he should run for office then he can drive the bus according the "Paul Krugman Rules of the Road" and we will no longer have economic troubles.
Sorry but I am not buying the Paul is all knowing, all powerful, argument.
Talking about a "jobless recovery" just proves that this economy is no longer being run for the average person. I guess it's now considered a recovery once Wall Street starts raking in the big bucks again. If you cant get a job, no health insurance, out on the street. Oh well...
...dubbya recovery. All hat, no cowboy.
...and the 3rd way is the one usually reported and repeated by the news agencies.
The 6th way is the question of "Do you have a job do you want a job" and it's called the U6 rate.
The U6 rate will reach 20%-ish before end of 2010, if dems want to stay in office they HAVE to remind the public of what got us into this mess lest we forget.
People are only unemployed for six months or whatever period their state pays it out, so we can all pretend things are getting better, when theres no more (non gov job) people to lose their jobs.
As the 'onmessage' news people were shilling last week, the rate of people becoming unemployed is falling (it didn't rise as much as last month), no matter that spring is traditionally a falling period due to seasonal influences, any rise or flat rate is bad.
No more unemployment, no jobs, must feed family, no home, mortgage foreclosed upon, thus welfare, Section 8, food stamps,...MEDICAID! Score!!!! All you tea-baggers start bitching. They get nothing, they all should die from hunger and lack of shelter and medical care, the lazy worthless bastards. Libertarians say, "That's what you get. Stand on your own two feet, or how ever many feet are in your family. Don't ask for anything, and you won't be disappointed when you don't get anything." Republichunts say, "We have what we need. What could the problem possibly be? Not that we care."
Where we live, even Walmart is not hiring. Sorry you have lost your home, job, and have to live in section 8 housing. Doesn't matter how it happened, nobody really feels good about being forced to choose section 8 housing and etc.
I can understand your frustration. It is really hard to not make the case for class warfare when Republicans appear it to be sticking to the working class every chance they get.
i think the pov that cc is trying to express is that obama has not proven to be friendly to those who got him elected and in fact he lately has been posing as a double agent. i can understand your lashing out in hurt but is cc right?
...overall Obama has done 90% of what he said he'd do.
A lot of the whiners are attaching arbitrary time lines to campaign promises Obama made.
I'm patient, it's gonna take just as long to get us out of this crap as Bush et al got us into
people need to start being realistic. These problems are real, and can't be cured with the big promise/big lie methods of the GOP.
Jeebus, people have such unrealistic expectations.
Umpteen years ago I went to Canada for a graduate program.
As I was packing to go, my neighbor came over to chat. She said she had lived in Canada briefly herself. Then she said, "I know you aren't very fond of the American government, but in Canada you're going to find yourself in the awkward position of defending your government from the Canadians who attack it for all the wrong reasons."
And you know what? She was right.
By the way .. I very much enjoyed living in Canada and wish the US would emulate some of Canada's much more people-oriented public policies.
Odd..innit?
;)
I do loathe having to occasionally defend this Administration. But I'm holding out as this one is paradise compared to before.
Hmmmmmm...
I know!! They can start a war!!
Oh, wait...
I guess making over a third of the "stimulus" package tax breaks wasn't such a good idea after all. How does that bipartisanship feel now?
The problem with the stimulus was not only that it was too small, but it gave too many tax cuts to people and corporations that did not need them. Well, there are other reasons as well: not enough investment in high-speed rail, education, health, infastructure, etc. The list could go on and on.
Obama wanted to throw a bone to the republicans. He should have marched right over them and done what needed to be done, bipartisanship be damned.
And there is another part of the 'Stimulus' that no one, except me, will touch.
The several hundred billion dollar section 382 Bankster tax GIVEAWAY.
here &
here
----
And for the gloom and doom junkies, brother can you spare a trillion, here from the latest (1st quarter '09 in pdf) Fed funds report:
"Mish" (Mike Shedlock) The greatest credit collapse in history here
The citizens (called consumers everywhere else) of the US since the second half of 2007 have experienced a $13.87 trillion collapse in net worth. Property values, stock market holdings what have you.
