I wonder how many millions of homeless children wont have anything to eat tonight as their parents fall off. All those empty houses are the result of people moving up too!,

Depends on the location and type of job John. There was an article a week or so back saying that near Silicon Valley (I think) it was like 0.5 applicants per job.

Not saying it's great. Just saying it varies.

Sure, maybe if they'd just go get a job and stop being lazy then everything would be ok- wouldn't it LB? Get real.

My UI benefits ended almost 3 months ago. Despite actively searching for work every single day, and having great interviews, (when I'm fortunate enough to get one), I'm still out of work. I'm so tired of people like yourself, who claim those of us who are unemployed don't want to work. I got my first job when I was 14 years old. Other than when I was going to school, I had worked ever since until two years ago.

Corporations have been downsizing and outsourcing without abandon for the last 40 years, yet we who have been the victims of that are somehow the bad guys. Where people got the idea that we're enjoying being unemployed is beyond me. I challenge ANYONE to deal with the ongoing stress, uncertainty and fear the average long-term unemployed person deals with every day and see how much enjoyment they take from it!!!

It's so easy for people who have never been in our shoes to criticize and place blame.

LB, You ever take math in High School? How about Jr. High? Actually, grade school math would suffice.

Because here's the deal... there are too many unemployed for the number of jobs available, INDEPENDENT of what pay level you are looking at.

Economy is based on demand. Your trickle-down supply-side theory is stupid enough... now you have a "quit-supporting-the-unemployed-and-their-desperation-alone-will-drive-enough-jobs-for-all-of-them" theory? What do you call that economic theory? Push-up to trickle-down to drive demand? Such a foolish party.

... starvation as an incentive went out with the dark ages.

South Dakota announced 35,000 well paying jobs that they cannot find workers to fill. was in WSJ yesterday.

you know when you reach a certain age, people want to lay you off, and to find another job at that age business dont want to hire you....so get real there are people such as myself who want to work but discrimination practice is still alive....so i think you should get a life...or give me a job

I agree. When I put my daughter thru college a couple of years ago I was short on cash, so I got a 2nd job (it took about 2 weeks). Then a few months later, I found a 3rd job without trying. There are a LOT of people that are NOT looking for jobs and I can tell you right now of 3-5 different places that are ALWAYS hiring! Walmart, Best Buy, Dick's, Home Depot, Sams Club, etc. These places are ALWAYS hiring! Yes, some are people are disabled, some have crazy situations, but Id wager a MAJORITY are too comfortable sleeping till 11 o'clock and sitting around watching Springer all day. Get off your butt and GET a job! They aren't going to call you, you have to call them! Persistance! 90% of us have jobs, its time for you to step up and quit sponging off my tax dollars!

IQ 168

South Dakota announced 35,000 well paying jobs that they cannot find workers to fill. was in WSJ yesterday.

First, many people cannot relocate to another state because they're stuck with houses with underwater mortgages. Second, if you've got an IQ of 168, you should be smart enough to understand that nation-wide, the total number of unemployed people exceeds the total of jobs available. South Dakota could not soak up all those jobless people.

Face it: The ONLY reason the Republicans want to cut off unemployment benefits is because they know it will hurt the economy and help them reach their Number One goal publicly proclaimed by, Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell: defeating Barack Obama in 2012.

It's true that things are very tough for unemployed , but I don't think the 99 week thing was ever meant to be permanent as it seems to be happening. The US cannot afford this forever, and we may never see unemployment go down to previous levels.

There is plenty of places to make cuts that doesn't help the economy..but they say unemployment benefits does help the economy..why even go there for cuts??? Stupid Republicans!

I live in a small town where the jobs are few and always have been. After 10 months of unemployment in 2008\2009 I finally found a job. It wasn't a job in which I was educated in (registered\certified expanded functions dental assistant) it was in a bank and the hourly wage was 1\2 of what I used to make plus it was less than my unemployment benefits. I took the job because I needed to get back to work, unemployment wasn't going to keep paying me forever. I am still working at the bank, not my first choice of work but it is work and at the age of 47 it's tough to find work. I didn't hold out I settled and I am glad that I did. Others need to do the same.

LB you are not looking at the facts. Many people are over 45 and are more than willing to take a job, any job so they will not fall behind. The problem is that once you are over 40 and making a decent wage your clock is running, over 50 ... your times up. "Over qualified" in American business today really means "You are to old and we want someone younger so we can pay them much less, to hell with company loyalty" MLP would be proud!

IQ 168 - source for this information, please. I googled and didn't find anything like that.

IQ 68 what Jobs are you referring to, do you have any additional information, did WSJ have any information. The right wing rag could say anything and some people buy into it.

Does the wall street Journal have a Sunday edition, you said it was in yesterday's paper.

This plan is nothing more than an acceptance of the fact that the employment situation is not temporary. High unemployment is the new normal, just like the mature economies of Europe. Jobless benefits for more than 40 weeks is not unemployment, it is welfare. I am not against supporting the jobless, but call it what it is, and stop bankrupting the state programs. It is never going away, and we cannot afford to support it locally.

@Don9876543

"It's true that things are very tough for unemployed , but I don't think the 99 week thing was ever meant to be permanent as it seems to be happening. The US cannot afford this forever, and we may never see unemployment go down to previous levels"

Then prepare yourself for social armegeddon when hungry starving people have no other recourse than to scavange for food...maybe at your house.

But the president said that unemployment is down to 8.6% and could be down to 8% for the election. Sounds like things are going good. What do you mean there are 4 people for very job? Didn't the presidents policys help? This is all so confusing. Maybe things aren't as good as he is saying? After all we don't need the jobs being provided by the Keystone pipeline do we?? Looks like we don't.

Even at 59 weeks that is still over 1 year of coverage. I can't see how we can continue to afford all of this (or how our children can afford it). As bloggit says - this is now welfare. Again it is now the new welfare not the old one that Bill Clinton ended (as we knew it then) but the new one that this president envisions.

It’s very obvious Republican politicians in Washington don’t give a damn about unemployed workers. By now most people understand that it was the Republican Party that gave us the great recession. The thing I find most disturbing is that they won’t own up to this fact and now on top of it they want the unemployed to suffer even more.

Since Democrats have had partial control in Washington things have been improving steadily. It’s been a slow recovery not just because of Republican obstructionism but because the damage caused by the Republicans was massive and reached into all areas of the economy. This damage took place over thirty years and was caused by greed based and failed Republican economic policies.…… The good news is this damage can be repaired if we give the Democrats time to repair it...

For our own protection we need to add these Republican politicians to the unemployment line in 2012, not because it would hurt them financially, most of them are already multi millionaires. The real reason we should fire these greedy ideologues is so they won’t cause any more damage to our country.

Amazing that for most of the people out of work, are in the construction/manufacturing world. Ignorance is bliss. You have a huge amount of people that are highly specialized in these fields, and yet no jobs for them. . Most companies go off the saying "You are over qualified". It took me near 2 years to find a job, and for the pee brained people that do not understand this, go sit on your high perch, because one day you will need these people to do work or fix something. Then the problem exists after the market kicks back off, not enough qualified people, as it happened back in the early 90's. I did not spend all the money i spent going to school for Electrician/HVAC/Refrigeration to to be paid pennies either. Just like a college degree these classes are very expensive, and tuition assistance is not available for them. That means you pay up front.

So before you speak you need to do some research, you know the thing you learn at your High school it is called reading. Not all the people out of work are doing nothing. Especially the ones who want to go back to work. Looking for someone to blame, blame the elected officials squabbling over the debt, and lack of money. They are ones who created this issue, not Only Bush or Obama but all the way back to Regan.

Leave it to the Rs to continue the assault on the middle class. UE benefits are one of the strongest drivers to economic growth in a recession, because the recipients turn around and spend the full amount of the benefit. I just hope Barry doesn't cave and cut UE benefits as the price to get an extension of the payroll tax cut.

Hmm maybe when I fire LB he can prove how easy it is to find another job.

Hey Republicans, why don't you tell your cronies and supporters in Industry and their backers on Wall Street to loosen their money belts and start hiring. Like the song goes; "Don't stand in the doorways, don't block up the Halls".

IQ168 left out the decimal point 16.8 or was that 1.68

Here's how we can solve this...... easily:

1. Allow the oil pipeline to be built from Canada through the US (creating 10's of thousands of jobs) in the construction, management, and maintenance of the pipeline.

2. Build a new refinery to process that oil. Again tens of thousands of jobs.

3. Take the additional income taxes created by these jobs and help fund the unemployment fund.

4. Oh yeah, create term limits for Congress and create laws where they can't empty out money earmarked for one program to facilitate another.

It's easy to fund it. Add the 0.5% tax increase on MILIONAIRES that the Democrats want for extended unemployment. Those so-called job creators are not creating a damned job. They just sitting on their money saying the unemplyed are lazy for not taking a slave wage job. I say tax the crap out of them until they start creating jobs.

What most people don't realize is that the Unemployment Rate is much higher than the government would like us to believe. In 2008, the number of people employed was 145.4 million and the total labor force was 155.0, which meant an Unemployment Rate of 6.2% , and the labor force grows by about 160,000 net new workers per month from population growth (10 year average), so the current labor force is actually about 160.8 million. Since there are currently only about 140.3 million working, the REAL Unemployment Rate is about 12.75% (in terms comparable to 2008).

About 7 million people who would normally be counted as Unemployed have merely given up looking for work because of no job availability. If hiring picks us again, these people will likely re-enter the workforce, and that could actually cause the Unemployment Rate to climb at the same time that new jobs are being added.

The only reason that the Unemployment Rate is at 8.6% is because about 7 million people have 'given up looking for jobs' - at least for now. So when the government 'brags' about the declining Unemployment Rate when few net new jobs are being added, keep this in mind.

Anyone who can't find some kind of work after 99 weeks either doesn't really want to work, or is too effing "proud" to take a position that's "beneath" him.....tooo bad. And, for those of you who think there are no jobs, check out North Dakota, or Texas, or St Louis, where they have 55,000 positions they can't find qualified people to fill. Oh, and if you're not willing to move, again you really don't want to work very badly.

Big Al, yes the Republicans had played a major part in starting this recession, but the Democrats followed suit and profited right along side!

Well, Happy New Year everyone! Thank you United States Government! We will finally be able to repeat the Great Depression to the letter of the text books! I am truly disgusted with our two party system. And I am embarrassed to be part of the human race with the rest of you haters, so disconnected from reality, its pathetic!

Well, we all know what the goal of the GOP is. Screw America over.

Typical Republican position - something for their Big OlL Contributors or no food for hungry children.

Please, Sir May I have another Mr Boehner?

X 2 Jobless carpenter..!

The mission of the GOP is to create a new era of slaves, the goal is to be able to drop the pay scale by having the American people so desperate for a job that they will work for almost noting, just look at where the lowest minimum wages are in the GOP states, Americans need to wake the hell up, it's time to send all these GOP politicians packing so they can get on that un-employment benefits, and see how it really is ......

@joeny Until they know what the dangers are going to be with the pipeline and all it's temporary jobs it needs to stayed tabled. the state of Nebraska has already said they do not want it gong across the aquifer with good reason. Also refineries can and should be built in ND, but your big oil buddies in texas don't want that due to the fact that it would lower the price of oil and gas. Companies like halliburton don't want to lose their large profits. And new refineries would make permanent jobs.

People who are overweight, or aren't as pretty as you have a tougher time finding a job than others. Take your GOP philosophy and shove it where the sun doesn't shine.

I guess it was only a matter of time before liberals found another excuse for someone else's success and their failure. How long before we start implementing a beauty tax like we do hard work? It's Obama's policies that are the reason(s), as you claim, there are 4 people for every job. While jobs may not grow on trees they do grow in the free market, the only problem is the free market has been free of over regulation and taxation for decades.

Face it: The ONLY reason the Republicans want to cut off unemployment benefits is because they know it will hurt the economy and help them reach their Number One goal publicly proclaimed by, Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell: defeating Barack Obama in 2012.

Face it you're dilusional. The only reason the liberals want to keep them extended is to keep more people on the Government teat and those on the teat are unlikely to vote themselves off. Obama is pandering for votes like he is with payroll tax. It's not my job, or yours, to provide anyone else with an income. It's my job to provide myself with an income and at 99 weeks you only give people an incentive to not find a job.

The mission of the GOP is to create a new era of slaves

Funny that's the same mission as the Democratic party. Forcing someone to provide another with an income is essentially slavery.

Face it: The ONLY reason the Republicans want to cut off unemployment benefits is because they know it will hurt the economy and help them reach their Number One goal publicly proclaimed by, Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell: defeating Barack Obama in 2012.

The funny thing is that will backfire badly on them. The American people are smarter than that and know who the real culprits are. The worst thing that could have happened is the wins in the 2010 midterms. Nothing getting done, refusing all options the President has put forth, and for just saying no. OH, yes and I forgot, letting us all know who they really work for.

.

JB

I am not surprised your comment has been collapsed. The sensible ones usually are. I would have to agree with you. I was put out of work back in 08 for the fourth time in eight years and went on unemployment for the first few weeks. After about the first months or so of doing nothing and job offers that paid nothing, I went to work for myself and haven't missed much more than a few weeks of work over the past several years. I am still not making much more money than unemployment would have paid me but I figured that if I was going to work for someone who was going to pay me a low wage it may as well be myself.

I also know a few people who were laid off from the same place at the same time and collected all 99 weeks of the unemployment ,claiming that they could not find any work. But the day after the checks stopped coming they suddenly found new jobs not five miles from their door. Extending the unemployment benefits is the main reason that there is so much unemployment right now and why it hasn't gotten any better , after all why would people go to work when they can get paid for 99 weeks to do nothing.

It is like I said no surprise that your comment wa collapsed here it seems that most posters here do not like people who are sensible or disagree with their own point of view. I'd vote you twice if I could

If 99 weeks isn't enough when is it?

If $16.5 trillion isn't enough, what is?

We all have problems, and nobody wants to give in, or take responsibility. That's what happens when a country turns to class warfare to solve problems.

Russell fox, I totally agree with you, their is so much discrimination, whether its age, color, disability, and yes weight, and theirs not a damn thing we can do about it.

We can thank the Repugs & baggers for not creating jobs, those job creators they seem to always talk about are not hiring, so your not raising taxes on the wealthiest is just Bull Sh.. and the rest of us are really tired of all you BULL. Stop being Norquist's puppet and help the American people and get off your a.... and do something to help EVERYONE! At least Obama is finally standing up to your crap, and is trying to create jobs, and yes make substantial cuts and get this country moving in the right direction. 2012 can't come soon enough!

in all of the posts i did not see many that took the issue directly. how many weeks is enough? is it 99? 199? until you can find a job? and then when the market picks up when do we cut back to the original 26? someone is always going to feel the impact of a change.

if, as the folks posting here seem to believe that we should take care of everyone forever then lets just do it. have everyone work for the government, live in government housing, eat government food, be mobile with government transportation. we don't need cars anymore nor single family dwellings. everyone gets the same regardless of skills or contribution to society. is that what folks here want?

