• About
  • The Poetry of Protest

Show Me Progress

~ covering government and politics in Missouri – since 2007

Show Me Progress

Tag Archives: 2011

House Minority Leader Mike Talboy (D) on the Special Session

25 Tuesday Oct 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2011, General Assembly, House, Mike Talboy, misoouri, Special Session

From the Missouri House of Representatives Communications Office:

….[5:40] Obviously this is not a economic climate that is going away anytime soon. So we need to take a very strong and hard look at what we can do as a state. And unfortunately we’re in the minority so we don’t necessarily get to drive the legislative agenda. But you can rest assured, as I told you all on the first day of session, as I told you when we broke for Spring recess, and as I told you at the end of session and I told you every time we’ve been in here, first and foremost we need to talk about two things in this state. One, jobs, getting people back to work, and making sure that we have an educated work force to fill the jobs that we do create. Those two things moving forward are the most important. We can do nothing else and those two things two things need to get done. Unfortunately we’ve wasted now way too much time talking about it but not doing anything….

At what cost to the taxpayers?:

Missouri special session cost reaches $280,000

The price tag for Missouri’s special legislative session has reached nearly $280,000, KMOX reports. Figures from the 159-seat House show members have racked up more than $233,000 in per diem and mileage expenses. The 34-member Senate has incurred more than $46,000 of expenses for per diem, mileage and staff costs….

Not to mention the jobs situation in this state, too.

Missouri Boys State 2011

11 Saturday Jun 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2011, Boys State, missouri

Today is the first day of the week-long American Legion Boys State of Missouri program on the campus of the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. Approximately 1000 boys from across Missouri will participate this week. This is the fourth year we’ve been able to cover the session.

Missouri Boys State volunteer Matt Dameron (left) assists Boys State citizens with directions from the parking lot.

Why do we cover this? It’s about government and politics. Plus, Missouri Boys State always has an impressive list of speakers, including statewide office holders.

The keynote speakers this week:

FORMER MISSOURI GOVERNOR BOB HOLDEN

Saturday, June 11, 2011 (6:45-8:20 PM)

Following Opening Night Ceremonies of the 72nd session of Missouri Boys State former Missouri Governer Bob Holden will deliver the keynote address at a special assembly in Hendricks Hall. Bob has been a long time friend of Missouri Boys State. He has volunteered with the program for 25 years and serves on the Board of Directors. Governor Holden is chairman of The Holden Group, LLC, where he advises public and private sector clients on business development and international trade strategies. He also serves as the vice chairman of the new Midwest U.S.-China Association where he works with all Midwestern governors to improve economic cooperation and stimulate business growth between the Midwestern states and China. Additionally, he leads the Governor Bob Holden Public Policy Forum @ Webster University. As a visiting professor, Governor Holden lectures on public policy and leadership throughout the worldwide Webster campus network. Governor Holden is also serving as a Dole Fellow at the Dole Institute on the campus of the University of Kansas. Following his prepared remarks, Governor Holden will hold a question and answer session.

KELLY M. KING, PRESIDENT – SOUTH CENTRAL REGION, AT&T

Sunday, June 12, 2011 (7:00-9:00 PM)

A native of Sullivan, Missouri, Kelly King attended Missouri Boys State in 1984. He later received his undergraduate degree in mechanical/aerospace engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master of business administration degree from St. Louis University. Kelly is active in a variety of business and civic organizations to include the serving as the charman of the board for the Institute fo communication, Technology Management at the University of southern California – Marshall School of Business, and is the co-chairman of the advisory committee for the Asian Pacific Islanders for Professional and Community Advancement.  King also served on the board of directors for the Special Olympics of Southern California and the Boy Scouts of America. In 2010, he was named to the list of Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business by the Asian American Business Development Center.

MISSOURI SECRETARY OF STATE ROBIN CARNAHAN

Monday, June 13, 2011 (6:50-8:15 PM)

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan will deliver the keynote address at the special assembly on Monday evening. Secretary of State Carnahan has been a long time supporter of the Missouri Boys and Girls State programs. Robin Carnahan was sworn in as Missouri’s 38th Secretary of State in January 2005. Carnahan’s family has a proud history of devotion to public service. Her father, Mel Carnahan, served as Missouri’s Governor, and her mother, Jean Carnahan, was the first woman to serve Missouri in the U.S. Senate. Her grandfather, A.S.J. Carnahan, a congressman from south-central Missouri for 14 years, was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to be U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone.

FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND MISSOURI SENATOR JOHN C. DANFORTH

Tuesday, June 14, 2011 (6:50-8:30 PM)

John Danforth will accept the 23rd Annual George W. Lehr Memorial Speakers Chair on Tuesday night at Hendricks Hall. John is a native of St. Louis, MO, where he attended St. Louis Country Day School. He later received his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in 1958, and attended both law and divinity graduate schools at Yale University. He served as the 37th Attorney General of Missouri from 1969-1976, United States Senator from Missouri from 1976-1995, and was appointed the 24th United States Ambassador to the United Nations in 2004. As an ordained Episcopal priest, Danforth officiated the funeral services of former president Ronald Reagan. Following his prepared remarks Danforth will hold a question and answer session.

MISSOURI GOVERNOR JAY NIXON

Thursday, June 16, 2011 (7:00-9:15 PM)

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon will deliver the keynote address at a special assembly on Thursday evening in Hendricks Hall. Governor Nixon has been an outstanding supporter of the Boys State program throughout his years as Missouri’s Attorney General and Governor. We are very pleased to have him back to Boys State. The Governor will hold a question and answer session following his prepared remarks.

WHITE HOUSE FELLOW AND NAVY SEAL COMMANDER

ERIC GREITENS

Friday, June 17, 2011 (7:00-8:30 PM)

White House Fellow, Navy Seal Commander and Rhodes Scholar Eric Greitens will speak to MBS participants on Friday at Hendricks Hall. One of the most accomplished Boys Staters in recent memory, Greitens will share his extraordinary career with Boys Staters in a special assembly. Greitens returned from his last tour of duty in Iraq in 2007. As an award-winning humanitarian leader, Eric has traveled to many war and crisis torn countries to reveal not only the hardship of the people, but also their strength and compassion. Following his prepared remarks he will hold a question and answer session.

The lineup for the final part of registration.

The registration process for almost a thousand Boys State citizens has to be model of efficiency.

2012: It'll be about Medicare, stupid

25 Wednesday May 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

2011, 2012, Claire McCaskill, missouri, New York

The results, tonight, in the special election in New York’s heavily republican 26th Congressional District:

Hochul takes House seat in stunner

Updated: May 24, 2011, 10:30 PM

Kathleen Courtney Hochul, the Erie County clerk and longtime Democratic figure who defied political experts who had given her little chance of success, ground out a stunning and surprisingly comfortable victory Tuesday in the special election for the House seat in the predominantly Republican 26th Congressional District.

Hochul was leading Republican Jane L. Corwin, a Clarence assemblywoman, 48 to 42 percent, with 87 percent of election districts reporting, while the Tea Party’s Jack Davis mustered only 9 percent in his fourth try for the seat. Ian L. Murphy of the Green Party recorded 1 percent. In the 10 p.m. hour, Corwin conceded the race in a speech to supporters.

The results marked a stunning defeat for the GOP in a race that garnered significant national attention as the first competitive race following the Republican takeover of the House last November….

U.S. House – District 26 – Special General

May 24, 2011 – 10:25PM ET

New York – 543 of 627 Precincts Reporting – 87%

Name Vote %

Hochul , Kathy [D] 48%

Corwin , Jane [r] 42%

Davis , Jack [teabagger] 9%

Murphy , Ian 1%

[emphasis added]

Yep, the establishment republican candidate drank House Budget Chair Paul Ryan’s (r) End Medicare As We Know It Potion and that still wasn’t enough for the teabagger set. The Democratic candidate was relentless in pounding the republicans for their support of Ryan’s plan.

Do you think anyone in Missouri is paying attention?:

Will McCaskill choose the clear path to victory? (May 24, 2011)

Election day in the NY 26 (May 24, 2011)

Public Policy Polling: Missouri on Medicare and Social Security and Medicaid (May 23, 2011)

Just asking.

Truman Days 2011: Senator Claire McCaskill (D)

15 Sunday May 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2011, Claire McCaskill, Jackson County, Kansas City, missouri, Truman Days

Previously: Truman Days 2011 in Kansas City (May 13, 2011)

A bumper sticker on a car in the hotel parking lot. Yep, we were in the right place.

On Saturday morning Senator Claire McCaskill (D) was the keynote speaker at the Fifth Congressional District Democratic Women’s Club Truman Days breakfast in Kansas City.

Senator Claire McCaskill (D) working the room during the breakfast before her speech.

The transcript:

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): …I thought instead I’d try to talk about why we’re all here and why we should care so much. Um, ’cause it really isn’t about me. It’s really about you. And it’s about the people that you care about. And it’s about our values and our priorities. So I thought I’d try to give everyone a little pep talk this morning about why you should not be discouraged about the Democratic Party. And why this is a moment we should see as an opportunity, because it really is.

