Not to mention how they left the place: (H/T Doug Ross)
However, I will say, as a libertarian-minded person; that this people have as much right to assemble peacefully, as the Tea Party group does. They also have a right to believe the way that they wish, as do the Tea Party Crowd does — even if it is horribly wrong. Being wrong and incredibly stupid, is not against the law. Because if it were, I would have been jailed eons ago. 😛
McDonald’s Corp. has warned federal regulators that it could drop its health insurance plan for nearly 30,000 hourly restaurant workers unless regulators waive a new requirement of the U.S. health overhaul.
McDonald’s warned federal regulators that it could drop its health insurance plan for nearly 30,000 workers unless regulators waive a new requirement of the U.S. health overhaul. Janet Adamy discusses. Also, Neal Lipschutz discusses the exit plan that the U.S. has agreed on to exit the governments interest in AIG.
The move is one of the clearest indications that new rules may disrupt workers’ health plans as the law ripples through the real world.
Trade groups representing restaurants and retailers say low-wage employers might halt their coverage if the government doesn’t loosen a requirement for “mini-med” plans, which offer limited benefits to some 1.4 million Americans.
The requirement concerns the percentage of premiums that must be spent on benefits.
While many restaurants don’t offer health coverage, McDonald’s provides mini-med plans for workers at 10,500 U.S. locations, most of them franchised. A single worker can pay $14 a week for a plan that caps annual benefits at $2,000, or about $32 a week to get coverage up to $10,000 a year.
Last week, a senior McDonald’s official informed the Department of Health and Human Services that the restaurant chain’s insurer won’t meet a 2011 requirement to spend at least 80% to 85% of its premium revenue on medical care.
McDonald’s and trade groups say the percentage, called a medical loss ratio, is unrealistic for mini-med plans because of high administrative costs owing to frequent worker turnover, combined with relatively low spending on claims.
Democrats who drafted the health law wanted the requirement to prevent insurers from spending too much on executive salaries, marketing and other costs that they said don’t directly help patients.
McDonald’s move is the latest indication of possible unintended consequences from the health overhaul. Dozens of companies have taken charges against earnings—totaling more than $1 billion—over a tax change in prescription-drug benefits for retirees.
More recently, insurers have proposed a round of double-digit premium increases and said new coverage mandates in the law are partly to blame. HHS has criticized the proposed increases as unwarranted.
Democrats, looking toward midterm elections in which the health overhaul is an issue, say it already has stopped insurance practices they call abusive, has given rebates to seniors with high out-of-pocket prescription costs and has allowed parents to keep children on their insurance plans until they turn 26.
McDonald’s, in a memo to federal officials, said “it would be economically prohibitive for our carrier to continue offering” the mini-med plan unless it got an exemption from the requirement to spend 80% to 85% of premiums on benefits. Officials said McDonald’s would probably have to hit the 85% figure, which applies to larger group plans. Its insurer, BCS Insurance Group of Oak Brook Terrace, Ill., declined to comment.
McDonald’s didn’t disclose what the plan’s current medical loss ratio was.
The issue of limited-benefit plans has also hit colleges, which face the same 80-to-85% requirement beginning next year.
“Having to drop our current mini-med offering would represent a huge disruption to our 29,500 participants,” said McDonald’s memo, which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. “It would deny our people this current benefit that positively impacts their lives and protects their health—and would leave many without an affordable, comparably designed alternative until 2014.”
Sorry, I have zero pity for them at all. These McDonald’s employees were stupid enough to vote for Obama, they should just take what comes to them and shut the hell up. I mean, they knew this man was a Democrat and they knew he was going to do all of this; so, I really do not believe that they have the right to gripe. Now, McDonald’s is going to have take their insurance; because of a stupid, misguided, moronic healthcare bill; that me and every other Conservative blogger out there warned them about. But did the liberals or the American people listen? No. So, I say — FUCK ‘EM! Let them go without insurance! Serves them right for voting for a “Magic Negro” Marxist.
Not like that these people really serve any real purpose anyhow. McDonald’s food is bad for you, and most of it tastes like shit anyhow; not to mention the people that work there. They are in that, what I like to call 15% category — they are the leeches of America. So, if they died off, it would be a savings to America anyhow. So, who cares if they have insurance. We real Americans would have to pay for it anyhow. So, fuck ’em, let ’em die off. No big loss anyhow.
Countdown to being called a racist, a hater, and more in 5…..4…..3…..2…….
My guess is that they are trying to avoid the public demonization that would likely come from this administration and this Congress – ya know, those greedy white fatcats stuffing their pockets at the oppression and exploitation of their employees. Yeah that demonization.
Plus, it sounds like they aren’t ready to announce this, and want to avoid the internal implications this could have on employees. Either way, the medical loss ratio is what it is, thanks to ObamaCare, and I wonder how long these insurance companies will be able to stay afloat. Hopefully, long enough for us to regain control and roll this disaster of a health plan back.
Sounds about right to me. Looks like this might be a very interesting story developing here. I will be following it.
myFOXDetroit.com Staff – We’re all rooting for the auto industry to come back stronger than ever. It affects every one of us here in metro Detroit and across the country because it’s so important to our economy.
Fox 2’s Rob Wolchek got a tip about what some guys are doing at Chrysler’s Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit. This is the same plant that President Barack Obama visited back in July and talked about the significance of manufacturing in America.
The same place where the President remarked on the tax-payer generated government loan saying “I believed that if each of us were willing to work and sacrifice in the short term — workers, management, creditors, shareholders, retirees, communities — it could mark a new beginning for a great American industry. And if we could summon that sense of teamwork and common purpose, we could once again see the best cars in the world designed, engineered, forged, and built right here in Detroit, right here in the Midwest, right here in the United States of America.”
