My A&T&T/Yahoo internet default page is AGAIN carrying an article setting forth what is expected to be in Obama's "new" "jobs program". Now considering that Obama has "focused like a laserf beam" on jobs about a HUNDRED times since he became President, it is unclear why he does not face RIDICULE over yet another speech on the subject. What, after all, was the "Obama stimulus bil". and the EXTRA spending passed right after Obama became Preisdent. Those combined spending bills were more than ONE TRILLION dollars, and did not good. Meanwhile, Obama spent most of his time getting enancted the worst JOB KILLER of all time: ObamaCare (a new "entitlment" whose cost has alrady been shown to be vastly understated).
The "new" AT&T/Yahoo article is funny, because it is labeled "exclusive" (the source not even being clear, but I am glad to give credit to AT&T and Yahoo--BOYCOTT AT&T and Yahoo). However, if youi read this blog regularly--why would you not?--I already gave you the details last week. That is when AT&T/Yahoo featured the REUTERS article setting forth the same "list" of proposals. The "payroll tax cut" (see previious article). The payoff to the teachers' unions (aid to teachers). The reincarnation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with another stupid "quasi-government" entity (infrastructure bank--giving "loans" for infrastrucure while its proponents fail to explain HOW the loans get repaid, and from WHOM). The "tax credit" BRIBE to business--as if a sane business would hire extra people because of a tax credit (they will hire the same people they would hire anyway, and pocket the welfare payment). The "school renovation" payoff to unions (as is also true of the "infrastructure bank", except that the economic fascist establishment types of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce also support this fraud) The extension of the 99 weeks of unemployment--again. As with the "pyyroll tax cut", Democrats would like to make this one permanent). As you can see, every single anticipated proposal INCREASE the defict--many of themm MORE (each--not in combination) than the total amount that Republicans have supposedly "cut" the deficit for the term of this Congress. If THIS program passes, then the Tea Party will have FAILED. For all of the good they will have done--much more harm than good, if they can't even stop an INCREASE in the deficit--then they should all be voted out.
You can see what is missing in the article (today's article, and the SAME article last week): THE COST. That is hat makes an apparent "neutral" listing of what Obama is going to say pure propaganda. If you leave out the COST of what Obama is proposing, you are leaving out the main issue. Yes, there are other minor details, such as the fraud of that "payroll tax cut" (see, again, the previous article), and why the "infrasstructure bank" is not jut a repeat, in a different area, of the mistake of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (ocsting us trillions, when they were not supposed to cost us hardly anyting--using the very same reasoning as is being used for the "infrastructure bank"). But, if you are putting out anything but propaganda, you HAVE to describe the COST of these things. How much will they ADD to the deficit? Will it not be MUCH more than the supposed "cuts" that will supposedly take effect through the next fiscal year. And how much will these things ADD to the "debt ceiling" increase we wil HAVE to pass next time. Yes, that is why I accurately call the passsage of this program a Tea Party BETRAYAL---if it passes. But the Tea Party can't stop it, can they, wihout establishment Republicans? Ah. That is why you have me--to explain how Washington works. It is true this is why I am ready to abandon the Republican Party for good. But you are deluded if you believe that Tea Party Republicans cannot STOP this "jobs program". They just have to make a big enough STINK (do more, in other words, than pass a useless vote--useless if it fails to win). Enough, however, as I have not even gotten to the headline point of this article.
The details of the Obama "jobs program" are terrible. But they are not as bad as the CONCEPT, and the failure to attack the concept is what drives me crazy about Republicans. The Federal Government has no business doing ANY "jobs program", as if the Federal Government can wave a majic wand and create NET jobs. If the past four years (yes, dating back to the last two years of Bush and the DEMOCRATIC Congress in which Obama was part of the group creating this mess) have not tuaght us that the government cannot "solve" unemployment with a central planning "jobs program", then we will never learn it. What is uunny is that I think the PEOPLE are ready to learn this, and have gone a long way in that direction. It is the POLITICIANS how refuse to learn.
