Republican Mission to Kill US Economy

If you happen to be one of the millions of people that is out of work and can not find a job then you need to look at the big picture that is the United States Congress come this fall election.  If you happen to be one of the people that took any job even if it was half of what you were making before the economy crashed just to have a job then you especially need to look at the big picture.  The Republican Party in both houses has killed every effort by the President to get the people that need work jobs.  And they have been doing it as long as Barack Obama has been President of the United States.  Any legislation he proposes that will create jobs for the American people, the Republican lead House attaches deep tax cuts for the rich to kill it or filibuster to kill any jobs bill.  They are doing everything they can to screw the American people over while they waive the flag.  End result, no jobs.  But it is the President’s fault?  I dare say no.  Below are some links to various articles where the GOP has purposefully killed everything and anything that would create jobs.

The Republican Party and its political contributors to all campaigns has a scorched earth plan when it comes to fixing this economy and creating jobs in America.  It is not going to happen when there is a Democrat in the White House. 

July 19, 2012 

Washington Post:  

Senate Republicans kill Obama-backed measure to cure job outsourcing

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Thursday killed a measure backed by President Barack Obama that would encourage companies to bring overseas jobs back to the United States.

October 11, 2011

Washington Times:

Senate Republicans kill Obama’s jobs bill

Senate Republicans have voted to kill the White Housejobs bill despite weeks of campaign-style barnstorming by President Barack Obama across the country.

Forty-six Republicans joined with two Democrats to filibuster the $447 billion plan.

That vote was not final. The roll call was kept open Tuesday night to allow Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Democrat, to vote. But it would have taken 60 votes in the 100-member Senate to keep the legislation alive.

The plan would have included Social Security payroll tax cuts for workers and businesses and other tax relief totaling about $270 billion. There also was to be $175 billion in new spending on roads, school repairs and other infrastructure — as well as jobless aid and help to local governments to avoid layoffs of teachers, firefighters and police officers

.

Republicans opposed the measure over its spending to stimulate the economy and its tax surcharge on millionaires.

 June 24, 2010

CBS NEWS:

Republicans Kill Senate Unemployment Bill

Republicans on Thursday defeated Democrats' showcase election-year jobs bill, including an extension of weekly unemployment benefits for millions of people out of work more than six months.

The 57-41 vote fell three votes short of the 60 required to crack a GOP filibuster, delivering a major blow to President Barack Obama and Democrats facing big losses of House and Senate seats in the fall election.

January 23, 2012

Crooks and Liars

Crooks and Liars website has reported an in-depth list of Bogus GOP job bills.  Must read if you think the GOP really gives a shit about you or your lot in this life and economy.  They see you and just don’t give one single thought about you.  You do not matter because you can not write a check for what you used to make to a political campaign.    

HR 1633 - Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2011
This bill prevents the EPA from issuing or finalizing regulations revising air quality standards under the Clean Air Act, and excepts farm dust from all references to "particulate matter."
No jobs there, but if anyone has ever suffered from Valley Fever, they might object to exempting dust, particularly farm dust, from the definition of particulate matter.
HR 10 - Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2011
Guts the regulation process by mandating that every regulation promulgated by approved by Congress after an onerous submission process, while exempting any Congressional finding from judicial review. Call this one the Carte Blanche For Congress To Kill All Regulatory Authority Bill.
What it is not: A jobs bill.
HR 3010 - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011
HR 3010 is a modified, somewhat less onerous version of HR 10, setting guidelines for whether any regulations are warranted at all even if called for under a statute. Calling an anti-regulatory statute a jobs bill is a little like calling a half-built bridge infrastructure. So again, not a jobs bill.
HR 527 - Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2011
Ostensibly, HR 527 would reduce regulatory requirements on small businesses by forcing an impact study with specific focus on small business before regulation is adopted. It would limit EPA, OSHA and CFPB regulations while presumably protecting "small" closely-held Subchapter S corporations like Koch Industries. Not a jobs bill.
HR 3012 - Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2011
HR 3012 would expand job immigration beyond current limits by eliminating employment-based immigrant visa caps and raising the percentage of total visas granted to 15% from 7%. For this one, I'll say it IS a jobs bill, but not a jobs bill for American workers. It is the "Elite Immigration Jobs Bill of 2011".
HR 3094 - Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act
HR 3094 redefines collective bargaining units and makes significant changes to election procedures, including one intended to intimidate employees: an employer-supplied list of eligible voters with contact information provided by the employee.
Not a jobs bill. A union-buster bill.
HR 2930 - Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act
HR 2930 exempts startups raising less than $1 million in venture capital from small investors from SEC registraiton and oversight.
Not a jobs bill. An anti-regulatory bill.
HR 2940 - Access to Capital for Job Creators Act
HR 2940 repeals prohibitions on solicitation or advertising of a securities offering. It's a companion to HR 2930, and is intended to allow people with no relationship to a startup company to invest in it without any oversight by the SEC. Let's call this and its evil twins HR 2930 and HR 1965 the "Ponzi Scheme Coverup Acts of 2011"
HR 1965 - Securities Laws Amendment
HR 1965 changes the shareholder threshhold for SEC registration from 500 to 2000 shareholders. It's not a jobs bill. It's a "hide from the SEC" bill. Its companion, HR 1970, would exempt SEC registration of public offerings under $50 million rather than the current $5 million threshold.
Many More EPA Acts
So many they don't deserve to be broken down individually. HR 2273 removes coal ash regulation from the EPA and hands it to the states. HR 2681 would put a legislative stay on cement manufacturing emission standards. HR 2250 would put a legislative stay on EPA boiler MACT rules. HR 2401 would require analysis of all EPA regulations relating to air, waste, water and climate change. HR 2018 would restrict EPA from issuing any revisions to existing water standards or issuing a new standard for a pollutant if the state has already adopted one or there is an existing standard in place. In other words, ignore any new scientific research after an initial standard has been set. HR 2021 amends the Clean Air Act to open oil and gas exploration off the Alaska coast. HR 910 strips the EPA of authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, a direct assault on efforts to limit man-made contributions to climate change. HR 872 expands the use of pesticides, fungicides and rodent without EPA approval.

