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	<title>The Contemplation &#187; recession</title>
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		<title>GOP Plan To Create Jobs Fails To Create US Jobs</title>
		<link>http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2011/08/11/gop-plan-create-jobs-fails-to-create-us-jobs/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2011/08/11/gop-plan-create-jobs-fails-to-create-us-jobs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:18:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>tech</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biofuels]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[recession]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tax]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[us economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Walmart]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[The United States economy is failing not into a recession, that is our current economic condition, but into a depression.  The failure of the &#8216;trickle down economics&#8217;, removing regulations and opening Free Trade Agreements with China has reared its ugly head.  Now the GOP is promoting its &#8220;job creation plan&#8221; which will only make matters worse for the middle class and create an substantial economic class society. Here are some highlights of the GOP Plan (read full proposal here): Require congressional review and approval of any government regulations that have a significant impact on the economy or burden small businesses. Audit existing and pending regulations to identify and address those that hinder economic growth. The Republicans, since Reagan, have been whittling down any regulations &#8211; which includes any green incentives, bank, and hedge funds. What the government needs is actual ethical CEO&#8217;s and ethical Government officials. Since that has not been the case regulation is needed.  Regulations do not hurt the general public it creates a dependable economy.  Deregulating for the sake of the economy is like deregulating banks for the sake of selling homes. Lowering the tax rate for businesses The US is debt because of spending support for multiple wars, not because honest people [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.thecontemplation.com/wp-content/uploads/GOP-button.jpg"><img onError="javascript: wp_404_images_fix = window.wp_404_images_fix || function(){}; wp_404_images_fix(this);"  class="alignright size-medium wp-image-10889" title="GOP button" src="http://www.thecontemplation.com/wp-content/uploads/GOP-button-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" /></a>The United States economy is failing not into a recession, that is our current economic condition, but into a depression.  The failure of the &#8216;trickle down economics&#8217;, removing regulations and opening Free Trade Agreements with China has reared its ugly head.  Now the GOP is promoting its &#8220;job creation plan&#8221; which will only make matters worse for the middle class and create an substantial economic class society.</p>
<p>Here are some highlights of the GOP Plan (<a href="http://www.gop.gov/indepth/jobs" target="_blank">read full proposal here</a>):</p>
<p><strong>Require congressional review and approval of any government regulations that have a significant impact on the economy or burden small businesses.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Audit existing and pending regulations to identify and address those that hinder economic growth.</strong></p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color: #ff6600;">The Republicans, since Reagan, have been whittling down any regulations &#8211; which includes any green incentives, bank, and hedge funds. What the government needs is actual ethical CEO&#8217;s and ethical Government officials. Since that has not been the case regulation is needed.  Regulations do not hurt the general public it creates a dependable economy.  Deregulating for the sake of the economy is like deregulating banks for the sake of selling homes.</span></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Lowering the tax rate for businesses</strong></p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color: #ff6600;">The US is debt because of spending support for multiple wars, not because honest people working and paying taxes. Corporate taxes are a local tax, not a federal focus.  Walmart and the big corporation do not pay taxes (legal loop holes don&#8217;t make it ethical) and it hinders the infrastructure of the state and local.  Let the local tax determine the commercial tax, not the federal government.</span></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Reform the tax code to allow American businesses to bring back their overseas profits without having to pay a tax penalty so they can invest in our economy and create American jobs.</strong></p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color: #ff9900;">What? The GOP wants those make reward profiteering utilizing cheap labor overseas?</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">A simple tax penalty for any company that </span><a title="US Exporting Less Importing More : Bigger Margins" href="http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2008/09/19/us-importing-less-than-export-bigger-margins/"><span style="color: #ff9900;">exports products that only return to the US for greater profit</span></a><span style="color: #ff9900;">.