We have an election this year that is gonna really define our nation and our state in so many ways. Because, let’s be honest, uh, the voters of this country decided last November they wanted to put the brakes on the Democrats. We can’t avoid that. We can’t avoid acknowledging that. We can try to dress it up and say it’s something different, but, truth be known, the independent voters of Missouri, not the Democrats and not the Republicans, the independent voters of Missouri  decided to put the brakes on the Democrats. And they did that all over the country. So, what we have to do is check back in, first, for all the things we’ve gotten done, and secondly, all the reasons that we have to fight next year harder than we fought in two thousand eight when we elected Barack Obama President of the United States in this country. [applause]…

…And let’s be honest, we have a tendency to complain. Now, do I have a witness? [laughter] I think we have a tendency as activists in the Democratic Party to always complain about what’s going wrong. Well, you know, Obama should have, you know, he should have gone with single payer. Or, you know, I, I really don’t like the fact that we’re having to cut many of the programs I care about. And, you know, and Jay Nixon, he just isn’t doing the right thing. Or, you know, I wish Claire McCaskill wouldn’t have voted for Rockefeller.

Well, on and on and on. And I think we have a tendency not to focus on how much we’ve gotten done that we all care about. And so I’m gonna briefly go through a very short list, a very short list of the things that have been accomplished since the Democrats took over the United States Senate with the election of Claire McCaskill in Missouri in two thousand six. First, we did sweeping health care reform that will, in spite of what, all the misinformation that’s out there, it will provide quality, choices, affordability, and access. We have expanded the Pell Grant program, making college real for millions of kids that wouldn’t have ever got in to college. We now have more Pell Grant assistance, even with the cut we had to do in summer programs, than we’ve ever had before in the United States of America. We passed a child nutrition law that will make a difference in terms of [inaudible] children, especially needy children, have the kind of nutrition they need to avoid those big health care costs down the line. We took, regulated tobacco for the first time in the United States of America, we have finally regulated tobacco. We fought and won the tobacco lobby in Washington. [applause, cheers] We have done over five hundred billion dollars of targeted tax cuts for small businesses and for working families. Did, did you hear that? [voice: “Yes.”] [applause] We’ve done over five hundred billion of targeted tax cuts for small businesses and the middle class. We did the stimulus which stopped the bleeding, cut taxes, provided unemployment in, insurance benefits, and gave the State of Missouri a lifeline through the rockiest road of economic downturns that we’ve seen in this country since the Great Depression. [applause] We did Wall Street reform and regulation to prevent future messes like the one that we have been cleaning up since the day George Bush left office. [voice: “Yeah.”][applause] We expanded the Children’s Health Insurance Program. [applause].  Did I mention five hundred billion dollars in targeted tax cuts [applause] for small businesses and middle class families? [cheers] We created a small business lending fund that, uh, is right now helping capital get to small businesses because we all know the vast majority of the jobs that are created in this country are not created by the big companies, they’re created by small companies. We passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act [cheers, applause] .  We put into place a first time home buyer tax credit. We did housing loan modification legislation that has proved, prevented foreclosures all across the country. We did the fraud enforcement and recovery act, and this is a big one. We fought the credit card companies and did real credit card company reform in terms of how [applause] consumers are treated in terms of their credit cards. We did Defense Department weapons acquisition overhaul to prevent waste and cost overruns at the Pentagon. We did emer, emergency  border security supplemental funding. We did Iran sanctions to try to keep a country in check that could be very dangerous for our national security. We did hate crimes prevention, passed that [applause] over a lot of opposition on the other side of the aisle. We did a new G.I. Bill that allows those veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan today to have the exact same benefits that my father had when he came home from World War Two. [applause, cheers]  We did the veterans caregiver assistance bill which allows family members that are caring for veterans that have been injured to get the support they need so that their lives are not even more disrupted by the tragedy that they’re dealing with. And, we have established record funding for veteran’s programs in the United States of America. [applause]  And now we’ve had fourteen consecutive months of solid job growth in the private sector. [applause] Not bad, not bad.

