Posts with the tag jobs

Zero unemployment guaranteed within one year "The Plan"

Patrick from Bellflower, CA — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:36:38 EST

Please take a moment to review this plan
I have been in business for 40 Years and I know this plan will work. It is simple. The People needing jobs are there. There is 126 Million business to help with this. The Network to do it is already in place using EDD and FUTA. The State and Federal Government recapture their contributions immediately.
Please take the time to review this presentation. It will put America to work, the 16 Million people out of work now back to work.
Zero Unemployment "The Guaranteed Plan" <> short version >
Link
Go to youtube
and search Zero Unemployment

Zero Unemployment "The Guaranteed Plan" <> longer version >
Link

Go to Youtube and search Zero Unemployment

This will change the Nation

One Idea At A Time

Job Creation in the Manufacturing Industry

Suellis — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:19:37 EST

It is widely known that the Automakers that the taxpayers assisted at the beginning of the year are determined to pay the money back. In fact, these payments are supposed to begin being made in less than three months; the first installment at One Billion dollars.

Since our citizens are in great need of employment, how about our American Automaker’s make their first payments in the form of creating manufacturing jobs to begin re-hiring this segment of our American workers!

As a result of all the events that have happened during the last two years, our citizens have become highly aware of how important it is to purchase American made products; which was clearly demonstrated during the, “Cash for Clunkers,” programs that occurred less than a couple of months ago. The sales of American made automobiles, was so rapid that our Automakers’ actually generated profits during this time of recession!

Although, taking this action won’t produce the millions of jobs that are needed to secure and rebuild all of our citizen’s lives; our workers in the manufacturing industry will begin to be stabilized, along with the communities that they live in. Then while these positive events are occurring, we can continue finding other solutions to establish additional jobs for our United States citizens.

Meanwhile, our Leader’s can also start encouraging us to purchase American made products whenever we can. And our News programs and other Television shows can begin developing and airing Public Interest segments to let us know about the businesses in our communities that have created and are selling American made products.

So, instead of sending our Taxpayer’s repayment check to the Capitol, our Automakers can insert those tax-dollars directly back into our economy. Creating this kind of Policy also paves the way for the re-emergence of a significant aspect of our Heritage – and provides our Automakers with an open door to reassert themselves as active members within our society and rise up in the support of our citizen’s advancement and well-being; while adding to and benefiting our countries growth.

Perhaps, by utilizing this method for our Automakers to pay the taxpayers back, we can also give ourselves the opportunity to regain some of our innocence, by restoring and re-establishing our foundation of taking care of our citizens first and watching out for each other again.

Find out where the stimulus money is going

Pat from Pittsburgh, PA — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:41:31 EST

So how’s that stimulus working for you? I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that question this year. Okay, let’s answer it. Yes, the money is moving. And yes, I expected more results by now, too. But it will take a long time to fix an economy that was so deliberately and horribly neglected for eight years.

CONTINUE . . . . http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-14931-Pittsburgh-Public-Policy-Examiner~y2009...

washingtonpost.com:Obama Remarks on Math, Science and Technology Education

Eric — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:23:08 EST

Obama Remarks on Math, Science and Technology Education

CQ Transcripts Wire
Monday, November 23, 2009;

...

also want to note that this is only the beginning. We're going to challenge the private sector to partner with community colleges, for example, to help train the workers of today for the jobs of tomorrow, even as we make college more affordable, so that by 2010 America once again leads the world in producing college graduates.

OBAMA: Now, I have to say to the young people who are here, we can't let students off the hook. In the end, the success of this campaign depends on them. But I believe strongly that America's young people will rise to the challenge if given the opportunity, and given a little bit of a push.

We've got to work together to create these opportunities because our future depends on them.

And I just want to mention the importance not only for students but also of parents.

You know, I was in Asia, I think, many of you are aware, for a week. And I was having lunch with the president of South Korea, President Lee. And I was interested in the education policy -- they've grown enormously over the last 40 years -- and I asked them what are the biggest challenges in your education policy.

He said, you know, "The biggest challenge that I have is that my parents are too demanding."

(LAUGHTER)

He said, "Even if somebody is dirt poor, they are insisting that their kids are getting the best education." He said, "I've had to import thousands of foreign teachers because their all insisting that Korean children have to learn English in elementary school."

That was the biggest education challenge that he had was an insistence, a demand from parents for excellence in the schools.

And the same thing was true when I went to China. And I was talking to the mayor of Shanghai, and I asked him about -- how he was doing recruiting teachers, given that they've got 25 million people in this one city.

He said, "We don't have problems recruiting teachers because teaching is so revered and the pay scales for teachers are actually comparable to doctors and other professions."

That gives you a sense of what is happening around the world. There is a hunger for knowledge, an insistence on excellence, a reverence for science and math and technology and learning. That used to be what we were about. That's what we're going to be about again.

And I have to say that this doesn't get a lot of focus. Not once was I asked about education policy during my trip by the press, and oftentimes events like this get short shrift. They're not what's debated on cable.

But this is probably going to make more of a difference in determining how well we do as a country than just about anything else that we do here. ....

OFA & TN6 ECONOMIC CORE ISSUES OF 2009

Toasty in Tennessee — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:01:04 EST

I encourage all to go to "http://www.barackobama.com/issues/" and review OFA's core issues. Do we not have a common economic goal with people in other districts in every state? Yes, we do! Is it obtainable? Yes it is, at least it will be once we combine all of our collective thoughts and efforts.

ECONOMY- OFA's Issue Statement basically states: Change how we do business, rebuild our economy on a new foundation. I think it also implies that we all should share in our nation's economic growth and rewards. Not just the top two percent! I reject the thought or premise that a recovering economy will not produce jobs until months or years later. Where does it say Wall Street Bankers, Investment, Healthcare, and Insurance executives must get preferential treatment. Could it have started years ago when these same executives promoted an unregulated perverted free market economic ideology. To the working and middleclass disadvantage, have they also persuaded our representatives in government to consider us to be meaningless simple minded consumers and not intelligent demanding citizens?

Join with me not to be a socialist but to be pragmatist. We need a JOBS based economic recovery. Let us have an opportunity raise and feed our families in a stable place we call home. We need to design, process, and manufacture products in America like those productive Americans before us. There is inherent pride when we can show our family, products that we made in our workshops, factories and on construction sites. A quality life style we can be proud of.

A jobs based economic recovery would also discourage our children from joining gangs. If they can grow up with hopes and dreams and see a pathway to a quality life style, they will want to work. We must realize "Hopes" and "Dreams" eventually turn into goals and success stories. Jobs paying a living wage will indirectly dissipate the growing street gang crises and hopefully reduce it to a controllable nuisance.

Scandalizing methods of making money by shifting paper around in secrecy and under the cloche of darkness on Wall Street is no different than shifting twenty dollar notes around in secrecy and under the crack or coke of darkness behind Main Street.

We need JOBS, financial and insurance regulations, fair tax and trade laws that will remake America into a great industrial society. An educated and skilled workforce that manufactures finished products from raw materials. One that builds great Machinery and wonderful Landmarks. Give us JOBS and a chance to participate in this recovery.

We cannot wait for weak legislation to accidently happen once or twice a year. We cannot accept our Congressional Representatives bragging about being obstructionist introducing numerous phony amendments and then after all that, voting NO. We certainly cannot accept it from Rep. Barton Gordon (D?-TN-6) a BLUE DOG DEMOCRAT in the great Congressional Sixth District of Tennessee. I say " BLUE DOG DEMOCRAT " as a negative intonation. We need a progressive democrat like President Barack Obama.

The first step to success is that we have to want it. The second step is organizing and doing something about it. The third is monitoring or measuring our progress. Forth, continuously improve, change or make corrections to the process. Fifth, monitor, re-measure and accept no less than success. Just as OFA's issue statement says, " We will not rebuild our economy on the old model of bubbles and busts. We'll only climb out of the current crisis by creating a new, sustainable foundation for our economy's future -- and make the tough choices to put our economy back on the road to long-term prosperity." Think about it, talk about it, today we look back and see the economy still needs aggressive change. Our foundation cracked a year ago and is still unstable. We need to help President Barack Obama implement change at an accelerated pace. Do we think Rep. Barton Gordon is up to the task? I am now questioning this?

BULLETS SENT TO THE PRESIDENT via WHITE HOUSE WEB SITE (14Nov2009)

Toasty in Tennessee — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:24:25 EST

Get out of Afghanistan, pass meaningful healthcare and if it fails, move on.

Regulate financial industries. Jobs, Jobs, and Jobs.

Stop building unwanted bridges and schools in Afghanistan. We need them at home.

The terrorist are not warriors. They have no army to blow up. We give them creditability calling their gang an army.

The FBI and CIA can chase them. Use the law to prosecute them, jails to hold them and the electric chair to kill them.

Stop spending our precious resources outside of the country and spend it at home.

Don't become "Bushed!"

Stand by the progressives, discipline the blue dogs and bring bills to the floor. If they don't pass it is OUR job (not yours alone) to fix it.

Oh, most important to you. You're not only slipping in the polls, you are losing your base. I love ya, but sometimes action is better than wimpy results!!

Stop enjoying yourself soo.... much. We are living hard lives and are trying to get through tough times.

Where is the "OLD" Barack? Bring him back and if bills go up or down, we will at least have a great time trying.

Good Luck, I am still in your camp for now. I don't think I can afford to give any more money. At least not until things change.

Jim's Stimulous Love

ALiveOneHere — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:09:15 EST

I had a retort to Jim's love of his government and all his great work below:

The Stimulus and me... | Report to Admin Reply By Archaeology Jim Nov 10th 2009 at 7:14 pm EST (Updated Nov 10th 2009 at 7:14 pm EST) The Stimulus and Me: A Love Story.

I am beginning work on a large archaeological survey for a proposed solar powered power plant in southern Arizona. The project is backed by a Dept. of Defense loan program, which was part of the stimulus.

I will hire four people, spend around $4000 at a hotel in southern Arizona, spend around $2000 in software, and will put about $12,000 in the pockets of my employees...

How absolutely Stimulating!!! Love fest over, see my retort below...

Become Engaged

Engaged Citizen for transparency and accountability — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:16:31 EDT

We often hear today that our government is doing too much too fast. Really?

We have an economic melt down that is costing hundreds of thousands of jobs every month putting us in an economic and financial crisis. We continue to debate the financial and climatic impact of an unsustainable energy policy that requires a transition to alternative, renewable energy. We have the year-to-year cost of health care crippling individuals, businesses and our governement (Medicare & Medicaid). We seem to lack a commitment to the fundamental requirement of an educational system that produces competent, world class citizens on a scale with other countries.

We need to know what our representation in Washington is doing about these critical issues. We need to let Washington know how we would like them to legislate on our behalf. We need to make every elected representative accountable for the actions they either have or have not taken on our behalf.

Become engaged - let Washington know where we stand.

Tamils blocked Westminster Bridge in London

Unknown user — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:12:08 EDT

Representatives of the British Tamil community blocked the Westminster Bridge in London after reports of the assassination of Sri Lanka, the leader of the Tamil separatist organization the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Velupillaya Prabhakarana.

On the arrests of demonstrators Regiment were reported. However, according to police, there were more than two thousand people.

While Sri Lanka is celebrating the end of the civil war chetvertvekovoy, London Tamils mourn the death of the leader of the LTTE.

Police have not yet managed to crowd of demonstrators blocked the vehicular traffic on Westminster Bridge.

As a result of the deterioration of the situation in Sri Lanka, Britain found itself in a literal sense, "between two fires."
Tamil Promo paralyzed central London

Earlier, in response to requests by the British Tamils to intervene and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in the Tamil parts of Sri Lanka London appealed the cease-fire and investigate possible violations by government troops.

Now, against the backdrop of the celebrations in Sri Lanka from the British embassy in Colombo has been the demonstration of some thousands of opponents of policy in London, who is now accused of supporting militants.

The demonstrators threw stones and burned the building diplomatic doll in the form of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the United Kingdom David Milibanda, reports Sky News.

It was reported that a military operation against the rebel movement Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) concluded on Monday, May 18, said the commander of the Sri Lankan army general Sarath Fonseca, according to which "resistance separatists finally broken."

Earlier, the military of Sri Lanka announced the elimination of the leader of the rebel movement Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Velupillai Prabahakarana. In addition, it was reported that Sri Lanka's army destroyed four Tamil Tiger leaders, among whom was the son of Velupillaya Prabhakarana - Charles Anthony.

***

According to the UN, because the current fierce fighting with government troops Tamil militants more than 265 thousand have fled their homes, becoming refugees.

European Union called on the Government of Sri Lanka as soon as possible to ensure full access for humanitarian organizations to the UN to the zones, where fighting ended. At the same time, several European ministers, in particular, first Foreign Ministers of Great Britain and Sweden, were in favor of an "independent investigation" of facts of violations of rights of the Tamil militants, and by government forces of Sri Lanka, killing civilians.

According to the Foreign Office David Milibenda, distributed a "very serious allegations" of committing war crimes by both parties to the conflict, and they must be thoroughly investigated. "

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President Obama's Job Training Plan for the Unemployed

N. Julio Barthson - E-Campaign Leader — Sat, 09 May 2009 22:21:52 EDT

President Obama is doing the right thing to take care of people who have lost their jobs and still need an opportunity to update their skills for the new economy. Education and appropriate job training are essential elements of the future modern, global economy which we must embrace. The President's plan makes dreams possible for many Americans and their families...

NASA IS NECESSARY

Jim — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:56:50 EDT

We need NASA more then bailing out AIG and all the Wall Street Fat Cats. Look back to the days when we were caught flat footed by the Russians launching Sputnik and that's how we'll be caught by the Chinese when they land on the Moon and Mars while we become a 3rd World country with no technology. A culture of minimum wage earners.

Obama claims he's for Science, well NASA and the Space Program are about Science more then anything else. We should be developing vehicles and programs that continue to explore the Universe around us. There are also ten's of thousands of jobs at stake in various States.

If the Obama administration cuts or eliminates NASA and the Space Program it will loose a part of my support and serve as a kind of sign that maybe the President's words are empty. It also could loose Central Florida which helped elect this President and could help elect a Democratic Senator soon.

Don’t Pay Them To Outsource Jobs

Don — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:30:31 EDT

We are actually paying companies to ship our jobs overseas. Corporations receive tax cuts for outsourcing jobs to other countries. The president wants to eliminate those tax breaks, saving us $210 billion over the next four years. The White House needs to drive that message home tirelessly.

EV's Fast track to dominant the world.

The Idea Man — Fri, 01 May 2009 23:14:56 EDT

My view on the auto industry is that it will be 25 to 50 years till electric vehicles will be the dominant not the hybrid in auto sells. But if congess provided the prize money for Nascar EV's races, nationwide in trucks, cars, drag, tractor pulls, motocross and Baha, competing independents and the Big 3 will move that date forword, based on ticket sales at the stands and the popular support in the pits. The only industry that will be affected is oil, as EV,s have low need of it. New jobs galore will happen if the prizes are large. Three to five Years should do it.

I LOVE OUR President however ....

Steve Severson — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 09:51:31 EDT

But he's NOT INFALLABLE, in fact, he's completely wrung about so-called "clean coal" there is no such beast! Don't get me wrong: I AM all for ""Green Jobs" (a quick aside here; it is currently storming here. Wouldn't it be a kick, were I struck DEAD after fighting cancer for so long?) Gotta find the "Funny" when it gets handed to ya!

Where was I? Oh yes! Green Jobs! "Clean Coal" I used to canvass, or rather, DIRECT CAVASSING ON THIS VERY ISSUE! So believe me when I tell you There is no such thing!

I am well informed on this "Issue"! AND CONSIDER myself, as others do too, something of an expert on the subject at hand. And I'm here to tell ya, while I've seen the jobs CREATED regarding the subject(my Brother's division is funded through this initiative!) and it's GREAT, BUT we need to watch this!

