Texas governor railed against ‘bailouts’ on same day he requested one from THE RAW STORY 25JAN11

ANOTHER example of gop & tea-bagger hypocrisy, this time from Texas, where everything is bigger, including governor rick perry's mouth.....This from The Raw Story..

Texas Governor Rick Perry, the Democrat-turned-Republican who served as George W. Bush's lieutenant and won his third term last year, wants you to think he's not a fan of federal bailouts.
Yet, on the same day "Texans for Rick Perry" launched their "No Government Bailouts" campaign, Perry himself was lining up with the rest of the states asking for billions in federal funding from President Barack Obama's Recovery Act.
Despite having $9.1 billion in surplus in a so-called "rainy day fund," Texas faced a $6.6 billion budget deficit in the 2010-11 fiscal years. To fill that gap, the state took $6.4 billion from the Obama administration and declared their budget gap covered, freeing up the Republicans who dominated the legislature to run on their fiscal responsibility.
The day after President Obama signed the Recovery Act, Perry published an op-ed in The Washington Times, railing against "unparalleled growth in government." On his blog, he urged supporters to sign his petition against "irresponsible spending that threatens our future."
Rick Perry's future, however, was not the one at risk. On that same day, CNN noted, Perry applied for funds from the Recovery Act, slamming shut the state's budget deficit and plugging holes in Texans' Medicare and public education.
A spokesperson for Perry told the network that "Texas would have balanced its budget regardless of the presence of stimulus dollars."
Texas, which had nearly double the national average percentage of its children who go without health insurance, today faced a $25 billion budget shortfall for the 2012-13 fiscal years.
The Republican-dominated legislature, which recently debated opting out of a federal children's health insurance program to raise money for the state's general fund, was seen as unlikely to raise taxes in order to close the gap.
The reason for such a sudden, massive hole? Texas "government gets about 60 percent of its revenue from sales taxes, so when there's a dramatic drop in state revenues, or collections, there's less money to spend," the Texas Tribune noted. "During the economic recession of 2008-2009, Texas saw a drop in state revenues for 14 straight months."
Grimmer still, the state's unemployment swamp was continuing to deepen: even while employers added 20,000 jobs in December, that did not exceed the number of jobs lost in the same month, driving unemployment upwards to 8.3 percent.
Since Texas also lacked an income tax, that growing number of jobless meant even less revenue in sales taxes. The state's job rolls still haven't recovered from 2009 either, when over 350,000 positions were lost state-wide.

One Week Later, Nearly 2,000 Small Businesses Approved for SBA Loans Due to Jobs Act 5OKT10

Posted by SBA Administrator Karen Mills on October 05, 2010 at 04:04 PM EDT

Late yesterday, just a week after President Obama signed the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, nearly 2,000 small business owners who had been waiting for SBA-backed loans had been approved and will soon have those loan funds – totaling nearly $1 billion – in hand.  That’s a quick turnaround, and it’s an example of this Administration’s deep commitment to giving entrepreneurs and small business owners the support they need to grow and create jobs.
Here’s how we made it happen.
After the Recovery Act passed last year, SBA increased the guarantee and reduced the fees in our top two loan programs.  That two-part formula worked.  We saw a significant rebound in SBA lending, helping unlock much-needed capital for small businesses.  All told, SBA took just $680 million in taxpayer dollars and turned it into nearly $30 billion in lending support to about 70,000 small businesses.  That’s a strong bang for the taxpayer buck.
Even though Congress renewed funding for the increased guarantee and waived fees several times, SBA had to stop making these loans in May when the agency’s authority for the higher guarantees ended.  Shortly thereafter, the funds for fee waivers were used up.   As a result, we had to start putting applicants on a stand-by waiting list – a “queue” – hoping that these successful loan enhancements would once again be available.
Over the summer, that queue grew to include more than 1,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners.  The Administration continued to push for Congress to pass a small business jobs bill, knowing that these small businesses – and many more – were ready to start growing and creating jobs as soon as they got their SBA loan.
Finally, last week, with the stroke of the President’s pen, the SBA got $505 million more for these effective and proven enhancements, which will support an estimated $14 billion in new lending.
As of late yesterday, just one week later, we had pushed out nearly 2,000 loans – clearing out all the loans in the queue. And, today we’re moving ahead with approving thousands more SBA Jobs Act loans.  With each loan, we’re putting capital in the hands of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners so they can continue to drive economic growth and create jobs in communities all across the country.  And this is just one of the many benefits in the Small Business Jobs Act, which can now deliver $55 billion in tax cuts and additional assistance for businesses that need loans.

Karen Mills is Administrator of the Small Business Administration

200,000 WEATHERIZED THROUGH THE RECOVERY ACT 26AUG10

MORE proof the Recovery Act annd stimulus spending is helping the nation and the economy inspite of the republican votes against this legislation. 
 
