It’s so easy to be a Monday morning quarterback; it’s the American way to over look the good in a person, place, or thing, especially in politics. The saying goes, “What have you done for me today”
In his acceptance speech Gov. Romney said Americans are not better off than they were four years ago.
Tell that to the thousands of auto workers whose jobs were saved by the auto bail-out, one that Romney opposed;the jobs saved, police, fireman, teachers, by the stimulus; the millions who are now insurability, those who cannot be denied insurance coverage due to pre-existing conditions, those who can stay on their parents insurance till age 26; the tax cuts to the middle and working class.
Has the president done everything he set out to do…no, has any president accomplished their agenda, or the question should be……..
How many have done as much?
Frank Calio's Blog (www.frankcalio.com) 
The stimulus jobs you refer to are not guarantee jobs, they were government grants funding the position for 3-5 yrs then the town, city or state had to start funding those positions. (Teachers, firemen, policemen)These towns, city and or states have not been able to raise the revenue to keep those positions, however with retirements most of the time the positions are kept. But the number of employees will be back to where it was before the grant. So it was just another political band-aide not a fix for the economy. The current president is not the first nor the last to play this number game.
What about the non-union auto worker retirees that lost everything because of this bailout? Because they were a smaller group people overlook them. Also Chrysler and GM have repaid their loans from the bailout, the new companies not the old companies before chapter 11. So where did this money go that was repaid? Good question if you find it let me know. But the US taxpayer still holding around 27 billion in stock options, which have only about a 13 billion current market value.
I will not even bring up the unemployment rate that is anywhere from 8.5%-14.6%, Since the DOL has decided to release the information it wants and compared to what it wants, there is no will truth out there. Different sources (Dem, Lib, GOP) all have different numbers which works for them and their issues.
Well DY I can tell you at this moment I am in Sacramento, CA working on a project that is being funded by ARRA. I see many many construction workers that are working because of this. This project will not be completed for another five years. So at least they will be employed for that length of time which is better than being unemployed.
Thanks for stepping up Jeff. I’m in FL and I see a lot of new over passes being built with signs showing federal money funding the project along ith a lot of road improvements all the way down from DE which I find amusing since most of the gov’s in those state spoke against stimulus money, similar to Pat Ryan who voted against the stimulus bill but asked for and received millions “To create jobs”in his state for a couple of his rich buddies….interesting!
U have successfully addressed the purpose of my post, the glass is usually half full. The stimulus is used to get the ball rolling in hopes the economy will rebound and these jobs can be picked up. It worked in the Carter administration..the Lauref fire hall was built with that money, I was on the town council then, and we received money to hire additional policeman, purchase them much needed police cars and equipment. The town was $250,000 in the red, this was in 1969 dollars..four years later the town had a $250,000 surplus a half million dollar turn around. So the program can work..give it some time. We were In a hell of a financial hole 4 years ago.
I think a lot of people are not saying that Obamma has done nothing. Most people agree that he has done a lot, all wrong, and that he has not really acted on hot issues but has mostly remained secluded in the white house only to come out for issuance of executive orders and to campaign. That is what all of the people that I come into contact with on a daily basis have to say anyway.
Ending the war in Iraq, healthcare,sending in the Seals to rid the Mad Bomber,auto bail out, bank regulations, tax cuts and dealing with a Congress wanting him to fail are not hot buttons? Whether u agree with any of the above he’s trying to move this country forward in spite of Republican opposition.
http://whattheheckhasobamadonesofar.com/
Didn’t Obama have control of the Senate and the House for most of his first term…. Republican opposition? How does that work when you control both houses. Even then he could not get a budget passed. Come on Frank…..
Jack that’s old crap..u know he never had the necessary 62 votes to pass major legislation. Having ” control” dosen’t mean you have a majority. Let’s put that one to rest. Come on Jack!!!!!
It’s only old crap if it doesn’t suit you purposes…he had a slam dunk foe two years plain and simple.
Here’s one for you Frank. EVERYTHING Obama has done is for one purpose and one only and that is to get more power and control and lead us toward becoming a socialist country. And by the way, when he is talking about the rich needing to pay their fair share that happens to include all of the middle class. You ask how could that be? Easy, when you understand that he is using a global standard to define “Poor”. God help your children and grandchildren if he is re-elected.
What’s wrong with anyone paying their fair share?
Thanks for hitting the nail on the head, John.