Spider, Read Roy Wilson's post. He says the real unemployment numbers are at 12+% and you say there are plenty of jobs... a whopping 50,000 of them in some states.

Walmart here had 10 job openings recently. 250 people showed up. Do the f'ing math.

People don't want to be taken care of forever - they want jobs and to live the American dream. I wish everyone understood how much of a failure the republican trickle down economics have been. It is a FAILED economic policy, yet every single republican candidate wants to double down on that failure. Every American needs to learn more about economics and how the economy works. Those republican policies to protect the elite DO NOT CREATE JOBS. Demand will create jobs, and until Americans start eliminating the wealth gap, the middle class will continue to shrink. In the meantime, more and more Americans fall into poverty and crisis, and the "Christian" right and teapubs wants to complain about spending. The republicans have lost their moral compass even as they try to pretend otherwise.

15 years ago, I had a friend who worked 4 part time jobs to make ends meet for his family. He usually worked 16-20 hours per day. Then he found a job in another state, moved there to live with 6 others in a small new york apartment where his share of the rent was around $400 per month. The income was enough that he could survive and still send enough to the family back home to make all his payments and put a few dollars away. He did this until he was on his feet and ahead of the game, then returned home with his newfound skills and worked a regular job at least until I lost track of him. Yes, it sucked for him, and yes, moving to another state to live like that was hard, but he did what he had to do. I think a lot of Americans could learn from his example.

The simple fact is, none of us is entitled to anything. The American Dream is possible but not guaranteed. Worse, there are simply too many people who just assumed that things would always be perfect and there would always be work, so they bought houses they could barely afford, had kids they could barely afford, and used credit cards to get what they couldn't afford but felt was their right to have. Now they are upside down, starving their family, and facing foreclosure, and the only jobs out there are lower paying or in other states or cities, but the government is giving them a handout to keep them looking for an equivalent job and keep them in the house they can't afford, and keep them feeding the kids they will never be able to support. Yes, life sucks, but there are people that will suck it up and sacrifice for their kids and family, and people who will blame the government while holding their hand out. It is a sad truth, but a truth nevertheless.

Anyone who believes the government can "create" jobs also believes that unemployment should just be extended to "fix" this problem. The fact is, the only way to create a job that actually produces is to allow investors to either use natural resources or export labor goods. There is no other way to "create" anything. A government job is one funded by the working class. For every person with a job, it takes 10 who work in a field that doesn't rely on taxes to fund it. Usually, the "government jobs" are those that help to build or maintain new infrastructure, so a large portion of the tax dollars allocated go to materials instead of labor, meaning that it takes even MORE people with non-government jobs to fund with the tax dollars. There is no magical source of money, and money is just a representation of the product of our labor. If you increase labor without increasing the product, you are just diluting the money. The sooner people realize this, the better. Industry drives the economy, and all the other jobs are just support for the labor pool in the industry. So the answer lies in stimulating industry, not spending more or taxing more or giving more handouts from a non-existent pool of money.

Yes, it sucks to rape the planet of natural resources, but in all honesty, the alternative is lowering the population. It is pretty simple really, when you look at the bigger picture. Either you have the resources to support the population or you don't, but either way, you can't create resources from nothing.

True job security is found in self-employment, and it doesn't have to be a cure for cancer, either. Even a hot dog cart will do.

Sorry, two years is enough. If you can't find something you like, like something you can find. Think stepping stones.

Alright, the fat asses are going to squeal now. Maybe they get less money for beer and cigs now.

Notice the graph above? After the recent election the brothas just laid down. The Grinch is comning, the Grinch is coming----- Newt that is.

They first should really start with drug testing if you get any government check. School, work or what ever.

If I am an employer and you are coming to work on drugs then you do not get paid. What is so complicated about that? If you want to do drugs don't come to work.

You hear that Obama, Bush, Clinton.

Earl-1443766 "If you want to do drugs don't come to work."

The ACLU will probably find a way to sue the company for 'discrimination' on the basis of 'personal privacy'.

I will try and put it in simpler terms for some.

You and a group of Friends are lost campers. The food runs out. What do you do?

If you said," Leave camp and go some where else and look for food (work) then, you win.

I see signs every day "Help Wanted" IF you don't, them move.

I will try and put it in simpler terms for some.

You and a group of Friends are lost campers. The food runs out. What do you do?

If you said," Leave camp and go some where else and look for food (work) then, you win.

I see signs every day "Help Wanted" IF you don't, them move.

I will try and put it in simpler terms for some.

You and a group of Friends are lost campers. The food runs out. What do you do?

If you said," Leave camp and go some where else and look for food (work) then, you win.

I see signs every day "Help Wanted" IF you don't, them move.

The only reason that the Unemployment Rate is at 8.6% is because about 7 million people have 'given up looking for jobs' - at least for now

the real truth is that "given up looking for work" actually means "unemployment benefits ran out", not that they have actually stopped looking.

Will people please stop saying tickle down economics doesn't work. It does and always has worked. If trickle down economics didn't work there would be no such thing as emerging markets.

How do you think "developing nations" became developed? It's a global economy now. This country went through a couple booming decades, and spent itself into a hole along with it's citizens.

What doesn't work is borrow and spend economics, and neither party has shown an interest to fix that.

Bobby: shhh, don't say things like that, it upsets the folks who are in favor of extending unemployment for years and years and years. 99 weeks on unemployment? That's almost two years. In that time there wasn't anything? Nothing? Oh, yeah, perhaps not a perfect job paying six figures plus benefits in a management position or specific field.

Once upon a time horses were used to get around with. There were people who made buggies and carriages and horse harnesses, quite a lot of people were employed in the horse transportation industries. Then there were cars and all the horse industry people suddenly found themselves out of work. So, did the horse industry people sit on their butts and collect unemployment for almost two years or did they parlay their skills into something viable for the automobile age?

South Dakota announced 35,000 well paying jobs that they cannot find workers to fill. was in WSJ yesterday.

I read the Wall Street Journal - sure as hell don't remember that! Source, please?

...check out North Dakota, or Texas, or St Louis, where they have 55,000 positions they can't find qualified people to fill.

Source, please?

Two right-wing posters with nebulous claims of 90,000 jobs - can't be substantiated, of course... hell, last month they were crowing because the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there were 120,000 new jobs created in November. Here we have two right-wingers claiming to know of 3/4 that number!

I think we now have an idea of the Republican plan for job growth in this country... make them up!

Engin,

You are proving the point. Get of ur ass and look for yourself. Do you want me to send you pictures?

When you get hungry you will GO get a job.

If someone told me there were thousands of dollars somewhere and I needed money, I wold go get it.

I would not say, I don't believe you, you republican. What are your choices? OH, I know, gov check.

Clueless. Trickle down DOES NOT WORK.

http://www.faireconomy.org/research/TrickleDown.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GQecQ06xus

The reason the wealth gap is so much worse is directly related to republican trickle down. Why do you think the disparity of income has gotten so much worse under those policies. The rich aren't "job creators", the whole theory is a failure.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-13/rich-americans-save-money-from-tax-cuts-instead-of-spending-moody-s-says.html

The teapubs talk as if the economy was just booming and jobs waiting to be picked off. That there is no age discrimination. In reality the richest Americans have done fantastic, with incomes up over 250% while the rest of us suffer from stagnant wages for decades.

http://www.businessinsider.com/15-charts-about-wealth-and-inequality-in-america-2010-4?op=1

Get a fricken clue, otherwise you just sound like mindless shills for the elite.

If trickle down economics doesn't work, what do you call collecting taxes and giving it toother people? How do you explain emerging markets? How do you explain employment period?

What doesn't work is borrowing and spending. What doesn't last forever is a growing economy. What doesn't work is irresponsibility and lack of planning.

This is a global economy now. 8% unemployment will probably become the new normal rate for a long time. All Americans were greedy for the last few decades and now it's time to pay for it.

Donald Trump made an interesting comment recently.

Perhaps it's time for us to play hardball with China on their unfair trade practices. A 25% tariff on goods imported from China would devastate their economy and transfer millions of jobs back to the U.S.A.

And if they try to use the $Trillion+ in loans to us as a 'bargaining chip', let them try - Yes, it would result in heavy inflation for us, but that same inflation would make their current loans to us worth far less. A 'trade war' hurts exporters (China) far more than importers (U.S.).

It's time for us to stop letting other countries take advantage of us with impunity.

Roy, I think you have it backwards - a 25% tariff on goods imported from China would devastate our economy, not theirs. China has basically been supporting our standard of living for decades, providing us with manufactured goods while we gave them back nothing more than a bunch of bank notes; if anyone is being taken advantage of, it is them. If you reduce this inflow of real goods into our economy, we will be the ones suffering. They, on the other hand, will simply redistribute their production from us to their own citizens, dramatically increasing their own standard of living. Demand doesn't create a good economy, supply does, and right now China is a big supplier of the US. Without supply, we are all just a bunch of naked, starving hunter/gatherers.

You said the right thing the Dems look like they are helping the people when they are not. What helps the people by going deeper and deeper in debt???? Eventually the piper will have to be paid and everyone's benefits, unemployment, SS, VA, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, Food Stamps, etc. is going to be lessened or run completely out. What are people going to do then stick their head in the ground or get up off their asses and survive????

bmac,

Someone might listen to you if you at least acknowledge how we got into this big of hole in the first place. Hint: it happened after Clinton and before Obama.

The debt was created with two wars, Homeland Security, Medicaid, tax cuts, and a collapsing economy from Wall Street greed and lax regulation... but now, somehow, the solution is to cut "benefits, unemployment, SS, VA, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, Food Stamps, etc."?

The people are, as a majority, wide-eyed and working hard to survive... and their wide eyes recognize the fallacy of the GOP more and more every day.

OK bmac, what have the GOP done to help?

NOTHING, only making things worse for the "little people"

holding the country hostage, on the verge of an ENTIRE economic collapse for something that is and has been automatic forever, the debt limit ceiling....

an HISTORIC amount of filibusters to prevent anything the Dems and or Obama tried to do....

SOOOO many things, its almost impossible to count them..

Ill bet you were one of the people attending the GOP "let em die debate"

Time to vote these tyrants out. How dare they support greed and cut off the working poor and unemployed! Line 'em up and shoot 'em, I say!

Wake up to reality. The "automatic" debt ceiling increase is exactly how we let the politicians (and especially this administration) spend us into oblivion. So you think the guys that stopped that are the bad guys? How about the clown who gave big bucks to keeping his union supporters in jobs while all of the rest of America lost thiers. Many more lost thier jobs when he and his attack dog Holder got done ripping off the banks and anyone else they could. They got banks to buy companies that were going broke then fined them again and again for the bad the companies had done before they bought them. That not only resulted in the loss of the jobs from the company going down but also from the companies that bought them out. The buyer paid so much in fines they had to cut thier own personnel. GOOD plan Bama.

He was busy saving the car companies that mostly make their cars overseas anyway and keeping his union buds happy. He is supposed to be a lawyer yet he constantly goes against our very constitution as if he never knew it existed. All of you yahoos who want Republicans to say yes to more of his spending must think the tooth fairy brings the money. We will be well rid of him and all the loons who side with him in saying Capitalism is bad. Giving out bad mortages so all the Democrats supporters could buy houses had absolutely nothing to do with Capitalism but was more Socialism just like what has brought Greece and the other Socialist countries to thier knees. You can't survive with only half the people working and paying taxes to support themselves and the other half of the population that doesn't work.. That is real simple math. Your give away things for votes Democrats got us here and yet you idiots keep defending them Talk about sheep minds.

Dan I have to wonder if you have any idea what a filibuster even is and there certainly haven't been more than one or maybe two in this clowns whole administration. Stop lying.

The GOP has certainly done one thing well.... Focused all of their energy to cost 1 man his job at the expense of helping millions of others find a job.

WE may be back to robber baron days anyway. Technology is obsoleting middle class jobs and foreign competition is beating us. I think all politicians realize the 99 week thing can't last forever without bankrupting our country.

Itsabouttime, The Democrats are also focusing all energy on getting elected again. So partisan politics is not the "one party only " thing you probably feel it is.

I don't understand why the hell you people are all complaining. The situation is what it is. The time for finger pointing is long since over. The question remains, what are you (or collectively, "us") going to do about it. Saying the "GOP" this and the "Dems" that, is pointless bickering and you all know it. It's time for solutions not recriminations.

LMarcT,

Look how much Obama's helped. Neither one was a good at handling debt.

Like I said in one of my earlier posts, this problem has been all the way back since Regan. Regan had given the banks and financial institutions to much leeway, Clinton cause the Tax and Tariff and Free trade laws (entry into WTO) Bush had the 2 wars and paying for other countries to better roads,schools and weapons , and Obama just gave billions to the banks with the promise to open lending( Which the reneged on, this would have help small business to get back to work.) . So all these issues are our elected officials not the people.

If you want change the system change to people that will regulate Welfare, and government assistance.

Why, again, would anyone ever vote for the Party of No...I mean the Party of the 1%.

Yet, the same people that vote for them are the first to complain when Rethuglican policies fail...but don't realize that they are Teathuglican policies...such a sad and misunderedumacated Reichwing electorate.

It's easy to fund unemployment insurance. Add the 0.5% tax increase on MILIONAIRES that the Democrats want for extended unemployment. Those so-called job creators are not creating a damned job. They are just sitting on their money saying the unemployed are lazy for not taking a slave wage job. I say tax the crap out of them until they get off their lazy privileged asses and start creating jobs.

What most people don't realize is that the Unemployment Rate is much higher than the government would like us to believe. In 2008, the number of people employed was 145.4 million and the total labor force was 155.0, which meant an Unemployment Rate of 6.2% , and the labor force grows by about 160,000 net new workers per month from population growth (10 year average), so the current labor force is actually about 160.8 million. Since there are currently only about 140.3 million working, the REAL Unemployment Rate is about 12.75% (in terms comparable to 2008).

About 7 million people who would normally be counted as Unemployed have merely given up looking for work because of no job availability. If hiring picks us again, these people will likely re-enter the workforce, and that could actually cause the Unemployment Rate to climb at the same time that new jobs are being added.

