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Showing posts with label unemployed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unemployed. Show all posts
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
How To Lose Millions Of Voters In Under A Minute
Oct 5th, 2011
It's one thing that Herman Cain turned around in less than 24 hours and went from condemning Rick Perry's hunting ground being named "Ni**erhead" to essentially blaming the media for pursuing the story.
It's another thing for him to act is if he is some kind of business titan when he was a principal party to an Enron-like speculation which wiped out the investments of his Aquila energy corporation's employees.
And, we've all grown accustomed to his referring to himself incessantly in the third person, in spite of that being a fairly obvious sign of a serious narcissistic disorder.
But now, there is this... Appearing on the WSJ's The Big Interview, Cain was lobbed a softball about the Occupy Movement. Not content to merely dismiss it, not satisfied with making conspiratorial accusations about it, he went further. During the worst economic crisis to face the world in four generations, he said "if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself."
It's another thing for him to act is if he is some kind of business titan when he was a principal party to an Enron-like speculation which wiped out the investments of his Aquila energy corporation's employees.
And, we've all grown accustomed to his referring to himself incessantly in the third person, in spite of that being a fairly obvious sign of a serious narcissistic disorder.
But now, there is this... Appearing on the WSJ's The Big Interview, Cain was lobbed a softball about the Occupy Movement. Not content to merely dismiss it, not satisfied with making conspiratorial accusations about it, he went further. During the worst economic crisis to face the world in four generations, he said "if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself."
Monday, September 19, 2011
Blaming The Unemployed, cont...
Sept 19th, 2011
This time, from Maine's "colorful" governor, Paul LePage. David Farmer writes for the Bangor Daily News:
This time, from Maine's "colorful" governor, Paul LePage. David Farmer writes for the Bangor Daily News:
"The world is truly topsy-turvy when the governor of the state starts blaming people who don’t have a job for unemployment.
But that’s exactly what happened last week.
But that’s exactly what happened last week.
Gov. Paul LePage, after a photo-op meeting with business owners in the state, took aim at workers. He said that Maine has 21,000 job openings and 24,000 people who are unemployed.
The problem, LePage said, is that our workers don’t have the skills necessary to take any of those jobs.
Never mind the recession, the housing collapse, offshoring and the fact that many of the folks who are unemployed live hours from where the jobs Gov. LePage touts are.
Unemployment is the fault of workers, who don’t have the right skills.
But don’t worry. Gov. LePage didn’t place all the blame on workers. He also included parents and guidance counselors.
Gov. LePage would like those folks to help lower their children’s expectations, because, you know, not everyone needs a four-year college degree.
"Quite frankly, one of the most disturbing things I heard today is our educational system is geared to send all students to a four-year college," Gov. LePage said." EMPHASIS OURS
The problem, LePage said, is that our workers don’t have the skills necessary to take any of those jobs.
Never mind the recession, the housing collapse, offshoring and the fact that many of the folks who are unemployed live hours from where the jobs Gov. LePage touts are.
Unemployment is the fault of workers, who don’t have the right skills.
But don’t worry. Gov. LePage didn’t place all the blame on workers. He also included parents and guidance counselors.
Gov. LePage would like those folks to help lower their children’s expectations, because, you know, not everyone needs a four-year college degree.
"Quite frankly, one of the most disturbing things I heard today is our educational system is geared to send all students to a four-year college," Gov. LePage said." EMPHASIS OURS
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
An Interesting Proposal
Sept 14th, 2011
The Hill reports on one provision of the American Jobs Act:
"President Obama's American Jobs Act, which he presented to Congress on Monday, would make it illegal for employers to run advertisements saying that they will not consider unemployed workers, or to refuse to consider or hire people because they are unemployed.
The proposed language is found in a section of the bill titled "Prohibition of Discrimination in Employment on the Basis of an Individual's Status as Unemployed." That section would also make it illegal for employers to request that employment agencies take into account a person's unemployed status."
Does this open a sticky conversation? Yes. Are the Republicans totally, wildly against it? Absolutely.
The Hill reports on one provision of the American Jobs Act:
"President Obama's American Jobs Act, which he presented to Congress on Monday, would make it illegal for employers to run advertisements saying that they will not consider unemployed workers, or to refuse to consider or hire people because they are unemployed.
The proposed language is found in a section of the bill titled "Prohibition of Discrimination in Employment on the Basis of an Individual's Status as Unemployed." That section would also make it illegal for employers to request that employment agencies take into account a person's unemployed status."
