President Obama Refocuses on Health Care/Stimulus

something is moving, finaly !!!

"What we're talking about here is capitalism. You think everybody wins under capitalism? No, some people lose. Some businesses go under. Some succeed. That's the way it works."

Oh, please. This Chapter 11 was a direct result of the economic crisis in Arizona. This is a privately owned business only in Arizona. To say it happened because of capitalism is just wrong. You should already know that Phoenix is one of the cities hit the hardest because it grew the fastest.

"Do you think the government should be propping up food store chains as well?"

Sarcastic and a deliberate misinterpretation of my comments. I don't think the government should be propping up anyone. Obviously you do since you support Obama.

"P.S. - your attempts to blame the economic crisis on President Obama are lame."

I have not blamed him for the economic crisis. Again a poor attempt to deflect my argument by misquoting me. I am saying he owns the economy now and all that goes with it. I am blaming him for taking the wrong corrective actions.

"You have already quoted President Obama saying the job program is designed to peak into 2011 (2 years) and now you're back demanding the instantaneous cure again."

None of Obama’s quotes I posted indicate a plan to peak in 2011, with the possible exception of his backpeddling comment made this month. I see you’ve taken up the phrasing and I’m sure they will start appearing in your future comments.

"President Obama told us early and forcefully that this economic crisis would not be an easy fix, nor would it be quick."

Which is why he SHOULD have provided quick temporary relief for ALL those who needed it. Then get out of the way and let the system recover naturally. The stimulus plan is nothing more than a liberal spending spree. His actions will only make the recovery take longer.

"This is not going to be easy, just as the President said. In two years, we'll see where we're at."

So now we’re waiting for two years and see where we're at? No doubt this is so Obama and his supporters can continue to blame Bush and say they didn't realize how bad it was. I’m sure this will start appearing in all your future posts.

So why stop there? Why not just blame Bush for four years and then say, we're gonna need another four years because we didn't realize how bad it was. Oh, wait. I gave away the plan didn't I.

"And your nonsense about jobs in New Hampshire is just that - the money just arrived and its just starting to be put in play. It's totally unfair to point to the number of jobs at this point and pretend you can judge the program."

No, what's nonsense is that of the 50 jobs, only 34 of them are full time. And apparently all of them are bureaucrat positions, and none of them permanent. How does that help anything except add more government jobs and grow more layers of incompetence? The Office of Economic Stimulus (OES) employs five of those people, and when the governor appoints the director, that position will pay a $110,000 salary, plus benefits.

Mike_C . ..

I don't really know what all and who all contributed to the the major economic crisis that took place. There is probably lots of blame to go around.

I do know that it was a MAJOR economic crisis and that almost every country in the world is feeling the effects.

We also know that the original $700 BILLION in TARP funding to bail out the banks, financial institutions and (as Bush allowed himself) the automotive industries were put in place at the end of the Bush administration. The first half was distributed under the Bush administration. The Obama administration distributed the second half of those funds.

The Recovery and Reinvestment plan worth an additional $700 BILLION approx is totally an undertaking of the Obama administration.

I'm pretty sure you've studied the plan on the White House web site, so no need to go into how it was designed to roll out, or where the funds are targeted.

The global economic crisis continues - as you presumably know, it was a major topic of discussion at the recent G8 meeting. All of those economies are suffering.

I for one am hoping the stimulus plans put in place by those governments help shore things up and prevent a lingering crisis.

Over the course of the next 2 years we will have a clearer picture.

And of course, we're all concerned about the national debt. Bush was concerned enough about it to double it from $5 TRILLION to $10 TRILLION - so Republicans didn't deliver the 'smaller government' they promised. Obama is concerned about the national debt enough to proceed with the stimulus plans - apparently his team thinks this is the right course.

It is shocking to me the country was partially sold off in debt bonds to China under Bush, but I guess thats just the way it goes.

