Obama Jobs Plan Tax Cuts Threaten Social Security

Robert Pollin: Infrastructure investments positive if passed, cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security more likely

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&I...

A favorite quote of mine:

The product of anarchy and time is society. -- Gene Savory

Well, as long as I'm the only one here, here's another short rant:

Medicare cards should be deemed legal tender for covered medical services. Medical providers should be prohibited from rejecting a patient because of the presentation of the card for services.

I don't give a hoot what they do but messing with social security? they already messed it up with the so called holiday of 2%. won't be much of a holiday when I'm old and gray and eating the 10 for$5 dog food from Big LOts instead of 5 cans of soup for $5 as i had budgeted for starting back when i was 16! what in the name of double toothpicks is going on with our country? I already lost half of a shared retirement account during the first hiest now they want to screw me some more? Don't people get it? He!!z bellz and ginger snaps! if you want ot help me and my homies out, holy crap give me a tax break on my federal withholding!!!!!DUH<DUH<DUH!!! More over the more they chisel at social security and medicare the sooner or later we will all be reduced to little more then homeless peasants when we hit 70! I do not beleive what i have been hearing and reading. this can not be happening. some one tell me its all just a bad dream!

The President's Old, New Jobs Program

Posted 06:43 PM ET IBD 9/9/2011

Leadership: President Obama's jobs program is disappointing, to put it mildly. Given our economic troubles, this heavily politicized rehash of failed policies is a slap in the face to 27 million Americans without full-time jobs.

In an angry speech clearly intended to rally his demoralized troops, the president on Thursday unveiled a $457 billion jobs plan that was touted as "new," but really just recycles past failed policies.

Looking at markets' responses around the world, including a 304-point nose dive on the Dow, his cynical message doesn't seem to be selling well. And indeed, it's shocking to behold a leader who, three years into a presidency, seems oblivious to the harsh reality of his policy failures. But that's what we got Thursday.

The new spending, the targeted tax cuts for some and the much higher taxes on the successful have all been tried before. It was called "stimulus." It entailed massive borrowing and spending. It didn't work.

And it won't work now. Take Obama's plan to give $4,000 in tax credits "if" a company hires someone who's been unemployed for six months. What business will hire a permanent worker for $50,000 a year for a one-time credit of $4,000? This is just plain foolish.

A new "infrastructure bank" and higher spending on roads, bridges and other public works? Half the $45 billion in infrastructure stimulus from two years ago for supposedly "shovel-ready" projects remains unspent. Now, Obama wants another $105 billion.

Then there's his plan to help homeowners refinance their homes through government agencies. Isn't that what got us into trouble in the first place?

There's lots more, like more subsidies for state employee unions. But conspicuously missing from Obama's plan is spending cuts. Since 2008, federal spending has soared 28% to $3.82 trillion. It's hard to think of anything else that has risen that far, that fast — unless it's gold prices or Obama's unfavorable ratings.

Remember, this was supposed to be "temporary" stimulus, a classic Keynesian injection meant to get the patient up and walking again. Now the increased spending — pushing outlays from the long-term average of 20% of GDP to 25% — looks to be permanent.

Obama's plan only adds to our $14.5 trillion debt, but the president is trying to put a fiscally responsible face on it. "Everything in this bill will be paid for," he insists. "Everything." Well, only if you accept that his promise of certain unspecified "revenue enhancements" — i.e., tax hikes — will be passed in the middle of what looks like a double-dip recession.

Even congressional Democrats won't go for that.

While delivering his speech, Obama surrounded himself with corrupt union leaders like AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and job-killing crony capitalists like GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt. Looking at this plan, it's obvious they're the ones who have his ear, not the real job creators — small to midsize businesses.

They tell a different story of how government can help create jobs: Get out of the way. Stop taxing them so much. Stop regulating them to excess. Stop meddling in their businesses. Stop printing money. Stop spending money you don't have. Today, that's called "anti-Keynesian" thinking. It used to be called common sense.

