Democratic jobs bill clears GOP filibuster, Scott Brown provides momentum

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

and a banana...

Republic?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Both sides need to work at this bipartisan thing. The Republicans need to have some input (and the Democrats need to listen) and the Democrats need to try inviting Republican input with at least some openness to listening,rather than just paying lip service and them doing what they wanted to do all along anyway.

Neither side in this mess is even the least bit innocent of feeding the problem.

Good on Scott Brown. Now let's find out if the Democrats in Congress will take appreciate his support, or take it for granted and try to use him. The Democrats on here already are, after trying to deride him when he got elected. Now he's the great Mass Rino. How quickly things change.

Agreed, it takes two to tango. Both sides must compromise. Somewhere in there, the people are what's important. And if Brown sticks to his guns, people may like that for a change and more like Brown will get elected from both parties. It's time to end the business as usual bullshit that goes on with both parties.

[SMR 368]

Looking at the original article, I find it odd that tax breaks only apply to those hiring the unemployed and not those creating new jobs, in general. What we need is for companies to make new jobs. Whether a company decides to hire someone who is working somewhere else to fill that new position or to hire someone who has been working for a month should not matter.

This is particularly troublesome if you consider that some people lost jobs and have since taken a different job with lower pay and perhaps not exactly in their field. These people are still looking for better jobs. Why do we want to encourage employers to hire those who have been sitting on unemployment instead of those who are working at different jobs.

The end goal is job creation. That will happen when an employer decides to increase the number of employees he is hiring, regardless of who he hires.

[Ali G. 37]

I just don't understand how tax breaks alone will do anything. Without the work being there, no one is going to hire for the sake of a tax break alone.

As such, the government needs to start to artificially stimulate the economy by means of much needed infrastructure projects, research grants, hire people to renovate various cities, build sidewalks, upgrade the shoddy 80's (embarrassing) airports etc etc etc. Only then would the tax breaks be effective. Naturally, none of this is going to happen as like many place throughout the country, our fellow local Republicans have decided the best place to cut funds is from our schools, from the country's future. Apparently while every other country is beefing up their education, including China a manufacturing nation, we are are cutting ours back.

Obviously any such measures are pointless if these jobs end up going to illegal aliens.

Edited February 23, 2010 by Booyah

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

As such, the government needs to start to artificially stimulate the economy by means of much needed infrastructure projects, research grants, hire people to renovate various cities, build sidewalks, upgrade the shoddy 80's (embarrassing) airports etc etc etc. Only then would the tax breaks be effective. Naturally, none of this is going to happen as like many place throughout the country, our fellow local Republicans have decided the best place to cut funds is from our schools, from the country's future.

I came back this weekend from what everyone agrees is a very poor part of a very poor nation.

And yet, even in that very poor part of what is already a poor nation, massive infrastructure projects abound. New flyovers meant to cut time spent navigating busy intersections, extensions to existing subway lines, creation of brand new subway lines, flood remediation projects intended to turn previously flood prone central districts into magnets for new commercial development, etc. Each and every one of these projects employs people and is going to have long-term positive effects for decades to come. Funny how no one takes all the ####### we hear in this country about "big government is bad" seriously. They are building up while we stay mired in silly arguments about ideology.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I came back this weekend from what everyone agrees is a very poor part of a very poor nation.

And yet, even in that very poor part of what is already a poor nation, massive infrastructure projects abound. New flyovers meant to cut time spent navigating busy intersections, extensions to existing subway lines, creation of brand new subway lines, flood remediation projects intended to turn previously flood prone central districts into magnets for new commercial development, etc. Each and every one of these projects employs people and is going to have long-term positive effects for decades to come. Funny how no one takes all the ####### we hear in this country about "big government is bad" seriously. They are building up while we stay mired in silly arguments about ideology.

I was watching a traveling program the other night from Germany. The American narrator, his wife and two children, were town hopping by train, which he said is very easy and cheap. He showed how all they needed to do was find bus no. 201 which will take them from the train depot all the way through to the center of town. Autos are restricted from the pathways the bus uses. Just really brilliant, well thought out design and integration of mass transportation.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I was watching a traveling program the other night from Germany. The American narrator, his wife and two children, were town hopping by train, which he said is very easy and cheap. He showed how all they needed to do was find bus no. 201 which will take them from the train depot all the way through to the center of town. Autos are restricted from the pathways the bus uses. Just really brilliant, well thought out design and integration of mass transportation.