I thought I would comment on this story; seeing that I have some background in this area. I have news for my fellow Conservatives; this sort of thing has been going on for years in the auto plants. In fact, back in the 1980’s the drug problem was so bad in a few of the G.M. plants locally here, that General Motors had to call in the Federal Government to bring in undercover narcotics officers —- posing as workers that transferred in from other states, to nab these people dealing the dope. That is because the Union, that was supposed to be making sure stuff like this was not happening; had been bought off by the drug dealers and was standing by and letting them deal the drugs. I believe that Chrysler and Ford had similar raids too back in the 1980’s.
From a taxpayer’s stand point; yes, this does make me angry. Because basically, taxpayer’s dollars are paying for these guys to sit around and smoke dope. This is because taxpayer dollars did, in fact, bail this auto company out. However, because I am a bit of a libertarian; I do see this in another light. The late great Senator Barry Goldwater said the following: “You cannot legislate morality.” You can set rules, you can encourage people not to smoke or deal drugs; but you cannot force people not to do these things. As long as there are people out there who have a desire to do these things and as long as they are illegal — People are going to figure out a way to do them, without getting caught. Breaking the law is in the human DNA. It is how we are wired, it is, as the Bible puts it; in our human fleshly nature. Adam and Eve proved that one in the Garden.
The real underlying point here is this; these companies, especially Chrysler — should have never been rescued by the Government, at all. General Motors and Chrysler both had enough liquid assets that they could have sold off to generate enough capital to get themselves out of the hole that they were in. Granted, the problem was created by the Wall Street crash of 2008; however, General Motors and Chrysler had and most likely still has management issues that has caused waste for years. Now, unlike other libertarians and Conservatives; I will not play the scape-goat game with the Unions. The unions are a only a small part of the problem. Granted, they do play a role in the problem; but that role is not nearly is huge as it is made out to be by some on the right. The truth of the matter is, that these companies have not been properly managed for years. This is why these auto companies have had money issues for years.
I can tell you right now; Obama is not getting elected in 2012; it is over for the “Hope and Change” era. Over quicker than it started.
Now, I await two things; one, I await for some identity politics ogre, to start carping about how this man is just some angry white racist bigot. Second, I await some liberal to say that this guy is just some angry rich white businessman. Well, let me be the first to tell you all something here. I happen to know a little about the crowd, who hangs around Hope Depot.
Contrary to what some might actually believe. The good majority of the people who buy products at Home Dept are the people; that are commonly known as the backbone of America in this globalist age —- Small Business owners; and the Obama Administration, with the sun-setting of the Bush tax cuts — is basically targeting that group of people. Granted, not all business owners make that kind of money. However there are those that do, and they usually have employees and when taxes increase on those people, sometimes, especially with the smaller businesses; employees have to be laid off, because the “overhead” is just too much of burden on those business people. This should be just common sense, but when you are dealing with socialist left, common sense tends to run in short supply. When you let someone go like that, that causes the said person to not be able to spend money to contribute to the economy; which hurts the service industry, and so on. Not to mention the fact that that person will have problems paying his bills. It is a vicious cycle and it gets worse as the cycle progresses.
You see, that is one thing that I have been trying to make clear here; and I guess I will just have to say it — most likely again. I am sure I have written here in the past. Anyhow, I do not write on this blog to defend the multi-billion dollar companies. They do not need my help; they have their P.R. companies and such. I write for the small business owner and the working man, who decides to go into business for himself; painting walls, building kitchens or whatever sort of trade that he desires to do; like driving a truck or whatever. Those people should be helped, not targeted for taxes and other such stupidity that the socialist left tries to cook up. Like it or not, my friends — but the small business owner and their businesses are the backbone of America. Yes, sure, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler have their place, as do every other big business. However, it is the small business owner, the entrepreneur that embodies the true Spirit of America. That is who I defend and will continue to here on this blog.
The blog is, and will always be — the Blog of the working man. Not the rich man — but those who work for themselves.
Last night I held my 59th town hall meeting in Westland. My opponent showed up so I invited him to take part in the event. I’m happy he was able to attend; it was a good opportunity to discuss the issues important to Michigan.
This is what democracy is all about – real people asking tough questions and getting straight answers – not scripted, 30-second sound bites. I plan to keep holding these town hall meetings until Election Day to talk about my 10-Point Plan to Reinvent Michigan so voters can hear directly from me about my positive vision to create more and better jobs.
We are now only 49 days away from Election Day and need your help to add to our momentum. Please consider donating to our campaign. Your contributions go directly to spreading our positive message and bring us closer to our goal of reinventing our great state.
I am grateful for your continued support. Together we will succeed in Reinventing Michigan.
Regards,
The truth is folks, we need new ideas and much better leadership to bring back jobs here in Michigan. The Democrats have utterly failed here in the State of Michigan. I personally have been affected by this whole mess; I have been out of work since 2005. It is a depressing mess around here and it is sad to see a State and a big city, like Detroit, to go in ruins; because of the socialist stupidity of the Democrats. Not to mention the idiotic actions of globalists who sold Detroit up the river. We can turn that around; but Democrats are not going to be the ones to do that. We need a friendly business climate here, so that jobs can return to this once great State and the once great city of Detroit. Would you believe it, if I told you that Detroit’s unemployment rate is a 30%? That is just in Detroit alone. Not counting the suburbs. The truth is that Democratic Party Socialism has RUINED this great State and the city of Detroit. It is time to start over from scratch and rebuilt. Rick Snyder and the Republicans in Michigan can will do that. But they need your help; the Democrats are funded much better the Republicans here in Michigan. So, if you can… Give, help put Michigan and more importantly, Detroit, Michigan back on the map in America.
Sunday Sept 12
Precious metals soar as investors flock to gold and silver. But are they looking deep enough to truly understand the current trends at hand?
When reviewing the metals sector I like to look at it from different angles to get a solid understanding of the patterns and trend forming. I follow multiple time frames along with monitoring the gold mining stocks. Gold stocks tend to lead the price of gold bullion and when its out performing the price of gold substantially by 10% or more you should be expecting a pause or pullback in both gold stocks and gold bullion prices temporarily.
Below are a few charts showing the long and short term trends for gold.
