| Economics has caused me to lose my hair. The | | | | quickly exceeded the 8% his response was that |
| daily barrage of economic numbers, predictions, | | | | he did not realize just how bad a job George W. |
| and commentary just makes me scratch my | | | | Bush had done. Too bad there are no real |
| head. I didn't go to Harvard so I guess I don't | | | | reporters to ask probing questions anymore. A |
| have the capacity to get it. Everyone is heralding | | | | good one at that point would have been, "Mr. |
| recovery, but Americans are still losing their jobs. | | | | President, what real numbers or facts have come |
| That's to be expected they say, since jobs are a | | | | to light since you have taken office to support |
| lagging indicator. What? I'm sorry but that answer | | | | that comment?" |
| is no longer acceptable. | | | | At the first of December Obama had a "jobs |
| Obama and his team of economic geniuses are | | | | summit". A day for all the geniuses to discuss the |
| slapping themselves on the back for doing such a | | | | unemployment problem. At the time, I wondered |
| great job with the economy. They saved us from | | | | about the purpose of this meeting since we were |
| a second great depression. Wall Street rejoices | | | | in recovery and jobs, as we know, are a lagging |
| over a 19% increase in stock prices in 2009 and | | | | indicator. I think they wanted to show us how |
| predicts a profitable 2010. BUT THERE ARE NO | | | | serious they were about finding solutions, a PR |
| JOBS. Sometimes I hate economics. | | | | show. Of course, no ideas or answers came out. I |
| Our politicians need to hear this refrain, "it's about | | | | found it interesting that there was enough wealth |
| jobs, stupid!" They celebrate when job losses are | | | | in that room to create thousand of jobs, but that |
| fewer than expected. The last report on | | | | idea was probably not offered. |
| unemployment insurance claims for the month | | | | Honestly, I do believe they care about jobs. They |
| was 432,000. This was wonderful because Wall | | | | just don't know what to do. I don't think they can |
| Street predicted 452,000. The politicians are falling | | | | do much. Bill Clinton still raves about all that he did |
| over themselves to take credit for this | | | | for the economy during the 90's. I laugh at this |
| encouraging trend. | | | | because he didn't do squat. Bill Gates created |
| Here's what is funny about economics. If that | | | | thousand jobs and millionaires to boot during the |
| report had shown 462,000 claims filed, the stock | | | | 90's. Thank him and hundreds of other business |
| market would have crumbled and the politicians | | | | owners who gave us a great decade of economic |
| would be finger pointing. Their whole discussion | | | | prosperity. |
| centers on the 20,000 that did not file. Do you | | | | My advice to Obama and the rest of the |
| realize this 20,000 number is imaginary? There is | | | | Washington crowd is to admit the government's |
| only one real number in this report - 432,000 | | | | impotence to quickly solve the jobs problem. The |
| authentic, flesh and blood Americans are added to | | | | one thing they can do is listen. Spend time doing |
| the rolls of the unemployed. This should sicken our | | | | some door to door work among the small |
| leaders. | | | | businesses who have laid off workers recently. |
| The politicians need to wake up to one other | | | | Find out what it would take for them to hire |
| lagging indicator - the people's confidence. Obama | | | | more workers. Entrepreneurs must feel confident |
| said at the signing of the first stimulus bill that | | | | to take risks. Leadership should inspire confidence, |
| unemployment would not go beyond 8%. When it | | | | even when the ship is sinking. |