Tuesday, October 22, 2013

How does the USA create more jobs?

One has to prescribe to the fact the private sector is too protective in order to put their toe in the water. Until there is better outcomes in the USA economy they are going to be protective of their financial integrity, at least we hope so.

However, there is a place for the government in all this, in public works and supporting a strong public sector. The Republicans hate that idea. They are still WAITING for the private sector to decide to put people to work in the face of weak economic recovery. The private sector is not going to do that, would you? 

President Obama was correct. He wanted to strengthen the states. That is where a diverse economy happens, at the level of the states. He wanted a private-public partnership in an Infrastructure Bank, he wanted police and teachers back at work as the states continued to contract their budgets in reaction to a shrinking tax base. 

In his original stimulus immediately after the crash to 2008 he gave the nation tax reductions so there was more disposable income to support spending. WHERE DOES SPENDING HAPPEN? In the public sector? No. In the private sector. So, he was very interested in having the private sector supported while the country recovered from the crash. At no point in time did President Obama want to turn this country into a socialized society completely dependent on the government. He is NOT that President. He believes in a diverse economy, did not dictate where citizens were to spend their extra cash, but, just spend it if that was necessary for them. 

President Obama also did something else, he supported every state in this nation with monies for infrastructure projects. The States received significant monies to support their economies, hence the people of their state.The purpose of the stimulus of 2009 was to stop the bleeding. It did what it was supposed to do. It stopped the further crash. It accomplished the impossible.

Then as it became obvious the banks were taking their monies elsewhere and there were little to no loans in the nation available to our people, he turned to the Small Business Administration and loans were developed for those that qualified. It was a relief to the economy of this nation. The people could recover themselves with loans and their talents and revive their local economies.

That is still where the focus remains. We cannot trust the Republicans in the federal government in the legislature. We just can't. We have to survive out in every corner of this nation. We have to continue to build our local economies. We have to harness our talents and put it to work for ourselves and our young people. We have to return to local economies that can pay taxes into their local governments to return function to society, educate our children and rebuild a future for our nation. 

The future of this country is not going to be in the hands of the federal government, it is going to be with the people and their innate ability to be Americans that love their lives, their children and the fear their children and grandchildren will be damaged by those we cannot trust. 

Any future recovery of this country depends will have to be the focus of every person in this nation and their local governments. The Governors should participate, but, their ability to recover their states economies is pathetic. The Governors are turning to destruction of unions and cutting budgets. They aren't any help.

So.

Where are jobs coming from? From the ability of this nation's people to move their country by putting trustworthy people into government and seeking decency in business practices to insure the level of corruption that existed when the crash of 2008 occurred, never happens again. 

As a side note to the fines of JP Morgan in the early days of the crash? Washington Mutual was a parasite in this country. Morgan knew it. Why would Morgan allow anyone else purchase that company to continue the same corrupt and draconian practices. Morgan could absorb the losses of obtaining Washington Mutual and corrupt practices while seeking to exploit the economy that did exist within that acquisition. Did Morgan break the law? Did they engage in corrupt practices? That is not for me or anyone else to say. We have laws and our Justice Department is required to honor the integrity of those laws. 

Sometimes a company is able to rescue a failing economy without further compromising it's integrity by allowing a Dog of a Company as Washington Mutual was to fall into the hands of others that will exploit the company for what they can get without moral turpitude or insight to the continued damage they would cause. I am glad Morgan took the Dog off the street. It needs to finish cleaning up from becoming dirty from acquisitions too corrupt to survive. If Morgan propagated further problems for themselves, then they have to face the music. 

On the other hand, Rick Snyder has plenty of ethical issues.



Retired Detroit firefighter Derrick Holmes sits inside Lafayette Coney Island being interviewed by the media on Monday. Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr was invited to lunch to speak to the retirees about his personal expenses charged to the city as he guides it through bankruptcy. David Guralnick / The Detroit News



LANSING, Michigan — Gov. Rick Snyder (click here) is dissolving a nonprofit fund that came under scrutiny because money from anonymous donors was used to pay one of his top aides and some expenses for Detroit's state-appointed emergency manager.

The New Energy to Reinvest and Diversify fund is being replaced with a fund that will "go far and above" legal requirements by disclosing donors, the amounts given and an overview of expenditures, Snyder's spokeswoman Sara Wurfel said Monday. She said while the Republican governor has full confidence that the legal NERD fund met compliance and reporting requirements, criticism "had simply become an unnecessary distraction."...

... But the NERD fund attracted more attention in part because it is a 501c4 that can accept unlimited, secret donations from corporations and others. Democrats and a campaign-finance watchdog said it flew in the face of Snyder's pledge to make Michigan governor more transparent.
"This should be considered an admission of guilt by Rick Snyder," Democrat Mark Schauer, Snyder's likely opponent in 2014, said in a statement Monday. "If it's right to disclose the governor's political donors moving forward, then it was the right thing to do from day one."...

