February 04 2009 show notes


  • The economy, unemployment, stimulus package.

  • Are smelling salts available and how do we get them to Harry Reid?

  • Do you want the government limiting your family to 2 children? Population.

  • Guest: Larry Scott, founder and Editor of VA Watch Dog. "The American Veteran's On-Line News Magazine". Veterans' issues.

Topics, guests, upcoming events, quotes, links to articles, audio clips, books & bumper music.


Wednesday 04 February '09 show



  • Ammonium carbonate. Smelling salts. You can make your own or buy them online. Harry Reid could use some.
  • Things appear to be a lot worse than the Bush administration let on.
  • Job layoffs echo down.
  • In 1929 there were over a million people out of work, 3.14%, the last year of the bubble economy, after Republican presidents Harding, Coolidge and Hoover cut taxes dramatically and did nothing about the bubble. See table. FDR became president in March 1933. Today there are 11.1 million unemployed. If unemployment was measured now the way it was then, it is about 14%. In 1938 FDR went along with the Republicans and cut back on some of the "socialist" programs, and unemployment jumped.



Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1957 (Washington, D.C., 1960), p.70.




Republican Great Depression Era Unemployment Statistics



Year


Population


Labor
Force


Unemployed


Percentage of
Labor Force



1929


88,010,000


49,440,000


1,550,000


3.14



1930


89,550,000


50,080,000


4,340,000


8.67



1931


90,710,000


50,680,000


8,020,000


15.82



1932


91,810,000


51,250,000


12,060,000


23.53



1933


92,950,000


51,840,000


12,830,000


24.75



1934


94,190,000


52,490,000


11,340,000


21.60



1935


95,460,000


53,140,000


10,610,000


19.97



1936


96,700,000


53,740,000


9,030,000


16.80



1937


97,870,000


54,320,000


7,700,000


14.18



1938


99,120,000


54,950,000


10,390,000


18.91



1939


100,360,000


55,600,000


9,480,000


17.05



1940


101,560,000


56,180,000


8,120,000


14.45



1941


102,700,000


57,530,000


5,560,000


9.66

  • Article: Murray/Feinstein Amendment to Invest in Transportation and Water Projects Nationwide, February 3, 2009.
    "U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Senator Dianne Feinstein, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, today offered details of their amendment to the Senate version of the economic recovery package. The Murray/Feinstein amendment directs $25 billion to immediately support nearly 700,000 American jobs through highway, mass transit and water infrastructure investments.

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