Sarah Palin arrives at the Senate. A Rose by any other name.

“The last stimulus bill did not create one new job,” Brown said after his swearing-in by Vice President Joseph Biden. “In Massachusetts, it hasn’t created one new job, and across the country as well.”

Dah!

Can he see Russia from his house, too?

Has he ever seen Russia?

I can see it now, the peace and nuclear disarmament of the world lies in the balance as Bozo meets Putin to discuss Iran and North Korea.

The NEW breed of Republican. Oh. My. God.

Ya see, honey, Bush and the Republicans increased the construction business so much during his terms in office that now the collapse has occurred, it is 'dog eat dog' out there. Nice. Republicans did such a wonderful thing for eight long and stupid years.

...A fierce competition among construction companies (click here) for limited public stimulus dollars is producing an unexpected silver lining for Massachusetts amid the recession.

Massachusetts already has seen 31 stimulus-funded road and bridge construction projects come in below the state's original estimate. On average bids are 22 percent lower than expected, resulting in $59.5 million in savings....

HYPOCRITE !!!!

Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006 (click here)

AN ACT PROVIDING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, QUALITY, ACCOUNTABLE HEALTH CARE.

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is forthwith to expand access to health care for Massachusetts residents, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:

SECTION 1. To provide for supplementing certain items in the general appropriation act and other appropriation acts for fiscal year 2006 for the purpose of funding certain costs associated with health care reform, the sums set forth in section 2 are hereby appropriated from the General Fund unless specifically designated otherwise in this act or in those other appropriation acts, for the several purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this act or in these other appropriation acts and subject to laws regulating the disbursement of public funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006. The sums in said section 2 shall be in addition to any amounts previously appropriated and made available for the purposes of those items, provided further, that all funds appropriated in this section shall not revert and shall be available for expenditure until June 30, 2007....

Here are a couple of jobs at The USA Department of Labor. The nation needs folks to fill jobs to put the rest of us to work in a safe environment.

Program Analyst (click here)
SALARY RANGE: 86,489.00 - 112,434.00 USD per year
POSITION INFORMATION: Full Time Permanent


Investigator (Occupational Safety and Health) (click here)
SALARY RANGE: 47,448.00 - 89,450.00 USD per year
POSITION INFORMATION: Full-time Permanent

And the list goes on... (click title to entry - thank you)

If Toyota wants to revitalize its image it might want to partner with Apple Computers.

The partnership seems obvious to me. If Toyota produced a 'special Apple car' with the help of Apple computers it would add some 'jazz' to its product line as well. It would show an outreach that may prove favorable to its image. I am an American so if something like that were to happen I would like to see it produced in the USA, too.



Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak (click here)

...Toyota’s manager in charge of quality, (click title to entry - thank you) Hiroyuki Yokoyama, said the company had identified the problem and corrected the glitch for Priuses sold since late January. He said the company was still considering what actions to take for cars already on the road and had not ruled out a recall....

I think Toyota has a great product line. I own a Tacoma. But, my first reaction to this 'fuel' thing was computer malfunction.

I believe it has to be investigated. The vehicles today rely on computer programs to maintain fuel economy. Actually, a computer patch will cost a lot less than a replaced brake petal, although it could be all three issues that are the problem.

I am not having any problems with my vehicle. That isn't it. It gets really good gas mileage.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says his Prius has acceleration 'software glitch' (click title to entry - thank you)

Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak, who should know a few things about software glitches, says his 2010 Toyota Prius -- which is not listed on Toyota's sticky-gas-pedal recall list -- accelerates suddenly, and not in a good way....

I wish opportunities to address real issues of the USA weren't squandered by 'propaganda opportunities.''

...Of the top 50 largest metropolitan areas by GDP, Las Vegas-Paradise, NV experienced the largest growth, 31.2%, with its largest increase, 10%, between 2003 and 2004. (click title to entry - thank you)

I really don't believe there was any reason for ANY apology !!!!!

If I had to advise President Obama to insure he gets his message out without these morons interferring? I'd tell him, USE GENERICS. You know, like, "...and don't blow your money on gambling." That way PERHAPS, but only PERHAPS, the college students might actually hear your message. It's worth a try, but, I am sure the mayor of Las Vegas would take offense to that as well, but, at least we can measure it.

Gambling by underage college students: preferences and pathology (click here)

University students (N=995) residing in an environment which affords many opportunities to gamble were surveyed. For those participants over 21 years of age, 92.5% said they had gambled at least once in a casino, compared to 59.8% of the 18 year olds, 72.8% of the 19 year olds, and 86.1% of the 20 year olds. Casino gambling is legal only at 21. Preferences in favorite game showed no difference between the two groups except that those under 21 years were more than twice as likely to prefer sports betting to those over 21. The percentage of participants classified as probable pathological gamblers by the South Oaks Gambling Screen was 9.21% for those under 21 years, and 14.91% for those over 21....

Nevada lawmakers angry at President Obama's 'don't blow a bunch of cash on Vegas' comment (click here)

All too often the American media simply take issues that don't belong at the forefront of the American conscience and turn them into propagandized political fodder. This is one of those times.

The 'enemy' here one might note is TRANSPARENCY. The President has opened up his every move to 'transparency' in order to defeat the lies the right wing uses to 'spin' their political campaigns.

This is simply an atrocity to realize the reputation of Las Vegas is more important than the hearts and minds of our college students receiving federal loans, which are substantial if one never engaged that type of responsibility before.

The MESSAGE the President made at a Democratic retreat was spun by those that hate this administration for a wedge to political pandering. Did anyone hear the message?

No.

The entire message the President gave to our college students was completely lost in idiocy.

