Obama Bemoans Desperation Of People Out Of Work

[Purveyor]

(12-03) 11:01 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

President Barack Obama says chronic unemployment isn't merely academic and is "a struggle that cuts deep and touches people across the nation."

Seeking to set a can-do tone for a jobs forum he hosted at the White House, Obama claimed progress toward an economic recovery while saying much more work needs to be done.

Obama said the leading question of the day is "how do we get businesses to start hiring again." He spoke to a gathering of academics, business executives and labor leaders on the eve of the government's report, due Friday, on the state of joblessness in November. The jobless rate in October shot up to 10.2 percent.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/12/03/national/w000810S27.DTL#ixzz0YedLRa51

[ananda]

1. Since corporations now own the imperial presidency..

..the work that n e e d s to be done to restore
jobs will NOT be done.

[Craftsman]

3. Bingo, as much as I am loathed to admit it a quote from Reagan comes to mind

"The best welfare program is a decent paying job." We need jobs not talk.

[katandmoon]

16. +1,000,000

[treestar]

24. You mean they only just started to own it?

You do use the word "now."

Where are the jobs to come from if there are no corporations? If you want jobs,and companies are so evil,l where do these jobs come about?

You can't have jobs without some buying and selling.

[David Zephyr]

2. Mr. President, you say today's leading question is how to create jobs. Right question. Wrong day.

Obama said the leading question of the day is "how do we get businesses to start hiring again."

Err..that day would have been on January 22nd.

[Craftsman]

4. I hate to mention this but the phrase :It's the economy stupid."

cuts both ways.

[David Zephyr]

5. His forum today was a joke and an insult to the unemployed.

Window dressing

[ClarkUSA]

8. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. Anti-Obama DUers always know better.

:shrug:

[Better Today]

10. Nope, he's damned because all he's doing is talking about it while giving

billions to banks and defense contractors and wars.

And until about two weeks ago, I was pro-Obama. Now I'm just pro-main street and middle class, not particularly anti-Obama. Of course he could give me change I could believe in.

[ClarkUSA]

18. Biased rhetoric aside, Pres. Obama has done a lot more than just "talking about it".

Every objective mainstream economist has said that if he hadn't passed the stimulus plan when he did, the economy
would have gone into a depression. Only a small portion of stimulus money has been released into the economy, but
that portion has saved tens of thousands of teaching jobs, as well as that of police, fireman, city services. It's also
created thousands of public infrastructure jobs. He's released billions into SBA lending to free up loans to small
businesses. The recession has receded.

Jobless claims are at their lowest point since Sept. 2008:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=35320&mesg_id=35320

And in states like Iowa, leading economic indicators are doing well for the first time in a long time:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x35347

[27inCali]

22. I think people are being really subjective on this

if their particular community is hurting really bad, they assume it's like that everywhere and if they are looking for work right now, they wont be satisfied with what Obama is doing until they themselves and the people around them starting getting jobs.

the irony is that a lot of the hardest hit places are suffering more because of the bad choices made by their state and local governments and have chronic economic problems that span back 20-30 sometimes a hundred years because of reasons that Obama only has limited power to address.

To some extent we have to accept some responsibility as Americans for letting the situation be so out of control for so long, we are just beginning to dig our way out. I don't think abject pessimism is helping at all though.

I have no doubt the Pres is on our side even if his approach thus far has been occasionally too cautious.

[ClarkUSA]

27. Most people I know outside of DU understand that the President doesn't have a magic wand.

<<I think people are being really subjective on this... if their particular community is hurting really bad, they assume it's like that everywhere and if they are looking for work right now, they wont be satisfied with what Obama is doing until they themselves and the people around them starting getting jobs.>>

Sure, I'm sure there are folks that suffer from that sort of tunnel-vision angry misery, but the people I know who are hurting are realistic and do not blame Pres. Obama even though they're applying for food stamps after being out of work for over a year. The people I know blame Bush.

<<the irony is that a lot of the hardest hit places are suffering more because of the bad choices made by their state and local governments and have chronic economic problems that span back 20-30 sometimes a hundred years because of reasons that Obama only has limited power to address.>>

Very true. I wish you'd make an OP from this statement.