As General Electric’s Jeffery Immelt Applaudes Next To Michelle, Obama’s ‘Made in America’ Speech Reflects A Great Deal Of Irony

by Bargis Tryhol on 09/09/11 at 6:55 am

Immelt considers Obama one of his closest friends. Guess in General Electric Land it would be considered a consensual incest based relationship.

Congress-(SatireWorld.com)

Guess who was seated next to First Lady Michelle Obama during the President’s job’s address to both house of Congress…If you guessed General Electric’s CEO Jeffery Immelt you would be right.
As Obama’s speech touched on ‘Made in America’ labels for more exported products, the cameras caught a radiate Immelt standing and applauding the President’s remarks, but in all reality, Immelt recently closed and moved two large GE divisions to China were thousands of Chinese jobs were assured, and GE layoffs were a reality here.

But with ‘patriots’ like Immelt, there’s always more to the story….Imagine if you’re one of the rock-solid companies in America who employ over 300,000 employees. Have a solid 100 plus years in business, and have power and influence brought on by owning the MSNBC and NBC news media and entertainment conglomerat…Yes, so much political power that you can greatly influence a presidential election and later on have your CEO seated as a chief advisor in a position with the White House!

Not bad for a brand worthy company like General Electric who reported net earnings of $16.9 billion dollars for fiscal year ending 2010. But what’s even better is…This wonderfully liberal minded institution paid ZERO TAXES!

That’s right! Nothing.

What’s even worse, the ex-CEO recently took a job with the same people his MSNBC ‘news’ organization tried so valiantly to get elected back in 2008…Barack Hussein Obama!
It was only a few days ago when a MSNBC news correspondent became emotionally dispondent on the air as he released Obama’s current poll numbers saying, ‘We’re in trouble!”
Heap another log on the funeral pyre and throw in past ecomonic references during the beginning days of Obama’s ‘speedy economic recovery and jobs mantra.’

To help things out, Immelt and General Electric laid off thousands of people last year in the US while GE profits soared.

Maybe the current corporate slogan ‘Imagination’ will bring new consumer minded products like a stealthy, but green, solar powered pick-pocket device that can steal more money and in turn, influence more elections.

Never has this country had a President with a better ability to talk out of both sides of his mouth while slurping at the public trough and have the gonads to wave a union-made American flag while he’s doing it.

We switched to Live Stream yesterday - you can find it on Thom's home page.

Based on past performance, President Obama will concede to the demands of the Republicans.

There are an estimate 230,000 jobs Obama is holding back just by his tearing up of the gulf oil rig projects that were already slated for this year.

If he really cared about jobs, or energy security for America, or lower fuels cost benefits that will flow through society and create a REAL stimulus, he stop his blocking of the permits and allow American workers to back from Chinese drilling companies what is rightfully ours

Worst President ever!

For the Republicans to say yes to anything job related, it would have to be tied in with more tax cuts for billionaires and the minimum wage would have to drop to 50 cents/hour. In addition the media spin would have to be such that the Republicans had to compromise with Obama because he wanted the minimum wage to be 10 cents/hour. Of course Fox would report it that way, hey if people bought into the death panel crap, why would this be laughable?

No chance of Repub. cooperation just more economic vandalism on their part....14 more months!

I agree and am as unhappy as you are with our government. We are responsible for electing these people. As long as the American people stay quietly at home and do not take to the streets in peaceful, massive public protests, this assault on our nation, by the Congress we elected and the Supreme court we did not elect, will continue unabated. We the people are the wimps. I've watched as the people of other countries have marched by the tens of thousands and fought to overthrow the same sort of "monsters" we now endure quietly. We are getting the government we deserve and it won't change until we unite in common protest over the destruction and dismantling of America from within.

