Obama’s Beltway Chainsaw Massacre
Building on my continuing War on the West/War on Jobs series, today’s column initiates an Obama jobs death toll. The social justice Left has always used Alinskyite story-telling to get its way. Time for the Right to better tell the stories of the forgotten victims of the Obama job-killing machine.
Regarding the new CBO report on the stimulus (coincidentally — or maybe not coincidentally — released on the same days as GOP leader John Boehner’s jobs speech), McQ says pointedly: “Of course it boosted the GDP by a sizeable amount. When you pour almost a trillion dollars out of the government bucket and that is part of the calculation of GDP, then naturally the GDP is going to be ‘boosted’. The question is, what good did it do. Claims of ‘increasing the number of people employed’ is, as is obvious, a guess cranked out by an economic model. But look around you. When what the bucket has dumped out drains away, what do we have? 9.5% unemployment – at least at an official level – 1.5% higher than what was promised if the “stimulus” wasn’t passed. A stagnant economy. Businesses neither expanding nor hiring. Car sales – down. Housing sales – way down. Consumer confidence – in the tank. Expanded regulation, increased taxation and a war on business…So let the left and the media try their best to make this more than it is – the effect on GDP calculation that absurd levels of governmental deficit spending will have. Take that out and there isn’t much to shout about, is there?”
***
The White House War on Jobs
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2010
The “Summer of Recovery” is looking more and more like the Beltway Chainsaw Massacre for America’s workers. As President Obama lolls on Martha’s Vineyard with his well-heeled Chicago pals, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that 72 percent of people are very worried about joblessness and 67 percent are very concerned about massive government spending. After a nearly $1 trillion fiscal stimulus and several multi-billion-dollar corporate and union bailouts, unemployment remains stuck near 10 percent nationwide; jobless claims rose again last week. One shudders to think how many more jobs will be on the chopping block after the vacationing president finishes “recharging his batteries.”
The blame avoidance industry, of course, never takes a break. Capitol Hill Democrats blame George W. Bush. President Obama blames inaction by the, er, Democrat-controlled Congress. On Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden derided GOP Leader John Boehner’s speech on the Obama job-killing machine as a return to the past. Biden sneered about the
“good old days” when Republicans held the majority in Washington. But laid-off, unemployed, and endangered Americans in the health care sector, auto industry, oil, mining, gas, and fishing industries are no doubt wondering: What’s wrong with returning to the days when they had jobs and steady paychecks?
These are not the wealthy fat cats and Big Business titans that Democrats love to demonize.
They’re employees of companies like Assurant Health, which announced last week that it would slash 130 jobs at its offices in Milwaukee and Plymouth, Minn. to prepare for costly Obamacare mandates.
They’re employees of medical device firms in Massachusetts, where officials say they’ll be forced to cut back on operational costs and jobs thanks to a little-noticed Obamacare tax on their products that goes into effect in 2013.
They’re employees of restaurants like White Castle and International House of Pancakes, whose executives say they will be forced into layoffs and premium hikes to cope with the federal law’s $3,000-per-employee penalty on companies whose workers pay more than 9.5 percent of household income in premiums for company-provided insurance.
They’re mom-and-pop enterprises across the country who must now deal with Obamacare’s onerous Section 9006 tax-filing mandate. It requires them to file 1099 forms with the IRS for every vendor from whom they purchase $600 or more in goods. Nebraska GOP Sen. Mike Johanns calls it one of many “job-crushing provisions” that will bury small business in paperwork and legal costs.
They’re the estimated 23,000 workers in the deepwater drilling industry whom the White House deliberately wrote off in pursuit of its junk science-based drilling moratorium.
They’re the estimated tens of thousands of workers employed by car dealers shut down by President Obama’s auto czars at a time, as the TARP inspector general pointed out last month, “when the country was experiencing the worst economic downturn in generations and the government was asking its taxpayers to support a $787 billion stimulus
package designed primarily to preserve jobs… — all based on a theory and without sufficient consideration of the decisions’ broader economic impact.”
