Federal Government Running Scared Of The Economy.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-11/circuit-breakers-may-be-sec-s-first-step-in-slowing-down-stocks.html
Circuit Breakers May Be SEC’s First Step in Slowing Down Stocks

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s plan to impose halts on some stocks that swing more than 10 percent starting today may be followed by more measures to slow down trading.

Let me see if I understand this.

The stock market is supposed to accurately reflect the state of the economy. But the federal government is working on rules and regulations that will allow an "unnatural" increase in stock prices, but will prevent an "unnatural" decrease in stock prices.

I am using the term "unnatural" in quotes, because the federal government is having problems. The problem is, every time the federal government talks about how wonderful the economy is doing and tries to point at some new measure they created to prove their point, even those numbers take a dive. It is reaching the point where only economists and government employees are capable of the "willing suspension of disbelief" required to believe any pronouncement from the federal government. And the government flunkies are getting tired of creating new metrics that are proved false even before the ink is dry. So, since reality won't cooperate with the federal government, the federal government will force reality to change it's ways. And since the government wants to claim that the rising stock prices proves the economy is recovering, they have to do something to prevent stock prices from falling.

After all, the federal government has no interest in fixing the economy. They just want the people to believe that the federal government cares. Which makes it easier for the politicians to get reelected and continue on with their conversion to socialism where you will have the freedom to spread the poverty with all the people who were forced out of their homes and their jobs.

Welcome to the land of debris and the home of depraved.

Thar's Gold In Them Thar taxpayers!

http://blogs.forbes.com/digitalrules/2010/06/the-millionaire-cop-next-door/
The Millionaire Cop Next Door

It is said that government workers now make, on average, 30% more than private sector workers. Put that fantasy aside. It far underestimates the real figures. By my calculations, government workers make more than twice as much. Government workers are America's fastest-growing millionaires.

Boy was I brought up wrong. I always thought that when I grew up I was supposed to find a job and work for a living. I was supposed to make something useful. I was supposed to do something useful. Or if that wasn't enough for me, start my own business. Work hard, and I would be rewarded.

Instead I find out how wrong I was. The best way to make money, is get a job working for the government. Once you are in the union, you can't get fired. Once you are in the union, your wages and retirement plan skyrocket.

Why should I, or anyone else waste our time starting our own business or even working? The quickest way to become wealthy is to get a government job.

Economic Collapse Is Good For The Economy.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704113504575264513748386610.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read
Tax Hikes and the 2011 Economic Collapse

It shouldn't surprise anyone that the nine states without an income tax are growing far faster and attracting more people than are the nine states with the highest income tax rates. People and businesses change the location of income based on incentives.

Are you sure about that?

That can't be right?

Government science (create theory, throw out facts that are contrary to theory) proves that higher taxes and more regulation stimulates the economy.

It seems to surprise politicians and economists. Why else are politicians and economists constantly raising taxes and creating more regulations in an effort to stimulate business. If lowering taxes, and reducing regulations would stimulate earnings, and thus increase employment and taxes, don't you think that politicians and economists would recommend that in times of massive depression like we are currently experiencing?

Wait, I forgot. What we are experiencing is an economic recovery. Don't all economic recoveries feature millions of unemployed? Don't all economic recoveries feature millions of homeless? Don't all economic recoveries feature massive government debt?

Budget Impasse In Sacramento. Otherwise Known As Business As Usual.

http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_15252216?nclick_check=1
Opinion: Dan Walters: Budget is stalled thanks to Sacramento's 'do-nothing' gang

In the weeks since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled his revised 2010-11 budget, there's been absolutely no progress on closing the deficit that approaches $20 billion. In fact, the situation may have grown worse because the extra federal funds that the governor and the Legislature have counted on are evaporating.

What is Dan Walters so upset about?

These are politicians after all. People who weren't bright enough to know which end of the gun to point at the grocery store clerk when robbing the store. So they didn't have much else left on their career track except going into politics, where criminal activity is endorsed and approved by all criminals politicians.