Who is it the mayor of Las Vegas? He feels that INSECURE about the reputation of his city that he has to forsake the message from the President of the United States of America to college students in order to engage in protectionism.

Really?

I am not impressed.

Top Ten Student Money Mistakes (click here)

By Blythe Terrell
11 March 2004
For many students, college is the first major landmark on the path to independence. Moving away from home means no more curfews, no asking for permission and no parents looking over their shoulders. It also means that the liberty-seeking college kid is now free to make his or her own mistakes....

...Letting friends pressure them into spending money. College life is full of opportunities to spend money, finals week smorgasbord, an evening out with friends, road trips and vacations… Not knowing how to say “no” can cause students to spend money they just do not have. “If you can’t afford it, just say no”, says David Fingerhut, a financial adviser with Pines Financial in St. Louis....

Will someone put these folks out of their misery and send them home rather than elect them. They know not what they do.

The conservatives in the country cannot get their minds around the fact they have failed the people of the USA.

Mike Pence has become the RNC strategist to return Republicans to the House. Isn't that great? He was hoping at the last minute someone would turn on health care reform and defeat the House vote as well.

They don't have good ideas, yet these men get sent back to serve over and over and over again.

The Bush/Paulson Bank Bailout was an abject failure to the Middle Class and Working Class and Small Business owners of this country, yet, the Republicans won't admit it. They got back their monies and then some when Wall Street investment banks had record profits over and over again.

It wasn't they that hired the "Pay Czar" either.

Somewhere in the House and Senate Ethics laws there should be an examination of the PROFITS those that wrote the TARP bill received AFTER Wall Street turned record profits. We hear about and object to the CEOs that receive all these bonuses, but, we don't bother to realize how much Congressional members have received in profits from TARP. There should be examination of the monies the authors of TARP received and why the Middle Class, Working Class, Small businesses and OTHER banks were left 'out of the loop.' I realize the FDIC was there for a reason, but, the number of banks that have failed following the TARP bailout is hideous.


Failed Bank List (click here)

This list includes banks which have failed since October 1, 2000. Total - 210 (According to closing date)

2000 - Two (2)
2001 - Four (4)
2002 - Sixteen (16)
2003 - Three (3)
2004 - Four (4)
2005 - None (0)
2006 - None (0)
2007 - Three (3)
2008 - Twenty-five (25)
2009 - One hundred and thirty-nine (139)
2010 - Fourteen (14) to date

Every one of these banks were lending to small businesses, had employees at all levels of the management sector including the bank teller. These people have families they contributed to, had homes and hopes for the future. The communities they served are now left with no venues for their needs and the Republicans, especially those that wrote TARP didn't and DON'T care about any of it. It is time to send these Politicians into retirement. The people of the USA should not make the mistake in believing these men actually care about them, they don't. The people of the USA never once crossed their minds, nor the minds of Bush and Paulson when they wrote TARP.






Rather than listening to the needs of the nation and asking what can be done to 'CHANGE' the poorly written legislation that gave TARP funds to investment banks ONLY and allowed the complete deterioration of the USA infrastructure, Gregg had a hissy fit.

The operative word with all conservatives is 'control.' Gregg was one of the authors of the TARP bailout. It explains why he had an interest in being Secretary of Commerce. Men like him aren't interested in what happened to the American people, he was interested in 'getting back' the monies he lost as a result of the implosion of the economic failure. Gregg is one of 'those people' that live in his own reality and have absolutely NO idea of the reality of the people of this country. He and Alito have a lot in common, they live in their own glory and completely out of touch with the Middle Class.

His ranting is completely inappropriate and is a victimization of the people of the USA to attempt to gain political favor with people that consider him important enough to dump money into a campaign that will be lased with more and more lies and propaganda.

Gregg Blasts Budget Director Over Lending Plan (click here for video)

Senator Opposes Plan To Divert Money For Small-Business Lending

POSTED: 5:18 pm EST February 2, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- While President Barack Obama was in New Hampshire, Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., was blasting his budget director in Washington.Gregg opposes the administration's plan to divert leftover TARP money to a small-business lending program. He took budget director Peter Orszag to task Tuesday over the plan."This is the law," Gregg said. "It's not your piggy bank because you're concerned about lending to small businesses and you want to get a political event when you go out and make a speech in Nashua, N.H."The president's budget came out Monday. Gregg said it burdens future generations with debt.

Who hired Hunter in the first place? Young?

The fact of the matter is that Young was an enabler. He didn't love his country, he loved power and the wealth it would bring him. When he was disappointed he wrote a book that would make him some of the money that winning the Presidency might.

I won't buy the book. I find the entire episode hideous beyond belief and this is more proof of it.


..."It is lurid, as one might expect (click here) --fraught with details about Edwards and some justifications of Young's seemingly sycophantish relationship with the man ("Inside the campaigns, I found a cult-like atmosphere that eroded my ability to resist his requests for ever more extreme behavior.")...

This is about the sickest mess I have yet to witness and Young was in on it. What did they think they were doing?

If I have the chronology right it only goes to prove what I have stated all along. I don't know how many times on this blog I have stated, men leave women with breast cancer.

Elizabeth Edwards diagnosed with breast cancer

Posted 11/4/2004 12:46 PM
Updated 11/4/2004 10:12 PM

By Susan Page and Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Elizabeth Edwards continued to stump through five key states in the final days of the campaign despite receiving a distressing diagnosis from her family doctor last Friday: breast cancer....

Elizabeth was diagnosed in 2004 and the affair occurred sometime in 2007 when everything around John was falling apart. He had already had an unsuccessful run for Vice President. He could not be more correct about the fact that there were two Americas and this was years before the economic engineering of Paulson. But, he was losing a campaign for a Presidential bid and he turned to the one place where he could find some success.

