Remarks by the President on Unemployment Insurance

Rose Garden 10:55 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. Right now, across this country, many Americans are sitting at the kitchen table, they’re scanning the classifieds, they’re updating their resumes or sending out another job application, hoping that this time they’ll hear back from a potential employer. And they’re filled with a sense of uncertainty about where their next paycheck will come from. And I know the only thing that will entirely free them of those worries –- the only thing that will fully lift that sense of uncertainty –- is the security of a new job.

MY RESPONSE: That's right there are many Americans looking for a job, more than ever before, more than even during the Great Depression. In actual numbers not in percentage. But, still there are too many Americans out of work! Yes, they are uncertain about their futures, in a time where when you call your mortgage company to ask for a little more time to bring your payments up to date, and you hear a voice with an Indian or Pakistani accent and you know he is in some call center in New Delhi, or some other distant location. Knowing that the majority of Manufacturing jobs have left the country and are residing in Mexico, Indonesia, or Malaysia.

THE PRESIDENT: To that end, we all have to continue our efforts to do everything in our power to spur growth and hiring. And I hope the Senate acts this week on a package of tax cuts and expanded lending for small businesses, where most of America’s jobs are created.

MY RESPONSE: Spur the economy? you mean your stimulus packages that have sent billions of our money to 3rd world nations? Tax cuts? I thought you and your cronies said tax cuts were voo-doo economics? or is that only when Reagan or Bush asks for tax cuts? Maybe when you bailed out the big financial houses you could have used that leverage to cut the interest rates they charge the people who bore the burden of paying for their blunders. Do you even realize why most of America's jobs are created by small businesses? I'll tell you the big businesses are cutting back not expanding and as they cut back the nation falters even more. Your policies have crippled the Auto Industry. Your buddies who lined you campaign pockets with the dues of the unions, have attacked Detroit demanding even more benefits and more pay, for their rank and file who instead of seeing more jobs, see their jobs go overseas as the Nationally backed automakers in socialist Europe and Uber Capitalist Japan and South Korea.

THE PRESIDENT: So we've got a lot of work to do to make sure that we are digging ourselves out of this tough economic hole that we've been in. But even as we work to jump start job growth in the private sector, even as we work to get businesses hiring again, we also have another responsibility: to offer emergency assistance to people who desperately need it -- to Americans who have been laid off in this recession. We've got a responsibility to help them make ends meet and support their families even as they’re looking for another job.

MY RESPONSE: We? We can't dig out of a hole! when you dig in a hole one of two things happen, the hole gets deeper or just bigger. No wonder we in this mess, you idiots give us shovels when we need fill dirt. But, don't do us any favors there, with your track record we are likely to be buried. If you want to jump start job growth, scrap the IRS! replace it with a 10% National sales tax (exempting Food, Medical and the first $50,000 of home purchases or $500 of rent) take away the burden you and your past economic half wits have heaped upon us. Link tax revenue to spending not earning! Let every American take home his or her entire paycheck (including what our employers have to match) that would mean every American working would take home 30-40% more pay. Then all that extra money coming in means they would be spending it. Then a domino effect would drive the economy into hyperdrive. As spending increases, demand for goods increase, which means production increases, and finally jobs increase, which starts the cycle all over again. It is simple economics. By the way, really stimulate our economy bring back tariffs and make American made products more attractive.

THE PRESIDENT: That’s why it’s so essential to pass the unemployment insurance extension that comes up for a vote tomorrow. We need to pass it for men like Jim Chukalas, who’s with me here today. Jim worked as a parts manager at a Honda dealership until about two years ago. He’s posted resumes everywhere. He’s gone door-to-door looking for jobs. But he hasn’t gotten a single interview. He’s trying to be strong for his two young kids, but now that he’s exhausted his unemployment benefits, that’s getting harder to do.

MY RESPONSE: No, No, No! that is BS unadulterated BS! Has Jim applied at Wendy's? Burger King? Taco Bell? or is he too good to work fast food? They are always looking for good managers. He needs to show his kids the character in himself, that says I'll do whatever it takes to provide for my family. I will tell you why he didn't! those jobs made it more attractive to sit on his butt and collect a check larger than what they McDonald's will pay. Maybe now instead of waiting for someone else to help him, he'll help himself.