Think about this for a moment. The United States was started back in 1787, and California wasn't admitted to the United States until 1850. 63 years later. And yet California is much closer to bankruptcy than most of the other 50 states of the United States. California politicians had to work much harder than other states to speed ahead of the others. So the politicians of the State of California can be justifiably proud of their accomplishments.

Judging by recent reports, most socialist countries are in a race with the United States to see who can declare bankruptcy first. I will place my full faith and credit that the socialist-in-chief will be able to lead the United States to beat the P.I.G.S. countries (Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain) in their rush to creating the ultimate workers socialist bankruptcy paradise.

Economic Recovery Bypasses All 57 States.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/us/02refund.html
Half a Dozen States Delay Tax Refunds

Procrastination is no longer just for the taxpayers who wait until the last moment to file their tax returns. Thanks to the economic downturn, at least a half-dozen cash-poor states are now delaying their tax refund checks.

Six states out of fifty, or twelve percent of the states may be unable to write tax refund checks to citizens that they owe money to. But there is no need to worry. The liar-in-chief is constantly telling us how passage of the stimulus bill (welfare for the wealthy) saved the economy of the United States. Therefore, 12% of the states that can't afford to pay the tax refunds owed to citizens must be proof that the economic recovery of the United States is in full recovery.

Aren't you glad we have the best liar-n-thief available to brainwash the public into believing whatever ridiculous unbelievable claims he wishes to foist on us?

The Economy Continues To Improve.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/five-us-banks-close-lifting-2010-tally-to-78-2010-05-28
FDIC shuts down more banks, pushing yearly tally to 78

The tally of U.S. bank failures now stands at 78 after the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. closed Granite Community Bank in Granite Bay, Calif., Sun West Bank in Las Vegas, Nev., and three affiliated banks that were owned by Bank of Florida Corp.

The economy continues to improve.

Banks (and other businesses) continue to fail. Jobless people continue to reach the end of their unemployment benefits, thus are no longer counted as unemployed and therefor reducing the unemployment rates. Increasing numbers of people are becoming delinquent on their home loans, thus facing foreclosure on their homes that now cost less than their existing mortgages.

I can see why Barack Hussein Obama is happy and proud of the work he has done to save the economy.

Obama's Quick Action Prevents Oil From Washing Up On The Beaches On The Gulf Coast.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-05-27-Spill-poll_N.htm
Is oil spill becoming Obama's Katrina?

Yes. Barack Hussein Obama is as much responsible for the oil spill as George W. Bush was responsible for Hurricane Katrina.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says the administration has been waging an "all-out, all-hands-on-deck battle to protect the Gulf Coast" and ensure that the British energy giant responsible for the spill cleans it up.

Yup. Just like Barack Hussein Obama saved the economy more than a year ago, B.O. has protected the environment from the oil spill.

The White House, citing a 1990 law that requires oil companies to clean up their messes, says the government is offering help and overseeing the effort — but they're insistent that the cleanup is BP's responsibility.

Which is the perfect excuse for Barack Hussein Obama to do nothing. Which is what he has been doing a lot of. But to be honest, Barack Hussein Obama has not been doing nothing, he has just been doing nothing useful. Barack Hussein Obama has been doing his usual campaigning for political office and blaming the prior administration for not doing anything about the oil spill (or whatever other problem Barack Hussein Obama currently refuses to deal with).

On May 11, Louisiana requested an emergency permit for the plan from the Army Corps of Engineers that would bypass lengthy environmental impact reviews. Corps and Coast Guard officials have voiced concerns, and the matter is still under review.

Don't worry. The environmental impact study to determine if the state of Louisiana should be allowed to prevent the oil spill from washing up on the beaches will be studied for the next 10 years or so to determine if it will have a negative impact on the beaches. Of course between now and then the oil spill will wash up on the beaches. Just like Barack Hussein Obama saved the economy last year, Barack Hussein Obama is saving the coastline now.