The only reason that the Unemployment Rate is at 8.6% is because about 7 million people have 'given up looking for jobs' - at least for now. So when the government 'brags' about the declining Unemployment Rate when few net new jobs are being added, keep this in mind.

Well, we all know what the goal of the GOP is. Screw America over.

Democrats have been in power for three years and have done nothing except add to the unemployment. More and more people are still unemployed and the govt. (DemocRats) have continued to do nothing. Why did Obama think that it would be so easy to get out of this recession? Only an idiot would have fallen for his policies of "hope and change".

This president needs to go!!!!

Typical Republican position - something for their Big OlL Contributors or no food for hungry children.

Please, Sir May I have another Mr Boehner?

the new Gop website should be.... www.weareouttoscrewAmericaover.com please give us money so we can bail out the 1%

"From real estate, to finance to manufacturing, these sectors have all but shut down as job-creators. Together, these industries account for about half of the jobs lost from the January 2008 peak to the January 2010 trough. With little or no job growth from these sectors, it’s as if half of the job market’s cylinders just aren’t firing."

Construction accounted for 12% of the GDP alone. Manufacturing, real estate, shipping, timber industry, retail sales- all depended on construction. Most are gone. The banks killed it!

Of course, most people could give a fly about the construction industry any way! They want buildings and things fixed, as long as it doesn't inconvenience them too much!

Obama gave out hundreds of billions to the banks after they had already received $7.7 trillion in loan's from the FED? Bonus money! Reward them for effin things up! Obama gave another $800 bill. to local governments for job creation. Worked well didn't it. Tax cut here, tax cut there=no revenue! No job creation, nothing but criticism!

First rule of leadership-It all your fault! It was Bush's fault, now its Obama's! And ya! I got nothin' nice to say about the Republicans ether! They're doin' a bang-up job of destroying the country too!

Every single Senater and Representative needs to go! All new!

But of course, I might not be able to afford to get to a polling place to vote come election time any way!

ItsAboutTime - helping millions of others find a job.

Since when did it become the GOP (or even the dems) responsibility to find jobs for the unemployed? Neither party is helping create jobs but they certainly are not responsible for finding jobs.

LMarcT - You need ot go back farther in history to find the root cause of the financial crisis we are in. The social welfare programs started many years back and most have been enacted and backed by dems. The intent of the social welfare programs was meant to be temporary assistance but most consider it a way of life. Nearly two years of trying to find a job and meeting with no success is long enough.

Dan - the Dem's "look" like they are trying to help the little people because that's where they can find the most votes, and the first job of any politician is to get votes. They have build a party on making promises that can only be kept through unsustainable borrowing, and in the process have driven this country straight into the ground, but the 99% eat it up and keep the democratic machine alive. And look where it got us (and look where it got Greece). I might not agree with many of the viewpoints of republicans, especially when it comes to foreign policy and religion, but they at least have their heads screwed on straight when it comes to economics. For one, they realize that you can't spend what you don't currently have without sacrificing future consumption, and that after decades of overspending by democrats it is finally time for us to start consuming less (including costly entitlement benefits).

And speaking of economics, price floors lead to surpluses, and labor is no different. Minimum wage laws drive up labor costs disproportionately to the value added by the labor, and so companies don't hire as much. So take your pick, lower wages or lower employment - you can't have both.

To John Schoen, you don't even do enough research to know that UI is paid for entirely by employers. The employees do not pay into this program. There is no employee premium. As long as the main goal of the Republicans is to make Obama a one term president and Obama's weak response to that goal, there is no prospect for things getting better. Obama is all rhetoric and no action. By the way, do you which presidential hopeful (including Obama has taken the most money from Wall Street? Here's a hint, his initials are BO.

Republicans, sure are out to help their very wealthy friends, while letting the jobless "twist in the wwind.' That's a quote from another Republican who believed he was about the law.

Now, here's how this situation should go down. Increase the benefits for everyone, who has lost their jobs, INDEFINITELY! Extend the Bush tax cut for the 99$ and increase/ start taxing the wealthiest 1%, NOW!

Create jobs by training those that have lost their jobs, to repair our infrastructure, employing more teachers, nurses, firemen and police. Educate the jobless in pre-school care and senior care.

Yes, I know it will cost the tax payers more but, in the long run, once the United States begins investing in the jobless, we will all benefit in the next decade. We need to get out of this hole by investing in our future. I realize our national debt is in the trillions but we have to take the hit now, to prosper in the future.

Instead of foreclosing on peoples homes, let them stay in their homes Come on, their a lot of intelligent people in this country, who can come up with inventive ways, to make this work and to put our people back to work.

I believe, that middle class Americans are decent, hard working citizens. It is time they got the breaks, the rich have had, all their lives. The middle class have memories and do not want charity. They will pay it forward. They just need some hope and help, to get out of this quagmire.

The Republicans have had opportunity after opportunity to help turn around the jobless and the economy. And every time they have said NO!

I have faith in my fellow Americans. Yes, there will be a handful who will make the headlines like "Joe The Plumber." People who will take advantage of the chance they are given. I prefer to believe the majority of Americans will right and honorable thing and we will all be better for the experience.

Now is the time to help each one another. Now is the time to be inventive. Now is the time to provide care for our neighbors and fellow citizens. Remember, if the majority of Americans falter, the rest will soon follow.

I believe in Americans. It is time, we voted for leaders, who have the best interest, of the working class, at heart. We owe it to our children and our grand children, to push, for a better future, for them. We also owe it, to those who have lost their lives or were injured, to make sure we have a future.

The GOP's behavior is a faster and faster race to the BOTTOM!

The GOP party's failed platform of "Trickle Down/Supply Side" economics left many Americans economically behind. There was not any evidence that jobs were drizzling down and that income and wealth was leaking down. Their well-connected shameless RICH pals then grabbed and stole what our citizens were hanging onto - their investments, pensions, retirement funds and homes. Now, this cold-hearted party (whose members Ivan the Terrible would be jealous of) is reducing unemployment benefits to "cut spending and balance the budget."

Where will our people live? How will they eat? How will they be able to afford medical care? How will they be able to transport themselves if the monetary spigot is too hastily shut off?

The economic, political and social policies that the Republicans are legislating for the majority of Americans are Machiavellian. If these Right Wing extremists are made to live under their own harsh rules

...only then will they rethink and quickly revise their people-purging goals.

LMarcT --Hint: it happened after Clinton and before Obama. The debt was created with two wars, Homeland Security, Medicaid, tax cuts, and a collapsing economy from Wall Street greed and lax regulation... but now, somehow, the solution is to cut "benefits, unemployment, SS, VA, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, Food Stamps, etc."?

Your mentality and lack of knowledge is typical of those that are too lazy at the US to actually do the research. That is exactly why the US will not get out of the current Depression, not Recession.

After the US Laws that made Illegal the Causes of the previous Depressions (1907 Depression and 1929 to 1939 Great Depression) were eliminated 1999 and 2000, it took from 2000 to 2007 for the current $60 Trillion to $100 Trillion USD "Global Economic Crisis" consisting of the "Mortgage Crisis", "Wall Street Crisis", "Financial Crisis", "Banking Crisis", "Credit Crisis", etc. to build up, just like it took from 1933 to 1939 (6 years) for the US Laws that made Illegal the Causes of the previous Depression to take effect.

I already proved to you how uninformed and uneducated you really are. The current "US Military Defense Industrial Complex" as previously created by President FDR after his New Deals to the American people Failed (US Govenment Spending money did not have to create jobs), that got the US out of the 1929-1939 Great Depression (people literally starving to death), 1939 before 1941 US Entry into WWII, is the ONLY thing keeping the US out of another Depression worse than the Great Depression.

To keep his job if President Obama is reelected, President Obama's Political Appointee Leon Penetta as Secretary of Defense stated that the Automatic Budget Cuts of 10% of the US Military Defense Budget would Unemploy a Million US Civilians (once again verification about my numbers of the current numbers of almost a hundred Million overpaid expensive US Civilians employed by the US Military).

You know what, I want the automatic 10% Budget Cuts of the US Military Defense Budget, so that the Million US Civilians become Unemployed just so then you will wake the f**k up (how about giving them your physical address so that they can let you know how they feel). Further more, I want a 50% Cut to the US Military Defense Budget so that becomes justification to throw the almost hundred million US Civilians on Unemployment, and they can be replaced by below minimum wage US Military Personnel, instead of President Obama's Reduction In Forces (RIF) of 27,000 US Military Personnel and the xxx,xxx US Civilians also no longer needed to support the 27,000 RIF'ed US Military Personnel.

Sandy, Missouri,

Sure repeat the same Historical mistakes. Who do you think were the "Rich" that refused to pay the British Stamp Act Taxes, aka "Tea Taxes" prior to the War of Independence. Those "Rich" could afford not to have to do day to day daily subsistance existance, can you say the "Founding Fathers". The "Rich" Founding Fathers refusing to fund the rest of the British Empire and especially the British Military at the Colonies (America) that were oppressing them.

Hitler's "Tax the Rich Jews", "The Rich Jews Own Everything", "Germans must take back Germany from the Rich Jews" (start of confiscations), "Tax the Rich Jews", etc.. The "Rich" Jews converting their Wealth into diamonds, gold, etc. anything they could carry while fleeing Germany.

Great Britain's "Tax the Rich", "Rich Pay Their Fair Share". The "Rich", "Rich" British and Foreign Business Investors flee England, including abandoning the British Icon Businesses. The Idealistic Academics no Real World experience attempt to manage the abandoned British Businesses and Bankrupt them; then sell them to Foreign Nations, creating more British Unemployment ("On the Dole"). The British Middle Class and Poor end up paying for all the British Social Programs, leading to "cannot afford" implementation of Austerity Measures.

Candidate (Senator) Obama's "Tax the Rich", "Rich Pay Their Fair Share" chasing the Richest Person in the World out of the US. The first victim was CompUSA (Bankruptcy Closure Liquidation), then Sears Holdings (Bankruptcy Reorganization), K Mart (Bankruptcy Reorganization), Circuit City (Bankruptcy Closure Liquidation), Aloha Airlines (Bankruptcy Closure Liquidation), etc. (very long list of US Investments by Richest Person In the World). The other Rich copied his successes. His leaving the US was based on already knowing that Candidate Obama would become President based on the Elitists of the Electoral College. The Richest Person in the World could then lose $10 Billion at that time or later lose $100 Billion under President Obama's "Tax the Rich", "Rich Pay Their Fair Share".

It was also explained to you, why the US Businesses are "Hoarding", "Sitting" on money and refusing to hire. It is that the smart Businesses are creating "Rainy Day" Bailout Funds, and they are NOT hiring because of all the uncertainty created by President Obama, as unknown what Anti Business Policies or Legistation he will implement.

BET founder to Congress: Sacrifice politics for America

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7382567n&tag=mncol;lst;3

Also as the Local, City, States have Budget Shortfalls they are adding their Local, City, State Taxes on to the US Business Taxes of 35%.

American companies are finding new overseas tax havens to legally protect some of their profits from the U.S. tax rate of 35 percent, among the highest in the world. Lesley Stahl reports.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7360932n&tag=mncol;lst;3

Your mentalities are EXACTLY what is chasing US Businesses out of the US and why they will NOT hire people like you that want to tear their Business apart that they risked their Money NOT yours to create.

Generation Y:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7387817n&tag=mncol;lst;1

It is my belief since most of you do not want to heed the warning of Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 Book, Harrison Burgeron, about the "Great Recession", "Equality Riots/Demonstrations", "Equality Laws", that the US Businesses, "Rich", "Rich Movers and Shakers" MUST do a "Who Is John Galt" as stated in Ayn Rand's 1957 Book, Atlas Shrugged.

Then all of your arseholes (mouths) will pucker (shut) up, as you struggle daily while eating your rationed Obama chow (dog food of undetermined sources) during the next worse than Global Great Depression (made possible ever since the US Laws that made Illegal the Causes of previous Depressions were removed 1999 and 2000, as the Cause of the current $60 Trillion to $100 Trillion "Global Economic Crisis" and President Obama's not reinstating these US Laws, so the Next "Crisis" of $54.6 Trillion USDs will permanently sink the US into a Depression worse than the 1929-1939 Great Depression.).

DON9876543 Itsabouttime, The Democrats are also focusing all energy on getting elected again. So partisan politics is not the "one party only " thing you probably feel it is.

#2.8 - Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:49 PM EST

They are?? Seems to me BOTH sides of the aisle in congress are focusing on getting re-elected. Why else have they been deemed a DO nothing congress. The republicans have done everything they can to filibuster or prevent any bill that has been introduced from going to the floor. Additionally, the republicans have controlled the house of representative for over 3 years now, what have they done?

Nothing.

25Walker,

You know why I am laughing at you. You do not even want to know who President Obama's Buddy "Mr. Corporate America" is.

President Obama's Buddy "Mr. Corporate America" makes the Koch Brothers and Bernie Madoff look like two cent gangstas.

All of you with penis envy ("Rich Envy") while saying that the flea on the elephants arse is why your living room smells like elephant as the elephant squats to take a big sh!t and buckets of pee in the middle of your living room.

GOP = Greed Over People

ItsAboutTime-3704531 - Additionally, the republicans have controlled the house of representative for over 3 years now, what have they done? Nothing.

Really the indicator of who controls the House of Representatives is indicated by who the Speaker of the House is, so how long was the Wicked Witch of the West, Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House (if you are too lazy and must be spoon fed with someone else having to change your diapers later, DEMONCRAP Nancy Pelosi was the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011).

I love posts that say give out more more more...Tax those horrible rich people. Taxing the few Quote "RICH' people will bring in such a miniscule ammount of money its insane. Why is everyone so jealous of people that worked hard over the years, mabe started a business 20 or 30 years ago and worked 7 days a week to do it?? Hired people, paid for their health Insurance. Why the jealousy?? This housing crash has been comming since 1979. When Carter started policies to put peopl in homes they could not afford. It culminated in this crash. The banks fought it for years. Knowing what would happen. It did...I went back and pulled up speaches in congress in 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 warning Fannie and freddie were gonna crash due to these loans to people who didnt qualify that were dictated by politicians forcing the banks to make the loans. And it took on a life of its own. Do Research....Real Research...

Yetanothercommentator Comment collapsed by the community

LMarcT, Look how much Obama's helped. Neither one was a good at handling debt.

One knowingly and defiantly created the debt... Cheney even stated "deficits don't matter". The other (Obama) has not been successful at reducing it, but not for lack of ideas or lack of trying. Trying to reduce debt while trying to stimulate the economy is not as easy as removing regulations or giving tax breaks... just ask the rest of the globe.

david-475776

Really the indicator of who controls the House of Representatives is indicated by who the Speaker of the House is, so how long was the Wicked Witch of the West, Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House (if you are too lazy and must be spoon fed with someone else having to change your diapers later, DEMONCRAP Nancy Pelosi was the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011).

