[Bob Seger]

sure the consumer always pays the sales tax. It would raise the price of the imported goods making goods made in this country more appealing to the consumer plus it could increase manufacturing in this country (more jobs)

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this. While I support extreme tariffs being put on products being unfairly "dumped" in this country by foreign companies or state run entities, I have reservations about "protectionism" used primarily to support union made products, where by their own doing, have grossly priced themselves out of the market. There is a fine line here.

[nky]

it should make more jobs but I understand where you're coming from smacks in the face of Adam Smith's natural laws of Capitalism

[vundy33]

[/B]



Well, this is largely the reason the USSR collapsed under it's own weight in 1991. Socialism simply could not provide the funding necessary to make the Soviet Union to run. The socialism experiment didn't work for Russia, and it won't work for anybody else either. None the less, we are constrained to maintain the type of military budget we have always had if we want to stay free. Like or not, it doesn't matter. Freedom = a kickbutt military force.

Agreed. And I want to keep our military as kick-ass as possible, just not in this war for much longer. With more resources given to special operations forces, we would be even better, and still have a pretty dang big Army, and decent sized Marine Corps, to go and kick the shit out of someone if need be and SOF couldn't do the job.

[RunItUpTheGut]

How bad does foreign goods and NAFTA hurt/help us?

[nky]

How bad does foreign goods and NAFTA hurt/help us?

we get cheaper goods that's for sure in both price and quality. Most consumers that's all they care about. Our manufacturing base has dropped over that last 40 years. I don't think NAFTA is that big of an issue compared to what China and others have been doing with cheap in some cases subsidised labor.

The price of goods would go up putting protectionist policies in place but jobs should also increase in turn people should be making more money.

Bring back mercantilism

[RunItUpTheGut]

we get cheaper goods that's for sure in both price and quality. Most consumers that's all they care about. Our manufacturing base has dropped over that last 40 years. I don't think NAFTA is that big of an issue compared to what China and others have been doing with cheap in some cases subsidised labor.

The price of goods would go up putting protectionist policies in place but jobs should also increase in turn people should be making more money.

Bring back mercantilism

Would we be better off paying more money for domestic made goods instead of trying to get the cheapest deals on everything?
In the long run could this help the country grow?

I know this is never going to happen because people we always want the best deal, but what would happen if we shut down trades from places like China and went back to American Made.

[nky]

by raising the price of imported goods and make domestic goods more competitive you could increase the number of jobs in the US thus strengthening the middle class. This is already being done slowly under the current system especially with car companies building assembly plants here in the US.
By raising the import tax some of these countries may relocate assembly plants here. The problem is of course by raising our import tax others will do the same thus hurting our exports.

[Hoot Gibson]

Imposing stiff tariffs on imports is no solution to a sluggish economy. The only long-term fix for what ails this economy is to make American companies competitive again by making this nation an attractive place to do business and to produce durable goods. American politicians caused our problems and unfortunately, it will take politicians to bail us out.

Most of all, Americans need to understand once and for all that the government creates no jobs. All jobs and all wealth are created by the private sector. Governments simply consume a nation's wealth and shifts it around instead of allowing consumers to decide where it should be concentrated.

The more wealth that a government consumes, the less wealth available to the private sector for creation of goods and services. Countries with low tax rates, fewer regulations, and less powerful unions will always have an edge in a free market economy.

Starting trade wars with countries who already enjoy the advantage of having governments who understand and encourage capitalism will only make matters worse. I never thought that I would see a time when the Chinese government would create a more business-friendly environment than we have in the United States - but that is exactly what has happened.

[vector]

Imposing stiff tariffs on imports is no solution to a sluggish economy. The only long-term fix for what ails this economy is to make American companies competitive again by making this nation an attractive place to do business and to produce durable goods. American politicians caused our problems and unfortunately, it will take politicians to bail us out.

Most of all, Americans need to understand once and for all that the government creates no jobs. All jobs and all wealth are created by the private sector. Governments simply consume a nation's wealth and shifts it around instead of allowing consumers to decide where it should be concentrated.