Of course, unless you are on the Barack Hussein Obama payroll, you may not think Barack Hussein Obama saved the economy or the environment. But that is a burden you will have to live with. Barack Hussein Obama knows that he is doing a wonderful job, and that all the people love him, so what more could he want?

Obama Responds To Oil Spill By Asking For Handouts To Help Democrats.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/05/obama-raises-money-in-californ.html?wprss=44
Obama raises money in California

Nero fiddled while Rome burned.

Barack Hussein Obama campaigned for democrats while the oil spill washed up on American shores.

"I said to them, 'I disagree with this Arizona law,' " Obama said, adding that he also told them he understood their frustration over the nation's porous southwestern border.

Barack Hussein Obama promised to continue to oppose the Arizona law until he had a chance to read it and confirm that it is as racist as everybody else who hasn't read the law says it is.

Barack Hussein Obama also commiserated with the alien invaders in Arizona who now face punishment for their crime of illegally crossing the United States border. Barack Hussein Obama promised the alien invaders that the legal citizens of Arizona wouldn't benefit from their new law. Barack Hussein Obama told the legal citizens of Arizona to quit their whining and get back to work and paying taxes so B.O. could appoint more czars, more commissars, and bail out more businesses that are too big to fail.

Obama told the audience Tuesday that the government must "revisit how these oil companies are operating."

Barack Hussein Obama promised to have a back room deal finalized in no time with a 2,000+ page bill to reform the oil industry. After all, it has worked so well for saving the economy and reforming health care, it should work for all the other problems that Barack Hussein Obama is creating in the United States.

With the economy showing signs of life, Obama has said Republicans are asking for the keys to the car back, now that the Democrats have pulled it out of the ditch.

Barack Hussein Obama compared the economy to a car that the prior administration has run into a ditch. He then claimed that the Democrats have pulled the car out of the ditch. However, as I see it, setting the car on fire, so that it explodes, thus moving itself out of the ditch is not a good long term solution for getting the economy back on track.

Seeing as how Barack Hussein Obama is so literary, I think I should use another metaphor for the state of the economy.

The current economy is like a dead cat. If you drop it from high enough, it will bounce. But that bounce is not a sign of life. The cat is still dead.

Economists Claim Permanently Losing 1/2 Million Jobs Per Week Is Proof Of Economic Recovery.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-27/jobless-claims-in-u-s-fell-last-week-to-460-000-update2-.html
Jobless Claims in U.S. Fell Last Week to 460,000 (Update2)

More Americans than forecast filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, indicating firings persist even as the economy rebounds and employment picks up.

1/2 a million people filed for unemployment benefits last week. That is 1/2 a million more than before. These are jobs that are disappearing permanently. Never to return. And economists call this a recovery? If this is an economic recovery, then I would hate to see an economic disaster. Although based on the recent economic prognostications, economists may be incapable of recognizing a disaster as long as they are on the government dole. If you remember the definitions:
- a recession is when your neighbor is unemployed
- a depression is when you are unemployed
So it may well be that according to the great white father, as long as he is employed there will never be a depression in this country. However, the millions of people who have lost their jobs and continue to lose their jobs might disagree. The millions of people who are facing losing their homes might disagree.

Stock-index futures trimmed earlier gains following the reports. The contract on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 2.1 percent to 1,083.3 at 8:51 a.m. in New York. Treasury securities dropped, pushing the yield on the 10-year note up to 3.27 percent from 3.19 percent late yesterday.

But I shouldn't be surprised. When economists quote the stock market to prove that the economy is recovering, you know they are more clueless than the weathermen who claim that global warming has caused the latest cooling streak. Expecting economists to tell the truth is like expecting Barack Hussein Obama to stop bowing to foreign dictators. Expecting economists to tell the truth is like expecting Barack Hussein Obama to stop smiling when he listens to foreign dictators when they disparage the United States. Expecting economists to tell the truth is like expecting Barack Hussein Obama to stop apologizing for being an American.

The number of people receiving unemployment insurance and those getting extended payments declined.