Gold Bullion Price – Weekly Trend Chart
Gold continues to be in a strong up trend. The occasional test of support at the major moving averages can provide great long term points for adding to a position. The 50 period average is one which is tested frequently.
Looking at the weekly chart does give me a red flag for the intermediate price of gold. While the trend is clearly up I can’t help but notice the rising wedge which is a bearish pattern. During an uptrend we want to see bull flags and pennants, not a grind higher forming a narrowing range. This grind higher could unfold much similar to the price action of 2005 and 2007 instead of a correction but I am leaning more towards a sharp correction because more people are bullish on gold now then they were during the June top.
For those looking at gold as a long term investment/currency can be patient and wait for a pullback to a major moving average before adding to your position then you would lower your overall risk for this position. You will understand after reviewing the following charts.
GLD – Gold Bullion ETF – Daily Chart
(This fund moves identical to spot gold price so even though I am showing you GLD fund, the spot gold chart is doing the exact same thing.) As you can see below the price of gold is trading at resistance and becoming choppy. Buying gold at resistance does not make much sense to me. There is a very good chance gold will move lower in the coming weeks providing a better price for long term investors to add to their positions. For example, if you waited for the weekly chart to pullback to the 50 period moving average that would be like buying this GLD fund at $113, which is an 8% discount.
Gold continues to hold up within its channel but this week we could see fireworks if the price breaks below the blue support channels.
Gold:Gold Stocks Comparison – Daily Chart
This chart shows the performance of gold vs gold stocks from the Feb 2010 lows. The blue line is the performance of gold stocks while the red line shows gold’s performance. It’s obvious that when everyone is bullish on gold they buy the highly leverages gold investments in order to take full advantage of the upcoming move. This is much like reading the put/call ratio for trading the SP500 and it measures the bullishness of the precious metals sector.
When gold equities are strongly out performing gold bullion you should be thinking about raising your stops, taking partial profits and or hedging your long term position until the sector stabilizes is not trading at a premium.
Precious Metals Sector Trading Conclusion:
In short, Gold is in a strong up trend and will remain in one for a long time. Commodities have higher percentage of going parabolic. That means there’s a small chance that gold continues to move up quicker and quicker surging hundreds of dollars in a very short period of time. That being said, it’s not very likely, and from a technical point of view those buying gold now are paying a premium in my opinion.
Being a patient trader is not easy, but waiting for low risk entry points is very rewarding on many different levels when done correctly.
——
For questions or to get great stock, oil or gold advice like this, please head on over to the gold and oil guy’s website.
Well, duh, he is a liberal and a Democrat. He does believe in class warfare. Remember you Republicans and Libertarians that voted for him. (You know who you are…)
WASHINGTON — President Obama on Wednesday will make clear that he opposes any compromise that would extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy beyond this year, officials said, adding a populist twist to an election-season economic package that is otherwise designed to entice support from big businesses and their Republican allies.
Mr. Obama’s opposition to allowing the high-end tax cuts to remain in place for even another year or two would be the signal many Congressional Democrats have been awaiting as they prepare for a showdown with Republicans on the issue and ends speculation that the White House might be open to an extension. Democrats say only the president can rally wavering lawmakers who, amid the party’s weakened poll numbers, feel increasingly vulnerable to Republican attacks if they let the top rates lapse at the end of this year as scheduled.
It is not clear that Mr. Obama can prevail given his own diminished popularity, the tepid economic recovery and the divisions within his party. But by proposing to extend the rates for the 98 percent of households with income below $250,000 for couples and $200,000 for individuals — and insisting that federal income tax rates in 2011 go back to their pre-2001 levels for income above those cutoffs — he intends to cast the issue as a choice between supporting the middle class or giving breaks to the wealthy.
In a speech in Cleveland on Wednesday, Mr. Obama will also make a case for the package of roughly $180 billion in expanded business tax cuts and infrastructure spending disclosed by the White House in bits and pieces over the past few days. He would offset the cost by closing other tax breaks for multinational corporations, oil and gas companies and others.
While the speech will be centrist in its policy prescriptions other than the Bush tax cuts, Mr. Obama’s language will be partisan as he seeks to sharpen the contrasts between Republicans’ record and efforts by Democrats to create more jobs, aides said.
As much as I would like to jump up, holler and raise a fuss about this; I cannot. We all knew that this was coming. This should be a lesson to the Republican Party. That is, do not run weak or moderate Conservatives during elections. Because when you do; Conservatives, and I mean hardcore Conservatives will not vote — and this is what you get. I know that I, personally, will not be affected by this; neither will my family.
However, I am sure that there will be some families affected by this — not to mention a myriad of business owners out there. This will, I am sure, cause a downtown in hiring by businesses; which will add to the huge downturn in the economy. It is all a domino effect, starts at the top and goes to the bottom.
Another thing to think about; we do have to eventually pay for these two wars. I believe that those who profited off of both of these wars ought to be targeted for taxing. I believe that a special “War Tax”, ought to be appended to anyone making over $500.000 or more a year. I would target multinational companies, like oil companies and so forth. Especially those in Iraq. Perhaps next time, the warmongering class will not be so eager to start a war next time. This taxing would reinforce the idea that those wanting said war, should they actually have to pay for it. Foreign Policy has a price tag; and those who want follow Woodrow Wilson’s steps, should be required to pay that price tag.
I have to respect the man for going after the Obama Administration like this here:
(WARNING THE ARTICLE I AM ABOUT TO QUOTE HAS SOME SERIOUS LANGUAGE IN IT, IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED, DO NOT PROCEED BEYOND THIS POINT!)
Further more, if you happen to be one of those type of people that believe that Unions are inherently evil, you might want to stop here. Least your head explode…
Can you tell that I am tired of writing about this stuff, I’m getting there…:
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AFP) – US President Barack Obama Monday promised more than 50 billion dollars to create jobs rebuilding roads, railways and airports, targeting huge unemployment and ripping resurgent Republicans.