Ed. Note: Cross posted from the Energy Blog
Today Vice President Biden announced that 200,000 homes have been weatherized under the Recovery Act. Cathy Zoi, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy shares her thoughts:

We're still talking about weatherization on Facebook and Twitter. Ask questions, share your thoughts and we’ll follow-up with tips and answers from our experts in the coming days.
Andy Oare is a New Media Specialist at the Department of Energy

Very Reasonable Places Your Stimulus Dollars Went 25AUG10

THIS is from HuffPost, click the header to go to the article to see just where some of the stimulus money has gone, to boost the economy and put people back to work...
 
Republican leaders insist, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that President Obama's $800-billion-or-so stimulus package from last year hasn't accomplished anything. (This is driving top White House economic adviser Jared Bernstein absolutely crazy.)
Progressive groups -- and most leading economists -- say the problem with the stimulus was that it didn't do enough, because it wasn't nearly as big as it should have been.
Lost amid those arguments is what exactly the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act did accomplish -- which, by comparison to almost anything except the massive output gap it was supposed to fill, is a lot.
On Tuesday, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the act added between 1.4 million to 3.3 million during the second quarter of 2010.
In addition to $288 billion in tax cuts, the Recovery Act funded all sorts of worthy projects that created jobs, backstopped a number of safety-net programs, and made huge investments in infrastructure, energy independence, mass transit and other public goods.
Here are 11 projects that got stimulus money. Do you think they deserved your tax money?

Dems Slam Mike Pence for Hosting Job Fair with Stimulus-Backed Employers 11AUG10

(Credit: Getty Images/Alex Wong)

Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, like other Republicans in Congress this week, excoriated Democrats for their $26 billion extension of stimulus aid, which President Obama signed into law this week, as a state "bailout" that enables states to put off hard budget decisions.

While on the House floor criticizing the aid package on Tuesday, Pence pointed to a jobs fair he hosted yesterday in his district as an example of Americans "reaching for a better future." He failed to mention, however, that a number of the employers present at the job fair were recipients of stimulus funding.
But Democrats say Pence's job fair is yet another example of Republicans taking credit for jobs created by the stimulus while at the same time criticizing the program. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called the House Republican leadership "blatant hypocrites."

"If such blatant hypocrites like Mike Pence, Eric Cantor, and John Boehner had their way, the jobs in their districts that they've been trying to take credit for wouldn't even be there," DCCC spokesperson Ryan Rudominer said.

However, Republicans maintain that, with unemployment hovering at close to 10 percent, the president's policies have clearly failed to create jobs.
"At this very hour more than a thousand Hoosiers are gathered at a job fair in my district," Pence said on the House floor yesterday before Democrats passed the $26 billion bill, which will provide funds for Medicaid and teacher salaries. "Some 65 companies have come together with a few cherished openings. My duty is here. But to be honest with you, I would rather be there, standing with those courageous Hoosiers who have come out, put on their Sunday best, and are reaching for a better future."
Pence continued, "Congress ought to be taking action; but not this, not more of the same. Here we go again. Another jobs bill, another bailout. Washington, D.C. -- now after a year and a half of failed economic policies, a stimulus and borrowing and spending and bailouts and takeovers -- says we need to do another jobs bill, so let's do another bailout."
On his website, Pence hailed the success of the Sixth Congressional District Job Fair, which drew about 1,200 citizens in a county with a 12 percent unemployment rate.
Pence told the Star-Press newspaper that it was "a priority" for companies participating in the job fair to be hiring.
At least 16 of the 65 companies at the job fair received funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, including Ball State University -- the location of the job fair -- and at least three more benefited indirectly from the stimulus. The impact the stimulus had on those employers was varied. Brevini Wind USA, Inc. of Yorktown, Indiana benefited greatly, receiving $12.75 million to open a new manufacturing facitlity that will produce parts for wind turbine manufacturers.
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor similarly came under fire last year for holding a job fair with stimulus-funded employers while blasting the stimulus.
Democrats have pointed to such figures as examples of hypocrisy from Republicans.
Matt Lloyd, a spokesperson for Pence, said that the nation's unemployment rate shows that Democrats have failed at creating jobs.
"While the Obama administration advances a public relations campaign to convince America that borrowing more money from future generations will heal the economy, the American people continue to ask, 'Where are the jobs?'" he said. "Congressman Pence hosted a job fair to help underemployed and overtaxed constituents get back to work."

WHILE some may see this as propaganda here is some good information from the White House on what has been done and what they are trying to do to stimulate the economy and create jobs. If you are not satisfied and have a question click the link at the bottom of the page and send your question or comments on to the WH. I am glad they send this out, it shows the administration is at least trying to do something, whis is a lot better than the constant negativity and obstructionism from the Republican Party.

