1st White House Summit on Community Colleges: Increasing Competitiveness

In line with his aim to improve the U.S. educational system and increase its competitiveness in the global arena, President Barack Obama announced last Tuesday that he expects to see community colleges producing 5 million more graduates by year 2020. This is in line with his belief that schools are equally important in maintaining the future competitiveness of America especially in the field of economics and finance. Pres. Obama, while at the East Room during a White House summit on community colleges, said that his purpose is to boost the schools that provide millions of students with skills training and knowledge.

With today’s academic institutions facing high dropout rates, Obama is devising ways to improve the education system. The president tagged community colleges as “unsung heroes of America's education system”. Though they may not be as attractive as other universities and though they may not receive more funds just like the others, these colleges are in fact the gateway for millions of Americans unto getting jobs and earning a source of living. He also used the event to accuse congressional Republicans of planning to cut education spending which will deprive community colleges of the needed resources to provide quality education millions of Americans.

Vice President Joe Biden, who used to taught the English subject at community colleges for 17 out of the his 30 years as an educator, said the following words “Community colleges are entering a new day in America” and “For more and more people, community colleges are the way to the future. They're giving real opportunity to students who otherwise wouldn't have it. They're giving hope to families who thought the American dream was slipping away”.

A day before the event, Pres. Obama announced his new initiative for the education sector which aims to create a public-private partnership that will link the top business corporations of America to community colleges. It will devise a curriculum which will directly fit to the needed skill sets of these companies. Through this, students will have an easier time in searching for jobs in the future. Corporations such as Gap Inc., McDonald's and Accenture have already expressed their support for such initiative. It is also remembered previously Obama’s prosopal to increase the academic calendar. He sees this as a major barrier in increasing competitiveness of students. By adding another 1 month in the academic calendar, American students will be able to remain competitive with the rest of the world.

The event was highlighted by various commitments from private institutions. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation owned by the world’s richest couple, Bill and Melinda Gates, announced the launching of the Completion by Design. It is a $35 million, five-year competitive grant program to boost community college graduation rates. Obama’s initiative to increase competitiveness in the education sector is also part of the president’s plan to save the economy. He sees the students as future leaders and holders of the economy. The president now has to put the pieces together in order to come up with one comprehensive educational system where every student is eligible to cheap yet quality education.

Obama’s announces His New Initiative towards for Education Sector

It is a given fact that America and its citizens are experiencing tougher times especially that the economy hasn’t really fully recovered yet from the devastation brought by the recent economic recession. Unemployment levels all throughout the country are still high with many layoffs still occurring each day. People are beginning to feel impatient and angry with the way the Obama administration and the Democratically-controlled house and senate has been handling the situation. And for that, Republicans have been clinging on to that anger that they think is key for them to regain control of the house and senate.

One of proposals of Republicans in order to reduce the budget deficit is to implement budget cuts in various government departments such us in the educational sector. While republicans and dissatisfied citizens are strongly opposing further spending, Obama and his team are thinking otherwise. He argues that for the economy to grow, it should first boost consumer spending in order to increase demands for goods and services resulting in more jobs more people. And while Obama said he agrees with the GOP that America's fiscal situation is "untenable “, he also sees the plans as a way to force a 20 percent cut in education funding which not acceptable.

As a solution, Pres. Obama recently announced his new initiative called “Skills for America's Future” which aims to create and provide strong partnerships between various community colleges and America’s top business companies. The partnership will enable students to focus on various skill sets which will fit the needs of the industry. Obama also said the partnership plan aims to improve industry partnerships with community colleges and build a nationwide network to maximize workforce development and capabilities.

In a White House fact sheet, Pres. Obama said the following words, “We want to make it easier to join students looking for jobs with businesses looking to hire”. He also added “We want to put community colleges and employers together to create programs that match curricula in the classroom with the needs of the boardroom”. According to a White House official, the initiative has already received support and backing from various top American corporation such as Gap Inc., McDonald's, Accenture and more.

Obama’s focus on education has been very evident lately especially when he proposed the plan to increase the academic calendar. He argued that American students are lagging behind various countries by 1 month. He plans to add another month to the academic calendar as a way to cope up with recent standards and increase the American competitiveness especially in the field of finance and economy.

