And that’s how Obama wants it to be. He told Joe the Plumber that he wants to spread the wealth. Did you libs REALLY think he meant that everybody would be like the rich? Nope, just means that he wants everybody to be on equal footing…paycheck to paycheck. That’s the “change” he wanted you to believe in, ‘cause that’s all you’ll have left in your pocket when all is said and done!
Welfare check to welfare check and dependent on the government. It is the only way they win elections twice in a row.. Of course it would be nice to actually have a party to run against them too.
Barry hasn’t done crap about The Number 1 Issue to most Americans: Their household income.Since he took office, the average household has 5 thousand less dollars each year. Of course, if you can’t find a job for years, like millions of Americans, then your income is way less.Now factor in the tens of millions of college grads who must start paying back those huge loans, but still can’t find a job and you have a recipe for lifelong financial problems.All of this and all our prez can manage to do is raise taxes.Good job!
Yes, Republicans with their laser-like focus on JOBS, JOBS, JOBS passed all those bills to create jobs for people and improve the economy. -They repealed Obamacare three dozen times and outlawed abortion many times. And four or five hundred filibusters. -I guess when they talked about their laser-like focus on JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, they never said they intended to create them. Since they intended to suppress job growth, that’s another campaign promise fulfilled.
Ms. Benson’s cartoon is inaccurate only in that this is not the NEW Normal. Mikefive is right to point out many Americans have lived this way for decades. What is NEW is the level of partisanship in our legislature. A civil and bipartisan legislature would be able to draft laws that Mr. Obama would cheerfully sign. Bills formed in bipartisan committees and submitted without wasteful riders and amendments could be balanced and respectful to the concerns of a great majority of Americans. ^But our legislators are in office in order to become wealthy from insider trading and jobs waiting for them at corporations and lobbying firms when they leave office with all of the pensions and benefits that follow long serving senators and congressmen when they leave office.^There is no effort being made to curb waste, the tanks being built and then stored out in the desert is an example of that. There is no effort being made to protect citizens from corporations who put profits before health and welfare. ^But most of all, there is no effort being made to rebuild/repair our bridges (1 in 5 is in need of repair), to improve our power grid (highly vulnerable to cyber attack), or to protect our children and seniors from toxins being released from smokestacks into the air, or pipes into the water. Autism and other health problems increase downwind and downstream from industrial sites that are poorly regulated. These health issues are burdens on all Americans who pay more for healthcare to compensate for those who do not have healthcare.^There are many projects whose short term high costs would result in long term savings. Many short term jobs would be created, and other long term jobs would be created. ^It is easy to be critical, but it is harder to offer ideas. My own favorite idea, I believe it’s original, is the creation of a water pipeline that would drain flood waters from rivers and lakes and pipe them to drought areas. Desalination plants on the east coast, gulf, and west coast could pipe water parallel to interstates and train lines to areas where water is needed is flooding isn’t happening. Lakes could be deepened, or even built, creating water recreation areas that would provide long term jobs for many businesses and water sources for cities and towns. With good engineering, such pipes and the pumping/filtering stations could help generate some of the energy necessary to operate them.^That is just one idea. If we come together as a “Civil” society and discuss our options, we can improve our nation in a caring and respectful manner.Respectfully,C.
And who, exactly were they averaging? Those still working? I went to the site and didn’t see much in the way of an explanation of how they arrived at their figures. The devil is always in the details…
The ’toon is true for many years, like 30+ for the average family, while the money handlers have weighted down the tightrope with their excessive profits.
The New Normal? My parents grew up in the Great Depression — their families didn’t have paychecks at all. The post-war generation made the great move into a majority middle-class society. Some of that move was based on the New Deal reforms, which flattened the economic cycle. There were downturns — such as the recession of 1958 — but the period between WWII and the great collapse of 2007 was the longest period ever without a great panic. And the collapse of 2007 didn’t turn into a Great Depression — largely because of government intervention. Otherwise, Lisa’s cartoon wouldn’t be about the troubles of the middle class, but about the New Hoovervilles — or Bushtowns, I suppose they would have been called.
