Obameconomy: Wages Almost Flatlining

By William Teach February 8, 2014 – 6:47 am

The jobs report released Friday was bad. “Unexpectedly”. We seem to see quite a few of these. Though the White House always tells us “it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report.” But there was another little bomb within the report, and Nelson D. Schwartz at the NY Times performs a random act of journalism

For the more than 10 million Americans who are out of work, finding a job is hard. For the 145 million or so who are employed, getting a raise is even harder.

The government said on Friday that employers added 113,000 jobs in January, the second straight month of anemic growth, despite some signs of strength in the broader economy. The unemployment rate inched down in January to 6.6 percent, the lowest level since October 2008, from 6.7 percent in December.

But the report also made plain what many Americans feel in their bones: Wages are stuck, and barely rose at all in 2013. They were up 1.9 percent last year, or a mere 0.4 percent after accounting for inflation. Not only was that increase even smaller than the one recorded in 2012, it was half the normal rate of wage gains in the two decades before the last recession.

Don’t read too much into an anemic 0.4% after inflation for an entire year.

The stagnation helps explain why many people feel apprehensive even though the economy grew at a robust pace in the second half of 2013, corporate profits rose, the stock market boomed and the housing market continued to gain ground. The issue cuts across the American work force. In fact, white-collar workers did a bit worse than blue-collar workers last year in terms of wage growth.

Companies aren’t confident enough to spend, expand, create growth, which affects wages. The profits and stock market are outliers, but aren’t indicitive of the overall economy. This is the Obama economy.

This must be Bush’s fault, right? Even though he hasn’t been president since 1/20/2009, and the current pResident has even won a second term

“People are running in place in terms of their living standards,” said Ethan Harris, co-head of global economics at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “There’s almost no growth in spending power.” As recently as 2008, when the economy sank deeper into recession and Lehman Brothers collapsed, wages still managed to rise by 3.5 percent, before inflation. But the combination of a backlog of workers left behind in the recession’s wake, as well as productivity gains resulting from new technologies, means salaries may not rebound anytime soon.

Of course, none of this could possibly be the fault of the Democrat in the White House nor the Democrats who control the Senate, none of who are interested in passing legislation that stimulates hiring and market based wage increases. Most in the White House, including Mr. Obama, have no idea what running a company feels like in the real world. They’ve never done it. Furthermore, their rules and regulations are stifling business, which will affect wages. Welcome to the “new normal”.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Obameconomy: Wages Almost Flatlining »

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NRCC Creates Fake Dem Websites Ahead Of Midterms

By William Teach February 7, 2014 – 3:29 pm

Democrats will call this a dirty trick. I call this brilliant. Might Republicans have finally realized that there is this Internet thingy?

(Daily Caller) The National Republican Congressional Committee is using a little internet espionage ahead of the 2014 mid-term elections by creating websites named for Democratic candidates to highlight the less-favorable aspects of their campaigns.

The committee is responsible for at least 15 websites mimicking Democrats’ campaign sites for Congress, and the NRCC isn’t denying it – the committee is publicly endorsing it.

“The idea is people who are looking for information on the candidate, one of the places we all go now is online and so this is a way for folks to find out more about the candidates and information they may not find on the candidate’s own site,” NRCC press secretary Daniel Scarpinato told CNN.

They should do this for every competitive House and Senate race. Individual Republicans, at both the federal and state levels, should do this for their opponents.

JohnLewis4congress.com, the Republican alternate of the Montana Democrat’s montanansforlewis.com, is one of hundreds of URL’s using the names of Democratic candidates considered weak in the upcoming election as part of a plan the NRCC will continue advancing throughout the year.

The NRCC, Republican campaigns, and even individual Conservative groups can invest a couple hundred bucks, tops, to purchase multiple domain names, and have them all direct to one website which explains the real positions of Democrat candidates. Make sure they are constantly updated, use SEO, and, hey, even create a fake Twitter persona that tweets at least a few times a day. Make sure people know what Democrats really stand for.

