Americas News Online

Economy And Unemployment: Trumka Shows Blaming Bush Wont Fix This

Richard West — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:30:00 +0000

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka showed excellent restraint in a Sunday interview on CNN’s “state of the Union” by refraining from blaming the Bush administration for the current economic crisis that Americans are going through. This same control could be observed in the President’s Labor Day address on Saturday. But, he said the “foundation has been built” by the Obama administration to repair eight years of Bush administration years that “worked over” the economy. He was joined by Todd McCracken, president of the National Small Business Association, who also praised Obama, but said that things should have been different.

McCraken’s Problems

While Mr. McCraken lauded the President for his support on issues such as small business lending, he did have a negative opinion to post. He said tha the payroll tax holiday measures that are now being discussed in the administration “should have been on the table a year and a half ago.” These “Tax Holidays” he speaks of are a tried and true method for stimulating purchasing. They are used all over the U.S. as “sales tax holidays,” these usually last for a weekend, and occur around the time when school starts for an area. The best part of what he is talking about is that he refers to PAYROLL taxes, something every worker wants to see.

Obama Inherited This Recession

Trumka said with conviction, “He’s brought us back. He’s brought sanity back to the financial system. He’s created more jobs in this recession than George Bush did in eight years with a surplus.” He then went on to explain that Republican obstructionism and a stimulus package that was too small is the reason the recession has deepened and been so hard to recover from. He also defended the President by saying “This president has done more and given more tax cuts to business than anyone before, we had no choice but to rein in Wall Street. We had no choice but to rein in health care costs.” Way to go sirs, this could have only been a good thing. If they don’t want more regulation, then they shouldn’t be slinking in the shadows…like the common purse theif.

Immigration Reform: Exactly What Are Anchor Babies

Victor Hatley — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:25:33 +0000

When Arizona passed their controversial immigration laws, though they didn’t know it at the time, but they “Stirred up a whole heap o’ trouble,” as Marshall Dillon would say it. And a heap o’ something is exactly what it has been. Everyone from the White House to the Supreme Courts are getting in on the show, and there have been a lot of politically incorrect things said lately, but really, who’s paying attention…everyone. But not everyone knows the terms that are politically correct, this issue hasn’t been addressed for, literally, decades.

The Term “Anchor Baby(ies)”

This refers to a baby born to an undocumented immigrant (politically correct?) when it occurs in a country that has a Constitutional, or legal allowance for something called “Birthright Citizenship.” Presently, of the 194 Countries on the globe, only 30 allow this, and of those 30, only 2 have what is considered to be “Advanced Economies.” In the past 30 to 40 years the countries of New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, India, and even the United Kingdom has repealed laws or made Constitutional amendments to eliminate this.

What Do These “Anchor Babies” Do

Beside crying and the usual baby stuff, according to our laws, these babies provide a mother and her spouse access to DHS services they wouldn’t normally have access to. Things such as food stamps, medical insurance (Medicaid,) and cash assistance such as TANF, in some areas. As these children grow up they can also legalize the parents, siblings, or a foreign born spouse. In the case of a spouse being legalized, the spouse can bring in their parents and siblings, also. And so the cycle goes on…

How Did This Happen

In 1868 the 14th Constitutional amendment was added to allow freed slaves some measure to gain their citizenship, and this was the best possible solution at the time. This amendment allows citizenship through naturalization or birth for those that are born “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S. The amendment gives no guidance on the “subject to” part, so has become an informal policy, or one that happens automatically. Ambassadors and Foreign ministers are exempt from these “informal policies” so repairing the lack of guidance should be a simple, no-brainer, bi-partisan solution.

The Economy And Unemployment: Saying What Needs To Be Said

Victor Hatley — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 16:03:08 +0000

The Republican party is tearing up the Democrats at the polls, this is a fact. The Democrats keep attempting to highlight all their positive accomplishments and policies, but this method of campaigning doesn’t seem to be very effective for them at this time…peoples long term memories tend to block out the suffering and bad times. So, the public tends to focus on the problems at hand, but in this case, what their long term memories are neglecting, is the cause of this mess.

