Tuesday, September 2, 2014

BloggeRhythms

It seems that above all other fixations, except perhaps for golf, the incumbent has an incessant need to talk. Which poses a significant problem for him at present, whereas just about every aspect of his presidency is crumbling simultaneously.
 
Nonetheless, since yesterday was Labor Day he used the occasion to try to tout economic gains under his leadership and make an election-year case that higher wages and other progress for workers can only be achieved through a Democrat-controlled Congress.
 
Speaking in Milwaukee, he told a crowd of union supporters at an annual Laborfest event that, “American workers and the American economy are better off since I took office.”
 
He went on to say that, “I’m not asking for the moon. I’m asking for policies that help folks get ahead. Republicans running Congress are opposed to them.” And while never specifically mentioning the mid-term elections in which Democrats are trying to keep control of the Senate, he repeatedly blamed Republicans for trying to block such efforts as immigration reform, increasing the federal minimum wage and lowering the cost of health care through the ObamaCare.
 
Then, he also pointed out that the U.S. unemployment rate now stands at 6.2 percent, dropping 1.1 points over the past year, after peaking at 10 percent in October 2009.
 
Fortunately for him, however, the crowd was made up of folks who would ardently support him no matter, whereas the actual data would dispute or refute virtually every word he uttered.
 
For example, the measure of unemployment now used only counts a narrow segment of the non-working population as unemployed. Those counted do not currently have a job and have seriously attempted to find work over the last four weeks. However, adding the longer-term unemployed, or those giving up the search for a job as of July 2014 equates to a real unemployment rate of 12.2%, double the widely-reported numbers. 
 
In regard to those who are currently working, hourly wages have decreased since mid-2013 for essentially every income group, except for the country’s lowest wage-earners, who benefited from states increasing their minimum wage. 
 
Furthermore, many who’d like full time jobs are stuck in part-time positions, because businesses can hire desirable part-time workers to supplement a core of permanent, full-time employees, but at lower wages, while Obamacare’s employer health insurance mandates will not apply to workers on the job less than 30 hours a week.
 
As an additional result, average family income, adjusted for inflation has fallen from about $55,600 in 2007 to $51,000 while the gap between families at the bottom and top widens.
 
And lastly, a recent study by the Center for Immigration Studies indicates that virtually all the new jobs created since 2000 went to immigrants, whereas none were created for native-born Americans.
 
During the speech, the incumbent made no mention of the country’s pressing international concerns, such as Russia’s presence in Ukraine and what his administration plans to do about the rising threat in the Middle East of ISIS.
 
In conclusion, the dismal state of things in virtually every aspect of governance under the incumbent’s administration might be reflected in the fact that he was greeted at the Milwaukee airport by Wisconsin GOP Gov. Scott Walker who seemed pleased to meet the crowd.
 
Yet, Mary Burke, the Democrat running against Walker in November, attended Laborfest but did not appear on stage with the incumbent, who has low job-approval ratings in the state. And therefore, she too must clearly understand the difference between speeches and reality, even in front of favoring crowds.
 
That’s it for today folks.
 
Adios 

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