Really? You mean if the republicraps control congress by a majority, the speak is the one who really controls the House?? Its all left up to the speaker? Yeah right. Nancy Pelosi STUCK to her values and endorsed a plan that would give medical benefits to over 40 MILLION Americans. What has your precious : John Andrew Boehner "What's yours is mine and whats mine is mine" done to help citizens who need health care:

Absolutely nothing. What bills has he helped foster in Congress? Nothing. Oh that's right, republicans are more focused on having 'prayer' in our schools, making pizza a vegetable, and denying an entire sector of people their constitutional rights than fixing the economy.

ItsAboutTime,

The Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate in Jan 2007. It was in 2010 that the Republicans gained control of the House, the Democrats still control the Senate.

The house has passed 25 bills that have died in the Senate. So apparently nobody is doing anything in Washington.

"denying an entire sector of people their constitutional rights" What sector of people are they denying their constitutional rights.

My wife and I went through this in 1994. I was a high - paid designer for a large corporation, had a beautiful home, living high. Company downsized, lost my job, house went into foreclosure, couldn't even get unemployment, after fighting the company for eight months. I was fifty two. Moved to another state, got a job working in a gas station, pumping gas and propane. Lived in a 12 by 14 shed, with propane heat. Year later, brought my wife up to a small apartment. Now, I'm seventy,still working as a night manager for teens, have a 2000 sq. ft. mobile on 25 acres, new car (Subaru), once again living the high life - except now, everything is paid for. There are always jobs - most just don't have the guts to take a step back to take two steps forward.

Try minorities, and the young and homeless with these UnConsitiutional "voter ID laws that are nothing more then voter SUPPRESSION laws to mae it much harder for these people to be able to vote and because they traditionally voter democratic, target THEM with all these hurdles by eliminating same day voter registration, cutting almost in half the days which early voting can be done and all these asinine ID's one needs now and proof of residency, student ID not being valid anymore but in states like TX a GUN license IS a valid form of ID to vote over a student/college ID, etc....

Attacking women's reproductive rights with the RECORD numbers of anti-abortion laws, defunding Planned Parenthood clinics, not covering Birth products for women under COMMERICAL health insurance plans and which is an organized effort by the extremist right to repeal Roe V Wade with their friggin religion crappola.

The persecution and homohobe laws against gays that are targeting them with the states passing crap like that law in TN banning school teachers from discussing gay marriage or the "gay" in classrooms or they can be fired. MN stating that the anti-bullying laws in schools s/n include gay children and that they should "just have to take it". All this backlash against gay marriage and wanting to ban it or make it a Consitutional Amendment that marriage s/b defined as btwn a man and a woman in the USA.

Is that enough pounding on people's rights for you under our Constitution? I sure say it is.

Why shouldn't you show ID when you vote? I have to show mine when I buy alcohol, write a check, or use a credit card.

As for the right for a women to chose, I agree with you. The government should step out of it, as I believe it is a personal choice. Same goes for the backlash to gay marriage.

99 weeks of unemployment benefits??? NO wonder the jobless rate is so high! Maybe I will just lay around for 2 years and have all the MSNBC posters support me.

We have simply lost all common sense. I was between jobs 10 years ago and received 26 weeks of unemployment. My logic was I paid taxes for all those years, I might as well receive the benefit. While 26 weeks seems like a long time, I knew I had to hustle to find something before the time ran out. Where is the incentive to get going when you have 99 weeks?

Many people just don't want to work though so they are riding it out, however for those who are seriously looking for work, my heart goes out.

I am still out of work after 2 years. My benefits ran out a long time ago-about a year and a half. I have been doing odd jobs to survive.

Good for you Robert...at least you are not sitting around waiting for a handout.

A bunch of frickin morons!!! There are simply NOT ENOUGH jobs compared to the number of unemployed. So if someone gets a job, they get it instead of the other 100 that applied for it. Yes, there are some that can get by on the benefits... good for them. For if they got a job it could displace someone that could not live on the unemployment money.

Providing unemployment benefits during a period of job deficits does not cause unemployment! It's called math. Combine that with a little damn empathy and you decide to do 99 weeks or even more.

We can only hope that those betraying the unemployed become unemployed themselves... that would be justice.

Excellent point - where is the incentive to find work if you can kick back on your fat ass for 99 weeks? Yep the economy is not good but there are jobs available however folks have gotten so lazy that they prefer living off of unemployment checks.

Interesting survey that CBS (as left leaning as a media can get short of NBC) conducted when Apple released the latest I Pod - thousands lined up in line ot be the first to buy them. 32% of those in line were unemployed but found the money to buy the latest toy.

Ask yourself where all the US high paying jobs went - ah but then check out your closet and find out if there is one single piece of clothing in there made in the United States, where was your cell phone, blackberry, IPod manufactured or how about your TV, LCD, Plasma, your stereo, quad, BlueRay, your washer, dryer, refrigerator, your car manufactured. now you know where all those US jobs disappeared to and now you also know who is to blame.

The martest move congress can make is to reduce federal funding for unemployment - time for you folks to get back to work - I'm tired of seeing my tax dollars wasted while you decide is this the year someone comes up to my door and offers me that $100K job I've been waiting for with my HS diploma.

ray4a - You're so full of crap I don't even know where to begin. That's the right-wing POS explanation for everything, it's labor's fault, it's the govmints fault, it's the teachers, fire fighters, cops, students, unemployed, govmint workers fault. Of course, with you people it's always the victims fault; all 15 million lazy good for nothing people who use to be employed in manufacturing...it's your fault the jobs got shipped to China. If you had only been willing to do the same job for half the pay those wonderful "job creators" wouldn't have off-shored your factory. Of course it has nothing to do with the sociopaths running multinational corporations who's one and only concern is their freaking "golden parachute" does it. You make me want to puke.

I have been looking for work for last two yrs. taking on temp. jobs . My last job went under that is the only reason why I have no job . What do you say to the owners that don't care about you ,when you worked for them for over 10 yrs.They take the money and run!!!!!!!Went to work like every other day , doors closed .

Ternan, obviously you are unaware of much, especially that Unemployment is NOT enough to sit around doing nothing and collecting it. In fact the average person collecting unemployment usually finds a job twice as fast as the person collecting nothing. Unemployment Insurance WAS a benefit first promoted by BUSINESS to keep qualified workers in the area during times of low worker demand. Unemployment is hardly a "living wage" situation and barely covers necessities for most people, BUT the money they spend does at least help keep grocery workers and some others still working. It allows people to stay in their homes longer and keep their kids clothed and fed, though not nearly at working wage levels. What ever happened to the "Compassion" in "Compassionate Conservative" or from the Religious quarter? Those who should be most eager to see people get helped out during hard times seem to instead be the first in line to want to see those people and their families starve and die. Perhaps if people like you would spend less money at ChinaMart (Walmart) and spend a bit more buying American Made goods (there are some still out there) there would be more jobs and fewer people needing the help. I, for one, will NEVER agree to the GOP/Conservative "Sink or Swim" ideology and I don't think it's 'communist' to provide a "Safety Net" for people when times are rough. Especially since this mess comes from Supply Side and GOP Economic Policies that seem to believe that old false adage that if the rich have more and more they might just spend a little and it will all trickle down to the rest of society. That has NEVER worked and NEVER WILL. If you want an economy that works you need EMPLOYED workers and money in the hands of those who will buy things and spend it.. i.e. THE MIDDLE CLASS.

Aww, come on. Let's make the unemployment benefits good for twenty years and be done with it. A lot of the jobs have gone away and are not coming back. So let's just continue to pay people not to work for twenty years. We need to have that money to keep the Chinese economy humming!

well said, star wizard.

This is why spending is so hard to cut. Somebody always loses and each party exploits that loss. I know companies looking to hire workers but can't find them. Workers that have strong maintenance experience are in demand, but few apparently have those skills. I do know of two employers that offered jobs to those on unemployment but were turned down. The reason was twofold. In one case the person well qualified for a tech job paying over 40,000 felt he has paid into unemployment and wanted to ride it out to the end. I think he should have been reported, but the company offered the job to another. Another example was a part-time job with full benefits that under normal conditions have been quickly filled. However, not now due to unemployment, but also because many now qualify for free health care benefits in their state and thus taking those jobs even with benefits no longer is attractive.

Keep in mind that many people with low skill levels are often better off taking the unemployment rather than the low wage they qualify for. When you consider gas money, child care, clothing, lunch, taxes, etc. many are working for nothing gained. The issue is that eventually those benefits do run out and then that person is unemployable because they have been out of work so long what skills they have may be rusty.

I know a person that got laid off several years ago, and he felt if he couldn't get the same wage or better, he would rather not work or find another way to get compensation. He is very able, and really bright, but never went to work again and found a way to collect disability.

People unless they have very good personal work habits, will take the path of least resistance. Temporary agencies have figured that about 1/3 that collect unemployment are gaming the system. So I am saying they could find work but do not want to. Unfortunately the others get a bad rap from those not willing to work but wanting to get paid.

So why don't they come to Alabama and pick tomatoes, or other jobs that real americans "are not willing to do" but illegal mexicans seem to have no problem doing. Much easier to sit on the couch and watch Jersey Shore reruns and colect gvmt dollars to make the trailer payment.

Gary 420, things were different 10 years ago. And to you other hearless commenters, while it's true thta there are always some who take advantage, I'm sure the vast majority of unemployed would rather have a job.

Where does the money come from to pay for the unemployed? The employers and the states pay into a fund and when that money runs out the states borrow money from the Federal Government, at interest. So, when you have a situation where the money is gone and more people are on the dole you end up with Europe. The governments borrow more and more money and the people work less and less, eventually something has to give. Going to the productive time and time again will deplete the resources of the productive (Germany) at the expense of the less productive (Greece, Italy, Portugal etc.) The system is going to have to collapse and borrowed money has to be repaid.

The republicans are looking at the states who are suffering and having to borrow to pay the unemployment benefits, for years, and asking how much can they borrow and not go bancrupt. The democrats are pandering for votes because, in truth, they'd have to be braindead to think the current situation is sustainable. The same thing applies to employers, how long can they pay for a non-existant employee, covering for unemployment benefits when they themselves may be hurting. Note that not all employers are mega-corporations, the really big companies have moved off-shore to avoid this sort of thing years ago.l

Things were definitely differently 10 years ago ... 10 years ago we had could not have imagined that someone who had begun working at 16, went to college and prgresssively moved up the ladder would get downsized .... laid off... fired with no chance to return... thru no fault of their own ... at 50 and not be able to find comparable employment ... unemployment? .... there's no unemployment for these people ....it ran out three years ago .. there are no welfare benefits ... no medical benefits ...no payout for the years of taxes invested .... just low-paying jobs that can't pay the bills and lead to nowhere ...gaming the system? maybe some are but I can tell you most aren't ..... most would jump at a chance to have their jobs back and the chance to work for a decent rate of pay until retirement ..... our government tries to figure out how to fix the problem by taking care of the offspring of our enemies ..... extending them social security....welfare ... food stamps and free medical care. America is still the land of plenty for those who least deserve it. Get a grip all of you who are smug enough to think it can't happen to you and who have no empathy ...you just might be next!!!

A year ago I was "bumped" out of my position due to budget cuts and union portocol, the person who replaced me had no clue how to do the job and the supervisor asked that I be put on a month contract as a tech support to train this person Nope they let that person start job with no clue as to what they were doing. I have been temping all over the county where I live and have been trying to stay away from unemployment but unfortunately there is no temping for me right now so yes I have to collect unemployment for now. Another problem is I am over 50 yrs old and it is very hard to find a job because of number my age and number 2 because my original job was very good and if the person who's in that position leaves or is fired then they have to call me back, companies are afraid to hire me because they think if I have the chance I will go back to my original job. I have told interviewers I will go with whoever is willing to give me a job, I WANT TO WORK! I am hoping to have a new job by the end of January, but the reason why I am writing this is please don't put all unemployed people together and say we are lazy. I am not Lazy! if you haven't collected unemployment lately then you don'thave a clue. Thank God I am married and my husband is working because the unemployment benefits I get don't pay for much of anything. I am gong to keep on trying to find work even if I have to continue temping at various places, I have done some really good interviews lately but I won't hear about those till after the beginning of the year. Folks unless you have been there do not assume everyone who is receiving unemployment benefits are sitting on their asses and doing nothing, I know I am out there trying find a job and I will continue doing it till I find one, but why should I be punished and have my weeks of unemployment cut? The people in Washington don't have a clue as to what is going on out here in the real world.

99 weeks for over 40% of the states. Now I understand where the 99 comes from that the OWS keeps mentioning.

Bill-857242 "99 weeks for over 40% of the states. Now I understand where the 99 comes from that the OWS keeps mentioning."

Yes, they want to work one week and collect benefits for another 99 weeks.

Of course the 'rich' should pay for it.

The ironic thing is that it's Obama's failure to create an environment for jobs to be created that is at the root of the problems for the 99%, but I guess they never learned to 'connect the dots' in Kindergarten.

Introduction from a post of Old_Doc #7.2 - Tue Dec 6, 2011 11:40 AM EST - [for you 1% here]
[ The French revolution tells us that] when a society becomes divided into an aristocracy and commoners, historically the aristocracy seldom sees trouble coming and never seems to understand that their greed is the driving force. Only when their "head is in the guillotine" do they seem to want to compromise, which is of course much too late. We are currently at a tipping point in this country where the aristocracy [the 1% or 2%] has begun demonizing workers, teachers, civil servants, students and the poor. The unemployment rate for returning veterans [well trained for killing] currently exceeds 12%. I suggest you discourage your peers [and yourself] from comments like "Let them eat cake", --- know what I mean?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE “GREAT AMERICAN NIGHTMARE” ---- 9/28/2011
The Economic disaster that is now hitting the US and most of the World is a necessary step for mankind's Noetic-evolution. --- Why? --- I just read, at newswine, that 93% of Americans still believe in “The Great American Dream”. If you are one of those believers you must first be convinced by a painful “US Economical Cataclysm” (and great VIOLENCE) that it cannot be realized, because it is an “extreme case” of a duality and must turn into “The Great American Nightmare” instead . However, if you are in the other 7% bracket you are innocent and will only become “collateral damage” with the same result. --- Sorry about that.
Just say after me: Eli Eli Lama Sabachani?--- (My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?)
--- Don’t know if I can explain this to you in this short post, but let me try. Consider how this “Dream” got started in the first place. Most immigrants from Europe were “poor peasants” all being subject to the mercy of their powerful Land Barons and the Government supporting those. What lured these peasants to America was a good chance to become land owners themselves and also as rich and powerful as their previous suppressors; basically reversing their status. It’s a complete role reversal and if one side of this duality is considered evil, so is the other. See: http://www.msmisp.com/logos/foundation-for-evolutionary-spirituality.htm To day, this wishful dream-process has become true for only 1% or 2% of all Americans, namely for the Millionaire stockholders and their CEOs, who are now saying:”Let them eat cake” to all the rest of us who are again being the “suppressed peasants” of old times. We have “recreated” these old times by clinging to our dream-like illusion.

