WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2008
Obama Outlines Plan For 2.5M New Jobs
In Weekly Address President-Elect Calls for Immediate Action On Infrastructure Improvement, Alternative Energy
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"These aren't just steps to pull ourselves out of this immediate crisis. These are the long-term investments in our economic future that have been ignored for far too long," Obama said in the weekly Democratic address.
The goal is to take it quickly through Congress, with help from both parties, after Obama takes office Jan. 20.
The plan, which envisions those new jobs by January 2011, is "big enough to meet the challenges we face," he said.
Obama noted the growing evidence the country is "facing an economic crisis of historic proportions" and said he was pleased Congress passed an extension of unemployment benefits this past week. But, he added, "We must do more to put people back to work and get our economy moving again."
Nonetheless, he said, "There are no quick or easy fixes to this crisis, which has been many years in the making, and it's likely to get worse before it gets better."
It will take support from Democrats and Republicans to pass the economic plan, Obama said. "I'll be welcome to ideas and suggestions from both sides of the aisle," he said. "But what is not negotiable is the need for immediate action."
People "are lying awake at night wondering if next week's paycheck will cover next month's bills," if their jobs will remain, if their retirement savings will disappear, he added.
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The Labor Department reported that claims for unemployment benefits jumped last week to the highest level since July 1992, providing fresh evidence of the weakening job market.I'll be welcome to ideas and suggestions from both sides of the aisle. But what is not negotiable is the need for immediate action.
President-elect Barack Obama"We'll put people back to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, modernizing schools that are failing our children, and building wind farms and solar panels," Obama said.
He also made a commitment to fuel-efficient cars and alternative energy technologies "that can free us from our dependence on foreign oil and keep our economy competitive in the years ahead."
Obama pointed to the past, saying that Americans in this country's darkest hours have risen above their divisions to solve their problems, as a hope for the future.
"We have acted boldly, bravely, and above all, together," Obama said. "That is the chance our new beginning now offers us, and that is the challenge we must rise to in the days to come. It is time to act. As the next president of the United States, I will."
By Associated Press Writer Will Lester
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 289 CommentsA minority!
Or, for that matter fighting a worthless war against nobody in particular in Iraq.
Come on, people let''s get behind something positive for a change!
If the Gov''t can somehow cut the waste and fraud
Out of existing programs and Agencies.
We pay more for health related programs
Than any country on Earth but have little to show for it
The Us is Paying Halliburton close to $100.00
per Load to do our soldiers laundry in Iraq.
We need a Comptroller General To go through the
Existing Programs and Cut
Get rid of the Pork
Run efficiently seems to be the last thought
In gov''t activity!!!
Lets hope there will be change ---
And perhaps some competency-
To replace what we have today!@!!
Posted by Hitoyou1 at 12:33 PM : Nov 22, 2008
Judging by this response we had better start with the schools!
How many intelligent Americans know the number of US military bases maintained by our country outside of US. Not many for sure. Why are we trying to police the whole world ? Nobody within this country will talk about that nor know their existence. We try to rule the world through our military bases and then wonder why everybody hates us.
The simple answer given would be "Oh they hate our democracy." A nice simple answer for the sheeple here in the US, who have no clue about the outside world. All the world they know of is their church and their pastors and their bible.
Let us build roads and other infrastructure here in our own country and crank up the economy, instead of building the biggest of military bases in Iraq.
He also made a commitment to fuel-efficient cars and alternative energy technologies "that can free us from our dependence on foreign oil and keep our economy competitive in the years ahead."
And I would add central to our national security.
Took SHRUB 8 years to royally f.ck things up.
i hope it doesnt take 8 to get us out of it.
Judging by this response we had better start with the schools!
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Posted by sandy19731 at 12:54 PM : Nov 22, 2008
I totally agree. Now we understand who the supporters of McSame and the beauty queen are.
Tax business more that create real jobs and hand it to the states that create more dependant jobs on the government.
WOW!! CHANGE!!
Where does the money come from...taxes
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Posted by kevinkkloste at 01:09 PM : Nov 22, 2008
Well Sir. The roads are built from our taxes even now, if you would want to know. Were you thinking the road building companies are doing it as a charity ???
