Beebe says GOP plan puts 61 jobs in peril
By The Associated Press
This article was originally published February 21, 2012 at 7:17 a.m. Updated February 21, 2012 at 10:44 a.m.
PHOTO BY AP / DANNY JOHNSTON
Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, center, is greeted by legislators as he walks through the House chamber at the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., Monday, Feb. 13, 2012.
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Gov. Mike Beebe’s office says a Republican plan to cut $21 million from the budget could result in the layoff of at least 61 state employees and could affect services ranging from firefighting to the state Crime Laboratory.
On Tuesday, the Democratic governor detailed the impact that agency heads say the budget-cutting proposal would have on their services. The GOP proposal by House Minority Leader John Burris calls for a 3 percent cut to 11 parts of the budget and a change in the way a $114 million increase for Medicaid is funded.
Action on Beebe’s $4.7 billion budget proposal has stalled over the GOP proposal. Burris said Monday that he believed agency heads were exaggerating the impact the proposed reductions would have.
The House and Senate planned to return to the Capitol on Tuesday after a long weekend.
Among the reductions Beebe warns about are 10 forensic scientists at the state Crime Lab, 39 positions at the Department of Human Services, operating hours at state parks and 15 firefighters at the Forestry Commission.
Beebe's report also warned of a possible elimination of non-mandatory programs at the Department of Human Services as well as a cut in operation expenses in programs at the Department of Environmental Quality.
Comments on: Beebe says GOP plan puts 61 jobs in peril
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charlie3704 says... February 21, 2012 at 11:06 a.m.
Pure liberal propaganda, not to mention the thousands of jobs that has been killed here in Arkansas and many millions in America by Obama. So yeah liberals lets worry about 61 government jobs when there are millions of company's going belly up and jobs with the. I guess it is ok for the little man to lose their jobs but god forbid government lose one.
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awh says... February 21, 2012 at 11:19 a.m.
Let's focus on the right size our government departments really need to be, and then help those who are displaced move on to other jobs: hopefully, in the private sector. Leading with this argument really does nothing to address the questions being raised by the recommended restructure and reduction in funding. Let's hear the whole story and focus on the important longer term issues, rather than just trying to create some knee-jerk reactions.
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HawgFan says... February 21, 2012 at 11:38 a.m.
charlie3704... You clearly are not one of the 61 people in jeopardy of losing their jobs, or you would feel a little differently.
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Populist says... February 21, 2012 at 11:40 a.m.
You probably want to keep the forensic scientists at the crime labs. The information on the Department of Human Sciences workers is too vague. Without some specific information on why these people need to be kept, they need to go. Spend on education and crime prevention and cut back one everything else.
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Reason says... February 21, 2012 at 12:19 p.m.
charlie3704: The jobs were killed before Obama took office! Bush lost 8 million jobs! Without the stimulus, states would have lost many more jobs because they could not balance their budgets. How soon people forget what kind of impact the Bush-era had on all states and the stimulus borrowed time for the states to get their house in order without raising taxes. About 1/3 of the stimulus was tax cuts, it saved manufacturing jobs, it created jobs for our infrastructure and if you think that Obama did not create jobs in Arkansas, go to: recovery. arkansas. gov/
Furthermore, we have had 23 months of JOB GROWTH without any help from the GOP!
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Jjackk says... February 21, 2012 at 12:27 p.m.
Its .4% of the budget. Where are the cuts in the legislature per diem or executive operations?
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charlie3704 says... February 21, 2012 at 12:39 p.m.
Reason says: Obama kill the drilling in the gulf of mexico...FACT...when his moratorium was put in to place, No drilling rig sat idle waiting on the moratorium to be lifted, my company and many others went over sea's to get contracts. Unfortunately the lower jobs did not go with the rigs, that meand hundreds of thousands of Americans are out of work, Now lets talk pipe line from Canada to Texas, Are you so blind you can not see the jobs he killed? Not only the jobs for the workers of the pipe line, but the jobs of the housing of the workers, the farmers for feeding the workers, the retail for clothing and the list is LONG.
But yeah Reason says, lets keep thinking about the past presidents and not look at the one that had control the first 2 years with a senate and congress that was almost all democrat and still spent more that Bush did. Obama spent more in 3 years than Bush did in 8 years. Obama is NO leader and YES he will be out come NOVEMBER!!!!!!!!!!
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charlie3704 says... February 21, 2012 at 12:41 p.m.
Begin typing here... Reason says: please quit going to the septic tank of Obama's with ladle in hand and drinking the liberal soup. It is not good for you!!!!!!
