Average Income Lower Than Previous Year

[B-Man]

Year after year, the economy fails to perform as expected. Year after, year, excuses are found. The Associated Press acknowledges that growth has been persistently inadequate.

 

Perhaps when all such excuses have been tried and found wanting, reporters and pundits will be forced to admit that among all the vicissitudes of the last six years, the consistent element has been liberal policies. Those liberal policies– increased government spending, steadily mounting debt, endless regulations, cronyism and the suppression of innovation, promotion of expensive energy, war on cheap electricity, and all the rest–have condemned a generation of Americans to limited opportunities for employment, promotion and the acquisition of wealth.

 

 

BLUE MODEL MELTDOWN: “Reform for Relief” Coming to Blue Cities.

 

Chicago is broken — and Democratic ideas can’t fix it, at least at the local level. That’s one takeaway from John Judis’ recent article in the National Journal. Judis, one of America’s most thoughtful leftists, looks at the city’s mayoral runoff between Rahm Emmanuel and Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, and finds both candidates lacking in solutions for city’s gargantuan problems. Those problems include deeply underfunded pensions, a decline in low-skilled jobs, and a dramatic gap in wealth, employment, and educational attainment between poorer (and often African American) residents and wealthier residents.

 

 

 

 

Obama economy swoons again.

 

In an ominous sign for the U.S. economy, one of the few bright spots in early 2015 was revised away in Friday’s jobs report.

Now, signs point to a risk of commerce slowing and growth stagnating throughout the year, a year that President Obama and others hoped would be the long-awaited breakout for the still-damaged U.S. economy.

The Labor Department reported Friday that the U.S. added only 126,000 jobs in March, the fewest in 15 months. Even worse, it marked down its estimates for the past two months, meaning that job gains averaged less than 200,000 for the first three months of the year — well below the relatively strong 260,000 rate for 2014 and close to the average for 2013.

Friday’s report brought the jobs numbers into alignment with a number of other disappointing or outright negative economic data points from recent weeks, including falling retail sales, slowing manufacturing activity and weak industrial production.

 

 

 

 

 

It's been swooning all along, they just keep propping it up. It's the Weekend At Bernies economy

[Dorkington]

It is? Since when?

Things I've read have basically all said stagnation started happening 15-30 years ago. I mean if it's all the Democrats fault, I'm open to hearing arguments about it... but I don't think it's specifically only an Obama problem.

[FireChan]

Things I've read have basically all said stagnation started happening 15-30 years ago. I mean if it's all the Democrats fault, I'm open to hearing arguments about it... but I don't think it's specifically only an Obama problem.

No no, I'm asking who has said it's specifically only an Obama problem.

[Chef Jim]

Things I've read have basically all said stagnation started happening 15-30 years ago. I mean if it's all the Democrats fault, I'm open to hearing arguments about it... but I don't think it's specifically only an Obama problem.

It's a politician problem.

[TakeYouToTasker]

Things I've read have basically all said stagnation started happening 15-30 years ago. I mean if it's all the Democrats fault, I'm open to hearing arguments about it... but I don't think it's specifically only an Obama problem.

It's a Activist Big Government problem, and we have two Activist Big Government parties. The solution lies outside of Activist Big Government.

 

The problem with implementing the fixes is that, because of how ABG has conditioned several generations of citizens, and inextricably intertwined itself into so many essential processes, the fix will not come quickly, and will come bearing pain, often deep pain; this noted, given the our "instant gratification" culture, and the politics of victim hood, the fixes will never be allowed to be implimented properly. We're going to endure a long inevitable slide.

[meazza]

Things I've read have basically all said stagnation started happening 15-30 years ago. I mean if it's all the Democrats fault, I'm open to hearing arguments about it... but I don't think it's specifically only an Obama problem.

 

The more an economy becomes developed and advanced, the more legislation and taxation discourage entrepreneurship which generally prevents the economy to grow. It's not just in America, it's the same here in Canada and Europe.

 

It's hard to reverse past mistakes, just look at all the "Austerity" protests happening around the world including here which prevent any reversal of bad decisions.

[/dev/null]

Things I've read have basically all said stagnation started happening 15-30 years ago. I mean if it's all the Democrats fault, I'm open to hearing arguments about it... but I don't think it's specifically only an Obama problem.

It's a problem of Obama and the Democrats own making.

 

Obama drones on and on about how his policies and his alone will help the Middle Class. When the numbers are good like at the end of last year the Left is spiking the football. When the numbers are dismal they are quick to point the finger at Republicans or blame the weather

[IDBillzFan]

I dont want Hillary. You just confirmed my thoughts that the GOP really doesn't have any good ideas.

So to recap, you don't want Hillary, and consequently have no need to explain, critique or defend her lack of any plan or action even though she is the presumptive Dem nominee. On the other hand, you don't want a GOP nominee either, yet you are all to eager to criticize their lack of plan.

 

So now that we understand your hypocrisy, how about you explain to everyone who you do like and what their plan is.

