Obama on Small-Town Pennsylvania...

[opebo]

...and where is the all the prosperity located? The city itself or the outer areas? .5% above unemployment seems pretty hight for a big city.

All prosperity in the United States is located in the residences of the top 0.5% of the population.  Thusly, it is concentrated in the 'richest neighborhood' of any big city, but really more in certain parts of New York, Florida, and California.

[agcatter]

Once again, thank you Karl Marx.

[opebo]

Obama seems to be talking about an economy as it was 35 years ago.  That is called being out of touch.

Yes, the situation is infinitely worse now than it was 35 years ago.

[opebo]

...30 years of a declining quality of life has been covered up by credit and the fast growth of workforce participation. 

...our productivity has grown..

Snowguy, what has happened is the State has redistributed all that income that workers used to get directly to the top 0.5%.  'Trade' and 'economics' and 'business' and 'markets' and all that other nonsense are actually just aspects of political action, not in any way 'independent forces'.  What has happened is the top 0.5% has fullty regained political control, and simply taken back everything from the workers accept for what they got  before FDR - the minimum necessary to survive.

You could confiscate everything the top .5% earns and give it to the masses, and per capita, it would not have much impact. Do the math.

'Earns'?  This group does not 'earn' anything - it is all given to them gratis by the State (through their 'ownership'). 

[J. J.]

Forgive me if this has already been posted, but it seems the author of this agrees with Senator Obama:

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Anyone know who wrote it?

So, the conservative goal is to eliminate "waste", not do anything about taxes, campaign on do-nothing taxes and then promise to solve economic problems by blaming them on scape goats and putting them in jail. Deficits will go up and they will be forced to cut benefit further and the cycle begins anew until the government has to rely on profits to function and doesn't do anything but put those who can't fit in into jail.

Obama seems to be talking about an economy as it was 35 years ago.  That is called being out of touch.

Or maybe you are trying to defend your own credibility as it is the generals and you are trying to solidify your case for Micky C.

No, there are enough links on this tread, and enough reporting, to show that Obama was wrong even on the econimic aspect of the statement.  Obamality, not reality.

Oh great. In McWorld, Pennsylvania is this vibrant, fast-growth economically strong state. I think the fact that it is not keeping up with the rest of the country and is losing seats fast is case enough.

No, but it has been shown that PA has grown and that unemployment is lower.  Not perfect, but not "bitter" either.

It's on the news again, with Obama's Annie Oakley comment.  Retro again.  More Obamality.

Unemployment is low, but where is it compared to the national average and what is the median wage?

Prittsburgh is 0.5% higher than Phila and 0.6% above the national average, but it is lower than NC, SC, GA, IL, and CA. 

http://www.bls.gov/cps/

http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/state_unemployment/

You can look up the median income yourself, because this shows that this is a case of Obamity.

No, it doesn't. The cities do very well....but they are off-set by lower wages in the country-side. Obama was appealling to rural people. He will win the urban vote, so he wasn't talking about those affluent areas.

The Pittsburgh SMA includes many of those small towns Obama is complaining about.  A fare share are in the Phila SMA.

...and where is the all the prosperity located? The city itself or the outer areas? .5% above unemployment seems pretty hight for a big city.

Probably the outer areas.  I just looked at my ZIP code and unemployment was at 9%, even though the region is 4.8%.

[Person Man]

That really takes a long jump, ya know. and full employment doesn't neccesairily means prosperity. Then again, you are a Republican and you are just trying to defend your credibility...

[J. J.]

Obama seems to be talking about an economy as it was 35 years ago.  That is called being out of touch.

Yes, the situation is infinitely worse now than it was 35 years ago.

For you, but only because they have stronger penalties for drugs and pedophilia.

[J. J.]

That really takes a long jump, ya know. and full employment doesn't neccesairily means prosperity. Then again, you are a Republican and you are just trying to defend your credibility...

I don't really have to; we've had enough local Democratic mayors from the region doing it nicely.

Basically, Retrobama is talking about an economy that existed 25-35 years ago.  Just in terms of the economy, he's wrong.  Then he talks about how the people in the region "cling" to religion and guns, which isn't at related to economics, except in his mind.

