As I pick up the pace of work again, coming into the midterms, I have to get some stories cleared off the desk in order to make room for some others, and that's what we're about today.
We'll be talking about saving more than 300,000 of this country's most important jobs, and paying for it in a way that is not only good policy, but is a real problem for Republicans who are yelling "no new taxes!" once again while pretending they care about actually paying for actual spending and actually want to cut actual unemployment.
We have a bit of work to do today, but we want to keep it somewhat short...so let's get going.
I was sitting on my sun deck drinking a cup of coffee, a slight breeze in the wee hours of the morning. Quiet and peaceful, I sip. Enjoying the aroma of brazilian roast, coiled up in my little rocker, snug in my robe and just pondering over the green in my back yard.
With the birds chirping and singing to a tune unfamiliar, yet desirable to the ear, I watch intently as the squirrels play in the yard.
Raring back in my rocker, I wrap my hands firmly around my mug and close my eyes to soak in the combination of sun, breeze, birds and fresh air...
Then, out of no where, comes a loud, grinding and buzzing echo. errrrrrahhhhhh errrrrahhhhhhh. Suddenly, I broke the silence wondering what in the world that horrible sound was and where in the world was it coming from. errrrrahhhhhh errrrrrahhhhhhh... I jump up, look around and try to walk closer to the sound. Then BOOM! A loud, hard crash and the green in my back yard begins to suddenly vibrate harshly. I lunge toward the sound and hear the shuffling of dried up leaves.. There's a body in the property joining my yard. This is a piece of land in probate and undeveloped, yet full of large timber. Of course, I have to know what is going on and who is chopping down trees on property owned by a Texan. Abruptly, I charge into the house and toward the front door. My husband stops me wanting to know where I'm going, quickly I summarize and declare, "I'm going to find out what's going on". Warning me to be careful, he remains in his chair, holding a remote and tuned into the golf tournament... MEN!
In my robe and slippers, I trample out the door and down the road a small piece to find my neighbor across the street on his four wheeler coming out of the wooded property holding a chain saw... lying in the background must have been a 30 foot oversized and fully matured hickory tree laying horizontal, roots totally airborn.
I confront my neighbor, reminding you we live in a decent community that's somewhat of an upscale or mediocre middle class neighborhood with decent livable wages. My neighbor, a brick mason stood there with defeated shoulders and sweat dripping from every part of his body. With a slight aggressive tone, I asked him what on earth he thought he was doing? That wasn't his property. That was not his tree and I was demanding to know. It was just then that my heart began to race, my throat started to burn and I noticed the water dripping on his face was not sweat... but tears when he humbly, quietly and with all humility said, "I need this hickory tree to sell for BBQ... or they'll take my house. My family is hurting and I have to keep a roof over their heads." It was then I began to realize desperate people do desperate things and we are fortunate to still be writing and talking about it. Others are far worse off and we don't know which day we will wake up and it will be us needing hickory to save our homes.
I implore you, on behalf of your neighbor, family or friend in this state of Alabama. To stop going with the flow of what it comfortable. Vote on faith, not fear. We have to take a stand and stop the big businesses. I don't care what party you are with, parties are for celebrating... let's find a way to bind together and have a reason to celebrate again. Let's celebrate the victory of giving back our voices. VOTE FOR BARNES FOR US SENATE.
Speak up Alabama, don't just vote, tell or take someone else to vote. Share your knowledge, educate yourself, find out why people are suffering and let's stop the bleeding on NOV. 2nd and Alabama will thank you.
That's what my mother always called it, as in, "He's got a lot of gall!" anytime someone tried to get away with something outrageous. See the Merriam-Webster online dictionary entry for "gall":
2: brazen boldness coupled with impudent assurance and insolence
That exactly describes Rep. Mike Rogers' (R, AL-03) actions.
Friday: Mike Rogers sends out a newsletter in which the 2nd sentence is, "Like many people, I am deeply concerned the Democratic leadership’s focus is misplaced on a health care reform plan, instead of the main concern of the American people – jobs."
Helllooo?President Obama and the Democratic leadership are focused on the jobs issue -- you're the doofus voting NO on every bill that looks like it would create jobs for ordinary Americans. If you ask me, it's part and parcel of the Republican plan -- the more pain they can create in America, the better their chances in the next election.
Rogers and his allies are hoping we'll reward his bad behavior. I think we're smarter than that.