Obama, under intense pressure due to the sputtering economy ahead of November’s mid-term congressional elections, announced the new funding spree at a Labor Day rally with union workers in Wisconsin where the crisis has hit hard.
“This will not only create jobs immediately, but will make our economy run better over the long haul,” Obama said on a public holiday two months before congressional polls which Democrats fear could bring heavy losses.
“It’s a plan that says even in the aftermath of the worst recession in our lifetimes, America can still shape our own destiny.”
The White House called on Republicans to support quick passage of the measure, which would “front-load” 50 billion dollars of money as the first part of a broader effort to reauthorize transportation funding over six years.
“We’d like to pass this as quickly as possible,” a senior administration official said. The size of the total package, over and above the initial 50 billion dollar infusion of funding, was unclear.
Of course, the Republicans are the ones being the evil white racists the grown up realists here:
Opposition Republicans, seeking to wrest control of both chambers in Congress from Democrats, immediately condemned Obama’s plan, signaling no let up to obstruction tactics which have slowed his presidency.
“A last-minute, cobbled-together stimulus bill with more than 50 billion dollars in new tax hikes will not reverse the complete lack of confidence Americans have in Washington Democrats’ ability to help this economy,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
John Boehner, the top Republican in the House of Representatives, sought to link the new plan to Obama’s previous stimulus package worth around 800 billion dollars, which critics say has failed to revive the economy.
“If we’ve learned anything from the past 18 months, it’s that we can’t spend our way to prosperity,” said Boehner.
This is why I do like two party politics. Because one party does equalize out the other party. What gets me is the fact that Obama accuses the Republicans of wrecking the car and that Americans should not “Give them back the keys.” The problem with that is this; and Yes, I have written this before, the Republicans seem to have learned the error of their ways. Where, the Democrats have not. They have taken that same car and driven it over a cliff and are not still trying to drive that mangled car. The sick part is, everyone else knows that car is wrecked and no longer drivable. But the Democrats are willfully blind of that fact and keep on trying to drive that same wrecked car. I know, it is a bit of a weird analogy, but it works in this case.
The Bottom Line: Obama and Democrats are in trouble, grave trouble and they are trying every trick in the book. They pushed healthcare, when America needed Economic recovery, and yes, Jobs. Now, they are trying to save face. Will it work? Doubtful. Many are angry and feel that Obama lied to them or told them anything to get elected. This angry will come out in the polls. Personally, I see a shift, but I do not believe it will be a huge sweep as some do. However, it will be interesting to blog about. I cannot wait. 😀
Add Jesse Jackson’s ride to prominent vehicles being stripped in Detroit.
Following the embarrassing news that Mayor Dave Bing’s GMC Yukon was hijacked by criminals this week, Detroit’s Channel 7 reports that the Reverend’s Caddy Escalade SUV was stolen and stripped of its wheels while he was in town last weekend with the UAW’s militant President Bob King leading the “Jobs, Justice, and Peace” march promoting government-funded green jobs.
Read that again: Jackson’s Caddy SUV was stripped while he was in town promoting green jobs.
Add Jesse to the Al Gore-Tom Friedman-Barack Obama School of Environmental Hypocrisy. While preaching to Americans that they need to cram their families into hybrid Priuses to go shopping for compact fluorescent light bulbs to save the planet, they themselves continue to live large.
“We need an economy that creates employment that can’t be shipped overseas,” the Green Rev wrote for CNN about the march. “Home-grown American labor will be installing windmills and solar panels. A green economy is not an abstract concept.”
Well, its certainly abstract to Jesse, but I digress.
Yeah, the labor would be; Jesse Jackson has not done a day of honest hard work in his entire life. Hell, I’ve worked harder than he will ever work. Oh, wait, Jesse Jackson has worked hard, yes, very hard. That is, if you consider running one’s mouth continually about how oppressed the black man is; and doing the continual race hustle that he is very much known for. Then, yes, he is a very, very hard working man.
That’s right folks, the President and his Administration are in one hell of a huge bind. If they do not do something fast; they are going to be sunk come the midterms and possibly come 2012.
American businesses added more jobs in the last three months than originally estimated, but the wheels of the economic recovery are still spinning in place.
The private sector added 67,000 jobs in August, according to the Department of Labor, higher than consensus forecasts, and the government upwardly revised its numbers for June and July, suggesting that job creation was slightly stronger over the summer than originally reported.
But the continuing wind-down of the 2010 Census, as well as state and local government layoffs, led to an overall loss of 54,000 jobs in August.
With businesses adding about half the number of positions needed simply to accommodate population growth — much less dent the ranks of the jobless — the unemployment rate ticked up to 9.6 percent, from 9.5 percent.
“The overall picture is one where the labor market is still kind of treading water,” said Joshua Shapiro, chief United States economist at MFR Inc. “It’s better than sinking, but it’s certainly not surging ahead.”
Given the continuing addition of private jobs — albeit at a tepid pace — Friday’s monthly snapshot of the labor market seemed to calm fears of a double-dip recession. But the numbers are likely to do little to assuage political pressure on the Obama administration in the run-up to the midterm elections.
Speaking from the White House Rose Garden on Friday morning, Mr. Obama called the latest job report “positive news,” but said he would be unveiling “a broader package of ideas next week,” to shore up the flagging economy, although he declined to give specifics. The president once again urged Congress to pass a stalled bill that would offer tax breaks to small businesses and create a $30 billion program to encourage community banks to lend.
“There’s no quick fix for this recession,” he said. “The hard truth is that it took years to create our current economic problems, and it will take more time than any of us would like to repair the damage.”
Responding to the higher-than-expected private sector numbers and revisions, investors pushed up the major stock gauges. By early afternoon, the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index was up 1 percent. Market reaction to the jobs data was tempered somewhat by a report that said growth in the services sector had slowed in August.
The Labor Department revised its private sector number for July, raising the number of jobs added to 107,000 from the 71,000 originally reported. And private sector hiring in June, originally reported at 83,000 and lowered to 31,000, was raised again to 61,000.
