Reactions to story from The Washington Post

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  Boehners New GOP Strategy: Same Policies, Refurbished Message

  http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/14/boehner-gop-message/
  70 days ago in Think Progress » Home Page · Authority: 6,278

  Boehners New GOP Strategy: Same Policies, Refurbished Message Filed Under: Congress By Satyam at 4:43 pm Boehners New GOP Strategy: Same Policies, Refurbished Message Last week, an ABC News poll found that 82 percent of the public thinks the country is
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  Democrats to Blame for High Gas Prices

  http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2008/5/14/85021/7134
  71 days ago in Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community · Authority: 541

  Democrats to Blame for High Gas Prices by Steven D Wed May 14th, 2008 at 08:50:21 AM EST According to Rush Limbaugh, master economist as well as the smartest man in America, Democrats are to blame for high gas prices. And he's right you know. I found
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  Landsfeðurnir yrðu svekktir

  http://eyjan.is/freedomfries/index.php/archives/821
  18 days ago in freedomfries · Authority: 13

  CNN birti á föstudag niðurstöður athyglisverðrar könnunar, en samkvæmt henni er yfirgnæfandi meirihluti þjóðarinnar þeirrar skoðunar að landsfeðurnir, “the founding fathers”, myndu hundóánægðir með hverskonar land Bandaríkin eru í dag. 69% segja að landsfeðurnir myndu verða fyrir vonbrigðum með Bandaríkin væru þeir uppi í dag, og aðeins 29% telja að þeir yrðu ánægðir. Það sem gerir þessar tölur virkilega sláandi er að þegar núverandi forseti tók við völdum voru 54% Bandaríkjamanna þeirrar skoðunar að landsfeðurnir myndu hæstánægðir með Bandaríkin. Það er líklega ekki heldur nein tilviljun að 29% Bandaríkjamanna telja Bush vera að standa sig vel í starfi. Þessi svartsýni virðist meðal annars komin til vegna slæms efnahagsástands, því samkvæmt könnunum hafa 68% þjóðarinnar áhyggjur af því að lífsgæði þeirra minnki á næstu árum. Í vor fjallaði Washington Post um áhyggjur Bandaríkjamanna af efnahagsástandinu: More than eight in 10 said the country has veered pretty seriously off-track, and a separate poll released yesterday by ABC showed economic anxiety at its highest level on record since 1981. Overall, 68 percent of people surveyed in the new Post-ABC poll said they were concerned about their ability to keep up their lifestyles, a jump of 17 percentage points since December. The increase cuts across party and income lines, spreading rapidly among Republicans, people from rural areas and those from middle- and upper-income households. Í gær fjallaði AP líka um ástand mála í Bandaríkjunum: The nation’s psyche is battered and bruised, the sense of pessimism palpable. Young or old, Republican or Democrat, economically stable or struggling, Americans are questioning where they are and where they are going. And they wonder who or what might ride to their rescue. These are more than mere gripes, but rather an expression of fears — concerns reflected not only in the many recent polls that show consumer confidence plummeting, personal happiness waning and more folks worrying that the country is headed in the wrong direction, but also in conversations happening all across the land. AP bendir á að Bandaríkjamenn séu um þessar mundir svartsýnni en nokkru sinni síðustu 30 ár. Innan við 17% þjóðarinnar telja að Bandaríkin stefni í rétta átt. Those feelings, coupled with government corruption scandals, lingering doubts over whether the Iraq war was justified, even memories of the chaotic response to Hurricane Katrina, have culminated in an erosion of our customary faith that elected leaders can get us out of a jam. Það er þó allavegana helvíti góður árangur hjá Bush og Repúblíkönum að hafa tekist með ofstjórn sinni, spillingu og vanhæfni að sannfæra Bandaríkjamenn endanlega um að ríkinu sé ekki treystandi! En mistökin eru til að læra af þeim, og kjósendum er fulljóst hvor flokkurinn hefur verið við völd undanfarin ár, og hvaða flokkur ber því ábyrgð á ömurlegu ástandi mála. AP: Throughout our history, tough times have proved to be learning moments that provoked course corrections. The Civil War brought an end to slavery. Sit-ins and mass demonstrations prompted anti-segregation laws. Sept. 11 led to new anti-terrorism vigilance. As Bob Dylan once said, “Chaos is a friend of mine.” At least it can be. Perhaps, out of these trying days, we may see a more comprehensive energy policy, a sooner-than-later resolution of the war and, even, a more profound sense of personal responsibility — the motivation we needed to spend within our means, or make use of car-pool lanes and mass transit. It’s happening already, in big ways and small. Þó það sé oft auðvelt að örvænta þegar maður fylgist með bandarískum stjórnmálum er ég mjög bjartsýnn um Bandaríkin og framtíð þeirra. Bandaríkjamenn eru alls ekki eins slæmir og margir vilja vera láta. Eftir að hafa séð hverskonar afleiðingar óábyrg ríkisfjármál, innistæðulausar skattalækkanir til hinna tekjuhæstu eða ábyrgðarlaus og glæfraleg utanríkisstefna, bera með sér, held ég að þjóðin sé tilbúin til að breyta til.
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  America’s unhappy birthday.