Reality Check!!!!!!!

The end results of all of the job killing activity in the United States Congress by the Republican Party, is that the Republican Party does not care about you.  They care about protecting the people that donate to them and their campaigns. 

Facts and jobs do not matter if there is money to be protected or made for influential donors when it comes to governing by the Republican Party.  Keeping you and them separated while blaming someone else for no jobs is the GOP mission of governing.

If you think your congressional representatives support you and this economy then please visit factcheck.org before you blame the other guy that is actually trying to create jobs.  Only 2% of all Republican voters know that during President Obama's administration that taxes have gone down and not up for the middle and lower classes.

Speak up and vote in November for the President and the Democratic Party across the board.  Comment if you think the facts are wrong.

Papamoka

Those Silly Republicans and their Democratic Debt

Hello Papamoka Bloggers! Since I seem to have drifted into my summer season, which is more about playing outside than writing about politics, I'll still do my best to get angry about something. Let's see, how about what I like to call the most recent Republican Brainwashing Initiative (RBI 2.0). Let's face it, the majority of them (non-tea-party-folk) have been relatively silent for a while. I think that seems to be changing.

I think our Republican friends are beginning to stir a little more these days. It seems they've been listening to FOX "News" (RBI central) long enough now [since their election losses] for some of their more heinous brainwashing to take full effect. At least in my world, they've begun to share. They're beginning their usual blame game, and unfortunately facts have little to do with how they assess or assign blame.

The lies have begun to flow like girly-poop in a man-sized Texas toilet. In the same way Ronald Reagan's fake legacy blossomed after a a few years (I guess they forget faster these days - must be the drugs in our water), George W. Bush is beginning to emerge as a competent president who ran a highly successful foreign policy and economy. The signs are there that he is destined for honor and glory within the party. I must admit, you have to admire them for their ability to turn anybody, even the biggest loser, into a hero.

Unfortunately, and equally perplexing, President Obama is now the one responsible for everything bad that's happening in the world - especially the bad bits they're mostly responsible for.

I could ramble on (as I usually do - to get the facts right) with a laundry list of BS they're beginning to buy into again, but that would be exhausting for all of us, and I want to go play outside. So, let's focus. What are the far-right screw-ups - the ones who drink their own Kool-Aid - really annoying me most about these days? What propaganda pisses me off the most?

I know! It's that latest false factoid being spewed on FOX "News" day and night these days - not to menation the lesser media minions. Hannity, O'Reilly, Cavuto and the rest are all talking about it ad nausea. They even have their creepy-crawlies Coulter and Matlin carrying the water on other networks. I guess it must be an edict from the top, wherever that top is these days.

What is it? It's their claim - which my friends and family now believe - that Barack Obama has now contributed more to the federal debt than any president before him. It's BS, but they keep saying it.

The claim is outrageous. It has no bases in fact. The federal debt remains the responsibility of the Republican Party, since their leadership created over 90% of it. Barack Obama has contributed to less than 1% of the federal debt so far, and his annual budget deficit is still overwhelmingly the product of George W. Bush.

A matter of fact, George W. Bush is responsible for contributing the most to the federal debt. Now that's a fact you can take to the bank.

Of course, the far-right will ignore the obvious facts. A matter of fact (sorry, it's a fun word), I'm pretty sure we'll have somebody crapping those very same Republican BS-talking points in response to this very post.

As always, the Republicans are lying to the American people and to themselves. As you can see by the chart above, George W. created the largest annual deficits in American history. Incredibly, those annual deficits would be even higher if war borrowing had been included on the federal books. Barack Obama has included those negatives since taking office, which has increased the debt

I know it had to be done, but I wonder if the Republicans will get away with painting us with their own stink of irresponsibility. Unfortunately, our own honesty may become a liability in 2012.

