B. Hussein ruining country, 3 news stories in same day.

[Banned]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/34976113

Hussein crashes stock market fooling with our banks again.


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Initial-j ... l?x=0&.v=5

Jobs continue to be lost at record pace.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100120/ap_ ... t_limit_11

Hussein to push debt to $14.3 Trilion. He has added $1.9 Trillion to the $2 trillion added last year. Is his goal to make us go belly up as fast as possible? Is he trying to turn the money in our wallets into monopoly money?

[PStl]

Now would be a good time to jump off the Progressive gravey train!

[songsmith]

1) Your talkshow heroes were predicting a stock-market bonanza if Brown got elected. Wrong again, hope you don't trust Rush with your money. Stop blaming Big Bad Obama for everything, Joe... I know you like your info pre-digested, but we're not all No-Bama-tons here... we read stuff that doesn't have ads for Palin's book in the corner.
2) While the weekly UC filings numbers are a bit higher than expected, they're still far under what was expected a few short months ago, and last I checked, we averted the New Depression, and pretty much every sane economist now admits we're slowly edging towards recovery. Unemployment is going to be a slow recover because capitalism sent all our low-end fallback jobs overseas, so there's nothing left to do. I'd remind you that Ronald Reagan had a 10.7% unemployment rate during his reign, and incidentally, had lower poll numbers than Obama at this point in his presidency. The similiarities between Obama and Reagan are eerie.
3) Only 1.9 trillion more? I would have thought Big Business got much more than that from us. I remember a certain conservative deity who also spent his way out of recession, I think I remember it not working then, either. It's cool, though, we got better once we had Clinton. --->JMS

[zman1200]

cash for caulkers!!!one window company in pittsburgh getting no bid contracts the rest are not invited to the party.

[songsmith]

Um, okay. I guess that's settled then.--->JMS

[zman1200]

jobs jobs jobs US manufactures need help and a level playing field put out open bids and clear requirements.

[tornandfrayed]

Uh yeah... Uh.... He said Caulk!

[Blue Reality]

Hey Songsmith, the Gov't didn't send jobs over seas, we the people did. In order to make payments on cars, homes, atv's, home electronics financed by credit, we needed to shave budgets elsewhere. So we went to Walmart, Best Buy and other retailers to get the cheapest stuff we could. Didn't ask ourselves where it came from, China, Taiwan et al.... People really never cared to question the process and where it leads. And we complain and blame a politician?????

The whole shift in manufacturing doesn't just come down to Americans buying foreign made goods, but it is a huge part of the equation. Anyone putting this square on the shoulders of the political systme is riduclous.

B. Hussein isn't ruining the country. G. Bush didn't ruin the country. American apathy creates a situation for these fools to do as they please.

The issues start and end with us.

[Lisa]

Unemployment claims are up because they allow anyone to file and get it now a days...this includes college students who left part-time positions to go to school, part time employees who saw their hours cut from 20 hours to 12 because they kept calling off and employer had to hire another person to help cover their shifts, etc. Some will eventually be denied based on appeals, but when they file, it still raises the numbers. Businesses of all sizes spend hundreds of hours each year just doing the paperwork generated by unjust filings. Some often do not bother as it pays just to let their tax rate go up instead of spending that time and money to research and reply to the claims. This encourages others to at least try because they have nothing to loose.

Do I sound bitter? Yup. Sure am. As someone who has worked since I was 12 and will be 45 tomorrow....I would have never thought about filing for unemployment under those terms. In fact, I have never filed....maybe I'm jealous because I have worked hard and started at the low end of the pole to get my job at PSU so I can provide for my family. Or that in addition to that, I put in at least 20 hours a week helping my husband in his small business because no one really wants to work if they think they can file for unemployment.

Hey! I've got a terrific ideal! Let's extend the claim period again! That way a college student can get paid to go to school year round!

Unemployment is good for those that truly need it due to circumstances beyond their control. Just ashamed that it has to be abused like the welfare system.

[f.sciarrillo]

The thing that makes it even more interesting is that the Liberal media is starting to blast him more than any of them ..

[Banned]

1) Your talkshow heroes were predicting a stock-market bonanza if Brown got elected. Wrong again, hope you don't trust Rush with your money.

