Posts in the category Economic Fairness and Security

85 percent Unhappy with Economy

User from Struthers, OH — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:35:57 EDT

85 percent Unhappy with Economy

July 18,2008

According to TIME magazine this week, You would expect Americans, in a period of falling home prices, a wobbly stock market and an ongoing war, to be less than satisfied with the direction of the country. It's natural. But Americans are not simply dissatisfied. They are very unhappy. 85% of respondents in an exclusive TIME/Rockefeller Foundation poll believe that the country is on the wrong track.

It's an unprecedented downer from an optimistic nation, and depending on whom you talk to, the numbers simply get worse. Among blacks and Latinos, the dissatisfaction levels are 96% and 88%, respectively. And fewer than half of Generation Y believes that the country's best days are ahead.

The kids are not all right. Nearly half of those between ages 18 and 29 say America was a better place to live in the 1990s and will continue to decline. Some of them are living that decline already: 58% of GenYers said they have had to borrow money to make ends meet in the past year.

A majority of Americans still believe that their kids will live better lives than they did, which means the American Dream isn't exactly dead. (Although America's kids aren't so sure.) But most also believe that the social contract -- the benefits corporations and government once guaranteed -- is busted and needs to be rewritten to reflect the realities of economic life in a global marketplace. A majority (78%) say there is more risk to their and their family's financial future than in the past, and rely more on their friends and family for financial support. More than a fifth (22%) have had to borrow money from a friend or relative to meet their expenses.

Most intriguing, a majority of those surveyed believe in the power of Big Government to solve the biggest problems of our time. They support major government investments that create jobs -- 82% favor public works projects -- and they remain sympathetic to the economy's victims: 70% say more government programs should help those now struggling. It is a shocking shift in sentiment, a counterreformation of sorts in a Republican-led era that emphasizes deregulation and self-reliance.

Do Americans really want more government? The answer to that question may be provided in the November election. But history has shown that when the going gets tough, even the tough expect their Uncle Sam to get going.

As the Green Party Write-In Candidate for Congress for Ohio's 6th District, I believe it is my job to go to Washington to help lead the fight to bring back Renewable Energy Jobs, Single-Payer Health Care for All, and Clean Fair Elections back to Ohio!

I am running for Congress because I believe we must send a representative to Washington who will address the issues facing regular citizens, not Lobbyists or Corporation PACs.

My campaign will focus on the issues that Ohioans care about: affordable health care, economic fairness, quality public education, and bringing renewable energy manufacturing jobs to the valley. I am not afraid to call for Health Care for All Ohioans, economic justice, and nothing less than a renewal of America's sense of community and promise of equal opportunity for all citizens.

Write-In Dennis Spisak for Congress-Ohio's 6th District

campaign site: http"//www.votespisak.org/electspisak.tripod.com
I, Dennis Spisak, approved of this posting.

Reuters: Iraqi PM backs Obama troop exit plan

Bret Thompson, ProgressOhio — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 09:55:19 EDT

But what would the Iraqi Prime Minister, the Iraqi people (78% say the US "causes more conflict than it prevents") and the American people (59% want the troops home within a year) know about what's best for Iraq and America?

"U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes." ...

Asked if he supported Obama's ideas more than those of John McCain, Republican presidential hopeful, Maliki said he did not want to recommend who people should vote for. "Whoever is thinking about the shorter term is closer to reality. Artificially extending the stay of U.S. troops would cause problems."

And this...

Michael Carano — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 09:36:22 EDT

Our drive for single-payer–lost in the Obama movement?Healthcare, Ohio, The Democrats

Introduction by Michael Carano

It seems that our drive for single-payer is being diffused by those pushing to get voters out for the Democratic candidate, Obama. Now electing Obama is a good thing, so don’t get me wrong, but my fear is that the Dems will be using the health care card in 2008 as they did the Irag Occupation card in 2006 in order to get votes.

In the process, as you will see by the two articles I post, one from a Labor Party writer whom I know and respect, and the other from a woman in Florida who has insight into what is going on and how it will confuse voters about what is the best solution for real health care reform (single-payer, specifically Rep, John Conyers H.R. 676) and the fuzzy incremental approaches as put forth by Obama and the new coalition mentioned in the articles.

Let us not be confused as to what the new coalition is proposing, and let us be clear as to why we support single-payer over these wishy-washy plans proposed under the guise of “Universal Health Care” and their real shortcomings, they being bandaids to the real problem that a true universal, single-payer health care plan will cure.

