Since Obama’s latest Important Political Speech, there has been much wrangling over the most recent “Jobs Bill”. He’s asking for around $447 billion in order to:
- Extend unemployment beyond the almost 2 years already done
- Throw together some job-retraining stuff
- Fund some
shovel-readyinfrastructure projects - Provide some employment incentives
- Extend a payroll tax holiday
- Other stuff
This is great in theory, but how much of all this does our $447 billion buy? If it would enable the creation of 20 million legitimate and permanent private sector jobs, most would look at it as a bargain. We all know that will not happen. The proponents claim that we just have to do something. Those against say we might as well throw the money into the street and set it on fire (but not in Texas! there’s enough stuff burning here already).
Fortunately for us all, intrepid reporters and other journalist-type people at the New York Times have come up with a couple of estimates for the number of jobs this stimulus the “jobs bill” will create. Their estimates range from 100,000 to 165,000 jobs per month over the next year or so. That would mean a range of 1.2 million to about 2 million over a year’s time.
Let’s be optimistic.
If 2 million jobs (that sounds like a lot, no?) were to be created, we would be spending a smidgen less than a quarter of a million dollars per job. That’s not much of a bargain.
Fortunately, it looks like the bill will have a very difficult time making it through the House (which would be expected).
House Speaker John Boehner offered little more endorsement than that it “merited consideration,” while a top Senate Republican, echoing others in his party, dismissed it as more of Obama’s “tired agenda.”
Meanwhile, Democrats in the Senate are barking about it as well.
As he demands Congress quickly approve his ambitious proposal aimed at reviving the sagging economy, many Democrats on Capitol Hill appear far from sold that the president has the right antidote to spur major job growth and turn around their party’s political fortunes.
“Terrible,” Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) told POLITICO when asked about the president’s ideas for how to pay for the $450 billion price tag. “We shouldn’t increase taxes on ordinary income. … There are other ways to get there.”
“That offset is not going to fly, and he should know that,” said Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu from the energy-producing Louisiana, referring to Obama’s elimination of oil and gas subsidies. “Maybe it’s just for his election, which I hope isn’t the case.”
Obama just can’t get anyone to show him the love anymore. In fact, he’s now been reduced to begging for it from a bunch of university students.
“Every single one of you can help make this bill a reality,” the president called out at a hot and noisy rally at North Carolina State University.
Someone in the crowd yelled out, “I love you!”
“If you love me you got to help me pass this bill,” the president responded.
You really need to hear the audio to get a feel for how pathetic he is getting.
Meanwhile, we all know that what it takes to get the economy going is practically free.
WB;
Like on Titanic? Nope. Just sat next ot each other. We did crack open the windows as the humidity and body heat (nothing exerted) fogged up the windows.
TT;
Cheap dates are the best.
mharper;
We watched the movie. It was way too humid to do anything else. 😉
#80 WB
/facepalm
hussy
Do you still fog up the windows?
#76 Darren
Did you watch the movie or were you making out in the van? 🙂
Congratulations on 14 years!
And I thought I was a cheap date…
Mrs. Darren and I recently celebrated our 14th anniversary. We went all out in luxurious celebration. We rented a movie from Blockbuster and watched it in the van.
Can’t wait for 14 more years.
Here’s an interesting tale that may shed some light on the leadership voids that we are suffering here in America today. Sad, but probably true.
http://gonzalolira.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-i-learned-at-dartmouth.html
#70 Shannon
The Bureau of Labor Statistics.
#71 re: Poem
Mayhaps my post as poet laureate has been usurped?
I have a comment from a while ago that is stuck between #68 and #69. Awaiting moderation. Don’t think it has any bad anguage-lay in it…
A Poem for Plumbers by Tony Gruenewald Not a big opportunity to get all touchy-feely Au contrere……. I am impotent lost in the labyrinth of plumbing that plagues my existence. Pipe wrenches, washers, teflon tape, all rendered useless, their inventions voided by my uncouth hands. For the god of domesticated water mocks me or at best does… Read more »
69 Sarge
Pretty good.
Tedtam, I am interested to know who is requiring you to respond to these questions.
We go to our client’s site and dig holes. We lay pipe and hook up meters. Not a big opportunity to get all touchy-feely. I really don’t want to mess with the survey, but if I don’t, they’ll start harassing me in about a month. Maybe I should tell them we are green, because we recycle the bodies of our… Read more »
#64 Pyro It’s gotta be lots more than the fine. Surprisingly, it is very cheap to get a traffic lawyer to defend you on a speeding ticket in Houston. I got nailed for 80 in a 60 in the SW Frwy about 7 years ago and decided to contest it because I was one car in a wave of three… Read more »
ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances.
Dude rolled the dice and lost.