BODHISATTVA (by Dick Suthpen).
The silence is broken by the s-s-wish of the Samurai sword severing illusions - and it rolls across the floor leaving a bloody trail of -- ~--~~-^_~~ -- ~--~~-^_~~ truth

NEWSVINE, what was so terrible about the comment below. There is no nasty language or name calling. I stated a fact and that fact is that people need to quit holding out for the high paying jobs or the jobs in which they are educated.

If I would have held out for a dental job or filed for an extension on my unemployment it would have cost me my house. I bought my house 18 years ago and I am almost to the finish line when it comes to having it paid for. There was no way in hell I was going to lose it to the bank because I was out of work and my unemployment was going to run out. I took a job for half of the pay I was used to making. I cut back on spending and here I am still living in my home and making my payments. Others need to swallow their pride and move forward.

stull Comment collapsed by the community

I live in a small town where the jobs are few and always have been. After 10 months of unemployment in 2008\2009 I finally found a job. It wasn't a job in which I was educated in (registered\certified expanded functions dental assistant) it was in a bank and the hourly wage was 1\2 of what I used to make plus it was less than my unemployment benefits. I took the job because I needed to get back to work, unemployment wasn't going to keep paying me forever. I am still working at the bank, not my first choice of work but it is work and at the age of 47 it's tough to find work. I didn't hold out I settled and I am glad that I did. Others need to do the same.

Nope, not the case people: we see handouts all around to big corporations, banks, etc., so the funding for unemployment is fine - even the 99 weeks...What you don't see when you're stating that argument (being lazy during that 99 weeks) is that all our jobs are decreasing at a rapid pace...China is also in a mode to (possibly) not cooperate with us in the future and we rely on them for a LOT of things...Our jobs go overseas faster than you can type your 'opinion' about the individuals collecting...

No it's not them being lazy: we want jobs - we want to work (and I'm working hard as it is at the moment), but have absolutely no time for friends/family - and that sucks and a huge sacrifice as well - so don't say all these people are lazily collecting because they are juicing...MOST are not...Though, few state the large corporations, banks, etc. that are actually earning more from our taxes...

Take a note and study/research what's actually going on currently before posting an opinion - because that's just what that is...

What this says...is..when people get money,they take it out of the system...so much for trickle down BS

Happy in TX

The main reason our jobs are overseas is the deficit. Uncle Sam has borrowed so much money to run a bloated government over the years that he has raised taxes on businesses insomuch we can no longer afford to stay in business at the current 30% he demands. We cannot compete with all the other taxes associated with hiring American workers. For us to survive as a company, we need cheap labor. Now we agree corporations need to take a hard line stance on executive pay which does affect bottom lines all across the world, it is the fault of many years of investor/Wall Street pressure that invented the salaries our HR departments shell out for so called "talent". This needs to change as well. Our nation is headed for WW3 when everyone that Uncle Sam has borrowed from demands their money back as he gets squeezed into default on his loans. There is no where else but China right now that he is borrowing from to keep his bloated government afloat. He has dipped into every till in America including Social Security that there is no where to go for more revenue. So what will he do in the near future? Raise taxes so he can at least pay the interest on his debt. His income right now stands at approx. 2.2 trillion a year but needs to pay 4.2 trillion a year to break even with his current bloated government. Obama tried to put together a committee to at least get rid of 1.5 trillion of that debt but no one could agree between the parties what to cut because of all the earmarks attached to already bloated past bills. Congress has no clue half the time on what to do. They are bought out by big corporations on both sides of the party.

If it were left up to us we would cut military spending first off with all the top brass in the Pentagon. Next we would close a lot of loopholes for corporate taxes and force them to take a hard look at executive pay. We would shore up our Social Security and keep uncle Sam's hands off of it forever. We would look at the medical industry that bankrupts many families when they get ill and offer a compromise related to costs. A lot of laws need to be changed as well especially when it comes to the pharmaceutical industry. Since when have we ever had a cure for anything since Polio America? Come on. Our own government salaries need to be cut back as well. The message needs to go out to a nation that "Greed" is our core problem. Until we all face the fact that more money fosters more greed, there will always be more problems which makes more regulation. We all want to be "free" in this nation. To earn the sky is the limits, but, for every millionaire we have there is at least 1 million suffering on our own soil that ultimately pays the price.

Don’t worry, the Republicans will kill any new laws and outlaw the word “Greed”.

I am feeding several “partly wild” animals at my house. There are several deer, a dozen raccoons, some possums and a skunk and all of them are Republicans! - How do I know that? --- It’s very simple, I have tried to teach them some English over the years, but they have learned only one single word à NO!
http://www.msmisp.com/logos/composite-home-s.jpg --- could I get food-stamps for them?

"Workers in states with the worst job markets would be hit hardest under the GOP plan, which would shorten the maximum length of time a worker can collect benefits."

GOP cuts those who are the hardest hit and gives Defense an increase. Welcome to military dictatorship.

sandtrich "Workers in states with the worst job markets would be hit hardest under the GOP plan, which would shorten the maximum length of time a worker can collect benefits."

It's also interesting that the vast majority of those states are Democratic strongholds.

Of course, the flip side is also true - The states that have benefited the most from increased welfare are also Democratic strongholds.

Perhaps we should also consider the root cause - Poorly run states need more Federal subsidies than well run states.

.

The GOP never misses a chance to prove the point that the Government they despise doesn't work. They truly are in the way, they know it and they are hoping they get away with it.

Not this time, 99% plus, got their number and when election time comes we will see just how many are left, the millions of unemployed are fed up with the repugs & baggers and their do nothing to get this country moving.

Mr Obama has spent as much of his political capitol on the rich as any member of the gop has !

Hank---great post. Here in Hawaii there are no jobs. A job seeker actually has to know someone to get the occasional opening at McDonald's. If Congress would spend more time working on jobs programs as they do sniping at each other, there might be some progress.

Same here in Maine-no jobs unless you want to drive 70 miles one way to get minimum wage for a couple of hours a day.

I'm sorry but I took some of those $6 or 8 jobs to make ends meet. I did not lay around for years. In my local paper this week there where 28 jobs and this is usual for this area some times you have to relocate

Our country is now one that doesn't care a bit about the middle or lower class citizens. Our corrupt Congress has been bought and paid for by the wealthy and corporations. Our jobs have been outsourced to other nations all to save a buck. Then Congress approves free trade agreements in order to allow these corporations to bring in these goods with no penalties. Executive compensation continues to grow at the expense of the middle and lower class and stock holders who see their returns reduced by the exorbitant compensation packages that boards are giving to executives. All in the name of you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.

Yes, I do believe that there will be many disappointed politicians come next November as there should be and America needs to keep this up until we finally have members of Congress that are out for the good of the entire nation instead of a few. Unfortunately, a lot of money that could have done a lot of good in this nation will have been wasted on the campaigns of these self serving, greedy, and unproductive leaders in Washington.

I can't honestly say that I blame the President as one has to look at the inept Congress that he has had to deal with. If anything is going to be accomplished in this nation, that's where it needs to begin. No, I don't agree with some of the things the President is favoring but, I do see that he seems to be really trying to come up with some solutions that he can get past the corrupt Congress in hopes of making a change. No, I don't agree with paying 16,000 contractors and government officials to stay in Iraq. We have provided more than enough to this nation (financially and with lost lives) in an effort to attempt to put it on course, now it's their turn. No, I don't agree with the policies that are in affect regarding Afghanistan. This will only lead to more money spent and more lost lives and now that Pakistan is pretty much assuring the Taliban that they will have a safe haven and protection in the peace talks occurring between them, no matter what we do, it will not change things. So, I say pull out our troops and anything we provide for Pakistan and let's look at trying to get our own nation on track.

There are many things we can look at to try and spur our economy but, it's going to take time and resources and as long as we are spending $600 billion per year on defense and trying to serve as the nation to preserve world order, we can't help ourselves. Running a government cost money and it has to come from somewhere. The middle class and lower classes don't have it so, unless we get it from the wealthy we have increased dept; then people complain about that. What we need is for fair and equitable tax reform to occur. If anyone reading this wants to spend more money, they know that they have to get it, before they spend it, otherwise they will accumulate debt. If you want to get out of debt, you need to take in more than you are spending. Why is it that things always need to be Republican this and Democrat that. The bottom line is we are "One Nation" and as Patrick Henry said more than 200 year ago, "United We Stand, Divided We Fall" What do you really want for the future of the United States?

A friend of mine started a web site to address problems in America and what might be done to help resolve them. His purpose is to serve as a single source to address problems, solutions, and to talk about real life issues that affect us all. I've found it rather interesting as there are no politics involved, it's about getting this nation back on track. I invite you all to read it, perhaps it will get you thinking. The web site is:

WWW dot FREEDOMISNTFREE2012 dot COM

Was a SPIRITUAL TENT justified at the OWS demonstration in Boston?

All I have read here are ”words of ridicule” concerning this particular spiritual tent.
------------------------- Oh Yee of little Consciousness. ----------------------
As the famous NY Times journalist Tom Friedman wrote: --- “Now let me say that in English: the European Union is cracking up. The Arab world is cracking up. China’s growth model is under pressure and America’s credit-driven capitalist model has suffered a warning [major] heart attack and needs a total rethink. Recasting any one of these alone would be huge. Doing all four at once — when the world has never been more interconnected - is mind-boggling.
----------- We are again present at the creation - but of what

-- [ Never in the history of modern man has such a global event ever happened ]-
Unless you are a fanatic Atheist and”believe” there is no God-force in this universe and no “Creation“ happened, don’t do this “ridiculing”. These OWS demonstrations are highly spiritual, because it is “Noetic Evolution” we are dealing with and the God-force is certainly involved. -- It was our modern 20th century Western Philosopher A. N. Whitehead who said:
----------------- The Cosmos is self creation of God. ---------------------
--- Ironically, being an atheist puts you at a higher level of (God)/consciousness than the “true believer” of any of the conventional religions. --- I have been an atheist half my live, and now -
-- it’s not that I am an Atheist, but rather that I am a member of Gods Loyal opposition! --

This apparently harmless OWS movement might be the beginning of a World-wide Revolution for a replacing the present Capitalistic economy with a more socially aware and just system. (A system halve-way between the extreme dualism of Communism and Capitalism, because, as it is for all dualities, “Health lives only in the Middle”. If you don’t know what “Noetic Evolution” is, see: http://www.msmisp.com/logos/foundation-for-evolutionary-spirituality.htm
--- or ask for the internet address.--- (Just click on my name on top.)

Rev-hwinter@msmisp.com

You're correct, we need Socialism for the average man, and woman...!!

Here's part of the problem. If you are highly educated but out of work, you'll have a very hard time. You're over qualified to work at Wal*Mart etc for those "menial" jobs. The employer knows you're only there until you get a "real" job in your profession, so why would they waste time and money hiring and training you? Meanwhile, an employer in your profession sees that you've been out of work for so long and they are reluctant to hire you because they figure there is either a reason for it (e.g. you're an under-performer) or you're too rusty and will require some time to play catch-up.

I've seen my father-in-law, a highly educated highly skilled electrical engineer with 3 and a half decades of experience, struggle to find steady work for over 5 years for these reasons. That he got a great job in this recession is nothing short of amazing.

The wealthy do not need your help nor do they need hand-out from the GVT. The only folks in line for hand-outs are those choosing unemployment checks and welfare as a way of life not a temporary condition.

Time to stop the whine and dance about handouts to the banks - there never was a handout given to any bank or any automotive manufacturer. They were given loans at prevailing commerical interest rates. All of the banks have repaid their loans to the FED GVT with interest. the FED actually made a profit loaning money to those banks - the real question is what happened to that repaid money and accumulated interest that totlalled into the billions??? Easy answer the moron obama and his crooked henchmen in the unions used it (or more correctly looted it from the Treasury) for union backed stimulous programs that lost billions with NO impact upon unemployment. the stimulous plan createde jobs for teachers, firefighters and teachers - all of those occupations are dominated by unions. the rest of the stimulous money went to fund infrastructure projects (you know those shovel ready projects - lmao) in another industry dominated by unions.

Union workers make up 12% of the total US work force so where was that stimulous money for the remaining 88% of the US workforce not union members - ah there was none left over.

AN OPEN LETTER TO “JEFFREY IMMELT”, THE MAN IN CHARGE OF THE FAILING US-ECONOMY!
Since you accepted this position from the President month ago no one has heard from you again, why? --- Where are you? – Are you in Hawaii creating “the massage capital of the world,” --- I hope not, because the US Economy is now totally in shambles! --- None of us 99% -ers has heard anything from you about this or seen even an outline for a rescue-plan for what needs to be done! --- What do we 99% have to do Jeffrey to get your attention? The American people (all of them, not just your GE stockholder) have a right to hear from the person who was given the power and responsibility to restore our economy and to restore the fate of our people. “Larry Summers” never did his job or took responsibility. He just made Millions for himself by giving speeches to Industry. --- Damn him, --- are you made of the same stuff? – Maybe not, at least the President thought you to be more a man of action to get “things” done. Your fame, Jeffrey, is based on being the best 20th century Capitalistic CEO, but that is a quality which will not save our country, and instead will ruin it. As I said in the next chapter on an economic solution: “putting a famous CEO in charge of the US economy is like:
-- “putting a fox in charge of the hen house”. -- It’s a death-sentence for our country --
Why is that? ------ Because your thinking and your actions have been honed to perfection inside the “Box of 20th century Capitalism” which has certainly benefited GE and please your stockholders, but you can you run an American Corporations without a country to base them on? Trouble is that nothing in that “20th century economic box” can save our country in a 21st century Global economy. The US Hyper-Capitalism must perish the same as Soviet Communism has done years ago. Basically that is what all these World-wide 99% OWS demonstrations are all about. (Don’t blame the OWS demonstrators for not knowing this, because neither do you!

You need help from University Professors who have thought and written about this NEW kind of GLOBAL economy. (Peter Morici and Joseph Stiglitz come to mind, but there must be others.)