Of course the number of people receiving unemployment benefits has declined. Unemployment benefits don't last forever. At some point benefits run out. When the unemployment benefits run out, the government stops caring about you. The government has so much to keep track of, that they can't be bothered to keep track of people who have been unemployed for years and have no hope of every getting hired again. Besides, it looks good for economists when people fall off the unemployment charts. If the unemployed are no longer receiving benefits, the government feels relief that they no longer need to count those unemployed as unemployed. As people age out of the unemployment system, this allows the government to claim that unemployment is down.

Obamacare Health Care Deform And Fvck The Economy Act

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/21/smallbusiness/1099_deluge/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin
Stealth IRS changes mean millions of new tax forms

The massive expansion of requirements for businesses to file 1099 tax forms that was hidden in the 2,409-page health reform bill took many by surprise when it came to light last month.

Why is this a surprise to anyone? The only possible reason why the congress and the senate could have for rushing the passage of the monstrous 2409 page Health Care Deform Bill before any one had a chance to read and understand it, is because they didn't want anyone to find out how little the bill had to do with real reform, and how much was given over to outrageous theft of our freedom.

The Health Care Deform bill, which Barack Hussein Obama and the rest of the socialist ruling class untruthfully (you lie) proclaimed is so critical for the health care of the nation, is filled with many land mines which are designed to destroy the ability of businesses to make a profit. If these and other booby traps don't force more businesses to close, they will at least have the beneficial effect of forcing any existing business to raise their prices to pay for the added administrative burden and cost of preparing burdensome paperwork to be allowed to stay in business and provide employment for other citizens.

The 1099 changes attached to the health care reform bill are another kettle of fish. These massively expand the requirements for filing the "1099-Misc" form, which companies use for recording payments to freelance workers and other individual service providers. Until now, payments to corporations have been exempt from 1099 rules, as have payments for the purchase of goods.

Starting in 2012, that changes. All business payments or purchases that exceed $600 in a calendar year will need to be accompanied by a 1099 filing. That means obtaining the taxpayer ID number of the individual or corporation you're making the payment to -- even if it's a giant retailer like Staples or Best Buy -- at the time of the transaction, or else facing IRS penalties.

Some people might ask, what does filing hundreds of additional forms have do with Health Care Deform. The correct answer is, much like all the other provisions hidden in the Health Care Deform bill, nothing. Just part of the hidden government power grab that will require the government to hire thousands of additional Infernal Revenue Service (I.R.S.) agents to handle the hundreds / thousands / millions of additional forms that businesses will be required to file for the privilege of working to pay more of their hard earned money to the government.

How did this sweeping provision end up hidden in the health reform bill?

Easy. Since the entire legislative body was discouraged from reading and understanding the contents of the Health Care Deform bill, these and other riders were tacked onto a bill that couldn't fail, for a country that doesn't want to succeed. But the real question is, how many more tax increases and business killing provisions were buried in the Health Care Deform act. The governments answer, is pass the bill and find out. Unfortunately for the citizens of the United States, we are just beginning to find out how grievously the federal government has trampled the freedom and prosperity of the citizens of the United States.

Henschke's group had previously surveyed its members and learned that they average 10 filings a year of 1099 forms, each of which takes about half an hour to prepare. That's in line with the GAO report, which found that a typical small business spent between three and five hours per year filing 1099s.

But SMC's survey found that extending 1099s just to services purchased from corporations would push that number to at least 200 filings per year for a typical small business -- adding an estimated $6,000 to the cost of preparing the average tax return. And that's without even accounting for the requirement that 1099s be filed for purchases of goods, a provision that Henschke's group didn't see coming when it conducted its survey last year.

Let's try to put this into perspective. The federal government (low) estimates are that it takes 1/2 an hour to prepare 1 1099. The average small business will go from preparing 10 1099s, taking about 5 hours to prepare, to preparing 200 1099s taking about 100 hours to prepare. At 40 hours per week, that means that 2 1/2 weeks per year will be spent preparing paperwork. This is just for the 1099s. All the hours and days to prepare and file other government required paperwork is still required.

But I think I am beginning to see what the government has in mind. And the real solution the government is looking for. Some day, in the not so distant future, all businesses will be shut down, and the former owners will be required to spend all the rest of their days filling out paperwork explaining why they were in business, why they closed the business, why they hired people to work, ... why they should be allowed to continue to live and pollute the planet with their carbon dioxide pollution from their breathing. Everybody else will be a government employee, armed and dangerous, going door to door, shutting down all businesses. After all, how dare any business sully the pristine workers paradise that Barack Hussein Obama and the rest of the socialist ruling class is creating for all the rest of us.

How To Save Social Security And Destroy The Country.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/12-Ways-to-Fix-Social-usnews-522214004.html?x=0
12 Ways to Fix Social Security

The Social Security program faces a long term financing shortfall. The trust fund's reserves are currently projected to cover payments until the end of 2037. Then there will only be sufficient resources to pay about three quarters of scheduled benefits. For full checks to be issued after that date the program's financing or benefit structure must be modified.

What trust fund? What reserves? There are no Social Security trust funds or Social Security reserves. Everything that is paid into Social Security, is immediately paid out for Social Security. If there is anything left over, the federal government transfers the funds to another department where it can be immediately spent.

After close analysis of the 12 ways to save Social Security, I was able to condense them down to 2 ways. When you put them both together, this is government brainpower at it's best.

1. Increase taxes.
This is brilliant. If you make Social Security tax 200% of earnings, then the amount of money the government pretends to hold for Social Security would increase very rapidly. In no time at all, the government would have plenty of surplus funds to spend on increased salaries and retirement benefits for the government flunkies and drones who are all exempt from Social Security.

2. Decrease benefits.
This is brilliant. All you need to do is cancel ALL benefits. If there are no benefits, there is no payouts. If there are no payouts, the government won't fall short of funds earmarked for Social Security. In no time at all, the government would have plenty of surplus funds to spend on increased salaries and retirement benefits for the government flunkies and drones who are all exempt from Social Security.

However, there are a couple of drawbacks to this genius government plan.

If Social Security taxes are increased to 200%, or even 150% or 100% of peoples salaries, people might realize that it makes more sense to quit their jobs and go on government welfare because you would get more money than from working.

If the federal government stops paying out Social Security benefits, people might realize that it makes more sense to quit their jobs and go on government welfare because you would never be able to retire if you depend on the government Social Security system.

There you have it. The solution to Social Security. Everybody will stop working and go on welfare. No more Social Security problem.

There might be a welfare problem. But with the same genius used to solve the Social Security problem, I am sure the government will come with an equally intelligent solution to the welfare problem. Maybe the United States can use the same solution that Mexico is using for their economic problems. Destroy enough of the economy, and millions of citizens will flee the country looking for better opportunities. When everyone flees the country, you will have fewer people living off of welfare.

The American Economy Is Recovering Like A Chicken With It's Head Cut Off Is Recovering.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703559004575256112299027150.html
Jobless Claims Increase

In a troubling sign for the U.S. labor market, the number of workers filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly surged last week to wipe out most of the recent declines.

No need to worry. If a Muslim terrorist sneaking a bomb on board an airplane is proof that our increased security is working, then the growing number of unemployed people is proof that the economy is recovering.

The Labor Department said in its weekly report Thursday that initial claims for jobless benefits rose by 25,000 to 471,000 in the week ended May 15. Economists who were surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had predicted claims would fall by 4,000.

All economists that ever hope to get a government job, or a government grant, are unable to predict anything other than an improving economy. So it should come as no surprise that the economists are shocked that unemployment is on the rise.

The previous week's level was revised upward as well, to 446,000 from 444,000.

It should also come as no surprise that the government is continually revising prior positive growth figures to more accurately reflect the negative dying economy.

Total claims lasting more than one week, meanwhile, fell.

Of course the government has to try to lie about something to prove the economy is improving. But proclaiming that the increasing number of people on long term unemployment is decreasing, without mentioning that the decrease is because the decreasing numbers are from people who's unemployment benefits have run out is government dishonesty at it's best.

Only four of the 10 leading indicators increased in April. The most positive indicators were the interest rate spread and stock prices.

However the price of stock has absolutely nothing to do with the economy. For those who have forgotten the recent sub prime mortgage disaster, that was a case of people paying inflated prices on worthless paper. And since interest rates are set by the Federal Reserve Bank, they again have nothing to with the economy at all.

Which means that two of the 10 leading indicators still show an improved economy. Which means that only 80% of the indicators show a dying economy.

Obviously we have nothing to worry about. The government is on the case and fixing the economy.

Governor Calls For Decreased Spending. The Legislature Calls For Increased Spending.

http://www.publicceo.com/index.php/local-governments/151-local-governments-publicceo-exclusive/1509-may-revise-governor-and-senate-leader-call-for-reforms-
May Revise: Governor and Senate Leader Call for Reforms

Of course, being politicians, neither of the them really want reforms. But they need to put on a good show for the mass media.

On May 14, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released his May revision for the 2010-2011 State Budget. In this latest revision, the governor estimates a $19.1 billion general fund deficit, including a $1.2 billion reserve.

Some people might think that spending more than you have is a problem. However, the federal government has determined that spending more than you have will save the economy. So the State of California seems determined to recklessly follow the federal governments' advice. So the State of California is planning on going deeper and deeper in debt. But you don't worry. The State of California can always sell bonds to the uneducated who believe that the State of California may actually balance the budget and spend less than they collect in taxes at some time in the future. Just because the State of California has refused to spend less than they collected in taxes, and have done so since the State of California became a state, is no reason to believe that a miracle can't happen and the State of California will suddenly elect statesmen instead of criminals intent on looting the citizens of their hard earned money.

Governor Schwarzenegger proposes resolving the state budget deficit through reduced spending ($12.4 billion), additional federal funds ($3.4 billion), and new fund shifts and fees ($3.4 billion). In unveiling his proposal, the governor declared that there is "no more low-hanging fruit", that we must "shake the tree."

Heck. At this point, the governor is even willing to cut down the tree to balance the budget. After all, the governor can't run for office again, so it won't be his problem.

In response to the governor's May revision, Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) called the proposal a "non-starter" and stated that the Senate would not pass a budget that eliminates CalWORKS-California's social welfare program.

The democrats won't pass any budget that calls for a reduction in spending. However, in the spirit of bipartisanship that the federal denizens of Washington District of Criminals (D.C.) have shown, the state democrats are willing to show their dedication to fiscal concerns by raising taxes on anything that moves or exhibits any form of life that isn't a pet project of any politician.

Arizona Leads The Way To Boycott California And Other States That Provide Sanctuary For Alien Invaders.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/05/17/arizona-boycott-battle-immigration-law-opponents/
Arizona in Boycott Battle With Immigration Law Opponents

Supporters of Arizona's controversial immigration law are trying to turn the tables on those calling for boycotts of their state, threatening to target opponents of the law with boycotts of their own.

Fortunately for the State of California, there is no one employed by the government that actually cares about the economy or the citizens.

There are very few things that the State of California (and the various cities) care about.

The government lackeys ONLY care about increasing the size of their salaries and retirement benefits. Even though California has been harder hit by the "great depression" than most other states, most government workers have demanded and continue to receive larger than average salaries and benefits rather than adjust to the fact that they are running out of taxpaying citizens to fund their lavish lifestyles. Most government workers continue to get raises and benefits increases most citizen lose their jobs.

The government lackeys ONLY care about providing increasing care and benefits for alien invaders. It is against federal law to harbor fugitives from federal crimes, but the state, along with most cities have announced that they will be safe havens for any criminal that chooses to invade this country and demand the rights that are denied to the average citizen.