We Know Which Side You Are On!

Michael Carano — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 09:28:20 EDT

So let's start acting with a bit of honesty in the debate. Since we tend to lead first then educate when possible, this for your consumption. Our hope is that you will start being honest brokers in the debate and begin dealing fairly with Progressive Democrats of America and quit--like your precursors--as seeing us as a threat. We only are a threat to the those who will hold back real reform. Thus, this is a kind of request too. Please don't undermine our work through co-opting it, and reference our lead when applicable, as any honest group would do, as in Rep. Suttons stop-loss work; our being a prime mover behind of Citizens Save Our Sewers Coalition in Akron, and our consistent and unremitting anti-war work, as in our past March organizing. We are the good guys, so please quite seeing us a threat. We understand what you are about. We just expect you to be honest about it. We will always be honest with what we are about. Thus, on with the education portion of our work:

By Miles Mogulescu
Huffington Post
July 10, 2008

ProgressOhio Call to Action - Stop Loss Bill

The Mustang Major — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 07:39:32 EDT

Congresswomen Betty Sutton of Ohio's 13th Congressional District joined several other Representatives and a Senator from across the nation in introducing legislation that would compensate troops and military families who have been exploited by the Pentagon's shameful practice of Stop Loss or commonly known as The Backdoor Draft.

Our military family is asking that readers on several Veterans and Military Family blogs and forums PLEASE contact your state Representatives and Senators in Congress to get behind and co-sponsor the Stop-Loss Compensation Act in the Senate and House (S. 3060 and H.R. 6205).

You will find our "Write Officials" link on the right hand side of the ProgressOhio Website, and to add extra bite we ask you to please also select "Write Your Paper" to do a brief Letter to the Editor decrying this abusive practice and asking voters to speak out.

This is not about being pro or anti-war, it is about QUESTIONING practices that harm our troops, hurt military readiness, negatively impact military recruitment, and could eventually lead our government to 'no choice' but conscription - THE DRAFT.

Bobby Hanafin
Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired
The Mustang Major

Military Families Speak Out - OHIO

Youth Jobless Rate Increases

User from Struthers, OH — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 06:56:48 EDT

Youth Jobless Rate Increases
July 19, 2008

washingtonpost.com -- The national youth jobless rate for June was at its highest in six decades, with 37 percent of teenagers ages 16 to 19 employed, compared with 51 percent in June 2000, according to Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies. In the past, teenagers benefited from upturns in the labor market. Since 2000, teenagers have not benefited, according to the study's analysis of 60 years' worth of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is because teenagers are now competing with older adults going back to work, adults working second jobs to make ends meet, illegal immigrants and young adults who cannot find work in line with their college degrees and are taking entry-level retail or manual-labor jobs instead.

As the Green Party Write-in Candidate for Congress- We need to bring Renewable Energy Jobs to the Ohio River VAlley in order to to put older adults into more blue-collar jobs building renewable enrgy manufacturing parts. I will be that Candidate to go to Washington to help bring federal assistance to bring such programs to our adult workers and reopen up traditional youth job makets to our young people.

Write-In Dennis Spisak for Congress-Ohio's 6th District

campaign site: http"//www.votespisak.org/electspisak.tripod.com
I, Dennis Spisak, approved of this posting.

Ohio Green Party Member Dennis Spisak Files For Congress

User from Struthers, OH — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:15:48 EDT

Ohio Green Party Member Dennis Spisak Files For Congress

July 14, 2008

Lisbon, Ohio- Ohio Green Party Member Dennis Spisak filed as as write-in candidate for Congress today at the Columbiana County Board of Elections. Spisak will run as a write-in candidate for Ohio's 6th Congressional District.

" I am running for Congress because I believe we must send a Progressive Liberal to Congress since we already have two conservative candidates in the race, Democratic Incumbent Charlie Wilson and Republican Rich Stobbs. It's time we give the voters of the 6th district a choice between conservative values which have failed this country over the past eight years and Progressive Liberal Values that will bring back Renewable Energy Jobs to the Ohio River Valley, Single-Payer Health Care for All, and clean and fair elections back to Ohio, " said Spisak.