What needs to be done (yesterday) is to generate and publish a good rescue-plan for two reasons. First, for “Plausible Deniability”; showing that it wasn’t you who failed, because any such workable plan will certainly be instantly rejected by the Washington politicians. --- Where is your workable PLAN Jeffrey? --- Second, a good workable plan will give our “People “hope” in a time when “Martial-law” needs to be declared to prevent massive mayhem across the country. The 99% of Americans want to hear about your Rescue PLAN Jeffrey. Without such plan, you have no alibi to avoid the BLAME in the eyes of the general public for letting our country be run into the ground. You accepted this job from the President Jeffrey: --- Now Do it --- Damn it!
In another post I will present a workable plan which was generated from ideas of two people. One part is from the work of Professor A.N. Christensen at the “Harvard Business School”, the other from my own work as “Member of Technical Staff” with Bell Laboratories. I worked on it for “10 engineering men years” (on my own). --- Unfortunately, both of us have a terminal illness, --- cancer for Christensen and heart failure for me. (It’s YOU who will have to do most of the work.)
See this for LOL http://www.msmisp.com/logos/Prove-of-Concept.htm

I think we need to bring back Jack Welsh, aka "Neutron Jack" to head up GE again. He could get this mess straightened out real quick.

and please quit assuming that all of the 99% support OWS. Most of us don't. You DON'T speak for me.

Harry Winter2

AN OPEN LETTER TO

Quit posting that damned same spam several times a day. Most of the time it has nothing to do with the article content. You want to a journalist? I'm not reading that horse sh**, but someone might if you quit the BS.

I apologies sandtrich. --- I am posting this letter again and again to get a response from Jeffrey Immelt. The assumption I am making is that some of his staff is scanning all our posts and will notify Immelt about this open letter. Remember that I worked "10 engineering man-years" on this "Prove of Concept" which would have a value of more than $1.5 Million --- which is my donation for the cause.. ----- http://www.msmisp.com/logos/Prove-of-Concept.htm ----

Please just ignore my posts when you come across them again.

I apologies sandtrich. --- I am posting this letter again and again to get a response from Jeffrey Immelt. The assumption I am making is that some of his staff is scanning all our posts and will notify Immelt about this open letter. Remember that I worked "10 engineering man-years" on this "Prove of Concept" which would have a value of more than $1.5 Million --- which is my donation for the cause.. ----- http://www.msmisp.com/logos/Prove-of-Concept.htm ----

Please just ignore my posts when you come across them again.

mt83, and where will these people get these jobs? Just asking. How many people are you hiring?

The majority of Americans (likely 95%) that are out of work and have been looking for work, really want to work. People cannot make people hire them. And if hired, people should expect a respectable and livable wage. It amazes me how many people speak "I love America" but do not give a DAMN about their fellow Americans. Are you one of those lip-service Americans, too?

People bellyache about a tax increase. Well, how do you expect to pay for all those services and the infrastructure that make this nation so great? Money is meant to be spent. Money is the power to purchase. What selfishness! No, I personally am not in a financial bind. I work a short week and gross >$200,000. But I am not opposed to seeing children (or even adults) eat a healthy meal or have decent shelter at my expense. When I die I can't take one red cent with me. If my fellow Americans, regardless of skin tint or hue, are better able to survive by me taking home a little less, then "Praise God!", my living was not in vain.

mt83 is actually pointing out that, despite what Radical1 said, for unemployment numbers to go down, the unemployed would have to find jobs. I didn't take that statement to insinuate that they should "just go get a job." However, aren't some Conservatives hinting that there are plenty of jobs available, simply by implying that people at the Occupy movements should "go get a job"? Isn't that what Newt said?

No, the unemployment numbers are only reflective of the number of unemployment claims made each week. Those whose unemployment has already run out are not counted whether or not they have jobs. Once in a while someone from other government agencies will pull data on people recieving other kinds of assistance and then there is a true picture of unemployment. People who are recieving early SS benefits, food stamps, medicaid etc, many of these people are really unemployed who no longer have unemployment benefits. The 8.6% number does not reflect these people, the 10+% number wasn't accurate either, it was more like 14+% then. It would be nice to have a real number again, but no one wants to look at that.

There are many companies hiring, in fact desperately searching for qualified workers in the fields in which they are needed. Unfortunately, technology and foreign competition has created a paradigm shift that will not be reversed. There is a massive shortage of engineers and other highly technical positions. Same with finance, accounting, medical and many other areas. There are also many jobs for highly skilled trades. Unfortunately, the good paying jobs of yesterday - i.e. GM, etc. are gone. They are not coming back in sufficient number to provide jobs to the semi-skilled or unskilled workers that make up a large portion of the unemployed or underemployed. Waste all the time you want blaming big business or pointing fingers at Reagan, Bush, Clinton or Obama, but these are the facts. The facts will not change. The jobs are not coming back and the government cannot make them come back. Young people should take heed of this and focus on education and skill development in areas that will matter in the future. The $60,000 job on the assembly line is mostly gone.

WakeUpAmerica - You hit the nail on the head. I was reading an article the other day regarding the shortage of engineers. The basics of the article was that there are plenty of jobs and there are plenty of openings in colleges/universities but there are relatively few students. When they did research as to why there were so few students the reason given was "because it is too much work". The youth of today feel as if they should not have to put forth much effort. They feel that they should be able to get by with little more than a general studies degree. Most jobs are being lost due to advancements in technology yet they don't want to learn how to stay at the forefront of technology. As long as the gap between labour and technology widens, so will the pay structure. People need to decide which side of that chasm they want to be on before the gap is too wide to cross.

I agree with "Verno"- How many people are you hiring-MT83? I have been looking for a job and they just aren't there.

This is not the case. College is a business as well but their demand is specifically dictated by corporations alone. 10 years ago colleges had engineering everywhere you would look. Now most mechanical, electrical, and aerospace engineering is only done at the main college capital of each state. The engineering jobs were outsourced to India, Japan, and China because companies didnt want to pay 60k-100k +. Sad fact. Engineering used to be almost in every single college. Simple supply and demand speaking here.

I have done the research enough to see that big business literally dictates everything now: College cricullums, government policies and Laws, rent (apartments), Insurance tabs (bills), and you name it. Since when have we had to cower down to corporate america. This is just sad. The politicians are running scared because these are the campaighn contributers. So after they get their funding they are required to return the favor. Seperation of church and state was a good idead. Here is another one. Seperation of Church, State, and corporate america. This way the corruption will stop.

BEST QUESTION IN THE WORLD: How are we going to fix all of this mess and control corporate america, government, and actually be represented again????

Right, James. I agree and would add the question: Who is going to pay for that education? How are you going to pay the rent on student loans? You can't get unemployment while in college, so how does one go back to school and retrain for a better job? A part time job at Micky D's isn't going to make the rent and pay your tuition.

Wakeupamerica- There are thousands of unemployed engineers due to outsourcing that are very qualified individuals and others that have degrees with experience that people arent even considering hiring. WHY? you may ask. Well, let me tell you. Its cheaper to hire a fresh out of school student at 45,000 a year then to have a seasoned veteran engineer that is supposed to be paid 60k-100k. Companies save on overhead by doing this. Also they hire people that arent qualified for the position because of who they know and not what they know. People of America wonder why companies are failing..hmmmm this maybe the biggest reason to blame. If you hire the person trained in that field and is knowlegable in that field you just might get what you paid for. An art history degree doesnt cut it when it comes to law, engineering, business management, and etc.... COMMON SENSE!!! simple logic dictates that you cant throw someone into something they have never done and expect them to thrive. lmao.

First, there are jobs available, Americans just think they are too good to do any of them, e.g. read "Why Americans Won't Do Dirty Jobs" on msnbc (sorry, it won't let me post links).

Second, working != getting hired. The latter requires someone to want your services, and that person to gain more value in hiring you than they lose to the cost of your salary. Just because no one needs your help at the moment doesn't mean there is no work to do - any time there is an unfulfilled need in society (and there are plenty, look around), then there is work to be done, and therefore there are jobs. Unfortunately, government has stifled the entrepreneurial spirit of this country with piles of legal and regulatory requirements and corporate taxes, which has slowed the creation of new enterprises. Fix that, and plenty of new jobs will open up.

You all sound pathetic with your incessant whining and blame games, demanding that the "evil" corporations create jobs for you ("How are we going to fix all of this mess and control corporate america?"), as if it is some God-given right to have someone else pay you, even if they don't need your help. You should thank the corporations when they give you a job, not condemn them when they don't. They are in the business of creating goods, not jobs.

But I do agree with you, James, that corporate America and government need to be separate - the lobbying and crony capitalism needs to stop. The bank bailouts were the worst possible thing government could have done to help us out of this recession, but I guess that's what you get when the government and federal reserve are run by former Wall Street executives.

It's government that is to blame here, though, not the companies. Corporations always have and always will do whatever is in their own best interest, so of course they will jump at every opportunity to bend legislation in their favor. Government, on the other hand, should have the discipline and professionalism to remain independent and not provide corporations with these opportunities, but here they have failed miserably.

mt83, and where will these people get these jobs? Just asking. How many people are you hiring?

How about coming to Alabama to pick tomatoes, or other jobs that Americans "are to lazy to do", such as roofing or framing..... Can't remember the last time I saw a framer or roofer that could speak english.

Wayne I totally agree! But many employers hire nothing but "immigrant" workers. They can get away with paying less and no benefits. If these people that are occupying would turn their occupying efforts to these employers and go occupy job sights that are full of mexicans they may actually accomplish something. Many Americans won't do these jobs but they will live in parks and tents etc. to make a point. Makes no sense to me.

PASS this bill.... If this bill passes Unemployment WILL NOT GO ABOVE 8%.

Uhhh.. yeah, those shovel ready jobs really weren't so shovel ready (snicker, snicker, snicker)

Need I remind you who said these? Let's think real hard.. YOU GOT IT!!!! Obama.

Oh, before you go off the deep end... I agree with you... the immoral, the liars, the haters, the ignorant, the manipulators are REPUBLICAN and DEMOCRAT. But that's because they're politicians. THEY'RE ALL CORRUPT!!!!

That's because at didn't know at the time that the Bush Depression already brought unemployment above 8%. That statement was made before we realized just how badly the republicans had @!$%#ed us over from 2001-2008.

Toasty.... please, for an Administration that was to be "the most transparent administration in history", it's really hard to look through the brick wall they've put up.

And it's actually the American consumer that's totally hosed this economy up. Every penny they saved at the checkout buying imported over American made was another nail in the coffin of American manufacturing and another job lost to overseas factories. It's not something that happened overnight to be sure, but it was slow and insideous like most other things that happen to us.

Politicians of both parties care nothing about you or me. They care about themselves and their ability to buy votes with other peoples money so they can be elected or re-elected.

The fruits of the seed we've sown in the past are very bitter. Very bitter indeed.

sure he didn`t know,most people figure he doesn`t know anything.i give him more credit than that .i figure he knew exactly what he was inheriting while spending millions to inherit.i got a half used up half ton from the old man which i inherited without spending a dime.

Uhhh.. yeah, those shovel ready jobs really weren't so shovel ready (snicker, snicker, snicker)

The shovels were in use for another activity favored by the congress...?

The shovels were in use for another activity favored by the congress...?

"Don't ask don't tell"?

You never know what old men do behind closed doors.

Well actually I was referring to shoveling poop...

Robin.. I think Ruken might have been referring to .... no I'm not going there. Franks is leaving, so I'll let him go in peace.

LOL!!!!!!-Robin. Sadly true.

---- Has any major political change EVER happened without VIOLENCE? -----

Unemployment is now over 15%, (real total, over 40 Million?) and it will soon out number the National Guard and the regular Army --- and these will not shoot at their own families and other civilians anyways --- ( Only the, totally out numbered, “Police” might do so initially, (but will be hunted down by street Gangs in the end)

If nothing is being done by the Federal Government to help the 45% of American families that are now close to starving and freezing to death this winter, the US union will break-up and the Federal politicians will try to flee the country. The ones who are a little late for that will be hung on the many tall street lamps circling the Washington Beltway. It’s an ancient tradition of the Roman Empire, but then they had to use tall trees on the streets leading to Rome. (What a great photo opportunity for the news media?) The “States” will then be run by Street and Country-gangs, which you might have to join to feed your family. (Buy some more ammunition for your gun, if you can spare the money.) Most of the readers here have never seen REAL violence, which is apparently needed to bring about any significant Change and Justice for our country.

You are right. Our government wants to squeeze us to the last drop. They are pushing laws for unlimited detention and building camps to detain anyone participating to civil unrest. They are prepared. They have the police, the army, the banks, the justice system and the media. Be scared.

I am feeding several “partly wild” animals at my house. There are several deer, a dozen raccoons, some possums and a skunk and all of them are Republicans! Especially the skunk- How do I know that? It’s very simple, I have tried to teach them some English over the years, but they have learned only one single word --- NO!
http://www.msmisp.com/logos/walking-Toyshka-sr.jpg --- LOL, could I get food-stamps for them?

Chuck.... I remember in my younger days, that companies took on promising candidates and TRAINED them inhouse. They would like but never expected TRAINED workers to walk through the doors.

How about some radical concept like that? TRAIN the people you want to work for you?

Yes.. why is it your company wont train, and exactly what courses should people be signing up for, to walk off the streets into these jobs..?

We do it everyday, but how about those that need jobs doing something for themselves? Everywhere I turn there are tech schools and government programs for training people but people have to first get up and walk in a door and ask for help.

Strength in numbers, why would you assume we don't train? Assumptions are not good. Our preference is to find experienced people, but as I said earlier, we train unskilled people every day. But only if they are motivated and can show up for work on time and with some regularity.

If people are interested in training for manufacturing jobs, I would reccomend any local technical school. Funny I thought that would have been fairly evident for most.

Chuck ...name of the company and location. You can get some applicants on here.

This is the internet, so I take most things people say with a grain of salt.

I have to agree with Chuck , I used to have a apprentice program ( machining ) We spent most of the time in remedial things addition and such things as how to get to work on time. Now we just upgrade the equipment and use automatic loader/unload We sometimes run lights out.

Any number of unemployed have signed up for training or retraining or repurposing, whatever, and taken on more debt to do so, only to find, sorry no jobs or you're now two years older than you were before or just because you have a new skill set you no have experience in that new area, etc. This is why employers should hire people who have similar basic skills and train them on the job to the job, as was the norm for decades.

First rule of holes applies to the unemployed as much as anyone else: when you're in one, stop digging. It only makes things (financially) worse.

I prefer not to mention our company name specifically, but here are the job adds from one source for Milwaukee. Our company is hiring through one of the staffing companies listed here. I agree about taking posts with a grain of salt.