THE PRESIDENT: We need to pass it for women like Leslie Macko, who lost her job at a fitness center last year and has been looking for work ever since. Because she’s eligible for only a few more weeks of unemployment, she’s doing what she never thought she’d have to do -- not at this point, anyway. She’s turning to her father for financial support.

MY RESPONSE: What's wrong with families taking care of their own, they did it for years.... I have known people who consider it shameful to receive welfare. Not long ago (the 1950's) Indianapolis posted the names of those on welfare on billboards around that city, and the welfare roles decreased. We have made every attempt to remove the stigma of being supported by the government, we handed out Debit cards that look like credit cards to replace food stamps. Cashiers at grocery stores don't know the difference and let their customers buy alcohol and cigarettes with "MY" money. Then Medicare uses "MY" money to treat their over burdened Liver and smoke filled cancer ridden lungs. They eat steak, on "MY" money and you have taken so much of mine I eat hamburger and chicken.

THE PRESIDENT: And we need to pass it for Americans like Denise Gibson, who was laid off from a real estate agency earlier this year. Denise has been interviewing for jobs -– but so far nothing has turned up. Meanwhile, she’s fallen further and further behind on her rent. And with her unemployment benefits set to expire, she’s worried about what the future holds.

MY RESPONSE: Why was she laid off? Oh yeah, you and your cronies in Washington, created an environment where real estate values were over inflated. As you made it easier and easier for people who had no business buying houses they couldn't afford, buy bigger and better houses, hoping when the house of cards you created came crashing down. Then to make things worse, as the housing and finance industry faltered, someone had to pay and once again Washington reaches into the pockets of working Americans, decreasing our buying power, driving down demand, making production go down, causing industry to lay off workers or close shop and opening in other countries where minimum wage is less than $1.00 a day. causing the cycle to repeat and our country to get that closer to becoming a third world nation.

THE PRESIDENT: We need to pass it for all the Americans who haven’t been able to find work in an economy where there are five applicants for every opening; who need emergency relief to help them pay the rent and cover their utilities and put food on the table while they’re looking for another job.

MY RESPONSE: Look at your history, the fall of Rome, the fall of the Soviet Union had one common ideal "You cannot tax your way into prosperity"

THE PRESIDENT: And for a long time, there’s been a tradition –- under both Democratic and Republican Presidents –- to offer relief to the unemployed. That was certainly the case under my predecessor, when Republican senators voted several times to extend emergency unemployment benefits. But right now, these benefits –- benefits that are often the person’s sole source of income while they’re looking for work -– are in jeopardy.

MY RESPONSE: "You cannot tax your way into prosperity"

THE PRESIDENT: And I have to say, after years of championing policies that turned a record surplus into a massive deficit, the same people who didn’t have any problem spending hundreds of billions of dollars on tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans are now saying we shouldn’t offer relief to middle-class Americans like Jim or Leslie or Denise, who really need help.

MY RESPONSE: Those tax breaks should affect all Americans, at the same rate. Under a national sales tax those who spend the most pay the most. Those who spend the majority of their income on food and shelter pay the least. The Rich who buy a $1,000,000.00 mansion will pay $95000 in taxes on that home the Poor who buy a $100,000 home will pay $5000 in taxes (1/20th of what the rich will pay for a mansion 10 times more expensive) and the family in rural Appalachia who buy a home for $50,500 will pay $50.00 (almost 1/100,000th of what the rich will pay for a mansion 20 times more expensive).

THE PRESIDENT: Over the past few weeks, a majority of senators have tried -– not once, not twice, but three times –- to extend emergency relief on a temporary basis. Each time, a partisan minority in the Senate has used parliamentary maneuvers to block a vote, denying millions of people who are out of work much-needed relief. These leaders in the Senate who are advancing a misguided notion that emergency relief somehow discourages people from looking for a job should talk to these folks.

MY RESPONSE: Again you want to give our money to other people so you look like the heroes. IT IS "NOT YOURS TO GIVE", IT IS OURS! (read Not Yours To Give by David Crockett in my Heroes and Roll Models blog) if you want to override the congressional vote, put it to us the American people let us vote on it.