Flanked by members of his economic team – including outgoing Council of Economic Advisers Dr. Christina Romer, whose replacement has yet to be named – President Obama chose to look at the silver lining in the economic clouds of today’s jobs report – not even mentioning that August saw a net job loss of 54,000 jobs.
“In the month I took office, we were losing 750,000 jobs a month,” the president said. “This morning, new figures show the economy produced 67,000 private sector jobs in August, the eighth consecutive month of private job growth. Additionally, the numbers for July were revised upward to 107,000. Now that’s positive news, and it reflects the steps we’ve already taken to break the back of this recession.”
The net job loss for August is largely because of the layoffs of 114,000 Census temporary workers.
Democrats are spooked by recent polls and predictions indicating the GOP may slam the Dems so badly that the D’s lose the House and possibly the Senate. The Republicans need to gain 39 seats to seize the House, and it’s not difficult these days to find nonpartisan handicappers who predict the R’s could gain 40 to 50 seats. The conventional wisdom in D.C.: A tsunami is heading toward the Democrats. A Democratic strategist toiling on the party’s House efforts refers to working on the “Titanic” (though he claims there may be some hidden life rafts). “The president keeps saying it’s a tough environment,” says a Democratic House staffer. “We know that. We want to know what he’s going to do about it.”…
“He still wants to be seen as post-partisan and bipartisan,” says a House Democratic leadership aide. “But we’re in a fight here.” Democrats expect Obama to come out swinging nonstop — bashing the R’s repeatedly and proposing economic initiatives that actually register with voters. At the same time, members of the House Democratic leadership are worried that Obama will cave and yield to GOP demands that George W. Bush’s expiring tax cuts for the wealthy be extended. “If he doesn’t do something immediately, our members will be livid,” says a House Democratic aide. “And when there’s fear of a bloodbath, it’s never too early to start the blame game.”
I just blogged about how the Democrats can fix this mess. However, knowing them like they do; they would rather let the Nation suffer and blame the Republicans for the entire mess, while living large on the taxpayers dime —- than to actually do something to fix the problem. FDR did this, to a certain extent as have many other Democrat Party Presidents; I mean, it is not like Obama is going to be affected by any of this economic downturn.
One there is very certain, the tide is turning, Democrats had the chance to actually fix things and they have failed at it miserably. The Tea Party has now crystallized into a political force to be reckoned with — even among Republicans. RINO’s are being flushed out and true-blue Conservatives are being brought to the battle. It is so bad that the liberal media is gone to terrible spinning facts, an example:
It is possible that coming at the end of the summer an uptick in people looking for work is not as positive as it appears. This is the time of year, after two hot months, when recent graduates start to actually think about their future and send out resumes. And you can image many other out of work people deciding to take off looking for a job in the summer. In August, with the summer ending, some of those people started looking again in earnest. But you would expect the big uptick in post-summer people searching for work to come in September. So the fact that it is coming early is a good sign.
Oh Yes, it is that bad on that that side of the political aisle. When you start reading that sort of idiotic spin in a liberal publication, you know that things are horrifically bad right now for the Democrats. This midterm election and possibly in the general election; will most likely go down as the worst ever failure of the Democrat Party ever. The Democratic Party roared into power in 2006 to take the keys away from the Bush Administration, then they won the General election in 2008. They then got the entire key chain of the Country —- and proceeded to drive the Country as a whole over a cliff! Because of that and because of this economic that we are in, which was, in fact, created by the Carter and Clinton Administrations; whom were, Democratic Party Administrations — we are about to see a major collapse of a party’s authority in the political realm. I have written here, time and time again; that the Democratic Party has horribly overreached…..again. This happens just about every time the Democrats get into power. To be fair and as non-partisan as I can be; Republicans have done it too — Nixon did it, Bush did it and some others. However, this administration took it to another more frightening level. Because of this; they are about to do what many call, “Paying the Piper.”
The ship is sinking and the rats are jumping. It should be very interesting to watch. 2010 looms and they have no answers.
Welcome to the meltdown. Get popcorn. Hold on tight and enjoy the show.
(H/T to HotAir on the story leads for this posting. Good show AP! 😀 )
My Fellow Conservatives, if we are the people that we claim to be; a group of people that does distinguish between moderate Muslims and radical Muslims who wish to destroy America. It is time to put our money, where our mouths are.
This man was a victim; A victim of someone who, although intoxicated, was caught up in the euphoria surrounding the Mosque that the backers of park51 want to build. While I feel that the backers of park51 project ought to be covering this man’s bills. I also feel that we, as Conservatives, ought to take the higher plane and ought to at least contribute to this man’s cause and help him cover his bills until he can get back to work. Because, whether we want to admit it or not; there are some on our ranks, that actually created this mess. We ought to be the honorable ones, and help this man. He is an innocent bystander in a war, between those who want to destroy America and those who wish to preserve it.
(CNN) — New York cab driver Ahmed Sharif cannot bring himself to talk about the young man who allegedly cut his throat and nearly killed him last week, a taxi union representative said Sunday.
“Ahmed is a strong man, but mentally he has limits,” said Bhairavi Desai of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance. “The trauma he’s experienced will last for a long time.”
Desai spent time this weekend with Sharif. She said his most pressing worry is how he’ll provide for his wife and four children — including a 10-month-old –without a job. Sharif is receiving 2/3 of his salary, about $30,000 a year, in workers’ compensation. Union members do not get health insurance or disability payments, Desai said.
“My guess is that he’ll be unable to work for at least four months,” Desai said. “He can’t even pick up his baby because of the wounds to his arms. He can’t turn his neck.”
There’s been so little money raised over the past few days for Sharif that it would “barely cover baby formula,” said Desai who, along with Sharif, held a widely publicized press conference Friday announcing the union was creating a fund for the family. The union’s website indicates how to mail a donation or give online.
