Tuesday, November 17, 2009

BARACK OBAMA

That's What This Economy Needs: Another Campaign-Style Tour

Wow, 10.2 percent unemployment hasn't just spurred President Obama to host a "jobs summit"; he's also going to "embark on a cross-country tour to discuss economic recovery."

Well, turnout at these events should be pretty good, since so many Americans don't have to work during the day.

I notice:

Obama wanted to get out of Washington and "take the temperature on what Americans are experiencing during these challenging economic times," the White House said.

(I take it the walls are giving reporters direct quotes again.) Let me save the president some time: Very few people are hiring. Businesses are closing. Layoffs continue. You've seen painful industry-defining upheaval in the auto industry, financial sector, media, and publishing, as well as the continued decline in manufacturing, the lack of a pulse in real estate, and almost nothing going on in construction. There are many reasons for this, but I can't help but suspect that three key factors are A) businesses don't know whether or not, and how much, they will have to pay for employees' health care, B) businesses don't know how much they'll have to pay for energy if cap-and-trade passes, and C) businesses don't know how much they'll have to pay under the higher taxes you and Congress want to enact as soon as you can. With these many ominous indicators and unknown risk factors out there, who would hire new employees?

Oh, and you've started trade wars and are telling foreign countries our consumers won't be able to purchase as much as we have in the past.

There is no problem facing this country so large that the White House doesn't think it can solve it through campaign-style events.

UPDATE: A reader wonders if the tour will include stops at stimulus projects in Arizona's 86th congressional district or Connecticut's 42nd district.

11/17 10:31 AMShare