MIG AND FLUX WELDER

Aerotek Commercial Staffing - Milwaukee, WI, 53207 - Posted 4 days ago - $12.00 - $22.00 Per Hour

Aerotek's most valued customers is seeking skilled MIG and Flux Core welders FOR IMMEDIATE INTERVIEW. Company seeks for individuals seeking for long term and team environment. All SKILL LEVEL of WELDERS are WELCOME. *This is a 1st, 2nd and 3rd shift job opportunities. Over Time opportunities are available. *This position is offering competitive wages and benefits. *Applicants should have 1 plus ye

Open Table Fitter Welder

QTI Group - Waukesha, WI - Posted 18 days ago

Competitive Pay Rate Waukesha The QTI Group is a privately owned human resources and staffing organization. Specializing in the placement of industrial, administrative, professional and executive talent, we partner with you to understand your career goals and advise you on opportunities. Our wide reaching network lets us offer you more choices at all skill levels with flexible placement options. S

Welder

QTI Group - Waukesha, WI - Posted 18 days ago

Competitive Pay Rate Waukesha The QTI Group is a privately owned human resources and staffing organization. Specializing in the placement of industrial, administrative, professional and executive talent, we partner with you to understand your career goals and advise you on opportunities. Our wide reaching network lets us offer you more choices at all skill levels with flexible placement options. S

Fabricator/Welder - Full and Part Time Opportunities on 2nd Shift- Apply Today!

adtec Services, Inc. - Oconomowoc, WI - Posted 2 days ago - $14.50 - $18.50 Per Hour

adtec Services, Inc. is currently recruiting for 2nd Shift Fabricator/Welder opportunities in Oconomowoc, WI. Qualified candidates will have at least 1 year of recent welding experience. This position is responsible for performing MIG welding and fabrication duties; layout, fit and position weldments sequentially to create a curved rail elevator. Hours for the full-time position are Monday - Frida

MIG Welder

QTI Group - Milwaukee, WI - Posted 18 days ago

Competitive Pay Rate Milwaukee The QTI Group is a privately owned human resources and staffing organization. Specializing in the placement of industrial, administrative, professional and executive talent, we partner with you to understand your career goals and advise you on opportunities. Our wide reaching network lets us offer you more choices at all skill levels with flexible placement options.

Lead Man Welder

QTI Group - Milwaukee, WI - Posted 18 days ago

Competitive Pay Rate Milwaukee The QTI Group is a privately owned human resources and staffing organization. Specializing in the placement of industrial, administrative, professional and executive talent, we partner with you to understand your career goals and advise you on opportunities. Our wide reaching network lets us offer you more choices at all skill levels with flexible placement options.

Welder

Aerotek Commercial Staffing - Milwaukee, WI, 53207 - Posted 16 days ago - $12.00 - $20.00 Per Hour

Aerotek is currently hiring welders for a number of clients in the Milwaukee and surrounding areas. Candidates must have either have at least a year of experience or a degree/certificate in the welding field. Candidates must also be able to pass a weld test. If you are a qualified candidate and are interested a position in this field please apply immediately. Required Skills: BLUEPRINT READING, WE

P&H Mining Heavy Plate Welder

Aerotek Commercial Staffing - West Milwaukee, WI, 53214 - Posted 5 days ago - $22.00 - $23.00 Per Hour

Aerotek, the recruiting resource for P+H Mining, is currently seeking well qualified heavy plate fluxcore welders for P&H Mining Equipment, our exclusive client in Milwaukee, WI. P&H Mining Equipment is a world leading manufacturer of electric mining shovels and mining draglines and is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Requirements for this position are: - At least five years of flux core weldin

Welder

Aerotek Commercial Staffing - South Milwaukee, WI, 53172 - Posted 18 days ago - $18.00 - $20.00 Per Hour

1) 2-3 years of Flux Core 1/16 and 3/32 welding experience 2) 2-3 years of blueprint experience 3) 2-3 years of interpreting weld symbols 4) Must be able to stand on feet for an 8 hour day We are looking for welders that have experience with heavy plate welding within the last 4 years. They must be able to pass a weld test and have a good attendance record. Required Skills: MIG FLUXCORE, BLUEPRINT

Welder

Aerotek Commercial Staffing - Oak Creek, WI, 53154 - Posted 2 days ago - $18.00 - $20.00 Per Hour

We are looking for production welders, fitters and set up welders on all shifts. Candidates should have experience with Flux Core welding at both 1/16" and 3/32" wire. Candidates will take a 2G and 1F weld test. Requirements: - Candidates should have 2 yrs+ Flux Core Welds (3/32"). - Candidates should have experience setting up and welding on large plate jobs. - Candidates should have experience o

WELDERS

Aerotek Commercial Staffing - Milwaukee, WI, 53207 - Posted 2 days ago - $12.00 - $16.24 Per Hour

Aerotek's most valued customers is seeking skilled MIG and ROBOTIC welders FOR IMMEDIATE INTERVIEW. Company seeks for individuals seeking for long term and team environment. *This is a 1st, 2nd and 3rd shift job opportunities. Over Time opportunities are available. *This position is offering competitive wages and benefits. *Applicants should have 1 plus year of MIG and Robotic Welding experience a

Unspecified

TMP WORLDWIDE- - MILWAUKEE, WI, 53224 - Posted 2 days ago - $1.00 - $1.00 Per Hour

Bringing silver, zinc and lead resources to the world. Greens creek is seeking new team members committed to professional growth and success. Current Vacancies• Network Administrator• UG Welder Mechanic• UG Sr Resource/Reserves Geologist• UG Miner• UG Mine Engineers (2 – 5 years)• Geotechnical Engineer• Surface/Exploration Safety Specialist• Heavy Diesel Mobile Maintenance• Assay Lab Technician Gr

Lead Assembler Power

Adecco - Waukesha, WI, 53186 - Posted 19 days ago - 12.00 - 18.00 Per Hour

Job Description: Works from run tickets, prints, and bill of materials. Frequently requires judgment to wire coils and accessories when prints are incomplete or not available. Clearances are observed inside tank and enough lead is left to make tank connections. Uses brazing tongs, mig welder, portable hydraulic crimpers, lead cutter hoists and bridge crane to lift heavy core and coils (over 200 lb

Freelance Online Writers / Bloggers / Reporters Wanted! (Part Time) Hiring Nationwide *APPLY NOW*

Hubpages - Milwaukee, WI - Posted today

Company Introduction Since 2006, HubPages has been the preeminent online writing

You expect someone who is unemployed to spend the money to go to tech school to the tune of 10K or better? What color is the sky in your world?

The sky is blue and I wear rose collored glasses too. Shellie what do you suggest? Are you saying there is no government assitance out there for the unemployed and poor?

Lets see, it took me two seconds to find this, just go to http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/opportunity/index.html

and press the get started button. President Obama is taking care of you Shellie!!

New Educational Opportunities for Unemployed Workers

Americans with more education and training have more secure jobs and higher earnings. With jobs hard to find, it may be a good time to consider going back to school.

The President recently announced that unemployed workers receiving unemployment benefits may qualify for a special hand in paying for education and training. And aid can be significant: In particular, the Federal Pell Grant program can provide up to $5,350 for educational costs at community colleges, colleges and universities, and many trade and technical schools. This is only one example of several federal student aid programs available to assist unemployed workers.

Applying for financial aid and finding education and training are not difficult.

shellie are you saying is that they should get something for nothing???????

Have a good week

Well Chuck, have you had to apply for any of those jobs? I applied for a job in nearby Rockford, Il. Turns out there were 1300 other guys. I interviewed for a job in Aurora, IL. Drove the 30 miles there for the interview. Then I found out that they had an in-house canidate already. They were mandated by policy to send out those want ads. I applied for a job in Milwaukee. A job that I am very qualified to do. No call back. Yhey're still advertising that one.

Am I a deadbeat? I've worked at the same place for 41 years - from simple manufacturing assembler on up to engineer and product manager of an entire product line. I was let go because I made too much (79,000/year). That was some years after the company encouraged its employees to get rid of the union.

I've been out of work since 2009. My un-employment ran out months ago. I work part time in retail - minimum wage. I still file for unemployment and apply to a minimum of 5 positions a week. I do not want to be part of the no longer counted. Sure there might be some folks who could be termed lazy. But, if you think we're all lazy, well you have not walked in our shoes.

BTW, have you applied for that financial aid? It's a lot more difficult than you imagine.

chuck--those jobs look good. For a young person, but many, many of the unemployed these days, especially the long term unemployed are over 45 and either don't have or are losing the physical ablity to do jobs like you listed. When I was young I worked in the Nursing Home industry. I lifted, carried, pushed, fed and other wise took care of older people or young disabled people. I did it for 20+ years, then when it got to be too much physically, I moved to computer support, I've done that for many years now...but those jobs are being outsourced to places where they can pay someone like me a few dollars a day, instead of the hourly wage I and those like me make. Do me a favor, next time you call your cable, cell-phone or ISP company and talk to someone in Pune or Mumbai, ask to speak to an American, and no matter what service you get, complain about it...bringing some service jobs back to this country would be nice too since not all of us can work in manufacturing.

Oh and by the way, you might want to check with your hospital on just where exactly your tests are being done; a lot of them have been outsourced too...which is why some lab people can't find work too.

I can certainly appreciate where John and nightcload are coming from, but I don't believe that we can extend unemployment benefits forever as it just creates another entitlement program. At what point to we take it back to the 26 weeks? Nightcloud I sense your buy American and bring back American jobs attitude and I support it 100%, but remember the extended unemployment benefits are the burden of companies in the US, the greater the burden, the less competitive we become in the world and it creates more incentive to move jobs out of the US. It is the chicken and the egg.

Our national strategy needs to focus on how to make our companies (in particular manufacturing) more competitive in the world marketplace. Our national wealth is created in only three ways, you grow it (agriculture, forestry), you make it (everything manufactured to movies and music), or you extract it (mining, oil drilling etc.). Our national wealth does not increase through the government redistribution program or through trial lawyers suing business and individuals, it only comes from those three areas and we must all work towards supporting them. Fighting over redistribution of wealth is a losing proposition in the long run and will not benefit our great country in any way.

LMAO all these jobs you posted are temp agency jobs with no guarenee of job after contract and you get paid less than the job is actually worth. That is their main page. To boot they dont give medical or benefits for your family. Yes there are jobs out there. Most have never welded nor are they trained on how to do most skilled jobs......government assistance is in the form of a loan, Specifically a perkins loan that you have to pay back with interest. So who wants to go into debt to find a job. Not I. How about Companies do what they used to high and then train. hhhhmmmmmm not an old concept been done since Egyptian times. Before you get your feathers all rufffled maybe you should research what you post. Or do you work for AEROTEK industries?

I'm all signed up with Aerotek, trying to get work in Oregon. They had posted an job notice for work in a local manufacturing plant - Precision Casting - which was supposedly hiring after contracting with Boeing. At my interview at Aerotek, the interviewer was impressed with my experience, and told me to call at least once a week because they might be getting the hiring notice anytime... I asked what happened to the jobs already posted, had they all been filled ? The Aerotek worker said that Aerotek posts possible future jobs, so that they will have the manpower they need when the jobs become available. In other words, just because Aerotek lists a job does not mean that there is actually a job.

I saw Aerotek and that's all I needed to see as having played the "game" with employment agencies so many times that I've lost count after seeing so many jobs listed that were exactly what I do only to go to these places and spend 3 hours or more " skills testing" and interviewing first before they even tell you if that "job" is still available which it usually isn't, I have wound up in a file and need to wait until the agency calls me when they have a "match for my abilities".

I've have been through this over and over and over again, only to hardly ever get a call for anything so I've ended up still having to having to job search on my own. The only thing these places care about is how fast you can type, not all the years of experience you've had in a certain field and if you can't type 80 WPM with 0 mistakes, forget about them callling you for anything. I was great at my work in insurance, medical office billing and lastly manager bookkeeper for an SNF before my health did me in and my typing speed was adequate enough to do my job effectively. Not for these places though apparently.

a lot of people employed in paper jobs had no real talent or skill beyond grade six,that`s ten for american students.

a lot of people employed in paper jobs had no real talent or skill beyond grade six,that`s ten for american students

spoken like a true america-hater

hockeypuck..... it's life. I'm in TX and the rest of the family is in VA. You do what you have to. I've done it before in better times and I'll probably have to do it again in the future.

sorry bout that,not easy to leave home.not just the wife and daughter,i must have a hundred relatives within ten miles.also when my good costumers hear i`ve gone west they are gone.hope your younger than me and full of piss and vinegar.

soon to be 62.... and the bladder doesn't hold that much any more!!! ;-D

but it is what it is.

I'm more concerned with getting people to understand that we need our heavy industrial and consumer manufacturing bases back in this country. If that doesn't happen, we will continue to be the consumer of cheap products made by the factories of the Peoples Liberation Army of the People Republic of China.

Consumer nations will never survive. Only PRODUCER nations can grow and prosper. For examples of consumer nations, look at Haiti and Greece. For examples of producer nations, one need not look further than China.

as a person not very proud of drawing pogey,you do have a point.

Pogey? Are you Canadian by any chance?

lose your job and you'll sing a different tune

Leroy..... just a quick question. How many workers in that meat packing plant are CITIZENS and how many are illegal aliens? I'm willing to put money on it that the wage started going down when the illegals started coming in....

ALL were citizens then and now, this is Canada, very few illegals and hiring is pretty much all above board.

Sorry Leroy.... they're trying to compete with the AMERICAN meat packing companies that are packed with ILLEGALS. See illegal immigration here affects even our friends up north!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy and SAFE New Year!!

I don't think you got the point or are you saying $8.75 an hour is a good wage?

$8.75 an hour is about $17.5k pre-taxes. There are about 2000 work hours in a fiscal year.

I wouldn't call that a great living.

Tyrants and Ruken.... maybe you should read the ENTIRE thread before posting. I was bemoaning the fact that CANADIAN wages came DOWN due to their apparent attempt at competing with American meat packing plants south of the border.

So to clarify and eliminate ANY misunderstanding. $8.75 is NOT a good wage.

You damn Yanks drove our wages down??? Ooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wasn't commenting? I was just putting things in a yearly perspective.

Anyway, in 40 years the wages actually took a substantial DROP. Packaging and selling meat is a very profitable venture. This incredible unfairness is what OWS is all about, it's been a long time coming and it isn't going to go away any time soon.

Amen to that Leroy. As wages continue drop or stay the same while prices of everything go up, more and more disgruntled people like the OWS will crop up. Most people still have a pretty decent life here in the States and will not act up, but I forsee our children's children having a tough fight on their hands to take the country back - if China doesn't claim it by then.