OBAMAS PIGGY BANK NEW BALL GAME

Freeman Sims — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:31:00 EDT

GIVE OBAMA WHAT HE WANSTMAKE SURE THAT HE GETS THIS PAGE.PASS IT ON. TRY TO PUT OUT A PRESS RELEASE TO YOUR LOCAL NEWS AND TV STATIONS.MY PHONE 503-438-6305 PUT IT ON WWW.YOUTUBE.COM By: freeman43 Portland : OR : USA | about 1 month ago 2 0 Views: 43 APRIL 24 2009 2:15 PM PST MY PHONE 503-438-6305 Hello! My name is Freeman Sims. You are welcome to copy and use these articles. I do not own any of these Videos. I only own the Text and my Personal Photos. *** To make it Short, All of the Obama Volunteers, have Time on their Hands. They have Nothing to Do! These websites , http://www.obamaspiggybank.org and Http://www.obamaspiggybank.com Have been Registered Thru The IRS and The State of Oregon, To Accept Donations for President Barrack Obama to use to Replenish his Stimulus Package. Simple put, 300 Million USA Citizens Donate 1 Penny a Day. That amounts to $ 3Million a Day IN Obama’s piggy bank. You Can bet your bottom Dollar that, YES WE CAN. YES WE WILL. The Web Site is predicated up op on OUR Need to Wipe Out The National Debt. I have a Mile Long List of Analysis and ways to Refine the Campaign Program. The Mission is to, Totally Eliminate the national debt; by Christmas 2009; and to Provide Mr. Obama A SURPLUS OF 10 TRILLION DOLLARS, BY THE END OF HIS FIRST term. MY WEB SITES www.newballgame.org and www.obamaspiggybank.org ARE NOT UP YET. THEY ARE JUST SITTING ON GODADDY.COM , BECAUSE I AM ADUMMY AT BUILDING WEB SITES. IN THE MEAN-TIME I HAVE SET UP TWO ( 2 ) DONATION BANK ACCOUNTS. THEY ARE NON PROFIT WEBSITES AND BANK DONATION SITES. REGISTERED THRU THE OREGON STATE ATTORNEY GENERAN AND THE INTERNAL REVENUE.DID THIS ON FEB 25 2009 THEY ARE HOT, AND LIVE. I HAVE TESTED THE SITES, AND THEY DO ACCEPT MONEY.GO TO ANY BRANCH OFFICE IN THE COUNTRY AND DONATE. YOU CAN GO TO YOUR OWN BANK AND SEND FUNDS TO www.bankofamerica.com and www.wellsfargo.com MAKE A NOTATION = GAVE TO www.newballgame.org or www.obamaspiggybank.org DONATE ON LINE using youe account, or USE www.paypal.com DONATE HERE www.bankofamerica.com and www.wellsfargo.com *** NOTE *** ALWAYS PUT ON THE PAID-TO LINE , THE LAST 4 OF YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. WHY? ** BECAUSE WHEN WE PAY OFF THE NATIONAL DEBT, YOU WILL RECEIVE A TREASURY NOTE;THAT PAYS QUARTERLY.DIVIDENDS.*** STOP FUNDING YOUR IRA RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS.PEOPLE HAVE LOST BILLION WITH IRA RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS. SET UP AN AUTOMATIC PAYROLL DEDUCTION PLAN, AND DONATE TO www.newballgame.org or www.obamaspiggybank.org *** THEASURY NOTES CAN ONLY BE OWNED BY INDIVIDUALS.THEY ARE BACKED 100% BY THE FEDERAL RESERVE AND THE USA TREASURY DEPARTMENT. PAY YOUR SELF FIRST. ALL OF THE MONEY GOES TO PRESIDENT OBAMA. HE IS THE ONE THAT WILL HELP YOU SET UP YOUR TREASURY NOTE ACCOUNTS. HE WILL HAVE TO GET (ASAP), A VERY LARGE STAFF; TO HANDLE YOUR OVERWHELMING RESPONSES. YES WE CAN. PASS THIS ON. TWEETER IT, ETC. MOST OF ALL TRY TO PUT THIS PAGE IN TO *** A PRESS RELEASE IN YOUR LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS, AND TV. I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS CAMPAIGN FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. MR. OBAMA DOES NOT READ HIS E-MAIL. *** CORRECTION, THE OBAMA FAIMLY DID VISIT MY WEBSITE; www.obamasprivateporkbarrel.org LAST MAY. NOTHING CAME OF IT.Yes We Can. Yes We Will. How?? 1 cent at a time. Don’t tell me all the stuff about 10 years, using Pennies. I did the Math. There are a Kazillion ways to (skin the cat) Raise the Funds. Buy Stocks. They will be back Stronger than ever, by August2009I shall give you a Line by Line Analysis Later. Just Believe in The Audacity of Hope. It worked Before, and it Will Work Again. I am a WWII baby. I have been HERE before, fireside chats and all. We did it before and we can do it again.FDR took us form Zero to The Atomic Bomb. We will Hit the After Burner by mid July, so hold on to your Seat. You and The WORLD are in for a good old American Ingenuity RIDE.Simple as that.Now! Enjoy Yourself, by staying on this Page; until You Get It. Give Obama what he Wants, 1 cent at a time 300 million citizens, Donate 1 Penny a DayAmounts to 3 Million Dollars a Day.That is 21 Million a Week. 84 Million Dollars a Month. It adds up to 1 Billion and 800 Million a month.Or, give $5 per Person, per Month, which adds up to 1 Billion 500 Million Dollars a Month. *** Book Mark this page.5 dollars a month, per person adds up to 18 Billion a Year.Let the states have a Fund raising Contest. 1 Cent a day, doubled each day; amounts to the Surprisingamount of 10 million, 600 hundred thousand at the end of 31 days.That adds up to 530 million dollars. There are 2 major Cities inEach state, so we now have 1 billion and 60 million dollars perContest. How about if we have a contest for each of the 4 seasonsOf the year? That is 4 billion and 240 million dollars.We are trying to Replenish President Barrack Obama’s STIMULIS Package. We are Donating Money to Obama’s Piggy Bank. This means that we are Donating to ourselves.A Rising Tide lifts All Ships. We are workinf as fast as we can, to Hit the ground Running. www.obamaspiggybank.org is set up to receive theDonations, as is www.1centx2.com and www.newballgame.org For those who always type in . com , we have also registered Domains of www.1centx2.com + www.1pennyx2.com andwww.obamaspiggybank.com and www.obamaspiggybank.mobi Currently We have set up Donation accounts at Bank of America andWells Fargo Banks. We are also trying to bring US Bank, aboard.Not too shabby, for pitching Pennies! Hummmmm.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM1p0SQ1c7A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZhu8SaodPw&feature=related

Texas does not intend to leave the United States. 75% of the people - against the

Unknown user — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:48:40 EDT

75% tehastsev opposed secession from the United States
Three-quarters of the residents of Texas were opposed to the idea of independence from the United States and would have voted against it, if this issue was raised in a referendum.

The results sotsoprosa conducted by the American Center, Rasmussen Reports, 31% of Texas residents are confident that the state has the right to withdraw from the United States to form an independent state. However, if the question of independence was put to a referendum, then voted for the disconnect is only 18% of the citizens.

Against secession from the United States voted to tehastsev 75% and 7% of respondents had not yet decided on a response.

Recall the recent political elites of the state initiated a broad discussion on the possible withdrawal of the United States of Texas. Prior to Governor Rick Perry, taking part in a protest against higher taxes in the city of Austin made it clear that does not exclude such a scenario.

"We have a lot of scenarios. We have a great country, and we have no reason to dissolve our union. But if Washington will continue to poke his nose in the affairs of the people of the United States, understand what may be a result of all this. Texas - a unique place, it is independent of his spirit, "- said the governor of Texas.

Note, Texas existed as an independent state in 1836. In 1845 the republic was annexed by the United States and a year later, officially ceased to exist. Now, 2 March (the date of signing the declaration in 1836) states in the state of Texas Independence Day.

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Jabcjaua

Unknown user — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:43:01 EDT

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Next generation of Leaders: Summit with Omar Dyer (Job Creation)

Omar Dyer — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 15:18:17 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ui8PkQR9os

Click on that and learn about the Next Generation of Leaders Barack Obama talked about.

Omar Dyer was recently on a radio station promoting a job fair for NP and SBA in New Jersey.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1357295

Omar Dyer is the onlu candidate that has a real chance for an independant to win. The media is not talking about him and will not give this young kid a chance to change politics for the better.

One world, one issue

Leader of the FUTURE — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:54:19 EDT

We can be divided by region, by color, by geography, by weather, by nation, by name we can be divided for many reason. Even United Nation is not united for many reasons. But we all are UNITED for our world, our living green world. You might have no time to think about me, to think about others but you must think about your self, about your family, about your children. For you, for your family, for your children you need this world. So keep the world clean, keep the world green. In future scientists can discover that people can live in Mars. But it will be expensive for you to travel there and also you have to face VISA problems, good health is also required for the long journey way to Mars. So without thinking for your living world keep it clean. Otherwise one day from other planet someone will come to your grave to research, is in this planet has ever life, water, tree!!!!

Europe is Invading Our Stimulus Package

Tom Awtry — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:05:11 EDT

In a post last week I sited excerpts from an article regarding how China is shopping for American businesses at bargain prices within a time piece entitled “Things go Better with Coke”. Well it seems I was a bit far sighted, since I see in the Washington Post today the European countries are coming to the States too.

Not necessarily for business “buy outs”, but instead to start lobbying activities for our $787 billion dollar Economic Stimulus Recovery package. Foreign nations and companies are stepping up their lobbying efforts in Washington and in state capitals, hoping to gain vital business in hard times. Hundreds of foreign-owned companies, many of them with significant operations in the United States, are selling their expertise in clean energy, high-speed transit and other technologies that undergird key aspects of President Obama’s stimulus efforts.

The following is an excerpt from the Post article, entitled: “Foreign Firms May Cash In on Stimulus Act With Expertise U.S. Companies Lack”, authored by Dan Eggen.

Telecoms such as Alcatel-Lucent of France, for example, and its New Jersey-based research arm, Bell Labs, are eligible to seek part of $7.2 billion in stimulus money set aside for upgrading broadband networks. Most global companies specializing in the transit and high-speed rail projects envisioned under the stimulus act are based in other countries — Canada’s Bombardier and France’s Alstom, for example. Transurban Group of Australia, which is helping develop high-speed toll lanes along the Capital Beltway, is a world leader in developing toll roads.

Sanyo North America, an arm of the Japanese technology giant, has already broken ground on a new solar-panel plant in Oregon and is readying strategies to tap into stimulus-related business, according to company officials. The firm recently registered as a lobbying organization in Washington for the first time since 2001, Senate records show.

I’m not for our government to establish policies of “protectionism”, but as we all know when there’s money to be had and lobbyists are involved, congressional votes are many times purchased at the tax payer’s expense, in this case “jobs”.

Earnestly it’s our civil duty to become politically involved, perhaps more so than we ever have before, to insure our politicians subscribe to a stick code of ethics and we vote our choice by moral character instead of political party in the election two years from now.

Here could be the type of jobs other countries are perhaps attempting to take from us:

Made In America

Hear the story of Troy Galloway, an American whose job and neighborhood have been revitalized by wind turbine manufacturing.

Additional postings regarding this topic and others may be found here:

How to Decrease Teen Pregnancies, Decrease Crime, and Improve our Economy

Dr Linda Shelton — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 09:49:15 EDT

Idol young people who have delayed educations, inadequate educations, and difficulty finding jobs are expected to delay marrying and having families. This fights biology as a persons most fertile period is in their late teens and early 20s. We need to analyze and deal with these facts.

Personally as a pediatrician, I found the highest teen birth rates in three groups. 1. Teens in distressed families (drug addict or absent parents [not single moms], poverty where parents are working 2-3 jobs, overextended and therefore technically absent and rich parents with unsupervised kids); 2. Teens in very religious families relying on abstinence, that wouldn't talk about sex, leaving kids to figure it out on their own (these kids constantly were super rebellious); and 3. idol teens who had no hobbies except hanging out with friends and who had self-esteem problems such that they would do anything to appear popular.

The saddest case that is a commentary on how we talk but don't help distressed teens and families was an eighth grade girl who told me she purposely got pregnant because she wanted someone to "love her." She had lived mainly on the streets taking care of herself in South Carolina (the bible belt) where social services were inadequate to help her. Her parents were unavailable. The churches, schools, and social services viewed her as important and worthwhile as a dead dog. What do you expect! Three girls in her class were pregnant that year.

Until we promote individual worth; provide adequate eduation so that kids are motivated to learn and therefore kept busy with self motivation(our high school education is like a junior high education in most civilized countries - teachers are in general miserably undertrained); teach kids the value of being involved with others and with activities such as the arts, volunteering, involvement with government and social services, gardening, sports without a goal of being a major leager; teach that community and family is more important than self and instant gratification or material goods; promote a village atmosphere where people in one small neighborhood or a few blocks in a city know each other, meet regularly with each other (difficult with two jobs and long commutes) and help each other (70 % of Americans don't know their neighbors); make real job training and jobs available to young men and women; reform laws so that like in Europe women can stay home with a child the first two years of life and still have a job available and career available when they return to work, we will make no progress in regards to teen births or abortions.

We need to shift our priorities and donations to the REAL problems that result in teen pregnancies and abortions. If we simply fight about ideology nothing will be accomplished. United We Stand, Divided We Fall. Perhaps it is time to agree to disagree on ideology and work together on issues that we all agree upon!

The benefits would be enormous. We would not just deal with teen pregnancies and reduce abortions, we would reduce crime and increase our countries productivity saving huge amounts of money and rebuilding our economy.

X Kingdom faced economic crisis

sadashivan — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 07:44:41 EDT

Once upon a time some thousand years back a country X faced serious economic crisis resulting financial and banking institution failures, massive unemployment, trade crisis that slashed kingdom revenue. King and his chief minister were worried about moving economy. All solutions they brought were failed rather deepened further. Entire kingdom was sleepless. Worried King ordered the ministries “Perceiving economic down turn I decide to invite all the economists and ministers for their suggestions to overcome the deepening crisis and find solutions. Suitable idea will be rewarded”.

Veterans hit hard by recession

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:08:47 EDT

Job fair held to help them find employment | By Evelyn Holmes

Many U.S. troops coming home to America's troubled economy have fallen on hard times. Some veterans find themselves looking for jobs to fight off foreclosure and other financial problems.

Sunday, a group of Chicago area community, business and government agencies came together to help them.

Fifteen months ago, Brian Jacobson put his fast food job on hold and headed to Iraq for an Army tour of duty, only to return home and become one of the thousands of jobless veterans.

"Now that I'm out, I find it hard because I don't have a set plan day-to-day," Jacobson

That's the reason why hundreds of veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families attended the second annual Welcome Home celebration. That employment and information fair is the brainchild of Chicago area Veterans Affairs officials and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

"As a returning Iraqi veteran, there was nothing here on campus. It's an opportunity," said Robert Malnik of the UIC Veterans Student Association.

"It's harder for them now. When they return home, there are not as many people hiring," Jesse brown VA Medical Center's Valerie Creedon said.

Fewer businesses looking to hire veterans showed up at the fair this year, but those that did hoped to fill their ranks with former soldiers.

Credit Agencies: The Power of a Government Without Democracy.

Krozar — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:35:22 EDT

It is becoming a common occurence, hard working Americans unable to be hired for a job because they placed having a home over credit cards when their jobs are lost in this economy. The level of oversight and regulations over credit reporting agencies are appalling. Essentially they have extraordinary power over Americas, but none of the members of their boards are elected or under respectable oversight.

Legislation to protect Americans is vastly limited. They are not merely a tool for banks to assess risk of loaning, but used by employers, military recruitment, and other entities for a purpose other than lending money.

Jobs are a de facto right for all Americans. Most of cannot survive without their income. Yet, private entities without any electoral oversight and virtually no legislative regulations are in control of such vital aspects for the very existence of the working class.

For those that read this, please pressure the Obama Administration and your Representatives to push for credit reform.

Easy Unemployment Fix

Ariel from Fairfield, CA — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 05:19:43 EDT

With millions of unemployed Highly Skilled Americans in Information Technology, Engineering and Science careers, Obama should cancel all guest worker visas (H1b/L1). These are non-immigrant visas and have been used to replace American workers with cheap foreign labor. The jobs that will open up are good highly paid jobs and will encourage students to take Engineering, Computer Science and Science Degrees. Wake up America! It's time to help Americans first to find jobs and make our country, Number one again in Science. Middle class Americans in this field are fighting propaganda from companies that abuse the visa, Indian Consulting Companies and the Indian Government (who funds NASSCOM and several lobbying firms).

America will Succeed

George — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:54:27 EST

The Republican Party has become a party of obstructionists which is reflected in recent polls. As a democratic strategist, Plouffe is too kind to ask them to join this current administration. Let them continue on this path of marginalization to complete irrelevance. Once the first paychecks comes in, the first tax cuts seen, the first road, bridges, schools, hospitals, built or repaired and thousands of workers back on the job, the sheer cynical politicization of this crisis by the opposition party will become starkly evident. The first scheduled laid off policeman, firefighter and teacher who, instead of getting their pink slips, gets a paycheck, the unemployed person who will now receive extended benefits and an increase, the social security retiree who will see a $250 one-time payment and a total elimination of federal income tax will remember where that came from. It came from a leader who said “Yes We Can” not from a group who sadly chants “Just Say No.” When one can board a high-speed maglev train and go from, say, my village to either New York City or Boston in under a few hours allowing the opening up of not only employment opportunities but the ancillary economic growth, this president's leadership and vision will become clearly apparent. We will then look back to Limbaugh's "Obama Must Fail" mantra as the death knell of the conservative Republican base. Obama will not fail but America will succeed and prosper once again.

Broadband to the Rescue

Regina Hopper — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:15:06 EST

From tweeting lawmakers to bold ideas for our nation’s recovery, President Obama’s address last night was truly inspiring. He offered an ambitious and hopeful vision of the road to recovery, and I couldn’t agree more with his confident assertion that “the answers to our problems don’t lie beyond our reach.” In fact, at virtually every turn last night, we encountered a familiar theme to many of us engaged in online policy debates—the power of broadband to connect the country to the next wave of American growth, innovation and opportunity.

Education. When President Obama talks about ensuring all Americans have access to a complete and competitive education, broadband is the resource that ensures this access no matter where people live—connecting students to everything from online mentoring to a whole world of opportunities to expand horizons and thrive.

Health Care. It is beyond time for real reform, and health IT is key to getting costs under control while advancing the quality of patient care. Kudos to our connected president for his shout-out to electronic medical records that can reduce debilitating, often fatal errors and make health care more efficient.

Energy. Not only can we rebuild and renew, but we can do it smarter. From telecommuting to reduced air travel, broadband offers many sophisticated ways to boost productivity while reducing dependence on foreign oil and our impact on the earth.

Jobs. President Obama readily acknowledged that investment in broadband deployment will create jobs, and these direct jobs are just the start. Nearly half of all broadband-fueled jobs are outside the tech sector (think IT professionals in schools, hospitals and your office). President Obama also made a critical and constructive acknowledgement that every time our nation has rallied to renew our economy “government didn’t supplant private enterprise; it catalyzed private enterprise.”

I agree with our President that our shared love of country and desire for our nation to succeed must be the starting point of every debate in the critical weeks and months ahead. I look forward to a constructive conversation about how broadband can help move our economy and our lives forward into a bright American future.

Let's OPEN A BIG HEART FOR EVERYONE TO WIN!

as, Tyfundi or Ty — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:19:18 EST

Take a moment and see through the eye's of a child. In every country, every creed and nation, the youth want freedom. The freedom to choose is a right every human has been given. Yet, so little has been utilized. We have seen more abuse than anything, over the years.

President Obama was elected because that abuse has run us in the financial ground. This is not the first time, our nation faced financial corruption. Most every child knows this first hand. There are student who have followed the financial trail for years, knowing all to young the seemingly hopelessness of the future. Why, because of the lack of funds in every home in the world.

The high rise in SCAMMERS around the world, milking anyone who will [in good faith] give them a chance. Thinking they have been befriended by a honest person[s] who will help them grow a family, business, and country. Only to get robbed over and over again.

Most every american and nation can turn this around! There are jobs for our youth and more.

Let's have a BIG HEART FOR EVERYONE TO WIN!

Stop Outsourcing our jobs

Child of the Lord — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:33:32 EST

We need to get our jobs back to the U.S.A this is the only way to help our declining economy. Putting people back to work will save us money in the long run. Our deficit will decrease, the dollar value will also increase. Bring back our Tech jobs and do not bring people with L1 visas. Hired people that qualify for those jobs.

Take the Survey for the Unemployed in Upper Bucks County, PA

Jacques — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:55:00 EST

Upper Bucks Organizing for Jobs has created a survey to collect information from individuals who are unemployed in our communities. This is a first step in our grassroots effort to provide assistance to those looking for jobs.

If you are unemployed in our area, please take this survey.
If you know someone who is unemployed in our area, please send them the link to this survey.