If Democrats start whining, which they will invariably do, point out that politics is a rough business, and to stop whining like a 5 year old who wants a cookie before dinner.

Read: NRCC Creates Fake Dem Websites Ahead Of Midterms »

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If All You See…

By William Teach February 7, 2014 – 1:00 pm

…is a horrid fossil fueled vehicle causing polar vortex after polar vortex to roll down into Florida, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is American Power, with a post on a crazy feminist.

Read: If All You See… »

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Another Recommendation For Parents To Talk To Their Snowflakes About “Climate Change”

By William Teach February 7, 2014 – 11:03 am

I’d recommend not doing it as they come in the house, their cheeks rosy red from the cold, stomping snow off their boots

Parents: Talk Climate Change With Your Kids

……

Start Them Early
It’s their earth they will inherit, help them to appreciate and respect it. Everyone has to do their part to help reduce their carbon emissions — it is especially important to teach your kids. They hold the keys to saving the planet. We all have some type of mess in our lives. It doesn’t matter if it is economical or ecological, it is up to to do our part to help clean it up.

Warmists have specificially stated that they want this junk science to be personal: I’d like to know if the writer, Neale Godfrey, still drives a fossil fueled vehicle. Oh, and why does she have kids? Kids are Bad for “climate change”. Hey, she wrote that “everyone has to do their part…” Warmists should lead the way. Otherwise, why should anyone believe their dogma? Anyhow, she has a few ideas to discuss with the kids, such as

  • Take your kids on a train or a bus ride — even better if it’s a natural gas powered bus. Explain that, in the U.S., cars and trucks emit 20 percent of the carbon emissions. Trains and buses, mass transit, move groups of people, with far less fuel consumption and pollution than everyone taking their own car. (<-think Neale does this?)
  • Use a time to limit the length of showers. Let your kids know that showers account for two-thirds of your water heating costs? If you shorten your shower time, you can save money and 350 pounds of CO2 emissions per year.
  • Change your menu. Eat less meat, especially beef. If you reduce the meat in your diet by half, an average family can avoid creating about three tons of emissions a year.
  • Include a civics lesson. Teach your kids how democracy-in-action works. Together, with your kids, let policy makers know you are concerned about global warming. Research you representatives in local, state, and federal government — and write to them with your concerns. Have the kids make appropriate drawings to include. (nothing better than teaching them far left hyper-partisanship early, so they can end up like the typical unhinged leftist creating mayhem)

She also recommends planting a tree (hey, never a bad idea), wrapping insulation, and turning down the temperature of the water heater. I do those last two myself, they save me money. I did plant a tree by my porch.

She always wants parents to take their kids on a scavenger hunt to pick up bottles and cans. Essentially, trash. This is one of the parts of “climate change” that makes me nuts. Warmists wrap real issues, such as litter, under the banner of their wackadoodle cult.

As with all the lessons you teach your children, remember to use the world as your classroom. There are examples of waste and conservation all around us. Point them out. Explain them. Challenge your kids to come up with solutions. Also, remember that they learn by example. Create good habits, and greener living – you kids will follow along.

So, practice what you preach, Warmists. Somehow, I doubt Neale does. Oh, and you can start by no longer having children. This way we can wipe out your deranged cult within a couple generations.

Read: Another Recommendation For Parents To Talk To Their Snowflakes About “Climate Change” »

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Rep David Schweikert (R-Ariz) Introduces “Secret Science Reform Act”

By William Teach February 7, 2014 – 7:48 am

What is it? It’s a way of forcing the Environmental Protection Agency, which has seemingly forgotten what their actual mission is, to end their secrecy in rule making

(Fox News) Republican lawmakers in the House are pushing legislation that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from proposing new regulations based on science that is not transparent or not reproducible.

The Secret Science Reform Act, introduced Thursday by Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., would bar the agency from proposing or finalizing rules without first disclosing all “scientific and technical information” relied on to support its proposed action.