They’re employees of Utah oil and gas companies whose leases have been pulled without cause by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. The Interior Department’s own Inspector General rejected Salazar’s explanation that the Bush administration had rushed the leases through. The Deseret News reports that “rescinding these leases has likely cost the state millions already. Officials in Uintah county estimate the county lost 3,000 jobs in 2009, and Duchesne lost 1,000 jobs.”
They’re employees of commercial and recreational fishing businesses in New England, who have organized a flotilla on Martha’s Vineyard on Thursday to protest the Obama administration’s restrictive environmental policies and stealth regulatory ocean grab.
The White House has invested mightily in creating a propaganda infrastructure to tout its “jobs saved or created.” Taxpayers need a full, transparent accounting of how many jobs Team Obama has destroyed. Call it Wreckovery.gov.
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To take a page from the lefty handbook, “Can we impeach the president because he failed to live up to his oath of office?”
No one says it better. Michelle should be required reading in schools – or at least among GOP candidates.
Still waiting for that much-touted “repeal Obamacare” campaign Republicans were chest-thumping about a couple of months ago. Oh yeah, Paul Ryan has run into the Cantor/Boehner?GOP leadership stonewall.
GOP campaign slogan for November:
“Raise the GOP Titanic!“
======================================
You nailed it.This is the best column MM has put out on this fiasco.
Wow! Michelle, awsome summary of the foibles of this administration, and the damage they have inflicted. Its no wonder winds of true change are swirling about in the air…such as the Miller lead in Alaska.
Never let a crisis go to waste. When there’s already a crisis, you can cram through all of the destructive policies and regulations you’ve always wanted, and then you can blame the continuing crisis the policies and regulations are causing on the original crisis.
This works because the electorate is as dumb as rocks.
http://hindenblog1.blogspot.com/2010/08/burn-real-obama-stimulus.html
From my offering today…
What this means is that…especially coupled with the VERY high taxes on businesses in the U.S….money, businesses, and jobs are leaving. They are flowing to LESS HOSTILE places, where the rule of law is more stable and certain. They won’t be back any time real soon, either. Not as long as Obama “has the keys”.
Tony Montana: [after coldly disposing of Frank Lopez and Mel Berstein] OK, come on.
Manny: What about Ernie?
[Lopez's assistant]
Tony Montana: [very tense music builds, shot of Ernie sweating and fidgeting, then slow zoom shot of Tony and Manny looking at Ernie. Tense music stops] You want a job, Ernie?
Ernie: [Ernie breathes a huge sigh of relief] Sure, Tony.
Manny: Congratulation mang, you got a job!
Michelle,
I am not sure this is a ntaionwide trend (but would nto be surprised to see if it was). I was talking to my doctor the other day and he was telling me that lately there has been an increase of people with stomach issues. He told me that to him it appears that people are literally worrying themselves sick. If this is a trend and it continues (with the way the economy is not recovering it probably will)how bad will it get when the full force of ObamaCare kicks in?
When the congress told Imam Obama he couldn’t end the space program ‘Constellation’, Obama said OK, he just will end all the bidding.
The most lawless administration ever.
Not to mention that Wells Fargo eliminated Wells Fargo Financial, thus laying off thousands of people. GDP is a contrived figure and not reliable. We are in a depression and it will be a tough slog. Warning to GOP. It will take the will of a lion to get us out of the hole the Democrats have put us in the last 4 years.