  http://politics.nuovoportale.com/america%e2%80%99s-unhappy-b...
  18 days ago in News portal: politics best aggregator of the net · Authority: 12

  As the nation celebrated its 232nd birthday, people across America were more worried about how much is “wrong right now.” The AP writes, “The nation’s psyche is battered and bruised, the sense of pessimism palpable.” An example in its report from the Optimist Club in Gilbert, AZ: They use words such as “terrified,” “disgusted” and “scary” to describe what one calls “this mess” we Americans find ourselves in. … One member’s son is serving his second tour in Iraq. Another speaks of a daughter who’s lost her job in the mortgage industry and a son in construction whose salary was slashed. Still another mentions a friend who can barely afford gas. Joanne Kontak, 60, an elementary school lunch aid inducted just this day as an Optimist, sums things up like this: “There’s just entirely too much wrong right now.” Happy birthday, America? This year, we’re not so sure. A May Washington Post-ABC News poll found that nearly “seven in 10 Americans are worried about maintaining their standard of living,” and a separate ABC poll showed economic anxiety at its “highest level on record since 1981.”
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  America’s unhappy birthday.

  http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/05/americas-unhappy-birthda...
  18 days ago in Think Progress » Home Page · Authority: 6,469

  America’s unhappy birthday. Filed Under: Economy By Amanda on Jul 5th, 2008 at 10:13 pm America’s unhappy birthday. As the nation celebrated its 232nd birthday, people across America were more worried about how much is “wrong right now.” The AP writes, “The nation’s psyche is battered and bruised, the sense of pessimism palpable.” An example in its report from the Optimist Club in Gilbert, AZ: They use words such as “terrified,” “disgusted” and “scary” to describe what one calls “this mess” we Americans find ourselves in. … One member’s son is serving his second tour in Iraq. Another speaks of a daughter who’s lost her job in the mortgage industry and a son in construction whose salary was slashed. Still another mentions a friend who can barely afford gas. Joanne Kontak, 60, an elementary school lunch aid inducted just this day as an Optimist, sums things up like this: “There’s just entirely too much wrong right now.” Happy birthday, America? This year, we’re not so sure. A May Washington Post-ABC News poll found that nearly “seven in 10 Americans are worried about maintaining their standard of living,” and a separate ABC poll showed economic anxiety at its “highest level on record since 1981.”
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  July 4th Weekend

  http://kenneturner.wordpress.com/2008/07/05/july-4th-weekend...
  18 days ago in Kenneturner’s Weblog · No authority yet

  It’s One of Those Working Weekends Joy has two new listings, one going into MLS today and one early next week.  They both are re-lo’s, which generally involve additional work on our part.  The above image was an accident as I was busily taking photos of Joy’s latest listing. It’s always fun taking photos of attractive, well taken care of homes. Now it’s back to generating more marketing on this holiday for our 232nd birthday when most Americans are experiencing economic anxiety at its highest level since 1981. It’s time to “open up the window, let the bad air out.” kenne
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  Majority of Americans worried about their economic situation

  http://www.populistnews.com/2008/06/majority-of-ame.html
  38 days ago in Populist News · No authority yet

  Since 2001, the weekly median wage in the US has declined. While home ownership has skyrocketed since then, so have home foreclosures. As we enter what may end up being the second recession under Bush's leadership, a majority of Americans question their own ability to stay afloat: Nearly seven in 10 Americans are worried about maintaining their standard of living, as concern has spiked higher in just the past five months, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Soaring consumer prices are a major challenge, with many people struggling under the weight of the rising costs of fuel, food and health care. The poll shows that the weak economy and rising prices are high among voters' concerns, and contribute to a souring national mood in this presidential election year. More than eight in 10 said the country has veered pretty seriously off-track, and a separate poll released yesterday by ABC showed economic anxiety at its highest level on record since 1981. What's even more striking is how bad household debt has become: In just the past seven years, U.S. household debt almost doubled and federal debt soared by near two-thirds, rocketing by a combined $10.5 trillion. The total combined debt of households ($14.4 trillion) and the federal government ($9.2 trillion) is now 168 percent of GDP, far higher even than in the brief spike during World War II. All other levels and ratios of debt also have soared far beyond any past precedent. While government figures show that consumer prices rose more than expected in the month of May, according to The Wall Street Journal, this current economic slowdown is what is preventing an even larger inflation spike. So as bad as it is, it could be worse.
• 