<<To some extent we have to accept some responsibility as Americans for letting the situation be so out of control for so long, we are just beginning to dig our way out. I don't think abject pessimism is helping at all though.>>

Also true. And wise.

<<I have no doubt the Pres is on our side even if his approach thus far has been occasionally too cautious.>>

I know he's on our side, too. Not sure what you mean by "too cautious" but I'm sure you have a legitimate viewpoint, given your thoughtful reasoning so far. I'm surprised he's gotten so much done as it is, given the amount of GOP and Blue Dog obstructionism. I'm looking forward to next year, when Team Obama will make job creation their main domestic agenda for the year.

:hi:

[MrsCorleone]

35. No kidding. My biz and those of my fellow biz owners were saved from going under as a direct result

of Obama's stimulus. Coincidently, our businesses weren't counted in the report of jobs saved/created.

Of course, my a$$h*le republican congressman is screaming all over Twitter and Fox about how bad his constituents are fairing economically, all while he denies funding for his constituents. It's all politics with him, focused entirely on taking Obama down, while his constituents suffer. Typical republican.

Thank god our business is in a district where funding was put to good use.

[Cha]

11. Coming from your toxic hate that means it was it good.

[Craftsman]

12. I watched part of it on the news, it was just bread and circuses for the masses

[jefferson_dem]

17. Hate radio jock Neal Boortz was saying that same thing today.

Politics can sure produce some strange bedfellows.

[Cha]

19. They both come from a place of ugly hate.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jefferson_dem]

26. Hey, I hear your frustration.

My point is that the right wing haters are doing their damnedest to attack every little thing this president does...in an effort to thoroughly de-legitimize him. Boortz was talking shit about the summit this morning. I was just surprised (though I shouldn't be) to see the very same criticism tossed around here.

By the way, I generally agree that a three hour show-summit alone ain't going to solve shit, in terms of policy or politics. Some who are suffering may consider it a total insult. If, however, this signals a turning point in terms of message and results, I'm on board.

There are mountains still to climb but the job picture is beginning to look better. If it doesn't, Obama can hang up any hopes of re-election.

[David Zephyr]

28. Thank you.

I began posting about jobs back in the summer. At first, nicely and then the desperation in my tone has certainly accelerated. I know you've seen my harping on this.

If we don't tell the White House, who will?

jefferson_dem, I own two manufacturing firms and we sell all over the country. The job outlook is not getting better. Don't buy into that.

We are facing a possible economic dip again early next year. The LA Times has run several articles on this subject in the last few weeks. Already the House of Representatives is rushing to put something together for January.

The problem is that it is too late to have an impact by next November now. And Rahm should be fired as well as others on Obama's staff.

There's just so much shit the American people can take and they are getting angry. And the White House looks indifferent. It does.

If he has another friggin' national prime time television speech, it had better be about jobs and he's can't be saying he's "looking for ideas" at this stage.

Meg Whitman is running her ads here in California and her strategists are smart. Her ads open with her saying "I know HOW to create jobs." Mitt Romney will begin saying the same thing. Just watch. The one thing they won't say is "I'm open to ideas about creating jobs." That's fuckin' lame.

[bvar22]

29. And Palin joins Obama and you in supporting the escalation.

Strange bedfellows indeed.

[jefferson_dem]

31. Wait. I thought Palin spoke out against Obama's time table.

But we do know that Kucinich joined flocks of the worst political cretins around in standing firm against health care reform.

[Better Today]

9. +++++++++++++

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

6. Wow, Prez taking a bold stand on a controversial issue

[arcadian]

7. Out of work people make great Revolutionaries.

[orwell]

13. We need a set of tax incentives...

...that reward the training and hiring of new workers and encourage employee stock ownership. Something like this was tried once before in the mid 70's with extremely impressive results.

1. A $3,000 per person tax credit for existing employees. This credit would be limited to $30,000 for a sole proprietor and $60,000 for a corporation.

2. A $4,000 per person tax credit to employers for hiring additional people. This credit would be $6,000 per person where individuals hired are under 20 years of age. Such credits would be limited in amount for each employer to perhaps $40,000 per year for a sole proprietor and $200,000 for a corporation.