If I would have done the complete list I would have been late to my next event in Columbia at noon. [laughter] I couldn’t list everything. But the next time you feel frustrated, the next time you feel like you want to complain that the Democrats aren’t saying it right or doing it right reflect on that list. And understand that many of those came over incredible opposition from the Republican Party. And so, it has been productive and there is a lot for us to be proud of and we should not lose sight of that for a minute as we prepare for next year. [applause]

And we have a fight. We have a fight along with a huge deficit and debt problem. So how are we gonna get through the next decade and maintain our priorities and values? This will be a challenge. And I want to make sure no one leaves this room without me saying very clearly how serious the problem is. It is impossible to find a country in the world that has had economic growth when their debt equaled their GDP. When the debt in a country had equaled their gross domestic production countries don’t grow. Now, we are gonna be there in less than ten years. We will be there. So, if we don’t want to get there we all have to be honest and realistic about what has to happen. Does i
t have to be the way [Republican Congressman] Paul Ryan wants it to be? No, of course not. it does not have to be the way Paul Ryan. Do we have to end Medicare? No, we do not and we will not end Medicare, [applause, cheers] not on my watch. But we have a fight to in the future. And we have to have targeted investments in infrastructure, in innovation, and of course, in education. But we also have to realize that the footprint of the federal government is gonna have to shrink. And we do have to have a tax code that is less tilted towards the very, very, very, very wealthy in this country. [applause]

Our fight is to hold on to the values of our nation, our civil rights, equality, tolerance, and religious freedom. Now, what are they fighting for? Now this is where it gets a little weird. [laughter] Since they’ve taken over the majority in the House and taken over so many Governor’s jobs in this country and taken big majorities in so many state legislatures their priorities have been interesting. And I’m being kind. They have taken a meat axe to education. I mean, the folks in Jeff City didn’t want to spend the money that we had sent them from the federal government to make sure they didn’t have to lay off teachers. In some kind of symbolic political gesture. Really? Somebody asked me one day, well, what message are the legislators in Jefferson City sending when, when they are trying to, you know, they say they’re trying to send a message to the federal government that they shouldn’t be spending money this way? I said, I’ll tell you the message they’re sending, they’re sending a message to Missourians that they don’t give a hoot about public education in this state. [applause] That’s the message they’re sending.

We can’t have an America that we know and love by inflicting all of the pain on fifteen percent of the budget. While I am absolutely committed to making sure the footprint of the federal government shrinks, this is a situation where the pain has to be felt by all. We can’t just do it with Pell Grants, Head Start, funding for Agriculture, highways, foreign aid, that’s only a little bitty sliver of our budget you guys. It’s a little bitty sliver. We aren’t, we could cut all that money out and we’d still have a huge debt structure problem. So we’ve got to look at, at means testing. We’ve got to quit buying Warren Buffet’s prescription drugs. We can’t afford to buy warren Buffet’s prescription drugs. If you are very wealthy you should buy your own prescription drugs, [applause] not have the government buy them for you.

And then have to look at all of the spending. And believe me, there is no one in Washington that cares more about our military than I do. There is no one in Washington who has a better handle and understands better how important our military readiness is. But let me just walk you down the path of waste at the Pentagon. In two thousand one the Pentagon’s base budget, I’m not talking about the war s now, forget about the wars, that’s a whole ‘nother budget, just the Pentagon, their base budget was three hundred billion dollars. This year their base budget is five hundred and fifty three billion dollars. Now can you imagine what your kids would ask for if you never told ’em no? Can you imagine how far they might go in asking for things if you never told them no? How ’bout multiple IT systems to track the same equipment? Both IT systems costing billions of dollars tracking the same equipment in two different branches of the military and the two systems can’t even talk to each other. Now, that is absolutely should infuriate tax payers. It should infuriate the members of the House. And you know what they did in their budget this week? They didn’t touch the Pentagon’s budget. In fact, they added money to the Pentagon’s budget. There is real money savings we can find in the Pentagon without absolutely having any impact on our military readiness, on the best military in the world, or protecting our men and women in harm’s way. [Applause] And that’s what we have to focus on.

You know, if we are gonna be serious about our debt and deficit we have to be also serious about the tax code and the goodies that are in it. and as [Jackson County Executive] Mike [Sanders] mentioned, one of the things that ought to be the easiest to get done, you know, they are busy wanting to cut Pell Grants, they are busy wanting to cut [inaudible], you know, the money that helps feed children that are poor, they’re busy wanting to cut Head Start, but they don’t want to talk about taking away money, taxpayer money, from the wealthiest corporations on the planet. Now really, how serious are they about the debt and deficit?