Does this open a sticky conversation? Yes. Are the Republicans totally, wildly against it? Absolutely.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Quote Of The Day - Here and Now Edition
Sept 2nd, 2011
"Their optimism has been crushed by reality: They are still not working, or if they are working they're making a lot less money. You're either devastated or you're hurting, that's the range."
-- Carl E. Van Horn on the continued hardships faced by the millions who lost their jobs during the Great Recession. Van Horn teaches at Rutgers and is also a co-author of the just released study, Out Of Work and Losing Hope: The Misery and Bleak Expectations of American Workers
"Their optimism has been crushed by reality: They are still not working, or if they are working they're making a lot less money. You're either devastated or you're hurting, that's the range."
-- Carl E. Van Horn on the continued hardships faced by the millions who lost their jobs during the Great Recession. Van Horn teaches at Rutgers and is also a co-author of the just released study, Out Of Work and Losing Hope: The Misery and Bleak Expectations of American Workers
Saturday, August 6, 2011
What We Need
August 4th, 2011
The Economist, that once staid and altogether traditionally conservative bastion of reasonable economic thought, tells it like it is while issuing a common sense call for action... again.
"Extension of the payroll tax cut and emergency unemployment benefits would improve confidence, reduce projected fiscal tightening over the next year, and ease the suffering of the unemployed. The double-dip is at the door. Only quick action can send it packing now."
This isn't about entitlements. It's about the government not actively increasing the crisis of demand.
The Economist, that once staid and altogether traditionally conservative bastion of reasonable economic thought, tells it like it is while issuing a common sense call for action... again.
"Extension of the payroll tax cut and emergency unemployment benefits would improve confidence, reduce projected fiscal tightening over the next year, and ease the suffering of the unemployed. The double-dip is at the door. Only quick action can send it packing now."
This isn't about entitlements. It's about the government not actively increasing the crisis of demand.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
It was NEVER "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs"
August 4th, 2011
I can still hear it. The refrain from the GOP leading into the 2010 midterms was "jobs, jobs, jobs." That they didn't mean it or, worse, actually were going to do everything in their power to damage the economy further for traction in 2012 seemed clear to some of us at the time.
Here are some reminders and a recap of the GOP's push from PoliticsUSA:
"Earlier in the year when House Speaker John Boehner was told that the spending cuts Republicans proposed would cost one million jobs, he said, “So be it.” Apparently Mr. Boehner thought it was more important to cut essential aid programs than create jobs, and it was flippant of him to say in effect, so what. Republicans have no intention of ever creating any jobs even though they lied in 2010 and promised it would be their highest priority. Jobs are still on Boehner’s mind though because when President Obama proposed a balanced approach to addressing the nation’s deficit, Boehner accused the president of attempting to “raise taxes on the job creators.” For most Republicans, the only time jobs are important is when they can make a reference to tax increases on the filthy rich and corporations.
Last year when Democrats attempted to pass a jobs bill, Republicans in the Senate blocked the measure for no other reason than it was not their bill. The bill gave tax breaks and incentives to small businesses for new job hires, but Republicans were anxious to deny Democrats any more legislative accomplishments before the midterm elections. When President Obama and Democrats attempted to eliminate tax breaks for companies that move Americans’ jobs to Korea, India, and China, Republicans blocked the bill because it did not reward corporate outsourcing. Prior to a vote on the outsourcing bill, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce president made the rounds on news programs to tout the benefits of shipping Americans’ jobs overseas to corporations. Republicans said that removing tax breaks from companies that outsource jobs would stifle job creation. Yes, they said it and it is proof there is no sense of shame with these job-killing Republicans; why any American voted for them in 2010 is a mystery unless one figures in the racial element. It is becoming more evident every day that Republicans cannot stand the fact that there is a Black man sitting in the Oval Office and if hurting the President means eliminating more Americans’ jobs, then as John Boehner says, so be it."
I can still hear it. The refrain from the GOP leading into the 2010 midterms was "jobs, jobs, jobs." That they didn't mean it or, worse, actually were going to do everything in their power to damage the economy further for traction in 2012 seemed clear to some of us at the time.
Here are some reminders and a recap of the GOP's push from PoliticsUSA:
"Earlier in the year when House Speaker John Boehner was told that the spending cuts Republicans proposed would cost one million jobs, he said, “So be it.” Apparently Mr. Boehner thought it was more important to cut essential aid programs than create jobs, and it was flippant of him to say in effect, so what. Republicans have no intention of ever creating any jobs even though they lied in 2010 and promised it would be their highest priority. Jobs are still on Boehner’s mind though because when President Obama proposed a balanced approach to addressing the nation’s deficit, Boehner accused the president of attempting to “raise taxes on the job creators.” For most Republicans, the only time jobs are important is when they can make a reference to tax increases on the filthy rich and corporations.