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">A simple tax penalty for any company for each employee not a US citizen $3.00/hour. </span>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">That would not only bring jobs back to the US but it would eliminate illegal Alien hiring practices.  The US already has a social security system and all employers must work within that system for tax purposes.</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">A simple tax penalty for any company for each 1099 employee &#8211; $25,000 year.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="color: #ff9900;">Pass the three pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea to create up to 250,000 jobs.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff9900;">The United States has 11 (free trade agreements) FTAs in force with 17 countries. In addition, the United States has negotiated FTAs with Korea,Panama and Colombia, but these agreements have not yet entered into force. The United States is also in the process of negotiating a regional FTA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, with Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff9900;"><strong>U.S. FTA Partner Countries</strong></span></p>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">Australia</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">Bahrain</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">Chile</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">DR-CAFTA: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, &amp; Nicaragua</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">Israel</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">Jordan</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">Morocco</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">NAFTA: Canada &amp; Mexico</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">Oman</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">Peru</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #ff9900;">Singapore</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><span style="color: #ff9900;">Many of these countries have a FTA with China . . . so turn your labels over . . .when was the last time you saw &#8220;Made in the USA&#8221;.  China monopolizes our countries with their products.</span></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Continue to open new markets to American made products</strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff9900;">What does the US actually make? If you must know . . . food that is processed overseas and returned to us in form of &#8220;Hamburger Helper&#8221; (</span><a href="http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2008/09/19/us-importing-less-than-export-bigger-margins/"><span style="color: #ff9900;">read here . . .</span></a><span style="color: #ff9900;">).</span></p>
<p><strong>Modernize our patent system to protect our nation’s innovators, discourage frivolous lawsuits, and expedite patent reviews.</strong></p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color: #ff9900;">That doesn&#8217;t create jobs. Remember the US don&#8217;t actually make anything anymore. Things are cheaper coming from China.  There is not one product that was invented in the US that isn&#8217;t made overseas (better and cheaper I might add).  This patent issue isn&#8217;t a domestic one, it is an international one.  Since the US isn&#8217;t part of a global economy this is a time-waster and only looks good on paper.</span></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Re-Authorize and improve federal programs and approval processes to streamline development of new products</strong></p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color: #ff9900;">Again, I have to ask . . . what new products?</span></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Remove barriers to building a first class workforce so that the United States can compete in the global marketplace and lead the way in technological development and growth.</strong></p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color: #ff9900;">Barriers = Regulations &#8212; deregulating is the reason the US economy failed.</span></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Build upon the House Republicans’ Budget by enacting significant spending cuts.</strong></p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color: #ff9900;">Without tax increases this is just the same old song.  The GOP fails the average american time and time again with magical words of wealth &#8211; but only the richer get richer. </span></p></blockquote>
<h2><a href="http://www.thecontemplation.com/wp-content/uploads/lightbulb.png"><img onError="javascript: wp_404_images_fix = window.wp_404_images_fix || function(){}; wp_404_images_fix(this);"  class="alignright size-full wp-image-10890" title="lightbulb" src="http://www.thecontemplation.com/wp-content/uploads/lightbulb.png" alt="" width="200" height="332" /></a>Final Thoughts</h2>
<p>The GOP platform stands on the concept that wealth is universal and that with the right plan every US Citizen will be the wealthiest in the world.  The problem is History tells us differently.  The failure of the US economy is due to:</p>
<ul>
<li>Corporate friendly tax codes,</li>
<li>Rewarding through our low import tariffs overseas job creation,</li>
<li>Putting hope into a &#8220;trickle down economy&#8221;</li>
<li>Deregulation,</li>
<li>Lobby Run Government</li>
<li>Unethical Government Officials.
