President Obama’s Jobs Speech

[KaosDad]

As a body, the member of this forum probably boycotted the POTUS’s address to Congress last night. However, as someone who is trying to make a living/career in the employment industry, I was compelled to tune in. As a service, I’d like to forward this commentary on what I saw.

Folks, those of us who want to see Obama become a one term President should be concerned. Not worried, not fretful – just concerned. Much in the same way one is concerned upon spotting a marmot in the front yard.

However, let’s first look at “unemployment” in the U.S. The media tells us that unemployment stands at 9.1ish% which translates to 14MMish people. The bulk of these folks, we are told, are in the unskilled work force while folks with college degrees experience a “statistically zero” rate of unemployment which stands at 4%. Now, most folks will tell you that unemployment is understated because the BLS only looks at the number of folks that are collecting unemployment insurance, ignoring those folks who have given up or can no longer draw benefits. Kids, it’s worse. The BLS polls 60,000 households in just over 2000 geographic areas representing about 110,000 individuals. 1/3 of these households are rotated out every 4 months and have to sit out for 8 months before being put back in. Yes, the BLS polls the same 100,000 households over and over again. I WISH our unemployment was at only 9.1%. Within the recruiter community we agree we’re really standing at closer to 15% with some folks pegging it at 20%.

Why? Because there is a huge community of folks who have “retired.” In other words – they’ve given up. Mind you – they’re educated, they want to work and THEY VOTE. Thus – why we should be concerned.

The POTUS’ address last night was classic Obama. It was a thinly veiled harkening back to 2008’s “Hope and Change” juggernaut that destroyed our Constitution and plunged us into the worst recession since Jimmy Carter. He was direct, he was decisive, he was aggressive and he addressed his target audience with power and conviction. Remember – unemployment pays no attention to political party. There are millions of Americans out there who “simply want to get back to work.”

What is at the root of the unemployment problem? Lack of confidence in Washington D.C. We know that. Corporate America is sitting on trillions of dollars in cash. As a friend of mine put it; “The old dawgs have run home and chewed on a shotgun while the young pups are scared shitless and hiding in the kennel.” Last night Obama said; “I get it. I hear you {Corporate America} and I am going to lavish you with rewards for hiring people.”

Is Corp America going to buy this and start hiring like mad? It just doesn’t matter because 14+mm unemployed people just heard the magic words; “I, President Barack Obama, am going to CREATE JOBS.” You may remember “The Far Side” by Gary Larson. In a classic two panel cartoon he had an old lady scolding her dog “Missy”. In the left panel the old lady was saying; “Bad Missy! I am very angry with you, Missy! No treats for you Missy!” In the right panel the dog simply heard; “blah Missy! blah blah blah blah blah blah, Missy! Blah treats for you Missy!” Same concept; “I am going to create jobs! blah blah blah blah blah Jobs blah blah blah blah blah Hire People!!!! blah blah blah blah blah blah more Jobs!”

Worse, he outlined a “plan” to pay for it. Again, this was classic “Barack the Magnificent” smoke and mirrors. But, again, that doesn’t matter. “blah blah blah blah blah Jobs blah blah blah blah hiring blah blah blah blah blah JOBS!!!!”

How to counter this? Honestly, kill the rhetoric. The Republicans had the right idea last night; be quiet, be respectful and speak the truth as one member did when he raised a sign that said; “More Drilling = More Jobs.” That’s all, he simply, quietly stated the truth.

Study Obama’s plan. Find the flaws (it’s not hard) and state how the plan Will. Not. Work. Leave the slogans to the bumper stickers.

[OakRidgeStars]

The SCOAMF has finally become completely irrelevant in every aspect of our daily lives. Too bad we have to watch this useless idiot for more than a year before we can put him in the unemployment line.

[Kreutz]

How to counter this? Honestly, kill the rhetoric. The Republicans had the right idea last night; be quiet, be respectful and speak the truth as one member did when he raised a sign that said; “More Drilling = More Jobs.” That’s all, he simply, quietly stated the truth.

Thats an awfully simplistic assessment, how exactly does drilling for increasingly difficult and dangerous to reach oil add a significant number of jobs? I understand its a short term boon for very few locales, but once its gone, its gone. I'm not a big fan of "alternative energies" but pinning our hopes on oil is ultimate short-term vision.

The simple reality is hiring will not pick up because it doesn't need to.

Can it be outsourced? If so it shall be.

Can it be automated? If so it shall be.

Can it be done by temps, part-timers, or forcing one poor dude to work himself o death for the price of one yet he does the work of three? If so it shall be.

Does this leave us more of those trillions we're sitting on to invest in equities, netting profits instead of hiring more workers; a large expense? If so it shall be.

Those tens of millions of folks on unemployment (or now off) are redundant and unnecessary now; there is simply no need for them anymore. No "jobs plan" from anyone will change this.

I'm also skeptical about the SS payroll tax cuts being widened, isn't that system in critical condition as it is?

Study Obama’s plan. Find the flaws (it’s not hard) and state how the plan Will. Not. Work. Leave the slogans to the bumper stickers.

Again, no plan will work. Unless that plan is banning outsourcing and going Luddite to remove technological advancements. Why, we can hire millions of switchboard operates who will go to work in wheels wrought by three journeymen cartwrights.

[SHMIV]

One way to keep jobs from traveling overseas is to institute a corporate import tax. If a part or product is manufactured in another country and shipped here, then it's an import. If the tax is high enough, it should encourage the corporations to bring the jobs home. We could also limit the scope of unions. Unions have driven up the cost of doing business. Finally, we could do away with minimum wage requirements. Will this fix everything 100%? Of course not. But it would certainly help.