Posted by stick1772 at 01:12 PM : Nov 22, 2008
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Well the infrastructure building companies are private companies. Not government owned. Put these private companies to work, so they can employ more people and hence the improvement in economy. Basic fundamentals.
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Posted by william292 at 01:14 PM : Nov 22, 2008
And how do you suppose to power all these stations and cars??? The infrastructure is shot in this country and we don''t have the capacity to power it all electric? We can''t build cheap and quick coal plants because the idiotic idea of Global warming. Nuclear plants take 10+ years to build and cost billions each. Wind nobody wants to see and the tree huggers say it impacts BIRDS!!! Solar is expensive and would push everyones bills through the roof. HMMMMM.... Maybe Nobama can do like the savior he is and turn air into power like Jesus fed thousands on a loaf of bread and a fish.
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Posted by kphx at 01:15 PM : Nov 22, 2008
companies funded by TAX DOLLARS!! They are not selling a service they are just a middle man between the government and the people they employ. The same as a government job.
THE SWEET PART:
I am happy and not surprise the Obama-Biden ''Administration-Elect'' is announcing their plans to help the country. Although they have NO AUTHORITY, the token help is appreciated when their focus should be primarily on the search for 3,000 political appointments.
THE BITTER PART:
Look around. Nobody in the media, much less FAUX-News or Right-Wing radio is reminding the Bush-Cheney administration they are still getting paid to fix the disaster they created. The Bush-Cheney administration is still on the clock for the next two months. Assuming this national crisis is as critical as claimed, then why is there not greater pressure from Congress, from Governors, from the media, and from Right-Wing zealots to make the Bush-Cheney administration work this crisis until their last days in office? Again, if they are still getting a paycheck, should not they have to dive in and fix the problem? Why is this problem left to the Obama-Biden team?
There''''s lots of ways. There''''s coal, there''''s windmills. There''''s solar, there''''s nuclear. There''''s even hydrogen solar cell electric generators.
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Posted by william292 at 01:20 PM : Nov 22, 2008
once again ....
The infrastructure is shot in this country and we don''t have the capacity to power it all electric? We can''t build cheap and quick coal plants because the idiotic idea of Global warming. Nuclear plants take 10+ years to build and cost billions each. Wind nobody wants to see and the tree huggers say it impacts BIRDS!!! Solar is expensive and would push everyones bills through the roof. HMMMMM.... Maybe Nobama can do like the savior he is and turn air into power like Jesus fed thousands on a loaf of bread and a fish.
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Posted by ghostfighter at 01:21 PM : Nov 22, 2008
funny I actually work and do for myself. I don''t sit around like the libs and ask for government jobs, health care and hand outs.
Nobama said he would bankrupt any company trying to build coal fire power so that idea is out the window.
Nuclear is out because of the cost and time frame.
Wind has tree huggers up in arms and nobody wants to look at it.
Solar is not viable for cost reasons.
And i''m not for paying for infrastructure with tax dollars that is turned over to private power companies and have them charge me delivery costs on power coming over lines paid for by tax dollars.
Now let''s all pray to Jesus.
.
.
THE SWEET PART:
I am happy and not surprise the Obama-Biden ''Administration-Elect'' is announcing their plans to help the country. Although they have NO AUTHORITY, the token help is appreciated when their focus should be primarily on the search for 3,000 political appointments.
THE BITTER PART:
Look around. Nobody in the media, much less FAUX-News or Right-Wing radio is reminding the Bush-Cheney administration they are still getting paid to fix the disaster they created. The Bush-Cheney administration is still %u2018on the clock%u2019 for the next two months. Assuming this national crisis is as critical as claimed, then why is there not greater pressure from Congress, from Governors, from the media, and from Right-Wing zealots to make the Bush-Cheney administration work this crisis until their last days in office? Again, if they are still getting a paycheck, should not they have to dive in and fix the problem? Why is this problem left to the Obama-Biden team?