"Wait a second, Skip. You just said that the Federal Government shoud do NOTHING about jobs. That is political suicide." No, that is not what I said. However, it is the CHARGE that the COWARDS in the Republican Party fear (not to mention that many of them are Big Government guys and gals--no matter what they say). What I am telling you is that the Magic Wand Theory of Government is not valid--in theory or practice. The whole bais of free market theory is that NO human being knows enough to CONGROL the economy in a beneficial way. That has been proven again in this recession--including by the FAILURE of Ben Bernanke (The Wort Failure in the History of World Finance).
What , then, do you "do" about jobs. If yo think that is the right QUESTION, then you have not been listening (or, at least, understanding). What the Federal Government needs to "do" is to have the right policies to create the propper environment for the PRIVATE ECONOMY to create jobs. The extreme regulation represents a wrong policy. The extreme debt represnts a wrong policy The subsitution of "government created" jobs for jobs created by the economy prepresents the WRONG policy. Bailing out SOME people and companies, but not others, represents the WRONG policy (and the wrong message to the economic fascists of Wall Street). Tax reform, and a CUT in general TAX RATES, represents a right policy. "Short term" "gimmicks", such as these "one-year" "tax cuts" and tax credits, represents a WRONG policy. In other words, the CONCEPT should be to get the whole economy on a PERMANENT right track. That is what Ropnald Reagan attempted--to great success, except the concept has been eroded ever since Reagan. Enable people to act upon economic REALITY, and not because of the tax code or because of aiming for government MONEY.
This means that there is NO "quck fix". Now a general tax RATE cut may have been someting of a "quick fix" had it been done at the beginning of the Obama Presidency, and been PERMANENT. Too late. Tax reform, and reduction of tax RATES (income tax rates) still is essential . But it will not "create" a lot of immeidate jobs. NOTHING will (short of a WPA that we absolutely cannot afford, and that will not "create" NET JOBS over even the mediumm term). Now Obama SAYS this: That there is no "quick fix". But that is not what he PROMISES. He PROMISES to wave his magic wand, if we will only let him, and create jobs. This actually COSTS JOBS (net jobs--which is why I use that satiric headline every time the Thursday report of new unemplyment claims coomes out showing the loss of GROSS jobs the previus week). No, conservatives need to forget about fighting this battle for our country's soul on the ENEMY turf. Republicans should NOT be talking about "creating jobs", except in the Rick Perry sense of POLICIES that end up allowing private jobs to be "created". Every now and then Republicans do correctly say that the Federal Government does NOT "create jobs". But then they go back to talking aoubt "jobs" as if it is something the government must DO SOMETHING about immediately . What government needs to do is NOT to attempt to wave a magic wand, but to create an environment where the free market can work. As Ronald Reagan said: "Government is not the 'solution' to the problem; Government IS the problem." That is not to say that all government action is bad, such as maintaining some sort of "safety net", althouugh the idea of a massive central Federal Government "protecting" everyone is a very bad one. However, that is another LONG article. The point here is that the very idea of a "jobs program" is WRONG. The idea that the Federal Government "knows" how to create jobs, and WHAT jobs to create, is simply STUPID. That is what a "jobs program" assumes, as the Federal Government creates winners and losers-instead of creating an econoomic environment where the WINNERS create themselves.
Thus, Repubicans should be rejecting the very IDEA of a "jobs program". They really are not. That is because they are COWARDS. They think the public still wants the government to DO SOMETHING. Maybe, in a way, the public still does (heroin addiction being hard to kick). But the amazing thing seems to be that the PUBLIC seems much more ready to "kick the habit" of the Magic Wand Theory of Government than our "leaders" (media, establishment, politicians, etc.).
You can see why I am both pessimistic and optimistic. I am optimistic becuase I see signs that the PUBLIC is getting it, and that the "establishment" is on its last legs. At the ssame time, I am pessimistic because we have no LEADERS. Ronald Reagan, where are you when we really need you? My pessimism is overwhelming my optimism simply because we have NO TIME. It is like turning the Titanic. At some point, you are doomed to hit the iceberg. This is not about turning the economy around tomorrow. This is about the entire future of this country, and that is what at risk here if we continue to "double down" on the Magic Wand Theory of Government.
P.S. No proofreadin or spell checking (bad eyesight).
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