  No podemos dejar de consumir

  http://tolocar.blogspot.com/2008/05/no-podemos-dejar-de-cons...
  70 days ago in Palabras, pensamientos, Ideas,... · Authority: 4

  No podemos dejar de consumir Image via WikipediaNearly seven in 10 Americans are worried about maintaining their standard of living, as concern has spiked higher in just the past five months, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Soaring consumer prices are a major challenge, with many people struggling under the weight of the rising costs of fuel, food and health care. ...Cada vez más norteamericanos están preocupados por mantener su nivel de vida, según encuesta realizada por el Washington Post y ABC News. Overall, 68 percent of people surveyed in the new Post-ABC poll said they were concerned about their ability to keep up their lifestyles... ... Una de las cosas que les preocupa más es el precio del petroleo. Overall, two-thirds called rising gasoline prices a financial hardship, including a third who said higher pump prices have proved to be a severe burden. ... Y lo bueno del caso que en Nortemaerica pagan de promedio más o menos la gasolina a mitad de precio de lo que lo pagamos un europeo. "The $3.65 gas is killing us. The $2.75 gas was killing us. And, quite frankly, I don't see how the government can stand by and be completely idle and ruin the economy," ... El precio del petroleo no deja de subir, pero la gente no puede dejar de emplear su automóvil y en los últimos 5 años el consumo de gasolina no ha dejado de aumentar en USA. U.S. gasoline consumption has continued to grow gradually over the past five years even as crude oil prices have quadrupled, but there are some signs in the poll that prices have finally hit a level that is altering driving habits. ... Así que tenemos que esperar y desear que el precio del petroleo aumente más si queremos ver que los norteamericanos cambian sus hábitos con respecto al coche. But those who have not pared back their car use -- more than half of all respondents -- said that, on average, the price of gasoline would need to reach $5.65 a gallon before they significantly curtailed their driving.Fuente: Washington Post El mundo cambia muy deprisa, pero el ser humano lo hace muy poco a poco Related articlesU.S. inflation tame but gas spike expected [via Zemanta]Heating fuel, diesel costs surge for N.L. consumers [via Zemanta]Chevron posts best Q1 profits [via Zemanta] Publicado por Carles Codina Calm
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  Union nurses fighting for middle-class

  http://www.bloggingformichigan.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1939
  69 days ago in Blogging For Michigan : Michigan Economic Development Blog : Michigan Policy Blog · Authority: 122

  Here's some followup information on the rally led by Teamsters President Jim Hoffa in support of the nurses from Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc. (They're working under a 30-day extended contract after a deadline passed without a new contract. Genesys has proposed a two-year wage freeze with a 1 percent increase in the third year.) The rally drew hundreds of supporters together and Hoffa led the crowd in a chant of "We want a contract!" He was joined on the stage by Democratic union supporters Lt. Gov. John Cherry and Sen John Gleason. "This whole situation feels like David and Goliath. But we don't need more slingshots - we need bigger rocks. James P. Hoffa is our really big rock," Teamsters Local 332 President Nina Bugbee said shortly before the rally to support about 1,000 Genesys nurses embroiled in contract negotiations since Feb. 21. [...] "This is bigger than what's going on at Genesys. This is about an attack on workers in every industry," said Bugbee. "Mr. Hoffa is here to lock arms with all unions to expose corporate greed and to help hang on to the American Dream of middle-class America." This is bigger than what's going on at Genesys - or even American Axle. Whether blue collar or white collar, nearly seven in 10 Americans are worried about maintaining their standard of living. They can't afford to go backwards by giving up wages or accepting a pay freeze. They're struggling to pay for rising gas, food and health care on the money they're earning today. It's not just wages that are under attack either... In the nurses case, piedpiper99 pointed out that Ascension Health (owner of Genesys) wants to raise nurse to patient ratios, have the ability to switch their shifts with only ten days notice and work part-timers full time hours. As piedpiper99 says, "If they can work part-time full-time why ever hire full time again?? What happens to the nurses that want to work full time with full time benefits?" That corporate mentality helps explain this: More than 306,000 part-time workers were added to payrolls in April. That brought the national number of part-time workers to 5.2 million, inflating the overall employment rate. This level was 849,000 (jobs) higher than in April 2007. And the number of people working part-time by necessity, is at the highest level since 1993, and an average of 1.8 million people held two jobs in 2007, the highest since the government began tracking the statistic in 1994. The nurses at Genesys are right. This is bigger than just what's happening to them. It's happening to all of us. Solidarity!

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