<ul>
<li>Yes unethical. Just because you can doesn&#8217;t mean it is the right thing to do.  Just because a Fortune 500 Company can, legally, through loop holes and creative accounting &#8211; doesn&#8217;t mean it is ethical.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The only solution for true job creation is force job creation on the US by doing the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Raise Import Tax</li>
<li>Tax Penalty for Employers that
<ul>
<li>Exports products that only returns to the US.</li>
<li>Each employee not a US citizen $3.00/hour.</li>
<li>Each 1099 employee &#8211; $25,000 year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Regulate and Enforce Corporations, Government Agencies and Local Government</li>
<li>Rebuild a strong US Infrastructure (roads, utilities, water supply . . .)</li>
<li>Mandatory National Broadband
<ul>
<li>The future is cottage industries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The solutions to job creation is not the responsibility of Corporations (it is profit focused) &#8211; it is in our Government.  We must demand the Government to stop looking towards Corporations without demanding regulation, tax increases and tax penalties in oversea jobs.<strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2012/01/20/european-outpace-united-states-in-use-of-technology/" rel="bookmark" title="January 20, 2012">European Outpace United States in Use of Technology</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2011/12/22/norway-and-us-need-to-talk-fish/" rel="bookmark" title="December 22, 2011">Norway and US Need To Talk Fish</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2012/02/10/02-10-2012-10-things-in-tech-you-need-to-know/" rel="bookmark" title="February 10, 2012">02-10-2012 :: 10 Things in Tech You Need To Know</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2012/02/08/bbc-iplayer-plans-charging-for-archive-access/" rel="bookmark" title="February 8, 2012">BBC iPlayer Plans Charging for Archive Access</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2012/02/08/02-08-2012-10-things-in-tech-you-need-to-know/" rel="bookmark" title="February 8, 2012">02-08-2012 :: 10 Things in Tech You Need To Know</a></li>
</ul>
<p><!-- Similar Posts took 498.235 ms --></p>
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		<title>Slow Death of 80&#8242;s Dependency of Brand Names</title>
		<link>http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2009/06/15/slow-death-of-80s-dependency-of-brand-names/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2009/06/15/slow-death-of-80s-dependency-of-brand-names/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:20:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>rhea</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shopping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brand names]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[poor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recession]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rich]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spending]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[New consumer polling data shows that an overwhelming majority of U.S. supermarket shoppers will continue purchasing store brand products after the recession is over. A poll conducted this month by GfK Custom Research North America for the Private Label Manufacturers Association reports that 91% of shoppers say they will keep buying store brand products after the recession ends. Conversely, only 8% of the consumer polled said they will stop buying these products. The quality of store brand products is a big factor in convincing shoppers to keep buying them. The GfK poll found that 9 of every 10 shoppers agree that the store brand products they buy are just as good as, or better than, national brand products. This positive experience makes shoppers eager for an even greater assortment of store brand products from which to choose. Nearly half of consumers polled said they wanted their supermarket to carry a greater assortment of private label products. GfK found that the recession is still having a big impact on shoppers: More than half (54%) of them say the recession is an important factor in their decision-making and 32% say it is very important.* Well into the recession, shoppers are still switching [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>New consumer polling data shows that an overwhelming majority of U.S. supermarket shoppers will continue purchasing store brand products after the recession is over.</p>
<p>A poll conducted this month by <a href="http://www.gfkamerica.com/research_support/index.en.html" target="_blank">GfK Custom Research North America for the Private Label Manufacturers Association</a> reports that 91% of shoppers say they will keep buying store brand products after the recession ends. Conversely, only 8% of the consumer polled said they will stop buying these products.</p>
<p>The quality of store brand products is a big factor in convincing shoppers to keep buying them. The GfK poll found that 9 of every 10 shoppers agree that the store brand products they buy are just as good as, or better than, national brand products.</p>
<p>This positive experience makes shoppers eager for an even greater assortment of store brand products from which to choose. Nearly half of consumers polled said they wanted their supermarket to carry a greater assortment of private label products.</p>
<p>GfK found that the recession is still having a big impact on shoppers:</p>
<ul>
<li> More than half (54%) of them say the recession is an important factor in their decision-making and 32% say it is very important.*</li>