In my humble opinion, because of these and other lies, the Republicans have no honor. They are liars, plain and simple. The Republican leadership/elite will do or say anything to regain their power, and that includes massive doses of propaganda. We can only hope the American people will not fall for it again. "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." Let's hope that shame remains a distant memory.

Just to be clear, the facts about the federal debt are simple. I have reviewed them on this blog numerous times. The overwhelming majority (over 90%) of today's federal/foreign debt was created during the leadership of the Republicans. They borrowed to lower taxes. It was done mostly under Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and George W. Bush. Bill Clinton lowered the debt. Those are the facts (see the chart below).

Like most Democrats, I can't stand the way President Obama is forced to spend to salvage today's broken economy, but to blame him for the debt is tantamount to blaming the Democrats for starting the Iraq War. They may have been involved to some degree, but the blame lies clearly at the feet of the Republican Party.

I will probably be writing about some of the other bits and pieces of propaganda the Republicans are pushing these days, but let's leave those for another time. Today it's all about the way they're lying about the money.

What do we ordinary American citizens do? We do what's right, and tell the truth. Please, keep talking to your friends and family about the facts. Tell the truth about the lies. I don't care how many times we have to say it, it's important to get our message out. WE ALL NEED TO TELL THE TRUTH!

WE MUST NOT allow those at FOX "News," or similar-slimy-corrupt-propaganda-fake-news-outlets, to poison the minds of the American people. We need to keep reminding our friends and family the truth about what really happened, and most important, about what really went wrong.

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

PS - I know most have to work, but I'm taking a break at noon to join a group of protesters in front of Dianne Feinstein's office on Santa Monica Boulevard at noon this afternoon. If you're in LA, please consider joining us to call on her to support a strong public option as part of health care reform. If not, please think about contacting your representatives. It's the only way to prevent the private-sector from robbing us of affordable health care. Thanks - MB

California State Bankruptcy Looms

UPDATED POST 1/23/11: Congress to Consider State Bankruptcy

The nations largest economy state is about to go bust. California is facing a $41 Billion dollar deficit and the cuts already made are not enough to balance the states budget. Credit markets are chucking the state the bird and are rating their bonds as pretty much junk which adds to the dilemma. This leads me to ask or point out the obvious question if California will be the first state to file bankruptcy during this mega recession?

Over at the New York Times they have this to say on the future of California and its state governments survival…

Since the fall, when lawmakers began trying to attack the gaps in the $143 billion budget that their earlier plan had not addressed, the state has fallen into deeper financial straits, with more bad news coming daily from Sacramento. The state, nearly out of cash, has laid off scores of workers and put hundreds more on unpaid furloughs. It has stopped paying counties and issuing income tax refunds and halted thousands of infrastructure projects.

After negotiating nonstop from Saturday afternoon until late Sunday night on a series of budget bills that would have closed a projected $41 billion deficit, state lawmakers failed to get enough votes to close the deal and adjourned. They returned to the capital late Monday morning only to adjourn until the afternoon, though it was far from clear whether they would be able to reach a deal.

California has also lost access to much of the credit markets, nearly unheard of among state municipal bond issuers. Recently, Standard & Poor’s downgraded the state’s bond rating to the lowest in the nation.

**SNIPPET**

And yet dirty Republican politics moves from Washington DC to Sacramento to push the envelop just beyond the breaking point to put the fix in when it comes to elections. The piece continues…

Democrats, who had already given into Republicans’ long-held dreams of large tax cuts for small businesses and for some of the entertainment industry and a proposed $10,000 tax break for first-time home buyers, balked at Mr. Maldonado’s request that the legislature tuck a bill into the package that would allow voters to cross party lines in primary elections.

Mr. Maldonado, who is also seeking a constitutional amendment to prevent lawmakers from getting paid if budgets are late, defended his request that the open primary bill be included in the budget package. - New York Times

Is it just me or does it seem like Republicans are forcing our state and federal governments into losing situations financially simply so they can point the finger of blame in the next election? And do they think that all Americans have a ten day, three month or one year memory recollection? Will the Republican Party lead the nation to bankruptcy state by state simply because they can sabotage common sense legislative action by voting no or stuffing unacceptable poison pills into the same bills that would have saved their own state or federal government? I’d have to answer yes they will and yes they are.

Governor Schwarzenegger is going to be forced to shut down all but emergency services when the money runs out from the Sacramento treasury simply because he will not have a choice. All state services will be closed from one end of the budget process to the other. Local communities will be forced to step in where the state can no longer pay to operate services. Thank you Mr. Maldonado for shutting your state and all of its services down you selfish monster.

Now that is good Republican government, stuff it down somebody else throat aka bank account to pay for. Then again, isn’t that what the federal government has been doing to the states for the last eight years under George Bush?

I’m hoping that wiser minds prevail and sort out the details to stop California from going into bankruptcy but we shall see. Republican’s are on the war path of destruction simply because they think they can blame the political party in charge when the proverbial excrement hit’s the fan come the next election.

Papamoka