Surprise, surprise. He was attempting to deal with his wife's cancer and in 2008 after the baby was born Elizabeth was rediagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer.

Something to be learned here by a book from someone who was disappointed by life when his candidate didn't own up to his own genius?

I don't reward this mess with a purchase of a book. What John Edwards needs to do is pick up the pieces of his life and get on with it. He has lost not only a son, a wife to divorce, a Vice Presidential and Presidential bid, but, a good friend that exploited what was left of his dignity.

John needs to write a book about the insight he had about the two Americas, because, the American didn't listen. The Democrats treated the Edwards message as if it was tabloid journalism itself. John needs to write, no different than Spitzer has, about the insight he had regarding the reality that cost the American taxpayer $800 billion to corporate investment banks that took their money and ran. They left the current President holding the bag to stimulate the economy and pick up the pieces of the USA and find monies GRATEFULLY to add a loan possibility to Small Businesses.

How did you know all that, John? That is what I want to know.

I know this seems like an odd idea, but, shouldn't the USA offer asylum to Alhaji Umaru Mutallab

Was the system set up to be THIS dysfunctional? Maybe add a few colors, okay?

Shocking Pink for airline alert.

Florescent Green for cyber warning.

Purple for trains, bridges and surface transport.

Aquamarine for ships and waterways.

That sort of stuff.

Six months is no joke, okay? The last time the Intelligence Departments warned about an attack within three months Cheney treated the warning as if it needed an appointment to receive any action.




The USA wanted him to testify to the Senate and now his son has agreed to cooperate with authorities. It would seem a good incentive for Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to continue to supply information if his parents were safe.

Perhaps he and his family are safe in Nigeria, but, how can anyone be sure? After all the USA is holding Umar. I would think there should be some reward for his father for being so forthright about all this.

...The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, (click here) in a letter dated January 7, asked Mutallab to appear before it tomorrow to testify on the alleged bombing attempt by his son, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab....


When I think of cyber and traditional attacks with airliners, I first think of the Super-Jumbos that require a lot of software that might be available for corruption and 'in flight' malfunction by sabotage.

Someone want to raise the terror alert? Just a thought.


..."Al-Qaeda maintains its intent to attack the homeland (click here) -- preferably with a large-scale operation that would cause mass casualties, harm the U.S. economy or both," Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair told the committee in a hearing convened to assess looming threats against the country....

Just in case The Republicans and their pundits at FOX don't 'get it.'

100 % of zero is still zero

Percentage of GDP is irrelevant to any recovery from an economic crash. And the collapse of 2008 was a crash by any definition.

After a crash the Gross Domestic Product of any country is not really known. It wasn't even really known before the crash because the economy prior to the crash was a faux economy.

The California Gold Rush was a rampant economy because of the promise of 'mad money' with the discovery of gold. The Boom Towns crashed because it was all based in over exaggerated expectations.

What occurred in large measure during the Bush/Cheney/Secretaries of Commerce years was no different than the California Gold Rush. The expectations of those years were exaggerated and people from every walk of life mortgaged their lives to achieve status and wealth that was promised to them.

The economy of Bush was destined to fail and everyone that did not participate knew it. Those folks still have their homes and their lives and with any luck their jobs.

The profound truth to the circumstances the USA faces today is that, 1. it are not alone, although the rest of the global economy wishes it were and 2. the economy of the USA has yet to be realized.

The current USA Labor Department is going about things the right way. They are looking at the economic collapse of each region as it experiences it and addresses it with programs to return a degree of economy to existing infrastructure that is still viable.

The intervention by the USA Labor Department is about sustainable employment, sustainable tax base and it is not 'flash in the pan' growth spurts that will only return to un or underemployment again.

The Stimulus allowed breathing room to the States, but, also addressed crumbling infrastructure that was grossly neglected during the 'years of neglect' from 2000-2008 all for the sake of a nation at war.

I am sure I can look back at the Clinton Surplus and find a lot of uses for it that would have resulted in economic growth past 'the service economy' of the time, but, that was wasted and now we are faced with 're-growing' the USA from practically scratch. It is an interesting exercise actually. We expected more cooperation from the salvaged banks but received none. A good lesson for all to learn as far as I am concerned.

But, what is more interesting than any of it, is that we have a huge opportunity before to rebuild the infrastructure of our country that will serve 'better' priorities rather than ones of the past. We can literally 'remake' our education, energy, transportation, etc. infrastructure with the future in mind.

The point is, even after one year of trying we don't know what the new GDP of the USA is. We have yet to achieve our goals and realize their outcomes.

The town where I am living has seen the rebirth of 'Main Street' since the collapse. Shops that once lined 'the mall' have abandoned higher rental prices and returned instead to Main Street shops. It is charming again to walk down Main Street and 'experience' the town rather than scampering about the mall and hurrying on the way. The local economy feels more like a local economy rather than a big box store and the shop keepers are doing well. Craftspersons display their goods on consignment in shops where it makes sense and 'it is a good thing.'

There are businesses that have gone out of business, but, then they were probably run by poor management that could not absorb any loss and forced to close their doors. That can be stated as appropriate, but, it is still unfortunate to those that face hard times.

Larger companies that were viable before are still seeing viability, but, with losses they have had to adjust and hope higher sales will return.

Lots and lots of sales at chain stores which give the shoppes are run for their money, but, I can't believe those chains can keep up that pace for long.

The point is 'contraction' of any economy is a blow to the debt a nation carries, but, when the recovery is realized sometimes 'when working with percentages' the entire picture changes.