White House Report: Stimulus Bill is on the Right Track

One of the most talked-about issues in the coming Midterm elections is the state economy. In fact, the votes for this election will be greatly influenced by how candidates will address the very sensitive issue of unemployment. During the past couple of months, there have been mostly negative feedbacks towards the stimulus program that was approved by President Obama more than a year ago. In fact, some sectors in society even tagged it as an ultimate failure. There are numerous criticisms as to why the stimulus was unable to live up to its expectations of creating and saving between 900,000 – 3.5 million jobs.

Despite the numerous and sometimes harsh criticisms, the White House now claims the $800 billion stimulus bill is still on tract in producing the targeted amount of jobs since it was passed in Congress. It was remembered that the stimulus bill was signed by Congress February of last year as a way to minimize the destructive effects of the economic recession and jumpstart the economy. The funds will be spent for the next ten years with the bulk of it on tax cuts and tax breaks. Its major goal was to increase consumer spending in order to also generate more jobs.

But critics most especially Republicans said that the bill was ineffective and was only able to come up with a very minimal number of jobs. They also cited the increasing national rate of unemployment which now stands at over 9.6%. In a report presented by Vice President Joe Biden to President Obama, he underlined the consistent progress of their commitment to create jobs that is slowly being achieved by the stimulus. He also added that taxes have been lowered in over 95 percent of working families.

The report also mentioned that about $300 billion has been spent for the continuity of unemployment benefits, government projects and various grants to states in order to avoid layoffs of public workers. Another $243 billion was allocated for tax cuts where business institutions and institutions will surely benefit. Also included in the funding was Obama’s “Making Work Pay” policy where it gives $400 worth of tax credit to individuals while $800 for couples. The office of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office also claims that the bill is credited to over 1.4 to 3.3 million jobs.

Also included in the report is the renewal this year of unemployment insurance for the long-term jobless and funding aid to state governments and local school boards. Other projects such as reforms in the transportation sector (high speed rail) and other research and development projects (Information Technology) were also in high note. What’s more impressive is that only 0.2 percent of stimulus projects were investigated for reasons of fraud. This number is significantly lower than typical federal programs.

But several Republicans have criticized various stimulus projects. For example, Sen. Tom Boburn pointed out dozens of unreasonable projects such as the $554,000 used to replace the windows of a visitor center in Mount St. Helens. The center was reportedly closed three years ago by the state government. Also, another $90,000 was used to replace a five-year-old stretch of sidewalk in an Oklahoma town that led to a ditch. But a report on Friday by the Commerce Depart indicated that there was a big increase in construction spending which helped to reverse the negative effects of the recession to the sector.

Obama’s 5 Pointers to Fire-up the Liberal Base

For the past couple of years during this decade, the vast majority of Liberals have been strongly rooting for the Democratic Party and its candidates. President Obama greatly acknowledges this sector in society as one of the primary contributors to his magical run during the last presidential elections in 2008. And today, with the nation still left in peril and with growing dissatisfaction by voters towards his administration and the Democratically-controlled congress, Liberals might decide to stay at home instead of voting during the November polls. With the lack of enthusiasm amongst the liberal Democratic base, several writers have pointed out various strategies that Obama can use to ignite the fire and urge Liberals to vote these coming Midterms.

Fight Harder for Liberal Priorities

It is quite evident that Liberals lack the enthusiasm that they once had when they instilled Democratic control in Congress in 2006 and White house in 2008. Washing Post Columnist Greg Sargent mentions that it would be best for Obama to fight harder for the priorities of Liberals even if battle is sometimes hopeless. He also added that it might leave Democrats with an energized support base heading into the midterm elections. Sargent also mentioned the following words “If the Dem base is unenthusiastic, give Democrats something to get excited about, or effectively tell them why they should be excited”.

Refrain From Attacking the Liberal Critics

Politico Columnist Keach Hagey highlights the growing tension between White House Officials and Liberal bloggers. It is quite known that these bloggers have been constantly expressing their deep criticisms towards the White House which sometimes can harm the administration. Hagey tells the White House of the following words “Just don’t fight him”. A better option would be for the government to do their best to prove these critics that they are very wrong.

Focus on GOP Crazies

Washington Monthly Writer Steve Benen advises Democrats to tell voters that a Republican victory this November will only make things worse. Things are slowly beginning to improve and the best obstruction to that improvement is a GOP victory. If Republicans regain control of Congress this November, all the two year’s worth of national agenda such as the stimulus package, Health care reform, immigration reform and lots more will be put to waste.