Take the Survey Below:

http://www.surveymethods.com/EndUser.aspx?97B3DFC192DCC6C1

It is vital that we all reach out to help each other improve employment and the economy. Join Upper Bucks Organizing for America if you want to help!

Can't take the survey online? Paper copies available at:

Upper Bucks Democratic Community Headquarters
Attn: Vera Cole
328 West Broad Street
Quakertown, PA 18951

Stimulation - Music Video

mathpol — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 07:41:10 EST

The title refers to the stimulus package recently passed by Congress. Sung to the music of “Celebration”, by Kool and the Gang. Watch it here.

Economic Recovery Meeting -- Jobs

Brian Chesney — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:28:56 EST

The last in the series of posts about ideas generated at our Economic Recovery Meeting -- thanks to all who participated:

Jobs
- I think we generally agreed that growth through investment in small businesses is a good way to stimulate the economy. This investment has the opportunity to grow the economy in a sustainable way.
- Jobs are tough to find -- this isn't a news flash, but was reiterated during the meeting
- Employer-provided health care makes losing one's job an even bigger blow. We need to do something about reducing the cost of health care to lessen the impact of job market contraction on an individual's health care.
- Nearly everything we talked about is tied to jobs in some way. In fact, many of the subjects are tied together. It's going to take a broad based approach to economic recovery to improve our current situation. We can't focus on these things serially, they need to be addressed comprehensively.

Economic Recovery Meeting -- Health Insurance

Brian Chesney — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:15:40 EST

Continuing with topics covered at our Economic Recovery Meeting:

Health Insurance
- This is such a big issue for a lot of reasons, but the main reason it came up in this discussion is its connection with jobs. We talked about the outrageous cost of health care and the advantages and disadvantages of a nationalized system. While we didn't settle on an approach to health care, the consensus was that something needs to be done. The employer-provider model limits job mobility, which doesn't help an already-tough job hunt.
- We also touched on a mixed employment/retirement model that will probably be more popular in the coming decades. We questioned the viability of a labor model where individuals work for 30 or so years and then retire for 30 or so years. Will most Americans actually be able to make enough money or will pensions be fiscally viable enough to sustain it? With longer lifespans and the ability to work from home, most of us would actually prefer to be working, challenged and stimulated later in life.
- We also touched on the idea of several small businesses banding together to get better health care rates. This seems like a good idea and could be expanded more.

Update from 2-8-09 Colville for Change Meeting

Colville for Change — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:25:29 EST

Colville for Change met on February 8, 2009 to discuss ways our group could help bring needed change to Colville and Stevens County. After a bit of brainstorming and discussion, we agreeded to initially focus our energies in the areas of transportation and alternative energy.

Stevens County has one of the highest (if not the highest) unemployment rates in the State of Washington. Besides a lack of good jobs, there is also an issue with transporation in getting to a job site. Some in our group are going to contact STA to investigate what barriers there are to bringing busses from Spokane to Colville, or even to Kettle Falls. We are going to investigate any possible grants there might be for bringing in transportation that operates and runs off of alternative energy.

We will be contacting our state representatives for more information on what Stevens County can hope for from the stimulus bill.

Some in the group are going to investigate what Avista is doing, and plans to do, to help bring more affordable energy into our community. We also want to investigae ways to bring alternative energy jobs to Stevens County, possibly wind power, biodiesel, etc.

Come join us and help us grow a greener, more economically sound, Colville, WA!

Stimulation (as in stimulating the economy)

mathpol — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:52:07 EST

This is the title of a video I have posted on You Tube.

The title refers to the stimulus package now before Congress. To be sung to the music of “Celebration”, by Kool and the Gang. Karaoke style.

Create American Jobs Now!

Zoe from Phoenix, AZ — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:45:01 EST

CREATE AMERICAN JOBS NOW: CALLING ALL AMERICANS

Answer the call on Saturday, May 9th at Chaparral Suites in Scottsdale. This event is done at cost to help as many people as possible. We will teach you how to build a website tonight and offer a product or service tomorrow at absolutely no start up cost. Create a job for yourself and someone else. Let’s take the American Economy back and return American Manufacturing Power to US soil, one American, one Small Business at a time! Let’s tell our President, we heard you loud and clear and we HAVE answered the call! We have been asked to do our part and we have been told there would be sacrifice. We have already made the sacrifice—we have each lost something—our jobs, our homes, our plans, hopes and dreams for the future and for our children. We have not lost our dignity. We are proud Americans and we have a lot to offer. Our children, who are graduating from high school and from college right now , already know they don’t exactly have a job waiting for them. Let’s be a good example and show them the tough, hard-working, resourceful American entrepreneurs that we are and let’s not leave them a legacy of DESPAIR! We owe it to ourselves and to our children to make America strong again, to have a productive economy and a society that cares what they INHERIT! Let’s teach them and show them how we created our own future, how we started a business, how to be proud Americans, proudly producing American wares! Let’s leave them with a legacy of pride and integrity and a strong position to compete and market themselves in a tough economy. If we already have a business, and our children know how to start and run a business, they not only have opportunity, they have a CHOICE! To be young entrepreneurs or to compete successfully in a corporate landscape that’s changed dramatically. With this Ace in their pockets, they will know how to find the right job, get the right job, and negotiate for themselves from a position of strength. Because they know, we have done it and they, too, can be productive, proud American business owners, who contribute to the American economy and society with products made in the United States of America! They will never have to be taken advantage of by corporations that send American jobs off-shore and they will never be faced with the sacrifices we had to make. This country was built on the entrepreneurial spirit and it we will be strong again, powered by the American Dream, by us, making a difference today, showing our true colors as caring and patriotic Americans and a creative and persistent and tenacious people, who never surrender, never give up! We may be starting over, but we are no quitters and we will not stop nor fall short of anything but complete victory! Victory meaning we will have created a sustainable job for ourselves and at least one other person. Join us on May 9, 2009 from 9am-5pm at the Chaparral Suites in Scottsdale. (Sign up at beupliftedmagazine.com) Let’s roll up our sleeves and get this engine going again! I look forward to seeing you there, to see your free website to learn about your product or service. If it’s offered by you and it’s Made in the USA, we will buy from you! We will start by helping each other getting our enterprises off the ground and we will trade our skills to create win-win situations. This is called bartering and it happens when there’s no money in the market (like right now). We will only have to do this to get started, one or two products or services, to get this going and get some American products and American Dollars flowing back into our economy. This is our economy, friends and partners, and we are taking it back! We have a lot of work to do, let’s get started. We will not be expected to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps when we have no boots. We will help each other and we will be successful. We are a team in this society, in this economy, and we won’t let anyone tell us differently. We are hard working Americans and we work together and we will take the American Economy back! I want to ask you today, to network. To join us on May 9, to learn how to start a business and create a job at no cost, find the person in our network who has the skill or product you need and to approach them and offer a trade. Offer what you have freely and gladly in return for what you need to help make you successful. If the person you approach doesn’t have a need for your service, ask for a referral to someone who does or go to the next person or contact me for a specific referral. We will split into general industry segments , so we can have a clear view of who does what. We will put our names and skills on the wall on our secure website (only participants at the conference can see each other’s information) and organize you into general areas of expertise so you may start trading initial items and services. We need your help to do this and if you can’t find what you need, or can’t afford it, contact us and we will get you to the right resources. Let’s get started and Go get’em!

Create American jobs now! Join us on May 9, from 9am-5pm at the Chaparral Suites and learn how to build a free website today and offer a product or service tomorrow at no start-up cost.

God bless you,

Zoë Sherwood, Publisher, Editor, Be Uplifted Magazine

jobs

Tony from San Antonio, TX — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:22:59 EST

i wonder what constitutes a job under the stimulus program.does it have to have a certain length of time?

for statistical purposes,is one month sufficient?one week?other? who makes the decisions on this?(local,state,federal) these are just some thoughts that pop into my mind

Economic Stimulus and Recovery

Faron, NC — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:08:17 EST

Unemployment: Regardless of the tax breaks, housing issues and all other ideas in any proposal. If you don’t stop the unemployment and put people back to work so they actually have money to benefit from the tax breaks and housing benefits proposed and so they can start purchasing items, getting loans for homes and vehicles, investing in stock and or otherwise spending money, then regardless of the amount of the package, you will not have stimulated spending or our economy. JOBS are the foundation of stimulation.

JOBS: It is vitally important that the jobs created are created throughout the country with various skills. I assure you that those that have lost their jobs and will lose their jobs are from various locations and with various skills. So specific projects, proposed in any bill, will not suffice since they are limited in both location and skill.

How do you create Jobs?: I continuously hear everyone say, including the President, that our small businesses are the backbone of job creation and our economy. Why is that? It’s because they are all across the country and provide a variety of jobs and they borrow and spend?
How do you stimulate small business?: Normally small businesses which are existing or that which wish to start up seek private funding through investement, loans and federal assistance. However due to the current economic EMERGENCY, the private sector options are no longer available. This leaves only Federal funding for small businesses.
Our Federal agencies hold many applications from small businesses.: Various agencies have applications from small businesses that want to do work, some of which the government is requesting to be done. Some of which they have come up with on their own, which are called “unsolicited proposals” but which could still be of value. Some of this work is manual labor, some of this work is research and a lot of it is a variety of other opportunities.
Some funds could already be available!: Many of these Federal agencies most likely already have some funds set aside for Grant funding or other funding. These agencies could pull all small business applications and Grand Total the amounts needed to fund all of them and the stimulus package could authorize additional funds, which may or may not be needed. The stimulus package and/or a Directive by the President should order these agencies to "clear their coffers". This may seem like an extreme measure, but these are extreme times.
Some may argue that this will diminish private investment opportunities.: Contrarily by providing these small businesses with funding to start up or perform work, they can begin to invest and seek investors with the capital which is provided to them and/or with their success as they grow .
Perhaps some of the funds being directed to the TARP packages could be redirected here.: Since the issue for our financial institutions is not neccesarily having the money available, but rather a way to move the money, our small businesses can provide for two means of helping with this issue. First they can provide the monies through creating bank accounts and/or making deposits into existing accounts. They will conduct daily business that will begin to rotate these funds and stimulate the economy.
The definition of small business has already been defined.: The Government has already defined the term "small business", so there is no need to redefine it or figure out what articulates into a small business.
These small businesses have already gone through the Grants.gov verification processes!: Before applying for Grants, SBIR’s and/or STTR’s each business must go through a verification process.
There are already established monitoring systems set up.: Government auditing, reports and etc..are already established by each agency.
Grants.gov already has bank routing numbers for each business.: As a requirement during the verification process, Grants.gov requires that a bank account already be established. The funds could be dispersed quickly and put to use quickly.
Unfortunately the amounts they offer, $100,000 to $150,00 in most case are not sufficient to actually start a business. A business beginning with nothing has to have the funds needed to buy supplies, lease property, purchase equipment etc… and cover salaries for at least a year to allow the business to grow and build a customer base which can sustain them. Another source for small business interest is the Small Business Administration.
It is important to provide enough funding: to allow for these businesses to start and to have enough to sustain them for at least a year, two years would be best, so that they can build a customer base to sustain themselves. Not all will succeed and it could be required that unused funds be returned if they fail. But I believe there will be many more that will succeed and some may even provide us all with some unexpected benefits.
So have theses agencies, a list of Granting Agencies is on Grants.gov, pull all small business applications and provide funding. Open up more opportunities for small businesses. These small businesses are ready, willing and able to begin work and put others to work, so let them.
What is the real benefit of small business?
They employ, they buy, they bank, they borrow, they invest, they provide investment opportunities and they spend all across the country.: This stabilizes current businesses and allows them to hire more employees, to buy, to borrow and to spend. They all pay taxes to their states, they pay for permits from municipalities, counties and/or other forms of government, creating State and local revenue. They are perpetual, in that they continue, whereas a stimulus check to Americans may help, it does not provide a continuing of spending and rotation of capital as small businesses would while conducting daily business. They do not require any trade agreement specifications or a “Buy American” provision.
Their employees buy, bank, invest, borrow and spend all across the country.: They pay State and local taxes which creates revenue for them.

In the end, the only real stimulation you could provide which can do what needs done, is through creating jobs all across the country with a variety of work skills. To meet that objective effectively you have to build up your small business base.

Taxes: This is another key part of the stimulation and recovery. Tax cuts can clearly help to build business and encourage spending by both the businesses and the workers, however to reiterate, if you don’t have a job, it does nothing.

Housing: Can be a part of helping and some legitimate proposals along these lines should always be considered.

State Aid: Some state aid can help, but keep in mind if you’re putting people to work you can reduce a large amount of funding for unemployment and Medicaid since it want be needed.

In closing, let's create jobs, create futures, stimulate capital rotation and continue this rotation and provide the ability to help pay back the debts incurred by the Federal Government. If small business is the backbone, then let’s support our back so we can stand up and walk, then maybe as we walk, we can soon begin to run again.

That way when all the other bills such as TARP and others can actually do some good.

Americans have a way of pulling themselves up. Give us a chance to show you how well we can do that and help us, help you, help us all.

Small Businesses, existing and new, could play a big part of stimulating our economy and progression to recovery. It should be included in conjunction with other ideas which are currently a part of the plan.

Idea Focusing on Energy Efficiency for Stimulus

Andrew Bairnsfather — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:00:50 EST

Dear Barack Obama and Others,

Since y'all are considering spending a bunch of money, want to see it come back to you, want to help society and promote green energy and green jobs, then this idea is for you!

US Govt. pays to install Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) on people's houses. I'm not an expert but ask these guys.

The household gets to use whatever energy the windmill generates, but all extra energy is sold back to the grid.

The payment back to the government takes the form of energy being sold back to the grid!

Once the participating house/building has paid back 200% the installation costs, the homeowner is the new payee for energy being sold back to the grid.

Benefits

Immediate jobs.

Immediate use for the increasing stockpiles of recycled metal (which are not being bought like they used to).

Immediate benefit to homeowners through reduced energy costs.

Reduction in green house gasses.

Participating houses sell green-energy back to grid.

Training and educating more people in important matters like electricity and energy.

Potential Problems
Strong resistance from energy companies who see ONLY themselves as the source of energy, and bristle at the thought of "lowly homeowners" becoming a force, selling power back to the grid.

Here are some links to videos that demonstrate these windmills.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRXRUFrxKAQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rQUdRMTnyM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkB2RlclrL0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGr2EFcBlts

Here is another wind turbine that supposedly uses magnetic levitation to eliminate friction for longer durability.
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/01/06/jay-lenos-wind-turbi.html

Welcome to Center Channel

Fermin F. Iduate — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:30:25 EST

The objective of this blog, is to establish a forum for our community and enable collaborative interdisciplinary thought and discussion as to how we can all help make it a better place.

Focus areas:

1) Energy Independence: This matter is so strategic that it affects everything we deal with... the price of just about everything. We are being held at bay by the Oil Producing states due to our reluctance stemming from 1979 to change our sources of energy and go the easy way of dependency upon foreign resources thereby choosing the easy way out.....which of course never works.

2) Opportunity via innovation: New ideas for doing old things in a more cost effective and efficient manner, taking into account our impacts on our earth and neighboring ecosystems.

3) Social Consciousness: Striving to bring a social consciousness to "Entities" which are not real human beings such as Government, Corporations, Non-Profits, Institutions, and Utilities, as well as to People since a lot of people just don't really care about anyone else but themselves.

4) Education: Part of the reason we have become so dependent on foreign source labor is because we have left our educational system go "to the dogs". We don't improve education by spending more money on buildings and administrative programs, we do so by building up MINDS via good quality CONTENT, CURRICULUM, EXPERIENCES AND TEAMPLAY. We have a great defecit of US Scientist, Mathematicians, Engineers, and Technical experts and have resorted to outsourcing this to workers who only lease us their time and then take their knowledge and experience back to their countries.

5) Jobs: We can't wait around for the Big Companies to figure out how they're going to move. Small & Medium size companies have the flexibility and mobility to get things done and to approach new technologies and solutions with speed and efficiency. Let's share in opportunities where we can all invest our time and talents to make this a better place.

Compromise

Jill 4 Obama — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:24:11 EST

THE BRIEFING ROOM • THE BLOG
Saturday, February 7th, 2009 at 5:00 am Compromise There was bad news and then there was good news.

Yesterday we learned that in January, the country suffered its largest one-month job loss in 34 years.

But last night, the Senate struck a compromise on the economic recovery plan and put us on our way to giving the economy the short-term jolt and long-term investments it needs.

"Americans across this country are struggling, and they are watching to see if we're equal to the task before us," the President says in this morning's Weekly Address. "Let's show them that we are."

Watch the President's address and read the full text below.

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privacy policy | download .mp4 | also available here

REMARKS OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
WEEKLY ADDRESS
The White House
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Yesterday began with some devastating news with regard to our economic crisis. But I'm pleased to say it ended on a more positive note.

In the morning, we received yet another round of alarming employment figures – the worst in more than 30 years. Another 600,000 jobs were lost in January. We've now lost more than 3.6 million jobs since this recession began.

But by the evening, Democrats and Republicans came together in the Senate and responded appropriately to the urgency this moment demands.

In the midst of our greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, the American people were hoping that Congress would begin to confront the great challenges we face. That was, after all, what last November's election was all about.

Legislation of such magnitude deserves the scrutiny that it's received over the last month, and it will receive more in the days to come. But we can't afford to make perfect the enemy of the absolutely necessary. The scale and scope of this plan is right. And the time for action is now.

Because if we don't move swiftly to put this plan in motion, our economic crisis could become a national catastrophe. Millions of Americans will lose their jobs, their homes, and their health care. Millions more will have to put their dreams on hold.

Let's be clear: We can't expect relief from the tired old theories that, in eight short years, doubled the national debt, threw our economy into a tailspin, and led us into this mess in the first place. We can't rely on a losing formula that offers only tax cuts as the answer to all our problems while ignoring our fundamental economic challenges – the crushing cost of health care or the inadequate state of so many schools; our addiction to foreign oil or our crumbling roads, bridges, and levees.

The American people know that our challenges are great. They don't expect Democratic solutions or Republican solutions – they expect American solutions.

From the beginning, this recovery plan has had at its core a simple idea: Let's put Americans to work doing the work America needs done. It will save or create more than 3 million jobs over the next two years, all across the country – 16,000 in Maine, nearly 80,000 in Indiana – almost all of them in the private sector, and all of them jobs that help us recover today, and prosper tomorrow.

Jobs that upgrade classrooms and laboratories in 10,000 schools nationwide – at least 485 in Florida alone – and train an army of teachers in math and science.