 

Or are you one of those people who just likes to complain all the time and pretend they're magically in the middle with all the solutions that no one else can see?

[Azalin]

Or are you one of those people who just likes to complain all the time and pretend they're magically in the middle with all the solutions that no one else can see?

 

 

He's waiting for Gary Johnson to run again. He'll win this time for sure.

[3rdnlng]

I would say that the above has either no effect (kxl) or unmeasureable effect on middle income wages compared to global compettion, global sourcing and technolgical labor replacement.

So, you are basically saying nothing can be done? If that is the case then why are you criticizing the GOP for no plan?

 

Some in the GOP do have a plan and it includes cheaper abundant energy to make us more competitive globally, lower taxes on corporations to attract them to the U.S. and less restrictive regulations including getting rid of the ACA. Specifically, what is wrong with that? Don't be obtuse with your response.

[GG]

Red tape, regulations, and the patronage state.

[Tiberius]

Red tape, regulations, and the patronage state.

Kind of funny they use a hospital as an example. How many fewer patients would they have if fewer people were insured

So, you are basically saying nothing can be done? If that is the case then why are you criticizing the GOP for no plan?

 

Some in the GOP do have a plan and it includes cheaper abundant energy to make us more competitive globally, lower taxes on corporations to attract them to the U.S. and less restrictive regulations including getting rid of the ACA. Specifically, what is wrong with that? Don't be obtuse with your response.

That's great and all, but energy is cheaper now, how would we make up for lost revenue in the Federal budget which is already in red if we go with lower corporate taxes and we really want to throw 16 million people off of their health insurance??

[GG]

Kind of funny they use a hospital as an example. How many fewer patients would they have if fewer people were insured

That's great and all, but energy is cheaper now, how would we make up for lost revenue in the Federal budget which is already in red if we go with lower corporate taxes and we really want to throw 16 million people off of their health insurance??

 

How many times does it need to be repeated - health insurance is not the same thing as healthcare.

[birdog1960]

you're missing the forest for the trees. the issues brought up are common colds as compared to the sepsis that is killing the middle class. what dems or repyugs do or don't do just mildy exacerbates or mitigates the system's inherent mechanisms of concentrating wealth. the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and now the middle class are getting poorer as well. without drastic, fundamental changes, nothing will alter that course appreciably.

Edited April 6, 2015 by birdog1960

[DC Tom]

you're missing the forest for the trees. the issues brought up are common colds as compared to the sepsis that is killing the middle class. what dems or repyugs do or don't do just mildy exacerbates or mitigates the system's inherent mechanisms of concentrating wealth. the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and now the middle class are getting poorer as well. without drastic, fundamental changes, nothing will alter that course appreciably.

 

You mean...capitalism is bad, and banks are evil?

 

Why haven't you told us this before?

[Tiberius]

 

How many times does it need to be repeated - health insurance is not the same thing as healthcare.

With insurance the hospitals get paid, with just care, they don't

[birdog1960]

 

You mean...capitalism is bad, and banks are evil?

 

Why haven't you told us this before?

to a dualist, those are the 2 choices. except that there are others. we don't live in a pure capatilism and there are no pure socialisms in existence. they're all hybrids. finding the right combination is the key.

 

but yeah, i've mentioned picketty before. just never seems to enter some folks' consciousness here in discussion like this where it clearly should:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2014/04/24/pickettys-charge/

Edited April 6, 2015 by birdog1960

[DC Tom]

to a dualist, those are the 2 choices. except that there are others. we don't live in a pure capatilism and there are no pure socialisms in existence. they're all hybrids. finding the right combination is the key.

 

but yeah, i've mentioned picketty before. just never seems to enter some folks' consciousness here in discussion like this where it clearly should:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2014/04/24/pickettys-charge/

 

Sadly, I am conscious of Picketty...and not just because a cartoonist says so.

 

The onlly reason you consider him your economic guru is because he confirms all your preconceived notions from before you heard of him. Your Picketty worship would be more convincing if you were even remotely capable of critical thought.

[Tiberius]

 

Sadly, I am conscious of Picketty...and not just because a cartoonist says so.

 

The onlly reason you consider him your economic guru is because he confirms all your preconceived notions from before you heard of him. Your Picketty worship would be more convincing if you were even remotely capable of critical thought.

When is your best seller in economics due on the book store shelves? Are you jealous of Picketty?

[3rdnlng]

Kind of funny they use a hospital as an example. How many fewer patients would they have if fewer people were insured

That's great and all, but energy is cheaper now, how would we make up for lost revenue in the Federal budget which is already in red if we go with lower corporate taxes and we really want to throw 16 million people off of their health insurance??

Consistent supplies and a commitment by our government to keep it that way would tip the scales in many instances and be the deciding factor in manufacturing locating in this country. Lower corporate tax rates mean more corporations to tax. I don't want to throw anyone off of their health insurance. I just don't want them on mine. Now, something for you to ponder. Wouldn't a strong, robust economy create more and better paying jobs that would make it easier for more people to pay for their own insurance? Do you remember what a rising tide does?