Obama: Liberals must take Responsibility

In a recent Rolling Stone interview, President Obama mentioned that it is very inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive to just stand in the sidelines when the nation clearly needs them. He added that there are numerous complaints all directed towards Democrats for acting slow or are not able to give solutions fast enough to the problems of the nation. But Pres Obama gave Democrats a choice: to either risk a Republican-controlled congress where policies are all directed towards the previous Bush administration or for the present administration where progress is more meaningful.

Only Economy Matters

Duncan Black mentions that media criticisms and high-level political wrangling basically don't matter for November. The economy is what matters most. People are physically and emotionally feeling the negative effects of a struggling economy. The most appropriate thing the president can do is to make people go to work again by giving them jobs. Come up with policies and programs that are focused on job creation. Create an environment where jobs are more abundant.

A Democratic Defeat This November is Still a WIN for the President

With barely 5 weeks to go before the Midterm elections, some things are now slowly beginning to shape up. The recent unveiling of the “Pledge to America” by GOP leaders is a clear indication that Republicans are dead serious in winning this November and are now ready to take over Congress. Despite the efforts by Pres. Obama and his team to fire up young voters and their avid supporters, it is more likely that Democrats will finally lose control of Congress. Despite of this, the president might still see this as an opportunity rather a threat. There are assumptions that a Democratic defeat this November is considered a WIN for the President.

For the past couple of months, the people saw the steady decline of democratic support and influence. People began developing doubts if the President along with the Democratically-dominated Congress is indeed capable of saving the economy and driving the nation towards progress and development. The steady increase in unemployment which now stood at 9.6% (national average) has been the primary concern of the people. Obama’s stimulus package that amounts to over $800 billion was assumed to be a total failure for not creating any significant number of jobs at all. It is a given fact that the people of America most especially the middle-class are struggling and are blaming the administration for their failures.

With this, Republicans are again energized to finally defeat their Democratic rivals and regain back power and control of Congress. Republicans are so confident of their impending victory that they already published their 21-page legislative agenda for the next Congress. The agenda highlights various key points that are directed towards economic recovery such as repealing mandates for small businesses in the new health care law and stopping job killing hikes. The agenda aims to replace the campaign promises that Obama had but was not able to attain. One such promise was to stimulate job-creation in high numbers though millions of Americans today are desperately looking for jobs.

Polls conducted by various poll mechanisms such as RealClearPolitics are all pointing to a Republican victory these midterms. In March of 2010, House Republicans were projected to win by a margin of 47 seats. Another poll in May saw the margin rise to 56. And by mid-September, the polls predict a Republican victory with 67 seats. Trends from InTrade betting markets also show the same patterns. Also In March of 2010, House Republicans received a 43 percent chance of winning the majority. In May, the figure rose to 47 percent and by mid-September, it significantly rose to a whopping 70 percent.

While for most people, a Republican-dominated Congress will be bad news for the president, others realize it otherwise. In fact, if the economy will still be dismal after Republicans takeover of Congress, the President will be blaming them for it. This will transfer the blame from Obama and his democrats to the Republicans instead. It is good to know that both the President and the Congress have equal legislative powers. The President will just say that Congress (Republican Majority) has been unkind and has played as obstruction to his programs and platforms. This will be a good sign to the president especially for his reelection. So if ever Democrats will lose this November, the President will still have the last laugh.

Obama’s Two-step Strategy: More Backyard Events and Campus Rallies

With the nation’s economy still having a dismal performance and with barely 5 weeks left before the midterm elections, Obama is trying to come to the aid of his Democratic party in order to avoid any major losses in November. Recent polls show that GOP candidates are either leading or are in a tightly contested race against their Democratic rivals. The president is devising a newer strategy that aims to rekindle the same 2008 campaign magic that propelled him into the presidency. It also aims to give him the opportunity to thoroughly explain his policies and regulation into the public in a calm and orderly manner.

The biggest fear for Democrats this November is when their avid young supporters are just going to stay at home rather than vote. The two-step strategy will involve four states which aim to urge Democrat supporters to let their voices be heard and participate in the polls. Pres. Obama and his team will also try to persuade voters who are yet to decide on who to support on that the proposed alternatives by Republicans are unacceptable and will do no good for the nation. It was remembered that the President warned Democrats and their supporters that all will be lost such as the Obamacare, stimulus, etc. if Republicans take back control of Congress.

