Can't Someone in the Governor's Office Read a Graph

The local paper ran a graph on job growth over the past 2 years.  Of course our Governor touted the increase and there is one, but the Governor went on to say that it shows that we are on the right track.  I looked at the graph and came away with a totally different assessment.  First the graph finishes with a decline.  This decline is part of the normal cycle, except that it appears to be steeper that the past declines shown.  Second we divert from the national line for the first time in the 2 year time period shown.  The national job growth of the Obama economy is outstripping Scott Walker's open for business economy.  Conservatives love to point out how Obama tanked the economy.  I want to know what they are saying about the Wisconsin economy under the Republicans?

The other thing that is not discussed is just how much are these new jobs paying?  I don't see many high paying jobs being advertised.  Mississippi and Alabama here we come.  Our politicians already have co-opted their laws we might as well have their economy.

Poll: 37 percent approve of Wall Street protest

Really a nice article today in the Wisconsin State Journal breaking down the recent poll of the country's opinions of the Wall Street protest. The comment from Jan Jarrell 54, retired school custodian, was interesting for a number of reasons. First clearly leaning to the tea party it illustrates the hypocrisy of that group, retired from a public job at 54. Isn't that something that they are against? Public jobs, early retirement, pensions, health care,... Second the statement that they should go to Washington because the government makes the policies. If only the evidence to that were true. Yes, Congress and the President ultimately make the policy but it is increasingly obvious that those policies were crafted long before by groups such as ALEC, Club for Growth, Americans for Prosperity, PNAC, and the list goes on. What do those groups have in common. They are largely fund by large corporations, large banks, and wealthy individuals. Thanks the the Citizens United case we the people can never know who exactly is funding these groups because that can all remain secret. No I think that the protesters are targeting the right people. They are the ones that created a regulatory environment that allowed for the collapse of the economy and then had the nerve to ask that the taxpayers help them out with trillions in loans and subsidies all the while suggesting that less regulation and taxes on them will solve the problems that they created.

The Bumper Sticker Said OOPs

The bumper sticker on the car in front of me said OOPS with the O's being the Obama campaign symbol. I for one don't understand the kind of strong opposition to President Obama. These same people would counter by remembering the opposition to President Bush. There was a big difference. Starting with Bush's election amid what appeared to be multiple cases of election fraud. Then he wrote and passed the patriot act. Then he became the first president in history to launch a pre-emptive war. Then he presided over 2 disastrous occupations (not the occupier in chief). Then he oversaw the distruction of the US economy. He spent as much as Obama on the economy except the lion share of the Bush expenditures went to the people who caused the mess to happen rather than to the people who were screwed out of house and home by these people. And where would we be in John McCain had won? McCain said that he had a plan to fix the economy, I can understand keeping it a secret during the campaign, but where is it? McCain said that he knew how to get Bin Laden, but he doesn't appear to have helped the President get Bin Laden. He said that he could end the wars, where is that plan, other than advocating for more wars and giving the President additional power with which to start future wars? No, I'm afraid that the President has not gotten as much done as I had hoped for but the alternative from the Republicans is to do pursue policies that do even more of what caused the economy to collapse and unravel the social safety net. They are truly disappointed that we don't have tent cities and people on the street. Their desire is to take the country back to 1929. Look up what it was like to be out of work, retired, poor, been a victim of bank failure, been a victim of fraud, ... in 1929 and tell me that is the kind of country we need to have today.