Political Punch

We would not be in this situation if we weren't sending our work overseas and then letting the Mexicans take the jobs we have left!

If we look at the history of “protecting vulnerable” programs like food stamps, they have been very successful at infusing the local economy and helping low income workers get on their feet. During the last recession the state where I live, Oregon, had one of the nation’s highest hunger rates, so the state made changes in the food stamp program. (As part of welfare reform in the mid-1990s, Congress gave states more flexibility in setting food stamp rules.) Oregon’s high hunger rate was partly due to hunger among low-wage working families. The state changed the income limit for food stamps from 130 percent of poverty ($22,321 for a family of three) to 185 percent of poverty ($31,765 for a family of three). The state kept control over program costs and expanded ways to help feed families transitioning off cash assistance into jobs. This Federal funded program brought an additional $23 Million per month into Oregon’s economy. These additional dollars circulate throughout our economy, raising incomes for a broad swath of people, not just those receiving food stamps. And, according to USDA estimates, hunger among Oregon households fell from 5.8 percent to 3.8 percent.

From what I'm hearing the president elect is preparing the people of the united states for change! Change doesn’t come easy, or without a little pain, but when necessary it has a huge impact on those affected! People need to realize that we have been rapped up in "what's best for the individual," and not "what's best for the whole." this is the mind set the entrepreneur! Business on a small scale considers profit and losses, I see this in every question posed in the post. Everyone is worried about losing; can you imagine the loss if the president elect did nothing? Everyone might as well learn the speak Chinese! Keep doing what your doing President elect, we support you!

AMERICA, are you finally paying attention? BHO just wants a "Splash" of the taxpayers money. I can't believe this is happening.

Last year Mexicans sent over 650 million dollars from their U.S. jobs back to Mexico.Other foreigners sent money out of the country too.So what is this 800 Billion dollars supposed to do for Americans?Who will work?Who will get a credit card or pay a mortgage?So far it has been all about private company bailouts and nothing for the little American.

It simply ain't gonna work! Out national debt is worth more than what the country is worth now and is getting worse by the minute.

Most of the American public understands the new administration has been handed a country and a government in financial turmoil - dire straights.

They understand completely that things are not going to be rosy or easy for the next while due to the tremendous hole dug by the previous administration.

Only a few slow on the draw types will be dull enough not to see this, and they will likely be individuals with their own biased agenda.

He's got one year to fester up before the American public will get fed up. I suspect his honeymoon will be rather short.

America: Good luck.

But I fear for you because Obama is an idiot. He will make a terrible situation worse. Start looking for your wheelbarrow to bring the dollars for a couple of loafs of bread. We are heading in that direction.

Thanks Obama.

For all of you that are concerned about our future and keep bringing up the past it would be good to get some facts. Google UI rates from 1950 -2009 and terms of US presidents then match them. What you will find is we had the lowest UI rates under President Eisenhower and he built the national highway system. The 2nd lowest UI rates were under President Johnson's New Deal. The very Highest UI rates - 6 of the 8 YEARS of President Reagan's presidency were at 8% and above with many month's at 10%!!!! I remember those years - inflation out of control - cost me 13.5% mortgage rate when I bought my house. However, it was also under President Reagan that the EITC Tax Credit program was beefed up so it really helps working low income people.
As for these government jobs - well in NYS most road jobs and other construction projects are put out for bid to private contractors!! So it will be private employers who will really see the money and they have to pay their workers state rates so the workers - even if they aren't unionized - have really good jobs. This is good - workers getting real money - not just paid wages where they are eligible for Food Stamps while the bosses and stockholders make out like bandits. Lockheed Martin is a large private company that almost all of it's money comes from government contracts. So look deeper everyone and see where the money will really go.
If you have lost your job because of foreign competition there is a federally funded retraining program already in place for you. It's called TRA - Trade Readjustment Act. Your Department of Labor should be able to help you to put in the petition for training for all the workers laid off due to foreign competition in your company. This program has been around for decades and it works but it takes effort on the part of the workers to get the TRA petition approved. I've known people who have gotten 2 year college degrees because of TRA.
Everyone who is complaining about the government's stimulus package and government programs & FDR's New Deal need to think twice if theyare on UI or Social Security or has someone they love being able to live because of UI or Social Security. It was under FDR's watch that got UI and Social Security in place. Both programs have relieved a lot of suffering in this country.