In a recent interview, Obama told Democratic voters that it would be “inexcusable” and “irresponsible” for unenthusiastic Democrats to skip the midterm elections because the consequences are so severe that it would erase the years-worth national agenda. On the eve of Tuesday, the president is expected to proceed to the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison where he will be heading a rally which aims to replicate his youthful and enthusiastic 2008 presidential campaign. Meanwhile, Obama will also hold numerous campus rallies to warn young voters that the “hope and change” they embraced two years ago is at risk of being erased if Republicans will win these coming elections.

In a time where Democratic candidates are in a defensive stance trying to defend the present administration's expanded health care benefits, stimulus spending and other initiatives. Pres. Obama has called on Democrats to become less apologetic and be more assertive instead in convincing voters that the administration along with the Democratic-controlled Congress is indeed trying to move the country forward towards progress and development. The recent releasing of the “Pledge of America” by GOP officials is seen as a move that would benefit Democrats more according to White House Officials.

On Monday, Pres. Obama told student journalists that Republican have signaled plans to give $4 trillion worth of tax breaks with $700 billion of whom will go directly to rich people. Each of them will get an average of $100,000 check. The president and his administration aim to let the Bush-era tax cuts expire for households earning $250,000 or more a year. Pres. Obama is scheduled to hold backyard events on Wednesday in Des Moines, Iowa, and Richmond, Va., before returning to Washington that night. He will be using these backyard events to criticize the Republican pledge and show to the voters the consequences they may face if Republicans win this November.

President Obama’s Fight for the Economy

A year ago, the world saw the coming of change and development when Barack Obama took the highest office seat in the United States of America. It was remembered that during his campaign period, he emphasized his platform for change. He also prioritized the need for constant dialogue in order to get the different views of people and put it into action. Prior to his presidency, America was already devastated by the negative effects of the economic recession. Upon his proclamation as president of the U.S., he carried along with him the burden of listening to the call of the people and fulfilling their desires for the nation.

The economy is such a sensitive issue for Americans especially when the national average for unemployment is standing at 9.6%. Despite telling the people numerous times of his intentions to save and improve the economy, the President is struggling to convince the people that he is really doing the right thing. A recent poll from New York Times found that 60 percent of people believe that Obama hasn’t made any significant action to help fix the economy. 53 percent also expressed their belief that Obama does not have a plan to create jobs while only 38 percent think he does. This closely proves that people expect actions to be done and not just words to be spoken.

A few weeks ago, the president took the initiative by proposing the infrastructure bank and imposing business tax cuts. If he really wants to salvage what’s left of any possible Democrat victory this coming November, he should focus more answering the questions of voters with regards to economic growth. Obama should propose newer ideas which directly translate into job creation. He should be introducing legislatives, whether big or small, that will either create jobs or create an environment where jobs are created easily. Obama should refrain from finger-pointing and blaming Republicans about what the perils of the economy.

There are numerous ideas that are deemed feasible in generating more jobs. The expiring tax credits that were established on the 2009 recovery act can be maintained in order to reduce the burden of energy companies in procuring manpower. Obama can also propose for a national jobs bank where people can easily find jobs that are currently vacated. Also, another good proposal would be setting loan guarantees for entrepreneurs who will invest in schools, hospitals and clinics. It will not only create jobs to these sectors but also improve public services as well.

Offering a new revolving loan fund for the manufacturing sector is also a good idea. Manufacturers would easily get capital and credit which then translates into newer jobs. These are just some of the feasible ideas which will help bring back the trust and confidence of the people to him. While it is very obvious that global affairs can particularly grab much of the attention of the administration such as the Afghan war, nuclear proliferation and the Middle East peace process, Obama should still maintain his main initiative for job creation. Besides, the President of the United States was elected to serve the people of the nation rather than other external affairs.

Democrat Leaders Aims to Get Voters and Core Constituencies All Fired Up

The string of Tea Party victories in various Republican senate primaries has in fact done little impact in downgrading the morale of the Republican Party. With just six weeks left before the November midterm elections, Republicans are all fired up and are ready to reclaim control on the U.S. Congress. And Democrats are in a state of panic for fearing that they might suffer massive losses come election time. The Democratic Party strongly believes that a Republican victory this November would mean endangering various government projects such as health care reforms and the controversial stimulus bill.