Economy and Jobs Agenda Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Week In Economy and Jobs July marked the seventh consecutive month of positive private sector job growth with 71,000 private sector jobs added last month.  While the positive private sector jobs numbers are a good sign, the pace of growth was not enough to reduce the overall unemployment rate, which remained at 9.5%. On Friday, President Obama visited Gelberg Signs, a small business in DC that’s currently hiring new workers and making new investments in their technology thanks in part to two Small Business Administration loans.  In his remarks at Gelberg Signs the President called on Congress to move forward with job-saving initiatives like tax credits for small businesses and providing assistance to states to save teacher, police, and firefighter’s jobs. Highlights Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore a Stimulus Success Story; Project to Add Desperately Needed Highway Capacity August 10, 2010 Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood discusses the nation's second largest highway project supported by the Recovery Act. Wall Street Reform & LinkedIn August 6, 2010 Deputy Communications Director Jen Psaki weighs in on the Wall Street Reform discussion amongst the White House LinkedIn group. President Obama Pushes "Made in America" to Boost Recovery August 6, 2010 Speaking on the latest jobs numbers, the President had words for Republicans who have been relentlessly blocking any measure to give the economy another boost: “We need to do what’s right, not what’s political – and we need to do it now.” The Employment Situation in July August 6, 2010 Private nonfarm payroll employment increased by 71,000 in July and the unemployment rate remained at 9.5%. Grown Locally and Sold Globally: Creating Jobs Through Agricultural Exports August 6, 2010 Ambassador Ron Kirk attends the Bangor State Fair in Maine and discusses how trade can support well-paying jobs domestically with local business leaders, workers, and farmers. President Obama at a Ford Plant on the American Auto Industry, Jobs & History August 5, 2010 The President rounds out his tour of the Big 3 American automakers. President Obama at AFL-CIO on the Economy: "Made In America" August 4, 2010Speaking at the AFL-CIO Executive Council Meeting here in DC, the President discusses the progress so far on the economy and his vision for what still needs to be done. USDA and the Commerce Department Supporting Broadband Access and Economic Opportunity Across America through the Recovery Act August 4, 2010 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke report on how their agencies are undertaking new projects in the coming weeks to help improve the nation's broadband infrastructure. Help Where It's Needed August 4, 2010 Jared Bernstein, Chief Economic Advisor to the Vice President, debunks another misunderstanding of the Recovery Act and where the help has been going. There They Go Again: Two Senators Continue False and Misleading Attacks on Recovery Act August 3, 2010 Jared Bernstein, Chief Economic Advisor to the Vice President, debunks the latest recycled attack on the Recovery Act from Senators John McCain and Tom Coburn. The Economy in Perspective August 2, 2010 As the President continues to work to boost job creation and strengthen our economy every day, a couple charts put the economic progress in perspective. Your Questions Got questions? Submit your questions here and we will answer one reader question per week in future editions of the Economy and Jobs Agenda.

ARE YOU REPRESENTED BY A HIGHWAY HYPOCRITE?

Click the header to find out!

Highway Hypocrites voted against the Recovery Act and spent the last year attacking it -- while praising it in letters requesting funds and press releases touting projects in their districts.

We've identified 118 Republican senators and representatives guilty of highway hypocrisy. But we know there are more.

Are you represented by a highway hypocrite?

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the Recovery Act created as many as 3.9 million jobs. But Highway Hypocrites already knew the Recovery Act was putting Americans to work across the country, they were simply attacking it to score political points.

We've identified just over half of all Republicans in Congress as Highway Hypocrites -- but we're on a campaign to expose them all. So we've got one question for every Republican who voted against the Recovery Act: How much Recovery Act money have you requested for your district?

Find out where your representatives stand on the Recovery Act now. If you are represented by a Republican who voted against the Recovery Act, use our easy online tool to write them a letter asking how much money they have requested.

We're hoping to build pressure to make them come clean. After all, shouldn't Republican members of Congress be proud of fighting to create jobs in their districts?

THE RECOVERY ACT ONE YEAR LATER 17FEB10

If you are interested in some truth about the recession and recovery here it is, click the header to go the the actual site with links to government reports, etc.



Just over a year ago, thanks in part to your organizing, President Obama was able to sign the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law.

The Recovery Act wasn't a silver bullet, but it's very good policy. It cut taxes for 95% of working families to give them a leg up as they fight to get by. It invested in our nation's infrastructure and clean energy. it gave tax breaks to small businesses to help hire workers, and it helped out state and local governments -- including local police departments like the one in Englewood, Colorado, which was able to hire officers like Eddie B., whose story is below.

We've got a lot more work to do. But as many as 2.4 million Americans are working now who would otherwise be unemployed, and we're breaking the back of the recession.

In the three months prior to the Act, the nation lost 2.2 million jobs. The financial system was collapsing, and the "Great Recession" was being recognized for what it was -- the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

But since the Act's passage, Americans of all stripes have been able to get back to work. One example of what the Recovery Act made possible is the story of Eddie B., from Englewood, Colorado.

He graduated from police academy in 2009. Without the Recovery Act, he and his classmates would have had to wait for two years before being hired into the police department -- but stimulus funds led to him being hired immediately. In Eddie's words, "the President, with the Recovery Act, gave me the opportunity to serve my community and help the people I live with."

• Jeanne S. is a middle school teacher who works at a public school in Phoenix, Arizona. Last spring, she and other teachers were told that the school might not be able to afford to keep them on any longer. Yet money from the Recovery Act allowed her and other teachers to keep their jobs, and Jeanne says that they are grateful for the opportunity to keep teaching thanks to the Recovery Act.

The success of the Recovery Act is composed of millions of stories like Eddie's -- of folks getting to work who wouldn't otherwise be in their jobs, families able to buy their first home because of the homeowner's tax credit, and much more.