Democratic Campaigns Should Look Like This

Instead of touting accomplishments, (well…totally,) Democrats should point out the careless lending of the banking institutions, and then how they are fixing it; or that big business corporations used this recession to lay off hundreds of thousands, then sit on their mountain of cash, instead of hiring and expanding in the U.S. Big business is also opening factories overseas, and automating the jobs that were eliminated to start with. There’s also Wall Street, (Goldman Sachs,) mine worker safety, and health insurance cost increases (WellPoint’s double-digit increases,) I could go on and on, but you understand.

Addressing The Issues

Most of the previous issues listed in this article have been addressed, and this should be pointed out, to the best of the abilities of our government. But the ever deepening recession is on every voters mind, and the Democrats could put the Republicans on notice by pointing out the problems that lead up to the present state of the economy. Many of which were created and set to go during Republican administrations.

Once Was A Surplus

A few administrations ago it was announced that the government had a surplus of funds, and this was great. For the first time in decades the U.S. was bringing in more than they spent, yahoo! But, as with all things, policies change (at least they do in our government) and in the end (today) we owe trillions of dollars to China, and other governments around the globe. It took over ten years to get into the deep recession we are experiencing now…people need to be reminded of the policies, laws, and arrogance that got us here in the first place.

Health Care: What Are The Bad And Good Parts Of The Reform

Audrey Howard — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:11:10 +0000

The health care reform bill has passed. People still debate over whether it is good or bad for the country, although it has done nothing positive for the current economy. Even the most skeptical person must admit that there are some good parts of the bill, although people on the other side sometimes overlook the many negative aspects of the bill. To help people sort out where the good parts and bad parts are, here is a brief synopsis of the one thing that is right and a few of the many things that are wrong with health care reform.

The Good Parts of the Health Care Reform Bill

There are not many good parts to the new legislation but there is one thing that stands out. Insurance companies can no longer prevent a person from getting coverage based on a pre-existing condition. This reform was long needed but it should not have been part of an unpopular bill that the majority of the American public wants to be overturned. The Democratic talking points, unfortunately, are mostly little more than that. The democratic talking points for health care reform ignore political and other realities to try to garner support.

The Bad Parts of the Bill

There is not enough space to go over the bad parts. The major ones are that it adds to the National Debt, makes it more expensive for businesses to hire employees, and expands the power of the Internal Revenue Service. The most important part for freelancers is that they have to have insurance or pay a fine. The cost of collecting this insurance or jailing the people who cannot afford to pay the fine has not been calculated as part of the bill. The bill has not helped the economy recover and it will have even more detrimental effects when it takes full force.

Obama’s Labor Day Address: Bush Hurt The Middle Class, We’re Helping

Victor Hatley — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 18:10:28 +0000

In his labor day radio address this weekend the President spoke in defense of his policies saying that the Bush era policies were what caused so much pain for the middle class folks in this nation. He also stated that he would continue to work for the main-stream citizens. After the criticism of his “Recovery Summer” and an umployment rate jump, he remained adamant that his administration can reverse this recession.

First The Former Administration

The first thing Obama started with was “For a decade, middle class families felt the sting of stagnant incomes and declining economic security. Companies were rewarded with tax breaks for creating jobs overseas.” He also pointed out the Wall Street issues, and housing crisis. He ended this part of the rant with “Ultimately, the house of cards collapsed.” He then declared that this Labor Day “We should recommit ourselves to our time-honored values and to this fundamental truth: to heal our economy, we need more than a healthy stock market; we need bustling main streets and a growing, thriving middle class.”

Pointed Out Accomplishments

He reminded all of us listening that his administration stopped the subsidies that banks receive on student loans, and that health care reform stopped preexisting condition disqualifications. He also touted “The steps we have taken to date have stopped the bleeding: investments in roads and bridges and high-speed railroads that will lead to hundreds of thousands of jobs in the private sector; emergency steps to prevent the layoffs of hundreds of thousands of teachers and firefighters and police officers; and tax cuts and loans for small business owners who create most of the jobs in America.”