The more wealth that a government consumes, the less wealth available to the private sector for creation of goods and services. Countries with low tax rates, fewer regulations, and less powerful unions will always have an edge in a free market economy.

Starting trade wars with countries who already enjoy the advantage of having governments who understand and encourage capitalism will only make matters worse. I never thought that I would see a time when the Chinese government would create a more business-friendly environment than we have in the United States - but that is exactly what has happened.

so you are saying we would be better off as a communist country

[Hoot Gibson]

so you are saying we would be better off as a communist country

Read my post again. I am saying that Obama and the liberal Democrats have been dragging us down the socialist/fascist road and it is making us less competitive in the global economy. China, on the other hand, has noticed that central planning of its economy failed, as did the rigid Soviet central economy, and has unleashed the power of the free market.

The Chinese political structure is still a totalitarian, old style communist institution, but many of its entrepreneurs are becoming wealthy beyond their wildest dreams while federal red tape and taxes are strangling small businesses in this country. While the non-American communists and socialists of the world have awakened to the fact that capitalism is the best economic system every devised by man, American socialists cannot get their fill of big government programs and control over our economy.

Eventually, the growing number of wealthy business people and emerging middle class in China may demand political freedom to match their economic freedom, but for the time being at least they are batting .500. Obama is laying goose eggs.

[TheRealThing]

Imposing stiff tariffs on imports is no solution to a sluggish economy. The only long-term fix for what ails this economy is to make American companies competitive again by making this nation an attractive place to do business and to produce durable goods. American politicians caused our problems and unfortunately, it will take politicians to bail us out.

Most of all, Americans need to understand once and for all that the government creates no jobs. All jobs and all wealth are created by the private sector. Governments simply consume a nation's wealth and shifts it around instead of allowing consumers to decide where it should be concentrated.

The more wealth that a government consumes, the less wealth available to the private sector for creation of goods and services. Countries with low tax rates, fewer regulations, and less powerful unions will always have an edge in a free market economy.

Starting trade wars with countries who already enjoy the advantage of having governments who understand and encourage capitalism will only make matters worse. I never thought that I would see a time when the Chinese government would create a more business-friendly environment than we have in the United States - but that is exactly what has happened.

I remember when politicians used to get laughed off the platform for even suggesting such a thing. If I remember correctly, the first time I heard the argument proffered in earnest by a presidential candidate, was during Carter's reelection campaign. Carter was arguing he needed more time for his policies to work. And, believe it or not, mainstream news casters barbequed him for suggesting government could create jobs. Now, candidates routinely talk about creating jobs because people have become desensitized to the argument or, they have heard it enough times they have started to believe it. And, just as routinely, mainstream media talk about the concept like there is no doubting the validity of the notion. Repeating a talking point is one of the dems favored tactics, I've seen them do it for decades. Here's one of my favorites, "the American people want" then they plug in whatever they happen to be plugging for that day.

The idea that government can create jobs is an example of an idea that once was rejected out of hand by the voting public but, is now accepted as fact due to the drumbeat of hearing it said over and over. And, the concept as well as the method of delivery are equally despicable in my mind.

Ronald Reagan Quotes; "We need true tax reform that will at least make a start toward restoring for our children the American Dream that wealth is denied to no one, that each individual has the right to fly as high as his strength and ability will take him. . . . But we cannot have such reform while our tax policy is engineered by people who view the tax as a means of achieving changes in our social structure."

Plutarch warned, “The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations, and benefits.”

The sad thing is that if Reagan were running for president today, Bob Beckel would be saying his personality is too 'dead fish' and he isn't cool enough, so people will never vote for him. And, The liberals would be saying he is a right wing elitist, who doesn't understand the plight of the people. Today, the fight is between extreme left liberals and traditional Americans. Liberals don't accept the social norm of the past 200 years plus, and want to see America mutate into a scene out of Dante's Inferno. My question is why? America works. However, if we keep asking the ne'er do wells, what we need to do to make them happy, we will continue to see things like same sex marriage legislation, and ever increasing welfare rolls. It isn't a question of understanding, on the contrary, it's a question of character. Will traditional Americans gain the courage to stand up and say enough entitlements, enough legislation which by definition is in direct defiance of God's Word, enough spending money we don't have? I hope so.

[Hoot Gibson]

I remember when politicians used to get laughed off the platform for even suggesting such a thing. If I remember correctly, the first time I heard the argument proffered in earnest by a presidential candidate, was during Carter's reelection campaign. Carter was arguing he needed more time for his policies to work. And, believe it or not, mainstream news casters barbequed him for suggesting government could create jobs. Now, candidates routinely talk about creating jobs because people have become desensitized to the argument or, they have heard it enough times they have started to believe it. And, just as routinely, mainstream media talk about the concept like there is no doubting the validity of the notion. Repeating a talking point is one of the dems favored tactics, I've seen them do it for decades. Here's one of my favorites, "the American people want" then they plug in whatever they happen to be plugging for that day.

The idea that government can create jobs is an example of an idea that once was rejected out of hand by the voting public but, is now accepted as fact due to the drumbeat of hearing it said over and over. And, the concept as well as the method of delivery are equally despicable in my mind.

Ronald Reagan Quotes; "We need true tax reform that will at least make a start toward restoring for our children the American Dream that wealth is denied to no one, that each individual has the right to fly as high as his strength and ability will take him. . . . But we cannot have such reform while our tax policy is engineered by people who view the tax as a means of achieving changes in our social structure."
Plutarch warned, “The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations, and benefits.”

The sad thing is that if Reagan were running for president today, Bob Beckel would be saying his personality is too 'dead fish' and he isn't cool enough, so people will never vote for him. And, The liberals would be saying he is a right wing elitist, who doesn't understand the plight of the people. Today, the fight is between extreme left liberals and traditional Americans. Liberals don't accept the social norm of the past 200 years plus, and want to see America mutate into a scene out of Dante's Inferno. My question is why? America works. However, if we keep asking the ne'er do wells, what we need to do to make them happy, we will continue to see things like same sex marriage legislation, and ever increasing welfare rolls. It isn't a question of understanding, on the contrary, it's a question of character. Will traditional Americans gain the courage to stand up and say enough entitlements, enough legislation which by definition is in direct defiance of God's Word, enough spending money we don't have? I hope so.

Reagan Reagan had a gift. He was truly a great communicator. When I listen to or watch Reagan's speeches and then hear the media yammer about what an effective communicator Barack Obama is, I just have to shake my head. The media took the same kind of shots at Reagan throughout his career that they would take if he were running for president this year. They constantly attributed his leadership ability to his acting background and never gave him credit for being a visionary leader with a keen mind and a sharp wit. Reagan in his prime would have wiped the floor with Obama in a campaign.

Our uh...uh current...ah...president pales in...uh...comparison because his mixed messages...uh...make no sense and are punctuated with...uh...uhmm...too many...pauses...filled with...uhs and...ahs..and way too many Is. mys, and mines. He tries to sound like a deep thinker but the content of what comes out of his mouth bears no semblance of deep thought. Reagan was truly a uniter who inspired hope and trust in a solid majority of Americans.

[TheRealThing]

Reagan Reagan had a gift. He was truly a great communicator. When I listen to or watch Reagan's speeches and then hear the media yammer about what an effective communicator Barack Obama is, I just have to shake my head. The media took the same kind of shots at Reagan throughout his career that they would take if he were running for president this year. They constantly attributed his leadership ability to his acting background and never gave him credit for being a visionary leader with a keen mind and a sharp wit. Reagan in his prime would have wiped the floor with Obama in a campaign.

Our uh...uh current...ah...president pales in...uh...comparison because his mixed messages...uh...make no sense and are punctuated with...uh...uhmm...too many...pauses...filled with...uhs and...ahs..and way too many Is. mys, and mines. He tries to sound like a deep thinker but the content of what comes out of his mouth bears no semblance of deep thought. Reagan was truly a uniter who inspired hope and trust in a solid majority of Americans.

The liberals are living out a role. Just like guys who throw their lives away riding in a bike gang until their body fails them, or folks that walk around dressed up like cowboys, or people who spend their days jousting at the park ala the knights of King Arthur's court. Like they're living their lives out in a movie and, their greatest fan is or course, themself. For instance, noone likes the sound of their own voice more that Obama. He totally loves to hear himself talk. Liberals have espoused, a lifestyle philosophy which, in their own minds, is a higher calling. They therefore aspire to be benevolent, imagining themselves to be almost godlike, as they reach out to help the deprived in the 'brotherhood of man'.

True wisdom, which ironically is entirely ascertainable in institutions of higher learning, through the written works of men gone on before. Goes unheaded and ignored, in favor of the absurdities and dictates of the whimsical fancies of those who arrogantly have proclaimed themselves to be wise, in advocating the notions of something called, social justice. Obama finds himself in this camp. The discipline required to become a leader in the prusuit of this dubious cause is minimal. All one must needs do to be on the cutting edge of social justice is to roll over on everything America stood for up until 'modern American liberalism' began making inroads to control society. In this form of liberalism we must include Theodore Roosevelt's New Nationalism, Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom, Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, John F. Kennedy's New Frontier, and Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society. It combines social liberalism with support for social justice and a mixed economy. American liberal causes include voting rights for African Americans, abortion rights for women, gay rights and government entitlements such as education and health care. Additionaly, the Keynesian economic theory has played a central role in the economic philosophy of American liberals. The argument has been that national prosperity requires government management of the macroeconomy, to keep unemployment low, inflation in check, and growth high. (Portions of the preceeding 5 sentences borrowed from Wikipedia for accuracy)

If one considers the step by step assault of the policies BHO has implimented since his inaguration, one sees that not much in the way of imagination is required to understand why this administration governs like a monarchy, rather than representatives of a republic. I don't accept the validity of eastern mysticism but, one could definitely make a good case for reincarnation or at least spiritual visitation, when one considers the similarities among the modern liberal presidents listed above. I just hope we can survive the combined legacy of their administrations, especially the last one. Of all those listed none has so little respect for the country and the seperation of powers as does the Obama administration. We truly need some time to de-tox. We must have a return to sanity this fall to survive.

[the other guy]

Lower energy cost across the board- Gasoline, Diesel, electric power - the lowering of energy cost would spark the economy not only on the manufacturing but by in consumer spending

who lowers the price and who pays the difference?

[vector]

Read my post again. I am saying that Obama and the liberal Democrats have been dragging us down the socialist/fascist road and it is making us less competitive in the global economy. China, on the other hand, has noticed that central planning of its economy failed, as did the rigid Soviet central economy, and has unleashed the power of the free market.

The Chinese political structure is still a totalitarian, old style communist institution, but many of its entrepreneurs are becoming wealthy beyond their wildest dreams while federal red tape and taxes are strangling small businesses in this country. While the non-American communists and socialists of the world have awakened to the fact that capitalism is the best economic system every devised by man, American socialists cannot get their fill of big government programs and control over our economy.

Eventually, the growing number of wealthy business people and emerging middle class in China may demand political freedom to match their economic freedom, but for the time being at least they are batting .500. Obama is laying goose eggs.

so let me try to understand what you are saying

china workers pay a day is i think a biscuit,cup of tea and a bowl of
rice you think that would help the american people if we did this
alot of the entrepreneurs in this country have done real well in this
country. china has no regulations rember the 2008 olympics
in beijjing the communist government would not let you drive your car
they shut down factories i don't think that would help us

[Hoot Gibson]

so let me try to understand what you are saying

china workers pay a day is i think a biscuit,cup of tea and a bowl of
rice you think that would help the american people if we did this
alot of the entrepreneurs in this country have done real well in this
country. china has no regulations rember the 2008 olympics
in beijjing the communist government would not let you drive your car
they shut down factories i don't think that would help us

Once again, you demonstrate a deep misunderstanding of how capitalism works both here and in China. Your stereotyping of Chinese manufacturers is typical of liberals in this country. Yes, it is true that the average Chinese worker still makes much less than the average American worker but Chinese wages are rising and under Obama's tax and regulate economy, American wages and benefits are declining and with the bill that we will be passing future generations, our standard of living is likely to continue to decline.