" I am running for Congress because we must send a representative to Washington who will address the issues facing regular citizens, not Lobbyists and Corportation PACS. My campaign will focus on economic justice and nothing less than a renewal of America's sense of community and promise of equal opportunities for the poor, working, and middle class."

Spisak was one of the first Green Party Candidates to be elected in Ohio back in 2005 when he was elected to the Board of Education for the Struthers City Schools system. As a Board Member, he was able to help take the district out of state fiscal control and debt and return the system to financial health in 2 years with the help of his fellow board members.

Dennis Spisak's Platform:

LIVING WAGE JOBS: Organize opposition to NAFTRA trade policy. Protect our workers and unions.

EDUCATION: Fund and protect public education. Make college and technical education affordable. Help provide support, advocacy, and support to Ohio parents and care givers of children and adults with developmental disabilities and autism.

A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT: Promote clean renewable energy and create new renewable energy manufacturers and companies up and down the Ohio River. Protect Ohio's air and water. Improve Mass Transit. With gas over 4 dollars a gallon, busses, vans, and trains are the way many people will get to work-and that number is expected to grow over 40% in the next 10 years. Dennis Spisak will work with Congress on green solutions and less costs to riders and taxpayers.

CLEAN ELECTIONS: Eliminate fraudulent computer ballot counts and use verifiable paper ballots. Assure all Ohioans have an equal opportunity to vote and run for office.

HEALTH CARE FOR ALL OHIOANS: Pass Single-Payer Health Care Acts that cover every American for any necessary procedure their doctor orders without exclusions for pre-exisiting conditions.

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For more information, contract Dennis Spisak at 330-755-0729 or 330-503-1407

I, Dennis Spisak, approve of the contents of this press release.

Cincinnati Enquirer Editorial Voters: Be wary of payday issue

Dave Harding, ProgressOhio — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:02:54 EDT

The Cincinnati Enquirer

Ohioans may have thought the payday lending issue was settled in May. That's when the General Assembly passed a strong reform bill that would, among other things, limit the interest on short-term loans to 28 percent annualized, compared with the prevalent industry charge of up to 391 APR.

Lawmakers felt reform was necessary to solve the problem of cash-strapped Ohioans borrowing against their next paychecks, getting trapped in a "cycle of debt" with multiple loans and ever-mounting fees. Gov. Ted Strickland signed the measure, set to become law Sept. 1.

But if the payday loan industry has its way, the reform could be undone this fall by voter approval of a ballot issue to repeal a key portion of the new law.

Payday lenders have every right to propose such an issue, but Ohio voters have every right to see such an issue for what it is - a bid to sabotage a comprehensive, carefully crafted reform.

Representatives of the lenders, some of whom say they will close up shop if the reform takes effect, are drafting a referendum to be voted on in the Nov. 4 election if advocates gather the needed 241,365 signatures.

Their first proposed petition was rejected by Attorney General Nancy Rogers as misleading on several counts, not the least of which was that it didn't even mention the "most fundamental change" - doing away with the 28 percent interest cap.

The lenders' committee then sued Rogers, challenging the constitutionality of her office's role in the referendum process.

She threw out the second petition because its 17-page ballot "summary" was nearly as long as the proposed legislation itself.

However, Rogers certified a third petition, which would repeal only one section of the reform, as fair and truthful language, although she added that it doesn't warn Ohioans asked to sign the petition about its "possible result that two conflicting laws might be in effect."

Well, we're warning Ohioans right now: This is the proverbial monkey wrench in the machinery. If it passes, two contradictory laws will be on the books. It leaves the reform's 28 percent cap in place while repealing the reform's Section 3, which itself repealed the previous, 391 percent-cap. So 28 percent and 391 percent could both be legal.

This means confusion, lawsuits, and quite possibly the result payday lenders want: a return to the less-regulated status quo. If that's what voters want, that's what they will get. But they should understand what they're signing and voting on.

Comment Below or at the Enquirer

PDA and The Nation in Denver

Michael Carano — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:38:39 EDT

Join PDA and The Nation at "Progressive Central" in DenverJuly 15, 2008, Denver, CO
Central Presbyterian Church, Denver, COThe DNC Convention in Denver, taking place August 25-28 at the Pepsi Center, will be accompanied by a large progressive presence, and PDA will be in the center of the activities. The PDA national team and PDA CO, led by Evi Klett and Elise Hudson, have been meeting for the past six weeks to finalize our plans.