Jobs that modernize our health care system, not only saving us billions of dollars, but countless lives.

Jobs that construct a smart electric grid, connect every corner of the country to the information superhighway, double our capacity to generate renewable energy, and grow the economy of tomorrow.

Jobs that rebuild our crumbling roads, bridges and levees and dams, so that the tragedies of New Orleans and Minneapolis never happen again.

It includes immediate tax relief for our struggling middle class in places like Ohio, where 4.5 million workers will receive a tax cut of up to $1,000. It protects health insurance and provides unemployment insurance for those who've lost their jobs. And it helps our states and communities avoid painful tax hikes or layoffs for our teachers, nurses, and first responders.

That's what is at stake with this plan: putting Americans back to work, creating transformative economic change, and making a down payment on the American Dream that serves our children and our children's children for generations to come.

Americans across this country are struggling, and they are watching to see if we're equal to the task before us. Let's show them that we are. And let's do whatever it takes to keep the promise of America alive in our time.

Thank you.

Jobs in All 50 States

Jill 4 Obama — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:13:54 EST

THE BRIEFING ROOM • THE BLOG
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 at 4:03 pm Jobs in all 50 states Economic adviser Brian Deese was part of the team that assembled an analysis of how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will create jobs in all 50 states. In a guest blog post, he explains.

You've probably heard a lot about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. And you may have heard the President or members of his economic team say that this plan will save or create 3 to 4 million jobs over the next two years. Maybe you wondered where that number comes from. Well, it's from a study by Christina Romer, the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and Jared Bernstein, Chief Economist to the Vice-President. Their analysis has been confirmed by outside experts including the forecasting firm Macroeconomic Advisers and Moody's.

Jumpstarting job growth is the top priority of the Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. Construction jobs to rebuild our nation's crumbling infrastructure*....technology jobs to bring put medical records online and lower health care costs while reducing medical errors...engineering jobs to modernize federal buildings and save billions in annual energy costs...jobs equipping our schools and colleges so the country's best young minds have a place to grow...and jobs laying broadband lines so a business in rural America can compete with any other business in the world.

The plan will create jobs in all 50 states, in industries across the spectrum. Over 90% of the jobs created will be in the private sector. We put together a fact sheet to show you, state-by-state, just how many jobs the plan aims to create.

But no matter what state you live in, with 2.6 million jobs lost last year and our economic crisis deepening, we can't afford to delay any longer.

*Just a couple of weeks ago, the American Society of Civil Engineers Report Card for America's Infrastructure issued an overall grade of D. From Katrina to the Minnesota bridge collapse, our nation's failure to take this infrastructure crisis seriously is blatant, and unacceptable. By making long overdue investments in our roads, bridges, transit, ports, and air security, this plan will put people back to work while making our nation safer and more prosperous in the future.

Job Skills Database

www.sudanym.com — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:47:51 EST

There are currently a vast number of jobs databases; finding the right one at the right time is a daunting task. If we had one skills database - where anyone looking for a paid or volunteer job could enter their skills, as needs arise those who need specific skills could search the database to find the best candidates for the positions.

equal oppertunity employer's

robby — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:53:33 EST

Hi everyone I live in Alliance, Ohio and I have been looking for a job from August of 2007 until now and it seems like there is nothing out there. I have put applications in every where and it seems as though the harder i try the more the door gets slammed in my face. Yeah I know that I didnt graduate from high school but does that make me different than someone that did graduate. I dont believe that a diploma should dictate weather or not you should get hired for a job or not. I believe that those who didnt graduate should have an equal chance to prove we can do the same tasks as someone who did graduate. I'm speaking for everyone in America who doesn't have a diploma when I say, Just because we didn't graduate from high school doesn't make us stupid, just give us a chance to prove it.

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: THE STATE OF OUR UNION?

Patricia from Torrance, CA — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:36:42 EST

Dear Mr. President:

Greetings to you in your new office of the 44th President of these United States. I welcome you and your cabinet wholeheartedly, and know that you will serve the people well.

Mr. President, I am - along with many others like me - much distressed over the current economic situations. I am happy to see and to know that you stand firmly committed to correcting and alleviating these vast problems. As your website offers the chance for a citizen as myself to come forward with ideas in regards to the many problems which beset our great country, I would like, herewith, to offer my own comments:

In regards to the economy, which is uppermost in everyone's minds, I feel that the current bail-out package can best be applied in helping everyone get back on track by dispersing some of the funds to the many businesses which are in danger of going under, along with the usual stimulus packages for renters and homeowners. Likewise, new business start-ups will do much to lighten the economic darkness that threatens to envelop us all, as it will give many people the financial support they are direly in need of, as well as help our country to recover its financial strength and viability. Of course, we must be careful not to 'spread the wealth' to those who will only abuse it for their own purposes; corporate heads will be waiting, eager to snatch away monies that others desperately need so that they can continue to finance their high-living lifestyle; I have no doubt you will prevent this from occurring.

It is true that 'we' can all claim responsibility in some part for our present situation; however, as someone who is 'out there in the trenches' among the people, seeing and experiencing 'real-life' encounters, I can strongly state that a good deal of this problem is worsened by the explosion of the illegal alien component within our cities. As a female with a mixed African-American heritage (Portugese, Native American x3, Irish, Scottish, Jewish (and perhaps even Chinese - from the name FOY), and African, I am one who does not like to think in terms of 'ethnicity'. However, I have noticed vast problems with the Latino, and other, illegal immigration from everything to the loss of jobs, to the overwhelming taxing of our government programs - put in place as a TEMPORARY assistance for those who need it, but now being rapidly drained by illegals who have descended on these programs with a vengence and are rapidly exhausting available funds and help.

I realize my most may be unpopular - and I do not wish to single out any particuler person or group - and my post may perhaps, likewise, be observed by some as ascerbic; however, I feel I must express my feelings and thoughts on this matter. Which is, that many illegals come here (illegally) and obtain jobs in the private sectors - some by the theft of others' ID/Social Security numbers - and then bring in their other relatives to these same jobs, low-paying or otherwise, which then become housed with latinos and no other ethnic group, excepting Asians or their white employers and supervisors. This is rapidly happening all over California -- the major work force here is Latino. This is not because no other ethnic group wants to work in these jobs, but because job forces, inspired by paying low wages to unqualified workers so that their 'bottom line' can be sustained, or so that they can make 1000% profit, prefer hiring illegals over paying real wages for qualified workers. I, myself, have experienced this problem since 2003, and even lost several temporary assignments which were slated to become permanent jobs when, due to the maliciousness of Latinos - illegals or otherwise - who were working there in the same office I worked at, found myself ousted out of a good job just so that my Latino 'brethern' could bring in their own people. Although I can type up to 95 words per minute and have substantial employment history, I was not able to secure a job for quite some time, even as a File Clerk! Yet, everywhere I looked there were throngs of latino men and women, many placed in jobs that they were not qualified or suited for -- some of whom could barely speak English! This practice is unfair on BOTH sides of the coin, to illegals and natives, but still continues to this day.

Another rank problem that is sinking our economy and country faster then the Titanic is the practice of private industry outsourcing good jobs overseas and out of the country. Once upon a time, Mr. President, all U.S. products proudly bore the tag MADE IN AMERICA; now, due to private sector interests and politics, that can rarely be said. We must put our wonderful country back on track, Mr. President, and quicklyl halt the practice of outsourcing jobs out of our country; thereafter we must refinance our country in the manner of support for business, which has built this country into a once-great state. I firmly believe that it can begin its return to greatness, but immediate actions must be taken.

The Man with a Plan

Spike — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:20:34 EST

Our first step in handling the economic crisis is initiating federally financed construction of super hospitals in each region based on employment needs. Super facilities that contain a hospital, long term care, housing for the disabled and homeless. They should also contain a university and living quarters for staff members. Each community or region should begin building them on a non-profit basis. Employing unskilled construction labor and creating long term jobs as the areas unemployment demands. This is a win win strategy as our population grows older and thousands of orphans from around the world need to be relocated. These super facilities can also serve as shelters during natural disasters, having thousands of rooms, kitchens and more ready for use if and when a disaster happens. Built on high ground in areas that experience flooding. Visit www.appyp.com/earnsnyder.html for more information.

New President

Austin W — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:50:34 EST

Today, I watched the inauguration several times. I was so excited to see that Barack had finally become the President of the United States. I watched the big parade afterwards and even took notes on his speech so I could remember it forever.

We finally have a Democrat for President and we need to do something that will help others in the economy we have today. People are losing jobs, stock values, and most of all money. They need our help so try to raise as much money as you can to donate to our newest President. Today, I sent several more invitations and I want to raise at least $50.

WE LOVE YOU ALL

Author/singer songwriter/Advocate/abstract artistist — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:34:59 EST

We are so proud of Barack and Michelle...and the Vice President and his wife we love you too. We are praying for Senators Ted K and Bird...Ive never been a political person but, today was different the spirit of Lincoln and MLking Jr was at this Ceremony...and yes I'm ready to work hard for my Community. A dear friend and I are willing to help create jobs from our small businesses, we do need the help also, we need to find programs that will pay our employees for these positions. I really need some interns so that I can stay focus on work. Tammie and I have other projects to help the youth in the streets.We need HELP....

We are ADVOCATES and we are ready and going forth...Plus we are registered voters. We do know this history.

Company Closings

pviel — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:07:04 EST

We had our national day of service in tiny Creswell, Oregon. We collected over 500 pounds of food and and a huge box of socks, scarves, gloves and school supplies for the elementary school. We passed out fliers in front of Bi-Mart and employee owned store here in Creswell.

I got to thinking about the employees of Circuit City and other companies being forced to close. What better way to renew America than to help the employees keep these business establishments going as an employee owned business. Perhaps it's impossible maybe not. The companies have most of what is needed to keep going and if their communities knew perhaps they would choos them first.

Then again maybe not but I think it's worth a look.

Wasted Tax Incentives instead of Real Change.

Jax — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:06:24 EST

Comments to Market Places “Obama's stimulus plan seeks tax cuts” (http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/01/05/pm_obama_stimulus/)

Apparently, Instead of creating newer jobs, Green and Infrastructure, we’re now talking about giving huge Tax reductions on paycheck withholdings. i.e. giving letting you keep more money from your paycheck. This is great. But I have some problems with this.

First off, is this a reduction from total paid over there year, or will I have to make it up in April?

Secondly we're going to give "Working Class" people more money back on their Paycheck. So about $1 more per hour, 40 hours, $40 bucks. Great, so instead of buying the dirty ass cigarettes and the cheap ass beer (or whatever ails them), they can buy what they want. If they're not smart enough to hold onto that 40 bucks to provide some cushioning from their zeroed out bank account; while hoping that they don't get the pink slip next week. This “stimulus” isn’t really going to help the people struggling. They need better opportunities.
Provide Jobs, Jobs equal Money, Money equals spending, Spending equals better economy. Obamanomics 101, why are we straying and toting party lines. If we wanted tax cuts and Same-Old solutions, we would have voted for the other guy. We voted Bold, now make it so!

Creating Jobs

June from Port Saint Lucie, FL — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:11:38 EST

With predictions of 2,000,000 unemployed in the coming year, can we come up with a business that will employ skilled or unskilled workers? An assembling facility, small manufacturing. This thought is not only for personal needs but there is a growing number of vacant warehouse space along with the growing numbers of the unemployed. Our space has a website: http://jurabuilding.com

INSPIRED time to UNITE not FIGHT its not ME its WE, be free

A.D.D. Poet — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:38:13 EST

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release

Contact: Ron Sorenson/Kathy Kafka PHONE 954 632-8495

E-MAIL: sorensonbuilders@mac.com and kathy1000kai@yahoo.com

SOUTH FLORIDA’S “A.D.D. POET” HEADS TO INAUGURATION WITH AN OBAMA TRIBUTE

Former Home Builder Turned Poet Will Be At The Inauguration With A Truck-load of His Poetry Honoring Barack Obama

Ron Sorenson has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.)—he says his condition is at the core of his talent

Miami- The week of January 20th millions will arrive in Washington DC to witness Barack Obama become the 44th President of the United States. In the crowd will be South Florida poet, Ron Sorenson. The former homebuilder has been diagnosed with A.D.D (Attention Deficit Disorder). Recently he began a diet and exercise program to manage his ADD. The side effect of this non-prescription treatment of ADD has been a creative explosion. Ron now creates poetry that has received recognition and applause from academic institutions such as Rutgers University, Stanford University, Jonn Fee Okford University, San Francisco Art Institute Suzanne Olemsted Addmissions,The Bereavement Society and his celebrity fans include Jonny Depp, Red Hot Chlie Peppers Jewel, Elle, Coda Ray, Evanescence, Soul Bomb, Siva Noir, Oliver Stone, Denzel Washington, Ian Lewis Inner Circle Band, John Sally NBA, Charles Johnson Baseball Great, Eddie Johnes Basketball Great, Larry Hendricks Hendricks Racing, Jeb Corbis Daredevil, Evil Knevil, Anjelo Dunde, Muhamad Ali, Mark Clayton, John Tesh Yoko, House of Zaccardi Artist, many more and names of some that would not or frienship open and not private anymore.

This past year Ron has become caught up in the Obama campaign and to honor his presidency, Ron created a poem titled Persistence True Dream. Ron teamed with Coral Springs artist, Tony Hall—in an almost impossible way they met and the two have created a framed limited edition and a poster to mark the historic event.

Ronald Sorenson was born a twin on September 26, 1957 on an Army base in Columbia, South Carolina. His twin brother Donald passed away at three months old. Ron found out when he came across a photo of two babies in a crib. His beloved grandmother told him when he was ten. Ron always believed his brother was his guardian angel, and has had a difficult job watching over him. With his high energy level, risk taking, and other traits he possessed, Ron felt different from everyone else. He describes the inside of his brain as Jimmy Hendrix playing the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock in his head 24/7. On June 4, 2005, Ron met Kathy Kafka—both are divorced with children. On there first date during the evening conversation, Kathy described Ron as gifted and having A.D.D. Ron had no idea what Attention Deficit Disorder was. The journey began, he had to find out what it was, during the week he was tested and diagnosed with A.D.D. Finally he had a description of why he felt different. Kathy saw a person in Ron that he never noticed. He was intelligent, creative, enthusiastic, and sensitive. Now aware of his gift of A.D.D., and the love and understanding from Kathy, his life is only getting better. Ron has been a building contractor, building beautiful homes for over 25 years. Because of his boredom and the poor economy, Ron has grown significantly tired of the construction business. Now aware of his gift, and Kathy’s love and understanding, life is only getting better. With Kathy’s knowledge of health and natural herbs, she has transformed Ron’s poor health habits. Ron is now eating healthier, consuming herbal blends and teas, resulting in positive energy. This has brought out his inventiveness, and creativity, and he is now writing beautiful philosophical poems, which he never thought he could do. Ron began writing poetry for Kathy. She noticed his talent and with the positive reinforcement he began spreading his poetry to others. Ron is now referred to as the “A.D.D. Poet.” Poetry is a way to go deep inside and express him self. Life is only getting better for Ron who has been living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida most of his life. He is unleashing the artist that resides in his heart and brain for all to enjoy.

Tony Hall was born on December 26, 1950 in Kingston Jamaica. His family moved to Mt. Vernon, NY in 1966. Attending Parsons School of Design, he majored in Graphic Design. After being drafted in the Army in 1971 and his interest in art, Tony started to paint in the evenings as a hobby. He would paint for his friends. After the release from the Army in 1978, a person noticing his talent, offered to sell his works. He gave this man several of his painting, which he never saw again. Discouraged by what happened, Tony stopped painting for three years. Then in 1981, a man commissioned a painting, but after the work was completed, the man was killed. Discouraged again, Tony stopped painting for several years. He began another hobby, base guitar, starting his own group called Mystique. Then in 2000, a co-worker requested a pencil drawing of his two children that both passed away after their birth one year apart. He asked Tony to draw the one child without the deformities he was born with. The look on his co-workers face when he gave him the drawing of his two children, put both of them in tears. Inspired to do art again, Tony created many pieces in just the last year and a half, but has not been able to sell any of his work. Tony and his wife are in jeopardy of losing there home because of the poor economy. Tony works for a printer who reduced his hours and his wife is in real estate sales. Tony and his family live in Coral Spring, Florida. Ron says along with Tony nothing can go wrong and every wrong turn ends up being the right way, He believes if you can dream it you can do it and he is living proof. Anything is possible no matter the economy your situation its what you belive and choose for your journey.

THE AUTO INDUSTRY, A FEW OF MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES (INDUSTRIAL GREED):

Alex Karoub — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:14:47 EST

Contact: Alex.Karoub@gmail.com

This post is a brief overview of the Automotive Industry which describes some of the fundamental problems that are rarely spoken of. In addition, you will learn of a few of my personal experiences growing up, an environment where I was surrounded by the industry; you will learn of a few perspectives that are shocking and that even only a few within the industry know of. At the end of the post, you will better understand what happened to American Manufacturing and where it stands.

The Auto Industry is at the heart of all of American Manufacturing. It is an industry that laid the groundwork for many other types of industries to follow, deemed at one point in history to be the highest of successes. But now, it sheds light on what can become warning signs for other businesses that mistakenly try to imitate it.

This months hot topic is whether to bailout/rescue the regressing American Auto Industry. The original owners and their successors abandoned that industry long ago. The auto industry was ravaged and plundered by the wealthiest Americans a half century ago and has been in decline ever since. Shortsighted greed from one generation to the next has been the culprit. Since autos were first mass-produced and America monopolized the world, it was only natural that the American percentage/share of the market would eventually be reduced. However, total growth was enormous and total size of the market continues to grow even through today. Therefore, American growth of exports should have continued to grow, but does not significantly due to pillage and poorly planted roots. In simpler terms, we originally owned the entire pie. The pie was split up. Since the entire pie has grown dramatically, our piece should have grown too. However, the Big 4, 3, 2, … have been loosing market dominance and lead since the end of World War Two. Here we are years later in crisis, and the real question remains whether or not to rescue the real victims of the auto industry, the workers. People were not retrained or re-educated; most were never afforded real education's to start. People are now in despair and hopelessness. From my vantage point now living in Colorado for the last two decades, I have seen the high tech industry follow the auto industry, but at a learned and accelerated rate. Other industries are also copying the auto industry and are laying similar foundations also headed for disaster. Going back to a brief history, the misguided roots show how the decay started and why it spread.

Although I did not grow-up during the inception of the Auto Industry, its roots surrounded me. I spoke with a few who were there in the earliest days, and spoke with many who were of the following generation. I absorbed its history by studying it while attending school in Motown (Motor Town), by natural osmosis, and in my earliest career dealing with the car makers.