China's wages are low not because of greedy capitalist pigs - but because of the big centralized communist economy that gave Chinese citizens no incentive to work hard during most of the 20th century. Wages have risen rapidly since the Chinese turned to capitalism to allow their economy to begin catching up with western economies and the capitalist economies of countries like Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.

Nobody is advocating that our government turn the clock back to the days when the Cuyahoga River caught fire in Cleveland but Obama's advocacy of higher taxes and environmental regulations for which compliance is not possible with today's technology as we prepare to enter the Obama recession (on the heels of the Obama jobless recovery) is just plain crazy.

Socialism, fascism, and communism are not conducive to a strong economy. People who think that American jobs have moved overseas to countries like China solely because of lower wages really not have a clue about economics and the effect that high taxes and over regulation have on our standard of living.

[nky]

^The poverty line in China has risen considerably. Don't the New Progressives want social justice and redistribute the wealth. or do they just want to do it here in US? Thing of those tens of millions of poor Chinese that we are bring out of poverty........the Great Society at work

[vector]

Once again, you demonstrate a deep misunderstanding of how capitalism works both here and in China. Your stereotyping of Chinese manufacturers is typical of liberals in this country. Yes, it is true that the average Chinese worker still makes much less than the average American worker but Chinese wages are rising and under Obama's tax and regulate economy, American wages and benefits are declining and with the bill that we will be passing future generations, our standard of living is likely to continue to decline.

China's wages are low not because of greedy capitalist pigs - but because of the big centralized communist economy that gave Chinese citizens no incentive to work hard during most of the 20th century. Wages have risen rapidly since the Chinese turned to capitalism to allow their economy to begin catching up with western economies and the capitalist economies of countries like Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.

Nobody is advocating that our government turn the clock back to the days when the Cuyahoga River caught fire in Cleveland but Obama's advocacy of higher taxes and environmental regulations for which compliance is not possible with today's technology as we prepare to enter the Obama recession (on the heels of the Obama jobless recovery) is just plain crazy.

Socialism, fascism, and communism are not conducive to a strong economy. People who think that American jobs have moved overseas to countries like China solely because of lower wages really not have a clue about economics and the effect that high taxes and over regulation have on our standard of living.

your paying less tax's now than you ever have it's the same tax policy bush was for plus 2% cut on your social security tax the last 2 years what are you talking about higher tax's you make no sense

[Hoot Gibson]

your paying less tax's now than you ever have it's the same tax policy bush was for plus 2% cut on your social security tax the last 2 years what are you talking about higher tax's you make no sense

It is 8 years too late for Obama to run against Bush. 8 years. 2004 was Obama's last chance to run a campaign against Bush. Remember that, please.

Is Obama campaigning on a platform to let the Bush tax cuts expire? I believe that he is. Do our corporations pay the highest corporate tax rates in the world. Again, I believe that the answer is yes, they are. Has Obama caused utility rates to skyrocket by having the EPA rewrite regulations to force power plants to retire coal-fired units years ahead of schedule? Yes, he has.

Obama did not create the poor business climate in this country but he has made it worse at a time when a responsible president would have been trying to create an environment friendlier to American companies and one which would attract more foreign investment.

IMO, the last American president who actually took steps to improve the business climate in this country was Ronald Reagan. Before him, JFK probably did more to support American businesses by slashing income tax rates.

Are you really so deep in Obama's pocket that you cannot see how bad this economy is and how little confidence most Americans have that things will improve if Obama continues to have his way with the job creators in this country?

[MustangSally]

who lowers the price and who pays the difference?

open up the gulf of Mexico for more drilling, expand the oil sands, back off the cap and trade like regulations that is making coal unattractive, instead of "investing" in ineffective green energy expand the coal to liquid programs.