Star Ledger vs Chris Christi

Basically, the news agency is correct. Christi's performance is not outstanding per se, but, more or less has kept pace with most of the other Republican governors in the country.

In one of the articles (click here) of the Star Ledger they refer to the Bloomberg rating of New Jersey.

2008 caused a huge problem for the states. Every one of them suffered incredible losses in this Bloomberg measure of economic health. The trend line in this graph is typical of most of the states since 2008. Basically, there is no clear indication Governor Christi has helped or hurt New Jersey. The Star Ledger took their endorsement seriously. They researched it.

If Barbara Buono wants to set herself apart from the current Governor, she has to point to something that is exceptional from her government service. This is a tough election for her, because, the economy has been lethargic. Consistent, but, lethargic.

New Jersey has a great deal of diversity within the state to improve it's economic performance. There are industries in New Jersey, a strong tourist industry, agriculture and pharmaceuticals. New Jersey used to have a 5.5% unemployment rate. The contracture of 2008 hit New Jersey really hard. The state has not kept up with the recovery of the nation and I have to ask why. It should have and while Superstorm Sandy was a horrible event for the state, the unemployment rate has been very stubborn.

If I were Rep. Buono I would be talking to the industry leaders in the State. I'd want to know how to make things better and what would help to increase their bottom line while return New Jerseyans back to work. I'd also concentrate on where these folks are not back to work yet and why. 

As far as the rest of the complaints in the Star Ledger, where is the legislature on all those issues? I would think if Governor Christi is as horrible as the news agency states, there would be legislative investigations. There may be ethical issues. But, at this late date to complain and expect people to react without any sincere reason to indict the Governor or his administration in wrong doing or ethical issues, there isn't much to cause his popularity to wane.

I doubt Governor Christi is stupid enough to be caught up in ethical issues. It isn't his style. But, in all honesty I think there is more that can be done with the economy. Ms. Buono has to bring real solutions from industry leaders, including the agricultural sector, to bring attention to her candidacy. If she could actually prove her ideas are better, it might work. She's smart. She needs to apply her skills to this election.

The Editorial today in the Star News is about religious discrimination in New Jersey regarding the Gay Community. It explores and probes the point of view of the Governor. Rep. Buono has to address these issues. She has to define why she is different and how she can help better than Governor Christi.

By Star-Ledger Editorial Board
on October 22, 2013 at 9:29 AM, updated October 22, 2013 at 9:51 AM

 
...The next move is up to the Legislature, (click here) and the big question concerns the religious exemptions that were included in the bill Christie vetoed. If the Legislature wants to revive those exemptions, it must either override Christie’s veto or draft a new bill.
But are these exemptions justified? When the marriage equality bill passed last year, these provisions were inserted to address the concerns of religious leaders who opposed gay marriage. But that political imperative disappeared last week when the court made its ruling. Marriage equality is here to stay. So any religious exemptions must stand on their own merits now, not as part of a larger political bargain....

She could also point to his flip-flop on gun control. New Jersey has a lot of people living within it's borders, it has done extremely well with limited gun laws. 

The strongest argument for control is always with law enforcement. There are far fewer law enforcement officers killed in New Jersey than the rest of the nation. That is something to be proud of. It brings to light the ability of officers to do their job in fighting crime. If criminals are better armed than the police officers, there is more crime.

Every 53.5 hours an officer is killed (click here)
153 officers were killed nationwide in 2004
There are 164 line-of-duty deaths per year
There are over 57,000 assaults per year
There are over 17,000 injuries per year
There are more than 870,000 sworn law enforcement officers now serving in the United States, which is the highest figure ever. About 11.7 percent of those are female...


...In 2005, 4 officers were killed in the line of duty in New Jersey....

The comparison is two different years, but, I have a difficult time believing there was a fall in 2005 and a spike in 2004. New Jersey is not that fluid. The cities and towns are somewhat small and have good police officers. The judges are fair and care about the people.

But, those four deaths are 2.6% of the nation. That is incredible realizing the high population density. It is something New Jerseyans won't want to change. They love their neighborhoods and the safety they enjoy. They should be worried about any lack of gun control in the state, it has been very success.

There was another school shooting today and people are thinking about their children and their safety, she needs to exploit that.

Rep. Buono needs to go home to her Democratic values and make the citizens remember their priorities and how well they worked before 2008 hit and they became concerned about their leadership. The former Governor is still hurting her, too.

There is currently a mild drought beginning in Northern New Jersey. It continues into Pennsylvania and New York. Global Warming. Superstorm Sandy and the climate. Agriculture worries about these issues. Most of New Jersey's agriculture in the southern end of the state, though. Let's hope drought doesn't become a problem there.

The Worst American Polluters that ever existed.

The industrial waste (click here) polluting the water and air of the USA wasn't enough, now they are funding Climate Denial.