Democratic leaders are desperately pushing for issues that will sound good to their constituencies such as removing the ban on gays serving openly in the military. This step is seen as way to allow young illegal immigrants who attend college in the U.S. or join the military to become legal U.S. citizens. Likened to the energy they had during their 2008 campaign, President Obama in a Philadelphia rally last Monday told Democratic donors that this is the time that counts the most. He also uttered the following words, “I want all of you to remind yourselves why you got involved and why you care deeply and not lose heart. But gird yourself for a battle that's worth fighting”.

Recent polls show that Republicans are more excited about the November elections than Democrats are. It also indicated the desires of Independent voters in supporting heavily the GOP. Earlier, President Barack Obama urged his Congressional Black Caucus to redouble his efforts. He called on everybody to go back to their neighborhoods and tell them that they got more work to do. One particular challenge among Democrats is to mobilize their core constituencies and urge minorities and Democrat supporters to show up at the polls and vote for their candidates. There have been rumors that Democrat supporters were so upset that they might instead stay at their homes come election time.

In Nevada, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is locked in a close race against Tea Party-backed and Republican candidate Sharron Angle. During a party immigration legislation, he granted some Democratic-leaning Hispanics a favor. As a majority in the U.S. senate, the Democratic front forced a vote last Tuesday repealing the law that bans gas from openly serving in the U.S. military. Despite of his efforts, Senate Republicans were able to block the “don’t ask, don’t tell” legislation defeating Democrats. Nevertheless, Democrats were able to send a strong message to gay rights advocates telling them: “We're working for you, now work for us”.

Starting next week, the president is expected to participate in four big-city rallies which will be staged in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Nevada. He aims to fire up backers from his 2008 presidential campaign. Democrats are well aware that the last two national elections where a complete opposite of what it is today. Republicans back then were so depressed and were seeking to fire up their core constituents. As a result, they failed miserably losing much of the elections.

A Book Reveals Doubts on Obama’s Afghan War Strategy

Barack Obama, the president of the United States of America came into power bringing along with him the inspiration of change and prosperity. While he was still campaigning for presidency, he touched the hearts of millions of people and served as inspiration to them. In fact, his strong desire for international diplomacy, dialogue for the Muslim world and the promotion of nuclear proliferation granted him the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. Along with it came numerous books about his accomplishments, views and legacy. But just like any other good movie, not all things are as good as it seems.

The U.S. President is perhaps famous for his different views with regards to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. On February 27, 2009, Obama declared an 18-month deadline to end the war in Iraq and shift focus to Afghanistan. The growing strength of insurgency groups and the rising Allied death toll in Afghanistan has urged him to transfer his full attention to the impoverished nation. But a soon-to-be launched book says that the president’s top advisers have spent much of the last 20 months quarreling with one another over policy, personalities and turf.

The book, “Obama’s Wars,” which was written by journalist Bob Woodward, depicts the lack of confidence by some of the administration’s top advisers and members of the national security team on Obama's Afghan war plan. Interestingly, Obama’s top White House adviser on Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, has strongly believed from the start that the strategy will not and will never work. The book also mentioned that Obama was pressing on his advisers to come up with ways to avoid a big escalation on the Afghan war and has uttered the following words, “I have two years with the public on this".

Also mentioned in the book was a private meeting where Obama allegedly mentioned the words, “I want an exit strategy”. He also asked U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to push his alternative strategy to oppose a big troop buildup. Despite not agreeing with the alternate strategy of Vice President Biden, Obama set a timetable for troop withdrawals with the following words, “I can’t lose the whole Democratic party”. The conflicts within Obama’s trusted advisers are worse than what we actually see in public.

There were accounts from the book about the former Commander for Afghanistan David Petraeus telling a While House senior aide that he disliked talking with the president’s senior adviser, David Axelrod, because he was “a complete spin doctor”. There were also incidents where Adm. Dennis Blair, the previous national intelligence director, had quarrels with Rahm Emanuel and John Brennan, the White House chief of staff and the counterterrorism adviser respectively. The book will be giving every reader a bird’s eye view of the real situation within Obama’s administration.