Really in the death spiral eh, only 1/4 the violent crime rate of the 80’s, I miss the days when a kid could pull out a lead pipe and really beat the @#%& out of people, ever since then american’s have become soft, heck, i bet new crime doesn’t use anything more than a nerf bat. We all know the signs of a healthy society is a healthy violent crime rate.
The time frame that the Canadian dollar was at 60% was when a little province known as Quebec was threatening to separate
( 50.4% voted no, if you think that is a safe margin i fear what you call risk). Thanks to having large natural resource deposits (oil is about 1/2 of natural resource industry) and tight financial regulations the loonie is generally considered a safe investment, hence an increase in value when global economy is unstable.
for the longest stretch of time the dollar was near equal value.^The key issue for creation of jobs is the necessity for the creation of product. jobs are the process and not the end itself. What is needed by most people is simply money to pay off debt, without much consumption you don’t want to scale up production
( you can but you will actually hurt profits via decreasing value of product)
^The cheapest energy is Nuclear power in a shoddily built reactor, emphasis on the shoddily aspect, I won’t go into details over green energy, or try to bring up thorium energy, however I will say that these fields bring in far more RND investment. While using coal to power desalination would be beneficial cost wise, it would be less effective jobs wise.^China is actually keeping on path to ending emissions growth by 2030 according to their own models. While it is true that 1 new coal plant is built per weak there is also large investment in wind and hydro (China) and thorium nuclear energy (India). never mind that with 4 times the population of the USA, that is about 1 coal plant per month scaled to population.^Going to the concept of other energies being more intensive on capital and less intensive on cost, considering long term costs associated with permanent desalienation, it would seem practical to use renewable energy ( coastal wind turbines are comparatively effective, and unless you plan to find inland oceans it would therefore seem practical to use wind.)^
However perhaps instead of pondering how to produce more energy we could look at how not to waste energy in transmission, presently by estimates between 7 and 35%, The construction of a national smart grid may be beneficial in this regard, this could also be beneficial in terms of development of green energy and for newer energy firms as it would be easier to get product to market
While many live “paycheck to paycheck”, and have since even before the “Great Depression”, it was largely a matter of choice in buying at the limit of, or over, what they could afford. The loss of good jobs, with adequate pay, can in large part focus on the “Reagan revolution” with the attacks on unions, and the shipping of our manufacturing jobs overseas, like for example, eliminating the U.S. steel industry, letting China take it over.
Respectful and Jeff Kiser: it should be noted that TVA and the Bureau of Reclamation long ago started damming those flood waters, and shipping water where “needed”, based on who could steal it actually, and destroying much of our critical habitat for fish, farming, and functional environments. Which also, coal, like mountaintop removal, is destructive at every turn It’s notable that while no, wind energy is NOT “24/7” on production, it is now competitive with coal, or cheaper, on a kilowatt cost basis. Yes, wind also has problems with birds and other critters, and the problem is not HOW we get energy, but HOW MUCH we continue to waste, whether coal, wind, nuclear, or hydro is the source, natural gas is NOT a good alternative!
Our entire culture is based on “paycheck to paycheck mentality”, and nobody is willing to pay the piper for our lack of planning ahead.
Don Winchester Premium Member almost 11 years ago
And that’s how Obama wants it to be. He told Joe the Plumber that he wants to spread the wealth. Did you libs REALLY think he meant that everybody would be like the rich? Nope, just means that he wants everybody to be on equal footing…paycheck to paycheck. That’s the “change” he wanted you to believe in, ‘cause that’s all you’ll have left in your pocket when all is said and done!
alcors3 almost 11 years ago
Welfare check to welfare check and dependent on the government. It is the only way they win elections twice in a row.. Of course it would be nice to actually have a party to run against them too.