New Report Reveals Koch Brothers Could Make $100 Billion in Profit if Keystone XL is built (click here)

Published: Monday 21 October 2013 
Stephanie Penn Spear
The progressive think tank International Forum on Globalization (IFG) released a report today investigating how Koch Industries and its subsidiaries stand to make as much as $100 billion in profits if the Keystone XL pipeline is built. The report, Billionaires’ Carbon Bomb: The Koch Keystone XL Pipeline, finds that the Kochs hold up to 2 million acres in Alberta and have spent upwards of $50 million on Congress and think tanks that heavily push for the pipeline.

The Kochs have long been one of the largest players in the tar sands region of Alberta, Canada, according to a IFG press release. The report connects the Kochs’ 50 year history and large footprint in the Canadian tar sands to the current debate about the Keystone XL pipeline.

“The Kochs have repeatedly claimed that they have no interest in the Keystone XL pipeline, this report shows that is false,” said Victor Menotti, executive director of IFG.

“We noticed Koch Funded Tea Party members and think tanks pushing for the pipeline. We dug deeper and found $100 billion in profits, $50 million sent to organizations supporting the pipeline, and perhaps 2 million acres of land. That sounds like an interest.”...

Koch Industries is the largest private corporation in the USA. There is a reason. They hire and support the family. 

This is the page for Koch-China (click here).

Koch absolutely loves the fact China does not regulate anything including the air pollution when coal plants are asked to produce power. 

Koch's profits are seeking control over regulation in the USA to obtain profits. It is how they make their money in China and they are seeking to do the same thing in the USA through the Tea Party.

The Kochs hate government and love anarchy. I guarantee you this company alone is responsible for uncontrolled greenhouse gas emissions around this planet. They are probably the largest greenhouse gas industrial polluters in any country.

The military doesn't need more money, it needs less.

The money is corrupting the military, outsourcing jobs as well as our national security. This company was in Singapore and they were given information no other contractor had; that is breach national security. Like what?

By Craig Whitlock 
October 19, 2013

...The unfolding investigation is shaping up as the biggest fraud case in years for the Navy. Federal prosecutors allege that Glenn Defense Marine, which has serviced and supplied Navy ships and submarines at ports around the Pacific for a quarter-century, routinely overbilled for everything from tugboats to fuel to sewage disposal....

We finally have people in the Executive Branch asking questions like, "Why is it so expensive though?"

...According to court papers (click here) filed by federal prosecutors in San Diego, Francis and others in his company targeted Navy personnel serving in Asia and plied them with prostitutes, cash, luxury hotel rooms, plane tickets and, on one occasion last year, tickets to a Lady Gaga concert in Thailand.In exchange, Francis sought inside information on ship deployments and pressed at least one high-ranking commander to steer aircraft carriers and other vessels to ports where his firm could easily overcharge the Navy for pierside services, the court documents allege....

The Navy's spending is often huge. They are floating cities. Besides that the vehicles are not parked at the curb.

The military money has always been out of control. Looks like there is a reason and where is the media? Asking about a website because Red States won't do their own. 

Twenty-five years of fraud and it was Federal Prosecutors in San Diego that finally said, "Enough already." No investigative reporting, it was the US Prosecutors that finally got their teeth into the facts and reality of the vast overspending of the USA military. 

25 years? Trillions. Trillions. 

It is nice to have a man in the White House unafraid to take on an ungainly system of military madness. Really, nice. I like the fact President Obama is telling everyone to do their jobs and uphold the laws of this country. 

What did we get under Bush and Cheney? Cronyism and no bid contracts. When fraud and over charging was found it was dismissed as 'the heat of war.' I don't think so. 

I don't want to hear how the media has become corrupt with Populous Politics. Twenty five years of records have to be declassified by now and NO media service has bothered to even look. The Populous Media rather rant and rave about politicians willing to overthrow the government than do the work that needs to be done. The media needs to do it's job and stop publishing information that puts millions of people at the Olympics in danger to attempt to overthrow the government through corrupt elections. 

The man that would be king in the 2012 Presidential elections wanted to influence the outcome of accusations of racketeering. For this level of corruption the American people should be grateful to their media.

Right.


Affidavit of Stephen (Laser) Haas Aug 3, 2012 (click here) 

This is corruption of the American political system that surpasses any infraction of treason. This is cooperation between the political powers and Wall Street compliments of the major media networks. When the people of the USA want to understand what happened to their country and why an entire generation was unemployed as soon as they graduated, they can thank the corruption that drains from Wall Street compliments of their media services.

Democracy is a beautiful thing, but, after two centuries it is taking huge efforts to recapture it's sincere meaning and brevity in the USA. 

Wall Street is about personal wealth, not community, not economy for the many, but, economy of the few. Wall Street is not a democracy, it is a dictatorship and this is what the Republicans claim is the answer to all the nation's ills. Greed compromises our US Constitution and the American Dream. It is time people got their heads screwed on straight.