So, for a country with a debt of 50% to its GDP, with contraction of 25%, the amount of the debt doesn't change, but, the percentage does. That can be bad news for an economy that is unrecoverable, BUT, the USA has much promise and many untapped opportunities. So the picture for its economy is really quite bright.

What also contributes to the optimism of this economy is a President determined to ravage old habits of cronyism and rid the national debt of unnecessary ventures and wasted taxpayer monies. I have not witnessed a President as obviously 'on the hunt' for government waste as President Obama is. I am proud of him. The sad reality is that Democrats don't realize a favorite son when they see one.

As the President is successful and waste is sculpted from the budget, we will end up with more in our treasury than we bargained for. What will also be unexpected is the increased tax base and an increase in revenues and before we know it we will not only have the country we longed for, but, one that can pay its bills.

I am less worried, than determined and I think that is the best outlook one can have. Small businesses and local economies are more important to our recovery than can be said.

...in the interim, the President is absolutely correct again,...the best venue for people that find themselves floundering is finding an education that will provide in the future and stick with it. Those that have wanted that Masters or PhD have an opportunity they should take advantage of, too.

I will return to reading the Republicans 'alternative' plans tomorrow. There is just so much I can read at a time. I needed a day off.

Tomorrow.

It is nearly impossible to get serious conversations from the USA media regarding the economy, so Canada is a good source of comparative values.

Canada is extremely similar in its demographics to the USA economy. There are some differences.

The USA has anti-trust laws, where Canada actually intervenes with government power to stop the exploitation of its workers.

Canada has less agriculture than the USA. Due to its northern position on the globe the agricultural sector is in the southern end of the country.

There is a rating scale called "The Index of Economic Freedom." It is an interesting scale, I don't believe it is the quintessential scale, I prefer the United Nations comparison of countries better especially when it comes to natural resource conservation, but, this is basically a measure of 'opportunity' countries practice in their policies.

The Top 10 for 2009 included both Canada and the USA, which is 'kinda' neat, because, we are among some really 'cool and thriving' countries other than the 'usual' European group we frequently 'akin' ourselves with. In the top 10 Canada is ranked 7th and the USA 8th (click here). The point is we don't have to be Canada-wannabees for economic direction, but, it is a valid comparison to what Canada is doing to find its way out of this Wall Street mess as compared to the USA.

So, that stated, Canada is continuing to spend and its economic minister isn't nearly as concerned about the nation's debt as the Conservatives of the Republican Party in the USA portray its importance.

It clearly tells me that the propaganda from the Murdoch Propaganda Machine is completely disaffecting the USA economy and causing a slow down in the recovery in the USA. I wish Canada would speak out about that because indirectly the USA's economy effects all nations and certainly the economic recovery of both Canada and Mexico.

The 'freeze' that was an attempt at bipartisanship by President Obama is simply a stupid idea that has been politically engineered by the RNC. It dominated the latest election in Massachusetts and now the USA is burdened ONCE AGAIN with idiocy rathrer than productivity. The House should eliminate 'the Republican Deep Freeze' from its bill and therefore it will be tempered in negotiations with the Senate.

The Global Community should take note, the USA is under siege by its Right Wing Media and for some stupid reason it is unable to reign in that power. Any country's ministers with strategies to break this up should advise the White House as soon as possible. The people of the USA are not safe.

Thank you.

Flaherty urged to keep spending taps open (click here)

Jeremy Torobin and Tavia Grant

Ottawa, Toronto — Globe and Mail Update Published on Monday, Feb. 01, 2010 8:15PM EST Last updated on Tuesday, Feb. 02, 2010 7:35AM EST

Canada's leading private economists are urging Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to tread a cautious path in his March budget and keep spending flowing in a fragile recovery.

At a meeting in Ottawa on Tuesday, the economists will suggest Mr. Flaherty look past some of the better-than-expected data in Canada and the United States and resist moving too quickly to rein in the deficit.

The economists have boosted their projections for the economy, which Mr. Flaherty uses to shape his own assessments. They now see average economic growth of 2.7 per cent this year, according to a Bloomberg survey. That's higher than the 2.3 per cent Mr. Flaherty projected in his September fiscal update, but still well below the 5 per cent to 6 per cent that typically follows a deep slump...

THE PERCENT of GDP is irrelevant to the best outcome of the USA. The faster the tax base expands the more of the nation's deficit will be paid. We could literally have the deficit paid off in the Baby Boomer's lifetimes if we apply the principles correctly and return quality of life and the American Dream back to the Middle Class.

China is encouraged to spend as their 'percent' GDP is only 5%, but, the economy of China is huge compared to the USA due to the population difference.

Quite literally, if the USA draws down its spending too quickly we will witness a huge hike in unemployment when the troops come home and I am sorry, but, war is NOT an economic directive.

The USA, with our new President, will be able to spend its way out of the NEGLECT of the conservative party of the past five decades. We need to "go there" and go there quickly. I find the budgets of the Obama White House in step with its peers around the globe.

Spending in education will bring the USA into competitive ranges with others globally and we cannot afford to languish another year. Our children's futures demand cutting edge opportunity and it is high time we invested.

The more jobs and needs this nation creates the better off we are. If the conservatives of the USA are so very, very concerned about the Stimulus and the spending of the government then they need to propose legislation that will provide 'regulators' to oversee spending where ever federal dollars are distributed to be sure they are used as proposed. So far, NOTHING, I have witnessed anywhere tells me there is rampant corruption of the spending of the Stimulus, but, with such a large program there will no doubt be some.

Where spending is a 'bad idea' is when the deficit far outreaches 'an established' and fairly 'static' GDP. We have witnessed this in Argentina. But, with the potential the USA has to build an infrastructure and employ more and more people, especially now that its States are coming in line with a return of their State Legislators, spending is the venue of change and improvement. The USA DOES NOT KNOW its potential yet and to cut it off at the knees before we attain it is complete moronity.

Fiscal Conservatives are very poor judges of what is best for the country. They were the onces that sunk the economy in the first place and to trust them all over again is the worst possible sense of judgement the American people have ever shown. The American people are reacting to their own 'personal fiscal fears' when they think about what the economy on a national scale should be doing. It isn't the same and sooner or later the people of the USA are going to have to trust the President and realize he has done everything to benefit this country and assist the people to remain 'okay' in the face of a deeply troubled economy.

We have to trust and believe in our judgement of leadership at the time of the 2008 election and not the propagandized reality of a desperate Republican Party. It is okay to blame Bush and the Republicans for our troubles. They did this. They sincerely did.

Sweden bullish about prospects for growth

Published: 27 Jan 10 14:45 CET
The Swedish government released a more optimistic forecast for the economy on Wednesday, announcing it expects the country’s GDP to climb by 3.0 percent in 2010.
n its previous forecast, presented in November, the government projected that the Swedish economy would only expand by 2.0 percent this year.

According to the new forecast, however, the economy is expected to grow by 3.0 percent in 2010, 3.6 percent in 2011, and 3.2 percent in 2012.

Unemployment will also continue to rise in 2010, however, reaching 9.5 percent before dropping down to 8.9 percent in 2011 and 7.6 percent in 2012.

Meanwhile, inflation is also expected to creep up in the following years, with consumer prices inching up by 1.3 percent in 2010, 2.1 percent in 2011, and 2.7 percent in 2012, according to the government’s new forecast.

Finance minister Anders Borg admitted even he was surprised when his colleagues presented him with the new unemployment projections.

“It’s quite a strong downward revision of more than 4 percent, if you look a few years down the road,” he said at a Wednesday press conference.

“We’re going to be at a level of around 4 to 5 percent unemployment within a few years.”...

G7 may debate yuan, bank regulation: Japan (click here)

Finance Minister Kan says he expects frank G7 debate instead of document

Leika Kihara

TOKYO — Reuters Published on Tuesday, Feb. 02, 2010 6:43AM EST Last updated on Tuesday, Feb. 02, 2010 7:42AM EST

Group of Seven finance leaders may discuss the Chinese yuan and President Barak Obama's financial regulation plan when they meet in the Arctic Canadian town of Iqaluit this weekend, Japan's finance minister said.

China has come under heavy pressure from the G7 leading nations to revalue its currency, which some economists say is kept artificially low, giving it an unfair export advantage and hindering more balanced economic growth.

Tokyo believes that a more flexible yuan is desirable but has been more reserved than its G7 peers in its criticism of China's currency system on the view that pressuring Beijing won't work.

“We'll deal with this issue based on our understanding that stable economic growth in China is desirable for Japan,” Finance Minister Naoto Kan told a news conference on Tuesday...

Flaherty to Raise Canada’s 2010 Growth Outlook (Update2) (click here)

February 01, 2010, 05:08 PM EST

(Updates bond trading in ninth paragraph.)

By Theophilos Argitis

Feb. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s March 4 budget may include a stronger forecast for 2010 economic growth, a survey of analysts showed, giving him more scope to fight the country’s rising debt burden.

Canada’s economy will expand 2.7 percent in 2010, faster than the 2.3 percent projected in the September fiscal update, according to a Bloomberg survey of 14 of the 16 forecasters Flaherty consults for his budget. Flaherty will meet the 16 economists from banks, universities and research institutes in Ottawa tomorrow to gather their projections.

Faster growth in 2010 may help propel Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s plan to shift the government’s focus to eliminating the deficit, which could sustain demand for Canadian debt at a time when opposition lawmakers and economists question the government’s ability to balance the budget....

OECD urges China to spend freely (click here)

Alan Wheatley and Zhou Xin

Beijing — Reuters Published on Tuesday, Feb. 02, 2010 6:39AM EST Last updated on Tuesday, Feb. 02, 2010 7:36AM EST

China needs to run a continued fiscal deficit and let its real exchange rate rise to rebalance its economy towards domestic demand and thus sustain the impressive growth of recent years, the OECD said on Tuesday.

In only its second full-length study of non-member China, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development maintained its November forecast of an acceleration in gross domestic product growth to 10.2 per cent in 2010 from 8.7 per cent last year.

Near-term economic overheating was unlikely as the economy had ample spare capacity, the OECD said, forecasting that consumer prices would rise a modest 1.8 per cent in 2010.

The OECD said China's fiscal deficit remained small despite Beijing's 4 trillion yuan ($585.9-billion) stimulus program and advised against a return to the conservative spending policies that left the general government budget in surplus to the tune of more than 5 per cent of GDP in 2007.

“Further out, maintaining strong domestic demand will require a continued fiscal deficit,” the report said....

Plans Republicans Make - regarding jobs.

In their complaint letter to the President of the United States of America, the Republicans state they want a bipartisan discussion on jobs because the issue is neglected by policymakers in Washington, DC.

Now, are those policymakers also the Republicans, because, the Democrats passed a large stimulus bill at the beginning of 2009. So, I guess it is the RNC that feels guilty that their own members have talked about jobs much. Right? I mean it was the Republicans that sank the country into The Great Recession which caused large reductions in jobs in the USA economy, hence, the stimulus package. So, is it the Republicans feeling guilty here? They want to apologize to the country or something?

Let's see, the superlatives used by the RNC in their letter are, jobs are being shed at an unacceptable rate, there have been job losses since the stimulus.

I want to discuss the job losses since the stimulus. See, if one looks at the states with SUSTAINED job losses they are primarily where Republican administrations are in control of the state governments.

Hello?

Just yesterday a good friend stopped in after the snow started to melt.

And that is another thing, the snow is melting so there is going to be flooding where all the snow had fallen.

But, this friend stopped in. He is in construction. Last year the firm he works for earned a whopping $400,000.00 at the end of the year in profit. I should qualify that by saying $400 hundred thousand is a small fraction of the work this firm usually does annually. They do mostly commercial work. This year they are looking at government contracts. The government work is receiving bids that only achieve about a 5% profit margin and that is if there are no delays or supply costs that increase. Needless to say the Stimulus monies could not be better spent at a better time, because the government is receiving high quality work for dirt cheap prices.

At any rate, the monies that are now being distributed are ONLY NOW coming into the market place. The projects this firm is looking at are all new and they are since THE STATE legislature has returned to their annual planning sessions. Follow? So, before the RNC starts running its mouth about the SLOW return of jobs to the country, they need to realize they are half the problem in the states where majority Republican legislators and/or governors administer the business of the government.

Now, understanding that reality is an interesting aspect to this. The State governments could have and SHOULD HAVE called in emergency sessions since they would not be meeting again to legislate until 2010. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. It is more than obvious to me that Republicans DELIBERATELY stayed out and let people suffer and/or collect unemployment extentions rather than taking up the cause and putting people back to work immediately. It is completely obvious to me, especially with the news yesterday, that Republicans intended to complain about the slow return of jobs and 'MADE' it happen. So, I don't really want to hear it. I want to hear how the entire country is pulling together to put people back to work and cut unemployment costs. That is what I want to hear from Republicans and I am not hearing it. I am only hearing complaints.

So, back to the letter, hopefully it is chocked full of new and exciting ideas.

No ideas yet. That is sort of status quo for the GOP. But, there are more complaints about long term unemployment. I already addressed that above. Oh, the famous rhetoric for Republicans, a "Jobless Recovery." We heard those words through the entire Bush years. Nothing new there. After all the Republican cronies on Wall Street still have their jobs when they shouldn't. That might explain why the early Obama years look so much like the entire Bush years.

Well, the letter goes on to say the same thing, complaints in different words, but, basically (who signed this anyway?). Well this explains a few things, the signators are John Baehner, 8th district of Ohio, it is difficult to read that handwriting, it looks like Mike Pence, 6th congressional district of Indiana, Eric Cantor, the 7th congressional district of Virginia, and David Camp (not to be confused with Camp David), the 4th congressional district of Michigan. No women signed the letter. I don't blame them. But, they formed this group called, The Better Solutions Group. Right. Better solutions that offer no clear workable ideas so far, nothing but complaints and demands for tax incentives to the wealthy, but, oh yeah they have the answers all right.

Here is another Republican standby, "moneys borrowed from future generations of Americans." Why does that matter now, Mr. Boehner, Mr. Pence, Mr. Cantor and Mr. David? Why now? It has never carried any brevity before President Obama came into office. It certainly didn't matter a hoot and a holler when the Banks came begging, so why all of a sudden do long term Republicans have complaints about borrowing monies from future generations. Answer that first and THEN it might actually be a legitimate question.

So, like the four of you asked President Obama, "Where are the jobs?" I don't see one constructive proposal yet.

Here is a reminder. Small businesses are the work engine of new jobs. AHhhhh, yes, small businesses. Where are they, Pence, Boehner, Cantor and David? Where are the loans that small businesses need to facilitate their ability to expand and hire new people? You know, HIRE, new jobs? Because the Banks that came begging, that you borrowed monies from future generations of Americans, have never (THAT WAS NEVER) provided the loans the nation's small businesses needed. We, the little people, thought it would be coming when those monies were borrowed from future generations. But, it hasn't. Now President Obama has to supply even more monies which will increase the deficit to provide loans to small businesses IN HOPES that jobs will be forthcoming.

I really don't think there is anything worthwhile in this letter regarding Republican proposals to increase job growth. There isn't one proposal here. Not one. Not yet.

The four congressmen that composed this letter have lied. They stated the government is not the place where jobs take place. That is a lie. It may not be the place where Republicans WANT the jobs to come from, but, to state the government is NOT the place where jobs occur is a lie.

The stimulus saved jobs in government across the board where it could be applied immediately to federal spending. That is the truth. It not only saved jobs, but, much needed repair due to past neglect (as an example) to National Parks have actually filled jobs and/or created same.

In addition, I can go to the site for the Department of Labor and find a lot of unfilled jobs. Jobs that, when filled, will help the US Labor Department function better to assist the nation in its need. Those jobs at the USA Labor Department are good paying jobs, too. They require many high level skills. I am sorry to see there are so many, actually, but the jobs are there and Americans should look for them and apply.

Maybe Americans have gotten use to the idea that government doesn't hire from the Bush years and vacancies go unfilled. But, these federal departments are hiring now.

So to say government is NOT the place where jobs occur is completely a lie. As a matter of fact, when we spend monies on government we KNOW ABSOLUTELY there are going to be jobs, that is not necessarily the case with small businesses although we hope it is.

As a matter of fact, and forgive me for rambling on, jobs from small businesses won't happen immediately as they FIRST have to recover from losses during the economic downturn.

AND.

Sometimes it is now hard to find small businesses to expand because they were forced into default after the Great Recession of 2008.

So, I'll take the government jobs for now and know the demands of those employees to the government will bring demands for start up small businesses and cause (THAT WAS CAUSE) their return to our economy.

Wow, that was a lot of writing. Yep.