[mikalthekrout]

Under President Reagan, some industry moved out of America, I know, 'Who is this Democrat', not even close a true Conservative. He did it in two steps, One to help energize a growing independent Capitalist segment in China, Second he believed it would under mine China's Communist Rulers.
Wrong: The leadership encouraged the Entrepreneurship's to help bring in vital new industry and 'Technology'. The tools necessary to create the very thing they could not get. Modern Processors for Computers. Learn to build the machinery and tools to make the machines, that make the tools, that make the parts, that make the computer chips and computers
In 1992 President Clinton and the Congress began to expand the scope of these 'allowed Industries' to migrate over. Apple, Motorola, Seagate, Miller, Milwaukee tools, Ryobi, Sears Roebuck, and millions of others. After all we are a 'Capitalist' Society, always told to make it and sell it for less, while making a huge profit.
Well the crooks did just that both Republicans and Democrats, cannot tell one from the other without a play card. Shipped our jobs oversea's and made us Useless redundancies.
Anyone in the service knows that a redundant is a worthless piece of equipment seldom if ever used and often discarded as excess baggage. Obama's Job speech was more about letting the wealthy get richer and those of use resigned now to live on SS or Disability or Veterans Pay. We will be redundant out of inhabitance. Less medical care, Less income to live on, Loss of homes and property, all because we are good honest hard working Church going God fearing people. We do not praise the almighty gold piece.

[seeknulfind]

Didn't watch it. But my father-in-law did. He made sure it was turned up so nobody could NOT hear at least some of it. Even so I managed to ignore most of it. (BTW - I do not, as a rule, listen to speeches period. I don't process audio well and prefer the written word to the spoken.)

What I DID pick up on was the tone of the speaker and the seemingly rave response of the audience. Judging from the response, I thought he must be really wooing Congress.

From what I read afterwards, my thoughts were entirely wrong. While some Republicans did indeed respond positively to some points, even this staunchest allies - such as Nancy Pelosi - were disgusted at times.

All this suggests to me that the media presentation of this speech was manipulated to put the one in the most shining light possible.

The bill itself appears to be pure Keynesian in nature - throw money at the problem.

It is supposed to be "paid for" with "savings" from "budget cuts". This is smoke and mirrors. The "cuts" are to be realized over 10 years while we continue to spend money at a record pace NOW.

From what I understand, not all the ideas are necessarily bad, but I doubt if I would agree with how those ideas are implemented.

Here are some principles I see as absolute if we want to get back on our feet economically:

Stop spending money NOW. I don't mean we should stop ALL spending but first freeze any and all spending increases. Then start cutting. For this to be effective, it may involve taking a hard look at big money programs making and making significant cuts. Easy? No. Expect mass kicking and screaming. Think of it as finally saying "NO" to a VERY spoiled brat.

Get the government out of the way of business. I don't just mean big business - I mean ALL business. And I don't mean just the Feds, I mean all government. Am I advocating anarchy? Absolutely not. But among the things the feds want to do includes tagging EVERY farm animal in America. They were just stopped from requiring anyone operating farm equipment from meeting professional trucking standards (I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me exactly by what authority they think they can do this.) Drop stupid ideas like the Federal "guidelines" on blogging. Get rid of gasohol but open up to allow vehicles to run on alcohol. Repeal the ban on incandescent light bulbs. In other words: stop trying to micromanage America.

Encourage state and local governments to become "small business friendly" . Clear the way for individuals everywhere to innovate and start new enterprises by reducing regulations and other obstacles that stand in the way.

Repeal the minimum wage. Okay this is not a principle but it needs to be done. (And, yes, I know, it is not likely to happen in my lifetime.) The effect of this idiotic law is opposite of the intention - it keeps wages unnaturally low.

Reform the legal system - particularly tort law. Think about this one. How many things did you use to do but now you cannot because of "insurance costs"? Insurance costs are high because of the plethora of lawsuits plaguing our nation. We need to infuse some common sense into this.

More often than not, "the government" seems to be regarded as some beast with a will of its own. And at times, this concept is not far off. But the fact is the intention was for our government to be responsive to the people. If we are to reclaim our nation, we need to tame the beast.

Andy

[SHMIV]

Sounds like a plan, Andy

[ARMSLIST]

I don't think he said anything new in this speech.

It's not the job of the government to create jobs, it is the job of the government to get out of the way so that the market can create jobs. Hopefully at some point our government/Congress/White House will get that message.

[zephyp]

I don't think he said anything new in this speech.

It's not the job of the government to create jobs, it is the job of the government to get out of the way so that the market can create jobs. Hopefully at some point our government/Congress/White House will get that message.

Indeed but they are collectively caught up in being our nannies...twits...

[ARMSLIST]

I don't think he said anything new in this speech.

It's not the job of the government to create jobs, it is the job of the government to get out of the way so that the market can create jobs. Hopefully at some point our government/Congress/White House will get that message.

Indeed but they are collectively caught up in being our nannies...twits...

Agreed, we have way too many of these big government dolts running things, this nanny-state nonsense has to end.

Ron Paul 2012!

[dorminWS]

I didn't hear the speech; I was travelling. But from what I've read and heard, I can sum it up in 1 sentence:

"I want to keep spending money the government don't have like there's no tomorrow to continue to do what hasn't worked over the last 3 years, and some other schmuck can socialize the country and eliminate entitlements to pay for it."

My reaction (and what the country's and Congress' ought to be) requires only two words. the first one's a dirty one.