In The End

His speech, as this article will, ended this way: “This Labor Day, we are reminded that we didn’t become the most prosperous country in the world by rewarding greed and recklessness. We did it by rewarding hard work and responsibility. We did it by recognizing that we rise or we fall together as one nation – one people – all of us vested in one another. That is how we have succeeded in the past. And that is how we will not only rebuild this economy, but rebuild it stronger than ever before.”

Tier V And Unemployment: Ongoing Census Lay Offs Helping Drive Up Rate

Donald Griffith — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:23:09 +0000

Tier V is a possible extension of Unemployment to those whose benefits have already run out. In other words the 99ers. This is not likely to come about because the main Unemployment Statistics do not include the 99ers. However, they are part of the part-timers and people who have stopped looking for work and dropped off the radar. Unfortunately, most citizens do not look at the U6 statistics. They are only interested in the headline statistic.

Census Workers Just About Done

The Census layoffs are just about finished and will no longer pull down the employment figures. However, that means if the Unemployment situation continues to be bad, there will be no excuses to cover up for the bad economy.

The statisticians can say that the Unemployment went up because more people have joined the labor force and forced the figures up. This is another way of saying people entered the labor force because the prospects of finding a job are better than ever. Dream on!

Unemployment Here To Stay

A nation that depends on debt and purchasing by consumers of cheap Asian goods is a dying economic entity. Though the Japanese are an aging and dying population, they at least make cars at home and abroad. Our cars are assembled in Mexico, at least many of them.

Service sector jobs are scarce, since the amount of space for retail has been too high and is declining. Witness the collapse of the commercial real estate market. Times are tough and there are theories about where jobs will be created. These philosophical theories are products of the college classroom. By the way, the figures on Unemployment between college graduates and non-graduates have almost equalized.

Hurricane Earl: Is New England Ready For The Hit

Donald Griffith — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:12:51 +0000

New England does not often suffer the wrath of Hurricanes. Snowstorms and thunderstorms are common, but by the time the remnants of these tropical storms make it this far north, they usually have been downgraded to a tropical depression and are no longer referred to by names. Parts of New England may suffer from a category two storm, but residents worry if their houses can withstand the fore of hurricane winds. Because Hurricanes are rare occurrences in the more Northern parts of the United States, houses in New England and the North Atlantic are not built to withstand hurricane force winds

Possible Damage from Hurricane Earl

If the hurricane makes landfall rather than going back into the sea, it may hit parts of Massachusetts and Maine could be affected as Earl loses power and heads back out to the sea. The winds are not as harsh as they were when the storm battered the coast of the Carolinas, but they can still cause problems with downed power lines, housing damage and fallen limbs. The last time a major hurricane hit the New England coast was in the 1930s. Houses are now built under different standards, but they do not use the hurricane clips that are common in the more southern regions of the United States.

Major Damage from Hurricane Earl

New England residents will probably ride out the storm as it will not be much worse than a long thunderstorm. Most of the damage incurred will probably come from flooding caused by the heavy rains. The storm has thankfully avoided the most heavily populated areas. Things could have been much worse if the storm hit Long Island or other heavily populated parts of New Jersey. Meteorologists predict the storm will be category one by the time it reaches Maine.

Can Obama Turn Things Around In November For The Democrats

James Fox — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:22:22 +0000

Just as in the unemployment statistics, polls are a lagging indicator. This means it will take longer to get the desired results, if received at all. This means the Democrats can rise in popularity, but not before a November debacle.

Obama Is Safe

Obama is safe. He does not face reelection until 2012 and as unpopular an incumbent as the President is, rare is the case when he would be unseated. Therefore, if the Democrats take a beating, his job is still secure for a couple of more years. He can enjoy his tenure as president whether Democrats or Republicans hold sway across the country.

Too Late For Good Results

The Democrats are in for a beating. The Republicans had a better chance of controlling the Senate as well, but the foolish people in Nevada nominated a lady that is bizarre to say the least. People might vote for Sharron Angle, but only because they dislike Harry Reid. It should have been a signal to voters that Angle would be a problem, because she even puts an extra R into the spelling of here name.