There is also an address that you can send your checks and money orders to, it is:
Ahmed Sharif
c/o New York Taxi Workers Alliance
250 Fifth Avenue, Suite 310
NY, NY 10001
Further more, I do not want to hear any idiotic griping about how this place is some sort of a union or progressive organization. Who cares? They are helping this man, and that my friends is all that matters. In fact, when this posting goes live. I will be sending a small donation, along with the link to this posting. Because I do want to show, that unlike some people out there, calling themselves Conservatives, I am not ate up with hatred of those of another race. I want to show, that my battle is not against those of the Islamic Faith or those of Arab decent; but that my battle is against radical Islam and Jihad — against those who have hijacked a religion to further an agenda of hate. Sort of like these guys here.
I encourage my fellow Conservatives to for once, to put aside our feelings of mistrust; and help someone, who was quite honestly, caught in the crossfire. If we do this, we can rebuild an image that was tarnished the day this man was stabbed. Do it now; go, give and give abundantly.
Seriously, what is it with the stupid media and that word?
New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedlyclimbed to a nine-month high last week, yet another setback to the frail economic recovery.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 500,000 in the week ended August 14, the highest since mid-November, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast claims slipping to 476,000 from the previously reported 484,000 the prior week, which was revised up to 488,000 in Thursday’s report.
A Labor Department official said there was nothing unusual in the state level data. The data covered the survey week for the government’s closely watched employment report for August, scheduled for release early next month.
“There are some technical factors out there and the seasonal factors seem to be pushing it up a little bit. But given the trend of claims it looks like the economy ran into a wall in August,” said Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at Bank of Tokyo-MitsubishI UFJ in New York.
Unexpectedly? Oh Please, like these idiots did not expect the jobless claims to rise, seeing that we are in the worst recession, since the great Depression. Just more of that Presidential butt kissing since the election of that idiotic Democrat in the White House —– by the liberal owned and financed main stream media. I will say this; when I saw Ed Morrissey making a fuss about the use of the word, at first, I thought Ed was being a bit silly and quite melodramatic about it. However now, it is getting even ridiculous for even me to bear now. So, seriously guys. Knock off the use of that idiotic word, please.
CNBC’s headline writer also got gobsmacked, writing this header for the Reuters story: “Weekly Jobless Claims Post Surprise Jump, Hit 500,000.” Maybe Reuters should seriously look at hiring better analysts.
Ed is so nice — Allow me to take that a bit further. Perhaps Reuters ought to actually try reporting news; instead of being the liberal Democratic Party supporting, terrorist apologists, that they actually are — Maybe then we could actually trust them again, as a legitimate news source; instead of having to employ the “Idiot Liberal” filter every time someone has to actually read their propaganda stories that they attempt to pawn off on actual thinking Americans.
I know, it sounds quite harsh; but when you strip off the gloss, and the shiny paint —- that is what you have.
ALBION, Mich.—Michelle Rena Jones cheered when candidates Barack Obama and Joe Biden visited south-central Michigan in 2008. She supported Mr. Obama that November along with a slate of Democrats, including Mark Schauer in the 7th congressional district.
Job creation is one of the top issues among voters. In districts with high unemployment, that could spell trouble for a host of Democrats in tight congressional races. WSJ’s Neil Hickey reports.
Now, the 40-year-old is rethinking her lifelong support for the party. She has been without steady work for two years, lost her home and car and began receiving cash assistance from the state for the first time. This year, she says, “I’m willing to take a chance on something different.” Another possibility, she says, is that she won’t vote at all.
Ms. Jones is part of an unmeasured, agitated mass: unemployed Americans who don’t believe the Obama Administration and Congress have done enough to produce jobs. With elections coming up, their unease is especially troublesome for the Democrats, who control both chambers.
Welcome to my world! I have been in the same spot, since 2005. Thankfully, and very fortunately; I do not have any children to worry about. I could not imagine having kids in a economy like this. Some would say, “Well, you live in a bigger area, you should be able to find a job!” Two words: Yeah Right. 🙄 Bigger Area, means more people out of work and more people looking for a job.
It’s tough everywhere folks, don’t let nobody fool you.
Robert Gibbs and Jane Hamsher can argue all they want about ‘what’s progressive enough,’ but voters care about jobs. And the Obama Administration and Dems have simply failed on this issue. It is why they will lose the November election.
That’s very true. The Democrats and the Obama White House were hell bent on getting a healthcare bill passed, that one half of America did not understand and the other half understood and did not want; but they passed it anyhow. Meanwhile, people like me and Michelle Rena Jones are sitting here — unemployed. 🙄 A lot of damned good that Healthcare bill does one, if you do not have a job. I give great Kudos to “Bing Tent Democrat” for having the “Stones” to say as much.
Something tells me, that the short-lived era of “Home and Change” is officially over, the love affair and novelty of a new black President is over; and now the America people are sitting around going, “Dang, nothing has changed.” Those people will vote accordingly come November 2, 2010.
With the American economic recovery hanging in the balance, private employers added 71,000 jobs in July, up from a downwardly revised 31,000 in June but well below the consensus forecast of 90,000. The unemployment rate stayed steady at 9.5 percent.
Over all, the nation lost 131,000 jobs last month, but those losses came as 143,000 Census Bureau workers left their temporary posts, the Labor Department said. June’s number was revised dramatically downward to a total loss of 221,000 jobs. The agency originally reported that the nation lost 125,000 jobs in June.
Figures released last week confirmed that the United States economy slowed in the spring, and the Department of Labor’s monthly statistical snapshot of hiring pointed toward a stall in hiring this summer, as employers failed to add jobs at the rate they were earlier this year.
What’s more, the number of jobs added in July is about half the 125,000 to 150,000 that economists generally say employers need to generate simply to accommodate new entrants to the labor market. With more than 8 million people having lost their jobs during the recession, such tepid job growth can’t begin to plug the hole.
“The private sector is still hobbled and certainly is not nearly strong enough to overcome the drain on the government side,” said Robert A. Dye, senior economist at PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh.
Which, of course, results in the proverbial “Rats Jumping from the ship.”