THE PRESIDENT: That attitude I think reflects a lack of faith in the American people, because the Americans I hear from in letters and meet in town hall meetings –- Americans like Leslie and Jim and Denise -- they’re not looking for a handout. They desperately want to work. Just right now they can’t find a job. These are honest, decent, hardworking folks who’ve fallen on hard times through no fault of their own, and who have nowhere else to turn except unemployment benefits and who need emergency relief to help them weather this economic storm.

MY RESPONSE: If they don't want a handout, don't give it to them, if they want secure jobs, give it to them. This Economic Storm, is not a natural phenomenon, it is a Frankenstein Monster created by a collection of mostly Lawyers who can't speak English without twisting the meaning of words

THE PRESIDENT: Now, tomorrow we will have another chance to offer them that relief, to do right by not just Jim and Leslie and Denise, but all the Americans who need a helping hand right now -- and I hope we seize it. It’s time to stop holding workers laid off in this recession hostage to Washington politics. It’s time to do what’s right -- not for the next election but for the middle class. We’ve got to stop blocking emergency relief for Americans who are out of work. We’ve got to extend unemployment insurance. We need to pass those tax cuts for small businesses and the lending for small businesses.

MY RESPONSE: I agree it is time to stop holding Americans hostage to Washington politics. It's time to hold Washington hostage to the American Voters. We don't need to give away money we don't have, we don't need to expand the deficit. We need to create jobs, and relieve the American Tax-payer of his Global Burden.

THE PRESIDENT: Times are hard right now. We are moving in the right direction. I know it’s getting close to an election, but there are times where you put elections aside. This is one of those times. And that’s what I hope members of Congress on both sides of the aisle will do tomorrow.

MY RESPONSE: We are moving in the wrong direction, we need to turn this contraption around and quit trying to dig our way out of a hole that eventually become so deep that the side collapse and bury us all.

THE PRESIDENT: Thanks very much.

MY RESPONSE: Thanks very much. and remember "You cannot tax your way into prosperity"

Palestinian Situation

We hear the sound of our liberal brethren bemoan about the 711,000 Palestinians who 1) fled Israel or 2) were ejected from Israel; after Israel was created in 1948 by the Palestinian Mandate. As the region was divided by the British into two autonomous intertwined regions Israel and Palestine, the Arabic world decided to finish the job Hitler was unable to complete. That may sound harsh, but Saddam's own Ba'th party was deep into the hip pocket of the Nazi Regime. Also the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, was a supporter the "final solution". So when in 1948, when the Nation of Israel was formed in the council halls of the United Nations, the Arabic resistance was less than passioned, for they had their own "solution". The word was spread by the Arabic world extending a faint hand to the Palestinians, leave Israel for a short time, and they would restore the Palestinians to their homes once they were rid of the vermin Jew. At the same time the 711,000 Palestinians fled Israel, the Arabic world forced 850,000 Arabic Jews from their homes in Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Iran, Iraq and Yemen (In fact in several of these countries the Jewish population was established long before what has become today’s local population or over 1,000 years before the advent of Islam). These refugees were dumped into Israel, as their plan unfolded. Then when they thought the time was right, the combined Arabic world attacked Israel with the sole purpose of eliminating the Jewish people. The problem was, the Jews didn't roll over and play dead. Instead they fought back, leaving close to a million Palestinians homeless. Now we talk about them as victims, yet victim is hardly the word to describe them. Arafat the former savior of his people, wasn't even Palestinian, he was Egyptian. In my opinion if the Palestinians deserve a homeland it is up to the other Arabic nations to provide it to them, since they were the ones who orchestrated the refugee issue. The Jews were willing to create a country where Arab and Jew could live together in Harmony. They started their Zionist mission, by legally buying the land from the Arabs, which was taken away from them by the British, when the Arabs claim the Jews cheated them (even though the land was sold for 3-4 times it's value). So as far as I am concerned the Palestinians are along with their Arabic breathern are the authors of their fate and deserve nothing more than what Israel is willing to give them and or what their Arabic brothers will.