2) we averted the New Depression,


3) Only 1.9 trillion more?

Responses:

1. I do not listen to radio anymore. Not in a long time. So you can drop that straw-man argument.

2. Wow, faint praise, your messiah hero averted the next depression. That's the best one can say about him?

3. Your messiah has increased the debt to $14.3 trillion and you use the word "only"????????? I thought you are for balanced budgets.

Are you the only one left besides Hawk that doesn't know that this clown is a complete disaster?

[bassist_25]

Unemployment claims are up because they allow anyone to file and get it now a days...this includes college students who left part-time positions to go to school, part time employees who saw their hours cut from 20 hours to 12 because they kept calling off and employer had to hire another person to help cover their shifts, etc. Some will eventually be denied based on appeals, but when they file, it still raises the numbers. Businesses of all sizes spend hundreds of hours each year just doing the paperwork generated by unjust filings. Some often do not bother as it pays just to let their tax rate go up instead of spending that time and money to research and reply to the claims. This encourages others to at least try because they have nothing to loose.

Do I sound bitter? Yup. Sure am. As someone who has worked since I was 12 and will be 45 tomorrow....I would have never thought about filing for unemployment under those terms. In fact, I have never filed....maybe I'm jealous because I have worked hard and started at the low end of the pole to get my job at PSU so I can provide for my family. Or that in addition to that, I put in at least 20 hours a week helping my husband in his small business because no one really wants to work if they think they can file for unemployment.

Hey! I've got a terrific ideal! Let's extend the claim period again! That way a college student can get paid to go to school year round!

Unemployment is good for those that truly need it due to circumstances beyond their control. Just ashamed that it has to be abused like the welfare system.

You do realize you can dispute unemployment claims, correct? The reason companies have experience ratings is so they are less likely to arbitrarily lay off employees. If hiring college students who bail once the semester starts is a problem, perhaps you need to improve your recruitment and selection processess. You're in a high turnover business, improving your selection processess to help reduce turnover would probably save you money in spades in the long run.

[Blue Reality]

Hey Bassist_25... Been a while since you've hired anyone? What you state is the theory, the practical aspects of hiring an employee is a nightmare. Quality employees are impossible to find or want more than a job is worth. So employers don't hire and become exhausted, watch the business affected negatively, then give in and hire someone they never would consider. Many quality business people I know no longer fill positions they once had, but restructure until they find a good employee over time. Some times they never do. They can exist this way, but their businesses suffer.

[Lisa]

You do realize you can dispute unemployment claims, correct? The reason companies have experience ratings is so they are less likely to arbitrarily lay off employees. If hiring college students who bail once the semester starts is a problem, perhaps you need to improve your recruitment and selection processess. You're in a high turnover business, improving your selection processess to help reduce turnover would probably save you money in spades in the long run.

Wow, you misread a lot of stuff and assumed a lot.

Yes, I did mention that there is an appeal process. We do them all. We file them...In fact, we just had three separate requests for appeals just for one person's claim. On average, it takes about 30 minutes to look up the information needed for each former or current employee. (Some take a little longer if you need to go to the archives.)

We should make a policy not to hire any more high school seniors or those that just graduated because they could eventually go off to college...good suggestion. Oh wait, that is age discrimination. Government says we cannot do that.

I can tell that you've been in the restaurant/bar business as an owner or manager for years now. You seem to have all of the knowledge. Turnover is high. Those that really want to work is low. You can screen all you want. But you will never uncover the real employee until they are in your mist. Why would anyone want to be a hard worker any more when they can get so much handed to them? The employee has more rights and protection than the business owner does for sure.

[bassist_25]

We should make a policy not to hire any more high school seniors or those that just graduated because they could eventually go off to college...good suggestion. Oh wait, that is age discrimination. Government says we cannot do that.

Wrong.

Age discrimination only occurs when an employee or applicant is in the protected class of 40 years or over and can establish a prima facie case.

And in addition, where did I say, "Don't hire college aged people?"

I can tell that you've been in the restaurant/bar business as an owner or manager for years now. You seem to have all of the knowledge. Turnover is high. Those that really want to work is low. You can screen all you want. But you will never uncover the real employee until they are in your mist. Why would anyone want to be a hard worker any more when they can get so much handed to them? The employee has more rights and protection than the business owner does for sure.