Last year when Democrats attempted to pass a jobs bill, Republicans in the Senate blocked the measure for no other reason than it was not their bill. The bill gave tax breaks and incentives to small businesses for new job hires, but Republicans were anxious to deny Democrats any more legislative accomplishments before the midterm elections. When President Obama and Democrats attempted to eliminate tax breaks for companies that move Americans’ jobs to Korea, India, and China, Republicans blocked the bill because it did not reward corporate outsourcing. Prior to a vote on the outsourcing bill, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce president made the rounds on news programs to tout the benefits of shipping Americans’ jobs overseas to corporations. Republicans said that removing tax breaks from companies that outsource jobs would stifle job creation. Yes, they said it and it is proof there is no sense of shame with these job-killing Republicans; why any American voted for them in 2010 is a mystery unless one figures in the racial element. It is becoming more evident every day that Republicans cannot stand the fact that there is a Black man sitting in the Oval Office and if hurting the President means eliminating more Americans’ jobs, then as John Boehner says, so be it."
Monday, August 1, 2011
Priority Failure, Ctd...
August 1st, 2011
Why aren't we talking about brick and mortar investment and domestic job growth? Well, because we're just not. ThinkProgress notes:
"Mentions of the word over last week’s cable news media coverage on MSNBC, Fox, and CNN:
Unemployed: 75
Unemployment: 427
Debt: 7,583"
Why aren't we talking about brick and mortar investment and domestic job growth? Well, because we're just not. ThinkProgress notes:
"Mentions of the word over last week’s cable news media coverage on MSNBC, Fox, and CNN:
Unemployed: 75
Unemployment: 427
Debt: 7,583"
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Not Enough Paper Hats
May 5th, 2011
As the Great Recession deepened last year, many conservative Republicans tried to have it both ways.
As the Great Recession deepened last year, many conservative Republicans tried to have it both ways.
On the one hand, they attempted to smear President Obama's fiscal proposals as "job-killing." They played childish games and argued that his administration was "bad" for employment. They also sought to portray the collapse of new job creation as something that had only become a crisis a day or so after the inauguration of the new Democratic administration.
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Road To Ruin
Dec 20th, 2010
From Bloomberg:
"Payrolls decreased in 28 U.S. states and the unemployment rate climbed in 21, showing most parts of the world’s largest economy took part in the November labor- market setback."
Friday, December 10, 2010
Lazy Unemployed Vs Productive Rich? Part 2
Dec 10th, 2010
by F. Grey Parker
In response to yesterday's column, I received a number of comments accusing me of advocating socialism. This leads me to question whether or not the responders actually read the piece.
I borrow no more from the mortuary dust of that philosophy than I do from the slaughterhouse that still we pretend to be an alternative.
The American Right continues to blame President Obama's "socialistic" policies for the lack of domestic jobs and then simultaneously brands the unemployed as "lazy."
They can't have it both ways.
by F. Grey Parker
I borrow no more from the mortuary dust of that philosophy than I do from the slaughterhouse that still we pretend to be an alternative.
The American Right continues to blame President Obama's "socialistic" policies for the lack of domestic jobs and then simultaneously brands the unemployed as "lazy."
They can't have it both ways.
There are currently an average of 6 applicants for every available opening in the current job market.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Lazy Unemployed Vs Productive Rich?
Dec 8th, 2010
by F. Grey Parker
UPDATE: You can find the follow up HERE.
There have been many foolish comments made to me about the ongoing economic crisis, particularly with regard to the unemployed and the investor class. I have read hyperbole of a sort that is plainly hard to stomach. But this one earns the prize:
"Taking money from person A so person B can stay home and watch Oprah is as dumb and evil as paying farmers not to grow. Get the government and Federal Reserve's fingers out of the economy and there will no longer be recessions."
This Randian devotion to mid-20th century concepts of the "free market" is no less naive than a first year college student pontificating about the glories of pure socialism. It is gamesmanship of a sort we should expect in children but ought refuse to tolerate in adults.
by F. Grey Parker
UPDATE: You can find the follow up HERE.
"Taking money from person A so person B can stay home and watch Oprah is as dumb and evil as paying farmers not to grow. Get the government and Federal Reserve's fingers out of the economy and there will no longer be recessions."
This Randian devotion to mid-20th century concepts of the "free market" is no less naive than a first year college student pontificating about the glories of pure socialism. It is gamesmanship of a sort we should expect in children but ought refuse to tolerate in adults.
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