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charlie3704 says... February 21, 2012 at 1 p.m.
Let me add one more thing......Dear Beebe: If you would get off your duff and get rid of the Illegals out of Arkansas you may keep those 61 jobs. Go to ANY walmart come Friday and look at the line sending money back to Mexico. When in FACT that money being sent back could be spent right here in Arkansas. And even though they are sending that money to Mexico they STILL get state hand outs, welfare, free health and medical, free housing. And not a one has proper ID. Get off your lazy butt and call ICE before it is out of hand or is this the liberal way? This is how you liberals intend on killing AMERICA?
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Populist says... February 21, 2012 at 1:05 p.m.
Well, the private sector likes what Obama is doing. Obama inherited a market at 8,000 and now it is at 13,000. Jobs are increasing and things are looking up, and you want us to believe that we should dump Obama for Romney or Santorum? No, thanks.
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Razorbacosanostra says... February 21, 2012 at 1:49 p.m.
Be careful Populist or you will have the far left talking about how Obama has made the 1% richer due to the stock market. It's a big conundrum isn't it?
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Reason says... February 21, 2012 at 2:10 p.m.
Charlie: The moratorium would NOT have been imposed "IF" the OIL COMPANIES had NOT KILLED 11 PEOPLE and shut down every business and KILLED every job in the GULF! The President of the United States MUST protect ALL and NOT just a OIL COMPANY! Because believe it or not the Constitution also gives those people on the GULF the right to life, liberty and property. And contrary to GOP propaganda production on other wells was NOT shut down. In 2010, American oil production reached its highest level since 2003. BP's own greed killed, 11 people, killed businesses and are responsible for the moratorium.
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TransCanada Pipleline has NOT been killed! FACT!!!! Obama opposed congresses' deadline! FACT!!!!
If you had bothered to visit the Canadian dept of energy website. It is a long term plan, it involves 5 states, TransCanada (a foreign company) sent out letters to property owners with the threat of imminent domain. Some of these states did not have laws in place to handle such and had to hold special sessions. According to the Constitution, property owners are guaranteed due process of law! TransCanada kept re-routing and each requires a review. But NO... The GOP stood up and said... American's have NO property rights and NO due process! There is NO rush... IT is politics!
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On CNN, the TransCanada CEO said, "No, not 1,000s of jobs, it was 100s if temporary jobs. In congressional hearing, TransCanada refused to sell the oil to America, it is going to the open market to be export to China and the company can avoid paying tariffs to the Asian Market by routing it through the US. It is that simple, if you would bother to look it up. And the NAFTA... Canada locked the volume of supply and price into the agreement. Mexico did not. Canada is upset about Obama's "buy USA" and did it ever dawn on you that perhaps it is "leverage".
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And Wal-Mart is sending more money out of this country than ALL illegals combined!
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charlie3704 says... February 21, 2012 at 2:11 p.m.
Populist: I hear the jobs are rising, but do not see it. I hear there are alot less drawing unemployment, but yet explain why so many has been on unemployment that their benefits have run out. I look at the welfare situation and see NO decline there. You democrats keep drinking from the septic tank of Obama, I say no thank you. One last question......ARE YOU BETTER OFF TODAY THAN 3 YEARS AGO? I know not. Look Bush did his fair share if damage but I do not look back and point fingers at the past, I look forward, and the road that Obama is making us is a welfare nation and I refuse to travel that road, that is why I work over sea's now but yet I pay my state tax's in Arkansas and pay my federal tax's, Obama and Mooshell needs another vacation on the tax payers expense.
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lazybar says... February 21, 2012 at 2:25 p.m.
i hear voices from the left who have a a argument against the pipeline using imminent domain as a reason against it.then i read another thread where one of the leftest posters from this site was promoting of the building of a new freeway,do you not think imminent domain will be used there as well?
bebee tax killed the gas production in our state,those of you that are siding with him only side with him because you are not drawing a royality check.i doubt many of you even drive on the roads you complain about the gas trucks tearing up.
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charlie3704 says... February 21, 2012 at 2:35 p.m.
Reason: You are dead wrong about the oil spill in the gulf and Obama, His moratorium Killed jobs, not short time long term. Rigs has left the gul and are indeed under contracts in other countries because of it. And yes 11 people were killed on the Transocean Harizon, sad day. but do you shut down ALL air plains because of a crash? Do you stop all traffic when there is a wreck? Do NOT go to where you have NO clue of what you are talking about. I have worked drilling rigs now for 38 years and my company and many others are in other countries because of the moratorium.