They have huge credit card debt, dropping employment, property values continuing to fall and banks that are not lending to anyone but their best customers. The one's that don't need the money. The banks have only written down a quarter of the losses they have and will experience. By bailing them out to the tune $4.8 trillion spent thus far we guarantee that they are not mended.
It was a colossal malfeasance of government and fraud by the banksters that caused this calamity.
Japan followed precisely the same course in dealing with their banking crisis starting in the early nineties and they are yet to recover.
Their latest numbers are absolutely terrible, for anyone into the schadenfreude.
Good piece on Bloomberg with Carl Weinberg here. Apropos to us is the debt to GDP ratio.
I remember reading that piece about that giveaway for banks. However, I guess I forgot about it because of all the new evils that have taken place since then. I need to make a spread sheet to keep track of all the dastardly deeds that have been done in relationship to this economic clusterfuck (I hate using that term, but it's the word that I find most appropriate for the situation in which we find ourselves).
Thanks for the Carl Weinberg piece. I find it interesting that he is absolutely dismal regarding Japan, but somehow foresees a silver lining for America. I just found that odd since our government has been responding almost identically to the way the Japanese government did during the 90s.
However, I do agree that this situation will not be solved in a year or even in five. I liked how he used the word "transition" as in this is a transitional time. I agree. We could see this situation as a chance to make things right, to transition our nation into one that is pro-worker, pro-green energy, etc.
I'm trying to stay optimistic by hoping that this will happen, that Americans will use this opportunity to rethink the way they live their lives and how they define success, wealth, and equality.
Yet, I'll remain a jaded optimist because from what I can tell most people, or at least our politicians and the corporations, just want to go back to the status quo.
As always, thanks for the information. I'll hopefully get into the Fed Funds report later this evening.
think it's entirely accurate to say that we are duplicating what Japan did in the 90's. If I remember correctly, they waited much longer to employ fiscal stimulus, and relied on monetary policy for too long.
At least that's how I remember it. If I'm wrong I'm sure someone can correct me.
It is right on the front page of You-tube, Susie. See they gave over 2 trillion dollars to the Ceo's and bankers(1 trillion for an illegal war), there is just not enough left for us we the people, BUT!!!! we can Volunteer and serve @ serve.gov. It just opened. So now what?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZaBHgj6jYE&fe...
Hey you won't be sorry, work for free and live in a tent.
I made a comment on the website and got back an e-mail telling me, no matter who you are, volunteer, blah, blah, blah. And I will, as soon as Cheney, Bush, Blackwater, KRB, et al. are charged and arrested.
That is an awesome volunteer organization!!!!! Instead of getting a group together to clean the yards of the rich republicans that own all our houses now we could organize to make the government do their jobs.
to make them go, but good idea.
You could volunteer to be on the jury of the war crimes trial.
Especially if you are going though difficulties. Also, in the process you meet some really great people!!
Many people think volunteering is some type of construction or heavy physical work. My Wife and I have prepared tax returns for low income people and volunteer doing very easy odd jobs at the food bank, such as sorting cans of donated food into groupings, ie... beans, corn, fruit. Very easy stuff.
And in the process of volunteering, somehow you don't seem to be so focused on your problems, the sky seems a little brighter, and there is a little "gitty up" in your step.
If you go back to early last year when the banks started to have money, the Treasury department under Henry Paulson pumped over $6 Trillion into the banking system, not counting the Tarp Fund and Stimulus bill.
aren't lending, and the stock market is not bringing in new capital, the only seed capital for new job creation is going to come from government stimulus. Which, makes me think that the money being paid to the banksters is money down a rat hole, since the banksters are pretty much refusing to put it to work on society's behalf. If the $784B stimulus money weren't there, we be going belly up. If anything, more is needed.
they've been given so far besides cover their asses with respect to future business and pay themselves? Anything?
Last fall, PNC Bank of Pittsburgh bought National City Bank of Cleveland. And PNC acknowledged they used TARP money to buy National. But it was ok, because Republicans didn't put any restrictions on the use of TARP money last fall.
Also, the Treasury Dept under Henry Paulson relaxed capital gains rules during the crash last fall, so PNC paid $ ZERO in taxes when they purchased National City.