I'm not in the restaurant business insofar as being a musician. I am in labor relations/HR. I know the value of validated selection processes, and no, you can never completely predict a person's success in an organization; there are too many spurious variables associated with human behavior. However, you can increase the percentage of successful selection.

As far as employees' having more rights than a business owner. The employement at will doctrine trumps everything but employment contracts, a small amount of case law, and statutory law (e.g., ADA, NLRA) - and the burden is on the employee to establish a prima facie case for most of those laws.

But hey, I just added a different perspective. If you want to get pissed off and go off a tangent about it, that's you're perogative.

[bassist_25]

Hey Bassist_25... Been a while since you've hired anyone? What you state is the theory, the practical aspects of hiring an employee is a nightmare. Quality employees are impossible to find or want more than a job is worth.

Then that is a function of the labor market determining the equilibrium price of an employee for that specific position. It is up to the hiring manager to determine if it is worth paying the market rate and if the employee will add enough value to justify the higher cost or go with another employee who may be less expensive but not add as much value to the organization.

[onegunguitar]

I'd guess one reason turn over is high because wages are low for the work needed to be done. Unfortunately people in this country want to make a big hourly rate and do a whole lot of nothing,it's the American way. You think it's tough in the restaurant business,go buy a class 8 truck and try to make ends meet with high fuel costs,registrations,repairs,parts,drivers wages,insurance,fuel tax,workmans comp,D.O.T. compliance-(or lack thereof resulting in fines) low freight rates,truck payments,which if you buy a somewhat new truck are around $2000.00 a month or more. I owned a truck for awhile,it's alot cheaper, easier and less stressful to drive someone else's. Have a nice day

[onegunguitar]

Why would anyone want to be a hard worker any more when they can get so much handed to them? The employee has more rights and protection than the business owner does for sure.

Just remember,you can always get out of the business and have all these rights that employees have by going to work for someone.

[Lisa]

Why would anyone want to be a hard worker any more when they can get so much handed to them? The employee has more rights and protection than the business owner does for sure.

Just remember,you can always get out of the business and have all these rights that employees have by going to work for someone.

Yup...well, I already do work 40 hours a week for PSU. But I could close the doors due to the lack of a proper work force....but then, that would leave 11 others without jobs too.

My main point of my original posting was to point out that the high number of unemployment claims are just that...they are claims filed. People are filing them under the chance that an employer will not appeal. Often, the case is that employers don't file the appeals because of the time that is involved in researching the employee's record. Like I said, just this past week we had three forms come for just one employee. Each of them require an appeal to be filed. If we had to pay someone to be our human resource person, that would be a lot of money. Those three papers would cost at least an hour and half of work for one claim. If you had a company that had even more employees than we did over a course of two years, it could get very costly.

And yes, it is illegal to ask a person their age. We can ask if they are over 18 because we hold a liquor license and it is part of a job requirement. But we cannot ask an age or the date of birth. It is illegal to ask questions that may place applicants into categories of being between 40 - 60.

See, my husband has worked in the Human Resource area for 20+ years. He knows the laws.

We do not pay a lot out in unemployment because we do appeal our claims. You cannot hire in any sort of fashion that would eliminate your company from that. People are greedy and if they hear that friend A got money by doing it, they will attempt it as well.

But maybe if I didn't have to spend so much of my time doing those claims I could return calls to the many band members who have tried to reach me lately...sorry guys. Not ignoring you....it is a busy time of the year for any business owner with paperwork.

[zman1200]

go from 1st ext, 2nd ext,3rd ext. to 1st shift,2nd shift,3rd shift. and let the rest work itself out. I would be to ashamed to have a family and live off of the grandparents of my children or the government because i would not work. what happened to pride and selfesteem

[songsmith]

Hey Songsmith, the Gov't didn't send jobs over seas, we the people did. .