Growing up as a kid I lived less than a mile from Henry Ford's first moving assembly line factory, with GM’s World Headquarters’ just three miles away, and with Chryslers World Headquarters at the end of our street. The first Ford plant (in Highland Park, a city now surrounded by Detroit) and the first of GM's plants were built on the importation of the next generation of former black slaves and white share crop workers from the south (whites similar to former slaves whose white necks were red from working in the sunny fields, hence the mean spirited term 'Redneck'). The joke that Henry Ford must have laughed at and that went around town was "each worker would get paid enough to buy a Ford" (Of course using infamous 'Ford Credit' which was a primary direct withdrawal from their pay checks.) Henry manipulated a built-in guaranteed customer base and tapped double profits, being profits on the cars and the profitable bonded interest. Those were scams that he copied from sharecropping. The remains of their wages were so low that they had to live in shacks; but after all Henry felt, they came from shacks near the fields in the south. So much bigotry and repeated methods from sharecrop economic slavery. Instead of updating and rebuilding the original plants and without regard for the people who were the workers, the emerging auto giants left to go further to the suburbs.

So, as they moved and grew they imported shipload after shipload of immigrant economic slaves from Poland (to Hamtramck, MI) and more economic slaves from the Middle East (to Dearborn, MI). There were other minorities imported as well, also imported for economic servitude to supporting industries such as mining, iron works, steel fabrication, glass works, textile, …. Astonishing how easily the game of 'divide and conquer' worked upon the variety of minorities; a game of keeping the workers pitted against each other using race and ethnicity; all to hold back the power of the people from truly uniting. WW2 caused the Automakers not only to retool but also to reevaluate their future directions.

Soon, after the victory of WW2, came the Auto Giants grand visions for economically conquering the world via expansion outside the U.S. They quietly boasted that that would leave mainly world headquarters executives, designers, and engineers in the U.S. with the prestigious white-collar jobs. It was felt then (and these are not my bigoted opinions, not from me, yikes) that after all even 'the weaker sex' could do factory labor jobs as seen during WW2 (i.e. Rosie the Riveter). So why not have the 'stupid foreign workers' do the labor outside the U.S. What also gave way to the idea that manufacturing could succeed outside the U.S. was Mexico; since Mexican workers were also imported, but only temporarily during WW2. (By the way, the temporary Mexican workers were never fully paid back as promised during WW2.) A tremendous wave of pride about white-collar jobs became very popular in Detroit and in other automotive communities during the 50's. That vision sat poised on the back burner, but a pre-planted seed was already in place, which was Canada (Windsor) just across the Detroit River.

Canada was a much-desired orchestrated precedence for the automakers; it set the stage for grace given by the government as an easily set up protocol for off-shoring jobs. Soon after, the automakers made a migration south to other states, then further south to Mexico, and finally overseas and on to economic slavery in China.

Today we see the results of the destructive path the industry has taken. Layoffs, instead of being temporary situations reserved for pauses during new model changeovers, eventually became the mark of permanent labor plant closures. Obvious abandonment of people soon became the name of the automakers game. Along the swathed trail are - Highland Park, Detroit, Pontiac, Flint, Marquette, Gary Indiana, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Cleveland, …, which became known in the early 80’s as 'The Rust Bowl’. Sort of a rape, pillage, and burn mentality, which continues to today.

Amazing how well the reasoning of "that's the way it's always been" persists and grows from one generation to the next. Excuse after excuse gave temporary reasoning to incremental geographic movements for global conquer. Temporary excuses ranged from the need to originally amass large workforces, to the hindrance of union pressures, to American workers are lazy, to 'over' government regulation, to …, all straw obstacles as to why the auto industry needed to move as it did.

No! Greed is not good. We see how those at the top of the industry have each come in, grabbed with their greed, and left. Now today, we see how greed has caused "what once was, no longer is". So in short, now we see the results of greed, poorly planted roots, and disregard, taking its toll on America. Equally, is the toll on the myriad of unrelated businesses, old and new, that have adopted the auto industries infectious habits of having little to no regard for individual people that make up the American workforce. People.

While being raised in the center of Detroit, I experienced many situations involving the Auto Industry; the following although early was not my earliest, and is an actual example.

Around 1963, when I was 11 years old, I remember George Romney visiting our house to exchange political favors. Our 23-room house was a rundown relic of a past era, but it cleaned up well as a phony front for wealth and pretentious power. I remember we kids had to pretend that we were Christian Protestants for the visiting Governor (former Chairman of AMC) who was doing his Christian Mormon tradition of visiting the homes of his new legislators. How ostentatious they both were with fraudulent humility of how they rose from their humble beginnings. But more to the point, I remember Romney sitting at our dinning room table and saying "The Big Four Automakers don't have to worry about giving the Unions what they want, as long as the benefits will not be due for decades. By that time the labor plants will be outside the U.S." That shocked my brother Jimmy and I, as we listened playing in the sunroom just off the dinning room. Later we were once again physically punished (beaten-up), this time for listening to adult talk. Jimmy a year older than I, and intellectually gifted, soon became a Page at the State Capital. The accounts he returned with were shocking as well. Growing up as we did would make your head spin and open your eyes to disgust. We continued living in those surroundings until we grew out of our teens. Then we moved on to make our own adult lives, creating better environments much different from what we were born and raised in.

Recalling back to my teens, I realized back then the Detroit riots were not only about race, but was also about economic oppression. It was the minorities who were oppressed the worst, most especially African-Americans. Bad however you measure it is bad. (For a better understanding of the decline of Detroit and to better understand the riots, take a look at my other post: “DETROIT RIOTS OF 1967, A RECOLLECTION OF THE TRUTH.” You will also better understand how very close we came to seeing a nationwide repeat of the riots in the coming Spring of 2009.)

Unions, workers, man-hours, laborers, …, are not people, they are burdens to be minimized and eliminated. While watching Lee Iacocca being interviewed on Charley Rose last year, I noticed Iacocca admit that he new all the way back during negotiations with the unions, in the early 80’s, that Chrysler would never have to pay off in full on long term commitments to the unions. As Iacocca danced around the issue he said "now the unions will have to face reality". And, as Rose went on to discuss it more, Iacocca was getting more uncomfortable, and eventually managed to change the subject away from discussing past union negotiations. Iacocca was a bit slicker than George Romney was, since Iacocca was on national TV. It made me ashamed that Chrysler World Headquarters was at the end of our street when I was a kid. And, that as a young adult I had so proudly in my early career returned while working for a couple of electronics companies to Chrysler's World Headquarters R&D operations. I thought it an honor to have paid Iacocca's in-house barbershop to cut my hair, even his same barber. Some honor.

Following Chrysler, I moved up to deal with GM, and was puzzled. I listened to upper executives at GM complain that they constantly had to bribe Mexican government officials and border guards for GM plants. I guess they also assumed I already new and accepted that the plants in the late 70's had already begun their exodus to Mexico and other countries. I have always looked at bribery as disgusting and wrong, it was not for me or those who I dealt with, that's among the many good things that a mentor named Jack Bazzy taught me as a young kid. By becoming acquainted with other mentors as an adult, I learned to seek out highly reputable employers and quality knowledgeable friends. I learned how to educate myself, and moved up very high in the scientific and technical industries, all of which I enjoyed.

Although I grew up in Highland Park / Detroit, that was not anywhere near my top focus in choosing Obama. But, it is a simple history for me to recall, amazing how many more details I can give, but the main points have been brought forward. In addition, from being a mutt of sorts myself, to being a self made man, be that what it may, I have no illusions of being great. What I do mean here is that I quickly recognize many of Obama's unique insights, although mine are different but a bit similar in nature. Like many Obama supporters, I have personal experiences on most issues Obama has raised. So, above is just one of many examples that I can personally give.

To better understand manufacturing in America, you can read my other blog:
WHAT SCREWED UP MANUFACTURING FOR AMERICA

Blog members can reply here, anyone is welcome to email me at: Alex.Karoub@gmail.com

Government spending hurts the economy

Steven from North Augusta, SC — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:15:05 EST

The title of this blog is true. Everytime the Government tries to direct the ecenomy, all they do is creat another bubble that feeders at the public trough run to for their feeding of taxpayers money. When the government does not have the money (and remember, Government makes no money, they just take it by force from honest working people with the threat of jail time, or they borrow it from other countries which means we working Joe's have to pay it back with interest or go to jail, or they can just have it printed up by the Fed, which means we working Joe's have to pay a higher price for bread next year due to the inflation caused by printing more money), inflation is the result. Is anyone hurting from the cost of food today besides me? At $5/gallon of milk and $1/green pepper it's kind of hard to get by these days. Why not have the government spent another $1 trillion so we can water down our hard earned paper money some more? How about letting the economy run itself. There are many smart investors that will buy up troubled businesses like investment banks, insurance companies, and auto makers and turn the business around to make a profit. Government interference re-directs money into areas where it is not needed or desired by the consumers in this country. This starves the areas of business who want to expand because the consumers want to buy products from them, but they cannot get the loans because the gov is spending it elsewhere. The Gov shouls stay out of the economy, and it'll straighten itself out in a year. Businesses fail all the time, and new businesses start all the time. FDR tried to do the same thing Barak Obama wants to do and all he succeeded in was turning a 1-2 year recession into a 15 year depression. Cut the size of government! Let the working Joe keep his hard earned worthless dollars. Get off our backs and restore LIBERTY to us. This country was created as a REPUBLIC, not a Socialist State. Return stability to the dollar. Dump the Federal Reserve, a for-profit private bankers organization, no more related to the Federal Government than Federal Express.

Question concerning the auto-makers

Mary — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:12:36 EST

My understanding is that we are importing almost all of the wind turbines and windmills we are installing. I have a friend who helps to build the windmills in Texas. Why couldn't the automakers get into the production of these? I realize that they would have to retool but if we could go from building cars to building tanks in WWII in a matter of months why couldn't they do this. It would put workers back to work in some of those plants they have recently closed. I am sure it has been though of but have not heard anything proposed along these lines.

Re-Integrating > 600,000 Ex-Cons a Year - Give Your Opinions!

Dr Linda Shelton — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:55:32 EST

Please consider a jobs program for organizations to design and implement programs to re-integrate, provide mental health care, provide drug abuse treatment, provide family therapy, and supervise ex-cons and to train and employ ex-cons. > 600,000 convicts are released every year and this is growing due to the failed policy of the last 30 years to be "tough on crime." What good does it do to squash prisoners like a bug, destroy their families, destroy their health, destroy their future career potential, and fail to provide even an iota of rehabilitation? Part of our economic problem is that we are destroying and wasting so much human potential. If we employed these people and the prisons guards and employees, as well as reduce the number of prisoners in half with alternative sentencing for non-violent criminals, drug abuse treatment, and mental health care - our workforce that pays taxes and contributes to society will grow at an astonishing rate (including ex-cons, ex - prison employees, and their families who were living on the dole) and our productivity will increase.

Please give your creative suggestions about how to achieve this. Think outside the box! Be inovative!

Energy & the Environment

TxNerd — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:05:42 EST

I definitely support the Pickens Plan for the development of alternative energy sources but I think we can do more immediately. The Pickens Plan is great but will take 10 years to have any real impact and we need change right now. What’s funny is that we have the technology and the resources to make changes today. Some examples are home officing of administrative workers, 4 day work weeks and limiting retail sales to 6 day per week and a whole range of other ideas that could begin to begin to reduce our dependence on petroleum based products and heal our environment immediately. We need to encourage builders to produce new structures that maximize the use of available sunlight, are better insulated to reduce heating and cooling cost and incorporate new technologies that will reduce the use of electricity. I live the Dallas/Fort Worth area which ranks in the top 5 cities in America for auto related air pollution. Right now the population of the DFW area is between 6 and 7 million people and is growing by 400 people per day. In 10 years the population will be well over 10 million and will face gridlock on the freeways and public transportation systems. Add to that another 40 percent to the already excessive air pollution and we have bigger problems than even the Pickens Plan would resolve. We need to start thinking now of innovative ideas to not only produce new fuel sources but to reduce our fuel usage, reduce the number of cars on the road, and produce more efficient buildings and products. Along with this we can create new jobs converting available buildings in our home communities to be used as co-located office spaces, renovating existing homes to be more efficient and expanding our public transportation systems. I would be the last to suggest that I have all of the answers but I will be the first to ask everyone to think of ways that we can help tackle this urgent issue.

Prison Industrial Complex Tearing Down Economy and Society

Dr Linda Shelton — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:48:19 EST

Prison Industrial Complex Tearing Down Economy and Society

One in ten jobs in America are related to the prison industrial complex. We incarcerate 40 times more individuals than any civilized country and the same number of citizens as China which has five times our population.

This is a tremendous burden on our economy. We don’t produce saleable goods or increase the gross national product from our prison industry. Our tax base is eroded when all of these people don’t work. Huge health care costs, not paid for by those using it (the prisoners) increase the public expenses. Welfare and Medicaid expenditures are bloated by the needs of the families of the incarcerated who can no longer support them. Potentially productive workers for new high tech and energy industries are frozen in dead end jobs (correctional officers and employees), when they could be producing saleable goods and services while increasing our country’s productivity. Salvageable workers are thrown to the wind by ignoring and vastly underfunding drug and alcohol abuse treatment and mental health treatment.

Our 40 year experiment concerning being “tough on crime” has failed miserably. Ultimately we will be increasing the crime rate as angry, hostile, untrained prisoners, whose mental illness, addiction, and bad habits are ignored, are released into the population - as we reap the fruits of that which we sow. The ranks of those being released each year are growing exponentially as the steadily increasing numbers incarcerated are released - now about 600,000 persons a year.

I believe until:

we take the profit out of the prison-industrial complex;
increase transparency in contracting, juvenile justice, mental health care, training of officers and staff, and policy decisions;
increase training for correctional officers and most importantly for parole officers (who have the toughest and most complex law enforcement job in the country);
take corruption out of the system (particularly in Illinois where all contracts with the State require a 10% kickback or bribe, leading to hiring unqualified patronage workers as officials and officers of the prison system);
legalize marijuana and control it like tobacco or alcohol to free up law enforcement, prosecutors, and the courts to deal with more substantial crimes;and
most importantly add rehabilitation into the prison system so that the prisoners who are released become productive citizens; as well as
abolish the costly and useless death penalty,

the system will remain hopeless broken and costly, helping to drive our economy into the ground.

For more information about corruption in the Illinois and Cook County prison/court systems see my blog:

http://illinoiscorruption.blogspot.com/

ARISE Working Class People

Rebecca from Madison, WI — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:31:30 EST

Hi my name is Beccie from Madison WI. Thank you for acknowledging that the working class people are suffering. The rich don’t seem to be hurting much, do they? Do they even know why their money has gone? Do they even know how they got their riches? Well, I will tell you it’s the working class people! When these corporate millionaires close their plant doors they put us out of work. Without working class people working you end up with nothing. You can see by the bailouts that the banks are still losing money. Well you close the doors and we don’t get paid, money doesn’t get deposited into the banks. Mortgages don’t get paid, investments don’t get made, and a partridge and a pear tree. The car companies should open the doors to all their plants and convert them to rebuilding our mass transit system. The working class people would be working to solve a growing problem that America is facing. The importation of mass transit vehicles. How about instead of the banks and corporations requesting billions, we the American people demand that they give us billions. They should empty their bank accounts and personal assets if they want to keep their jobs? Most of the working class people view these fat cats as terrorists! Either, the taxpayers give them the money or they will destroy the economics of our country. All of these demands without even the promise of not opening more plants or hiring more workers. Rich people just want to get richer, they don’t see that they are destroying the real basis of their wealth… working class people! Like dealing with greedy little children we should seize all their assets and re-open the closed plants and put people to work making America more self-sufficient and self-reliant.

THESE PEOPLE HAVE TO REALIZED THAT THEY HAVE GOTTEN RICH OFF THE SWEAT OF WORKING CLASS PEOPLE. IT IS TIME FOR THEM TO STOP OR BE STOPPED.

The Real Crisis of Confidence

Mz4Mz — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:11:43 EST

The nation is enormously pleased and excited about the appointments President-elect Obama has made, the depth of his attention to the matter of this nation’s economy and the swiftness and intellectual seriousness he’s applying to resolve the matter. It’s a great first start.

Jobs must now and always be the focus. That was the major imperative FDR intuitively and immediately understood. President-elect Obama, being the keen student of history that he is, knows that during the thirties, FDR created public works projects that lead to jobs that lead to people getting back to work, that lead to the country feeling good about itself again, that restored confidence to individual Americans and restored America’s collective confidence in America. All people who sincerely wanted to work had to do then was get up early enough to be among the first in line. Employers recognized and believed it was their civic responsibility to hire all who wanted to work. They believed they were helping rebuild America.

Today the media talks about jobs and unemployment in cold, faceless statistics. Federally funded, so-called job development agencies are perpetuating that mind set. No one is on the side of the integrity of the American worker anymore, or is our government so completely removed from the hopes and dreams and aspirations of the “REAL” average American worker?

The “REAL” average American worker has graduated from high school and has landed a job within ten miles of his home town, quickly married and immediately started a family. They seem always to have two children: a girl and a boy. They’re not shopping the market for the right “career fit.” They’re content with living where they live, how they live, and with what they’re living for: their families, their homes and their communities. And the occasional pizza delivery.

The “REAL” average American family are people who sacrifice and live within their means. They’re proud of what they do, proud they are able to support their families. They fervently need to be able to rely on the stability of their jobs, because this is the rock-solid foundation for everything they are and all that they do. All other ground is sinking sand.Once the job is in place, heads-of-households begin to plan for their futures and the immediate future of their children. Notice I said immediate, not long-term future of their children.

The “REAL” average American family is not necessarily socking away money for college for their children. They believe, if this a desire their children have, it is their responsibility as parents to provide a secure, stable, nurturing home for their children to be able to excel throughout their public school career. Based on that record of excellence, the “REAL” average American family expect their children to get into college on scholarship, work, avail themselves to available student aid, work, do well in college, work, graduate, then work to pay off those student loans. Notice the importance of the expectation of work. Their children are grateful for the occasional care package they receive from their parents or the occasional money gift and their love, support and encouragement. The children then pass these expectations and values on to their children. The foundation of it all is their parent’s ability to get and sustain their jobs.

We seem to have forgotten how “REAL” average Americans feel about working. They don’t care about having a “career trajectory.” They just want to work. They just want to keep their jobs. They like living near their parents. They want to stay connected to their siblings. They want to pay their bills. They prefer to stick with those same co-workers. They want to establish and maintain their friendships. They love to talk about how long they’ve known this one or that one or how long they’ve been affiliated with their church, how close they are to their parents, or how long they’ve held that job. Listen to the “REAL” average American and see what I say is true.

The “REAL” average American does not need glamour. They want consistency and stability. They want to earn a paycheck so they can support their families and their communities and live where they’ve always lived all their lives. They’re not whining about healthcare or spinning tales of woe about healthcare. They use nearby Urgent Care facilities, not emergency rooms.

Today people are scared. They’re eating eggs and Raaman noodles for dinner every night, and the worst thing about it all: When they lose their jobs, it’s next to impossible to land another job. Here is the real crisis of confidence, President Obama. It’s not because there are no jobs out there to be had, because there are. It’s because there are far too many people, companies and agencies who have the power to hire but instead choose to serve their own self interests. They are the ones who are really benefitting by turning the application process into a mean, protracted ordeal because it’s in their self interest-- It's their job. It's what they do. See how busy they are doing their job.

They’re objective is not to fill positions especially. They’re working to proliferate a process, reducing otherwise good people-- devoted parents, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, into a tidy heap of 8 1/2 by 11 tucked inside manila files. It’s about paper, not people!

During the Depression, one person took your name and address, sized you up, and then pointed you toward where you were going to work (remember Russell Crowe’s Jim Braddock in Cinderella Man)? Millions of people went to work that way and continued to make this country great. The Empire State building in New York City was erected during the Great Depression! Today, you need a Vice-President of Human Resources, a Director of Human Resources, a HR Manager, several HR supervisors, and all of their HR administrative assistants. And let’s not forget the Receptionist who everyone knows is the chief screener.

You spend hours filling out one online application and you will still be expected to be packing a hard copy of your resume when you come to the interview. As you stand on the outside longingly looking in, it hits you-- all these people at these various companies have jobs because you don’t. If this went on in the ‘30’s and ‘40’s, we would never have put people back to work and grown the economy as steadily as FDR did.

President-elect Obama, if you’re still with me here, there are two rather simple ways you and your crack team can facilitate job growth within the first six months of your presidency. What you have to do is:

1. Appeal to companies desire to prove to Americans just how committed to America they truly are.

They must relax (or better yet, eliminate altogether) the arduous application process that is demoralizing the spirit of all those who can, are willing and able, and who simply want to work, not write a book.People who don’t work steadily are people who can’t pay bills, keep up with a mortgage, maintain an expensive hobby or hunt moose. People who don’t work stay home and find other, inexpensive, “creative” ways to cope, mechanisms that may not be the most physically, emotionally or spiritually helpful.

2. Appeal to companies to suspend the practice of using staffing agencies to fill positions with contract or temporary workers to whom they don’t provide healthcare benefits. People will work without benefits in exchange for permanent employment status.

I guarantee these two simple appeals will get real people back to work!

For years, this quote “Actors are cattle” was attributed to Alfred Hitchcock, the famous director of Psycho, The Birds and Rear Window. During a televised awards ceremony, (which I watched, by the way), Mr. Hitchcock clarified the misquote saying “I never said actors are cattle. I said actors should be treated like cattle.”

Everyone’s out doing themselves publicly decrying outsourcing and jobs being shipped overseas. This little talked about, horrid, hateful, practice of using valuable human resources (people) as temporary/contract workers has kept families living in fear and on the edge and for years! People are being treated like cattle. There should be some outcry about that!

Companies need to post “HELP WANTED” signs, announce the number of jobs they’re needing to fill, and then have their HR personnel walk the line. If every company in the nation did this, every person in this nation who truly wants to work will work.

Maybe CEO’s and COO’s can demonstrate their altruism and their commitment to America by donating the disposable portion of their salaries and bonuses (the part their using to buy yachts, and maintain multiple homes and cars and their expensive memberships in country clubs) toward the newly hired who waited on that line. They need to demonstrate that spirit of self-sacrifice that once was once a moral descriptor of American. Just long enough to see America though this crisis and until she gets back on her feet.

The Great Depression lasted 14 long, hard years, but throughout, Americans came to the real aid of other Americans, not by donating millions of dollars to some charity, or think-tank consortiums, or adopting foreign children, but by providing work to those who simply wanted to work.

President Obama, we don’t need a stimulus check. We know how to stimulate ourselves. President Obama, Real Americans want jobs, not stimulus checks!

That’s all. Thanks for listening.

A good exchange with a coworker...

Beth from ColoradObama — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:14:13 EST

Thoughts on universal healthcare in 100 days, Libertarians, conservatives, self-actualization...

Jobs Baby Jobs!!!

Mickiboop (P.O.B.) Be the Change — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:22:58 EST

Regardless of the congress feeling reticent about the BRIDGE LOANS (not bail-out) that Detroit's Big 3 is requesting, they MUST provide the loans and keep the industry from dissolving. The job loss numbers for November 2008 are astoundingly high, 533,000, putting our nation's unemployment rate at 6.7%. That's up from October's 6.5%. THERE HAS BEEN 1.9 MILLION JOBS LOSS THIS YEAR AND DECEMBER HAS THREE WEEKS TO GO...

Congress should immediately put safeguards in place and distribute the loan money. They can then work with the Obama Administration to retool at least one division of each auto plant to immediately begin manufacturing the rails, rail cars, engines, etc. to build our much needed High-Speed Railways (HSR). Obama and Biden can have the Governors of states like CA, FL, IL and other Mid and Northwestern regions that have already been working with transportation engineers and have plans ready to go, to put out Request for Proposals (RFP). The states can begin to get their construction, transportation, education/training, fleet & city service companies prepared for hiring thousands of workers across the nation. Please read about HSR here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_the_United_States and help to push implementation as soon as possible.

In addition to the Big 3 retooling for HSR, they along with small automotive and auto engineering companies should begin a switch/trade off program with all states to change their public and commercial transportation vehicles such as city and school buses, taxi cabs, delivery trucks & commuter vans over to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The technology already exists and is currently being used here in CA, but not widely used enough. We need to build thousands of CNG fueling stations across America along with switching over all public and commercial transportation vehicles. The CNG stations should be built to include the wiring for future cars that will be battery driven. This project will put people back to work immediately. Please read about CNG here http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/transportation/afvs/cng.html and promote the switch over so we can put people back to work and immediately begin to reduce our carbon footprint.

Just think about all of the small businesses and long-term contract work that can be created with these two projects. We can create tons of jobs and the businesses will hire and/or do business with suppliers of various other goods & services. Here's some examples: combination CNG station & convenience stores, restaurants, catering & food services; CNG buses, vans and taxi cab lines for connecting HSR services; training centers, shopping centers and entertainment centers along all of the HSR lines. These lists can go on and on. There are thousands of jobs to be created and sought but we the people must demand that action is taken now. We cannot afford to wait until P.E. Obama takes office in January.

My Brain Overfloweth

Jeanne Arp — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:47:42 EST

Now that the election is over, I'm ready, ready, ready, to get on with the business of change. The only problem is that I haven't been able to figure out how to begin! So this is my personal beginnning.

I don't know about anyone else, but since election night, my mind has been in overdrive! What if we did this? Why not try that? Maybe we can finally see progress on this! And so on.... So, I'm starting this blog to get some of my ideas out there. I don't know if any of the ideas that float in and out of my mind are viable or not, but I'd like to bounce them off of others and see what happens. So, here we go .... so many problems, so little time ...

I would also like to say, that on this blog at least, ideas need to be treated as sacred. No matter how outlandish or silly an idea may appear at first, all ideas carry the seeds of change. So bring your ideas and let's look them over together.

Magnetic generation of power.

Janiece from Saint Louis, MO — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:25:46 EST

I am wondering why no one is taking this technology serious and why we aren't hearing about this ready to go technology that would provide 100% clean energy to the world in a very short time. Of course it will render all other methods useless but why not do that. They have failed and why waste any more time on them. This is an answer to the auto industry, pollution and affordable energy for everyone. This one technology could turn this ecomomy around in a heart beat. It's the most simple and efficient way to go and we need to implement it before we start with wind, tidal, solar and the rest because it will render the all obsolite before they are finished. If you pick up on this and turn your back on big oil and nuclear and clean coal that doesn't even exist you will be a world hero and go down in history as the one guy who really changed the world for the better. Please investigate this and make it happen. It's a bold move to diss the big guys and it will turn the world on it's ear but it is for the good of the people.

Jobs Baby Jobs!!!

Mickiboop (P.O.B.) Be the Change — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:30:04 EST

Regardless of the congress feeling reticent about the BRIDGE LOANS (not bail-out) that Detroit's Big 3 is requesting, they MUST provide the loans and keep the industry from dissolving. This morning's job loss numbers for November 2008 are astoundingly high, 533,000, putting our nation's unemployment rate at 6.7%. That's up from October's 6.5%. THERE HAS BEEN 1.9 MILLION JOBS LOSS THIS YEAR AND DECEMBER HAS THREE WEEKS TO GO...

Congress should immediately put safeguards in place and distribute the loan money. They can then work with the Obama Administration to retool at least one division of each auto plant to immediately begin manufacturing the rails, rail cars, engines, etc. to build our much needed High-Speed Railways (HSR). Obama and Biden can have the Governors of states like CA, FL, IL and other Mid and Northwestern regions that have already been working with transportation engineers and have plans ready to go, to put out Request for Proposals (RFP). The states can begin to get their construction, transportation, education/training, fleet & city service companies prepared for hiring thousands of workers across the nation. Please read about HSR here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_the_United_States and help to push implementation as soon as possible.

In addition to the Big 3 retooling for HSR, they along with small automotive and auto engineering companies should begin a switch/trade off program with all states to change their public and commercial transportation vehicles such as city and school buses, taxi cabs, delivery trucks & commuter vans over to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The technology already exists and is currently being used here in CA, but not widely used enough. We need to build thousands of CNG fueling stations across America along with switching over all public and commercial transportation vehicles. The CNG stations should be built to include the wiring for future cars that will be battery driven. This project will put people back to work immediately. Please read about CNG here http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/transportation/afvs/cng.html and promote the switch over so we can put people back to work and immediately begin to reduce our carbon footprint.

Just think about all of the small businesses and long-term contract work that can be created with these two projects. We can create tons of jobs and the businesses will hire and/or do business with suppliers of various other goods & services. Here's some examples: combination CNG station & convenience stores, restaurants, catering & food services; CNG buses, vans and taxi cab lines for connecting HSR services; training centers, shopping centers and entertainment centers along all of the HSR lines. These lists can go on and on. There are thousands of jobs to be created and sought but we the people must demand that action is taken now. We cannot afford to wait until P.E. Obama takes office in January.

American Automotive Industry

Mickiboop (P.O.B.) Be the Change — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:08:28 EST

Although I don't like the idea of "bailing out" any more American companies, I believe that we MUST give the bridge loans (with restructuring) to our auto industry. There are many arguments on both sides, pro and con, for allowing these companies to fail, but the ONLY argument that stands out above all others in my book concerns the American people and how the Big 3's failure will affect the lives of families, friends, neighbors and communities. Here's some of the consequences of shutting down America's Automotive Industry:
* Loss of 3 + MILLION American JOBS
* Loss of 3 + MILLION Americans covered by employer based Health, Dental & Vision Care Plans
* Loss of 3 + MILLION Americans paying Mortgages, Insurances and House-hold Utilities
* Loss of 3 + MILLION Americans paying Soc Security, State, Local and Federal Taxes
* Loss of 3 + MILLION American Incomes assisting in reviving our economy through purchasing goods such as Food, Clothing, Houseware and services such as Beauty care, Child care, Entertainment, Travel and Restaurants.

Now, if you consider all of the jobs that may be peripherally dependant on the American auto industry, failure could mean the devastation of more than Four (4) MILLION American Jobs!!! Do we really want to venture into devastating lives in order to make a point concerning bail outs? Should we refrain from trying to help our economy in the long-term?

I think we should have stood up in strong opposition to the REAL bail out of the banking industry when we had the chance, but most of us were in Full-blown Shock and had not really taken the time to research all that should have been demanded before the congress signed the bill. This time We the People, Congress and the Pres. Elect's Economic team are demanding accountability and restructuring for a 21st Century transportation product that will bode well for America's future.

Therefore, I believe we must support the bridge loan. What say you my fellow Americans???

400 words is censorship. 2.5 mil. jobs is half what Obama promised.

Ashley Stearns — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:29:16 EST

So Obama's already ratcheted down that 5 million number he promised in August by half? So typical. The status quo wins again. Welcome to the New World Order.

Job Creation

Tony — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:03:25 EST

Greetings everyone, Obama's team could make a special web page on the website and have people import their online resumes into an emergency state or federal job application. This may not be possible, or legal untill January of 2009. If we can start doing background checks on people beforehand it would speed up the process. This would also give a morale boost to people all over the nation and give them hope that no matter what, there is work to be done if you have the will.

I myself just lost my job installing sprinkler systems for a local company (sigh). I go to college full time and could help modernize schools with ethernet and network computers.

God Bless.

Why The Automakers Deserve To Be Rescued

James from Dearborn, MI — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:06:15 EST

Here's a pretty good article on this:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/14/opinion/main4603869.shtml

The Obama nation should be mobilized and supporting your leaders wishes who wants this passed before he gets into power. Have you been on the phone to your Senate and Congress reps...esp. the GOP ones yet?

He said he still needs you, so why not mobilize now and do the organizing to help save Main Street this time?

One thing missing as the above article explains is that the transformation had already begun...they just need to get past the economic transformation to the oil prices, credit market and economy caused by those financial elites who are taking the bailout money, giving bonuses and apparently have no credit to lend still.

The ripple effect of their collapse would be 3 to 9 million in job losses, $275B to $400B in personal income with $100B to $160B loss in taxes after 3-years.

http://www.cargroup.org/documents/FINALDetroitThreeContractionImpact_3__001.pdf

The public needs to buy in to deficit spending

A Progressive Small Businessman — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:02:21 EST

hello,
I have a suggestion. We all agree the economy needs stimulus but there is tremendous fear of what that means to future generations. I know I was involved in the Ross Perot campaign. Here is my thought: The public is to a large degree ready to make some sacrifice for the purpose of change. The simple proposition is this. Tell the American public that we will spend our way out of this mess. There are many good ways to employ people and encourage future technologies. The simple idea is we will spend now and cut taxes but when things get good again we will have to raise taxes a little to pay back the treasury. I believe that getting the American public to buy into a long term strategy for stimulus and debt repayment will be an easy sell. This should also short circuit most of the fiscal conservatives who would torpedo such an idea as deficit spending and it's associated long term problems.

President Obama can encourage creative counter-recession policies and behaviors that are pro-community and environmentally healing

Ron Poole-Dayan — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:47:04 EST

Yes, we know change will not happen overnight, and the economic recession is barely starting. President Obama will inevitably make mistakes - but that is not the point. Much will depend on the ability to move beyond the zero-sum choices (e.g. job creation versus environmental responsibility) by changing widespread behaviors. With some guidance and inspiration, we can turn the imminent recession into a much less painful and even somewhat corrective process. For instance, instead of blindly injecting money into the economy to stimulate spending, we need leadership to advocate how this spending should be done to get more stimulation mileage for local economies, and avoid consumption of energy-heavy goods that travel thousands of miles to get here and will soon end up in dumps anyhow. I can envision a 21st century version of FDR’s fireside chats encouraging us to prefer spending on local services, give each other gifts like theater tickets, vouchers for a massage, piano lessons, or even home-repair services. A recession is a tragedy for many families, but can also be a wake-up call about waste, and opportunity to re-examine how we live. Look around your houses - do you really need all this junk? However, money spent on local services is multiplied endlessly in the economy to provide support and jobs to more and more people.

JOBs and H1B visa(s).

Roger from Leesburg, VA — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:44:49 EST

Dear Mr. President-

As a 30-year software engineer, something I never thought I'd see is my peers, and my collegues, losing their jobs to foreign workers. My employer, 5-years ago, had 10,000-more American workers in IT than they do today. Now, we're down to about 2,000-Americans, and all the rest are foreign workers from INDIA.

There are a lot of people who will pressure you to expand the H1B visa, claiming that there is simply not enough skilled American people. That is a LIE. They want these foreign workers because they cost a FRACTION of what the American worker cost. It is that simple.

There are dozens of other "scams" the big companies are pulling in order to justify hiring people at substandard wages. I don't expect you to know ALL of them, but; in my very humble opinion, I hope you keep such things in mind when signing on the line.

Respect and Hope,

Sincerely,

-Rog-

The current “unemployment tax rate” needs to be changed.

Alexander from Redding, CT — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:23:35 EST

As the Obama administration is looking to deal with so many problems the top of the list has the word jobs. Along with the effort to create new jobs understanding the forces which drive the destruction of jobs and the incentives companies have to eliminate jobs, I would argue, is as important.

The current “unemployment tax rate” needs to be changed.

Global Leadership

Jim Walsh — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:05:51 EST

It's clear that the global reception that Barack Obama has enjoyed puts him in the position of a moral leader of the world -- not just the free world. Even before he takes office he will be doing a great deal of leading in a world eager to align itself with his ideas. His solutions during the campaign have already begun to prove prophetic.

He has recognized the relationship among the financial crisis, infrastructure renewal, jobs, energy, and climate change and sees solutions to each as complementing solutions to the others.

I suspect that whatever program he puts together and proposes to the US Congress the program will be closely watched throughout the world for hints of what other nations should do. He should remain acutely aware of his influence on the world and address the world explicitly. He need not even wait until his inauguration to do this. The financial crisis is global and solutions are needed soon.

Let your supporters (Voters) Help pick your cabinet

Portiers — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:20:09 EST

Give us a list of people to vote for to fill yor cabinet. Look at the votes then decied.

Ms. Rice

Mr.Powel

Mr. Buffett

Mrs. Clinton

I would like to work with you doing something.

Just to name a few.

Selection for HUD Secretary

Damian from Los Angeles, CA — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:52:45 EST

To Whom It May Concern:

I am very concerned about the choices for HUD Secretary that has been mentioned in the news recently. While working for a local government agency I essentially follow HUD regulations to provide programs in the community. These programs range from public services such as after-school activities to the development of affordable housing.

My experience with HUD’s operations has been extremely frustrating because of the disjointed nature of the program implementation process. It is my hope that the Obama administration would select someone that could streamline the process in a way that will allow people like me to concentrate on program implementation rather than filling out paperwork for 10 different departments within HUD.

Ideally, I could select a project in my community and report it to a HUD online project management system that would allow for regulation compliance reporting in a central location. For example, the finance, environmental, davis-bacon, section 3 regulations can all be input into one central database that can track the progress of any project and any department within HUD can make sure that the project is in compliance at every stage of implementation.

Please remember HUD is a $35.2 billion operation and it affects many people and organizations throughout the country. Thank you for listening to my concern and I look forward to hearing the candidate for HUD Secretary.

Sincerely,

Damian Pipkins

Economic Solutions

Chris Fure, MBA — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 04:08:19 EST

1. JOBS: The US can create millions of manufacturing jobs without dismantling NAFTA – the US can limit its imports to components only and, thus, create millions of “assembly” manufacturing jobs, while still encouraging imports from the lowest cost foreign suppliers. Note: this is a trade policy enacted by most countries to protect their labor force.

2. BUDGET PRIORITIES: Instead of spending a trillion dollars annually on the military (half of the world’s spending and 8 times more than China), the US can have its military industrial complex suppliers manufacture something other than arms, such as solar panels, wind turbines, and other technologies that can reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil (i.e. they get the same money; they just produce something that improves the Economy).

3. RENEWABLE ENERGY TRANSITION: The US can sell high-yield treasury bonds to US banks to finance the switch to renewable energy. The bonds will be paid back by capturing revenue that would otherwise go to foreign oil producers. The bond annuities (reliable earnings) will help free up the credit market and, of course, the renewable energy investment will create millions of jobs.

4. WALL STREET REGULATION: If the US can regulate Credit Default Swap agreements for what they are (insurance) and re-regulate the Rating Agencies so that they can never again offer bogus “AAA” ratings to capture new business, the market can stabilize and avoid future mortgage backed security melt-downs.*

5. STOCK MARKET SAFETY NET: If firms can value their holdings based on historical average pricing, as opposed to mark-to-market pricing, then such firms won’t go bankrupt suddenly, as their holdings in crashed securities will only be discounted on their balance-sheets incrementally – this will prevent panic selling and, further, allows time to shore-up the declining values.

6. IRAQ WAR: The US can end its Treasury depletion in Iraq by simply reframing the War effort to “America won the War when Saddam was no longer in control of his nation (Day 3 of the invasion); the Iraqi threat ended when Saddam was tried and executed by the new Iraqi government; and, thus, the continued US Occupation doesn’t protect Americans, but only continues to hurt the US Economy.”

7. IRAQ OIL: Tens of billions of dollars can be recouped from Iraq’s oil sales, which are being performed by Halliburton (VP Dick Cheney’s company). In this light, the War was originally promoted to Congress by the Bush Administration as a self-funded effort – Iraqi oil sales were to offset the cost. Yet, while Halliburton got the no-bid contract to pump and sell the oil, none of it has been used so far to offset the US tax payer burden, and Halliburton has since moved its headquarters from Houston to Dubai. Beyond Iraq’s received mineral rights, the rest of the oil earnings remain unaccounted and should be recouped from the world’s most successful war profiteer.

How can we save auto industry?

Simon — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 23:16:04 EST

What is the reason why auto makers moved manufacturing overseas?

Why do auto makers always need more money?

Why are unions getting richer by the day and workers are losing their jobs and homes?

What is the purpose of a union and are they serving their purpose or hindering growth?

The solution is right in front of us but can we deal with the truth and make this happen and BRING back American jobs.

After the revolution.

Ready to make a difference! — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:09:07 EST

Four days after the revolution, where are we now? I've been trying to figure out what my next course of action is. I created contraversy by asking for prayer for the president at work so what should I be doing instead? I woke up with the feeling that it is time form me to do something bigger and better. I dont know what your calling is, but mine is to reach out to others in my community as well as nationally. But how do we accomplish this? I haven't figure it out yet. I'm doing my research as I type. Have you thought about it? What is your strength? What can you do to change America? Lets find out!

NEW IDEAS TO HELP AMERICA NOW

Ed from Fort Lauderdale, FL — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:43:41 EST

Congrats, even my 80 year old mother in Indiana voted for you which was no small feat.
I am a college professor in Fort Lauderdale and I made sure all my students went out and voted but I want to tell you, I admire your managerial skills, more than anything. One of the main things is getting people involved, when a person believes what they are doing is their idea or benefit to them, they always perform much better. Never before have I seen this applied enmasse as you did with our volunteers and donaters, which brings me to my point.

As a professor, I have noted that you already have a majority of the young people in college with you and now feeling part of our success. They are involved in your presidency and a year ago they did not even know who the vice president was. It is a entire new attitude from the young people, I love it. I have never seen this in 25 years of teaching.

My suggestion.. .offer a scholarship competition for the best energy efficient vehicle design,energy use in building and interior design, new energy sources and so on and so forth. Allow it developed at the university level in team effort so cross over skills in various programs can be utilized. Whenever ideas are exchanged between different majors thats when innovative new ideas occur Have a top 3-5 winner range,reward all members of the TEAM , faculty involved and school and do it annually.

You have a fired up base, students as well as educators. The minds are here to help America solve our energy crisis, competition always leads to perfection,drive and purpose. The reward increases all of these.

I am working in holographic technology we have already took 200 dollars worth of equipment and a couple months ago made a HD TV display the objects as holographs in front of you. This technology would decrease the need to travel by virtually putting someone in a conference room with complete interactivity without being there. If you watched CNN on election night they did this with an alternative method of broadcasting a live person.

This is here and it is available now.

Anyway, all America needs is a push in the educational system to develop it cheaply and enmasse.

If new jobs and new energy is what we need, we need new inovations and lets put our young minds in this manhanttan project and become the technology leaders of the world.

Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, Mansfield News Journal, Coshocton Tribune Endorse Obama!

Michael in Ohio — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:08:02 EST

It's catching on: newspapers across the Buckeye state are backing Barack Obama for President--even in places where it wouldn't seem likely.

This past week, the papers in Lancaster, Mansfield, and Coshocton announced their support for Obama. Here are portions of each endorsement:

The next president will inherit a divided country, two wars burgeoning federal deficit, and a turbulent economy that has shed thousands of jobs, especially in Ohio, just this year alone. These times call for an extraordinary leader - one with a clear vision for our future as one nation, and the demonstrated steadiness and intelligence to set us on a new path.

We believe Obama is that person, and the one best suited to lead this country and help Fairfield County residents. We support Obama on several issues, but we've listed three we believe are most important to this community.
Ohio has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Residents are asked to support tax increase every year. Your pocketbook is not a Republican or Democratic issue. It's a human issue.

Obama's tax plan would provide a tax decrease for families with incomes less than $250,000. He plans to pay for it by eliminating President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest in our country.

At this critical juncture in history, with our country facing unprecedented challenges at home and abroad, Barack Obama is the right choice to become the 44th president of the United States.

The problems we face today require a new approach, new ideas and a renewed willingness to work in collaboration with conservatives, liberals and moderates.

The 47-year-old U.S. Senator from Illinois has demonstrated a willingness and ability to do all of these things.

As a candidate, Obama has built a broad base of supporters; an inclusive group that crosses lines of race, gender, income and other essential constituents.
We believe Obama offers the best opportunity to begin crossing these demographic and political fault lines, working for consensus and in communicating new directions and ideas to a nation badly in need of leadership.

Obama's personal background will assist in this effort. Diversity and acceptance of others and their ideas are critical today and Obama's understanding of these concepts through his own life experiences is a major advantage he holds over McCain.

America is in a real financial crisis, the worst since the Great Depression. But the truth is, Ohio has been in an economic free fall since the day George W. Bush took office.

The Buckeye State never recovered from the post-Sept. 11 recession. Ohio has lost almost 250,000 manufacturing jobs since 2000. The exodus from Coshocton alone has been devastating - General Electric, JII, Royce Craft Baskets and Pretty Products, to name a few. Our 9.1 percent unemployment rate is higher than the Ohio rate of 7.2 percent and well above the national average of 6.1 percent.

So if you focus on the key issues of jobs, jobs and jobs, only one candidate offers a forward-thinking plan for the future. That is why four of the Tribune's five editorial board members urge you to support Barack Obama for president of the United States.
Obama's detailed proposals offer a better alternative for virtually everyone in Coshocton County. His plan would cut taxes for all but the wealthiest individuals. He understands the urgent need for health care we can afford, and our nation's desire to end our unnecessary foray into Iraq.

Most important, Obama maintains the calm temperament needed during a time of crisis. He is a clear thinker who knows how to get his points across.

Buckeyes agree--Ohio needs Barack Obama. So let's get out the vote. Now.

The Obama Economy? It's about the Job's!

Frank — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 07:32:49 EST

Senator Barack Obama has shown the greatest political organization we have ever seen benefiting from technology and public support and empowerment. The Senator knows that we must support technological innovation, education and the freedom of innovation. He knows that these things can at the same time help the environment, grow our economy, and increase our security, and one other important aspect; involve the people in the process. Our economy will improve under an Obama Presidency because he understands the fundamental concept that the people have to have a stake in their own future and that change comes from the ground up, and that the creation and support of American jobs is what is essential and vital for all of America.

America WILL Change if Barack is Elected

Lorrie — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 01:51:34 EDT

I believe, with all my heart, that America will be on the road to change if Barack Obama is elected President of the United States of America. We, as Americans, will then have the perfect chance to contribute to this cause. The reason I believe this is because Barack said it. He said, as he spoke in Henderson, Nevada yesterday (October 31st), that 5 million jobs will be created after he becomes President. Jobs, in my opinion, are one of the things that makes our Nation great. We absolutely need to be the Nation that invents things and values education.

I have come to see that Barack is a man of his word. He's honest and helps communities become better. From the stories I've seen of him, he has committed his life to helping people have better lives. I started out being a supporter of Hillary Clinton. She's a very smart woman. She, and her husband, think that people come first in our country. They certainly do! Without people, we wouldn't have the wonderful towns and businesses that make this country great. The corporations wouldn't have advocates of their own businesses without American employees. Inventions wouldn't happen so quickly without American creativity. The military wouldn't be so quick to respond without American patriotism. Barack knows, from what I've heard, that people are very important when it comes to making this country great.

But soon, I realized that Barack had the attention of the younger generation by huge amounts! And that is when I paid more attention. A lightbulb went on over my head! I realized I was still thinking and remembering the 1990's! I then realized we needed to be in the 21st century, and our younger generation seemed to know that better than me! Senator Obama showed me the way as he organized his way to the top of the Democratic Campaign! He called me personally one day to tell me so, but at the time I didn't know who he was! I said I was a Hillary supporter and that was how it was! He said, at the end of our conversation, "Well, Mrs. Morrison, remember, you'll have to think of who the RIGHT candidate is before you vote"! That sentence was in my mind for months later! I didn't quite understand what he meant by "the RIGHT candidate". I always prided myself on thinking I knew who the right person for President could be.

Senator Obama's vision paves a path forward that will be transitional. We need to improve our country with more jobs, improve infrastructure, and improve education, to become more competitive. I was told recently by my son, who is taking classes at a community college to get a Cisco Certification in Silicon Valley, that Cisco is slowing down on hiring because they are waiting to see who is going to be elected for President! Now I would say that maybe that is smart of them to do that. But, on the other hand, my husband, http://www.chuckmorrison.com, has noticed a significant slowing down in the hiring process this September and October. He's a Sr. Project Manager that normally can be hired within a months time, but now he is seeing this slowdown in Silicon Valley. It appears that our America is so concerned about what is happening within this current administration, the corporations don't want to move forward until after the election. This is obvious if you are watching the stock market and the financial crisis that has gripped the country! Senator Obama wants to change the deceptive eight year behaviour of this administration by making more jobs open to the public. What good does it do for a country that can't move forward because they are in a stale-mate!

I have made two pictures for the art community I contribute too. One picture shows that we need a new path to progress in America. This is where you can see it: http://www.artistrising.com/products/344468/path-to-progress.htm We need a new path where everyone is involved in order to move our country forward. The other picture was made as a digital painting from two pictures I photographed from my own televison set! http://www.artistrising.com/products/344371/we-the-people.htm This picture is about working together to promote change and progress in America and shows the last scenes at the Democratic Convention at the stadium, as a digital painting. I hope you enjoy looking at them. So far, they seem to be staying on the front page of the "People" section at http://www.artistrising.com. It appears people are looking at them. I know people want hope and change for our country.

I would like to stress the importance of the idea of creating new jobs in America. The Nation has moved in a downward curve for eight years. We can't stand much more. We need a President with inspiration and hope to move our country forward. We the People can do it with this kind of inspired leadership. We can move down a New Path to Progress if Barack Obama is elected!

Training or Education: What's the Difference?

plembo — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 21:04:02 EDT

There are a couple of articles up in the BBC Technology section that bear reading. Both are by columnist Bill Thompson, and amount to laments about the woeful state of the average user's understanding of computer technology.

In End of innocence for Mac fans, Thompson takes the occasion of the first "in the wild" Trojan for the "new" Mac OS to point out a major problem with computers in the schools.

From Thompson's piece on the new Mac virus:

Despite the growing importance of computers and the internet in school I don't expect that this real threat to home computer users will make it into the school newsletter or be announced in assembly as part of the general school concern for pupil safety.

And this highlights a real failing in the education system, one that betrays a lack of the sort of joined-up thinking that the government is trying to achieve elsewhere.

There is a fair amount of skills-based IT training taking place, so that students leave school knowing how to write a letter, make a spreadsheet and create a presentation, even if their skills tend to be oriented around Microsoft Office instead of being more general.

But this really is training, not teaching. IT has been embedded into the curriculum and students learn how to do stuff, but there is no space for discussion and debate that might lead to a deeper understanding of the technology or the issues it creates.

8% of the Country is Still Undecided

Michael in Ohio — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 12:03:59 EDT

A recent ABC News poll found that 8% of Americans are still undecided about who they are going to vote for. This has been a strong campaign, but 8 percent is a considerable amount.

Do you know someone who is undecided? Much of the Ohio homepage and the blog has concentrated on the supporters and volunteers that make this movement amazing. But many people still have not made up their minds, and the campaign wants to provide them with all the resources and information about Barack that they need to make a decision. So the Ohio Campaign for Change has created an Undecided Voter Resource page, where Undecided Ohio voters can get what they need to make an informed decision about Barack, and where supporters can easily send their undecided friends all that they should read, watch, and hear about Barack and Ohio.

The site features this video: "Four Reasons Ohio Needs Barack"

In addition to this video, the site includes

short versions of Barack's policies on the issues important to Ohio
more videos and the Ohio Campaign for Change podcast
blog posts that underscore why people support Barack
a button that makes it quick and easy to send the undecided resource page to all your undecided friends!

Of course, the best way to reach out to undecided voters is to volunteer to contact voters in your neighborhood. You can help the get out the vote effort by signing up here, or visit your local field office, or contact your neighbors on your own time with the Neighbor2Neighbor tool.

3 days left.

Remarks of Senator Obama, Indianapolis, IN, Oct. 23, 2008

Jill 4 Obama — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:10:49 EDT

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama (Indianapolis, IN) Indianapolis, IN | October 23, 2008

It is fitting that we meet today on the mall of the American Legion, surrounded by monuments to our nation's heroes. Because on this day, 25 years ago, the Marine barracks in Beirut were bombed. 241 Americans laid down their lives for this country and for the peace they were there to protect. We revere their service. We honor their sacrifice. And we keep their families in our prayers.

We will never forget them.

Indiana, in just 12 days, you'll have the chance to elect your next President. And you'll have the chance to bring the change we need to Washington. That's the good news. But we're going to have to work, and struggle, and fight for every single one of those 12 days to move our country in a new direction.

I am hopeful about the outcome. We were thrilled this weekend when a great American statesman, General Colin Powell, joined our cause. But we cannot let up. And we won't.

Because one thing we know is that change never comes without a fight. In the final days of campaigns, the say-anything, do-anything politics too often takes over. We've seen it before. And we're seeing it again today. The ugly phone calls. The misleading mail and TV ads. The careless, outrageous comments. All aimed at keeping us from working together, all aimed at stopping change.

Well, what we need now is not misleading charges and divisive attacks. What we need is honest leadership and real change, and that's why I'm running for President of the United States.

Now, more than ever, this campaign has to be about the problems facing the American people - because this is a moment of great uncertainty for America.

We're facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The Dow plummeted again yesterday, threatening the job security, retirement security, and economic security of millions of ordinary Americans. Indiana lost 4,500 manufacturing jobs in September alone. And just today, we learned that more and more Americans are filing for unemployment. Home values are falling. Foreclosures are rising. Wages are shrinking. And the cost of health care and college tuition has never been higher.

And that's what this election is all about - because John McCain and I have real differences about how to get us out of this economic mess. You see, Senator McCain thinks the economic policies of George W. Bush are just right for America. In the Senate, he's voted with George Bush 90 percent of the time. Said earlier this year that we've made "great progress" over the last eight years. And while Senator McCain says now that he's different from President Bush, you sure couldn't tell by the policies he's proposing.

Just yesterday, Senator McCain strongly defended the Bush policy of lavishing tax cuts on corporations that ship American jobs overseas. He made the peculiar argument that the best way to stop companies from shipping jobs overseas is to give more tax cuts to companies that ship jobs overseas. More tax cuts for job outsourcers. That's what Senator McCain proposed as his answer to outsourcing.

He said that's - quote - "simple fundamental economics."

Well, Indiana, my opponent may call that "fundamental economics," but we know that's just another name for the Wall Street first, Main Street last economic philosophy we've had for the past eight years - and that's fundamentally wrong.

If Senator McCain wants to defend tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas, that's his choice. But I say, let's end tax cuts for companies that ship American jobs overseas, and give them to companies that create good jobs right here in Indiana - in the United States of America.

If he wants to defend free trade agreements designed to protect the profits of multinational corporations and a trade policy that lets countries like China tilt the playing field against our workers, that's up to him. But I say, we need a trade policy that protects the dreams of hardworking Americans.

If he wants to defend a tax code that's more than 10,000 pages long and filled with loopholes written in by corporate lobbyists like the ones running his campaign, he's got every right. He has every right to defend offshore tax havens that let companies avoid paying taxes here in America. But I say, it's time to close corporate loopholes, shut offshore tax havens, and restore balance and fairness to our tax code.

By the way, did you know that there's a building in the Cayman Islands that supposedly houses 18,000 corporations. That's either the biggest building or the biggest tax scam on record. And I think we know which one it is.