Why would anyone want to own a business in America today? The owner pays for the employees unemployment insurance, but isn’t covered by it. The owner pays half the social security and medicare taxes of his employees, but gets the same benefit as the people he shares that tax with. The employer pays for health insurance or gets hit with a fine for being cruel and inhumane. The employer must hire the bookeeper and accountant to take employees taxes out and get them to the correct place on time, or the employer goes to jail. The employer must meet all OSHA rules, no matter how stupid, or he is fined. The employer must meet EEOC rules which change every other day as we find another group of “discriminated against persons”. Last time I looked, they were debating whether left handed, one eyed, hairlipped, eskimos whose last name ended in ick were a protected group. Yes being in business in America makes perfect sense, as long as your business doesn’t involve employees, or manufacturing, or building anything, or…
I think we are at the point where what we are seeing is the Administration totally overwhelmed.
They appear to more paralyzed and in shock than anything. They’re theories have blown up in their faces. They will keep trying the things Michelle described, but merely out of habit.
They are lashing out incoherently. The bad news is they have no idea how to recover.
They simply are by their very nature unable to do any of the non-Keynesian actions required to get the economy moving. It’s gonna be a real body slam to their psyche on Nov. 3.
Not so…
See? No worries… Everything is fine. Never better, in fact….
Good, he finally got around to that ‘Economics for Dummies’ I sent him.
A great start would be The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution, then The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Founding Fathers, add in the Federalist Papers and Sacred Fire for good measure…
***
This Recovery Summary is really going well. And in the upcoming Recovery Fall Comrade Obama (PBUH) will reduce the unemployment number from 10 percent to 15 percent.
***
All Hail the Messiah! And kudos to his economic experts.
***
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER. Vote some DimocRATS and RINOs into funemployment.
***
John Bibb
***
I agree Michelle, time to make the results of this so called “recovery” known.
Along those lines:
Not only was the damage caused just “based on a theory”, but purposefully instituted to punish someone other than those responsible and sold as “sharing the pain”.
I totally reject the concept of punishing the innocent just so those responsible do not bare the full burden of the results of their actions.
That would be like jailing the victim of a crime for a portion of the criminals sentence. After all, we can’t let the criminal serve the whole sentence. We must be “compassionate” and let others “share” the burden of the jail time. It would be cruel to let just the criminal to suffer, you know, we must have “social justice” and everyone be treated the same. /sarc
GAG!
This would make as much sense as the nonsense arguments promoting the policies coming from the current administration and liars like John McCain.
I have a simple question.
If this administration has to lie about even the most rudimentary of things, how can they be trusted to act in good faith when dealing with complex issues?
They can’t!
I see November from my house.
I also see 2012 from my back yard.
I also see great violence from the losers, you know, those ‘tolerant’ people who want to dictate what you can eat, how cold or warm you keep your house, how much water flows through your shower (which BTW is a completely renewable resource that is recycled by all things indefinitely and if global warming were true, we would have too much water – so why the water scare?). You know, those “world Peace” people who are creating wars based on race, class and religion.
The future is so bright, I have to wear shades – except for those pesky progressive clouds that seem to show up just before the party gets started.
MM….another great segment on the Wilkow Majority…can’t wait to read the new material in your book!!
It is conservative traditional Americans versus socialists in the Dem party, and their minions in the corrupt media. A bloodless civil war, and the future of America is at stake. EVERY conservative needs to get out and vote. If we are truly a center-right country, we have the voting #’s to pummel liberalism out of existence. I fear that if we dont start reversing this ruinous course we are on this November, then RIP America.
Origen said “Outside the church there is no salvation.”
Obama says “Outside the state there is n o salvation.”
That chainsaw needs to be taken to the Federal budget!
Let’s add to the unemployment figures by lopping off the Depts of Energy, Education and Health & Human Services… for a start.
Well, well…… looky, big gov just can’t deliver anything except misery. Community organizing skills make stir the gimmy crowd, but the rest of us wanted a leader. Guess Alinsky didn’t have anything to offer in that department. Bullying is not leading.
OT, but this headline gave me an idea for a Horror Film For The Politically Correct:
Pleatherface: The Texas Solar Powered Chainsaw Massacre.