The center of our activities is located in the heart of Denver at the Central Presbyterian Church, 1660 Sherman St., Denver, CO 80203. The Nation Magazine will share this facility with us. It is a beautiful venue and a fitting location as this ministry has a long record of helping the under-privileged and under-served members of the Denver community.

During the convention we hope to create a progressive oasis where like-minded individuals can meet to network, share ideas, learn from the country’s foremost progressives, and help build the progressive movement. Four full days of volunteer opportunities and panel discussions have been planned.

The week starts off with a PDA “Progressive Welcome to Denver” event on the evening of Sunday August 24, hosted by Mimi Kennedy, author, actress, and PDA Advisory Board Chair. The welcome event features PDA advisory board member Rep. Barbara Lee (CA); Katrina Vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation; Tom Hayden, author, activist and PDA Advisory Board member; and Jim Zogby, Arab American Institute founder and President and DNC member. Suggested donation is fifteen dollars.

From Monday August 25 through Thursday August 28, Progressive Central will be a hive of activity. The volunteer center will open at 7 a.m., and from there, PDA will dispatch our non-violent army of volunteers to the Denver-area hotels where the DNC delegates are housed. As the delegates go to breakfast, volunteers will distribute flyers with a detailed list of our activities and other items of interest. Volunteers will receive a Healthcare NOT Warfare t-shirt and will be served coffee and a light breakfast. We are also seeking helpers at the church. Contact DNCvolunteers@pdamerica.org to volunteer.

The doors will open to the public at 9:00 a.m. each day. They will find a host of organizations tabling inside, providing opportunities for involvement and education, opportunities for networking, and a space for impromptu meetings.

From 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. each day, The Nation will take the stage in the sanctuary to conduct conversations with prominent progressives on a range of topics: healthcare, AIDS, and Africa, Iraq withdrawal, immigration reform and economic justice, and restoring and maintaining our Constitutional rights. John Nichols will anchor the discussions, which are free and open to the public. His guests will include Rep. Barbara Lee, Co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and PDA Advisory Board member; Richard Kim, associate editor at The Nation; Rep. Lynn Woolsey (CA), Co-chair of the CPC and PDA Advisory Board member; Tom Hayden, PDA Advisory Board member; Rep. Jim McGovern (MA), PDA Advisory Board member, House Rules Committee; Bob Moser contributing writer to The Nation; Rep. Robert Wexler (FL), House Judiciary Committee member; and Victor Navasky, publisher emeritus of The Nation.

Super Wealthy Tax Cheats May Be Outed Thursday

Bret Thompson, ProgressOhio — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:15:29 EDT

A lowly clerk in Liechtenstein smuggled out data on hundreds of tax cheats. Sen. Carl Levin (perhaps Michigan's greatest natural resource) is expected to take a crack at some of them this Thursday.

McCain brands himself "an unapologetic supporter of NAFTA"

Bret Thompson, ProgressOhio — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:45:07 EDT

Thanks for clarifying.

FYI:

Ohio has been hit hard. It is also one of four states that lost more than 40,000 jobs because of trade policy between November 2002 and September 2007, according to government figures. During that same period, the state lost more than 105,000 manufacturing jobs.

Oversight Please?

Bret Thompson, ProgressOhio — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:32:16 EDT

In case you haven't noticed we're having some fall-out from the decision to let Wall Street by and large do what it wants (which is to make money for Wall Street). Then there is this:

Nowhere mentioned in the accompanying 66-page handout were the additional $1.1 trillion of assets that New York-based Citigroup keeps off its books.

Keep in mind this is almost the GDP of Canada Citigroup in playing with here.

``You will rapidly realize what a farce these off-balance- sheet things are,'' said Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. analyst....
It's impossible to predict what the losses might be from off-the-books assets or liabilities because disclosures are thin relative to what is required for balance-sheet assets, said Neri Bukspan, chief accountant for Standard & Poor's in New York. "A lot of information tends to disappear...."

I skimmed the last half of the article, because frankly it's over my head, which is sort of the point. What I do know is that the ideal free market requires perfect information and this isn't it. The goal of government isn't economic growth at any cost, it's to work on the behalf of its citizens where they are unable to do so individually and this is a case in point.

Boosh OK's Outer Continental Shelf Exploration, Congress Says Nyet

NationOfGandhis — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:07:59 EDT

First off, how many refineries have shut down since 1990's? Over a hundred? (Or Close to it). Why can't they refurb them? Renew them, reopen them?

what about the 68 million acres in oil leases the drilling companies leave yet unexplored?