[opebo]

Obama seems to be talking about an economy as it was 35 years ago.  That is called being out of touch.

Yes, the situation is infinitely worse now than it was 35 years ago.

For you, but only because they have stronger penalties for drugs and pedophilia.

There you go again with the simple-minded adhominem attacks.  Best you can do I suppose.   But my point was that worker's incomes are half what they were 35 years ago compared to the national income.   They've been robbed.

[J. J.]

Here is a list of the major employers in the Johnstown, PA area:

    * American Red Cross
    * Atlantic Broadband
    * Concurrent Technologies Corporation
    * Conemaugh Health System
    * DRS Technologies
    * Freightcar America
    * Höganäs AB
    * Intelligent Security Technologies
    * J.C. Ehrlich Co.
    * JWF
    * Johnstown Wire Technologies
    * Lockheed Martin
    * Martin Baker
    * Metropolitan Life
    * NDIC
    * Northrop Grumman
    * Pepsi Bottling Group

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnstown%2C_PA

The bolded ones are the ones that need, as a rule, skilled, technologically advanced, workers, not minimum wage charts.

35 years ago, the prime employer was Bethlehem Steel, followed by US Steel, followed by coal mines (as an industry).

[opebo]

Pay and benefits at the 'high tech' jobs you fantasize about do not remotely match those provided by working in a steel mill 35 years ago.

[J. J.]

Obama seems to be talking about an economy as it was 35 years ago.  That is called being out of touch.

Yes, the situation is infinitely worse now than it was 35 years ago.

For you, but only because they have stronger penalties for drugs and pedophilia.

There you go again with the simple-minded adhominem attacks.  Best you can do I suppose.   But my point was that worker's incomes are half what they were 35 years ago compared to the national income.   They've been robbed.

It's largely because your unsupported comments need no other response.  I've just shown a list of where these "robbed employees are working.

[Lunar]

Pay and benefits at the 'high tech' jobs you fantasize about do not remotely match those provided by working in a steel mill 35 years ago.

Well we can't really return to being an industrial economy much easier than we could return to being an agrarian state.  Standard of living has gone up across the board in the last 35 years, even in steel areas, so I don't know how much one can complain.

[J. J.]

Pay and benefits at the 'high tech' jobs you fantasize about do not remotely match those provided by working in a steel mill 35 years ago.

Well we can't really return to being an industrial economy much easier than we could return to being an agrarian state.  Standard of living has gone up across the board in the last 35 years, even in steel areas, so I don't know how much one can complain.

Yes, and I'd be saying these tend to be better now than then.

[J. J.]

Now they are talking out on Hardball.  The Democratic chairman of Allegheny County said almost exactly the same thing I have.

[opebo]

Pay and benefits at the 'high tech' jobs you fantasize about do not remotely match those provided by working in a steel mill 35 years ago.

Well we can't really return to being an industrial economy much easier than we could return to being an agrarian state.  Standard of living has gone up across the board in the last 35 years, even in steel areas, so I don't know how much one can complain.

Actually it has not.  Median incomes per capita are much lower for the working class.  The only reason they have (almost) maintained their consumption is the wife is forced to work now.

Also aside from the problem of falling income, the huge increase in insecurety and the massive loss of benefits has been just as damaging.  Of course all this could be solved by a generous dole and national health care, but those that control will not allow it.

[J. J.]

Pay and benefits at the 'high tech' jobs you fantasize about do not remotely match those provided by working in a steel mill 35 years ago.

Well we can't really return to being an industrial economy much easier than we could return to being an agrarian state.  Standard of living has gone up across the board in the last 35 years, even in steel areas, so I don't know how much one can complain.

Actually it has not.  Median incomes per capita are much lower for the working class.  The only reason they have (almost) maintained their consumption is the wife is forced to work now.

Also aside from the problem of falling income, the huge increase in insecurety and the massive loss of benefits has been just as damaging.  Of course all this could be solved by a generous dole and national health care, but those that control will not allow it.

Not in these newer industries, and there were seasonal layoffs in the steel industry dating back to the 1960's if not before.  It was never "secure."  That is what Retrobama wants to return to.

[opebo]

Newer industries have terrible pay and benefits, of course (why else would owners have it otherwise?).  There are some tiny exceptions that represent a percent or two of the work force, like 'microsoft' and such.