The villian, as indicated by my title, wears a mask made of Pleather, that ingenious leather substitute being pushed by the PETA puppets. He terrorizes a group of young innocents passing through his territory with his specially-made solar-powered chainsaw – when he can get the f***ing thing to work.
In today’s Hollyweird, I think this idea might really fly.
Whadya think?
Obama: Individual salvation depends on collective salvation…well at least his salvation…
Dear Lord in Heaven, what will it take to stop these traitors?? Seriously, this can’t be allowed to continue much longer or it will be too late to reverse. We have to tolerate these a-holes until at least the end of this year. That is too long…by that time, they might have amnesty, cap and trade and card check passed. Believe me, if they know they will be losing the majority in January, they will push this all through. Will the torches and pitchforks come out if that happens? Sigh. I’m afraid nothing will be done and we will be even deeper into socialism. They MUST be stopped. I fear this might take more than just winning in November. When the poor and minorities in this country figure out they have been screwed by their “savior”, there will be violence.
There will be NO salvation for that man. He is evil.
which is why I only hire non-Americans to do work for me online. Usually Philippines and India. Not only are they 1/5 of the cost, but they know more and are more conscientious to do a good job. And no worries about IRS penalties for doing business with contractors.
Assurant has been one of my biggest sellers. They do a good job, and I have lots of clients on their products. I hope they are doing better so they don’t have to fire people. I’m sending them as much business as I can because they save people money with a good product.
I was with a person yeaterday who told me that the human resources dept for the manufacturer he works for figured that Obamacare will cost them $2000/employee over what they are paying now in the health insurance costs. How may people do you think they are planning to hire?
This going to get worse before it gets better. We have been shipping jobs overseas and now there are no jobs to go find. I was in DC for work near a streetscape project. All the workers on the job only spoke Spanish and they are performing prevailing wage work and shipping their income back to their home country. While several blocks up the street at one of the housing projects people are sitting around and collecting gov’t assistance.
You have workers being paid with tax money who mostly don’t pay taxes and transfer money out of the country and people getting tax money who aren’t contributing to the tax base. And our V.P. is saying we are on the right track. Where is the track he is talking about heading? Obviously not economic health.
Meanwhile on Cape Cod Rahm reports to The One on his meeting with corporate leaders.
What did they tell you?”
“They told me that you had gone totally insane, and that your methods were unsound.”
“Are my methods unsound?”
“I don’t see any method at all, sir.”
I’m starting to refer to lost jobs in Obama-lingo. For example, “The off-shore drilling ban has resulted in:
23,000 jobs destroyed or damned”
Joe Biden says we are going in the right direction…….
what do you think?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEZv0FUPtcc
I received a report today that our so called president sent a report to the “Human Rights commission” at the UN reporting the Arizona Law, and may be turning it over to them.
He also pointed out flaws in our constitution. expressed his disgust for our country because of slavery, and our treatment of “gays” etc etc etc.
I really do wish this man would go back to Kenya or somewhere besides here, and not just for a vacation either.
But that was all unexpected.
If you believe that raising taxes on employers will result in an increase in employment, you just might be an Obama supporter.
If you believe that spreading the wealth is good for the economy — that the “moochers” who receive government handouts will create more jobs than the “producers” you taxed to pay for those benefits, you just might be an Obama supporter.
If you believe that marxist Harvard professors, who have never managed so much as a lemonade stand, can run the country’s economy better than the free market, you just might be an Obama supporter.
If you believe in a magical healthcare fairy who will help the government provide health services to millions of additonal people without rationing care, increasing taxes, or increasing the deficit, you just might be an Obama supporter.
If you believe that the motives of those who work for big business are evil and the motives of those who work for big government are always pure, you just might be an Obama supporter.
If you believe that you can continually raise taxes and increase the size and power of government at the expense of the private sector, and that you can do all this without ever running out of other people’s money, you just might be an Obama supporter.
…
Where will the Obama family retire to once he is impeached?