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Posted by caco58 at 01:26 PM : Nov 22, 2008
yep new taxes. oh wait, he''s lowering the taxes of 95% of America of which 40% pay little to nothing. Wait...no he''s going to let the tax cuts expire, then cut the taxes on 95% of Americans, raise tax on everyone over $250k a year, no wait, $200k and then make you buy into a health care system if you have over 25 workers who then pay only if they opt in or out of their current system and then tax the health benefits of those people keeping the health care plan at their employer. Unless they opt into the US paid plan when it becomes "affordable" to most Americans. Who then will be taxed on that benefit only if they make over $45k a year. Oh hell it''s hard to keep track of the waffling and lies.
Nuclear is out because of the cost and time frame.
Wind has tree huggers up in arms and nobody wants to look at it.
Solar is not viable for cost reasons.
And i''''m not for paying for infrastructure with tax dollars that is turned over to private power companies and have them charge me delivery costs on power coming over lines paid for by tax dollars.
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Posted by stick1772 at 01:24 PM : Nov 22, 2008
neither wind nor solar can provide much help with todays technology. We are at least ten years away from the technology advances necessary to make them viable. Worse, we could work for ten years an ddiscover they still dont work. Our only sure answers are coal, drill NOW, and Nuclear. It may take a while to get them on line but they are known to work. Everything else is just HOPE.
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Posted by pollroller1 at 01:31 PM : Nov 22, 2008
So instead of a war you want to continue the spending of the money on the US. You just said we can''t afford the war spending, how will spending that money here make it work out? RAISE TAXES! oh yeah.
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Posted by william292 at 01:27 PM : Nov 22, 2008
they pay for themselves? I guess you''re one of the people that when a project is paid for by a grant you think that means free!
Posted by william292 at 01:33 PM : Nov 22, 2008
Sooo,,,you''re saying do away with Washington D.C?
Look around. Nobody in the media, much less FAUX-News or Right-Wing radio is reminding the Bush-Cheney administration they are still getting paid to fix the disaster they created. The Bush-Cheney administration is still %u2018on the clock%u2019 for the next two months. Assuming this national crisis is as critical as claimed, then why is there not greater pressure from Congress, from Governors, from the media, and from Right-Wing zealots to make the Bush-Cheney administration work this crisis until their last days in office? Again, if they are still getting a paycheck, should not they have to dive in and fix the problem? Why is this problem left to the Obama-Biden team?
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Posted by Think-People at 01:27 PM : Nov 22, 2008
The problem is most of us believe this crisis is magnified by Obama''s tax plans and the Dem congress persisting in the blame game. Foreign investors are just packing up their money and going home. the results are rippling aroudn the world but the US will end up down while they recover.
If the Obama-Biden team are coming up with plans to turn Bush-Cheney national economic disaster around, and trying to find ways to assist the auto industry; then what do the Bush-Cheney administration do for the next two months? After all they are still on the clock. They are still getting paid. It is Bush-Cheney''s disaster. So why is the Obama-Biden team picking up the slack when they have NO AUTHORITY until January 20, 2009?
If the nation is in a crisis, then why is the Commander-in-Chief (Bush) AWOL?
Posted by Think-People at 01:38 PM : Nov 22, 2008
Actually a good question. They ain''t trying to slink off with out us noticing are they?
The economy needs free enterprise because the making of goods and services is what provides jobs and pays the bills for prosperity. Increasing the burdons on the US tax-payers will serve to worsen this economy dramatically. We need to slow this government down and stop the tax and spend ideals. Putting more of their own hard earned money back into the pockets of US tax payers is the only way to jump start this economy... Money talks in this economy. If the government is going to increase taxes...then they are effectively just re-distributing the wealth and deciding where it goes for you. That will cripple the US economy.
%u201CThe problem is most of us believe this crisis is magnified by Obama''''s tax plans and the Dem congress persisting in the blame game. Foreign investors are just packing up their money and going home. the results are rippling aroudn the world but the US will end up down while they recover.%u201D
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Hello MACHINEGUY:
No disrespect meant, but that is a stupid theory. This national disaster has been 8-years in the making. We had clear signs when financial institutions started dropping 18-months ago. We had time to fix this problem when the spike in home foreclosures raised ugly head.
You clearly have bought into the Rush Limbaugh Kool-aid. This type of political ideology is why the Independents went for Obama-Biden.
The Right as plenty of good ideas as well as the Left. But you need to learn and discern political partisan and not be so easily bamboozled.
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