And you better get your FACTS straight About the pipe line. As Obazo wants to keep his "GREEN" agenda going to produce alternative fuel and him make millions off of solar panels and batteries, he will NEVER indorse the pipe line. He knows it will be a death sentence if he were to come out in an election year and be honest and kill all those American jobs. And again get your liberal FACTS straight on the jobs that will be lost over it, lets count in the feeding of the worker,jobs,the clothing of the workers,jobs,the housing of the workers,jobs,The new refineries,jobs,employees at the refineries,jobs,yet your little liberal brain only see's the 1 job at hand the running of the pipe line. Pure liberal thinking, there is NONE.
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Reason says... February 21, 2012 at 2:35 p.m.
Lazybar: Beebe would not disallow due process to property owners. And YOU are WRONG! I do draw royalties and I also know how ruthless they are to deal with and how they can destroy your property.
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charlie3704 says... February 21, 2012 at 2:46 p.m.
Reason your are wrong and your too big of a coward to admit it, I know Bush was wrong on a few things but he was more in the middle, not far right republican as I am, now his dad was like me far right but yet nothing was said about his dad. Now back to liberals thinking, Clinton messed up as much if not more when he indeed signed NAFTA. There was a totally stupid move. And if not mistaken he was impeached, why do we have to keep hearing his liberal spew of lies?
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Reason says... February 21, 2012 at 2:55 p.m.
Charlie: You are going to have to do better that spew to prove me wrong. Give me facts to back up what you say.
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lazybar says... February 21, 2012 at 3:04 p.m.
reason,if you were not such a weiny you would not let them push you around.when they wanted to go through the middle of my hay field with a pipeline in the middle of summer my first thought was how much hay i`d lose that year.then i done the math on their offer,figured out i could afford lime and fertilize the whole field for 20 years after i paid taxes on thier offer but i was greedy i countered for more.actually twice their offer.of course they countered back with about half my counter with a deadline of the end of august.of course it ran into oct before it was said and done.then you know what those ruthless people done,they paid me my full counter offer plus built 100ft of fence and installed a double gate.mean ole people.
then mr bebee that sweet angel of the people he is decided they needed to be taxed more.now my check on 3 wells are less than the checks i used to get for my first well.thankyou mr bebee.
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charlie3704 says... February 21, 2012 at 3:06 p.m.
Reason: your own statements you made has proven your wrong, I need to go no further. I have proven my point beyond a reasonable doubt. You can NOT prove I am wrong how ever. Stay to talking to grade school children and out of the big mans conversations. You will get burned.
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Populist says... February 21, 2012 at 3:21 p.m.
Charlie,
I am better off. My 401k is up and my husband's law firm is doing well. My husband is doing more deals and fewer tax controversies. In good times, there are more purchases of businesses; in bad times, more people have difficulty paying their taxes. The nature of some businesses have changed. People are buying more online and less at the Mall, and people are not eating out as much. I do see new businesses sprouting up and people going about as usual. The stock market does affect the 99% 401(k)s and consumer confidence and spending.
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Reason says... February 21, 2012 at 3:26 p.m.
Lazybar: I did not want to give up my property but I did not own enough in that track to have any say, so it is what it is. You see, this goes against my religious conscience because I do not believe that one business has the right to take property away from another business. And I believe the tax should be attached to the product. These companies want to make a profit and that is the only reason they are in business. Their business created the establishment of the EPA and their business should bear the tax burden and they can attach the cost to their product. But my business did NOT create the EPA so WHY should I have to pay for cost they imposed on the government?
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Reason says... February 21, 2012 at 4:12 p.m.
Charlie: Sure you can do more... You can read the Canadian government website, read the congressional hearing transcripts, check out the CNN interview and read the US Constitution. You sound angry because you had to go overseas to work, which meant that you sill had a job and paid taxes so the job was NOT lost. I have a brother that spent a life time on those rigs and was a merchant marine, so yes I DO KNOW something about it and I can only imagine what those 11 families went through or the hundreds of people that lost their livelihoods all because of GREED. Have YOU ever had the oil company to take YOUR property or YOUR business?
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lazybar says... February 21, 2012 at 4:19 p.m.
what do you mean you did not have enough land in that track,you mean section?its all done by sections.first well i draw off of not on my land but in my section.other 2 wells on me next to each other but they are not in same section.so i draw from 3 sections.i have a 80,23,and 54 out of 3 640 acre sections so i don`t control section.2 wells and 2 gas lines cost me about 7 acres.so far i have made more off the 7 acres than i paid for the whole 157.yep pretty ruthless,they even paid to fix a bridge and potholes on my road.
jjackk has a good point what cuts are our politicians making?i know if i had 50(and i`m just saying 50 as a number)employees and none of them were productive i might need to lay a few off.my grandma is old can`t see and only half a mind left but atleast she can still balance her budget.