I didn't say govt sent jobs overseas, though they obviously supported it during conservative reign. I said capitalism sent them away. Capitalism says that to maximize profits, one must pay labor the least amount they will take. That cheap labor is in China and 3rd World countries. The so-called "free-market" (Rushspeak for corporate elite) simply started making goods where labor is exploited at the lowest cost, and those pesky environmental and safety laws aren't so important.
As for We The People's role, as those jobs went offshore, We The People had to take jobs for less money, and less security. We HAD to buy Walmart crap, because it's all we could afford. Don't worry, though... management still got to keep their big salaries.
don't think I don't support capitalism, I do... I just don't subscribe to the laughable conclusion that capitalism is a perfect system, or that the mega-wealthy deserve to be mega-wealthy because they are better or smarter or work harder.--->JMS

[songsmith]

1) Your talkshow heroes were predicting a stock-market bonanza if Brown got elected. Wrong again, hope you don't trust Rush with your money.

2) we averted the New Depression,


3) Only 1.9 trillion more?

Responses:

1. I do not listen to radio anymore. Not in a long time. So you can drop that straw-man argument.

2. Wow, faint praise, your messiah hero averted the next depression. That's the best one can say about him?

3. Your messiah has increased the debt to $14.3 trillion and you use the word "only"????????? I thought you are for balanced budgets.

Are you the only one left besides Hawk that doesn't know that this clown is a complete disaster?

1) So conservatism's voice being wrong is an irrelevant straw man. I thought being wrong is... being WRONG. Incidentally, you still spout talking points VERBATIM. You're getting that fecal material from somewhere, buddy, and I suspect it's Fox or AM radio.
2) If the best one can say about me is that I averted the Depression, I'd be pretty okay with that. You don't have to give any govt official credit, but you can't deny that when the conservatives were in control, the arrow was pointing drastically down, and now it's pointing slightly up.
3) I don't have a messiah, because I don't need to be saved, BUT: Obama's admin was left with the worst economic disaster in nearly 80 years. You can't blame him for stuff that happened before he was elected. You can't ignore that YOUR brand of neocon economic voodoo has never worked, and in fact, led to where we are now. Poor people didn't cause the banking crisis, rich people did. Workers didn't cause it, management did. Oversight didn't cause it, ignoring it did. Regulation didn't cause it, skirting the rules did. Shall I go on?
I'm not interested in your little Glenn Beck imitation. Everything you and your ilk say just leads back to the idea that Obama beat your asses in an election, and you can't stand that somebody doesn't patronize your self-important view of the world. Take that back to the Tear Party, and tell 'em I said it. As long as you delegitimize varying viewpoints, I will delegitimize yours.
And I'm way better at it than you. --->JMS

[JackANSI]

Hey Bassist_25... Been a while since you've hired anyone? What you state is the theory, the practical aspects of hiring an employee is a nightmare. Quality employees are impossible to find or want more than a job is worth.

Then that is a function of the labor market determining the equilibrium price of an employee for that specific position. It is up to the hiring manager to determine if it is worth paying the market rate and if the employee will add enough value to justify the higher cost or go with another employee who may be less expensive but not add as much value to the organization.

+1

Almost everyone who hires wants a full 65 hours of work but only ever wants to pay for 35 hours of it and a signed contract saying you like it like that.

If an employee can get a better deal (higher pay or less effort for the same pay) from some other employer, thats not the employee's fault for leaving and taking the better deal for themselves...

Maybe if working paid more than not working, there wouldn't be as many freeloaders...

[onegunguitar]

Hey Bassist_25... Been a while since you've hired anyone? What you state is the theory, the practical aspects of hiring an employee is a nightmare. Quality employees are impossible to find or want more than a job is worth.

Then that is a function of the labor market determining the equilibrium price of an employee for that specific position. It is up to the hiring manager to determine if it is worth paying the market rate and if the employee will add enough value to justify the higher cost or go with another employee who may be less expensive but not add as much value to the organization.

+1

Almost everyone who hires wants a full 65 hours of work but only ever wants to pay for 35 hours of it and a signed contract saying you like it like that.

If an employee can get a better deal (higher pay or less effort for the same pay) from some other employer, thats not the employee's fault for leaving and taking the better deal for themselves...

Maybe if working paid more than not working, there wouldn't be as many freeloaders...

Ain't that the truth.

[witchhunt]

Poor people didn't cause the banking crisis, rich people did. Workers didn't cause it, management did.

Amen!