Further, prior to the purchase of National City by PNC. National City applied for TARP money to avoid being taken over by PNC, but was turned down by the Treasury Dept under Henry Paulson sighting, "National City was over extended in it's debt to capital ratio."
Duhh, well yeah. That's why Republicans came up with the TARP fund in the first place to prop up failing banks.
But alas, the plot is too thick for the public to understand, or care about; so wrong doer's will not be held accountable in yet another silent, secret deal behind the curtain; and underhand dealings will never be exposed to the light of day.
After the Savings and Loan Crash of years past, Savings and Loan movers and shakers went to jail. After banking crash of '08', Banking movers and shakers went to the club house to slap each other on the back and have a drink.
When good Men do nothing, evil triumphs, and then good Men are no longer good. Gotta love that free market.
The funny part is, tax money from people that lost their jobs in the purchase of National City, was used to put them out of work. If this is not an excellent example of class warfare of Elitist Class against the Working Class then I don't know what is!
Super Rich and Powers that be hoard all the money. There's nothing for the country to run on let alone growth.
What percent of that $787 billion has actually been disbursed?
i thought only a few billion had actually been released thus far.
Californian residents/taxpayers/VOTERS are getting their tax 'rebates'... Who cares if California is bankrupt, as long as they keep on borrowing to pay out the rebates.
If people lose their jobs and then lose unemployment, welfare, and any other safety net, then they cannot buy anything, repay loans, invest, or do any other economic activity, which leads to more people losing their jobs and in turn losing unemployment, welfare, etc. It is an abysmal cycle, which will repeat indefinitely until the government steps in and fills the gap.
This is no time for some Ayn Rand/ Libertarian hyper-individualism flim-flam tomfoolery. We need to take a page from both socialism and macroeconomics to get through this mess. We have to stop thinking about what is only best for the individual, but what is best for society as well.
Final point, anyone who has studied macroeconomics knows that the multiplier for tax breaks is much smaller which means the economic impact of a tax break has a smaller effect on output than say the expenditure multiplier. Thus, filling a stimulus package with tax breaks is not the best idea to stimulate an economy.
Precisely.
Putting cash in the hands of people who will spend that cash is the best way to stimulate the economy.
Send me a check .. I promise to spend it !!
unless you're not about building that kind of economy. (ie, one w/a middle class)
I've said it till I was blue in the face. The big money should have been spread around to the people, who would have spent it in various concrete ways and money would have flowed back into the economy. Giving money to banks and corporations is just paper and the f*^!rs just spend it between themselves.
And where are the "work ready projects" that could have put people back to work. I agree the gov't should not be the employer for the country but obviously the corporations are not going to do it. So if they will not do it voluntarily they should be taxed more. Hell, they are paying minimal tax as it is; bring it back to what it was in the 60's and 70's and spread the wealth to those who will put it to work.
Tax breaks for the rich never work.....they just keep it.
There are none, because the majority of Congress is in on the fraud, they would all go to jail if convicted.
My anger got the bestest of me. Underemployment, shrinking capital savings, and a helluva lot of bills have me intolerant. I apologize.
{ It's ok CC. Just try to keep it on topic. Thank You. SM}
that we have pulled back from the abyss. I am not so sure yet.
We will a tough ten years and then we will have a complete collapse.
I'm a bundle of joy.
even truthfull economists agree with you Alice. This sh*t has not even barely hit the fan yet. And the global moneybaggers are now predicting a global shrinkage of almost 3 percent instead of the lofty 1 percent they predicted when Obama and the world announced more free money for the bank fraudsters.
the gas prices rising again is threatening to absolutely knock the pillars out from under the country. This will take another FDR, nothing less will do. Why do we continue to bend to the whining, crying and lies from the reich wing kreeps??
same old, same old
same gas that fell to below 2 bux a gallon...but now its over 3
markets havent risen to old levels...
supply has stayed stable
oil companies are working in concert with the repukes to ruin this country
when will the people of america rise up and send all oil company execs to the guillotine
and why is it that alaska is the only state that owns its own oil....
we in california need to do the same
The oil futures speculation came from China courtesy of their 'Stimulus' package.