ConserveGov almost 11 years ago
Barry hasn’t done crap about The Number 1 Issue to most Americans: Their household income.Since he took office, the average household has 5 thousand less dollars each year. Of course, if you can’t find a job for years, like millions of Americans, then your income is way less.Now factor in the tens of millions of college grads who must start paying back those huge loans, but still can’t find a job and you have a recipe for lifelong financial problems.All of this and all our prez can manage to do is raise taxes.Good job!
braindead Premium Member almost 11 years ago
Yes, Republicans with their laser-like focus on JOBS, JOBS, JOBS passed all those bills to create jobs for people and improve the economy. -They repealed Obamacare three dozen times and outlawed abortion many times. And four or five hundred filibusters. -I guess when they talked about their laser-like focus on JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, they never said they intended to create them. Since they intended to suppress job growth, that’s another campaign promise fulfilled.
greyolddave almost 11 years ago
Yea, so what is new about that? What planet does Lisa live on anyway.
OmqR-IV.0 almost 11 years ago
^ ha!
rini1946 almost 11 years ago
yes keep buying imports and taxing the crap out of businesses I will be welfare check to welfare check
chazandru almost 11 years ago
Ms. Benson’s cartoon is inaccurate only in that this is not the NEW Normal. Mikefive is right to point out many Americans have lived this way for decades. What is NEW is the level of partisanship in our legislature. A civil and bipartisan legislature would be able to draft laws that Mr. Obama would cheerfully sign. Bills formed in bipartisan committees and submitted without wasteful riders and amendments could be balanced and respectful to the concerns of a great majority of Americans. ^But our legislators are in office in order to become wealthy from insider trading and jobs waiting for them at corporations and lobbying firms when they leave office with all of the pensions and benefits that follow long serving senators and congressmen when they leave office.^There is no effort being made to curb waste, the tanks being built and then stored out in the desert is an example of that. There is no effort being made to protect citizens from corporations who put profits before health and welfare. ^But most of all, there is no effort being made to rebuild/repair our bridges (1 in 5 is in need of repair), to improve our power grid (highly vulnerable to cyber attack), or to protect our children and seniors from toxins being released from smokestacks into the air, or pipes into the water. Autism and other health problems increase downwind and downstream from industrial sites that are poorly regulated. These health issues are burdens on all Americans who pay more for healthcare to compensate for those who do not have healthcare.^There are many projects whose short term high costs would result in long term savings. Many short term jobs would be created, and other long term jobs would be created. ^It is easy to be critical, but it is harder to offer ideas. My own favorite idea, I believe it’s original, is the creation of a water pipeline that would drain flood waters from rivers and lakes and pipe them to drought areas. Desalination plants on the east coast, gulf, and west coast could pipe water parallel to interstates and train lines to areas where water is needed is flooding isn’t happening. Lakes could be deepened, or even built, creating water recreation areas that would provide long term jobs for many businesses and water sources for cities and towns. With good engineering, such pipes and the pumping/filtering stations could help generate some of the energy necessary to operate them.^That is just one idea. If we come together as a “Civil” society and discuss our options, we can improve our nation in a caring and respectful manner.Respectfully,C.
cwsprague almost 11 years ago
And who, exactly were they averaging? Those still working? I went to the site and didn’t see much in the way of an explanation of how they arrived at their figures. The devil is always in the details…
Justice22 almost 11 years ago
The ’toon is true for many years, like 30+ for the average family, while the money handlers have weighted down the tightrope with their excessive profits.
braindead Premium Member almost 11 years ago
Ah, the ZIT is back, exuding pus once again.-Why was HowgoZIT banned?
lonecat almost 11 years ago
The New Normal? My parents grew up in the Great Depression — their families didn’t have paychecks at all. The post-war generation made the great move into a majority middle-class society. Some of that move was based on the New Deal reforms, which flattened the economic cycle. There were downturns — such as the recession of 1958 — but the period between WWII and the great collapse of 2007 was the longest period ever without a great panic. And the collapse of 2007 didn’t turn into a Great Depression — largely because of government intervention. Otherwise, Lisa’s cartoon wouldn’t be about the troubles of the middle class, but about the New Hoovervilles — or Bushtowns, I suppose they would have been called.