Um, big oil. Big oil, I’m, and you know, this bill that I introduced, it’s just the five biggest oil companies. It’s not the small independent oil companies. We want them to keep competing, right? It’s the five biggest. You know what they made the last three months, these five companies? Their profit? North of thirty-five billion dollars in three months. And what we’re talking about over a year, they’re gonna make north of a hundred twenty-five billion this year. We’re talking about taking away two billion dollars of their profit that’s your money. And the Republicans say, oh, no, can’t do that because, you know, or gas prices will go up. I got news for you. They’ve got those subsidies, our gas prices are going up. [voice: “Yeah.”] [applause] Hasn’t had any difference.  I don’t think [applause], I don’t think anyone’s noticed that the, the gas companies, the big oil companies are worried about our gas prices. And to use that as an excuse to keep handing them our federal money. Are you kidding me? How in the world, if we are not willing to go after the most egregious examples of corporate welfare? What nerve do they have, going after the Pell Grants and Head Start?  That’s the difference between a Republican and a Democrat [cheers, applause]  right there. That’s the difference. [cheers]

You know, in the tax code also, um, let’s, let’s, let’s talk about this. In, in the nineties, uh, there was a little bit more taxes that multimillionaires paid and we balanced the budget. And we had twenty-two million jobs created. And then we cut taxes for the multimillionaires and guess what? We didn’t have much job creation. So, I got to tell you, the other thing that’s important as part of this equation, putting everything on the table, part of this equation is we really do need to say to folks, you know, on your second million you can pay three percent more in taxes. You really can. [applause] And I really don’t think on your second home that you need a mortgage interest deduction. Really? [laughter] Um, I don’t think that is something that is really motivating folks who buy a second home for recreation purposes.

And then finally, I just want to say, um, the other thing that you’ve noticed since they’ve taken over so many places is they are working very hard to weaken the voices of working people in this country. [voice: “Yes.”] [applause] With all of the excesses that caused our financial meltdown their solution is to go after the nurses and the teachers and the firefighters and the policemen? Really? With all of the excesses, all of the greed, and all of the, the incredible motivation to make hundreds of millions of dollars in all of these ridiculous secure, securitized mortgages and all of the subprime meltdown, after that mess they think what we need to do is to go after the two people who, maybe, their combined income is eighty grand a year? That’s the way we’re gonna make America strong again? To go after the pensions of the people who have worked in our classrooms for twenty-five years? I will tell you, one thing the Democratic Party is gonna do next year, we’re gonna make very clear to America that the teachers of this country are not the problem. [applause, cheers]. They are not the problem.  [applause, cheers] [inaudible] Yay, for the teachers. [applause][inaudible]

You know this, this fight is a noble one. And it’s one that should motivate all of us. It is about the small business, it’s about the
family with two parents working full time and hoping they can figure out a way to get their kids to college.  It’s about single moms and their struggles to be god mothers and good providers at the same time and figuring out what time they can get their kids ready for school and still get to the bus so they can get to their job. It’s about families, no matter what they look like. This fight is, uh, not about policy. It’s about people. And it’s about the fundamental principle that all of us believes so deeply in, and that is we have to have a country where there still is opportunity for everyone. And we cannot ever turn our back on that fundamental value. It’s our party that will always wage this fight. It is our party that will state this cause with passion and emotion. And is our party that tonight, today, tomorrow, next week has to put aside our small disappointments with one another and focus on a message of unity and strength. Because, you know what, hat mother who’s trying to get her child ready for school to get them to the school bus so that she can get down and catch the bus to her job? She’s got nobody to count on but us. So let’s do it for her.

Thank you all very much. [applause]

Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders (D) introduced Senator McCaskill. Missouri Democratic Party Sate Chair Susan Montee also addressed the crowd.

Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel (D) attended the brakfast and worked the crowd.

Truman Days 2011 in Kansas City

14 Saturday May 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2011, Kansas City, missouri, Truman Days

This evening Blue Girl, RBH, and I are attending Truman Days, sponsored by the Jackson County Democratic Committee, at the Holiday Inn Coco Key across from the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City. We’re on the fifteenth floor and we have great views of the Kansas City skyline from the Plumbers and Gasfitters hospitality suite. The food and drink is good and plentiful.

In the parking lot. We knew we were at the right place.

The IBEW hospitality suite.

Uh, you got that right.

BLS: March 2011 employment numbers

01 Friday Apr 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2011, Bureau of labor Statistics, march, unemployment

The Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its March 2011 national employment numbers report this morning:

Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization

U-3 Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (official unemployment rate)

Seasonally adjusted

Mar. 2010 – 9.7%

Nov. 2010 – 9.8%

Dec. 2010 – 9.4%

Jan. 2011 – 9.0%

Feb. 2011 – 8.9%

Mar. 2011 – 8.8%

U-6 Total unemployed, plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force

Seasonally adjusted

Mar. 2010 – 16.8%

Nov. 2010 – 17.0%

Dec. 2010 – 16.7%

Jan. 2011 – 16.1%

Feb. 2011 – 15.9%

Mar. 2011 – 15.7%

[emphasis added]

8.8% is a lot better, given dubya’s legacy, but it’s still too high.

