Posts Tagged ‘economy’

Joe Mika and Norah O’Donnell surprise me today

Posted: July 20, 2010 by datechguy in employment, opinion/news
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Ok make sure you are sitting down for this.

MSNBC’s Morning Joe was talking about an unemployment extension. It started with the regular meme about Republicans blocking unemployment but around the 13 minute mark Pat mentioned Republican offsets, then after the break, Norah O’Donnell (who has the look of someone who just had some personal good news) quoted what the republicans said today. Joe looks then mentions that the media hasn’t reported the republican offset stuff and then Mika talks about how the story they are quoting has a headline hitting republicans and then deep on the jump page mentions the plans they offered to pay for unemployment extension.

I have never heard, particularly on MSNBC anyone mentioning the “after the jump” stuff. Naturally we conservatives are used to it, but I never thought I’d hear Mika hit the media on MSNBC for doing it.

That is just so honorable and I hate to say it but when they did, Margaret Carlson looked like someone took the prize out of her breakfast cereal.

Well done folks well done!

This might not generate a lot of attention

Posted: July 19, 2010 by datechguy in opinion/news
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But it is an important story nonetheless:

Slightly more than 7,000 federal prisoners have been cut from the work rolls in the past two years, and up to 800 more are expected to be dropped in the next several months, according to Federal Prison Industries records.

The latest cut, announced last week, will close nine factories scattered from Pennsylvania to California and includes reductions in staff at 11 others, Federal Prison Industries spokeswoman Julie Rozier says.

She says the cuts represent some of the largest reductions in the 75-year history of the federal prison workforce. “We’re feeling the same pressures that are present in the overall economy,” she says. This year, 16,115 of the system’s 211,146 inmates are working in the factory jobs, down from 23,152 in 2008.

Federal Prison Industries is a government corporation established by Congress in 1934 that provides training for federal inmates. The industries generate about 80 products and services for sale to the federal government. In return, inmates are paid up to $1.15 per hour. Much of that goes to child support, fines, restitution and other court-ordered obligations.

Prison guards and others fear the cuts could spark inmate unrest in overcrowded institutions where jobs — however menial — have kept prisoners occupied.

And here is a second thought. What do you do when they get out? When unemployment is at 4-5% (A high level according to the MSM during the Bush years) there were few enough people looking that an employer might take a shot at someone with a past. That’s less people on the dole.

With unemployment at 9.5% why should an employer will take a shot when there are so many people without a past dying for work?

This is the social cost of a bad economy and that’s why when you hurt business you hurt the poor.

Has Scott Brown spilled the Tea?

Posted: July 17, 2010 by datechguy in opinion/news, tea parties
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No question has produced more e-mail for me than Scott Brown’s vote on the Banking bill.

I personally think it is a huge mistake but I’m already on the record saying that my 80% friend is not my 20% enemy so I’m willing to give him a pass for now. Others in the Tea party are less forgiving as 150 people in Worcester protested him today.

I remember the enthusiasm for Brown just six months ago running with no other democrat drawing partisans to the polls and he managed to win by 5. If this is the attitude among those willing to still vote for him then he has big trouble coming up if he keeps on this path.

Update: Looks like these columns were a few months early

Morning Joe: Norah O’Donnell spins “Republicans aren’t popular either”

Posted: July 16, 2010 by datechguy in fun, opinion/news
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Just an FYI Scott Brown (Banking vote not withstanding) is the single most popular pol in Massachusetts.

And here is Mark Penn who keeps saying “8” years taking the time to forget the democrats controlling the house since 06.

Mika’s dad and Pat spar on taxes but are shaking hands on taking troop withdrawals worldwide troops home.

Norah keeps talking government “Investment”. The Government doesn’t “Invest” it taxes business and individuals and then spends said tax money.

The bottom line of their discussion. The people aren’t realizing how much better we are because of Obama. They must be using Cato’s Naked Victoria Secret Models method via Glenn to measure progress.

Update: this is what I’m talking about

I’m going to claim that I enjoyed a week of debauchery with the Victoria’s Secret models. And if any of them are rude enough to point out that I’m lying, I’ll simply explain that I started with an assumption of spending -7 nights with the supermodels. And since I actually spent zero nights with them, that means a net of +7.”

They’d get a lot more attention using this method anyway.

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