Can we trust the energy companies? Enron? Bush and the everyday lies that seem to emanate from the whitehouse? Dick Cheney's Secret energy task force?

The fact that energy companies shutdown power generation in California as a prelude to price hikes during the Enron crisis is commonly accepted.

So why the big crunch befoe the Presidential election? Can the stress factor improve McCain's chance now that we all have to buck-up while the rich smother the little guy? And McCains Economic Director calling us whiners?

Bush is like a newbe kid at a pinball machine. When is he going to learn not to TILT, let alone play?

Value of a Life Drops 11% (for real)

Bret Thompson, ProgressOhio — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:40:52 EDT

The EPA has dropped the dollar figure on your life by almost a million dollars, during the last five years of Bush-McCain.

Two takes on this:

"It appears that they're cooking the books in regards to the value of life.... Those decisions are literally a matter of life and death."

and

But EPA's cut "doesn't make sense," said Vanderbilt University economist Kip Viscusi. EPA partly based its reduction on his work. "As people become more affluent, the value of statistical lives go up as well. It has to."

Maybe because "people" on a whole are less affluent under Bush - almost all economic gains has been funneled to the top 1%, while inflation eats up the rest.

"GasHole" movie at the Drexel Grandview, Ohio

NationOfGandhis — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:07:11 EDT

Thursday, July 17, 2008 - 7:30pm
"GasHole" movie at the Drexel Grandview
1247 Grandview Avenue
"INFURIATING...HARD HITTING...GAS HOLE STANDS TO RISE IN DIRECT
PROPORTION TO GAS COSTS." -- Rob Nelson, Variety
"CHILLING....I'D REQUIRE EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN TO SEE IT." -- Joe
Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"GAS HOLE IS CLEARLY A MOVIE WHOSE TIME HAS COME." -- Duane Dudek,
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"GasHole" narrated by Peter Gallagher coming to The Drexel Grandview
in Columbus on July17th for One Show Only!
This timely, hot-button film takes an intense look at oil prices and
the future of alternative fuels. The film has a special screening event
at The Drexel Grandview on Thursday, July 17th, at 7:30pm with a Q & A
session with the filmmakers to follow the screening. Tickets are $10.00
for general & $8.00 for Seniors/Students/Military.
To see the trailer, PR Photos, TV Appearances, Radio Interviews, etc.
visit www.gasholemovie.com
Location: Drexel Grandview, 1247 Grandview Ave.
Phone: 614) 486-6114
Website: GasHole Movie

Our National Guard is Paying the Biggest Price for the Iraq War!

The Mustang Major — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:28:38 EDT

The following article is reposted from Huffington Post with permission of the author Bobby Muller, President of Veterans for America (VFA). Bobby Hanafin SP/5, U.S. Army (69-76) Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired (77-94) Military Families Speak Out - OHIO Veterans for America, Editorial Board Member, Our Troops Newsladder

SEE COMMENTS SECTION FOR LINKS TO OUR TROOPS NEWSLADDER AND HUFFINGTON POST ARTICLE BY BOBBY MULLER.

About Half Of The Troops Scheduled To Deploy To Iraq Are National Guard.

The Mustang Major — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:44:15 EDT

According to Bobby Muller, the President of the progressive Veterans Service Organization , Veterans for America (VFA), between NOW and January 2009 almost half of the Soldiers scheduled to deploy to Iraq are State National Guard Units.

Bobby Hanafin
The Mustang Major

Economic Woes of Patriotic Charities - Under Scrutiny!

The Mustang Major — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:33:51 EDT

I received this article from a fellow Veterans/Military Affairs Activist in California. Once again, although the story focuses on California, IT APPLIES nationally.

Several of the Philanthropy organizations mentioned here were selected by Congress to be watchdogs over the growing number of Veteran and Patriotic related charities.

I personally worked with the American Philanthropy Institute (API) that gave testimony before Congress on the shameful inefficiency of many well known Veterans Service Organizations and the ever increasing number of Patriotic causes from Yellow Ribbons to Recruitment mass mailings, up to an including fraudulent claims that in order to get one's Veterans Benefits, one had to join the American Legion.