A release from the White House:

The Employment Situation in March

Posted by Austan Goolsbee on April 01, 2011 at 09:43 AM EDT

Today’s employment report shows that private sector payrolls increased by 230,000 in March, marking 13 consecutive months of private employment growth. Private sector employers added 1.8 million jobs over that period, including more than half a million jobs in the last three months. The unemployment rate fell for the fourth straight month to 8.8 percent. The full percentage point drop in the unemployment rate over the past four months is the largest such decline since 1984, and, importantly, it has been driven primarily by increased employment, rather than people leaving the labor force.

As long as millions of people are looking for jobs, there is still considerable work to do to replace the jobs lost in the downturn. Nonetheless, the steep decline in the jobless rate and the solid employment growth in recent months are encouraging. The last two months of private job gains have been the strongest in five years. We are seeing signs that the initiatives put in place by this Administration – such as the payroll tax cut and business incentives for investment – are creating the conditions for sustained growth and job creation.   We will continue to work with Congress to find ways to reduce spending, so that we can live within our means and focus on the investments that are most likely to help grow our economy and create jobs – investments in education, infrastructure, and clean energy.

In addition to the increases last month, the estimates of private sector job growth for January (now +94,000) and February (now +240,000) were revised up significantly. Overall payroll employment rose by 216,000 in March. Payroll employment grew in almost every sector. Solid employment increases occurred in professional and business services (+78,000), education and health services (+45,000), leisure and hospitality (+37,000), wholesale and retail trade (+31,800), and manufacturing (+17,000). Local government experienced a decline of 15,000, and has shed jobs in 16 of the past 17 months.

The overall trajectory of the economy has improved dramatically over the past two years, but there will surely be bumps in the road ahead.  The monthly employment and unemployment numbers are volatile and employment estimates are subject to substantial revision.  Therefore, as the Administration always stresses, it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report.

Austan Goolsbee is Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers

Who could have predicted? From a February 11, 2009 White House conference call with bloggers:

“…and frankly, it’s not rocket science…” (February 12, 2009)

Jared Bernstein: ….Uh, but the, the kind of quantitative metrics you suggested I also think are important. Um, the unemployment rate, uh, is expected in the absence of, uh, this, uh, uh, package to get up into something close to double digits, uh, um, by, uh, um, the, uh, probably, uh, late, uh, uh, later, uh, sometime a, I, I would guess, uh, around, um, late this year, uh, next year in the absence of, of our package. Um, I think, uh, the package should help to reduce the unemployment rate by about a couple of points. So, instead of being nine, nine and half, ten, ten and a half per cent, uh, the unemployment rate, uh, uh, um, may go, uh, oh a point, a point and a half higher than it is right now. It’s about seven and a half, so we could be looking at eight and a half, you know, maybe, maybe that neighborhood instead of, uh, maybe seven and a half by the end of, uh, two thousand and ten kind of back down to where we are now. Uh, if, uh, if the program is, is, successful. Now, uh, you have to be very careful when you give these quantitative metrics because, uh, they’re kind of, uh, uh, if things go as planned and obviously, uh, there’s lots that could happen between now and then. And no economist can, can, can know the future. That’s one of the reasons why our forecasts have large, um, guess, uh, confidence intervals, but large margins of error around them,

And so, uh, I think we should look for unemployment that, that is lower than it would be otherwise. Uh, um, we think we’re gon…to, as I said, create or save, uh, three, four million jobs. We’ll be tracking that closely….

[emphasis added]

What happened? The deficit scolds cut back on the stimulus. Because Wall Street doesn’t give a damn about unemployment?

From 2009:

Now what, Claire? (October 2, 2009)

Remember this, from February?:

Just saw Krugman’s comments on reduction in recov act. Question for him. Would no stimulus act be better than one thats 800 B instead of 900

Paul Krugman:

…What happened was a, a lack of conviction, a lack of, you know, if you’re gonna do something like this you’re gonna have a stimulus program you gotta go and do it…This is the kind of situation where you’re trying to build a bridge across an economic chasm. If you build half a bridge it doesn’t work. You have to do the real thing…

[….]

And to think, if millionaires hadn’t retained their Bush era tax windfall before the 2010 election because Democrats in Congress and the Administration always blink we’d probably have lower unemployment and a lower deficit to boot.

Now what?