America Today ~ Homeless photo's ~ http://www.businessinsider.com/lakewood-new-jersey-homeless-tent-city-2011-9?op=1

"Accept our carpet of gold...or suffer a carpet of bombs!!!" If Saddam Hussein, or most other foreign leaders, made such a threat..the US would not have let it slide and would be sending over forces to fight the enemy.
This was a threat by American authorities to the Taliban concerning the pipeline through Afghanistan. The authorities had wined and dined (so to speak) the Taliban but when the Taliban still held out and did not readily accept any offer...the impatient arrogant Americans made what was essentially a "declaration of war" against the Taliban. 10 years ago the legitimate preemptive strike, in light of the declaration of war, was struck. We eventually murdered the unarmed Osama bin Laden, and shot his wife who was "getting in the way" trying to protect him....but America is still Osama's bitch! Look at our economy! Look at our country and the corruption of it's leaders and leading institutions. They stooped to Nazi-like torture camps and America has it's own remnants of the evil regime that lied us into mass-murdering hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. But could it be any worse? Ask Sibel Edmonds who knows more than American new media are allowed to print or air. Our criminal regime lives on through Obama who, despite his campaign lies, has carried on the evil corruption, torture, mass-murder and draining of the economic well being of most Americans. Could it get any worse? Well, for some people who have not yet gotten over the Bush regime "official conspiracy theory" and are, for whatever reasons, much more willing to believe that the attack was strictly a Muslim terrorist operation..it might be a bigger shock to them when more and more evidence comes to light in who really was responsible for 911...an inside job! Right now the criminal propaganda media is playing up the 10th anniversary of 911 (tomorrow) and they play up the heroics and flag-waving sentiments that tend to obscure any dissenting views. They play up the "terrorist threat" like they have a couple of times in the past since 911 to keep us on message and hateful, or fearful, of some "outside agents" sneaking in and doing something really bad. But the something really bad that is, in fact, happening right under our noses...by our own internal terrorists who control various segments of our government....the right wing government that assists the economic rape of most Americans.

But the question is: how complicit were America's leaders in the Bush administration in the actual attacks on 911? Was it merely known that terrorists wanted, and were planning an attack, and our leaders just "let it happen" so that this would give them the opportunity to do what they did the last 10 years? Or was it more of an inside job where even the planes were electronically hijacked and guided to their targets, and even the 19 alleged hijackers were merely patsies who may or may not have died on that day (many reported that their deaths were fictitious in the days after 911). What about the evidence of nano-thermite in the dust samples from the WTC site?

So, just what is it that Sibel Edmonds knows about 911 that the authorities find so damning that they have warned all major news media to not let Sibel Edmonds tell everything she knows about 911?
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2011/09/high-level-officials-eager-to-spi...
And why do so many people in high positions of authority, or past authority, don't buy the "official conspiracy theory"?

Obama is a Republican! He made good to his major supporters, constituents in Wall Street, who largely financed his election. He lied to the real voters, and Wall Street provided the money to propagandize the people into voting for him. Don't be fooled again. Re-election of Obama will give you more of the same....sacrifice the financial welfare of the people to Wall Street. The criminals are running the country.

http://michael-hudson.com/2011/08/discussing-obamas-motivations/

I don't understand how people can vote for the man and then sit on their butts and allow a repulican landslide two years later. Would you give your chauffer the cap and the car, yet keep the keys. Come on people. Who let who down by creating a power void for the president they elected? If the negotive rhetoric continues we will give the rest the deal away and then what? Blame the president. Hell where is the responsibility to complete a process and support the man you put in office by electing him a congress? Ooops did I hurt someones toe?

Yes, and in fact, if Obama really cared about jobs, he would declare war on every country in the entire world, so that every American who wants a job can have one, going to foreign countries, meeting interesting people, and killing them. I mean, come on, does Obama want us to be without jobs, or is he going to declare war on the entire world? (Actually, this is a variant of the old tried and true question: "Do you still beat your dog? And I want a yes or no answer, because there's no grey area here: do you still beat your dog?")