Democrats Step Up Campaign Strategies, Eyes National Ads

Election time in America is critical time especially for political groups and aspiring lawmakers. It is a time where voters get a chance to elect who they think are deserving and capable people who will be leading the nation to progress and development. The midterm elections this coming November is equally important as it will define who will take control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Add also the fact that 36 states will be electing their own governors to at most 4 year terms.

For the past couple of months, we saw how troubled the democrats are especially when thinking about the upcoming elections. We all know how discontented Americans are with the way Pres. Obama and his administration is running the country. Since Obama took office last January 2009, there haven’t been any significant improvements in the nation’s economy. In fact, figures show that more and more people are losing their jobs while job scarcity is very rampant. The quality of life in the United States is deteriorating and the government hasn’t done anything good to stop it.

We all remember the $800 billion stimulus package which was supposed to save or create jobs resulting in economic growth. A year after the bill was approved, the national average for unemployment now stood at 9.6% and the trend is increasing. Various sectors of society are now considering the stimulus bill as a complete failure as it was not able to meet its goals. Several studies and surveys have also concluded that majority of the American population are seriously in doubt of Obama’s capability to save the economy. And democrats are now concerned that this might result in massive losses come election time.

And just recently, a team of political advisers to Pres. Obama are strongly considering ways to boost the Democrat’s image and prevent projected losses. One such strategy is to come up with national advertisements which will portray the Republican Party as a party that is overrun by Tea Party extremists. Strategists now want to take advantage of the string of victories that Tea Party candidates achieved during their Republican primaries the past couple of weeks. They want to show to the public that Tea Party candidates may endanger the crucial programs that the government provides to the people such as social security and healthcare.

Aside from putting up national advertisements for primetime television, the president is also stepping up his efforts to boost the image of his democratic party. In fact, Pres. Obama will be staging four big campaign-style rallies in various universities which aim to recapture the hearts of the younger voters especially those who voted for him during the 2008 presidential elections. The president will also be tackling issues such as the expiring Bush-era tax cuts. Despite of the numerous losses of the GOP to the Tea Party Express during the senate primaries, they remain confident that they will finally regain power of the senate.

A Waste of Stimulus Money

In the year 2007, a liquidity shortfall in the U.S. banking system triggered one of the worst financial disasters to ever hit the United States and the world. It was considered as the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression in 1930. The results were staggering as large financial institutions and banks collapsed. The stock markets of various countries experienced downturns. Also, the U.S. housing market suffered huge losses resulting in foreclosures and evictions. Just as Barack Obama was stepping in to replace George Bush as President of the most powerful nation in the world, he already had the serious task of bringing back stability in the American economy and elevating the already deteriorating quality of life of Americans.

One of the most destructive effects of the financial crisis was the rise of unemployment levels. The American working sector was the most seriously affected sector since the crisis started. Because large institutions were faltering, thousands of employees were removed and jobs were beginning to be scarce. Washington was very concerned that job scarcity will result in less consumer spending and a possibility of a double dip recession. Congress immediately passed a stimulus package amounting to over $800 billion. The goal was to borrow and spend more money in order to offset the reduced demand from the private sector brought by the crisis.

More than a year later since the stimulus package was announced, Los Angeles city controller has released a 40-page report on how the city spent its share of the package. The results were horrible and disappointing as improvements were very minimal. Los Angeles city controller Wendy Greuel, stated that with a local unemployment rate of 12 percent which is higher than the national average of 9 percent, Los Angeles was only able to create or retain 55 jobs out of the $111 million allocated for the city.

The Los Angeles Department of Public Works was only able to create seven private sector jobs and saved seven more while spending $70 million in stimulus. In a staggering display of stimulus usage, the department was spending $1.5 million for ever job it saved or created. If you think that was worst already, wait till you here the audit of the Lost Angeles Department of Transportation. While they spent $40 million of the allocated stimulus, they were only able to create 9 jobs in total. It solely means that the department spent $4.4 million in taxpayer’s money for every job it created.

There were numerous factors cited by Greuel as reasons for such unlikable results. First, he mentioned about four highway projects that didn’t undergo bidding until seven months after they were authorized. Second, instead of going through a competitive bidding process in the private sector, projects went to city workers instead. The third reason was that stimulus money was not properly accounted for in various departments. Stimulus money was continuously spent without undergoing evaluation. And lastly, the departments mentioned were not able to consistently report about their job trends. Stimulus controllers were only able to find out about the problem when the stimulus money was already spent.

With weeks to go before the November midterm elections, Washington has been very busy working on a master plan that will create more jobs and please more people. Democrats, in particular, are weighing in on their options to support Obama’s plans. The result of this stimulus plan will most certainly influence the votes come November.

Democrats in Ohio may have a Good Chance in Winning After all

At a critical time of the campaign period, both political parties of the U.S. (Democrats and Republicans) are closely watching the chances of their candidates on their respective races. The GOP has been very vocal about its intentions in taking control of the U.S. Senate this November. And with the continued faltering of Obama’s trust rating, Democrat candidates have been very worried about their chances. Some are even opposing Obama’s plan in order to get adequate support from different voting sectors.

One of the most crucial and tightly guarded races is in Ohio. Ohio’s governor Ted Strickland and lieutenant governor Lee Fisher are expecting a very tight race especially that Ohio residents are not so pleased by the present governance. Figures show that during the Strickland-Fisher administration, Ohio since 2007 have lost over 400,000 jobs. The state also had an unemployment rate of 10.5% which is higher than the national average of 9.6%. Both Strickland and Fisher are very much worried that people are not satisfied of their performance and will instead vote for their Republican counterparts.

Amazingly, early polls have shown that Strickland and Fisher may actually have a higher chance of bagging the Senate position this November. The reason for this is that despite of the hatred that was developed towards Democratic candidates, voters are still doubtful on GOP especially that it drastically failed expectations during the previous Bush administration. In fact, a TIME poll in July indicated that voters nationwide are not so much inclined to vote a Republican over a Democrat for the November midterm elections.

This goes to show wounded Democrats may still have better chances of bagging a seat in Senate or in Congress. It was remembered that Strickland took office in 2007 bringing along with him the promise of improving Ohio’s economy though he was unsuccessful. Despite of this, there are still accomplishments done by Strickland that are still worth mentioning. Just this spring, 50,000 jobs were added. He mentions that progress may take some time but he is quite sure that they are at the right path.

At a time where ad spending has been at record highs along with the number of attack ads, Strickland expects a tough battle against a former Republican Congressman that was known in the 1990’s as one of Washington’s toughest budget hawks, John Kasich. Last June, the Republicans Governors Association featured a TV ad portraying a pair of hardened construction workers who called Strickland as “a bad governor” who blames everyone else for Ohio’s huge job losses. Obama has already scheduled a visit to Ohio in order to boost the campaigns of Democratic candidates in the area.

Obama’s $300 Billion Tax Break for Business: A Political Move for November?

Unemployment and underemployment are perhaps the main reasons why a recession is very destructive to an economy. Without jobs or any source of living, people will not have enough money to spend for basic commodities and other luxurious things. Consumer spending will be very much limited and thus will reduce the profit of other businesses as well. This domino effect is proven to be the real hindrance for economic growth. The less money that revolves in the market, the more stagnant an economy is and the more it is prone to a double dip recession.

The U.S. economy has been one of the world economies most hit by the recession. Recent figures show that the unemployment rate has now stood at 9.6%. This figure is projected to rise as more federal workers and business employees are getting axed as the days passed by. Over 8 million jobs have already been lost and the Obama administration still hasn’t done anything significant enough to address this issue. In fact, large businesses are strongly protesting on the impending expiration of tax breaks which they say might add up to more job losses.

Pres. Obama and his administration previously passed the stimulus bill which granted over $800 billion to business firms and government institutions. The aim was to promote spending in order to generate jobs and stimulate economic growth. But many people believed that the stimulus bill was a failure resulting in the sudden dip of Obama’s trust and confidence rating. With intense pressure coming from American citizens and other lawmakers along with the upcoming November midterm elections, the Obama administration is strongly considering everything it can do to help save the economy and bring back the trust needed for his democratic party.

This Wednesday, President Barack Obama is set to propose $300 billion for tax breaks which will be given to various businesses. $200 billion will be for tax cuts while $100 billion will be allocated for expanding and making permanent a tax credit for research and development. He believes that if businesses will be able to reduce their costs, they will eventually start hiring people again and provide more jobs to the industry. This measure is expected to provide tax incentives to businesses who will be investing rapidly to the U.S. economy.