Campaign Finance: in support of the earnings tax in Kansas City

01 Tuesday Mar 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2011, campaign finance, earnings tax, Kansas City, missouri, Proposition A, Rex Sinquefield

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION

A101430 SAVE KANSAS CITY COMMITTEE [pdf] 3/1/2011

Sprint Nextell

P.O. Box 63670

Phoenix, AZ 85082

3/1/2011

$25,000.00

Oppenheimer

125 Broad Street

New York, NY 10004

3/1/2011

$7,500.00

[emphasis added]

Last week:

CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION

A101430 SAVE KANSAS CITY COMMITTEE [pdf] 2/25/2011

Oppenheimer & Co Inc

125 Broad Street

New York, NY 10004

2/25/2011

$7,500.00

[emphasis added]

The Save Kansas City Committee (in support of the continuation of the earnings tax on the April ballot) filed an amended 40 Day Before General Election-4/5/2011 report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on February 27th:

REPORT SUMMARY

SAVE KANSAS CITY COMMITTEE 2/27/2011

1. Total Receipts For This Election Previously Reported $0.00

2. All Monetary Contributions Received This Period $1,028,250.00

10. Expenditures made by cash or check this period $383,371.82

27. Money On Hand at the close of this reporting period $644,878.18

[emphasis added]

That’s a significant chunk of change.

And what did they spend the money on?:

EXPENDITURES OF $100 OR LESS BY CATEGORY – SUPPLEMENTAL FORM

SAVE KANSAS CITY COMMITTEE 2/27/2011

Food for grand Head Quarters grand opening $76.97

Computer purchase consultation $40.00

Printing $152.82

Office supplies $34.76

voter data $25.00

P.O. Box fee $22.00

ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES OVER $100 SUPPLEMENTAL FORM

SAVE KANSAS CITY COMMITTEE 2/27/2011

Cambridge Consultants 3965 W 83rd suite 291 Prairie Village KS 66208 12/20/2010 Poll $16,500.00

Market & Communications Research 4300 Bell St 2300 Kansas City MO 64111 12/21/2010 Focus Groups $6,500.00

Market & Communications Research 4300 Bell Street Kansas City MO 64111 12/21/2010 issue research $6,000.00

Glorioso Resources 4618 Warwick #7C Kansas city MO 64112 1/5/2011 media and political consulting $5,000.00

Cambridge Consultants 3965 W 83rd suite 291 Prairie Village KS 66208 1/18/2011 outdoor advertisint $28,950.00

Media Placements 4049 Central Kansas city MO 64111 1/24/2011 television production $445.00

VML 250 Northwest Richards Road Kansas City MO 64116 1/24/2011 web site design and host $30,000.00

Market & Communications research 4300 Bell Kansas city MO 64111 1/24/2011 campaign consulting $6,000.00

G & H Consulting 14405 E 96th street Kansas City MO 64139 1/28/2011 campaign consulting $10,000.00

Tinic 1627 Main Kansas City MO 64111 1/28/2011 design services $5,000.00

Cambridge Consultants 3965 W 83rd suite 291 Kansas City MO 66208 2/7/2011 management fees $15,000.00

Glorioso Resources 4618 Warwick #7C Kansas City MO 64112 2/7/2011 media and political consulting $5,000.00

PPS LLC 2903 SW 13th Lees summit MO 64081 2/7/2011 professional consulting services $2,500.00

VML 250 N Richards rd Kansas city MO 64116 2/10/2011 television time $150,000.00

Cambridge Consultants 3965 W 83rd suite 291 Prairie Village KS 66220 2/14/2011 yard signs $9,823.69

[emphasis added]

Well, what do you think, television and direct mail?

What, no t-shirts? I suppose we’ll have to ask Rex Sinquefield if he’s got any to spare. Nah, on second thought, I don’t think he’d contribute.

If the renewal of the earnings tax passes everyone better save their signs because they’ll have to do it all over again in five years. They can thank Rex Sinquefield for that, too.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: opponents of the earnings tax in Kansas City get a lot of help (February 26, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 8 (February 17, 2011)

Kansas City’s campaign in support of the earnings tax starts (February 14, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 7 (January 28, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 6 (January 24, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 5 (January 18, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 4 (January 13, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 3 (January 9, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 2 (January 4, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011 (January 3, 2011)

Finally, part 2 (December 20, 2010)

Finally (December 14, 2010)

HB 26: an attempt to fix some of the mess of Proposition A (December 3, 2010)

Where’s Kansas City on fundraising for the 2011 earnings tax vote? (November 27, 2010)

St. Louis leads the fundraising way on the April 2011 earnings tax vote (November 16, 2010)

Any bets that the Royals follow through for Kansas City? (November 13, 2010)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 8