Why am I not surprised that Rep. Mike Rogers opposes a bill that would create jobs and provide tax relief to small businesses and help families during this Great Recession?
“Once again, Representative Michael Rogers has refused to stand with hardworking families and small businesses by opposing the one thing they need the most: more jobs,” said Ryan Rudominer, National Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Representative Rogers’s objection to putting folks back to work and helping small businesses make payroll proves how out of touch Rogers still is with the pain of hardworking people.”
Alabama's unemployment rate is the highest in 26 years. 225,000 people are looking for work in this state. That's huge. Every member of the Alabama delegation ought to support the HIRE Jobs Bill. In fact, only Democrats Artur Davis (D, AL-07) and Bobby Bright (D, AL-02) voted for it.
1. A payroll tax holiday for businesses that hire unemployed workers, to create some 300,000 jobs and an income tax credit of $1,000 for businesses that retain these employees
2. Tax cuts to spur new investment by small businesses to help them expand and hire more workers [H.R. 2847, 3/04/10]
3. Tax relief for businesses to spur immediate job growth. A new payroll tax exemption would create a common-sense, targeted, and effective way to encourage employers to begin hiring unemployed workers today and is estimated to spur about 300,000 new jobs, according to economist Mark Zandi of Moody's Economy.com. [The Hill, 2/18/10].
I love participatory politics. This initiative was mentioned in a comment on melmel's NASA jobs thread and it's a great link to include here. Artur Davis is inviting people to share their job creation ideas with him:
I've been calling for shifting the national focus to job creation for some time now, and as a candidate for governor, it has been my priority.
In the coming weeks, I'll be rolling out a full jobs plan for our state, but first I want to hear from as many people as possible about what ideas they have -- including you.
Alabama's next governor is going to have to figure out ways to invest in and cultivate job sources that we haven't had before.
We can reach the future we want for this state if only we are bold enough.
Davis has been holding roundtables with business and community leaders around the state, listening to their ideas and sharing his own. He mentions exploring alternative energy sources, calling a convention to finally replace our out-of-date constitution with its barriers to economic development and making our schools a bigger asset for industrial recruitment. I know lot's of you have good ideas ... don't be shy to put them forward!
I meant to add this to countrycats' Care and feeding of candidates diary but I didn't get around to it. In light of the fact the gubernatorial candidates (except Ron Sparks) have agreed not to "play the race card" that may be a good thing because in my mind "agreeing not to play the race care" is nod nod wink wink for "we are going to ignore black folks issues and concerns, and marginalize those who try to address them". So just in case I'm right (pun intended) here are some questions for ALL the candidates (republican and democrat) from a Redeye point of view.
1. What steps would you take to establish a fair hiring program, pay structure, and promotional system for state employees? Or do you think such a program is needed?
2. If elected, how would you go about changing the attitudes of people who are opposed to African Americans playing a greater role in state government and in rendering civic service to our state?
3. Do you support earmarking a certain percentage of money from the sale of alcohol or tobacco to be used for indigent health care or maintaining substance abuse centers?
4. In terms of priority, what servcies would you like to see improved and expanded? Please be specific.
5. Give three reasons why you think black people should vote for you over your opponent.
The question is why? Why are they pandering to the party that is WRONG about everything, and has been wrong about everything from the Civil Rights Acts and Medicare to the Iraq War and the Economy?
Seriously, what has the present day gop ever been right (pun intended) about? Why are they constantly being rewarded for bad behavior? Why do democratic candidates pander to the wrong at the expense of what's right, and against Progressives/ liberals/democrats who btw are right (pun intended) on the issues?
Why are we treated like the no family values, culture of cronyism and corruption?
Why is Alabama a "majority republican state"?
Why do Alabama voters consistantly vote against their self interest?
"My message to Eric Cantor, Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and the rest of the Republican hacks in this country: SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!!! You and your fellow pimps have not only destroyed our US economy but that of the rest of the world. You tools have caused unimaginable poverty, misery, hatred, disease, discomfort, panic, death... So sit down and shut up and let the Obama Administration do its best to undo the horror that you have wrought upon this planet. Capiche???"
The Stimulus Plan; A list of detailed spending.
The House approved the economic stimulus plan Friday afternoon with a vote of 246 to 183, followed by the Senate with a vote of 60 to 38. Want to know what's in it? You could read the 1,071-page gorilla that passed today. Or you could let us do the work for you. We’ve dissected the beast in two charts – one for spending below, and one for taxes.