Obama has done nothing towards the Immigration issue except make it easier for illegals and drugs to enter this country. Our first line of defense U.S.Border Patrol no longer has overlapping shifts on the border, so there are 1-2 hour gaps of coverage. They work 10 hour shifts instead of the previous 12 hour shifts which provided coverage 24/7. This was done to save money, the smugglers know this and exploit it. Also the immigration policies that ICE agents are supposed to ignore non criminal illegal aliens, last time I checked they are criminals because they broke a Federal Law by entering illegally. How can they know who they have encountered until they fingerprint to see if they have past criminal history or arrest.
Or the non-detention policy, even if they are arrested they are released and their first court date is now 8-9 months later.
There is nothing you can say in reply to this Frank, because frankly you don’t know about these policies, Jack knows I do.
I can’t find anything to substantiate what you are saying about the cut in Border Patrol hours. Can you provide a link to your information – preferably not Fox News, WorldNet Daily or some p.o.’d Tea Partier’s blog.
Everything I’m reading says that the number of Border Patrol agents has increased since Obama took office.
Here’s what I found from a Daily Beast article earlier this year (and yes, I know this is a partisan source. Call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure I’m seeing a lot of partisan references cited. Most not left leaning.)
• 1.5 million deportations in the last four years, a record high.
• A 70 percent increase in the number of convicted criminals deported.
• Arrests at the border up 14 percent in the past two years.
• An 85 percent increase in border agents since 2004.
• 31 percent more drugs and 63 percent more weapons seized at the border.
• 650 miles of border fence now completed.
So u were shot down on your previous comments, now you move to another one? What has ant president been able to accomplish in this area. Now pick another topic.
Sandy, are you okay with me deciding what’s your fair? The problem is in the definition of “fair share”.
No, Bob, I don’t know you, didn’t vote for you, so I’m not sure why you’d think it would be okay for you to decide what’s fair. lol – just trying to add a little levity to the conversation.
I do get it that we are in different places when it comes to defining “fair share”. I can’t imagine that there’s a person out there who doesn’t feel that our tax system is broken. It’s reaching agreement on how to fix it that’s the problem.
To expand on Bob’s comment…and this is not soley a Democrat/Republican issue, so can someone explain to me how someone who works and pays little to no income taxes, receives thousands in refunds? Or a person who is in this country illegally (which makes them a criminal) can receive multiple benefits from the government at taxpayer expense? Show me a formula or a sound reason that explains what my fair share is towards these two situations.
I agree with you on this. I spoke with a young lady a few years ago, a single mother, living in subsidized housing, working part time at a job that may or may not have been slightly above minimum wage. With EITC, her tax refund amount that year – 2009 or 2010 – was somewhere near $10,000. What?
My research shows that the EITC was introduced during Ford’s administration, expanded during Reagan’s, then again during 90, 93 and 2001. Weren’t these all Republican administrations? And yes, I see your note that this is not solely a dem/republican issue, but how do the “liberals” take the blame for this issue if the Republicans seem to have been so invested in it?
What are the benefits illegal immigrants are receiving? Not intended to be snarky, truly trying to learn.
This thread and the one about GOP convention speakers are perfect examples of why political parties should be made illegal along with websites like factcheck. Can’t anyone understand and draw their own conclusions anymore without having to go to a political website or a politically slanted website to translate what someone said into something that someone wants to hear. Whew, what a mess!
John as you have often said sometimes the media can slant the views of candidates and elected officials, and certainily we know both sides distort the facts; having a few true independent sites to set the record straight is important. Unfortunately most voters won’t take the time to check these sites and are encouraged to vote based on what they see on TV.
Well sorry to say but I am basing most of my national race decisions on what I see on TV. If I see and hear it at the same time I can believe about 1/2 of it. I do not believe anything that is in printed matter because by then it is distorted beyond recognition. And WHY would anyone go to a website that is slanted who knows which way and believe them. Cases in point: >In a live video, something that I could see and hear, something that is believeable to me, Michelle Obamma stated That Barock’s home country is Kenya. To me that statement in that situation is believeable. >Even tho I listen to Rush Limbaugh, mostly for entertainment, I cannot put situations with words so most of what he says is not credible to me and although I enjoy a lot of it I am certainly NOT going to take it as Gospel.
So John, given this line of thinking, do you believe that Jan Brewer really hopes that President Obama wins the election? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvHGkkiQ6tE link provided in case you missed it, so you can see and hear it for yourself.
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Speaking of slanted; I was just flipping through the news channels and one of them already has Obamma handily winning the election, even to the point of which states he will win and which ones Romnie will win!!! Ridiculous, why should I even bother to vote?
Vote and prove the critics right or wrong..too much time left to call an election. One misspoken word can change an election overnight; seen it too often in my 60 years around politics. No one every predicted Biden would defeat Cale Boggs, or Dewey would lose to Truman.