17 Thursday Feb 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2011, earnings tax, Kansas City, missouri, Proposition A, Rex Sinquefield

Yesterday at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

A101430 02/16/2011 SAVE KANSAS CITY COMMITTEE John Sherman 5306 Sunset Kansas City MO 64112 Inergy 2/16/2011 $15,000.00

A101430 02/16/2011 SAVE KANSAS CITY COMMITTEE HNTB 715 Kirk Dr Kansas City MO 64105 2/16/2011 $25,000.00

A101430 02/16/2011 SAVE KANSAS CITY COMMITTEE Hallmark Global Services Inc P.O. Box 418307 Kansas City MO 64108 1/28/2011 $75,000.00

[emphasis added]

When they care enough to send Rex Sinquefield the very best.

Previously:

Kansas City’s campaign in support of the earnings tax starts (February 14, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 7 (January 28, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 6 (January 24, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 5 (January 18, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 4 (January 13, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 3 (January 9, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 2 (January 4, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011 (January 3, 2011)

Finally, part 2 (December 20, 2010)

Finally (December 14, 2010)

HB 26: an attempt to fix some of the mess of Proposition A (December 3, 2010)

Where’s Kansas City on fundraising for the 2011 earnings tax vote? (November 27, 2010)

St. Louis leads the fundraising way on the April 2011 earnings tax vote (November 16, 2010)

Any bets that the Royals follow through for Kansas City? (November 13, 2010)

Blizteria!

01 Tuesday Feb 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

2011, blizteria!, blizzard, missouri

The best political commentary of the day so far, via Twitter:

@joliejustus  Jolie Justus

20 Senators trapped in Capitol. We’re meeting to decide who to eat first. Senator Schmitt seems to be the favorite at this point. 20 minutes ago

And the facebook comments are priceless:

…Republicans first…

…Donner, party of twenty, your table is ready…

…Choose wisely. I hear some of the Senators may be a little bitter…

“…Choose wisely. I hear some of the Senators may be a little bitter…”

Win!

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 7

28 Friday Jan 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2011, earnings tax, Kansas City, missouri, Proposition A, Rex Sinquefield

The past few days at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION

A101430 SAVE KANSAS CITY COMMITTEE [pdf] 1/27/2011

Lathrop & Gage LLP

2345 Grand Boulevard

Kansas City , MO 64108

1/27/2011

$15,000.00

Kessinger/Hunter & Company L.C.

2600 Grand Blvd. suite 700

Kansas City , MO 64108

1/27/2011

$15,000.00

[emphasis added]

CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION

A101430 SAVE KANSAS CITY COMMITTEE [pdf] 1/25/2011

International Association of firefighters

Local 3808 Kansas City Chiefs

1021 Pennsulvania Ave.

Kansas City, MO 64105

1/25/2011

$16,000.00

[emphasis added]

You know, if the April earnings tax vote is successful all the good folks who have contributed money will have do it all over again five years from now. They can thank Rex Sinquefield for that.

Previously:

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 6 (January 24, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 5 (January 18, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 4 (January 13, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 3 (January 9, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011, part 2 (January 4, 2011)

Kansas City antes up to support the earnings tax vote in 2011 (January 3, 2011)

Finally, part 2 (December 20, 2010)

Finally (December 14, 2010)

HB 26: an attempt to fix some of the mess of Proposition A (December 3, 2010)

Where’s Kansas City on fundraising for the 2011 earnings tax vote? (November 27, 2010)

St. Louis leads the fundraising way on the April 2011 earnings tax vote (November 16, 2010)

Any bets that the Royals follow through for Kansas City? (November 13, 2010)

← Older posts
Newer posts →

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007

Categories

  • campaign finance
  • Claire McCaskill
  • Democratic Party News
  • Healthcare
  • Hillary Clinton
  • Interview
  • Josh Hawley
  • media criticism
  • meta
  • Missouri General Assembly
  • Missouri Governor
  • Missouri House
  • Missouri Senate
  • Resist
  • Roy Blunt
  • social media
  • Standing Rock
  • Town Hall
  • Uncategorized
  • US Senate

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in

Blogroll

  • Balloon Juice
  • Crooks and Liars
  • Digby
  • I Spy With My Little Eye
  • Lawyers, Guns, and Money
  • No More Mister Nice Blog
  • The Great Orange Satan
  • Washington Monthly
  • Yael Abouhalkah

Donate to Show Me Progress via PayPal

Your modest support helps keep the lights on. Click on the button:

Blog Stats

  • 285,855 hits

Blog at WordPress.com.