I am a Democrat, and disagree vehemently with many in the Republican Party. I would like to sweep the elections in 2010. However, I would rather every Republican in the congress keeps their seat after the next election than have our country decline if that is what it took to fix our nation.
On paper, Ford checks a lot of boxes for a an easy-to-confirm nominee for this post: He's a pro-business Democrat (remember, this is Commerce Secretary so the job is to be a promoter of business); he's a former member of the Congressional Black Caucus (you'll recall this whole kerfuffle over control of the census under a Judd Gregg-led Commerce Dept. was started by complaints from the CBC); and he's a practiced spokesperson on TV (the Geithner rollout this week is a reminder that the administration doesn't have enough solid media savvy members of his team who can sell the administration's policies.).
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan cleared the United States Senate tonight without the votes of both of our Bama Senators. According to a recent Gallup Poll the majority of Americans are in favor the plan, so why are our Bama Congress Critters against it? Why are they voting against our self interest? Are they stuck on stupid or are they following the lead of the unelected head of the RNC?
To be clear, this is what Sessions and Shelby in the Senate and Griffith, Bright, Aderholt, Bacchus and the entire Bama House delegation (sans Davis) voted against on behalf of the Alabama citizens;
Impact on Alabama
Creating or saving 55,000 jobs over the next two years.
Providing a making work pay tax cut of up to $1,000 for 1,770,000 workers and their families
Making 70,000 families eligible for a new American Opportunity Tax Credit to make college affordable.
Offering an addition $100 per month in unemployment insurance benefits to 247,000 workers in Alabama who have lost their jobs this recession.
Providing funding to modernize at least 156 schools in Alabama so our children have the labs, classrooms and libraries they need to compete in the 21st century economy.
President Obama has made it clear that his recovery package is just one component of what we need to to to get the economy moving again. He knows that we also need to make sure we have better financial regulation, and that we act swiftly to get credit flowing again. And of course, we going to have to engae with our partners around the world.
"I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington..I'm asking you to believe in yours."~President Barack Obama
There are a couple of folks here who seem to think we're in an ordinary, garden variety economic downturn that will resolve itself -- no intervention needed. I think those folks are woefully uninformed or brainwashed. The figure below for jobs lost in this recession is based on information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Free fall. This is not a normal, garden variety recession like the ones in 1990 and 2001. Doing nothing is not an option -- at least not in the reality based universe and I believe we moved into that reality based universe on January 20, 2009.
Update: Here's an even more startling rendering of the job loss statistics. This one features all the post WWII recessions. Hat tip to Chris Bowers at Open Left.
What part of we are facing the worst financial disaster in history don't the right wing republicant's and the media understand? I mean, really?
I attended an Organizing for America house party today because I want to help make change. As President Obama said it's not about him, it's about the future of our country. We are in the middle of an "unprecedented crisis' and we must move swiftly and suredly "to both stregthen our economy now and invest in long-term growth and prosperity."
Here are the goals;
Create new jobs and save the ones that are on the line.
Tax cuts for the Middle Class.
Create investments that ensure our long-term energy independence.
Reinvograte our infrastructure while creating jobs and stimulating long term growth.
Demand transparency and accountability that guarantees taxpayer money is used properly.
How will this plan create jobs? Take the Road money for example. Connect the dots.
Federal Government allocates the money to State Department of Transportation, which allocates money to MPO (Metro Planning Organizations, AL has 12) which allocates the money to the City/County which they use to hire private sector contractors to do the actual work. The State keeps a large portion of the money for really big projects like the interstate system. No money is earmarked. The money will be turned over to the Governor and the State Department of Transportation for allocation.
"I'M ASKING YOU TO BLELIEVE. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington...I'm asking you to believe in yours." ~ President Barack Obama
(Because class warfare is real, and has been waged by the uppercrust against the rest of us since Reagan was President - promoted by herding old cats)
The details have been so thoroughly covered by so many people I don't see the need. If you want details, just scroll down and read what others have been posting here over the last few days.
I'm reading and hearing that support is, well, less than overwhelming. What Avedon said about it the other day is a pretty good example of what I mean (h/t):
You have to understand that the conservatives aren't just trying to "undo the New Deal" - though of course they are - but ultimately to undo the recovery from the First Great Republican Depression by first preventing a recovery from their new one. And it looks like, with the help of Mr. Post-partisanship and his buddy Rahm, they will succeed. Because God forbid that the President of the United States and the Democratic leadership should go out and tell the public the truth about how regressive taxation (which is what we now have) sucks the life out the economy. God forbid they should make the case that stimulus is spending, that paying for useful government projects like research on migration patterns and new energy proposals doesn't just create jobs in the public sector, but in the private sector as well. And because transportation is how people get to work. And because health care is not some luxury, but a natural expense in the efficient running of an economy - and a country. We spent eight years watching the Democrats help the Republicans pass crappy bills, and now, apparently, we're all prepared to spend more time watching them do much the same.