I brought these complaints to the attention of both the U.S. Postal Inspectors Service and Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio. I even asked then Ohio Attorney General Mark Dann to review the accounts on file with the Charity Office of the Ohio Attorney General to see for himself that several Veterans Organizations such as the American Legion and VFW were mismanaging fund raising efforts focused more so on recruitment outreach, administrative overhead, and paying off commercial ad agencies.

Both the federal Postal Service and Senator Brown's office tried to discourage pursuit of these findings or any investigation FEARING the political clout of the American Legion and VFW.

I frankly gave up by deciding myself and extended military family, plus anyone else who would listen to me TO NOT DONATE TO ANY PATRIOTIC OR VETERANS CHARITY UNTIL THEIR LEADERSHIP CLEANED UP ITS ACT AND MORE SO UNTIL AT LEAST HERE IN OHIO such mismanagement and inefficiency in fund raising is EXPOSED and FIXED.

Folks, we are heading into hard economic times that impact ALL CHARITABLE organizations even as these Flag Waving and Support Out Troops groups proliferate. Ohio politicians of both parties are looking the other way, so it is up to you THE DONOR to check with the Ohio Attorney Generals Office and ask for a review of all charitable organizations to confirm $$$ they are raising is going toward the purpose YOU expected.

Anyway, this is my way of A CAUTIONARY NOTE to those Veterans', Military Family, and passionate Patriotic Organizations that have set up POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES. When it comes time for a white glove audit of the fund raising accounts of charitable patriots, those with a PAC are going to receive the most attention, and better have your fund raising accounts balanced in favor of your membership and mission.

Bobby Hanafin
Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired

PS: Those of you who believe I'm being too harsh on Patriotic War Profiteers, and Veterans Organizations (regardless how much political clout they do or do not have), take my word for it (or goe to any base and request a community tour or visit).

You will note that the Army and Air Force Exchange Service and DOD Commissary Agency provides more support for our troops, even those stationed in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan more so than anytime America has been at war. OUR TROOPS ARE ALWAYS PROVIDED SUPPORT BY CONGRESS AND THEIR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, that is their job and our tax payer dollars in action. There frankly is no need to give donations to any active duty troops or families (National Guard units could use as much moral support as possible given proximity to active duty base support is questionable).

EXAMPLE: In order to make an in their face POINT to Flag Wavers and We Support Our Troops more than thou nuts, I wear a T-Shirt that has the Military Star Card emblazed on the front and back. War profiteers HATE to see someone who knows how our troops are really supplied PROVE IT!

Put another way, our troops received better shopping and entertainment support than they did war fighting equipment going into the occupation. IN SUM, OUR TROOPS ARE NOT CHARITY CASES, SO WHY SHOULD THEY BE CONSIDERED AS SUCH WHEN THEY GET OUT????

McCain Econ Advisor Gramm: "We have sort of become a nation of whiners"

Dave Harding, ProgressOhio — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:33:53 EDT

In an interview with the Washington Times today, former senator Phil Gramm, who is Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) “econ brain,” blamed the state of the economy on “the conviction of many Americans that economic conditions are the worst in two or three decades.” “You’ve heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession,” said Gramm.

Gramm decried the “constant whining” of the American people when it comes to the economy because he believes “we’ve never been more dominant”:

“We have sort of become a nation of whiners,” he said. “You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline” despite a major export boom that is the primary reason that growth continues in the economy, he said.

“We’ve never been more dominant; we’ve never had more natural advantages than we have today,” he said. “We have benefited greatly” from the globalization of the economy in the last 30 years.

Despite McCain’s recent claim that we are in a recession, he has previously echoed Gramm’s diagnosis of the economy.

In April, McCain said that “a lot of our problems today, as you know, are psychological.”

Watch It:

Think Progress

AFL-CIO Releases 6 State Ad Tomorrow In Dayton

Dave Harding, ProgressOhio — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:03:42 EDT

The AFL-CIO will launch an ad tomorrow in six battleground states -- MI, MN, OH, PA, VA, WI -- featuring Jim Wasser, a Navy veteran who served with John Kerry. It marks the first major action of the AFL-CIO Union Vets Council, which will be formally announced tomorrow in Dayton, OH.

In the spot, which will run for six weeks, Wasser says he doesn't take issue with McCain's service record, but with his Senate record. AFL-CIO officials say the buy is targeted to communities where jobs have disappeared and fallout from the nation's economic slowdown is particularly acute.

View The Ad: