Steve Benen at Washington Monthly quoting Heidi Shierholz of the Economic Policy Institute, after today's jobs report which showed a gain of 71,000 jobs in the private sector but a loss of 202,000 (143,000 of those census workers) in the public sector:
"The economic case for more government action to create jobs is about as clear as they come."
It's crystal clear. What is needed is government spending to create jobs, the much-maligned (by the Boehner Bunch) public sector jobs. A WPA, CCC, Interstate Highway System-type public works program. The deficit be damned, Americans need jobs. Most in Washington know what is called for. Matthew Yglesias:
"The losses came from the public sector. And they were foreseeable. And they were foreseen by the President of the United States and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Majority Leader of the United States Senate and the majority of House members and a majority of Senators. And the President of the United States and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Majority Leader of the United States Senate and the majority of House members and a majority of Senators voted for bills that would have prevented that."
Here comes the "but":
"But because in the Senate a minority of members can get their way, action wasn't taken."
And the sad part is, the proper action won't be taken. Sadder still, the party that prevented it will reap the benefits of the high unemployment numbers for which they are most responsible.
That is the textbook definition of a broken system.
In truth, the innovation is occurring and will pay huge dividends down the road. The banks are still the owners of the American economy. As was seen in the last few years their ability to concentrate wealth where they choose can make or break anyone or anything. Is Obama considered friend or foe by big money and their patrons the Republican party?
More and more we are seeing partisan politics take precedence over the national interest. We've always had this to a degree, but the last 18 months the division in our country has greatly deepened.
Elena Kagan, though highly qualified, got only 5 GOP votes in her Senate confirmation. John Roberts got more Democratic votes even though it appeared than and really does now that he is unqualified to impartially hear cases concerning corporate America. The same can be said for Scalia and Thomas.
Democrats are by no means blameless; Pelosi and Reid have done a less than sterling job. Compared to the hyperbole spewed forth daily by McConnell and Boehner they look good.
It may hurt feelings but I would rather have every job at NASA go away if that means we can keep more teachers and first responders on the payroll. It's possible to do both but not with the obstructionism that permeates both chambers today. As one of my friends said, "Republicans are not good losers."
John Merline, your source for facts...former editor of Investor Business Daily otherwise known as Investors Who Hate Obama Daily.
Try again. Or not.
Bart, if the Party of No would quit acting like spoiled two year olds, we might be able to get something done.
In the meantime, sit down and shut up.
Last night on Maddow (or was it Countdown? - I've slept since then) it was mentioned that something that was taken out of the stimulus bill so that the GOP would vote for it (which they didn't do even after demanding this would be taken out) was money to help states keep their government employees.
So now the whacktard GOP is going to cry about jobs being lost when they were the ones who demanded that the money to SAVE those jobs was eliminated and they voted against even the watered-down version of the stimulus bill.
So it's their fault and they are going to try to point fingers at the Dems because of these job losses. And sad to say, people who aren't paying attention will listen to them.
Kind of like a spoiled child who breaks his toy on purpose because his sibling wants it, and then cries and blames his siblings because he doesn't have it.
Or like a person who murders his entire family and then whines to the judge because he's an orphan.
Remember, people....the President said it very well this week: we all learned this in driver's ed. D = Forward. R = Reverse. Remember this in November!!
We are hemorrhaging teaching jobs and paraprofessions. The aid to the states could literally result in 6 to 10 million per school district. We just had to layoff three paras because of lack of funds. That 6 million would translate to roughly 100 teachers or 150 paras (or some combination). For a district our size it would be huge. Obstructionism has real consequences.
Alien - TRUE THAT! and it is the textbook Texas will be reviled for!
Yes, we need jobs but businesses are not hiring - they are adopting a wait and see attitude I think. I also think the GOP is holding off approving anything regarding a jobs bill so they can blame the POTUS for the bad economy come mid-term elections. Sad state of affairs when the greedy politicians play with the livlihood of the American middle class worker who only wants to work and be able to pay their bills. Let the little guys suffer, after all aren't all the unemployed lazy? Jerks.
the Rules of the Senate have no place trumping the sense of the electorate, their legitimately elected POTUS, nor the placement/filling of government positions with his appointees to make the people's business executable by their government.
this obstructionism is just as extreme by the minority Regressives as was their 'our way or the highway' attitude when they were in the majority.
the Framers never intended a situation where legal election results would be ignored and all parties did not try to do business together.
In his farewell address, George Washington warned us against the spirit of the party. The framers designed the Congress in such a way that it would be difficult to get legislation through. It's supposed to be cumbersome. It's also supposed to be based on the merit of the bill in question. If representatives actually represented their constituents then these bills would pass.
If the textbook was written in Texas it is likely broken as well.