I'm really pulling for an economic recovery of some kind - and I'm wondering how a gross consumer society can support itself on this planet for the our generations to come. Do we not have to quit wasting, quit polluting and quit consuming and wasting resources like we were idiotic characters in a sitcom? Do we have to eat ourselves into obesity, and consume products and resources like they were candy?

I declare that of January of 2009, EVERYTHING IS OBAMA'S FAULT. DO I HEAR A SECOND TO THE MOTION??

danita,

Please, its time to stop sticking your head in the sand and just claiming that Bush "wrecked" the economy. Dems controlled congress in BOTH 2007 & 2008. Moves by Barney Frank, Chris Dodd and others had a big impact on how we got where we are today. Perhaps you need to go back and look at Larry Summers backs of Phil Gramm's bill in 1999 as well. The resposibility for this falls on both Parties...BOTH...over many years!!!

I am very tired of people who so incredibly moronic as to say Bush was solely responsible for this.

At this moment in time, we are questioning the REAL impact of the "Stimulator" and wether another TRILLION dollars needs to be pumped in because this time, the "experts" really do understand what we need to do.

The PROBLEM is that the President does not realize that you just cant keep throwing these huge loads of money at every problem. Especially since...WE HAVE NO MORE!

But, Obama is is just slamming the petal to the floor in regards to Trillions more in Healthcare & Energy/CaP&Trade/Jobs too.

Why stop there....

What the hell, why not just give Every single American a million dollars. Lets just go right to it, skip the rest of this crap and just give everyone everything!

It's only $350,000,000,000,000 (That is 350 TRILLION) ... who cares where it comes from or that it actually has to be paid back.

Mike_C . .. .

The Recovery and Reinvestment program is a 4-year program with jobs under the program accelerating the closer we get to the 2-year point.

At any rate, I feel very much for Bashas and their employees.

Hopefully the monies put in place to under the Recovery and Reinvestment plan to shore up unemployment and health care programs will assist these people in this tough time.

That's why that funding was put in place.

Nice try, Danita. Yes, Dubya wrecked the economy, but now Obama is responsible for fixing it. He signed up for the job.

Timmy . .. .

What we're talking about here is capitalism. You think everybody wins under capitalism? No, some people lose. Some businesses go under. Some succeed. That's the way it works.

Do you think the government should be propping up food store chains as well?

P.S. - your attempts to blame the economic crisis on President Obama are lame. The massive loss of jobs began back in March of 2008 and continued to accelerate through the remainder of the Bush administration.

This is a situation that was manifesting world-wide as financial institutions, banks and (in America) automotive companies and their supply chain crashed.

You have already quoted President Obama saying the job program is designed to peak into 2011 (2 years) and now you're back demanding the instantaneous cure again.

Timmy if you or the Republicans or the right or President Obama or anybody else in the world had a magic wand to wave to make this situation we would be very fortunate indeed.

Regrettably, we don't live in a fantasy world.

President Obama told us early and forcefully that this economic crisis would not be an easy fix, nor would it be quick.

All of these things you ignore to pound your little soapbox repeatedly.

You're living in a fantasy world Timmy. This is not going to be easy, just as the President said. In two years, we'll see where we're at.

And your nonsense about jobs in New Hampshire is just that - the money just arrived and its just starting to be put in play. It's totally unfair to point to the number of jobs at this point and pretend you can judge the program.

Look up rational mind and fairness in your dictionary.

Oh great, now the government is responsible for food stores.
And this is President Obama's fault Timmy? I don't think so.
______________________

Hey I was just pointing out the net loss of 950 jobs. But now that you mention it, under whose watch did this happen? Whose economy is it now?

I know you cherry-picked that quote to make it look like the stores were closing due to normal overbuilding and competition, but it is not that at all. Proulx says so many residents have moved elsewhere, mostly construction workers, due to the slowdown, these stores are not sustainable.