Due to some other problem candidates, like Ron Paul’s son, the Republicans might not take control of the Senate. It could be a plus for the American people to have a split government, since what the government does is not conducive to a good economy. This goes for both parties.

Problem In Presenting Ideas

The Republicans have presented no ideas other than repealing the health care law, which they know they will not do. People want their children insured until 26 years of age. They are disingenuous.

However, the mantra of tax cuts will be touted. Most people will support the Republican tax cuts for the rich for one reason, they are naive enough to believe they will be that rich one day. These are the same people that think they will one day win the lottery.

What Has Obama Done To Help The Main Streeters – Not Much

James Fox — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:39:24 +0000

President Obama’s Labor Day Speech is composed of useless words, as are the words coming out of any politician’s mouth. Touting the progress made and yet to come sounds good, but it puts no bread on the table. The Middle Class is dying out. In this case Karl Marx was correct in stating that this class will mostly fall into the lower class category, with very few rising to the level of the owners of the means of production.

Helping The Middle Class

It is true that under President Obama no taxes were raised. This writer can attest to having more money to keep under Obama. But, this is offset by the local taxes raised by municipalities, towns and cities, which are addicted to theft and waste. They certainly have no Biblical knowledge about the 7 prosperous years when grain or money should have been stored. They spend like “drunken sailors.” Perhaps, they should have had Gov. Huckabee give them a Bible lesson or two.

Hurting The Middle Class

Inevitably the Middle Class will be hurt by the spiraling debt. After all, the money must be paid back or at least the interest on it. Taxes must rise and of this there is no doubt. The budget shortfalls must be remedied on the back of the Middle Class. If not now, then next year and beyond.

The Middle Class cannot even get a pack of cigarettes without mortgaging their home. Governor Patterson and the reformed-smoker Mayor Bloomberg of New York are the villains. With billions in deficits, these two are trying to gain less than $200 million in taxes by shutting off Indian reservations to smokers. This is certainly hurtful to he Middle Class.

Acts like these are occurring across the land. All to pay for the deficit and debt. Obama and his predecessors have indeed killed the economy, yet there are those promising change, but where has this been heard before?

Tier V And Unemployment: Union Leader Says Obama Message Confusing

Julie Smith — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:48:35 +0000

On Thursday, AFL-CIO federation leader Richard Trumka criticized Obama’s lack of communication regarding unemployment. Trumka has remained a critic of the Obama administration’s action of staying relatively quiet on their plans and methods for reducing unemployment.

Job Crisis More Important

Trumka and others’ criticisms have been magnified by reports from economists that show the unemployment rates in America rising over ten percent. Analysts and economists have a generally negative outlook in regards to the economy for the closing of 2010. The housing market shows no signs of improvement, and the emergency passing of the Tier V extension of unemployment benefits shows that, “Something is hugely wrong,” says Mark Buschner of Rasmussen Statistics.

The AFL-CIO is more concerned with reducing the deficit as opposed to pulling the economy “out of the water”, says Trumka,   “…we don’t have a short-term deficit. We have a long-term deficit..[and] we have a short-term jobs crisis,” Trumka says that if Obama would have come clean earlier about the deficit being a major issue, then he wouldn’t be so agitated regarding Obama’s policies.

Favoring The Corporation Over Working People

Tell-tale signs of job market crisis are reflect in the Obama administration’s passing of the Tier V segment, along with panic associated with their sudden decision to adapt a conservative economic strategy. The Social Democrats and far-left commentators in the blogosphere has expressed regret that the White House is considering tax breaks for corporations as a proposed solution for America’s economic problems. Blogger and show host Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks stated that, “Obama is looking out for the corporations, not the working class.”

Trumka was very fervent about noting that most Americans, “…didn’t even know they got a tax cut,” he said, “It’s this lack of communication that is killing [Obama's] administrative credibility. It isn’t that he doesn’t have the capability, but he isn’t doing much about it.” He continues “We’ve gone from a warmongering and careless administration to one that is far too careful and far too passive,” said Uygur, “I’m not sure which is worse.”