NJ Transit is currently "studying" the feasibility of creating dedicated bus lines (i.e. no autos on the bus paths) along I-78 westward into PA. Granted, it is just a study at this point but I find it promising that they're even talking about it.

[Ali G. 37]

I came back this weekend from what everyone agrees is a very poor part of a very poor nation.

And yet, even in that very poor part of what is already a poor nation, massive infrastructure projects abound. New flyovers meant to cut time spent navigating busy intersections, extensions to existing subway lines, creation of brand new subway lines, flood remediation projects intended to turn previously flood prone central districts into magnets for new commercial development, etc. Each and every one of these projects employs people and is going to have long-term positive effects for decades to come. Funny how no one takes all the ####### we hear in this country about "big government is bad" seriously. They are building up while we stay mired in silly arguments about ideology.

Bingo! Folks have a knack for looking at the past or present here rather than projecting where we are heading or where other countries are heading. Such huge investments in infrastructure is what built America in the first place and is now what will build countries like China and Indian into the next decade and beyond. You guys think I am talking out of my azz when I mention Australia, a country of 22 million, building up while we sit here and argue big government and other garbage like that. Republicans seem to ignore the reality that more government involvement has won, with the world's leading societies all having their government's involvement to thank.

There is one thing that can be attributed to Australia's sudden and huge growth and boost in quality of life in under 15 years, which is the conservatives having heavily invested into infrastructure and rejuvenating our key cities; as they too had a dying or dead manufacturing base. End result, they basically came out of nowhere, from being a nobody to putting themselves on the map.

You may joke about Airports but seriously what excuse does LAX, JFK, LGA, IAD etc to be in the condition they are in? Especially when international airports that don't even process half their passenger numbers, look 100 times better, with a 100 fold more things to do while waiting. 'We''ll they are just airports'. Wrong! They are the gateway and insight into a country and where it's at. I did notice Delhi is about to get a massive modern upgrade. At the end of the day, who wants to be stuck in some boring industrialized airport while delayed or waiting to take a flight.

Edited February 23, 2010 by Booyah

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

You may joke about Airports but seriously what excuse does LAX, JFK, LGA, IAD etc to be in the condition they are in? Especially when international airports that don't even process half their passenger numbers, look 100 times better. 'We''ll they are just airports'. Wrong! They are the gateway and insight into a country and where it's at. I did notice Delhi is about to get a massive modern upgrade. Furthermore, who wants to be stuck in some boring industrialized airport while delayed or waiting to take a flight.

Delhi's IGI airport is interesting. I transited there both ways so my experience is very recent. They've done a very good job of providing all the niceties that airports in the US don't even provide, like good food all hours of the day and night and lots of places to check your email and laptop kiosks, etc. Even places where you can charge your own cell phone even if you don't have a charger. Makes long layovers less unpleasant, that's for sure. But where they fail - miserably - is signage. Knowing where you need to go next is a matter of guesswork and/or asking people.

[Peikko 1,575]

Welcome back to the civilized world A.J

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Welcome back to the civilized world A.J

It's good to be back. Life here is civilized. What I wrote above is just one aspect of my stay there There's a lot more.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

It's good to be back. Life here is civilized. What I wrote above is just one aspect of my stay there There's a lot more.

I guess I should enumerate some of the things that still make life in America vastly superior to life there. Air I don't hate breathing, air that doesn't clog me up inside and make me feel like I'm gonna die. Running hot water. Non-sheddable electricity. Tap water I can actually drink. Being able to drive without losing all my hair. You know, the small stuff

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I guess I should enumerate some of the things that still make life in America vastly superior to life there. Air I don't hate breathing, air that doesn't clog me up inside and make me feel like I'm gonna die. Running hot water. Non-sheddable electricity. Tap water I can actually drink. Being able to drive without losing all my hair. You know, the small stuff

Non-sheddable electricity?

[Peikko 1,575]

Is the air problem due to pollution or climate? - The water problem I completely understand - driving without losing hair though? That's a weird one

Electricity on demand, not scheduled, I think?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Non-sheddable electricity?

As in they don't routinely decide to shed my electricity as a load reducing measure. I reasonably expect to always have electricity, except when there's a problem like weather or other accident.