"Stung by the national credit crisis and slowing growth in Arizona"

"With an economy based heavily on construction, Arizona has been especially hard-hit by the housing crisis. Declining population growth has meant that Bashas is increasingly susceptible to competition from large national grocers"

And your "oh great" statements are a dodge to avoid taking responsibility for your beloved Obama's economy - which is currently headed in the wrong direction. When exactly ARE you going to allow him to start owning the economy? Isn't it about time?

And what no comment about the 50 jobs created in New Hampshire? I thought you would be jumping for joy on that one!

Regarding the food store chain going out of business . . . .

"The current population cannot fully support the overabundance of stores in what has become the most fiercely competitive grocery market in the country," company president Mike Proulx told a news conference Monday.

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And this is President Obama's fault Timmy? I don't think so.

"A grocery chain in Arizona claimed Chapter 11 today and will release approximately 1000 employees while closing 10 of its stores stores. It's pretty bad when a company paying mostly minimum and part time wages still can't make ends meet."

Oh great, now the government is responsible for food stores chains - perhaps there should be a massive investment along the lines of those made to banks, financial companies and automotive.

Ye of little faith.

In New Hampshire, which got $416 million dollars, officials have proudly announced that the money has created jobs — 50 of them, to be exact. Only 34 of them are full time. Apparently all of them are bureaucrat positions, and none of them permanent. The Office of Economic Stimulus (OES) employs five of those people, and when the governor appoints the director, that position will pay a $110,000 salary, plus benefits.

Sweeeeet!

Wait a sec... Crap! A grocery chain in Arizona claimed Chapter 11 today and will release approximately 1000 employees while closing 10 of its stores stores. It's pretty bad when a company paying mostly minimum and part time wages still can't make ends meet.

Well, that's a net loss of 950. Stimulus plan is right on track.

Who could ever expect a stimulus package to have a significant impact in just four months? That is completely unreal.
I do know for a fact, however, that my wife's teaching job (chemistry)--and along with it, our health insurance--was saved by the Stimulus, for at least another year.

Come on now! This stimulus was supposed to create jobs...Now, they are estimating that Unemployment might climb to 13%!! There are no jobs in sight. Pass another unemployment extension now or there will another downslide(foreclosures, bad debt) once those benefits are exhausted this summer for approx 690,000.

November, 2008
Obama said he aims to save or create 2.5 million jobs in a two-year plan. It will be a two-year, nationwide effort to jumpstart job creation in America.

January, 2009
Obama said between 3 million and 4 million U.S. jobs could be saved or created by 2010, nearly 90% of them in the private sector. His plan would create nearly 500,000 jobs by investing in clean energy.

June, 2009
Obama pledged to pump stimulus money into the economy over the next several months as part of a plan to create or save more than 600,000 jobs this summer, though the administration admits that at least 125,000 of those jobs are temporary.

July, 2009
“The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was not expected to restore the economy to full health on its own but to provide the boost necessary to stop the free fall," Obama wrote. “So far, it has done that. It was, from the start, a two-year program, and it will steadily save and create jobs as it ramps up over this summer and fall.”

Mike_C . ...

Perhaps you were not able to read the information posted here on the various phases of the Recovery and Reinvestment plan over the course of its four years.

It's available on the White House web site if you'd like to study it.

"anti-Obama press"

That is like saying "walking fish". Sure, they exist, but they are quite rare.

There will be no significant change in health care unless Tort Reform is addressed. No Tort Reform, no deal.

That, and Congress, and all federal workers from the top on down, would need to be enrolled in the "public plan" with NO opting out for government workers and/or Unions who have insurance benefits through collective bargaining.

They need to be all-in if they plan to sell it to average Americans.

No matter what they say now about what it was supposed to do, the projections the admin released at the time it was being rushed through Congress were much more positive than what has happened. It was supposed to do much more than it is doing.

He wants to get to health care by August so we have no more results to judge him by.