3. A $2,000 maximum tax credit per person to provide a Workshare Bonus to employees who work short weeks and thereby spread available employment.

4. An $8,000 maximum tax credit for self-employed individuals to help facilitate self-employment.

5. A $2,000 per person training credit to employers who participate in training programs to improve job related skills of employees. Again the amount would be limited with primary encouragement to small businesses.

6. A $2,000 credit to corporations to match or stimulate expanded equity ownership by employees.

The full white paper is here:

http://www.aesopinstitute.org/a-human-investment-tax-credit-program.html

[EnviroBat]

14. How about starting with a huge cut to H1-B's?

Fucking common sense. Thought Obama had plenty of it, not so sure anymore.

[Craftsman]

15. He will not do this, the corps that own both parties will not like it

[Divine Discontent]

20. +1

[treestar]

23. Congress would have to do that

For the brazillionth time, the POTUS in not a benign dictator.

[Hansel]

33. Now there you go bringing up facts.

That just upsets their fanatical anti-Obama sensibilities. They still think he has a magic wand and is just refusing to use it.

[Better Believe It]

21. But unfortunately the government can't do much about it because

we "don't have enough public dollars" according to President Obama!

Just can't find any more cash for use federal government jobs programs.

Besides, the law just doesn't allow President Obama to spend money for direct government jobs programs!

That would be illegal!

So why won't the Obama Administration make it legal by lifting President Reagan's ban prohibiting direct federal jobs programs?

Excerpts from two articles by Alec MacGillis -

By Alec MacGillis
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 8, 2009 and
Monday, November 9, 2009

Why has a White House that talks so much about boosting employment steered clear of the most direct strategy that could keep Americans on the job? .... aside from a small summer employment program for young people, it has not sought to create jobs on the public payroll, something the country did in the 1930s and 1970s.

Instead Obama's team has taken a more indirect approach, a prudence that critics on the left say is misplaced. If you're spending hundreds of billions of dollars on stimulus, why not do it with conviction? Engaging in more forthright job creation could invite some political pitfalls (such as those constant accusations of socialism), but is double-digit unemployment any less a political risk?

President Richard Nixon gave jobs programs another go in the doldrums of 1973-74 with the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA).

The program withered under President Ronald Reagan, who added prohibitions against public service employment (except for summer programs and natural disasters) that endure today. That the Obama administration shows little indication of lifting this taboo is a sign of how free-market tenets persist even when financial turmoil has called them into doubt, said John Russo, co-director of Youngstown State University's Center for Working-Class Studies.

As for direct job creation: there's a real nervousness about setting up anything that looks like a WPA-style jobs program. It's that reluctance that my piece is calling into question -- after all, is it really more politically damaging to be seen as doing a jobs program than to be facing double-digit unemployment?

.... there is just a real allergic feeling in the White House and Congress toward this approach, a worry that it smacks of socialism. Keynesianism has experienced a rebirth, but there's still enough Reaganism in the air that this as seen as a step too far.

.... we had direct job creation programs in place throughout the '70s, as my article recounts. It was called CETA, and it ramped up under Nixon in '73-'74 recession. Reagan ended the program, and implemented a new federal restriction against federal jobs programs, with exception for summer youth programs and national emergencies.

The Labor Department does have various job training programs in place, such as Job Corps. But the federal government is prohibited against doing direct jobs-program style hiring a ban that Reagan put in place and that the Democrats so far have balked at trying to lift.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/06/AR2009110601900.html?sid=ST2009110604712

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2009/11/06/DI2009110603214.html

[bvar22]

30. "Bemoaning" and $2.50 will buy you a cup of coffee.

But it won't make the lack of jobs any better.
Cheap Talk.
Chump Change.

Oh well, we can be grateful that there are no failed Wall Street Bankers clogging up the unemployment lines.

Got to give Obama credit....He DOES take care of his friends.

[earth mom]

32. Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words-the banksters know this & so do the unemployed.

[Raine]

34. "isn't merely academic"

gee ya think??? :silly: :argh: