Sunday, Sep 05, 2010
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Category: Bull-ieve it or Not

You can call me Al

Does anyone else think Joe Biden in one sentence away from being called Al?


Is Unemployment at 9.5% or 24%?

Writing in the New York Times in November 2003, Austan Goolsbee, then a professor at the University of Chicago, flamboyantly accused the government of “cooking” the books regarding unemployment.

“The situation has grown so dire,” he said, “that we can’t even tell whether the job market is recovering. The time has come to correct the official unemployment statistics to account for those left out.”

Professor Goolsbee is now a top economic advisor to President Obama. Would he admit that the official jobless of 9.5% grossly underestimates the pain of job losses in America and do something to correct the situation?

Findings in recent IBD/TIPP polls suggest that now would be a good time to undertake such a project.

According to Labor Department data, the civilian labor force in June totaled 153.7 million people, 14.6 million (9.5%) of whom were unemployed. But in the latest IBD/TIPP poll conducted last week, 28.6% of respondents said at least one member of their household is unemployed and looking for work. This number for June was 27.8% and for May 28%.

When we project our household job-seekers rate and calculate the share of Americans who are unemployed and looking for work, we get a job-seeker rate of 24.1% for July for a total of 37 million Americans vs. the government’s aforementioned 14.6 million.

Source: Investors.com


Un-bull-ieva-Bull 3 May 2010

Roger Hickey, co-director of the left-leaning Campaign for America’s Future on the Wall Street Reform B ill… “The biggest anger among everybody — including the tea party people — is that the bankers got away with ripping off the bureaucrats in Washington.”


Un-BULL-ieveabull

The recently “elected” Atlanta Mayor Reed is attempting to sell City Hall East, which was used as a headquarters for Atlanta’s police, fire rescue, parks and recreation and cultural affairs departments, to developers. His staff also is negotiating to lease the city jail to Fulton County. The mayor said the deals will save the city about $25 million. Council members questioned the wisdom of including those arrangements in the budget documents they received.

“I’m trying to understand how can you anticipate something that doesn’t exist?” Councilwoman Felicia Moore asked.

In response, Aman told Moore, “We’re proposing that we’re anticipating [the approval of those deals].”"

Just another dumb ass politician.


Bull-ieve it or not – 20 April

MARTA, Atlanta’s Rapid Transit System, decided to pay transit workers to paint a red “X” on buses and trains to mark services that may be cut.  “MARTA is facing a $120 million shortfall and will likely need to slash its budget by as much as 30 percent.  Nearly half of MARTA’s 130 bus routes could be cut.”  I’m sure this exercise in futility really helped.

“Promiscuous” women cause earthquakes – so spake a senior Iranian cleric.  I think someone is spiking their tea. Why don’t they just declare a fatwa on earthquakes?  They have one on everything else.  Do you think Hank Johnson drinks the same tea?