the right of the people to keep and bear Arms

The following is an excerpt from CBS News on-line
"The Supreme Court held Monday that the Constitution's Second Amendment restrains government's ability to significantly limit "the right to keep and bear arms," advancing a recent trend by the John Roberts-led bench to embrace gun rights. By a narrow, 5-4 vote, the justices also signaled, however, that some limitations on the right could survive legal challenges. Writing for the court in a case involving restrictive laws in Chicago and one of its suburbs, Justice Samuel Alito said that the Second Amendment right "applies equally to the federal government and the states." The court was split along familiar ideological lines, with five conservative-moderate justices in favor of gun rights and four liberals opposed. Chief Justice Roberts voted with the majority. Two years ago, the court declared that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess guns, at least for purposes of self-defense in the home. That ruling applied only to federal laws. It struck down a ban on handguns and a trigger lock requirement for other guns in the District of Columbia, a federal city with a unique legal standing. At the same time, the court was careful not to cast doubt on other regulations of firearms here. Gun rights proponents almost immediately filed a federal lawsuit challenging gun control laws in Chicago and its suburb of Oak Park, Ill, where handguns have been banned for nearly 30 years. The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence says those laws appear to be the last two remaining outright bans. Lower federal courts upheld the two laws, noting that judges on those benches were bound by Supreme Court precedent and that it would be up to the high court justices to ultimately rule on the true reach of the Second Amendment."

I appauld the 5 judges who know enough of Constitutional law to uphold the Constitution. the Second Amendment, was passed by the Congress, reads "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.". I stress the part "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." What part of that, needs interpetation? "SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED" Must I define Infringed? infringe on or upon something compromise, undermine, limit, weaken, dimish, disrupt, or curb,

"the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be compromised."

"the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be undermined."

"the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be limited."

"the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be weakened."

"the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be dimished."

"the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be disrupted."

"the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be curbed."

Need I go on? Obviously there are 4 Supreme Court Justices who do not know their Constitution! There are 4 Justices who do not know how to read English! There are 4 Justices who want to erode our rights! Remember when they take away our right to own guns, only criminals will have guns!

American Spoken Here

It is said the United States does not have an official language, however, it is generally accepted that English fills that spot. Now when our founding fathers sat down to discuss this subject many of them were so disgusted with England, that they refused to make English the "Official" language. Had it not been for the fact that Hessian troops were in British employment, to fight against us, The German movement might have had a chance of holding that honor. Despite, the myth, that because of one pro-German advocate suffering from diarrhea, English became our "Official" language. A vote never occurred and we just accepted English as the common tongue. Truth be told we don't have an "Official" language, but, English is the language used in documenting our official records, and the majority (for now) of Americans speck English. We need to establish English as the official language or perhaps since we are so far out of step with our British brethren, American as our Official language (despite the slang connection there). What would this mean? To most of us not much, Citizenship for example would be linked to speaking the American language. Official documents would no longer need to be printed in bi-lingual type. In the past, the key to successful integration into our society was linked with shedding the mother tongue and learning the language of America. When everyone is on the same page, we can all read it. I have nothing against foreign languages, and I think it is great that our children can learn other languages (I took German in high school myself). We cannot put ourselves through what the Canadians have put themselves through being bi-lingual. I remember spending the fourth of July in 1990 in Quebec, and having a waitress refuse to speak English to us, which changed once one of the guys tried miserably to speak french (which he took in high school so many years earlier), his Alabama accent was enough for the waitress to realize he was American not Canadian (she then explained that she and her friends were mad that French Canadians had to speak English, even though English Canadians could get away with not learning French) Do we really want to have that issue face us? Language unites us many languages divide us. If we accept Spanish as a second language, do we accommodate Chinese American the same way? Portuguese? French? Russian? Japanese? Italian? Korean? (need I list every language?) So I say lets do what our founding fathers should have done and make it "Official", American should be our official language.

Drug Tests for Welfare Recipients!

Employers can weed out potential employees on the basis of mandatory Urinalysis testing. Why is it that welfare recipients are not required to be tested? In all seriousness, employers are allowed to refuse employment or even fire when positive results occur from mandatory or random drug testing. The US Military conducts both random and mandatory testing, which can be used to remove soldiers or sailors from the ranks. This should be Incorporated into the welfare system, If someone is sitting on the government payroll, receiving payments without working, why shouldn't they be required to provide samples to determine if they are wasting the monies we give them for subsidence on illegal activities. I would prefer to limit welfare funding to Rice and Beans (Refer back to an earlier posting ), than to do the drug testing, but as long as they have the opportunity to sell or trade off their benefits, we need to ensure that money is used properly. So That's my view, if I have to submit to drug testing to work they they should have to submit to receive the hard earned money I pay into the welfare program to support them.

Is Cash for Clunkers Stimulating our Economy? Or Bottlenecking Retail?

I live in Florida, where we just survived our bout with Obama's Transfer of wealth program called "Cash for Clunkers II, the Appliance Sequel". What a bust! If anything it hobbled the retailers. Working in the appliance retail industry, myself, I saw firsthand, how the Cash for clunker program suppressed sales in the days leading up the event people weren't going to buy if they could get a better deal later on, unless they had to); Then created a dam bursting effect during the two days that funding lasted. This was followed by a lull in purchases, afterwards due to out of stock situations at the Vendor level. At my store we saw an 18.5% loss in business up to the day prior the onset of "Cash for Clunkers", add in the next two days and we ended up with a 1% loss in sales over the previous year. You might say "well it was an increase so it must have worked!" This is what Democrats live for, the numbers do not lie they say, but, they do mislead. For example; In November of 2009 we ran a 20% increase in sales over the previous year (even with 2009 being a recession year) in December (the month the Cash for Clunkers program leaked out) we had an 20% loss in sales, In January we had a 16% loss of sales (as more people found out), February followed with a 25% loss, March showed a 21% loss, and the first part of April (the 1st through 15th the days prior to the Cash for Clunkers event) showed an 8% loss in sales. Now when you figure in the time frame from 12/01/2009 till 05/01/2010 and bounce it against the same time period 1 year ago you will see a 1% loss in sales. NO GROWTH! The Stimulus was a bust, at least in our store (makes you wonder how those numbers work throughout the state and the states which have already had their events, also what will be the effect in those states with upcoming events?). and when you look at the sales gain in November before the cash for clunkers info was released a 1% sales loss could have actually been as much as a 19% sales gain over the December/April time frame (had the trends continued on). This demonstrates that the government in order to increase sales actually created a bottleneck in the sales process, where the only sales being made were for products that did not qualify (Ranges, dryers, and microwaves; sales of which were also depressed because of people not understanding how the program worked) or for those products the consumer could not do without when their old unit failed (even then I personally sold inexpensive non energy star rated refrigerators that will make due until the event took place and will be relocated to the garage to serve as a beer frigs after their big fancy E-Star frig shows up). Then during the event, consumers found dwindling supplies that ran out or were backordered past the "have to have" date (May 10th which was recently extended to May 31st well after the event was over and that info is too late for consumers to take advantage of). Another matter is who paid for all of this? You and I did! That’s right, even if you didn’t purchase an appliance; you did $17,600,000 (in Florida alone) worth of appliances, since it was your tax dollars that funded the program. Now let me explain something more, this stimulus didn’t really help the lower or middle classes, not truly. There were those who were able to take advantage of the savings, but, for the most part the Upper Middle and Upper class were the major benefactors in this program. Just think the Lower class gets out of paying taxes, or even gets larger tax returns than their withholdings, and the Upper class has more write offs on their taxes, so what this did was transfer wealth from the middle class (who pays more taxes) to those who didn’t need it in the first place. There you have it a program designed to stimulate growth ended up retarding growth, increased the tax deficit, moved a lot of money around (and how much did the administration of that cost?) benefitted the wealthy, and finally make Obama and his Democrat cronies look like they did something good for the country… Talk about your smoke and mirrors!

Our Legislators Think We Pay Them By The Word.

All you have to do to believe this is look at the legislation they put forth. The bills they put before Congress tip the scales, to the point of the ridiculous. What does this mean? It means that 90% of the laws our congress votes on isn't even read before the vote. The "pork" is attached as riders on bills and never gets read. Many of the bills make "War and Peace" look like a pamphlet. There isn't a member of congress that reads these bills before they vote on them (could this be the reason our government is so out of control?). We need to make a law that no bill can go before congress that is 1) full of multiple subjects. 2) longer than 1 page. and 3) not in plain and simple English! We need to put an end to the massive verbiage that hides pork and corruption from the scrutiny of the American populous.