Think of what would happen to the coal areas of this region and country if we built more coal to gasoline refineries.

http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/...20b5a.html

[RunItUpTheGut]

^
Ive heard of this before but not really done much research on it.
It seems like a pretty good idea.

[TheRealVille]

Yea, I remember the Reagen years well. It was the leanest years ever, for my family. My dad could't hardly find a job anywhere.

It is 8 years too late for Obama to run against Bush. 8 years. 2004 was Obama's last chance to run a campaign against Bush. Remember that, please.

Is Obama campaigning on a platform to let the Bush tax cuts expire? I believe that he is. Do our corporations pay the highest corporate tax rates in the world. Again, I believe that the answer is yes, they are. Has Obama caused utility rates to skyrocket by having the EPA rewrite regulations to force power plants to retire coal-fired units years ahead of schedule? Yes, he has.

Obama did not create the poor business climate in this country but he has made it worse at a time when a responsible president would have been trying to create an environment friendlier to American companies and one which would attract more foreign investment.

IMO, the last American president who actually took steps to improve the business climate in this country was Ronald Reagan. Before him, JFK probably did more to support American businesses by slashing income tax rates.

Are you really so deep in Obama's pocket that you cannot see how bad this economy is and how little confidence most Americans have that things will improve if Obama continues to have his way with the job creators in this country?

[TheRealThing]

^I saw this nation heal itself before Reagan was out of office. Reagan lowered growth in federal spending from 4% under Carter, to 2.5%. An average of 2 million new jobs were created every year of Reagan's two term presidency, totalling sixteen million new jobs. While inflation dropped from the abysmal 12.5% during the Carter administration, to 4.4%. Federal Income Tax revenues increased during the Reagan years, from $308.7 billion to $549 billion.

A comparison of my W2's from the two administrations shows there were two lean years during the Carter presidency, while variable interest rates climbed from 7% in 1975 to a stratospheric 19% in late 1980, with an inflation rate of 12.5%. There were two lean years during the two terms Reagan served but by the end of his second term mortgage rates had fallen to just under 10%, with an interest rate of 4.4%

ARTICLE EXCERPT---
It has been claimed that Reagan's policies brought about the second longest peacetime economic expansion in U.S. history, surpassed in duration only by the 1990s expansion that began with George H.W. Bush in 1991 and ended with George W. Bush in 2001. This economic expansion continued through the Clinton administration with unemployment rates steadily decreasing throughout his presidency (7.3% at the start of his presidency and 4.2% at the culmination, with the lowest rate reaching 3.9% in 2000). During the Reagan administration, the American economy went from a GDP growth of -0.3% in 1980 to 4.1% in 1988 (in constant 2005 dollars), which reduced the unemployment rate by 1.6%, from 7.1% in 1980 to 5.5% in 1988, but with peaks of around 10.8% in 1983. A net job increase of about 21 million also occurred through mid-1990.
END EXCERPT---

There were some issues to overcome in the 80's as America's financial ship of state, righted herself. Not everyone had a job but, many did and I was one of the fortunate ones. The good times lasted up until recently, with the Obysmal administration making things much worse with their war on coal, and fossil fuels in general. As I have made mention of before, the green energy industry is in no way ready to meet the needs of man whether globally, nationally or individually. Shutting down coal fired electricity generating stations was stupid.

I'm waiting to see if the BHO administration will run over top of the Supreme Court again when the ruling striking down ObamaCare is read. They didn't have any touble thumbing their nose at the nation's highest court when they upheld the Arizona immigration law. In that case, and announced mere minutes after the reading, Obama officials announced that the ICE data base would be closed to Arizona law enforcement officials attempting to ascertain the immigrations status of those breaking the law. While on the other hand, establishing a hot line for these felons to implicate said law enforcement officers who have arrested them for comitting a crime. In other words, if an illegal immigrant in Arizona gets busted going 100 mph in a school zone, without a driver's license or other documentation, and the police run a check on them or try to hold them to determine their immigration status so they can at least determine their real identity to be duly charged, the police will be the ones who find themselves in hot water. This, in spite of the fact that the SUPREME COURT upheld most of the Arizona law.