John absorbing or believing one half is the problem because a person believes what they want to hear; taking time to find the facts is the only way to know the REAL facts. People like yourself is the reason billions are spent on TV ads; as Pete DuPont used to call you guys, “Joe six-pac” couch potatoes.
So tell me, just how, in today’s world does one find out the facts!! And don’t say anything about any websites or politically connected media! It is ALL LIES!!!!! The real problem today is that there is no truth only money that buys what certain groups want people to hear!! This cannot be denied!!! I will stand by my belief that “If the South Had Won The War Between the States we would NOT be in the predicament that we are in today” !!!!!!! Our Souther Brothers were onto this Government thing way back then and tried to prevent it the only problem was that they did not have the MONEY to buy a victory like the Federal Government did!!!!
You find the facts through careful research, attention and discernment without preconceived notions or prejudice.
Sandy, that is what I have been telling Frank for years. But with the voluminous amount of information on the internet one can find “facts” that agree with one unacknowledged preconceived notions and prejudices. I believe that you and I do try to get the true facts. I also have to admit that I’m more careful than I was as a result of Frank and Reid who often missed the main message in order to dwell on some error in the detail in order to debate or criticize. Also as I pointed out previously, great care must be displayed when using factcheck.org as a reference because they are not politically neutral in spite of their efforts to appear so.
I watched Fox News yesterday, just so that I could watch and hear David Axelrod’s valiant defense of the Obama administration’s performance.
Speaking of lies and political hype, just read on multiple web sites that at the Democratic Convention you need a photo ID to enter the building, Does that mean that they are racist?
Following the lead of the Republicans; they wouldn’t let me in their convention, so we aren’t letting you in our convention. Either party, these people were elected by their delagations; don’t try to confuse the issue there Herman; why don’t you use your given name?
That’s name I was born with in Salisbury, MD, USA.
Sandy
1.5 million deportations in the last four years, a record high.
There is a difference in deportation and removals.
If An alien is ordered Deported/Removed from the United States by an Immigration Judge this counts as a “Deportation” It does not mean the alien will be removed from the United States. Some countries we can not send people back to – Cuba,Vietnam, others pending on current conditions of their country. they also have the right to file an Immigration Appeal, this can take up 18 months before it will be heard. If the alien has US citizen children and are the sole support, they will not be removed. If they have been here over ten years they can ask for a Stay. They can be ordered deported in abstencia then file for asylum and it can be granted.
• A 70 percent increase in the number of convicted criminals deported.
Last year they reclassified what is considered a convicted criminal alien, before it needed to be a serious crime, involving moral turpitude or an aggravated felony. Not no more, misdemeanors are now considered convicted criminal, exception driving offense is not unless it is a DUI conviction and they did not complete first offenders program.
• Arrests at the border up 14 percent in the past two years.
Would you be surprised that this now includes arrest at airports, any landborder crossing and even ports, used to be just the border area. This also shows the increase in people trying to come to the US do to the economies is their countries.
• An 85 percent increase in border agents since 2004.
In 2003 DHS was formed, shortly after beginning in fiscal yr 2004, Border Patrol became Customs and Border Protection, so the numbers are for all CBP people at landborder, airports, ports and Border Patrol, the number is not just for Border Patrol.
• 31 percent more drugs and 63 percent more weapons seized at the border.
If you look at the statics since the Zeta and Gulf Cartel started their drug war you would see the steady increase in narcotics flowing north and money and weapons flowing south. Technology has greatly improved our ability to locate, monitor the border for smugglers.
• 650 miles of border fence now comp
People do not understand that the northern border is even more open than the southern border, and the fence on the southern border has always been a joke for Border Patrol. Because on the Mexico side they build scaffolding, ladders, cut holes and you have to pay the coyotes to use them So we build a fence and the coyotes make money off of it.
In Delaware there is currently an ICE Agent that did his job and now may be suspended for three days for arresting and illegal alien. That was in the New Journal.
The Border Patrol 10 hour days is true I got the information from a Supervisory Border Patrol Agent. The rest of the information is not going to be on any web site Democratic or GOP backed .
Been doing this through two Republican Presidents and two Democrats, none of them want to acknowledge the problem.
Some numbers on the auto bailout
June 2009 gm had 70,000 employees in U.S.
Today 74500 net gain of 4500
Closed dealerships since 2009 1,500
jobs lost 63000
net job creation minus 58,500 from bailout in U.S.
Unpaid bailout 25+ billion
Loss of seized stock value 15 + billion
Employee numbers are from GM’s annual reports