In any event peak oil is on us.
By Michael T. Klare at TomDispatch here
Do you spit-up too?
What! no link?
I'll take that for a yes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf2Ozhlh00w
By seeking bi-partisan compromise and insisting that it is "time to look forward and not backward", Obama is risking taking the fall for the disasterous neo-con policies that are destroying the nation.
As the economic depression progresses, it will be more and more Obama's fault. It will not matter that the Bush neo-cons looted the Treasury and refused to enforce laws and regulations. It will only matter that it continues to get worse and worse.
When Roosevelt ran, he made it perfectly clear that the hardship people were experiencing were the direct result of repulican, "free" market policy that helped the rich bosses but left everyone else in the gutter. It seems that Obama and most everyone else forgets that Roosevelt railed about the "raw deal" the previous administrations had given the nation and why he promised a New Deal, that helped the working man. The New Deal has become such a given, we forget what made it "NEW" was that it leveled the playing field, reigned in corporate excess and delivered benefits straight to regular citizens.
The worst part of this is through his attempts to "work together" and compromise, Obama will be viewed as the failure. In 2012, the attacks will be "he promised but did not deliver - because big government is not a solution. Vote republican for free market succss".
And the hard hit will flock to the "new" savior, not unlike German voters in the '30s. and we will get something even worse than Bush-cons.
woe is us.
I will admit when I'm wrong, and I'll even admit I'm wrong alot, but there is one thing I am 100% positive on. If the economy is still not rosy, and unemployment numbers still high, Obama will get the boot faster than a gong show contestant. And then what?
but that's not really going out on a limb. i don't believe many understand the damage that has been done. consumer credit is still a major issue. foreclosures continue,credit card default and unemployment. this is much bigger than obama. this is a economic transition/reset for this country whether we like it or not. this economy has been based on consumerism/china's exports. in the quest for enhanced profit margin(s) companies have been bought out and/or located overseas/mexico/canada. this trend will continue. in my opinion this is the wake up if you will for some upcoming lifestyle changes. not sure anyone can say for sure whether or not it will be gloom/doom but currently it doesn't look good. we have become vulnerable in my opinion. this country has/continues to police the world. that cost money, big money. and now with the economy in a recession(possibly L shaped)recession some say depression depending on the region of the country your in. with this economic recession there's going to be more opposition against military spending.
i say fine but who's going to police the world. we need other countries to help but they to are being economically challenged as this economic and financial crisis is a global problem. it's not very realistic to expect an economic stimulus to have real palpable effects yet. CHINA is going to change everything they are implementing universal healthCare and they have a pent up population hungry to be middleclass ie. gasoline engine vehicles/mcDonalds. our trade agreement(s)with CHINA over the years has financed or better said, subsized our lower taxation. the party is over without some real changes even then this could really last a generation.
so absolutely true....... and if (and I doubt it will happen) Barack Obama does not put the blame (and prove it in short sentences, and pictures for the masses) then all is lost.... We have scant time to wright this rapidly sinking vessel - the bilge pumps can not keep up with leaks......
The Obama recession of course. Or worse maybe.
[Comment Deleted By Administration For Violation Of Terms of Service]
I was feeling left out.
I had one deleted earlier for violation. Made me feel like some kind of criminal or something.
I'm surprised they didn't delete my deletion
Since I did it myself.
:)
With continuing advances in the capabilities of robots and computers we will soon find that all physical work now done by humans can be done by machines. From mining and farming to security and surgery the softmachine is obsolete. It is definitely time to start figuring out a new economic model based on this fact.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXa9tXcMhXQ
Oh, but first, this just in:
White House sees 10 percent joblessness soon
Revises estimate, says figure could be hit in the next few months
WASHINGTON - The White House says double-digit unemployment is coming sooner than previously acknowledged.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the president expects the nation will reach 10 percent unemployment within the next few months.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31493463/ns/busin...