My own thoughts on the matter probably aren't fit to publish here. But I've been thinking: why aren't we seeing the same sort of support that we saw, for instance, on the FISA/Telecom immunity bill last year? Well, I have a theory.
Are we going to hope for change or can we make change? I was pretty sure the American people voted for change we can believe on election day. Evidently republicant's and the media didn't get the memo.
The gang of 20 or so moderate Democrats and Republicans, led by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), heeded the president’s call for bipartisanship and hunkered down to produce the bill announced Friday night.
Your eyes didn't deceive you; the Pentagon got more money from the people whose ostensible purpose was to cut down the size of the bill. Children and the poor, women of all socioeconomic status and the first responders publicly idolized by hypocritical politicians get shafted, once again.
Senate Dems Compromise Away Best Parts of Recovery Plan
In order to get the votes of two Republican (Maine's Susan Collins and Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter) and perhaps another (Mainer Olympia Snowe) that were needed to undermine the threat of a GOP filibuster, Reid surrendered $86 billion in proposed stimulus spending. In doing so, the Democrats agreed to cut not just fat but bone, and to warp the focus and intent of the legislation. [...]
In addition to the large cut [$40 billion] in state aid, the Senate agreement would cut nearly $20 billion proposed for school construction; $8 billion to refurbish federal buildings and make them more energy efficient; $1 billion for the early childhood program Head Start; and $2 billion from a plan to expand broadband data networks in rural and underserved areas.
Emphasis mine. Every one of the items listed above are 100% devoted to job creation. Someone has to pay those BB lines. Someone has to mill the 2x4s for the construction. Someone has to install the retrofits. These are jobs. Period. It is completely ridiculous that this stuff was cut.
Michael S. Steele, the newly elected chairman of the Republican National Committee, arranged for his 2006 Senate campaign to pay a defunct company run by his sister for services that were never performed, his finance chairman from that campaign has told federal prosecutors.
Would someoneplease remind republicant's and the media they were renounced, rejected and repudiated by the American people on November 4, 2008? They can't lead. They can't follow. What is it going to take to move them out of the way?
President Barack Hussien Obama opens a can of "whup a$$" at the Democratic Party conference, "decking the wingnuts and Voo-Doo economics, alike", but he did it like the star "Quarterback" in the Superbowl, with grace, class, dignity, and style.
"Don’t come to table with the same tired arguments and worn ideas that helped create this crisis!!!"
no one in Washington is treating the worldwide economic crisis with sufficient gravity and seriousness it deserves. Not the Republicans, not the Blue Dog Democrats, not a media controlled by conservative interests and (in the case of television seriously out of touch with the financial concerns of ordinary Americans) and not even our Post Partisan President.
This isn't a matter of more or less government, however much Republicans and conservatives would like to wedge it in that old ideological box. The issue is how to revive the economy. When consumers and businesses can't or won't spend enough to keep the economy going, government has to be the spender of last resort. Period.
"It used to be they'd at least take your application. They don't even do that any more," said Heather Allen of Elkhart, Ind., an area that had the biggest annual gain in its unemployment rate. "Places just aren't hiring."
"At a time of great crisis with mortgage foreclosures and autos, he [Obama} says we only have one president at a time," Frank said. "I'm afraid that overstates the number of presidents we have. He's got to remedy that situation."
Here's President-Elect Obama's weekly address: reduce energy use in government buildings, use it or lose it transportation investment, upgrade school buildings and "renewing our information superhighway." The latter is critical for economic development in Alabama, where many rural residences and businesses do not have access to high speed internet.
I just watched a segment on the McLaughlin Group about the future of the US space program in the face of trillion dollar deficits. The panel was unanimous in saying new programs and spending are dead in Congress. Will local Republicans (voters and politicians) continue to support massive giveaways to the financial services industry when it means that the local economy will be diminished, probably substantially?