This measure comes along with another $50 billion aid for infrastructure development. It is interesting to note that because voter’s worries about the economy, the Democrats are strongly facing the possibility of incurring heavy losses on the upcoming November elections. The president is doing whatever he can to save the economy and provide a positive feedback for his democratic party on the upcoming elections. Besides, the control for Congress is at stake.

Anti-Obamacare Democrats and the November Midterm Elections

On March 23, 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Act (PPACA) or more commonly known as “Obamacare”. It is the byproduct of efforts from Congress to implement a reform on the U.S. health care system. The law included various provisions in health care such as Medicaid eligibility, insurance premium subsidies, incentives for business who effectively provide health benefits and strengthening medical research. Despite of its good intention, a lot of citizens and policymakers have rejected the bill stating that it is too expensive and will violate the freedom of citizens.

It was remembered that during the time where the House was about to finally pass the Obamacare bill, about 34 Democrats opposed it with 31 of them running for reelection. Some of these notable democratic personalities are Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, Bobby Bright of Alabama, Glenn Nye of Virginia, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota, Frank Kratovil of Maryland, and Glenn Nye of Virginia. Most of them have been constantly running television ads bragging about their “No” stand to the bill. Nye even stated that the bill will cost the American people too much money.

Currently, there are two petitions in the House to discharge the Obamacare bill. The first one was sponsored by Rep. Stephen King of Iowa which aims to simply repeal the act. The second one came from Rep. Wally Herger of California which not only repels the act but also replace it with other alternative proposals. While most Republicans decided to pick one petition, not a single one of the 31 Democrats have signed either of the petitions. Glenn Nye opposed the bill because he said it was very costly back then. With the projected cost rising to over $2.7 trillion, Nye seems to be a little confused by not signing the petition to repeal the act.

If these Democrats are strongly opposing Obamacare, why didn’t they sign any petition to repeal the act? Are they seriously opposing Obamacare or are they just doing this so as to get enough political support for their campaign? With the November midterm elections fast approaching, political candidates are busy persuading the public about their agendas and platforms. It has become a test for these policymakers to behave according to their principles especially if they are under pressure of criticisms from the voting sector. If their views are strongly opposed by public opinion, will they still be willing to fight for it or will they instead find some cover in order to get the much needed votes.

Pres. Obama’s is Less Credible Nowadays

Ever since Barack Obama took the highest seat in office in the United States, he already faced tremendous pressure in saving America from the problems he inherited during the previous administration. With a national debt almost reaching $14 trillion and budget deficit that is over $1 trillion, it is no doubt that the Obama administration is facing a budget nightmare which will really bring out his whole ability to solve such issues.

Perhaps the huge burden that is faced by the country today is the ongoing economic recession that has paralyzed the economy and triggered a massive loss of jobs. With so many financial and business institutions going bankrupt, the unemployment rate of nation have now almost reach 10% of the population. A lot of teachers, cops and federal workers have also lost their jobs due to low funding. Social security is also under constant threat because the Obama administration is taking any necessary step such as to cut funding for a particular in order to save more money and lessen the budget deficit.

And now, after having to face much of the problems that the country has experienced, the U.S. president is also dealing with the problem of a low trust rating. With his inability to develop a quick solution to these problems, the public has already lost their trust and confidence to the president. The YouGov/Polimetrix poll indicated that the approval rating in economy of Pres. Obama is 35% during mid-August compared to 42% last may. The significant drop prompted Democrats to panic especially that the midterm election is drawing near.

According to a recent poll conducted by Reuters, 72% of the respondents are very worried about jobs while 67% are very concerned about government spending. The used-to-be high trust and credibility ratings of the president are slowly trimming indicating that the people are not contented. There are also claims by the President such as the effectiveness of the stimulus bill which the people strongly oppose or strongly ignore. People are equally tired of hearing the usual exaggerated claims of the president.

If we look at the stimulus fund more clearly, we can clearly say that it has done little to alleviate the problem of unemployment. A growing number of the population is still either without a job or underemployed. Since the passing of the stimulus act, about 2.6 million Americans have lost their jobs and 1.2 million people have given up even looking for work. The unrealistic claims of the Obama administration have only made people angrier. Better accountability and transparency is drastically needed in this present time.