“Hello my honey, hello my baby, hello my ragtime gal!” Everybody remember Michigan J. Frog, the singing frog from the classic cartoon? That cartoon came out in 1955, almost 60 years ago, and will probably be remembered in another 60 years, when animation and computer simulation will have completely replaced live actors and the actual world in all movies. (Except for the voices.)
Michael, as you know, statistics can be used to interpret any outcome which pleases the compiler. I don’t believe any state or federal agency knows the true number of unemployed, and those who are under-employed. Many who once earned 40, 50 or 60K per year are now at lower-end jobs making less than half that. These “employed” people still have to pay mortgages, insurance, taxes, ever-rising energy prices, support their families, but have nothing to spend for going to a movie, taking the wife out to dinner, taking the kids out to the amusement park, or buying a prom dress for his daughter. Working at a fast-food outlet or clerking at a big-box store used to be a starting point for many to get started in the business sector, learn, and work one’s way up. But today, it is the only job many can get to support themselves; hence, the debate over raising the minimum wage. Washington is ever vigilant about assuring us that they have it under control, that there is no cause for us to be alarmed. But we should be; VERY alarmed. We should be MAD AS HELL, and not take it anymore! We are in the midst of a growing economic and social crisis. If conservative and liberal sides continue to polarize, and our elected representatives do nothing to correct the extremes, we are all in for a terribly long ride.
Wow, I know I got windy here, but after re-reading, I still stand by it.
Note that the unemployment insurance extension would create 200,000 jobs (according to the CBO), by putting money into the pockets of people who will spend it. John Boehner, of course, has said he’ll block it “because it needs to create jobs.” So he’s going to attach a poison pill, the XL pipeline, which he knows creates only a couple of thousand jobs, but his owners want to have built and could never be built if it has a fair environmental evaluation. America doesn’t need more oil spills. It needs fewer Republicans.
Hear hear, ARod! .We’ll just keep getting our Canadian oil the old-fashioned way, by rail. So what if a few Canucks burn in the process (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lac-Mégantic_derailment), and maybe some spills a little here or there (http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/13/us-energy-crude-derailment-idUSBREA1C13120140213). Besides, it fills the pockets Warren Buffett, Obama’s money fairy.
Obama and the democrats have done a bad job at getting the economy going again. Of course they had no help from the Republicans. And putting the Republicans back in power is like hiring an arsonist to put out a fire.
To TrustedMechanic:I don’t know how old you are, but maybe you can recall this episode from the late 1980’s.
The U.S. was upset with Japan because they had not opened much of their market to our exports. Pres. Bush, the elder, was going over to talk with them about it* Several top corporate executives insisted on accompanying him, to lecture the Japanese business leaders about “fairness” When these business leaders sat down to talk, the first thing the Japanese said to our guys was “Your executive salaries are way out of line with your companies earnings!”“NO NO NO! WE DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT!!” cried their U.S. counterparts. This was reported in the U.S. media for one day, then, somehow, it disappeared.
This was the trip where Bush, at a formal dinner, vomited on the lap of the Japanese Prime Minister!
Alexander the Good Enough about 10 years ago
It was the Republicans, most notably Bush the Lesser, that dug that hole. Then they gridlocked everyone out of work.
Doughfoot about 10 years ago
“Hello my honey, hello my baby, hello my ragtime gal!” Everybody remember Michigan J. Frog, the singing frog from the classic cartoon? That cartoon came out in 1955, almost 60 years ago, and will probably be remembered in another 60 years, when animation and computer simulation will have completely replaced live actors and the actual world in all movies. (Except for the voices.)
gammaguy about 10 years ago
@Michael wme: "(Choose one.) "..How about “none of the above”?
Plods with ...™ about 10 years ago
Not yet. The hole’s not full of money.
Kip W about 10 years ago
Bush dug a hole that was pretty deep. Obama wanted to fill it in, but Congress kept grabbing the shovels and making it deeper whenever they could.
So stop living in the past! The Bush recession was all the fault of FDR anyway. Chappaquiddighazi!
moosemin about 10 years ago
Michael, as you know, statistics can be used to interpret any outcome which pleases the compiler. I don’t believe any state or federal agency knows the true number of unemployed, and those who are under-employed. Many who once earned 40, 50 or 60K per year are now at lower-end jobs making less than half that. These “employed” people still have to pay mortgages, insurance, taxes, ever-rising energy prices, support their families, but have nothing to spend for going to a movie, taking the wife out to dinner, taking the kids out to the amusement park, or buying a prom dress for his daughter. Working at a fast-food outlet or clerking at a big-box store used to be a starting point for many to get started in the business sector, learn, and work one’s way up. But today, it is the only job many can get to support themselves; hence, the debate over raising the minimum wage. Washington is ever vigilant about assuring us that they have it under control, that there is no cause for us to be alarmed. But we should be; VERY alarmed. We should be MAD AS HELL, and not take it anymore! We are in the midst of a growing economic and social crisis. If conservative and liberal sides continue to polarize, and our elected representatives do nothing to correct the extremes, we are all in for a terribly long ride.
Wow, I know I got windy here, but after re-reading, I still stand by it.
ARodney about 10 years ago
Note that the unemployment insurance extension would create 200,000 jobs (according to the CBO), by putting money into the pockets of people who will spend it. John Boehner, of course, has said he’ll block it “because it needs to create jobs.” So he’s going to attach a poison pill, the XL pipeline, which he knows creates only a couple of thousand jobs, but his owners want to have built and could never be built if it has a fair environmental evaluation. America doesn’t need more oil spills. It needs fewer Republicans.
ConserveGov about 10 years ago
Where’s that Jobs Czar guy with Barry’s Promise of millions of “shovel- ready” jobs?
Snarky about 10 years ago
Hear hear, ARod! .We’ll just keep getting our Canadian oil the old-fashioned way, by rail. So what if a few Canucks burn in the process (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lac-Mégantic_derailment), and maybe some spills a little here or there (http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/13/us-energy-crude-derailment-idUSBREA1C13120140213). Besides, it fills the pockets Warren Buffett, Obama’s money fairy.
lonecat about 10 years ago
Obama and the democrats have done a bad job at getting the economy going again. Of course they had no help from the Republicans. And putting the Republicans back in power is like hiring an arsonist to put out a fire.
oneoldhat about 10 years ago
house passes job bills but senator hairy thinks people are less likely to vote for democrats if they have a job so he blocks them
H P Hundt Premium Member about 10 years ago
Tell that to the Kennedys.
Bilword about 10 years ago
more and more, we are living in a twilight zone episode.
moosemin about 10 years ago
To TrustedMechanic:I don’t know how old you are, but maybe you can recall this episode from the late 1980’s.
The U.S. was upset with Japan because they had not opened much of their market to our exports. Pres. Bush, the elder, was going over to talk with them about it* Several top corporate executives insisted on accompanying him, to lecture the Japanese business leaders about “fairness” When these business leaders sat down to talk, the first thing the Japanese said to our guys was “Your executive salaries are way out of line with your companies earnings!”“NO NO NO! WE DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT!!” cried their U.S. counterparts. This was reported in the U.S. media for one day, then, somehow, it disappeared.
This was the trip where Bush, at a formal dinner, vomited on the lap of the Japanese Prime Minister!