John McCain is on a "jobs tour" trying to whitewash his record of support for sending American jobs overseas. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that McCain intervened on behalf of a DHL-Airborne Express merger that now threatens the jobs of more than 8,000 Ohio workers. McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, earned $185,000 lobbying in favor of the merger.
You can see John McCain at his silver-tongued best dealing with a jobs question at a New Orleans town hall meeting earlier this year. Wow! Hit that one out of the ballpark, John! Another example of how well McCain does at unscripted town hall events. (Transcript is below the fold for those with slow connections.)
While we're on the subject, here's a good article on John McCain's first wife and the circumstances of their divorce. She did not have cancer and she's still alive, but he certainly doesn't earn any glory for his conduct back then.
Alabama state Sen. Hank Sanders had an interesting op-ed in the paper Thursday examining the recent trend in which Alabama is always the bridesmaid, never the bride when it comes to convincing big automakers to locate in the state.
Now it seems like Alabama just can't win an automobile plant. We lost Nissan to Mississippi. Gov. Riley and his team tried to secure the Kia plant. It went to Georgia, locating just across the east Alabama line. Then they tried to lure Volkswagen. It went to Tennessee, not far from the northeast Alabama line. And in 2007, Mississippi landed a big Toyota plant in Blue Springs, Miss., for which Alabama did not even compete.
Herding old cats recently postulated that the VW decision to locate near Chatanooga instead of in Limestone County might have had something to do with the unwelcoming attitude of Alabama government and business leaders toward labor unions. We're a right to starve work state and the Chamber of Commerce is proud of it, you know. I tend to think their attitude toward unions does have something to do with the VW loss, but other factors were involved as well.
Amnesty USA points out that the death penalty, as practiced in Alabama could very well have an impact on industry recruiting, particularly recruiting of European companies. In June, Philip Alston, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions issued a strong statement (PDF) which bears on this issue after a two week tour of the U.S., including Alabama
I chose to visit Alabama because it has the highest per capita rate of executions in the US, and Texas because it has the largest number of executions and prisoners on death row. ...
In Texas, there is at least significant recognition that reforms are needed. In Alabama, the situation remains highly problematic. Government officials seem strikingly indifferent to the risk of executing innocent people and have a range of standard responses, most of which are characterized by a refusal to engage with the facts. The reality is that the system is simply not designed to turn up cases of innocence, however compelling they might be. It is entirely possible that Alabama has already executed innocent people, but officials would rather deny than confront flaws in the criminal justice system.
Alabama’s systematic rejection of concerns that basic international standards are being violated sits oddly alongside the Government’s determined and successful bid to attract foreign investment from the European Union in particular. Indeed, Alabama’s largest export market in 2007 was Germany. It would thus be appropriate for Alabama to engage in a dialogue on due process concerns in its death penalty with the international community.
Given the rising number of innocent people being exonerated nationwide, both Alabama and Texas need to ask what might be wrong with their criminal justice systems and how the problems might be fixed.
I know the opinion of the United Nations cuts no ice with Bob Riley or Troy King, staunch defenders of execution that they are, but Riley at least cares about bringing industry to the state. When a company locates a new plant here, they don't hire all new employees to staff it. Sure, they hire a lot of local people, but they also transfer a team of managers and experienced workers from other locations, maybe even Europe or Asia. If their people are reluctant to live in Alabama -- because they think our schools or hospitals aren't good enough, our criminal justice system is bloodthirsty, union employees won't be welcome or our government is corrupt -- that's a black mark against Alabama for any company considering building here. And it costs us jobs and tax revenue.
It's kind of ironic, but Alabama may have lost the VW plant because our state leaders (notice I didn't say the citizenry) aren't progressive enough. So much for conservatism invariably being good for business. When you're competing for the best jobs in a global economy, you have to fit in socially, as well as economically.
Textile workers in east Alabama have gotten some tough holiday news this month, with the notice that nearly 1,300 of them are set to lose their jobs.
Plant closings at three big textile makers in Valley, Piedmont and Eufaula account for the job losses. One plant is already gone. The Wellstone Mills plant in Eufaula that employed 117 people closed earlier this month, according to notices given to the Alabama Office of Workforce Development.
Also,
The housing market downturn is starting to hurt suppliers. Dixie-Pacific in Gadsden manufactures wood and fiberglass architectural columns, posts and railings.
After a comprehensive review of the Dixie-Pacific business, including the current market environment as well as the long-term growth and return prospects for this business, it is with deep regret that we announce our intent to close the operation.
The plant closing will throw 170 workers out of a job.
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