Guilty. $100 fine plus court costs plus ambulance chaser.
He’s a real weenie.
Most of the speed limits (actually casual suggestions that are only valid if there is ice covering the street) are designed to produce revenue, they have nothing to do with safety. The exception to this is the minimum speed, ifn you drive too slowly, you cause a bottleneck and force everybody behind you to alter their behavior -that causes accidents.… Read more »
Super conferences deserve Superhero names.
Right. But throw in a lawyer for a day and it’s gotta add up to lots more than the DD class etc. It’s gotta be lots more than the fine.
#62 – As an occasional expert of speed “opinions” (aka legal limits 🙂 ) – as I recall ……….provided you have no moving violations in the past 2 years AND your alleged speed was NOT more than 25mph above the local “suggested speed”…………you may qualify for the online defensive driving class…………. p.s. the various “fees” (i.e. seeking Judge’s “permission” to… Read more »
I’m observing a trial this afternoon. I got nailed for jury duty, and almost got picked. The guy was charged with doing 82 in a 65 on the Westpark Tollway and he decided he had to have his jury trial, so he gets an ambulance chaser so he can get out of a $200 (max) ticket. Getting out of the… Read more »
I received a form I am required to fill out asking about our use of “green technology” at our office. We go to our client’s site and dig holes. We lay pipe and hook up meters. Not a big opportunity to get all touchy-feely. I really don’t want to mess with the survey, but if I don’t, they’ll start harassing… Read more »
Kick em in the left knee
Kick em in the right knee
Kick em in the weeeee neeeeee
eeeed touchdown
.
.
.
Rah rah ree
Kick em in the knee
Rah rah rass
Kick em in the other knee
This makes me so sad.
NOT.
#57 El Gordo
Wow. In high school all we had was:
Block that punt!
Block that pass!
Knock that quarterback
On his (look nonchalantly around as the band director pops up and glares at us)
OR:
Nuts and bolts!
Nuts and bolts!
We’ve — been — screwed!
Ah, those good ol’ days….
Another Rice football cheer:
Secant, tangent, cosine, sine
Three point one four one five nine
The PP (petulant person – let’s keep it a little cleaner – wb) has lost the AwissinP as one of his cheerleaders! WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says he wants to make sure millionaires are taxed at higher rates than their secretaries. The data say they already are. Lemme get this straight: 1) The Rs are opposed to everything… Read more »
Just watched Perry in New York. He just b*tched slapped Obama on his stance on Isreal. Kapow! ““We are indignant that certain Middle Eastern leaders have discarded the principle of direct negotiations between the sovereign nation of Israel and the Palestinian leadership,” Perry said in excerpts provided by one of his aides to The Associated Press. “And we are equally… Read more »
I was eating lunch on the 20th of February with my 7 year-old granddaughter and I asked her, “What day is tomorrow?” She said, “It’s President’s Day!” She is a smart kid. I asked, “What does President’s Day mean?” I was waiting for something about Washington or Lincoln … etc. She replied, “President’s Day is when President Obama steps out… Read more »
I wonder if the “mother” of this child is collecting afdc, welfare, etc?
#50 Bones
I thought my use of “dry” was mildly humorous itself, applied to a joke about drinking.
#49 M42: yeah, that dude.
#47 M42: Don’t put yourself down; what you witnessed was a full fledged geek out. Dry doesn’t even begin to describe the “humor”, arid, devoid of moisture, desiccated, parched etc.
#25 Bones
That was Descartes, not Sartre.
#22 Pyro
My favorite in this batch. 😀
#19 Bones
Thanks for the explication. I’ve heard the boys & girls example but wouldn’t have realized you intended to apply that concept to the 2 guys in the bar without you pointing it out. I am often the dimmest bulb in the chandelier.
They’re giving me an acute headache.
Some of these puns are getting obtuse.
A round pi should be squared.
Sined,
the wagonburner
#42 SuperDeeeeeee
At least it’ll make it slightly harder for the MSM to ignore it.
Well I doubt that this willl get any traction; Issa to launch probe of Obama actions on Solyndra, LightSquared.
But, hey, it’s a start.
Now you’re going off on a tangent.
I have a math joke! It was my calculus professor in college. His name was Dr. Rogers. I refused to honor his degree, and when not in class I referred to him as “Mr. Rogers”. The name fit. I remember him working differential equations, and starting the lesson by writing the word “something” and then drawing the divisor line, as… Read more »
Pi R round yanno……………………… 🙂
Have some pi for dessert.
I think I have had all the punishment I can take for a while; I’m off to lunch.
You need to hum a tune while reading it.
It takes a certain kind of rhithm to understand.
A logarithm to be precise.
#32 Sarge: I’m kinda having a hard time getting the angle on your joke.