Oh, now the four congressmen are gong to bash President Obama. They are ridiculing his agenda. You know, health care, global warming and an energy tax.

Well, that is status quo. No ideas about creating jobs and plenty of Obama Bashing along with sincere and out right lies. Because the four congressmen state, the monies that went to government froze out small businesses. No. That is not the case. The people believed once the bank bailout was enacted the LOAN departments used by small businesses would open their doors again. THAT is the real issue here, isn't it? But, because it doesn't serve the political agenda of the Republicans a NEW REALITY has to be proposed.

The four congressimen go on to criticize President Obama for not listening to the Congressional Budget Office Director, Mr. Douglas Holtz Eakin. Okay? Look at this:

Republicans Assail President Obama Meeting with Congressional Budget Office Director As Inappropriate (click here)

July 22, 2009 12:13 PM

Basically, President Obama is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. If he meets with the CBO director it is bashed, if he doesn't do as the COB director (as stated here) states he should do he is bashed anyway,

Enough.

Cute stuff they pull. When is President Obama and the Congressional Democrats going to learn that working with Republicans is like Daniel in the lions den? When? Another year from now? Two? When, are Democrats going to learn that their agenda is completely meaningless to these men and women. Americans already know we don't mean anything to them, we are just waiting for Democratic lawmakers to catch on. Like what happens when they go to Washington anyway? They really don't 'get it.'

The letter goes on to make no proposals. It only discusses the supposed legislation that was given to President Obama. More comments about that in a minute.

The bottom line to this mess from the Republicans is something called the House GOP Economic Recovery Solutions Group. They have more websites than they have content. When I went to the website for it, this is what I found. I'll look again as I may have missed something. At THIS website I am not getting a link behind the text. I click on the phrase "read more" and then I get a page that states, "The system cannot find the file specified." Second thoughts? Simply a bad idea?

House Republican Economic Recovery Plan (click here)

The one PDF I did find is something called "Better Solutions, a compilation of GOP alternatives."

What I am going to do is read through it, take notes and finish this entry. However, I have something else to say about the way these Republicans approach the President.

The President isn't the place to propose legislation. He is the Executive Branch. You folks are suppose to write bills and submit them for consideration to the House of Representatives. What do the Republicans expect to happen? For the President to sign the 'Better Solutions' book? An autograph? Is that what these folks are looking for? No? Simply grandstanding.

I'll be back.

The PDF I read says nearly the same thing as the document to the link at the title to this entry, except, it is not as hostile in its verbiage. Another thing about verbs. The GOP tends to use a lot of 'reflexive verbs' and that creates a 'no opposition' bottom line to their perspective. It is more or less a tactic. Reflexive verbs are from romance languages.

That said as a bit of trivia and to note how one says things actually 'constructs' a format for debate-less politics and having Republicans always appear authoritative and singly directed.

But, that said, there are a few proposals within this effort by Republicans, none of which were necessary to take to the President's desk. They did so to grandstand for their cronies and constituents. This is another 'Contract with America' effort, but, in a different package. The Republicans both in verbiage and actions want to appear to have the upper hand, better ideas and control of government. It is a hostile stance.

But, to take these proposals one by one:

Here are some of the verbiage that really does not translate into real proposals, "Self Imposed Obstacles such as increased taxes, new government regulations and government mandates and Restore Confidence by a freeze on discretionary spending.

If any Democrat was thinking this 'freeze' was outside the 'character' of the President, it is.

It is a Republican idea.

So when people like BECK want to ridicule President Obama for freezing discretionary spending at inflated rates, they should realize this was a bipartisan effort by the President. The responsibility for this one belongs to the Republicans. Glenn Beck and all the other naysayers don't read for a living evidently.

The verbiage which states, "Self Imposed Obstacles and Restore Confidence" is rhetoric. It is unkind and simply "W"rong. So, I am going to set all that aside because in discussing the economy it has no meaning. Those are insulting political constructs.

The freeze is stated to save $53 billion. Okay. Done. Now, the Republicans have to return to the House and see their legislation stays in the President's proposal.

Bipartisanship. Obama. I don't want to hear it anymore.

The Republicans want to change depreciation schedules on commercial real estate.

Not homes, but, commercial real estate.

Currently the depreciation schedule is 37 years, I believe. The Republicans want to change it to 20 years or less. That would mean commercial real estate, such as the Goldman Sachs towers in NYC would be able to have less taxes to pay if their real estate were depreciated more quickly. Along with that fact it would increase the deductions on those buildings where commercial income is conducted.

The government loses on this all the way around.

The depreciation rate on homes is 27.5 years.

I don't think it is a bad proposal, but, it increases wealth to businesses and does not necessarily generate jobs. I don't see a depreciation schedule of 20 years either so much as the same as homes receive of 27.5 years. The 20 year schedule is too drastic and destructive to any local tax base as well because it will be argued in court that if the federal government sees depreciation that way then local municipalities have to see it that way as well. It will hurt local governments and schools almost immediately. I don't like the depreciation schedule reduced to that extent.

27.5 and no more. At this time it would mean the federal government would also have to protect communities if their tax base was reduced by this new schedule. The Republicans did not propose this with 'Pay Go' in mind either. So, they need to work on it. I also believe there should be a sun-downing provision as well.

They want to restructure unemployment to include "Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment." That is being done in some states and the Republicans noted that in their statement, however, what sometimes happens with such issues are relocation issues and it isn't as successful as one might think. If a spouse is gainfully employed and a person is assessed to take a job elsewhere that creates issues. I think it can be a good measure, but, one has to realize most state governments are stressed to the max in regard to administering unemployment and adding more administrative costs to their responsibility again means finding ways to pay for it. Pay-Go again.