“Public policy should come from public data, not based on the whims of far-left environmental groups,” Schweikert said in a statement. “For far too long, the EPA has approved regulations that have placed a crippling financial burden on economic growth in this country with no public evidence to justify their actions.”

This is primarily aimed at the EPA’s junk science rules regarding “climate change”, but could certainly affect rule making for other issues.

Smith said the proposal “prohibits EPA from using secret science to justify new regulations.”

“The American people foot the bill for EPA’s costly regulations, and they have a right to see the underlying science. Costly environmental regulations should be based upon publicly available data so that independent scientists can verify the EPA’s claims,” Smith said in a statement.

This should easily pass the House once it makes it to the floor on what will be a virtually 100% partisan vote, since Democrats will not be happy with the EPA being forced to be transparent. After that, it will be shelved in the Democrat controlled Senate, with only a few Democrats, such as West Virginian Joe Manchin, wanting a vote. This is another important reason for the GOP to regain the Senate.

The legislation is H.R. 4012, which can be found via the new Congress.gov website, which is replacing the older Thomas. It was just introduced on 2/6/14, so there is no text available. It’s purpose is “To prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating regulations or assessments based upon science that is not transparent or reproducible.”

Read: Rep David Schweikert (R-Ariz) Introduces “Secret Science Reform Act” »

Posted in Global Warming | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

Obama May Extend Time For Keeping Those “Junk” Health Plan You Like

By William Teach February 7, 2014 – 7:30 am

If the law is so bad, so poorly written, so poorly implemented, perhaps it should simply be scrapped and replaced with legislation that works

(AP) The Obama administration is considering an extension of the president’s decision to let people keep their individual insurance policies even if they are not compliant with the health care overhaul, industry and government officials said Thursday.

Avalere Health CEO Dan Mendelson said Thursday that the administration may let policyholders keep that coverage for as long as an additional three years, stressing that no decision has been made. Policymakers are waiting to see what rate hikes health insurers plan for the insurance exchanges that are key to the overhaul’s coverage expansions.

Less you think that this is just a health industry guy speaking out, along with Aetna Inc. Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini

Health and Human Services spokesman Joanne Peters confirmed that the issue is under discussion, saying: “We are continuing to examine all sorts of ways to provide consumers with more choices and to smooth the transition as we implement the law. No decisions have been made.”

The time where people can keep those “junk” plans, as the administration termed the plans dropped for 4.7-6 million citizens, was already extended through an administrative fix, was for only one year. This second administrative fix would push it out past 2016, or even possibly to 2017, depending on whether it is added to the original. Either way, it would *Surprise!* head past the 2016 general election.

Nothing is settled yet, this seems to simply be in free-flow bull-session status at this time, but for the most part it would simply be all talk, because a good chunk who lost their plans were not able to get them back. This would be about optics.

BTW, in a hilarious bit of irony, the parent company of the Huffington Post, AOL, is reducing their 401(k) benefits due to Obamacare, per AOL’s CEO Tim Armstrong

“Obamacare is an additional $7.1 million expense for us as a company, so we have to decide whether or not to pass that expense to employees or whether to cut other benefits,” AOL’s Chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong told CNBC Thursday morning. AOL is the parent company of The Huffington Post.

So, it’s not just health insurance, jobs, and job hours that are being damaged thanks to their horrendous law.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Obama May Extend Time For Keeping Those “Junk” Health Plan You Like »

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Millenials Have To “Do Something” About Climate Change

By William Teach February 6, 2014 – 3:46 pm

Before we’re all doomed or something

Millenials must take on climate change before it’s too late

Discussions about climate change are often like an episode of “Lost” —  a solution to one puzzle raises five more questions. If climate change is a proven trend, then what should be done? What should the government do? What should corporations do? And whose fault is it really? 

It’s interesting that question “what changes in my own life?” Is not posed.