It's easy to say Obama should ok every single well the oil industry wants to drill, because if he doesn't, then he doesn't want us to have jobs. But if you look just a little deeper into the way that our government handles oil leases, you'll see that America makes only a fraction of the money on oil leases, that other countries make, because our government has been bribed to charge little or nothing to international oil companies that drill in America and in American waters. In pretty much every other country where they have oil, the governments charge a lot more money. And the income from oil leases, if our government forced the oil companies to pay fairly for the leases, would go a very long way toward easing our national debt.

But because your real reason for criticizing Obama has nothing to do with jobs or with keeping America financially solvent, I'm sure you'll come back with another republican talking point. I know, how about this one: "If Obama really cared about health care, he wouldn't encourage people to be so lazy that they can't afford doctors." I think that's a good one. Let's just forget about the fact that the reason so many Americans don't have jobs is because their rich republican bosses decided they wanted to take all of the profit for themselves and leave nothing for the workers, so they outsourced your job to China. And why, exactly, is that Obama's fault? Did Obama make those wealthy people greedy and selfish?

Or how about, "If Obama is concerned about unemployment, why does he talk about rich people paying taxes, because when you tax rich people, they take their businesses out of the country." Oh no, wait a minute, that one doesn't work either, because even though American corporations pay NO income tax, American corporations have still outsourced most of the manufacturing jobs from America, to Asia and India. Because, see, here's the thing: those rich corporate boys don't want a fair deal. No they don't. They want the whole ____ing thing. They don't want their manufacturing plants in America where they'd have to pay fair wages and not pollute. No, they want to do business in China, where they can get slave labor and pay them almost nothing, with no worker's rights, no health care or sick leave, no retirement, no lunch breaks, and horribly unsafe working conditions where workers are used up and then thrown away like garbage. And I know that you, as a republican, think it's funny to throw people away as though they were garbage, but what if it was your father getting thrown away? Or your uncle, your brother, your sister, your wife? Or, God forbid, what if it was YOU getting thrown away like garbage by your boss because his unsafe manufacturing plant broke your leg or your arm? Oh boy, then we'd be hearing some real bitching from you about worker's rights. But as long as it's not YOU or YOUR family or anyone YOU care about, you really and truly don't give a crap what happens to workers.

How about this one: I'll tell you why Obama isn't doing anything about the illegal immigrants: it's because Obama is an illegal immigrant." Now, personally I like this one a lot because it totally ignores the fact that illegal immigrants are not really responsible for ANY of the things that tea partiers are angry about. The ones who are really responsible for the unemployment and other problems our country faces now, are the rich republicans. But let's ignore the greedy, selfish factory owners who laid you off from your job, and blame it on the illegals, because if you do, the factory owners will repay your for your loyalty by contining to outsource American jobs.

You hear only the sound of my voice. Your are getting very sleepy. Obey the rich people. Obey the Rich people.

Here's another one I like a lot: "I'll tell you whose fault it is that I drink too much: it's Obama's fault. You see, I love my country so much and I worry about my country so much, that it's driven me to drink." (With a tip of the hat to Newt Gingrich, who pioneered that particular bit of, ah... logic, when he said he screwed around on his wives because he loves his country.)

Sorry Bubba, but them there dogs just won't hunt. You wanta blame someone? How about blaming the people who are really causing these problems. In fact, you wanta know WHY all those illegals are coming here from Mexico? I'll tell you why: American foreign policy. For decades, our government has bribed and bribed and bribed the Mexican government with billions of dollars in foreign aid. And you know what our government wanted in return for all that money? We wanted American food and other goods exported to Mexico, at such low prices that it destroyed Mexico's economy. Then, the small family farmers had a choice to make: grow marijuana and other drugs for the drug cartels, starve to death, or sneak across the border into America and try to make money to send home to their families.

So, Bubba, you tell me: if someone did that to YOUR family, what would you do? Would you grow illegal drugs for the cartels? Would you starve to death? Or would YOU sneak across the border into America. Come on, now, Bubba, tell the truth: you'd sneak across that border, wouldn't you? Why Bubba, do you realize that you are about a half inch from being an illegal alien yourself? I am shocked!