Was not the passing of the much needed immediate Stimulating Package, to stop this? Was it not said to create millions of jobs and keep unemployment from going over 8%? Sigh. What a mess.
the so-called green shoots are abroad. it seems to be mostly countries with less rights and possible corruption. big international/national corporations have little to no loyality. it's their strength and weakness. this is the nature of the beast. find a location provide economic promises/reality.. wear it out and move on. if a factory worker losses an arm on the job in the u.s. they yell out doctor/lawyer in CHINA they yell out next. corporations hate labor and love the path of least resistance at all cost. i believe we need universal healthCare ins. to stimulate american business. something that will stimulate creative business venture the sense that we can compete. if the economic gap and class war continues there could be dire consequences.
but it better be instituted soon...or we are doomed
first...eff the fist bs stimulus package...it is a piece of crap
make a wpa 2...put people back to work doing anything
second...punish all companies who outsource jobs that can be done here
oh, you can outsource if you want...but you will have to pay a penalty equal to what it would cost to employ an american
third...revisit every trade treaty...if the other country's wages, safety measure, etc are not equal to ours...end the treaty
if the other country is not importing an equal value of american goods...end the treaty
i have just fixed the crisis...and jobs will come flooding back
and i dont care who this pisses off
Overblown nonsense.
the unemployed are more likely to die before they can vote Republican. Problem solved for the Democrats.
This MESS we are now experiencing was brought to us by the GOP. They set this thing in motion. Once something as heavy as the USA begins to fall, you cannot stop it. It is simply going to crash. THEN, once we have hit bottom, we can pick up the pieces again. I think the strategy is to REBUILD THIS NATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE. Set us up for hydrogen filling stations, improved roads, get rid of ALL gasoline burning personal cars and leave only diesel for moving massive amounts of goods and services from train depot to the stores. Personal transportation should be either mass transit or hydrogen (or solar) fueled cars. It is the pyramid of the new millennia. It would put generations to work. Granted, Obama's number one mistake was to appease the GOP to the extent he has.
The DOW has dropped 500 in the last week, and theres an article on Bloomberg about the CEOs et al, in various companies who are bailing out and cashing in their personal stocks.
The sh1t has hit the fan, from that Russian Chinese financial meeting last week, to what is coming next.
Is the collapse of the funds holding the various state and municipal SIVs, those wonderful vehicles for making tax revenues magically grow through property speculation.
No SIV money, no state or city spending, life as we know it stops.
Florida had that scare when their was that run on the bank that held its various SIVs, just shows putting a inexpert political appointee (brother of some party activist) in charge of billions of taxpayers money, is a bad thing.
That according to the GOP if you make less then $200,000.00 a year you are not even an American!
The only ones that count in republican bizzaro world are the people that give them large sums of money for their support in what ever scheme they propose to launch.
They could not care less about anyone that does no contribute to them.
Here is a list of elected people taking payoffs to cheat the American people and the amounts of bribes being taken. This is just from health care and insurance.
It is mind boggling to think how much these people are taking from others!
Arlen Specter (R-D- PA- $4,026,933)
Max Baucus (DLC- MT- $2,833,731)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY- $2,758,468)
And when you just go right to Big Insurance, the non-presidential candidates who got the biggest legalized bribes were the 7 senators who have been tasked with the job of killing single-payer:
Ben Nelson (DLC-NE- $1,196,799)
Max Baucus (DLC- MT- $1,184,113)
Joe Lieberman (DLC- CT- $1,036,302)
Arlen Specter (R-D- PA- $1,035,530)
Chuck Schumer (D-NY- $981,400)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY- $929,207)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA- $884,724)
We need to investigate and prosecute these criminals now. Severe jail terms are in order for these criminals!
republicanism is a mental illness!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abYhYuYp2Is
The same thing that always happens. Democrats, specifically Obama, were given a mandate to fix the horrific mess 12 years of Republican rule in Congress, 6 under a Democratic President made irrelevant by his own stupidity, and 6 more under the most corrupt, evil and dangerous, as well as dangerously self interested, Republican President EVER KNOWN. Instead of going all out to do what the vast majority of Americans mandated them to do, Democrats, under the dubious "leadership" of Nancy Nay Sayer, who would let NO BILL come to the floor without a guarantee of a win of epic proportions, caved to every demand, illegally spying on AMERICANS IN AMERICA, who's only crime was they, maybe, didn't agree with the neocon BS. Democrats PASSED telecom immunity, taking away Americans constitutionally granted RIGHT to sue those who broke the law at the orders of the Bushites and are still doing it today. That charge was led by Obama. The last 2 years of Bush, the Democrats allowed Bush the same free reign his own party gave him for their 6.
In the holy name of "bipartisanship" or "cya", Democrats gave the bankers on Wall Street TRILLIONS, if you count the give aways by Bernanke and the FED along with the CASH from the Paulson/Geithner crowd with the full on blessing of our "President". Then Nancy Nay Sayer, Steny Hoyer and Harry Reid, in all their shining glory went on National Television, together, beaming like the sun, and LIED TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE that the "bailout bill" contained "caps" on executive pay, checks and balances, transparency, accountability, and a ban on bonuses, EVEN AS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WERE READING IT FOR THEMSELVES AND FINDING NONE OF THAT AT ALL! Shades of Republican rule from the other side? Who'd have THOUGHT!
Repugs will USE every two faced lie, deceit, and subterfuge they can get away with, and they are experts at those things, to throw the American People under the bus. Too many will fall for it and due to the Dems track record of caving in trembling fear of being called bad names, will continue to kiss the feet of the people who spit on them and will vote for anyone who is neither a Dem or Repug and that will put Repugs back in power, by splitting the vote, to refill their "old coffers" that are so greatly depleted, millions will die while they play their game of ping pong with health care, watering it down til it's no change at all, having more people excluded, more suffering, more "children" suffering because BORN children are just as unimportant to Dems as to Repugs. FAITH BASED is just another word for DENIED.
They talk about a "waiting list" for services? Well how about telling the truth for just one time. WE don't have "waiting lists" for SERVICES. We have waiting lists for DENIAL FOR SERVICES and then we DIE.
Repugs blame the unemployed for unemployment. OUR exorbitant wages of $6 or $7 an hour breaks the backs of multimillionaire executives because instead of $600 or $700 an hour or even 10 times that, they might have to settle for $500 or $600 an hour. Heaven forbid. Though WE are the ones who pay the taxes that pay THEIR salary for the rest of their LIVES, if they've only been in congress for a DAY and they work less than HALF THE YEAR on our backs to break OUR backs.
HOW DARE some REPUBLICAN FAT HEAD TELL ME, who kept working with frostbite becoming gangrene, worked in agony for 3 months in that condition, wanting more than anything else in the world to NOT HAVE TO GIVE UP MY JOB, that I "Don't UNDERSTAND the NEED to WORK or WHY there IS a NEED to WORK!
HOW DARE they tell me that when I worked for 17 YEARS with untreated medical conditions including bleeding ulcers and heart disease with chest pain coming on by as little as standing up or walking from one end of the room to the other.
But do the Democrats FIGHT for people like me? NO! Instead we get the "bipartisan cover label" so the DINOs who are on the side of Repugs can come in and stop anything meaningful to people like me by labeling us "lazy" "thinking the government NANNY is going to come in and fix the booboo. Right!
Should you ever find yourself in trouble, lost job, illness, hungry, homeless, you'd better find yourself a poor man, because that man will give you the shirt off his BACK if he thinks you need it more than he does AND feed you for good measure. Millionaire will SPIT IN YOUR FACE AND YELL "EAT THAT!"
The fact of the matter is, they are all on the same page. Take, take, take, and then when there's nothing left to take, start a few wars and get a fat reward from the weapons makers and throw a few trillion to the "civilian army of murderous scum" who you can get an even bigger cut from. Either way, Dems, Repugs, one party, under greed, with liberty and justice for none.
I feel angry, disappointed, and hurt also. The greed, and selfishness in America has to stop. Those of us who number among the working poor, and middle class have to stand up, and stand together. Food, health care, and housing is a human right. We can't allow the lie "You haven't worked hard enough, haven't earned the right to have your needs, and your families needs met" that Wall Street and the wealthy repeat to continue unopposed. We can't allow America to be a nation of greed, or a nation of every man, woman, and child for themselves. Wall Street, and the wealthy treat us like dogs, forcing us to fight for our survival, and for their sick pleasure. We have to rise together like wolves in a pack, and take down our oppressors. Not through violence. We need to do this through solidarity, massive demonstrations and protests, refusing to be mindless consumers, and electing people to public office who care about the well being of everyone.
For better than 30 years workers wages have been flat or slightly falling. The economy has been kept afloat for the last 15 years or so by easy credit and home equity loans taken out against inflated home values.
Home values have crashed, credit is not easy to get, and even if it does ease up I don't think people are going to be willing to take on the debt they once were. So where is the money going to come from to get people spending again? I guarantee corporate america isn't going to see the errors of their ways and give everyone big raises so the can go out and buy lots of stuff.
Irony of ironies: in my old home town, we've been working for years to re-open a park that the city closed and left vacant. Our hope was renewed when we asked for stimulus funding to rehab the park and re-open it -- but guess what? The city is going to use stimulus funds to bulldoze the entire site instead. Too bad & so sad!
www.savethepippin.com
check out what is being destroyed... "Liberty" Land, no less!
I think the Republicans just might have taken this country they hate so much way past any hope for recovery. They, with the full cooperation of Democrats, have taken the greatest producers of goods in the world to a country that produces NOTHING.
All our biggest corporations have either moved out of the country, except for taking the tax dollars our "leaders" give them in breaks and subsidies FOR outsourcing jobs. They talked a lot about how "free trade" would create a "new" market for American "goods" and be a boon to all. And they were good sales men/women. They sold us, some of us, the whole bill of goods. Bill Clinton is just as much to blame on that score as Reagan, Bush I and Bush II because he signed NAFTA into LAW, in the name of BIPARTISANSHIP, because it was Bush I's baby and Clinton was kissing up to Repugs for votes, just like Obama will sell health care, the rule of law and the Constitution, along with the American People to the DEVIL he KNOWS in fear of the DEVIL he DOESN'T. Once NAFTA was signed the FEEDING FRENZY BEGAN with the full force and power of the U.S. behind it.
I don't blame Bill Clinton completely for his ill conceived notion of "free trade", though, or signing away the safety net in "welfare reform". I, very honestly, do not believe Bill Clinton possessed OR possesses the kind of EVIL NATURE that would have given him the very IDEA of using "signing statements" for the HARM of the American People, and our COUNTRY'S VERY FOUNDATION, BUT, the Bushes and Reagan did, putting their phony "Faith Based idiology and fake "christian non-values" above America and the "good of the American People", SNEERING at the concept of "Promoting the Common Welfare". Obama is doing the same thing in trying to make friends with people who's only concern is the size of the numbers in their bank accounts and how big a check they will get from their campaign donors to destroy more millions of people's lives by putting them out of work then telling them it's their fault because they made too much money and cut into the profit margin too much.
But to get back to the point, think about the very best companies you ever heard of, companies that have been ICONS of the very best America has stood for, some for 100 years and more. Campbells, Kraft, Hershey's, Nestle's, Quaker, Mattel, Toys R Us, Fisher Price, Maytag, Simplicity, Pyrex Bakeware, Johnson & Johnsons, Kelloggs, GE, General Mills, and more than I can name.
How many of these are now producing their goods in China, Mexico, India, the Phillipines Or anywhere NOT here? And how much increase in e-coli, lead poisoning, or consumer injuries has occurred in the last 3 years, compared to the previous 100 YEARS?
Republican's, with the assistance of DINOs have worked for the last 30 years to dismantle our manufacturing base in the name of the ALMIGHTY PROFIT for the few and for themselves.
Here are just some of the examples I have found and I know most people have seen these and more. But I think we need to be reminded of just how much damage the greed of the few and the politicians hunger for power have brought us. Recalls from 2009 alone! Not a complete list by FAR.
250,000 SpongeBobSquarePants address books and journals, by Martin's Designs. Lead contaminated.
1 1/2 MILLION Thomas & Friends wooden railway toys, by Fisher Price. Lead contaminated.
253,000 Sarge die cast metal toy jeeps, by Mattel. Made with lead.
4000 children's jewelry sets, by Toby, NYC. Lead contaminated.
7900 children's charm bracelets, by Buy-Rite Designs. Lead contaminated.
2600 ITEMS removed from Kroger's shelves because they used products from Peanut Corporation of America, ?Georgia wasn't it? If you have a weak stomach, DON'T look up those DETAILS.
66,000 toy tops and 4700 toy pails, by Schylling Associates, Inc., Lead contaminated.
38,000 Go Diego toy boats. By Fisher Price, you know, the one who makes big, easy to hold, bright colored plastic toys for babies and tots. Lead contaminated.
Nestle TollHouse ready to use COOKIE DOUGH, e-coli.
Simplicity brand bassinets that caused the deaths of 2 infants,.
Drop-side CRIBS that strangle, and entrap BABIES.
Maytag refrigerators that catch fire.
Pyrex glass dishes that EXPLODE when temperature change occurs, such as taking a hot dish from a microwave and onto a cold counter. The manufacturer blames the consumer, but experts say the glass is not tempered properly before being made into the dish.
Sears, cooking stoves that tip over when in use.
Harmful chemicals in baby shampoo, baby POWDER, TOOTH PASTE, PET FOOD.
FireStone Tires.
A FOUR YEAR OLD CHILD DIED because she accidentally swallowed a small piece of a charm bracelet MADE BY REEBOK because the charm was made of LEAD.
162,000 women's bathrobes. By Blair. FIVE WOMEN DIED when the robes they wore while making breakfast burst into flames.
Yamaha Rhino ATV is responsible for 30 deaths and hundred's of law suits.
JUDGE ORDERS feds to stop SALE of TOXIC TOYS - feds drag their FEET.
Feds DELAY new product safety testing.
Thrift stores, (Goodwill, Salvation Army, type stores) PROTEST BAN ON SALE OF LEAD TAINTED TOYS. I remember the complaint was it would CUT INTO THEIR CHRISTMAS PROFIT.
Toys R Us looking to buy more American made toys due to recalls of millions of lead tainted Chinese toys. BUT - - - 80 PERCENT OF ALL TOYS AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. ARE MADE IN CHINA.
There is SO MUCH MORE. And it is so disgusting.
When I think of the destruction our "leaders" have wrought on us for PROFIT, the SUFFERING they have caused for PROFIT, usually on the Republican side, but with the assistance of the DINOs, I just don't know if it IS too late to turn it around. We certainly don't have the right people in office TODAY to do it. They are too much in the pockets of those who CAUSED ALL OF THIS and are, in NO WAY, ready to fix what is so GOOD for their BOTTOM LINES.
IT'S NOT just Republicans who get up on the floors of CONGRESS and WHINE about the UNFAIRNESS of regulating corporations. MY OPINION, for what it's WORTH is that if a corporation PRODUCES a PRODUCT that HARMS OR KILLS us or our CHILDREN or even our PETS, that company doesn't need REGULATION, it needs to be CLOSED FOR GOOD and the CEOs of that company BANNED from EVER operating another company HERE or having a MARKET here for the rest of their lives. Those who have NOT YET produced harmful goods NEED regulation before they do.
And POLITICIANS, ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE TO REPRESENT OUR INTERESTS NEED TO GO IF THEY PUT CORPORATION MEGA PROFITS AND CAMPAIGN DONATIONS ABOVE US AND OUR NEEDS AND ABOVE WHAT'S RIGHT.
THROW THE BUMS OUT.
The stimulus package that was supposed to help stimulate the economy is 1. a continuation of BushCo failed economic policy and 2. just like everything Obama has passed so far, sooo "Obama". Foreclosure help without helping those in foreclosure, fixing the banking deregulation without 'regulating banks'. Next is healthcare that is still unaffordable and unattainable and climate legislation that doesn't address climate change or carbon emissions. ANYBODY SEE A PATTERN HERE??? OBAMA IS NOT OUR MAN! HE USED THE PROGESSIVE AGENDA TO GET INTO OFFICE. He's a wimp. As the late great george carlin said "The word bipartisan usually means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out."
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