It is both odd and expected that we millennials don’t care more. Odd because theoretically we are the most likely to join political movements to encourage change (see President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign slogan). Expected because adapting to changes, positive and negative, is what we’re good at.

And how are Millenials doing? Their unemployment and underemployment rates are staggeringly high. They’re saddle with tons of school loans debt with poor job “ladders of opportunity”. They’re moving back in with their parents at record rates. The last thing they need to be worrying about, except as a drunken bull session, is “climate change”.

Read: Millenials Have To “Do Something” About Climate Change »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, Global Warming | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach February 6, 2014 – 1:56 pm

…is a wonderful bike which Everyone Else should be forced to ride, you might just be a Warmist

photo a_little_flbp_for_mlk_day_45_photos4_zpslturx9pf.jpg

The blog of the day is The Lonely Conservative, with a post on secret IRS rules.

Read: If All You See… »

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Australians Care Little About “Climate Change”

By William Teach February 6, 2014 – 11:27 am

Poll after poll after poll consistently show that when given a list if issues, “climate change” comes in way down the list of concerns. More often last place. Heck, in Australia it is 2nd to last when it comes to environmental concerns

(The Age) Australians rank climate change well down on their list of concerns, even though most believe temperatures where they live will rise, according to an annual survey of attitudes by the CSIRO.

On a list of 16 issues ranging from health and cost of living to terrorism and drug problems, climate change came in at just 14th.

Even among environmental issues, the climate ranked only seventh out of eight concerns, behind household waste and above only salinity.

Zoe Leviston, a social psychologist at CSIRO and lead author of the survey, said the ranking was “surprisingly low”, not least because more than 70 per cent of respondents also judged climate change to be either somewhat, very or extremely important.

Dr. Leviston thinks people are turned off because the issue has become so politicized. That could be a partial explanation. I would suggest a bigger one is that when it comes to things people want to actually tackle they stop worrying about a cute little 1st World issue and worry about real things. Climate change is fun and trendy to yammer in about, but when it comes to Doing Something most realize that their own lives will be harmed. And most do not want to give up any of their cushy 1st World lifestyle.

Read: Australians Care Little About “Climate Change” »

Posted in Collapsing Science, Global Warming, Politics | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

Team Obama To Allow Immigrants With “Limited Terrorism Ties”

By William Teach February 6, 2014 – 7:19 am

Your government at work

(Daily Caller) The Obama administration has issued new exemptions to a law that bars certain asylum-seekers and refugees who provided “limited material support” to terrorists who are believed to pose no threat from the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security and the State Department published the new exemptions Wednesday in the Federal Register to narrow a ban in the Immigration and Nationality Act excluding refugees and asylum seekers who had provided limited material support, no matter how minor, to terrorists.

“These exemptions cover five kinds of limited material support that have adversely and unfairly affected refugees and asylum seekers with no tangible connection to terrorism: material support that was insignificant in amount or provided incidentally in the course of everyday social, commercial, family or humanitarian interactions, or under significant pressure,” a DHS official explained to The Daily Caller.

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Secretary of State John Kerry signed the exemptions.

Fantastic! The Obama admin. is going to allow people with tiny terrorism ties in to the country. What could possibly go wrong? Yet, the Obama admin. is trying to deport German’s who came to the US seeking asylum so that they could home-school their children.

There is also a consideration as to whether the Obama admin. has the authority to make these changes to the law. Not that The Law ever stopped Obama before. And then there’s this

And while the changes will affect those seeking protection in the short term, the manner in which the Obama administration changed the law will not be lost on Republican skeptics of immigration reform in the long term.

“This glaring end-run around Congress underscores that immigration reform is doomed to failure,” a Senate GOP aide told TheDC.

If Team O wants to unilaterally change immigration law, especially in terms of allowing people, on a cases by case basis (supposedly), with ties to terrorism, why should the GOP trust him on any new immigration legislation?

Read: Team Obama To Allow Immigrants With “Limited Terrorism Ties” »

Posted in War On Terrorism | 9 Comments | Trackback URL
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