Christina Romer, chairwoman of Pres. Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, has decided to resign, according to a source familiar with her plans.
Romer, an economics professor at the University of California (Berkeley) before taking the key admin post, did not respond to repeated calls to her office.
“She has been frustrated,” a source with insight into the WH economics team said. “She doesn’t feel that she has a direct line to the president. She would be giving different advice than Larry Summers [director of the National Economic Council], who does have a direct line to the president.”
[…]
Instead, the jobless rate is 9.5%, after exceeding 10% last year. It was “a horribly inaccurate forecast,” said Bert Ely, a banking consultant. “You have to wonder why Summers isn’t the one that should be taking the fall. But Larry is a pretty good bureaucratic infighter.
So much for all the wonderful economic recovery promised under the promised “Hope and Change” of the Barack Obama Administration. This should be a textbook example of why “Tax and Spend” strategies to get a Country out of a recession does not work. If that does not convince you, this might:
The people who have been laid off and cannot find work are generally people with poor work habits and poor personalities. I say “generally” because there are exceptions. But in general, as I survey the ranks of those who are unemployed, I see people who have overbearing and unpleasant personalities and/or who do not know how to do a day’s work. They are people who create either little utility or negative utility on the job. Again, there are powerful exceptions and I know some, but when employers are looking to lay off, they lay off the least productive or the most negative. To assure that a worker is not one of them, he should learn how to work and how to get along — not always easy.. — Ben Stein over at American Spectator via Think Progress
Coming from someone who has never, ever, done a ounce of physical labor in his life.
This, my friends, is why I being to really back away from the right. What kind of tone-deaf jerk makes a statement like that? Someone who has money and does not need to work; that’s who! I mean, the man was born into a life of privilege. No true working class person would ever make a statement like this, ever. I am however, resisting the temptation of calling this four-eyed jerk some sort of an awful name about his Jewish heritage; I mean, that could have something to do with it. I mean, it is not a myth that most Jews, especially the “well to do” ones, look down the nose at the more “common folk” America — especially we common folk of Christian Heritage. It is no secret that most Jews despise Christians.
Either way, this is a just a classic case of why I basically threw in the towel with the right and now just consider myself a centrist.
Andrew Breitbart, as always, has the scoop on this terrible video:
In fact, it’s worse. The media that provided the left a platform to accuse the Tea Party, all the while refusing to air any exculpatory evidence. Again, the mainstream media inserts itself as the number one weapon in the progressive weapons stash. Political correctness, as the Duke Lacrosse case exemplified, trumps all in PC America and her afflicted media.
But the new media will not be silenced. It will not allow for the main stream media to propagate hateful and hurtful lies in order to save the Democratic Party from the toxic choices it has made over the past few years. And by bringing up race, and demanding a zero tolerance of racism, the left, and the NAACP in particular, has opened itself up for scrutiny.
We are in possession of a video from in which Shirley Sherrod, USDA Georgia Director of Rural Development, speaks at the NAACP Freedom Fund dinner in Georgia. In her meandering speech to what appears to be an all-black audience, this federally appointed executive bureaucrat lays out in stark detail, that her federal duties are managed through the prism of race and class distinctions.
In the first video, Sherrod describes how she racially discriminates against a white farmer. She describes how she is torn over how much she will choose to help him. And, she admits that she doesn’t do everything she can for him, because he is white. Eventually, her basic humanity informs that this white man is poor and needs help. But she decides that he should get help from “one of his own kind”. She refers him to a white lawyer.
Sherrod’s racist tale is received by the NAACP audience with nodding approval and murmurs of recognition and agreement. Hardly the behavior of the group now holding itself up as the supreme judge of another groups’ racial tolerance.
Unbelievable…… This woman uses the fact that white people mistreated blacks many, many, many years ago, as an excuse to discriminate against a white man in the twenty-first century. As I told you all before, Black Racism is not a myth, it does exist and it is justified by the liberal media in America. Now, some of you might say, “Well, this has existed for many years.” Sure, it has; but it was mainly confined to the local level, like say in Detroit and many metropolitan cities. This is on the national level and it should not be tolerated at all. Shirley Sherrod should be terminated from her job immediately. She has demonstrated in this video, that she is totally incapable of being fair and just in her ability to help ALL people; and not just those of color.
This, I am afraid, is what people like Senator Barry Goldwater feared, when he refused to sign the Civil Rights act of 1964. Not only that, but you also notice too, that no Liberals have spoken out against this? That is because the Democratic Party; which is basically now controlled by the Obama Administration supports and now sanctions this sort of activity.
Remember this sort of nonsense come the 2010 and 2012 elections and vote accordingly. Racism is wrong; no matter if it is White against Black or Black against White — It is still wrong and should not be allowed, much less tolerated in a public office or from a public official.
“Yes, of course I want to come back to Detroit and work for an auto company after college,” I told a perplexed neighbor at my high-school graduation party. A little background might help.
At the height of the Roaring Twenties, my great-grandfather, living in Rhode Island, was an unemployed immigrant from Quebec. Desperate and looking for a way to achieve the American Dream, he turned to the “Paris of the Midwest” for hope. In a letter to Henry Ford, my great-grandfather said he was a hard worker and wanted to come to Detroit for Ford’s new $5-a-day jobs. Ford wrote him back and hired him; my family planted its roots in Detroit.
My great-grandparents endured the mass layoffs of the 1930s, they became U.S. citizens in Detroit in the 1940s, and they died in Detroit. My grandfather did his time at Ford and moved on to other sectors of the automotive industry. My father currently works for Pacific Insight Electronics, an automotive supplier that deals almost exclusively with Ford.
It was my family’s history with the blue oval that prompted me to choose Ford for my senior project. My former high school offers seniors the opportunity to take the month of May off school to study an industry.
[….]
Participating in an activity for a higher purpose is what Detroit needs if it is to truly reinvent itself. Of course, the poor economy and some poor choices made by the Big Three damaged the city’s status, but there is a lot to learn from companies like Ford. Communication, passion, sacrifice and, most importantly, hard work have reinvigorated Ford. The same traits can help reinvigorate the Motor City.