That's the system my opponent defends. That's the system he wants to preserve. Well, Indiana, we've tried it John McCain's way. We've tried it George Bush's way. And we're here today to say enough is enough. We can't afford four more years of their "fundamental economics." That's why I'm running for President of the United States of America.

You see, I have a different notion of fundamental economics than my opponent. Because where I come from, there's nothing more fundamental than a good-paying job. There's nothing more fundamental than being able to pay your health care bills, put your kids through college, or retire with dignity and security. There's nothing more fundamental than the American dream - and that's the dream we can reclaim if you stand with me on November 4.

I know we can do this. I know we can steer ourselves out of this crisis. Because I believe in you. I believe in the American people.

We are the United States of America. We are a nation that's faced down war and depression; great challenges and great threats. And at each and every moment, we have risen to meet these challenges - not as Democrats, not as Republicans, but as Americans. With resolve. With confidence. With that fundamental belief that here in America, our destiny is not written for us; it's written by us. That's who we are, and that's the country we need to be right now.

But Indiana, I know this. It will take a new direction. It will take new leadership in Washington. It will take a real change in the policies and politics of the last eight years. And that's why I'm running for President of the United States.

It's time to turn the page on eight years of economic policies that put Wall Street before Main Street but ended up hurting both. We need policies that grow our economy from the bottom-up, so that every American, everywhere, has the chance to get ahead. Not just the person who owns the factory, but the men and women who work on its floor. Because if we've learned anything from this economic crisis, it's that we're all connected; we're all in this together; and we will rise or fall as one nation - as one people.

The rescue plan that passed the Congress was a necessary first step to easing this credit crisis, but if we're going to rebuild this economy from the bottom up, we need an immediate rescue plan for the middle-class - and that's what I will do as President of the United States.

Nine months ago, I called for a stimulus plan to provide immediate relief for states, along with tax rebates to get money directly to middle class families and a foreclosure prevention fund to help people keep their homes. Senator McCain's advisors openly mocked the stimulus plan before Congress - one referred to it, and I quote, as "borrowing money from the Chinese and dropping it from helicopters." Another dismissed it as "junk."

Just this week, after nine straight months of job losses, when our Federal Reserve Chairman supports another stimulus to get our economy moving, Senator McCain said he doesn't think we need to pass this stimulus immediately. Well, the working families who've been hard hit by this economic crisis - folks who can't pay their mortgages or their medical bills or send their kids to college - they can't afford to go to the back of the line behind CEOs and Wall Street banks. They need help right here, right now - and that's why I'm running for President of the United States.

I've proposed a new American jobs tax credit for each new employee that companies hire here in the United States over the next two years. And I'll help make sure the fuel-efficient cars of tomorrow are built not just in South Korea or Japan, but right here in Indiana.

Few have been harder hit by our credit crisis than the workers who make our cars and the companies that supply their parts. Now, when it came to rescuing Wall Street, Washington didn't waste a minute. But now that auto-workers are suffering, Washington's put on the breaks. It turns out it could take a year for the auto industry to get the loan guarantees we passed a few weeks ago.

Well, the workers who are being laid off and the companies that are seeing their sales drop - they can't afford to wait a year, they need help right now. That's why I've called on Washington to fast-track those loan guarantees and provide more as needed - because that's how we'll secure our auto jobs and save our auto industry.

I'll also help small businesses by eliminating capital gains taxes and giving them emergency loans to keep their doors open and hire workers. I'll put a three-month moratorium on foreclosures so that we can give homeowners the breathing room they need to get back on their feet. And I will create a Jobs and Growth fund to help states and local governments save one million jobs and pay for health care and education without having to raise your taxes.

These are the steps that we must take - right now - to start getting our economy back on track. But we also need a new set of priorities to grow our economy and create jobs over the long-term.

It starts with tax relief. There's been a lot of talk about taxes in this campaign. And the truth is, my opponent and I are both proposing tax cuts. The difference is, he wants to give a $700,000 tax cut to the average Fortune 500 CEO. I want to put a middle class tax cut in the pockets of 95% of workers and their families. My opponent doesn't want you to know this, but under my plan, tax rates for middle class families will actually be less than they were under Ronald Reagan.

It's true that I want to roll back the Bush tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans and go back to the rate they paid under Bill Clinton. John McCain calls that socialism. What he forgets is that just a few years ago, he himself said those Bush tax cuts were irresponsible. He said he couldn't "in good conscience" support a tax cut where the benefits went to the wealthy at the expense of "middle class Americans who most need tax relief." Well, he was right then, and I am right now.

Let me be crystal clear: If you make less than a quarter of a million dollars a year - which includes 98% of small business owners - you won't see your taxes increase one single dime. Not your payroll taxes, not your income taxes, not your capital gains taxes - nothing. That is my commitment to you.

For the last eight years, we've given more and more to those with the most and hoped that prosperity would trickle down to everyone else. And guess what? It didn't. So it's time to try something new. It's time to grow this economy from the bottom-up. It's time to invest in the middle-class again.

If I am President, I will invest $15 billion a year in renewable sources of energy to create five million new, green jobs over the next decade - jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced; jobs building solar panels and wind turbines and fuel-efficient cars; jobs that will help us end our dependence on oil from Middle East dictators.

I'll also put two million more Americans to work rebuilding our crumbling roads, schools, and bridges - because it is time to build an American infrastructure for the 21st century. And if people ask how we're going to pay for this, you tell them that if we can spend $10 billion a month in Iraq, we can spend some money to rebuild America.

If I am President, I will finally fix the problems in our health care system that we've been talking about for too long. This issue is personal for me. My mother died of ovarian cancer at the age of 53, and I'll never forget how she spent the final months of her life lying in a hospital bed, fighting with her insurance company because they claimed that her cancer was a pre-existing condition and didn't want to pay for treatment. If I am President, I will make sure those insurance companies can never do that again.

My health care plan will make sure insurance companies can't discriminate against those who are sick and need care most. If you have health insurance, the only thing that will change under my plan is that we will lower premiums. If you don't have health insurance, you'll be able to get the same kind of health insurance that Members of Congress get for themselves. And we'll invest in preventative care and new technology to finally lower the cost of health care for families, businesses, and the entire economy. That's the change we need.

And if I'm President, we'll give every child, everywhere the skills and the knowledge they need to compete with any worker, anywhere in the world. I will not allow countries to out-teach us today so they can out-compete us tomorrow. It is time to provide every American with a world-class education. That means investing in early childhood education. That means recruiting an army of new teachers, and paying them better, and giving them more support in exchange for higher standards and more accountability.

And it means investing in agricultural education. From seeing all those blue corduroy jackets in the crowd, I know there's a Future Farmers of America convention here in Indianapolis. And I want you to know that if I'm elected President, I will fight for you - because America's farmers are America's future. And it's time we had a President who understood that.

We need to make sure every American who has the drive and the will but not the money can go to college. My opponent's top economic advisor actually said that they have no plan to invest in college affordability because we can't have a giveaway to every special interest. Well I don't think the young people of America are a special interest - they are the future of this country. That's why I'll make this deal with you: if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford your tuition. No ifs, ands or buts. You invest in America, America will invest in you, and together, we will move this country forward.

Now, make no mistake: the change we need won't come easy or without cost. We will all need to tighten our belts, we will all need to sacrifice and we will all need to pull our weight because now more than ever, we are all in this together.

At a defining moment like this, we don't have the luxury of relying on the same political games and the same political tactics that are used every election to divide us from one another and make us afraid of one another. With the challenges and crises we face right now, we cannot afford to divide this country by class or region; by who we are or what policies we support.

There are no real or fake parts of this country. We are not separated by the pro-America and anti-America parts of this nation - we all love this country, no matter where we live or where we come from. There are patriots who supported this war in Iraq and patriots who opposed it; patriots who believe in Democratic policies and those who believe in Republican policies. The men and women from Indiana and all across America who serve on our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America.

We have always been at our best when we've had leadership that called us to look past our differences and come together as one nation, as one people; leadership that rallied this entire country to a common purpose - to a higher purpose. And I am running for President of the United States of America because that is the country we need to be right now.

This country and the dream it represents are being tested in a way that we haven't seen in nearly a century. And future generations will judge ours by how we respond to this test. Will they say that this was a time when America lost its way and its purpose? When we allowed the same divisions and fear tactics and our own petty differences to plunge this country into a dark and painful recession?

Or will they say that this was another one of those moments when America overcame? When we battled back from adversity by recognizing that common stake that we have in each other's success?

This is one of those moments. I realize you're cynical and fed up with politics. I understand that you're disappointed and even angry with your leaders. You have every right to be. But despite all of this, I ask of you what's been asked of the American people in times of trial and turmoil throughout our history. I ask you to believe - to believe in yourselves, in each other, and in the future we can build together.

Together, we cannot fail. Not now. Not when we have a crisis to solve and an economy to save. Not when there are so many Americans without jobs and without homes. Not when there are families who can't afford to see a doctor, or send their child to college, or pay their bills at the end of the month. Not when there is a generation that is counting on us to give them the same opportunities and the same chances that we had for ourselves.

We can do this. Americans have done this before. Some of us had grandparents or parents who said maybe I can't go to college but my child can; maybe I can't have my own business but my child can. I may have to rent, but maybe my children will have a home they can call their own. I may not have a lot of money but maybe my child will run for Senate. I might live in a small village but maybe someday my son can be president of the United States of America.

In Indiana, you can vote early right here, and right now. To find out how, just go to voteforchange.com. And if you stand with me, I promise you - we will win Indiana, we will win this election, and then you and I - together - will change this country and change this world. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America.

Remarks of Senator Obama, Indianapolis, IN, Oct. 23, 2008

Jill 4 Obama — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:02:51 EDT

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama (Indianapolis, IN) Indianapolis, IN | October 23, 2008

We will never forget them.

I am hopeful about the outcome. We were thrilled this weekend when a great American statesman, General Colin Powell, joined our cause. But we cannot let up. And we won't.

Well, what we need now is not misleading charges and divisive attacks. What we need is honest leadership and real change, and that's why I'm running for President of the United States.

Now, more than ever, this campaign has to be about the problems facing the American people - because this is a moment of great uncertainty for America.

He said that's - quote - "simple fundamental economics."

I know we can do this. I know we can steer ourselves out of this crisis. Because I believe in you. I believe in the American people.

These are the steps that we must take - right now - to start getting our economy back on track. But we also need a new set of priorities to grow our economy and create jobs over the long-term.

Or will they say that this was another one of those moments when America overcame? When we battled back from adversity by recognizing that common stake that we have in each other's success?

Now it falls to us. Together, we cannot fail. And I need you to make it happen. If you want the next four years looking like the last eight, then I am not your candidate. But if you want real change - if you want an economy that rewards work, and that works for Main Street and Wall Street; if you want tax relief for the middle class and millions of new jobs; if you want health care you can afford and education that helps your kids compete; then I ask you to knock on some doors, make some calls, talk to your neighbors, and give me your vote. In Indiana, you can vote early right here, and right now. To find out how, just go to voteforchange.com. And if you stand with me, I promise you - we will win Indiana, we will win this election, and then you and I - together - will change this country and change this world. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America.

AMERICA IN THE YEAR 2016

Peter from Portland, OR — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:02:06 EDT

I had a dream: We are writing the year 2016, America has left behind the economy crisis of 2008 and developed to a green, social and prosperous society. The unemployment rate is down at 2.3 %, the number of poor people dropped from 37 to 9 million, the national deficit is only a fourth of that in 2008. Every American has affordable health care now, and Obama`s tax cuts have put more money into the pockets of the middle-class American, which led to higher consumption, re-fueled the economy, and created millions of new jobs. Above all 5 million new created green collar jobs and a better, more effective environmental policy with solar, wind and other renewable energies dropped America`s energy bill, air pollution and CO 2 balance by 25%, making the country cleaner and almost independent of foreign oil. America´s is about to become the world leader in green technology, especially due to the broad-scale introduction of US built hybrid cars. In foreign politics America has restored faith and regained respect in the world community of nations as a wise and peaceful mediator in all conflicts. This and other measures also led to an improvement of the national security. The dark Bush years are history and America has made the real CHANGE to a better future - YES WE COULD - And due to the great achievements of Barack Obama`s successful 8 years in national and international politics a committee was founded, proposing the extension of his presidency for 4 more years, as applied during the Roosevelt administration.

Was all of this just a dream ? - No, you can make it happen by voting for OBAMA next Tuesday - It is now up to you, America !

SHOP AMERICA SUPPORTS OBAMA

The nation as an organism

Brit from Charlotte, NC — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:19:16 EDT

Think of the nation as an organism. Think of money as the blood supply that each organ, each cell needs to survive. Think of the government as the heart, pumping blood and maintaining order. Think of the job market and corporate business as the veins and arteries allocating blood to certain areas in certain quantities. Admittedly, the brain needs a lot more blood than the foot, or the small intestine. But if brain gets a surplus of blood and the foot doesn't receive ENOUGH blood, the foot will die off and the brain won't have the opportunity to use that foot... the body will not be able to walk. If we don't make sure our heart is in the right place, we'll end up with an inefficient blood supply... and if we don't make sure our government has the welfare of ALL of it's people in mind, we'll end up with a subnormal economy. When the cells of the base of our economy don't receive a living wage, the whole body suffers. The blood supply is finite... and when one part of the body is getting a surplus, another part of the body goes without. (Think of the effects of adrenaline... it takes renders involuntary muscles like the digestive system inactive for a brief time while supplying more blood to voluntary muscles, like biceps. If this were to happen over a long period of time, the body wouldn't be able to nourish itself, and would die.) This isn't socialism... it's biology. By allowing money to pool in the hands of a very few people, we are rendering many other people inactive and their lives are becoming unsustainable. We are seeing the effects of this now, in the credit crisis, but it could get worse... and it could get better. We need to get our heart to help us change the course of blood flow, or our society will wither.

help me make a change

Nothingbutdrama — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:56:19 EDT

Do anyone know of any where that is hiring right now. I really need a job and I have a-lot of experience in Retail, customer service, marketing, and management. I'm a fast learner and I'm willing to be train for any new position. I was trying to get a job in the Obama Campaign and was promised a job in the Miami office down on 36 st, But when I got there They told be That they were only looking for Volunteers. Well I Love Volunteering ,but I need money to eat, pay my bills and put gas in my car. If you are person who have a company and looking for extra help for the holidays let me know. My e-mail is shanilliaf@yahoo.com See This what Change is all about, Helping each other succeed.

I never thought...

brainjured.com — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:01:46 EDT

how sensitive I would be to the latest email from the Barack campaign. Probably because I don't have a job anymore. The economy took my job.

'Take a day off to vote.'. Yeah, if you have a job that will allow that and doesn't need to make cutbacks. I hope you have a job that is supportive of you to take off. And you can not lie to your employer either. In these troubled economic times some white, some blue collared workers need to be careful, especially if they have loved ones to support. Would you take a sick or vacation day? I just hate seeing the unemployment rate keep going up and don't want anymore jobs lost.

please sign this petition

Puerto Rican Baby — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:06:03 EDT

Everyone has jobs. but if there was a hiring for Food Lion or something and a 16 year old and a 14 year old applyed, the would hire the 16 year old because of age. Its not fair, and i know everyone says life isn't fair but money is needed to buy things. the source of most 14 year olds money is thier parents. Please sign this petition.

What's Right for Ohio

Michael in Ohio — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 18:48:36 EDT

The Ohio Democratic Party recently released a truly stunning advertisement that puts a visual on how eight years of failed Republican economic policies have wreaked havoc on Ohio workers and families. The facts are the following--under the Bush administration, Ohio has suffered:

1087 factories and companies shutting down
180,264 lost jobs

Those numbers are a bit hard to grasp, until you see the ad:

In addition, the helpful website www.McCainvsOhio.com is chock full of resources that detail how Senator McCain stands on the wrong side of the issues most important to Ohio, including:

The site features many videos, and the ability to write a letter to the editor.

Enraged by this ad and what you see on the website? Like this Toledo woman, are you wondering how someone who owns seven homes can be in touch with the struggles of normal Ohioans? You can write a letter through Barack's website too, on any number of issues that are important to you. Just click the button below.

Palin Special Needs Double Talk doesn't help people with Mild Develomental Disablities

Jason — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:02:08 EDT

How can anyone encourage funding for children with special needs when they oppose research projects that help identify mental disablities?

Palin says she wants more money for kids with special needs, but then wants congress to pull the plug on an effective research program that is helping to identify and research autism spectrum disorders.

As a person with Aspergers' Syndrome (a form of high functioning autism), I am appauled that Sarah Palin would want to kill a research project that helps identify developmental disablities but would ask for money to support a program that, from my own experience, fails to meet the needs of individuals with mental disabilities because people are either too cheap to pay for them (i.e. insurance companies, school districts) or pidgeon hole induviduals by grouping people who have very different diagnosises (i.e. putting people with Aspergers' Syndrome or Autism in programs with people who have Down Syndrome or severe mental retardation).

Because of such programs that group thouse with mild problems with those with severe problems, I haven't been too keen to participate in any organizations that handle mental disabilites. Those who don't have the severe problems really don't do anything because the program is not geared toward them. I have a degree in Computer Science, but the program I tried working with kept trying to lure me into retraining programs to get into sales or the service sector. I did not spend six years of college just to go back to a school to become a cashier at Walmart.

But the economy is dry. And jobs that require CS degrees have absurd demands in our area.

I've been vying to become an SQL adminstrator for the local natural gas company for about the past couple of years. The job requires five years of experience and has been a vancant position for about four years. Yet my education at the university I was taught at, nor my interest in SQL databases, are not adequate qualifications for a job in a position that I am interested in. I certainly can not wait five years to get this job, and I definitely can not move to another job market where I can work at a job that requires less requirements because I can not afford to move elsewhere.

So why am I being asked to take a job in a career industry that I have no interest in? It is because the people in the organization do not know anything about computer science. I can't blame them for not understanding, but they should atleast know some difference between computer scientist and Walmart cashier.

Because the organizations are focused on sending people who have no education and have severe mental disabilties to work, they don't know what to do with people who have mild developmental disablities who are educated.

And that is where IDEA fails. It helps with children with special needs, but what if that child has a mild developmental disablity rather than a severe mental disability? They're stuck with either participating in the group that helps those with severe mental disability or waiting for the economy to rebound so that companies with reasonable job offers come around.

Five years is too long to wait for a job or for help with developmental disabilties.

Jobs Summit

Mickiboop (P.O.B.) Be the Change — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:02:29 EDT

Barack's Job Summit will be shown live through HQ Blog. You can also view it at CNN.com. It will start any moment.