Many years ago when I first was starting out I worked a packing house. It was 11 dollars an hour and very hard work. Within 10 years the plant I was in closed, yes it was union. My pay was down to 8 dollars an hour. They could not compete with other packing plants full of mexicans and no union. The illegals were rampant already at that time. They have now spread into may areas of our workforce causing this same situation. Look at our construction jobs! They have started in on basic labor and have spread like cancer. Occupy needs to attack this if they want to make a difference. Attacking the big ones at the top will fail.

John, the rhetoric only goes to put you on numerous watch lists.

Companies exist for one purpose and one purpose only. To make a profit. I'm NOT defending their actions, but it is what it is. Companies don't owe you, me or anyone else for that matter anything.

What YOU can do, is only buy American made products from American owned companies. I do this and every time I do buy something, I email a copy of the receipt to the manufacturer of the product I DIDN'T buy and let them know why I didn't buy their product, and I send a copy to the big box stores (I've had to create a BIG mail list for that!!) and let them know what I bought, where I bought it and WHY I DIDN'T buy the competing product they sell.

The ONLY way we can restore this country is to return our heavy industrial and consumer manufacturing bases to this country. Others will argue that those jobs are never coming back. To that I saw BULL$HIT. Companies react to consumers and their WANTS. If the PEOPLE want American made products, I can assure you that the manufacturers and stores WILL comply, or they will simply disappear like so many before them.

i don`t think the king of france was beheaded over corporations,bad government is where it`s at.name one government department in one town city or state that is allowed to have a surplus.my mom ran a surplus managing a great big family of ill and older child like people.the clerk told her great job this year don`t do it again.

HP... I know that all too well. Spend it all or we won't get it next year. Part of the problem on the federal level is the way the law is actually written. Agencies WOULD like to give it back, but due to the wording of the law, they would lose a corresponding amount from the next budget. Of course that never takes into consideration that they might have over-budgeted or actually had some great cost savings put in place that might not get recreated the following year.

Get the law changed. I've contacted my Senators and Representative, but I'm only a single voice in the mass of screaming going on. But if they hear enough voices, they might realize that it was they themselves that screwed the pooch.

XDM - there's nothing inherently wrong with your philosophy. In fact it's a very good idea.

However, I own a computer company, and the only American-owned part I can buy to put in a computer is an Intel processor - made in Israel.

Your thoughts?

hockeypuck, re the French Revolution, and subsequent beheading of the king and aristocrats, there are many contributing causes but, does this sound familiar?

"Although France in 1785 faced economic difficulties, mostly concerning the equitability of taxation, it was one of the richest and most powerful nations of Europe. The French people also enjoyed more political freedom and a lower incidence of arbitrary punishment than any of their fellow Europeans. However, Louis XVI, his ministers, and the widespread French nobility had become immensely unpopular. This was a consequence of the fact that peasants and, to a lesser extent, the bourgeoisie, were burdened with ruinously high taxes levied to support wealthy aristocrats and their sumptuous, often gluttonous, lifestyles..." (wikipedia)

PoliticalFenceSitter... I understand the problem you have. Of course, there are unfortunately segments of manufacturing where components may not be locally obtainable. Unless of course a competitor, AMD for example makes an equivilant chip. You know as well as I do that the world doesn't revolve around Intel, although they would like you to think it does!! ;-D

However, I would like manufacturers such as you to 'prod' Intel, AMD and others to manufacture chips here. I'm sure you're aware of some of the back doors that slipped into firmware from China. The little nasties that the vast majority of people will never know exist that sends all information back to China. Of course, when the product is Lenovo it's to be expected, but when the same things find their way into Dell and HP to name a couple, you have to admit we have a serious problem.

Manufacturing computer components here should be an issue of national security if nothing else. So yes, prod the chip makers to bring sensitive manufacturing like that back home.

I certainly agree with you on the last part. I have concerns about how much of our high-tech capacity is essentially outsourced to a future potential adversary.

I do, however, see an agreeably emerging movement to towards local investment, such as farmers markets and co-op arrangements. Maybe people are starting to get the message.

Companies only pay what is required to attract the labor they need...why would an employee expect anymore?

As someone else pointed out private business exists to make a profit for its owners..not to provide a certain lifestyle for employees...

floretta,,i believe a king with too much power is a very poor form of government,bad enough to cause all the problems you listed.

John is spot on correct and if the corporations, along with the greed of the fascist right get their way if American voters are stupid AGAIN-(we're already being suppressed with these BS "voter ID laws", district gerry mandering, Citizens United which has totally trashed our democracy with the flow of ulimited disclosed money going into elections, campaigns and attack ads, the corrupt and blatant cheating going on with ballots and runing "fake candidates"-(my home state). 2012 is going to be the election from he!! and every single person had better with their BRAIN and not on asinine ideaology and think about who will really serve the interests of the majority of the country BEST.

We can't afford to screw it up again or what's LEFT of the middle class will be looking at straight up feudalism while the top 1% live like kings. Me and MY family will NOT be their slaves so I'm already prepared to fight back and have been against this insanity. I've seen this mess coming down the pike for years now and all these cuts and austerity aimed right at those who can least afford it is the bomb that is about to go off unless the greed and politics of selfishness stops right NOW.

We've HAD IT!!! ENOUGH is ENOUGH!!

I truly hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's NOT just the left.

The Republicans and Democrats are in truth beholden to the same special and powerful money interests. They like to make the sheeple think different, but the truth shines through. They all bow down to whoever beckons with an open checkbook and bow on bended knee and kiss the ring of the check signer.

You are right that both parties have their share of nasty politicians.

Obama Lies, but what you seem to forget, in Bush's last term the unemployment was going up in leaps and bounds. Everyone wants to say well during the Bush admin, unemployment was only such and such.

But at the end of his last term unemployment was growing and growing. Do you remember the 700,000+ plus jobs we were losing a month in the last half of his final year. No you probably don't because you had your head up your behind. But it was happening. This just didn't start with Obama.

Great Post Verno, but don't waste your time on ObamaLies. He will never be known as the ugly american.. he is over qualified.

The Obama phenomenon.
August 18, 2011 Obama: “The Affirmative Action President”, By Matt Patterson (columnist - Washington Post, New York Post, San Francisco Examiner) .

Years from now, historians may regard the 2008 election of Barack Obama as an inscrutable and disturbing phenomenon, a baffling breed of mass hysteria akin perhaps to the witch craze of the Middle Ages. How, they will wonder, did a man so devoid of professional accomplishment beguile so many into thinking he could manage the world's largest economy, direct the world's most powerful military, execute the world's most consequential job? .
Imagine a future historian examining Obama's pre-presidential life: ushered into and through the Ivy League despite unremarkable grades and test scores along the way; a cushy non-job as a "community organizer"; a brief career as a state legislator devoid of legislative achievement (and in fact nearly devoid of his attention, so often did he vote "present"); and finally an unaccomplished single term in United States Senate, the entirety of which was devoted to his presidential ambitions. He left no academic legacy in academia, authored no signature legislation as legislator.And then there is the matter of his troubling associations: the white-hating, America-loathing preacher who for decades served as Obama's "spiritual mentor"; a real-life, actual terrorist who served as Obama's colleague and political sponsor. It is easy to imagine a future historian looking at it all and asking: how on Earth was such a man elected president?Not content to wait for history, the incomparable Norman Podhoretz addressed the question recently in the Wall Street Journal:To be sure, no white candidate who had close associations with an outspoken hater of America like Jeremiah Wright and an unrepentant terrorist like Bill Ayers would have lasted a single day. But because Mr. Obama was black, and therefore entitled in the eyes of liberaldom to have hung out with protesters against various American injustices, even if they were a bit extreme, he was given a pass. .
Let that sink in: Obama was given a pass -- held to a lower standard -- because of the color of his skin. Podhoretz continues:And in any case, what did such ancient history matter when he was also articulate and elegant and (as he himself had said) "non-threatening," all of which gave him a fighting chance to become the first black president and thereby to lay the curse of racism to rest? .
Podhoretz puts his finger, I think, on the animating pulse of the Obama phenomenon -- affirmative action. Not in the legal sense, of course. But certainly in the motivating sentiment behind all affirmative action laws and regulations, which are designed primarily to make white people, and especially white liberals, feel good about themselves. .
Unfortunately, minorities often suffer so that whites can pat themselves on the back. Liberals routinely admit minorities to schools for which they are not qualified, yet take no responsibility for the inevitable poor performance and high drop-out rates which follow. Liberals don't care if these minority students fail; liberals aren't around to witness the emotional devastation and deflated self esteem resulting from the racist policy that is affirmative action. Yes, racist. Holding someone to a separate standard merely because of the color of his skin -- that's affirmative action in a nutshell, and if that isn't racism, then nothing is. And that is what America did to Obama. .
True, Obama himself was never troubled by his lack of achievements, but why would he be? As many have noted, Obama was told he was good enough for Columbia despite undistinguished grades at Occidental; he was told he was good enough for the US Senate despite a mediocre record in Illinois ; he was told he was good enough to be president despite no record at all in the Senate. All his life, every step of the way, Obama was told he was good enough for the next step, in spite of ample evidence to the contrary. What could this breed if not the sort of empty narcissism on display every time Obama speaks? .
In 2008, many who agreed that he lacked executive qualifications nonetheless raved about Obama's oratory skills, intellect, and cool character. Those people -- conservatives included -- ought now to be deeply embarrassed. The man thinks and speaks in the hoariest of clichés, and that's when he has his teleprompter in front of him; when the prompter is absent he can barely think or speak at all. Not one original idea has ever issued from his mouth -- it's all warmed-over Marxism of the kind that has failed over and over again for 100 years. .
And what about his character? Obama is constantly blaming anything and everything else for his troubles. Bush did it; it was bad luck; I inherited this mess. It is embarrassing to see a president so willing to advertise his own powerlessness, so comfortable with his own incompetence. But really, what were we to expect? The man has never been responsible for anything, so how do we expect him to act responsibly? .
In short: our president is a small and small-minded man, with neither the temperament nor the intellect to handle his job. When you understand that, and only when you understand that, will the current erosion of liberty and prosperity make sense. It could not have gone otherwise with such a man in the Oval Office. .
But hey, at least we got to feel good about ourselves for a little while. And really, isn't that all that matters

Uh...if there are fewer people wouldn't there be fewer factories producing said "crud"? Pretty sure it all evens out.

hard to solve all the problems in the world when you realize that there is a ying for every yang,a direct and opposite reaction to every action.get the economy going and destroy the evironment,if obama had got all americans angry and lost this election he may have been a great president.

Good plan buddy , we will all just sell @!$%#e to one another and everything will work out fine .

2BadpPole, why don't you just crawl back in your hole. I thought the Repubs were going to really improve the job market. Where is it? Oh yeah, they have done nothing.

There will be those who commit crimes just to have a place to live and three meals a day. Sad, but true!

G-9.... A company has NO responsibility to you, me or anyone else to provide a job or anything else. A company exists for one purpose.... to make money.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending them, I'm just stating fact.

However, as a consumer YOU can make a difference by what and where YOU make your purchases. Read my response to John above #40.1. It is a way for YOU to actually make your voice heard and help one of your neighbors across the country keep their job. You and I alone CAN'T do it, but if there were enough YOU and I across the country doing this, the manufacturers and retailers would have NO CHOICE but to return the jobs here.

Very well said.

When is the last time a CEO created a job? Here's a logic puzzle for you: when the latest guy became a CEO. "Taxing them out of existence" would be a revenue source for about a week and a half before they all packed their bags for China. That would be a great "job-killer".

And the fact that they add nothing positive to the economy? How about manufacturing. That and jobs. That and entirely new industries that they create a demand for, including, yes, luxury. Disgusting word, is it not? But that too adds jobs and manufacturing.

I would highly recommend an economics class.

Yet, so where are all of these jobs that the CEO's are creating. I am looking and not seeing them. Your reasoning is flawed. The trickle down does not work. Where are the jobs that the Bush tax breaks promised??

G-9, they are actually job outsourcers. They create jobs in China, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, India and other low wage countries. They have just convinced the Repoohblicans that they need big tax breaks to do it. The Pharma Companies have convinced the Repoohblicans that Americans have to pay three times what their medicine should cost to subsides the money they loose selling medicine cheaper to other countries with publicly financed health care systems. All the time they tell the workers that they have to give up more wages and benefits, while the company profits go up. They have convinced us that their CEOs are the brightest in the world and they need to get bonuses every time they open a new plant overseas so that they can ship the trinkets back over here for us to buy. By the way when the CEO runs the company into the ground they give him a golden parachute so that he will be able to maintain his lifestyle. Of course after they have shipped your job overseas they tell you are lazy and don't need any unemployment benefits. We accept it all because of course they must be smarter than us and we're sure they have our best interest at heart. I think not.

True, there is outsourcing, and trickle down economics on its own has never worked. I am saying that taxing them out of existence will not help anything.

Derek... why don't you check the wealth and how it's multiplied for say, Bill Clinton, or maybe Al Gore, how about John Kerry (ok bad example, he married money, and never had the brains to make any.. just a high dollar gigilo), Barrack Obama, or maybe Nancy Pelosi. MULTI-MILLIONAIRES all.

THEY'RE ALL PAID HACKS.... Republicans and Democrats alike. They care about themselves and the hell with you, me and everyone else. Once people start to realize this, they'll take the political party blinders off and see the truth. WE MEAN NOTHING TO THEM REGARDLESS OF WHAT PABLUM THEY SPEW WHEN THEY SPEAK.

XD "just a high dollar gigilo" .. Jealous much?

slightlyold... HARDLY.

I've seen his wife and obviously my own. No contest. Mine wins every day.

OK.. It WOULD have been better if she had money, but I'm not complaining.

OH yeah.. one more point. Don't forget, it was HEINZ who made the money. One of those RICH millionaires and billionaires that Kerry, Obama and others lambaste... maybe they should look in the mirror when they speak about the wealthy.

XDm9mm

OH yeah.. one more point. Don't forget, it was HEINZ who made the money. One of those RICH millionaires and billionaires that Kerry, Obama and others lambaste..

Neither Kerry nor Obama ever "lambasted" millionaires as a group. Only the crooks and parasites among them who take from society and give nothing back. What your trying to do is claiming that people opposed to drunken driving are against driving cars period. Why is it that only conservatives use that stupid and transparently dishonest trick?

XD, you also have to remember, that it is these rich democrats that are saying tax them more. There is a big difference here. The right always say but the Dems are rich also. Right, but they are the ones saying tax the rich. See my point??