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Packman says... February 21, 2012 at 4:44 p.m.
Hey Reason - You do realize that by using the word "track" instead of "tract" your lie has been exposed, don't you? Thanks to lazybar for taking you to school.
Hey Populist - As of this week I'm better off as well. My Wal-Mart stock paid some really nice dividends this year (taxed at 15% instead of my earned income rate which will be in the 30% plus bracket, thank you very much) and I have a sizeable capital gain on the sale of some investment property (taxed at 15%) that will enable me to buy that nice little bean field next to my duck club to make it a duck hunting mecca! I do have a small bone to pick with your lavishing BH Obama with whatever economic comeback we are now experiencing. The American people are responsible for the economic turnaround. They saved and scrimped and began paying off debt and now are finally beginning to feel as if they can start spending again. And I don't mean to throw cold water on your BH Obama re-election parade but when gas prices hit $5/gallon this summer the economy will again begin to faulter. The good news is it will happen at just the right time for Obama's challenger to hang it around his neck. The better news is the economy will again begin to recover after the first of the year with full credit going to our newly elected Republican president. This you can take to the bank.
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charlie3704 says... February 21, 2012 at 4:49 p.m.
Reason: Yes I am angry I had to go over sea's to work,and your liberal thinking says it is ok to go over sea's and to send jobs out of the country, but yet beat the American drum,Hypocrite, and you are so wrong about your numbers again. If you think only hundreds of jobs were lost you are surely blind.We are talking in the hundreds of thousands of job lost in the gulf. And NO you can NOT imagine the lost those 11 family's went through, Dont even try to put your pathetic mind on it. And as far and your brother as a merchant marine, I am an OIM, so that means I carry 7 merchant marine lic.
I am full blooded Pawnee Indian, do NOT go and try to tell me of land stolen and lives taken and jobs lost. As a matter of fact I am finished with you maggot.
Some people never learn, but you go right ahead and push your Obama trash, I was waiting for you to call me a bigot, but even a bigot evolves above you.
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Reason says... February 21, 2012 at 4:50 p.m.
Yes, I meant section.
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I agree that everything "should" be run efficiently. And to do that is not straight cuts but defining the waste. And we need to remind ourselves that government was never meant to run as a "business". It is meant to serve the people, period. Government gets hit with inflation and added population growth just like families adding on more children. It cost more. And Populist is right, education should be a top priority!
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lazybar says... February 21, 2012 at 4:55 p.m.
wow a post from reason i can agree with
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Reason says... February 21, 2012 at 5:28 p.m.
Again, WHY are you not angry with the people responsible for the disaster in the gulf? Oil companies get greedy, take short cuts and than blame the consequences on somebody else. Shutting it down to identify faulty material is NOT irresponsible. It is the responsible thing to do. Sorry that you had to go over seas but many us have gone overseas to fight wars to pave the way for these oil companies and that was not right either.
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Jjackk says... February 21, 2012 at 6:43 p.m.
I can prove old Charlie a liar, no problem.
Here is oil production from the gulf:
2001: 1,536,000
2002: 1,556,000
2003: 1,559,000
2004: 1,453,000
2005: 1,282,000
2006: 1,299,000
2007: 1,277,000
2008: 1,152,000
2009: 1,559,000
2010: 1,640,000
Notice how oil production constantly dropped under the Bush administration and actually broke the record for the most oil pumped ever under Obama. What a joke, old Charlie puts on like he actually knows what he is talking about and is part of the oil industry. If so, then he is just a plain old liar and not just misinformed by his overlords. Go on and believe your Republican lies you little puppets. Real people would choose to find the truth instead of playing political lapdogs.
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charlie3704 says... February 21, 2012 at 6:54 p.m.
You puppet, your looking at production from wells drilled years ago, your the moron. wait a few more years now after the DRILLING has stopped. AGAIN A LIER LIBERAL. Can not get facts straight.
Sure you have wells flowing that has been drilled way before Obama ever took office and alot that was drilled before you or I was born, Now go back to your files and find HOW MANY WELLS HAVE BEEN DRILLED.
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charlie3704 says... February 21, 2012 at 6:59 p.m.