Although I am going away to college in the fall, to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., I believe my professional aspirations will eventually bring me back to the city that made me possible.
The train that is the nation’s economic recovery has slowed noticeably, unable to generate enough jobs in the last two months to keep pace with population growth, much less reduce the vast numbers of unemployed Americans.
The United States added just 83,000 private sector jobs in June, according to the monthly statistical snapshot released by the Labor Department. The unemployment rate declined to 9.5 percent, from 9.7 percent in May. But that was a largely illusory decline, as 652,000 Americans left the work force.
Over all, the nation lost 125,000 jobs in June, but those losses came as temporary federal Census workers headed for the exits.
With the economy slowing — housing sales plummeted, while earnings and hours worked ticked downward last month — the stakes grow larger, economically and politically. The next few monthly unemployment reports will unfold during the run-up to the midterm Congressional elections this fall. Incumbents feel particularly precarious, and major economic decisions about financial reform, unemployment benefits, and aid to states still sit on their desks.
Think maybe now the Democrats will finally get it? Guess again. (h/t The Other McCain)
Quote:
“Now, let me say that unemployment insurance, we talk about it as a safety net and the rest — this is one of the biggest stimuluses [sic] to our economy. Economists will tell you, this money is spent quickly. It injects demand into the economy and it’s job-creating. It creates jobs faster than almost any other initiative you can name because, again, it is money that is needed for families to survive, and it is spent. So it has a double benefit — it helps those who have lost their jobs, but it also is a job-creator and so, uh, for that reason — for those two reasons at least — it should be passed, and I’m optimistic that it will.” – Nancy Pelosi, July 1, 2010
WASHINGTON – More than 1.3 million laid-off workers won’t get their unemployment benefits reinstated before Congress goes on a weeklong break for Independence Day.
And hundreds of thousands more will lose their benefits in the coming weeks.
The House voted 270-153 Thursday to extend jobless benefits for people who have been laid off for long stretches, but the gesture was made futile by the Senate’s inability to pass the bill. For the third time in as many weeks, Republicans in the Senate successfully filibustered a similar measure Wednesday night before senators adjourned for vacation.
A little more than 1.3 million people have already lost benefits since the last extension ran out at the end of May, according to the Labor Department. By the end of the week, the number will jump to 1.7 million. By the end of July, it would top 3 million.
“It is hard to understand how anybody can come to this floor and say, for 1.7 million people and their families, this is not an emergency,” said Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. “There is no excuse for voting no.”
The bill would extend unemployment payments for up to a total of 99 weeks, for people whose state-paid benefits have run out. The benefits would be available through the end of November, at a cost of $33.9 billion. The money would have been borrowed, adding to the budget deficit.
This is political grandstanding of the worst kind. The Republicans have repeatedly said that they would extend unemployment benefits if the Democrats would strip out all the other things they have larded up the bill with. That is to say, the Republicans have said they would vote for a stand-alone unemployment extension.
But the Democrats refuse present such a bill because they think they can score political points by claiming that the GOP opposes extending benefits for those out of work.
As for me; I have no pity for those people who have been on the Government dole and are now losing the dole. Why? Because when I became unemployed back in 2005. I was not eligible for unemployment, at all. Why? Because I quit my job. The job was making me physically sick and I could not take it anymore and I quit. So, that automatically disqualifies me from getting any benefits. (Looking back on it, I MIGHT have been able to collect… But, at the time, I thought I had another job lined up. Needless to say, that never happened…)
So, since 2005; I have been having to basically live off my folks and making whatever little this blog brings in for cash. Which really is not much at all, when you get right down to it. But I do much enjoy writing about politics and the idiotic Democrats! 😉 You think the Government would push aside its rules and regulations for this white boy? Yeah Right! Now maybe if I was some sort of an oppressed minority or something. But, I am just another evil white man and the Government hasn’t established a fund for the evil poor white man yet.
You would think that the condition that the Country is in that the Democrats would just say, “Okay, Unemployment Benefits only.” But, no, they would rather grandstand an issue, all just to try secure votes come November. Which to be truly honest, is not going to guarantee the Democrats anything at all. Heck, if I were a Republican or a Democrat right now; I would be very worried, because there is a good deal of anti-incumbent sentiment in American right now.
This, in a long list of issues, is why I will never, ever vote Democratic Party again, ever.
We had to take some tough steps to pull the country out of the freefall we faced when I took office. Back then, the economy was shrinking faster than it had in decades. Today, it’s growing again. Back then, we were losing an average of 750,000 jobs a month. Today, we’ve added private sector jobs for five months in a row.
So now the economy is headed in the right direction.
The Goodyear meets the asphalt reality of the situation on the ground:
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending June 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 472,000, an increase of 13,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 459,000. The 4-week moving average was 466,500, an increase of 3,250 from the previous week’s revised average of 463,250.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the week ending June 19, unchanged from the prior week’s revised rate of 3.6 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending June 19 was 4,616,000, an increase of 43,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 4,573,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,567,500, a decrease of 25,250 from the preceding week’s revised average of 4,592,750.
The fiscal year-to-date average of seasonally adjusted weekly insured unemployment, which corresponds to the appropriated AWIU trigger, was 5.077 million.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 438,305 in the week ending June 26, an increase of 14,867 from the previous week. There were 559,857 initial claims in the comparable week in 2009.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.4 percent during the week ending June 19, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 4,311,264, an increase of 3,471 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 4.5 percent and the volume was 6,078,254.
Extended benefits were available in Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin during the week ending June 12.
Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 2,083 in the week ending June 19, a decrease of 64 from the prior week. There were 2,381 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 118 from the preceding week.
There were 18,082 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending June 12, an increase of 245 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 34,334, a decrease of 2,589 from the prior week.
States reported 4,515,499 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending June 12, a decrease of 217,513 from the prior week. There were 2,503,379 claimants in the comparable week in 2009. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.