[TheRealVille]

How did construction do during the 80's? Don't lie, now. LOL

^I saw this nation heal itself before Reagan was out of office. Reagan lowered growth in federal spending from 4% under Carter, to 2.5%. An average of 2 million new jobs were created every year of Reagan's two term presidency, totalling sixteen million new jobs. While inflation dropped from the abysmal 12.5% during the Carter administration, to 4.4%. Federal Income Tax revenues increased during the Reagan years, from $308.7 billion to $549 billion.

A comparison of my W2's from the two administrations shows there were two lean years during the Carter presidency, while variable interest rates climbed from 7% in 1975 to a stratospheric 19% in late 1980, with an inflation rate of 12.5%. There were two lean years during the two terms Reagan served but by the end of his second term mortgage rates had fallen to just under 10%, with an interest rate of 4.4%

ARTICLE EXCERPT---
It has been claimed that Reagan's policies brought about the second longest peacetime economic expansion in U.S. history, surpassed in duration only by the 1990s expansion that began with George H.W. Bush in 1991 and ended with George W. Bush in 2001. This economic expansion continued through the Clinton administration with unemployment rates steadily decreasing throughout his presidency (7.3% at the start of his presidency and 4.2% at the culmination, with the lowest rate reaching 3.9% in 2000). During the Reagan administration, the American economy went from a GDP growth of -0.3% in 1980 to 4.1% in 1988 (in constant 2005 dollars), which reduced the unemployment rate by 1.6%, from 7.1% in 1980 to 5.5% in 1988, but with peaks of around 10.8% in 1983. A net job increase of about 21 million also occurred through mid-1990.
END EXCERPT---

There were some issues to overcome in the 80's as America's financial ship of state, righted herself. Not everyone had a job but, many did and I was one of the fortunate ones. The good times lasted up until recently, with the Obysmal administration making things much worse with their war on coal, and fossil fuels in general. As I have made mention of before, the green energy industry is in no way ready to meet the needs of man whether globally, nationally or individually. Shutting down coal fired electricity generating stations was stupid.

I'm waiting to see if the BHO administration will run over top of the Supreme Court again when the ruling striking down ObamaCare is read. They didn't have any touble thumbing their nose at the nation's highest court when they upheld the Arizona immigration law. In that case, and announced mere minutes after the reading, Obama officials announced that the ICE data base would be closed to Arizona law enforcement officials attempting to ascertain the immigrations status of those breaking the law. While on the other hand, establishing a hot line for these felons to implicate said law enforcement officers who have arrested them for comitting a crime. In other words, if an illegal immigrant in Arizona gets busted going 100 mph in a school zone, without a driver's license or other documentation, and the police run a check on them or try to hold them to determine their immigration status so they can at least determine their real identity to be duly charged, the police will be the ones who find themselves in hot water. This, in spite of the fact that the SUPREME COURT upheld most of the Arizona law.

[Hoot Gibson]

How did construction do during the 80's? Don't lie, now. LOL

Why don't you post some facts to back up your claim that construction did poorly during Reagan's administration. Not an anecdotal account of how one man struggled to find work but some hard statistics that show how much better the construction industry had it under Carter than Reagan. It is a historical fact that interest rates, the inflation rate, fuel costs, and the unemployment rate were all much lower under Reagan than they were during the Carter years. It is hard to believe that the construction industry as a whole were worse off in a strong economy than they were during the years that popularized the "misery index."

[TheRealVille]

Why don't you post some facts to back up your claim that construction did poorly during Reagan's administration. Not an anecdotal account of how one man struggled to find work but some hard statistics that show how much better the construction industry had it under Carter than Reagan. It is a historical fact that interest rates, the inflation rate, fuel costs, and the unemployment rate were all much lower under Reagan than they were during the Carter years. It is hard to believe that the construction industry as a whole were worse off in a strong economy than they were during the years that popularized the "misery index."

You wouldn't believe me anyway, get your buddy TRT, to tell you about the perils of industrial constructio during the Reagen years. Maybe he will tell you about plant vogel being the only job on the east side after the RCC wound down in about 81. I'm at the beach on an iphone and typing isn't easy, I'm sure TRT can remember industrial construction during the 80's, but he will word twist, and make it sound good. But, it was very bad for construction workers in the 80's, at least on the industrial end of it.

My last post while on vacation.

[vector]

Why don't you post some facts to back up your claim that construction did poorly during Reagan's administration. Not an anecdotal account of how one man struggled to find work but some hard statistics that show how much better the construction industry had it under Carter than Reagan. It is a historical fact that interest rates, the inflation rate, fuel costs, and the unemployment rate were all much lower under Reagan than they were during the Carter years. It is hard to believe that the construction industry as a whole were worse off in a strong economy than they were during the years that popularized the "misery index."

i beleive a lot of the jobs he created was government jobs or
low wage jobs because that was the toughest time i ever worked
through union buster

[Hoot Gibson]

i beleive a lot of the jobs he created was government jobs or
low wage jobs because that was the toughest time i ever worked
through union buster

Believe whatever you want. History tells a different story.

[TheRealThing]

How did construction do during the 80's? Don't lie, now. LOL

Do you know how to make a post without calling somebody a liar? I retired early under the rule of 80, and I'm not hurting any. If I hadn't done rather well during the 1980's I probably wouldn't have been able to retire early. I will say I made less than a thousand dollars from my union trade work during Carter's last year in office. The decade of the 80's my income was much better than the decade of the 70's. You say your dad couldn't find work, not knowing his career field it's hard to relate. I can tell you that carpenters, and the carpenters I know had decent work. I really couldn't care less whether you believe that or not. Maybe you are familiar enough with the history of union construction to make the unilateral proclamation that there wasn't any construction going on in the 1980's and maybe you're not. I know I worked, a lot. So you'll excuse me if I stick to an understanding of things the way I remember them, not what somebody says who admits he didn't work much during that time. Maybe your trade has too narrow an application to expect to work much. One doesn't see many boilermakers on the job when building schools, banks, hospitals and the like.

And as I have said before. Industrial work picked up substantially during Reagan's second term. The first term the nation was pulling out of a steep financial nose dive and it naturally took several years to get industrial work drawn up and financed. Nice to see you are still thinking of me even though you're vacating. And FWIW, it's hard to get financing when money costs 15 or 16%. That's mostly why industrial work suffered the way it did toward the last of the Carter administration.

[TheRealVille]

I am a union pipefitter out of huntington. My dad was an ashland hand. Maybe your side did ok, I know for a fact the 80's were very lean for industrial.if you were really there, and honest about it, you would tell how the union construction faired during those years.Being a support trade for the industrial side for fitters, and boilermakers, you should remember that carpenters dont work when they dont, at least on industrial jobs

Do you know how to make a post without calling somebody a liar? I retired early under the rule of 80, and I'm not hurting any. If I hadn't done rather well during the 1980's I probably wouldn't have been able to retire early. I will say I made less than a thousand dollars from my union trade work during Carter's last year in office. The decade of the 80's my income was much better than the decade of the 70's. You say your dad couldn't find work, not knowing his career field it's hard to relate. I can tell you that carpenters, and the carpenters I know had decent work. I really couldn't care less whether you believe that or not. Maybe you are familiar enough with the history of union construction to make the unilateral proclamation that there wasn't any construction going on in the 1980's and maybe you're not. I know I worked, a lot. So you'll excuse me if I stick to an understanding of things the way I remember them, not what somebody says who admits he didn't work much during that time. Maybe your trade has too narrow an application to expect to work much. One doesn't see many boilermakers on the job when building schools, banks, hospitals and the like.

And as I have said before. Industrial work picked up substantially during Reagan's second term. The first term the nation was pulling out of a steep financial nose dive and it naturally took several years to get industrial work drawn up and financed. Nice to see you are still thinking of me even though you're vacating.