<li>Well into the recession, shoppers are still switching to store brands. The poll found that 35% of shoppers are trying store brand products in categories where they had previously only purchased national brand items.</li>
<li>More than 3 of every 10 shoppers say they are now buying more store brand products than they were a year ago.</li>
</ul>
<p>These are some of the results included in PLMA&#8217;s ongoing study, &#8220;Store Brands and The Recession,&#8221; based on GfK&#8217;s nationwide poll of nearly 800 main household grocery shoppers.</p>
<h2>One Step Forward</h2>
<p>Now we just need to scrub a little deeper to get rid of the 80&#8242;s stench of label dependency.  We need to end what Jordache Jeans did to the clothing industry; Jordache Jeans took a one of the tree basic needs of all humans (clothing) and turned it into major profit and with over commercialization.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blaSB4Z-7zI</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The new generation was expected to tear down the walls of clothing dependency and bring true individuality. But we can&#8217;t seem to keep those 30/40-something moms out of &#8220;Baby Gap&#8221; or &#8220;Old Navy&#8221; and into the R5 mode .</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a rel="attachment wp-att-4072" href="http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2009/06/15/slow-death-of-80s-dependency-of-brand-names/green-recycling-logo/"><img onError="javascript: wp_404_images_fix = window.wp_404_images_fix || function(){}; wp_404_images_fix(this);"  class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4072" title="green-recycling-logo" src="http://www.thecontemplation.com/wp-content/uploads/green-recycling-logo.gif" alt="green-recycling-logo" width="100" height="94" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #339966;">Reduce * Reuse * Recycle * Rethink * Renew</span></strong></p>
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		<title>March Comes With Office Madness</title>
		<link>http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2009/03/10/march-comes-with-office-madness/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2009/03/10/march-comes-with-office-madness/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:21:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>rhea</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[change management]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[hr]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[When the NCAA men&#8217;s basketball tournament begins later this month, millions of fans across the country will be looking to follow the games, which take place mostly during the workday, on their phones, at lunch or at their desks through the streaming online video service offered by CBS, the NCAA&#8217;s official network. Claire Simmers, Ph.D., professor of management at Saint Joseph&#8217;s University in Philadelphia, believes that watching the games during the day can provide a challenge to employers and employees alike. Simmers&#8221;With streaming services and portable devices like iPhones, you can watch these games anywhere,&#8221; Simmers says. &#8220;As an employer, you have to be up front with your employees and reiterate that outcomes are important. At the same time, though, you can allow your employees to watch the games as long as it doesn&#8217;t affect productivity.&#8221; The delicate balance between work and play is especially relevant given today&#8217;s economic conditions, according to Simmers. &#8220;From the employee&#8217;s perspective, you don&#8217;t want to lay your job on the line for a game,&#8221; she says. &#8220;If it isn&#8217;t cool with your boss to be watching the NCAA, take a vacation day or catch up during your break times. But from the employer&#8217;s perspective, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img onError="javascript: wp_404_images_fix = window.wp_404_images_fix || function(){}; wp_404_images_fix(this);"  class="alignleft" style="margin: 5px;" title="MM" src="http://redsbar.net/images/logos/sports_packs/MegaMarchMadness_logo.gif" alt="" width="130" height="140" />When the NCAA men&#8217;s basketball tournament begins later this month, millions of fans across the country will be looking to follow the games, which take place mostly during the workday, on their phones, at lunch or at their desks through the streaming online video service offered by CBS, the NCAA&#8217;s official network. Claire Simmers, Ph.D., professor of management at Saint Joseph&#8217;s University in Philadelphia, believes that watching the games during the day can provide a challenge to employers and employees alike.</p>
<blockquote><p>Simmers&#8221;With streaming services and portable devices like iPhones, you can watch these games anywhere,&#8221; Simmers says. &#8220;As an employer, you have to be up front with your employees and reiterate that outcomes are important. At the same time, though, you can allow your employees to watch the games as long as it doesn&#8217;t affect productivity.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>The delicate balance between work and play is especially relevant given today&#8217;s economic conditions, according to Simmers. &#8220;From the employee&#8217;s perspective, you don&#8217;t want to lay your job on the line for a game,&#8221; she says. &#8220;If it isn&#8217;t cool with your boss to be watching the NCAA, take a vacation day or catch up during your break times. But from the employer&#8217;s perspective, with money for raises likely to be tight this year, this might be one of those non-monetary perks that you can offer, with the stipulation that needed work still gets done. March Madness is an opportunity for all sports fans to take a little mental vacation from a very stressful economic time.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Online Pool Resources</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.runyourpool.com/" target="_blank">Run Your Pool</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.runyourpool.com/" target="_blank">NCAA Pool Manager</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.simplysportsware.com/" target="_blank">Simply Sports</a></li>
<li><a href="http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/" target="_blank">Yahoo!</a> (Chance to win big money)</li>
</ul>
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		<title>Stimulus Package Soapbox</title>
		<link>http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2009/02/25/stimulus-package-soapbox/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2009/02/25/stimulus-package-soapbox/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:08:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>rhea</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DIY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[survive]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[While the U.S. Government wrestles with the details of President Obama&#8217;s proposed stimulus package, a mystery man is moving quickly to give locals the money they need. Today, from 10am to 4pm at Union Station, Bailout Bill, Founder of BailoutBooth.com, will be giving away $50,000 in cash to anyone and everyone who walks up and explains why they need a bailout. &#8220;People need money and we&#8217;re here to give it to them,&#8221; says Bailout Bill, Founder of BailoutBooth.com. &#8220;Times are tough and the government is taking a long time to get their act together, so while they&#8217;re letting politics get in the way of helping people, we&#8217;re here to give bailouts to as many people as possible.&#8221; Will the Stimulus Bill Money Reach Your Pocketbook? NO What is the actual impact of the Stimulus? You will not feel it!  This is not about who is in office (I wanted Barr) it is about decision making.  President Bush bailed out the corporations in hopes of maintaining productivity, jobs and profit . . . it didn&#8217;t work.  Layoff and unemployment is up and will rise until the United States understands one simple thing : Any country that doesn&#8217;t produce any product that is wanted/needed/dependent globally [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img onError="javascript: wp_404_images_fix = window.wp_404_images_fix || function(){}; wp_404_images_fix(this);"  class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-2812" title="soapbox" src="http://www.thecontemplation.com/wp-content/uploads/soapbox-100x100.jpg" alt="soapbox" width="100" height="100" />While the U.S. Government wrestles with the details of President Obama&#8217;s proposed stimulus package, a mystery man is moving quickly to give locals the money they need. Today, from 10am to 4pm at Union Station, Bailout Bill, Founder of <a href="http://BailoutBooth.com" target="_blank">BailoutBooth.com</a>, will be giving away $50,000 in cash to anyone and everyone who walks up and explains why they need a bailout.</p>
<p>&#8220;People need money and we&#8217;re here to give it to them,&#8221; says Bailout Bill, Founder of BailoutBooth.com. &#8220;Times are tough and the government is taking a long time to get their act together, so while they&#8217;re letting politics get in the way of helping people, we&#8217;re here to give bailouts to as many people as possible.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Will the Stimulus Bill Money Reach Your Pocketbook?</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;">NO</p>
<h2>What is the actual impact of the Stimulus?</h2>
<p>You will not feel it!  This is not about who is in office (I wanted Barr) it is about decision making.  President Bush bailed out the corporations in hopes of maintaining productivity, jobs and profit . . . it didn&#8217;t work.  Layoff and unemployment is up and will rise until the United States understands one simple thing :</p>
<p>Any country that doesn&#8217;t produce any product that is wanted/needed/dependent globally it will be a poor country.</p>
<p>The only true commodity of &#8216;The States&#8217; is it&#8217;s workforce, the number of <strong>individuals </strong>with the <strong>ability </strong>to go to work daily is astounding.  Allow me to point out two things:</p>
<ul>
<li>Ability doesn&#8217;t mean willing</li>
<li>Individuals doesn&#8217;t mean US citizens</li>
</ul>
<p>Until all US citizens have jobs that will impact their ability to have the three musts for survival : food, clothing and shelter.  Those three survival needs have nothing to do with owning a home, having a television nor spending $100 for sneakers or jeans.  The basics of &#8216;The States&#8217; has been perverted into greed and high priced items.</p>
<p>The only way the stimulus package will make any difference is for &#8216;The States&#8217; and its citizens to place food, clothing and shelter back on the priority list . . . and only be the list for the next 5 years. Until then, &#8216;The States&#8217; will suffer a long hard financial crisis.</p>
<h2>Solutions to Survive</h2>
<ul>
<li>Shop only local owned and operated stores.</li>
<li>Avoid box stores and franchises.</li>
<li>Carpool or alternative transportation to work (bike, walk, public transportation)</li>
<li>Remove your television cost.
<ul>
<li>Cut the cable/satellite bill down to $0.00 and start hooking up that antenna.  The conversion has already started and you will not miss a local sporting event.</li>
<li>If you need anything, it is internet.   Everything is available online . . . everything.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Victory Garden</li>
<li>Cook from scratch
<ul>
<li>Making your own soup is cheaper than any Cambells soup.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Stop redundant technology
<ul>
<li>Do you have an stove, toaster, toaster oven, pizza oven, and microwave?
<ul>
<li>If you have an electric stove . . . that is all you need, seriously.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Do you have a home phone, work phone, cell phone?
<ul>
<li>Get skype or just a cell phone.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Do you have more than one automobile?
<ul>
<li>If you live in a city, you do not really need one.  Rent for long trips.</li>
<li>If you live in the country, you only need one car.  If you can&#8217;t make it work, then think about telecommuting a few days a week.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Do you have more than one television?
<ul>
<li>One question. Why?</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Socialize
<ul>
<li>Eat at home before going to the local pub to watch sports</li>
<li>Have a potluck at your home</li>
<li>Join a group, they are free (not on the internet).</li>
<li>If there isn&#8217;t a club or group that interests you . . . organize one.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Food doesn&#8217;t have to be plenty.
<ul>
<li>You just need three meals a day to maintain a healthy diet.</li>
<li>Control yourself  and and actually make your own meals.  Eating out (even fast food) should be considered a luxury.</li>
<li>A good meal is plated 1/4 protein, 1/4 starch and 1/2 vegetables</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>To survive and succeed in a financial trouble times *drink* it takes determination, outlook and self control.  Not one of the US citizens&#8217; strong trait.  That is OK.  The rest of the world will get richer and stronger.  Maybe UK will bring the colonies back into the fold.</p>
<p><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=kc7lcji8jss&amp;offerid=168371.10000002&amp;type=4&amp;subid=0" target="new"><img onError="javascript: wp_404_images_fix = window.wp_404_images_fix || function(){}; wp_404_images_fix(this);"  src="http://www.dailysteals.com/userfiles/image/banners/468x60-vibecellular-01.gif" border="0" alt="Vibe Cellular.com Animated" /></a><img onError="javascript: wp_404_images_fix = window.wp_404_images_fix || function(){}; wp_404_images_fix(this);"  src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=kc7lcji8jss&amp;bids=168371.10000002&amp;type=4&amp;subid=0" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p>
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		<title>President Obama&#8217;s First Address</title>
		<link>http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2009/02/24/president-obamas-first-address/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thecontemplation.com/index.php/2009/02/24/president-obamas-first-address/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:44:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>rhea</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreign policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[investment opportunity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recession]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thecontemplation.com/?p=2803</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Following are excerpts of President Obama&#8217;s address to the joint session of Congress: &#8220;While our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this: We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before. &#8220;The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation. The answers to our problems don&#8217;t lie beyond our reach. They exist in our laboratories and universities; in our fields and our factories; in the imaginations of our entrepreneurs and the pride of the hardest-working people on Earth. Those qualities that have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history we still possess in ample measure. What is required now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more. &#8220;We have lived through an era where too often, short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity; where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election. A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the wealthy instead of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Following  are excerpts of President Obama&#8217;s address to the joint session of Congress:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;While our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this: We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.</p>
<p>&#8220;The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation. The answers to our problems don&#8217;t lie beyond our reach. They exist in our laboratories and universities; in our fields and our factories; in the imaginations of our entrepreneurs and the pride of the hardest-working people on Earth. Those qualities that have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history we still possess in ample measure. What is required now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have lived through an era where too often, short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity; where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election. A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future. Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of a healthy market. People bought homes they knew they couldn&#8217;t afford from banks and lenders who pushed those bad loans anyway. And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day.</p>
<p>&#8220;Well that day of reckoning has arrived, and the time to take charge of our future is here.</p>
<p>&#8220;Now is the time to act boldly and wisely &#8211; to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity. Now is the time to jumpstart job creation, re-start lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down. That is what my economic agenda is designed to do, and that&#8217;s what I&#8217;d like to talk to you about tonight.</p>
<p>&#8220;The recovery plan and the financial stability plan are the immediate steps we&#8217;re taking to revive our economy in the short-term. But the only way to fully restore America&#8217;s economic strength is to make the long-term investments that will lead to new jobs, new industries, and a renewed ability to compete with the rest of the world. The only way this century will be another American century is if we confront at last the price of our dependence on oil and the high cost of health care; the schools that aren&#8217;t preparing our children and the mountain of debt they stand to inherit. That is our responsibility.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the next few days, I will submit a budget to Congress. So often, we have come to view these documents as simply numbers on a page or laundry lists of programs. I see this document differently. I see it as a vision for America &#8211; as a blueprint for our future.</p>
<p>&#8220;My budget does not attempt to solve every problem or address every issue. It reflects the stark reality of what we&#8217;ve inherited &#8211; a trillion dollar deficit, a financial crisis, and a costly recession.</p>
<p>&#8220;Given these realities, everyone in this chamber &#8211; Democrats and Republicans &#8211; will have to sacrifice some worthy priorities for which there are no dollars. And that includes me.</p>
<p>&#8220;But that does not mean we can afford to ignore our long-term challenges. I reject the view that says our problems will simply take care of themselves; that says government has no role in laying the foundation for our common prosperity.</p>
<p>&#8220;Yesterday, I held a fiscal summit where I pledged to cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term in office. My administration has also begun to go line by line through the federal budget in order to eliminate wasteful and ineffective programs. As you can imagine, this is a process that will take some time. But we&#8217;re starting with the biggest lines. We have already identified two trillion dollars in savings over the next decade.</p>
<p>&#8220;In this budget, we will end education programs that don&#8217;t work and end direct payments to large agribusinesses that don&#8217;t need them. We&#8217;ll eliminate the no-bid contracts that have wasted billions in Iraq, and reform our defense budget so that we&#8217;re not paying for Cold War-era weapons systems we don&#8217;t use. We will root out the waste, fraud, and abuse in our Medicare program that doesn&#8217;t make our seniors any healthier, and we will restore a sense of fairness and balance to our tax code by finally ending the tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas.</p>
<p>&#8220;I know that we haven&#8217;t agreed on every issue thus far, and there are surely times in the future when we will part ways. But I also know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to succeed. That must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months, and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which the American people expect us to build common ground.</p>
<p>&#8220;But in my life, I have also learned that hope is found in unlikely places; that inspiration often comes not from those with the most power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations of Americans who are anything but ordinary.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think about Leonard Abess, the bank president from Miami who reportedly cashed out of his company, took a $60 million bonus, and gave it out to all 399 people who worked for him, plus another 72 who used to work for him. He didn&#8217;t tell anyone, but when the local newspaper found out, he simply said, &#8216;I knew some of these people since I was 7 years old. I didn&#8217;t feel right getting the money myself.&#8217;</p>
<p>&#8220;I think about Greensburg, Kansas, a town that was completely destroyed by a tornado, but is being rebuilt by its residents as a global example of how clean energy can power an entire community &#8211; how it can bring jobs and businesses to a place where piles of bricks and rubble once lay. &#8216;The tragedy was terrible,&#8217; said one of the men who helped them rebuild. &#8216;&#8221;But the folks here know that it also provided an incredible opportunity.&#8217;</p>
<p>&#8220;And I think about Ty&#8217;Sheoma Bethea, the young girl from that school I visited in Dillon, South Carolina &#8211; a place where the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their classroom. She has been told that her school is hopeless, but the other day after class she went to the public library and typed up a letter to the people sitting in this room. She even asked her principal for the money to buy a stamp. The letter asks us for help, and says, &#8216;We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world.  We are not quitters.&#8217;&#8221;</p></blockquote>
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