As for what Obama 'wants', you are simply engaging in fantasy.  No american president will be allowed to change any of the policies and practices which benefit the top 0.5%. 

[J. J.]

Newer industries have terrible pay and benefits, of course (why else would owners have it otherwise?).  There are some tiny exceptions that represent a percent or two of the work force, like 'microsoft' and such.

As for what Obama 'wants', you are simply engaging in fantasy.  No american president will be allowed to change any of the policies and practices which benefit the top 0.5%. 

Again no facts, just babble.  More like Obamality than anything real.

[opebo]

You have not contributed any facts into this discussion J.J.

[elcorazon]

Pay and benefits at the 'high tech' jobs you fantasize about do not remotely match those provided by working in a steel mill 35 years ago.

Well we can't really return to being an industrial economy much easier than we could return to being an agrarian state.  Standard of living has gone up across the board in the last 35 years, even in steel areas, so I don't know how much one can complain.

Actually it has not.  Median incomes per capita are much lower for the working class.  The only reason they have (almost) maintained their consumption is the wife is forced to work now.

Also aside from the problem of falling income, the huge increase in insecurety and the massive loss of benefits has been just as damaging.  Of course all this could be solved by a generous dole and national health care, but those that control will not allow it.

Not in these newer industries, and there were seasonal layoffs in the steel industry dating back to the 1960's if not before.  It was never "secure."  That is what Retrobama wants to return to.

Wow.  J.J.  I am a bit surprised at this. Never thought you were so reactionary.  Seriously, you are gleaning an incredible amount from these comments.

Were these comments bad for Obama politically?  YES
Were they indicative of much beyond mere bad publicity?  Not really
Were they even close to as impacting as the Wright controversy? No way

Only taken in conjunction with Wright, as a bloom is off the Obama rose kinda thing do I really see this being much of a story.  Seriously, grasping to make this  a story is mostly what I see.

All that said, I'm still of the opinion that the Wright flak may have hindered Obama enough to allow mccain to win in November.

sigh.

[J. J.]

You have not contributed any facts into this discussion J.J.

Check the link, but, unfortunately for you it doesn't have pictures.

[opebo]

You have not contributed any facts into this discussion J.J.

Check the link, but, unfortunately for you it doesn't have pictures.

There is no link in this post, J.J.

[J. J.]

Pay and benefits at the 'high tech' jobs you fantasize about do not remotely match those provided by working in a steel mill 35 years ago.

Well we can't really return to being an industrial economy much easier than we could return to being an agrarian state.  Standard of living has gone up across the board in the last 35 years, even in steel areas, so I don't know how much one can complain.

Actually it has not.  Median incomes per capita are much lower for the working class.  The only reason they have (almost) maintained their consumption is the wife is forced to work now.

Also aside from the problem of falling income, the huge increase in insecurety and the massive loss of benefits has been just as damaging.  Of course all this could be solved by a generous dole and national health care, but those that control will not allow it.

Not in these newer industries, and there were seasonal layoffs in the steel industry dating back to the 1960's if not before.  It was never "secure."  That is what Retrobama wants to return to.

Wow.  J.J.  I am a bit surprised at this. Never thought you were so reactionary.  Seriously, you are gleaning an incredible amount from these comments.

Because I'm not only from the area, I use to hold public office in that area.  I still have friends there.

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In this case, Obama was saying it, not someone else.  If you recall, I was critical of Obama's response and his putting Wright in the campaign, but not of him being in Wright's congregation.  That Wright has some strange ideas doesn't bother me; that Obama does.

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I'm not that critical of Obama over Wright; at best it shows how he handles crisis situation (minor ones).  It's important only because Obama doesn't have a great record of crisis situations.

This one deals with Obama's view of the country, Obamality, and it doesn't resemble reality.

[J. J.]

You have not contributed any facts into this discussion J.J.

Check the link, but, unfortunately for you it doesn't have pictures.

There is no link in this post, J.J.

There have been several that I've posed on this thread, generally on the population increases in PA, employment in some of the areas in question, and some of the mayor's statements from the region (which another poster added). 

They generally show up as blue and you move the cursor over and click your mouse.  Try it.