Jjack, the moratorium was on drilling, not production, read back and see if production was EVER mentioned about the gulf, just like a liberal, call someone a liar, when indeed you have no clue. AND YES I WILL PUT MY 38 YEARS ON DRILLING RIGS AGAINST YOUR SITTING IN MOMMYS HOUSE DRAWING YOUR WELFARE ANY DAY!!!!!!
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Reason says... February 22, 2012 at 2:01 a.m.
Shallow water: To date, 111 new shallow water well permits have been issued since the implementation of new safety and environmental standards on June 8, 2010. Just 2 of these permits are currently pending; with 14 having been returned to the operator for more information.
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Deepwater permits requiring subsea containment: Since an applicant first successfully demonstrated containment capabilities in mid-February 2011, we have approved 293 of these permits for 87 unique wells, with 31 permits pending, and 21 permits returned to the operator with requests for additional information, particularly information regarding containment.
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Deepwater activities not requiring subsea containment: Since the implementation of new safety and environmental standards, 60 of these permits have been approved, with 3 permits pending, and 0 permits returned to the operator with requests for additional information. These activities include water injection wells and procedures using surface blowout preventers.
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What about these people, their jobs, their businesses, their property, their misplacement?
Tourism and Recreation Sector in the Gulf:
5 States: La, Ms, Al, Fl, Tx (coast counties only)
Businesses: 34,709
Employment: 690,190
Wages: $13.5 billion
Commercial Fishing Industry, 2009
5 States: La, Ms, Al, Fl, Tx
Employees: 108,531
Sales: $13.1 billion
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chickerson3_comcast.net says... February 22, 2012 at 6:29 a.m.
Armchair budget analysts: Read Title 19 of AR Code before you say anything. New legislators: Study that same Title.
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Populist says... February 22, 2012 at 6:52 a.m.
Packman,
I agree that a President is not solely responsible for the economy. Rising oil prices really hurt Carter. Clinton benefitted from increased efficiency of technological advances. While Clinton and the Republicans and conservative Democrats gave away our manufacturing jobs through trade deals, the economic downfall did not show up until W. The lack of financial regulation which nearly toppled Wall Street was again the blame of Republicans and conservative Democrats. On the shoulders of the liberal Democrats are too many welfare type programs to which people become addicted. I blame Republicans and corrupt Democrats for much of our problems with pollution. While Obama is not doing everything exactly as I would, he is doing pretty well. The bailouts had to be done and quickly. Obama can be credited for saving the state of Michigan from total financial ruin. He restored confidence in Wall Street and saved us from a severe depression. He got us out of Iraq. He is moving us toward a cleaner environment without unduly crippling the economy. Obama also is making cuts to federal agencies which are too big and overly bureacratic. Obama is stressing education and rebuilding of our infrastructure as the means for having a stronger future. His Justice Department is doing a better job of attacking drug lords than have the previous administrations. In his second term, he must attack our immigration problems and reduce the deficit. Overall, he is doing a pretty good job.
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Packman says... February 22, 2012 at 10:50 a.m.
Hey Populist - Witness the ease of spin: While Obama is not doing everything exactly as I would, he is doing pretty sorry nevertheless. The bailouts had to be done and quickly and GW Bush was the architect of the successful actions and should be credited for helping the citizens save the state of Michigan from total financial ruin. Bush restored confidence in Wall Street and saved us from a severe depression. Bush laid a perfect plan that even a moron like Obama could execute to get us out of Iraq. BH Obama has done nothing to move us toward a cleaner environment other than line the pockets of his "green" friends (Solyndra, to name one) with taxpayer money. Obama also is growing the federal government to never before seen proportions with Obamacare leading the way. Obama is stressing education and rebuilding of our infrastructure as a means dupe the useful idiots because he knows full well these tasks are best left for the states.
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Populist says... February 22, 2012 at 12:14 p.m.
Packman,
To W's credit, he did fork over $17.4 billion to the auto industry. This bailout gave Obama's people time to approve the business plans of the auto industry before forking over an additional $60 billion. Fortunately, in hindsight, this was a wise investment. The Solyndra one was not. Obama is not at all friendly with these people. Solyndra was a failure and an embarrassment to him. Obama is not perfect. He inherited a mess and is doing the best he can. Both our foreign policy and our economy are on the upswing. Also, while W favored the bailout, Romney and Santorum did not.
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Jjackk says... February 22, 2012 at 7:04 p.m.
GM may be the top auto maker in the world but Germany is the top auto making country. And their workers make a lot more than US auto workers. Kind of goes against all the talk about the workers ruining the US auto industry.
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