That's all we need, more government jobs. Government jobs are like riding the gravy train....lots of money, little work expected, although lots of **** kissing required.

"the one" doesn't have a clue as to how the average American lives. He also doesn't understand economics.

Stop whinning!!!!

Let President-elect do his JOB!!!!

I agree, the naysayers need to quit complaining and just get in the handout line with the rest of the freeloaders.

How much taxpayer money will Obama pump into ACORN? I mean, he owes them a ton..
......as does Franken. It would be money
well-spent, a gracious tribute to his
roots.....the roots that nurtured and
produced this mighty political oak
tree, which has towered over mundane
legislators to win its place in the
sun, to serve us, to protect us....
......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

"So Bush not only added record numbers to the national debt, he and the Republicans also collected more taxes than Clinton. Good to know that."

Thats a function of spending. Which is a separate issue. The original poster incorrectly stated the effect of the Bush tax cuts- there was a large increase in GDP and in tax revenue, even with the enormous disruption of 9/11.

"The people with mutual funds are largely the middle class mentioned so frequently during the last election. This is the money that was slow to move and ended up paying the profit taking of the people who gained from the sell off. Make no mistake, some people benefited handsomely from the sell off."

This paragraph really make me think you know nothing about this issue.

Thanks for helping with that reference to the middle class- I thought I had heard them mentioned somewhere. You might also tell Barak that they own stock. Apparently it is a big surprise to him to find out that investors are scary nasty people who need to be stopped from moving their own money.

Sorry Burt your analysis is off.

The people who do hold a lot of individual stocks are the very wealthy. They are the ones who bailed on the stock market early and continued to sell it out towards the crash.

The people with mutual funds are largely the middle class mentioned so frequently during the last election. This is the money that was slow to move and ended up paying the profit taking of the people who gained from the sell off. Make no mistake, some people benefited handsomely from the sell off.

The high-end wealthy (the Bush elite) made off like bandits. The middle class took the hit.

"As you can see much more revenue is collected under Bush than under Clinton"

So Bush not only added record numbers to the national debt, he and the Republicans also collected more taxes than Clinton. Good to know that.

Here's how much Bush and the Republicans Congress added on to the national debt each year.

$421 Billion (2002)
$555 Billion (2003)
$596 Billion (2004)
$554 Billion (2005)
$574 Billion (2006)

Is it any wonder the country is now in such dire financial straights?

Bureau of the Public Debt, United States Department of the Treasury.

"How does the stock market 'crash'? Well, the people with a lot of shares start selling them. Why? To make as much money as possible.

Who loses? Everybody else who had only their pitiful little amount of shares and didn't see what the big shareholders were about to do."

If you never sold your shares you didnt 'lose' anything.

If the rich sold so much stock who could have bought it? Only someone who had a lot of money- ie another rich person who disagrees about the future value of the stock. So there are still probably just as many rich guys in your stock position after the selling.

Almost no one owns just individual stocks (yeah, I know you are the one guy). Usually what they have is a mutual fund or a number of mutual funds that would move individual stock positions for them. So you could be moving in and out of things everyday, just as much as a 'rich guy' and not know it.

Essentially your entire analysis is off.

"at least the Obama steps are in the right direction - towards more sustainable energy, more efficient power grids, better vehicles, more power efficient homes and buildings, protecting our river and water systems . . . and so on."

You have trouble with your eyesight or your understanding Bert.