The like a program called "Georgia Works." It is where recipients of unemployment are placed to work with existing employers. It is similar to the "Work Fare" dynamic with welfare. It can be helpful, I suppose. It is a 'try it and like it' six week program. Employers hire an unemployed person for six weeks and then decide if they want to keep them on the payroll.

I see a few issues.

To begin it removes the unemployed from the job market. It doesn't allow for time to look for work. It doesn't necessarily match candidate with their abilities either. Add to that employers could treat this as a 'revolving door' kind of thing. If employees are subsidized by the State in their salary it gives a fiscal break to employers. Why not just continue to disapprove of candidates and have the State supply temporary employees all the time.

Georgia Work$ (GW$) (click here)

In order for this to really be successful as a training program, the employers have to agree to hire a certain number of the people that come to work for them and I would think these employers would also have health insurance benefits.

Suspend Federal Unemployment Tax. NO, with a capital N. It increases the deficit. And you have to love this part, they want to fund it by using the "Improper government payment dollars."

White House: $98 billion in bad payments (click here)

The federal government made $98 billion in improper government payments in 2009, budget director Orszag says.

It isn't enough that the federal government has made $98 billion in bad payments, the Republicans want to treat it as part of the budget and fund the federal unemployment tax with it. Those monies are suppose to go to reduce the national debt. Spend it? No and to even consider that as a potential 'Pay-Go' deal is outrageous. It is unethical and immoral. That is like stealing money from the people of the USA.

The Republicans want to remove unnecessary barriers to domestic energy production. In other words, all the regulations that protect consumers and citizens (not necessarily the same thing) from exploitive and dangerous practices are suppose to be sacrificed even further in HOPES there will be more jobs created.

NO! And I don't care if they 'window dressed' it with alternative energies either. Regulations are important and they need to stay the way they are. Republicans always assume that regulations cost companies money. In the long run, they save money because they prevent disasters and the monies the federal government has to spend to pick up after them. Regulations also save lives and I am not willing to risk citizen's lives for the 'idea' there MIGHT be an increased job base. Absolutely not. If one death occurred from such an action it would be horrible and preventable and there is no way I see this as a moral directive by any government, federal or otherwise. Absolutely not.

The Republicans want to AGAIN repatriate earnings into the USA from companies with foreign income/operations. That is reducing corporate tax burden and it increases the national debt. Bush did this and it is noted in the letter, however, there is nothing to say anywhere that I read that it would happen the same way. There are no jobs created by that either, that income is from overseas and actually in my opinion undermines the American worker. It might bring a few billion US to the treasury, but, it does nothing to prevent companies from moving jobs out of the country and COSTING jobs in the USA. I don't believe it is a good idea. It will encourage outsourcing. I don't see it as a job incentive at all. It is not worth the few billion it may or may not generate.

This proposal to increase exports probably has some merit. The Republicans state there are three free trade agreements pending that would generate 1% increase in exports and that translates directly into jobs.

December 12, 2008

Pass Pending Trade Agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea in 2009 (click here)

by Daniella Markheim

I have not researched this a great deal, but, it sounds like something the President alluded to and the Republicans should take this forward to the House legislation to include in the budget if there are enough members of the House that see this as benevolent to the country.

Some of the negative rhetoric in the letter is simply that. Small businesses were left out of the recovery picture by the banks. That is a fact. The Republicans have to stop blaming the Stimulus package as unsuccessful because it didn't close this gap. One has to first realize there is a gap before it can be closed. The President and his financial team lived up to their word in not dominating the decision making at corporate headquarters. The USA was stiffed by the banks that received the monies from the bailout and we all know it. We have had to reorient ourselves to that reality and act in support of small businesses.

I believe all the negative rhetoric is a form of hatred and it needs to stop. That is the long and short of it for jobs by the Republicans and I am deeply grateful the American people were not left in their hands after the global economic collapse of 2008. Deeply grateful. We have a great President. He helped us a great deal.

Tomorrow.

Boycott the Super Bowl. No TV, No attendance, No radio, No souvenir, No nothing.

Scott Roeder (click here)

THE NATURE OF RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY (click here)

Matthew Shepard Foundation (click here)

Not because it is ProLife, but, it violates Civil Rights in the USA. The organizers of the Super Bowl that will take place this Sunday have refused to carry ads from other 'civic minded' groups. They are also NOT carrying the life histories of other players.

There is no equity in how the organizers are conducting their merchandising. I don't believe 'first come, first served' is appropriate when the content is intended to sawy political issues. On every venue of journalism there are demands for equal time. The 'faux' ad on Sunday will bring a 'paid for TV political ad' to the screen without equal time allowed for those that feel differently.

The organizers of the Super Bowl are breaking laws in the USA and allowing 'favored' status to a particular political issue.

The groups most effected by these hostile actions should be filing for injunctions at the very least. Besides the obvious hostility toward women, the religious preference is nothing but dangerous. I oppose the political use of any sports event where there are Americans from every cultural and religious background being exposed to such bigotry.

While the player mentioned as more important to the game by the fact that he simply breaths and lives might have an interesting story, the only reality that comes across to me is that he beat the odds. Fine, other don't.

Gloria Allred Says Tim Tebow’s Super Bowl Ad ‘Misleading Advertising’ (click here)

...He is also a devout evangelical Christian who has spent his college years endlessly bible-thumping and proselytizing about God. And he is famous for his Jesus eye patches, which he inscribes with biblical verse numbers, before every game. Now, Tebow and his missionary mother Pam, are at the center of a Super Bowl advertising controversy, which has raised the sensitive issues of mixing religion and sports and the appropriateness of airing divisive advocacy ads, during the Super Bowl....