Quipss almost 11 years ago
http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren11/beh5.asp
Really in the death spiral eh, only 1/4 the violent crime rate of the 80’s, I miss the days when a kid could pull out a lead pipe and really beat the @#%& out of people, ever since then american’s have become soft, heck, i bet new crime doesn’t use anything more than a nerf bat. We all know the signs of a healthy society is a healthy violent crime rate.
Magnaut almost 11 years ago
Conservatives are the only source of truth " ignorance is bliss" enjoy you bliss!
Quipss almost 11 years ago
The time frame that the Canadian dollar was at 60% was when a little province known as Quebec was threatening to separate
( 50.4% voted no, if you think that is a safe margin i fear what you call risk). Thanks to having large natural resource deposits (oil is about 1/2 of natural resource industry) and tight financial regulations the loonie is generally considered a safe investment, hence an increase in value when global economy is unstable.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/map-history-dollar/
for the longest stretch of time the dollar was near equal value.^The key issue for creation of jobs is the necessity for the creation of product. jobs are the process and not the end itself. What is needed by most people is simply money to pay off debt, without much consumption you don’t want to scale up production
( you can but you will actually hurt profits via decreasing value of product)^The cheapest energy is Nuclear power in a shoddily built reactor, emphasis on the shoddily aspect, I won’t go into details over green energy, or try to bring up thorium energy, however I will say that these fields bring in far more RND investment. While using coal to power desalination would be beneficial cost wise, it would be less effective jobs wise.^China is actually keeping on path to ending emissions growth by 2030 according to their own models. While it is true that 1 new coal plant is built per weak there is also large investment in wind and hydro (China) and thorium nuclear energy (India). never mind that with 4 times the population of the USA, that is about 1 coal plant per month scaled to population.^Going to the concept of other energies being more intensive on capital and less intensive on cost, considering long term costs associated with permanent desalienation, it would seem practical to use renewable energy ( coastal wind turbines are comparatively effective, and unless you plan to find inland oceans it would therefore seem practical to use wind.)^
However perhaps instead of pondering how to produce more energy we could look at how not to waste energy in transmission, presently by estimates between 7 and 35%, The construction of a national smart grid may be beneficial in this regard, this could also be beneficial in terms of development of green energy and for newer energy firms as it would be easier to get product to market
Dtroutma almost 11 years ago
While many live “paycheck to paycheck”, and have since even before the “Great Depression”, it was largely a matter of choice in buying at the limit of, or over, what they could afford. The loss of good jobs, with adequate pay, can in large part focus on the “Reagan revolution” with the attacks on unions, and the shipping of our manufacturing jobs overseas, like for example, eliminating the U.S. steel industry, letting China take it over.
Respectful and Jeff Kiser: it should be noted that TVA and the Bureau of Reclamation long ago started damming those flood waters, and shipping water where “needed”, based on who could steal it actually, and destroying much of our critical habitat for fish, farming, and functional environments. Which also, coal, like mountaintop removal, is destructive at every turn It’s notable that while no, wind energy is NOT “24/7” on production, it is now competitive with coal, or cheaper, on a kilowatt cost basis. Yes, wind also has problems with birds and other critters, and the problem is not HOW we get energy, but HOW MUCH we continue to waste, whether coal, wind, nuclear, or hydro is the source, natural gas is NOT a good alternative!
Our entire culture is based on “paycheck to paycheck mentality”, and nobody is willing to pay the piper for our lack of planning ahead.
braindead Premium Member almost 11 years ago
“We’ll also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of reducing ethanol, not just from corn but wood chips and stalks, or switch grass,”
corzak almost 11 years ago
Interesting article.Who Destroyed the Economy? The Case Against the Baby Boomers
Dtroutma almost 11 years ago
Potato chips are obviously a socialist plot, ‘cause you can’t eat just one?
Hawthorne almost 11 years ago
“So who raises the kids? Why, Hillary and her village, of course.”
You are so right!
d_legendary1 almost 11 years ago
34 years of Reaganomics and Clintonomics will do that to a middle class.