The government lackeys ONLY care about breaking federal and state laws. The State of California has on the books a law that says ALL law enforcement officials will assist the federal government in capturing and holding alien invaders. Some of the cites have announced that they are sanctuary cities for the criminal invaders. Some of the cities have passed laws making it a crime to assist the federal government to detain criminal invaders.

The government lackeys ONLY care about destroying the economy of California. The government lackeys claim it is good for the environment. But how can causing businesses to flee the state be good for the environment or the economy? How can causing businesses that can't afford to flee the state to fire employees be good for the environment or the economy? How can all these moves to reduce the tax base of the state at the same time the cities and state are actively encouraging criminal invaders without jobs to relocate to California be good for the environment or the economy? How can starting an economic war against Arizona be good for the environment or the economy?

Obamacare Success Story.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100518/ap_on_bi_ge/us_pfizer_restructuring
Pfizer to trim 6,000 jobs, shut 8 plants worldwide

Pfizer prepares for the Health Care Deform bill by buying competitors and shutting them down. Pfizer is also terminating many of their existing employees and shutting down many of their existing factories. This will enable Pfizer to better adjust to the expected results of the coming government takeover of the health care industry.

Economy Is Recovering. Based On Numbers With A Margin Of Error Of Plus Or Minus 1,000%

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/housing-starts-up-58-while-permits-plunge-115-2010-05-18-83100
Housing starts up 5.8%, while permits plunge 11.5%

The government cautions that its monthly housing data are volatile and subject to large sampling and other statistical errors. In most months, the government can't be sure whether starts increased or decreased. In April, for instance, the standard error for starts was plus or minus 13%. Large revisions are common.

Actually, the government should have cautioned that ALL its monthly data are volatile and subject to large sampling and other statistical errors. After all, who wants the government to tell the truth when the truth is so depressing.

So here is my explanation of how it really works.

The government employs vast armies of economists and scientists to generate false data. This keeps the criminals off the streets and helps with the employment numbers. Although the government lies about both the crime rate and the employment rate.

The fraudulent numbers help the government brainwash the public into believing that the government is actually aware that something is going on. Not that the government cares. The government will do whatever it wants to do, whether the public approves or not.

If the government is aware that something is wrong, then the government must be doing something to fix it. Unfortunately for the public, the government is actually doing the opposite of what it claims it is doing. The government is doing their best to extend the great depression that we are currently in the middle of. This allows the government to grab more power and pretend that it is for the good of the country. So every time the government does something to extend the great depression, they claim that what they are doing is working, but we need more government intervention to fix the problem.

Obama Encourages Freddie Mac And Fannie Mae To Continue Losing Money.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100510/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_fannie_mae
Fannie Mae seeks $8.4B in aid after 1Q loss

The rescue of Fannie and Freddie is turning out to be one of the most expensive aftereffects of the financial meltdown. Late last year, the Obama administration pledged to cover unlimited losses through 2012 for the pair, lifting an earlier cap of $400 billion. And with the housing market still on shaky ground, Obama administration officials say it is still too early to draft any proposals to reform the two companies or the broader housing finance system.

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/09/update-fannie-mae-and-freddie.html
Update: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Invest in Lawmakers

I guess the $126,349 paid by Freddie and Fannie (and their subordiates and associates) is paying off quite nicely for them.

Who do I have to bribe to become too big to fail?

Created by Congress, Fannie and Freddie buy mortgages from lenders and package them into bonds that are resold to global investors. Together the pair own or guarantee almost 31 million home loans worth about $5.5 trillion. That's about half of all mortgages.

In plain English, this means that banks can make home loans that they know they buyer can't repay. The banks can then sell the bad loans off to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac then package the loans for resale to unsuspecting buyers. Thus, rather than the banks being held responsible for making bad loans, the whole investing community gets stuck with buying bad loans.

It is good to know that nobody who is involved with the process of creating and processing bad loan investment vehicles will be held accountable for their actions.

Fannie also said it remains dependent on the government to stay in business. "There is significant uncertainty as to our long-term financial sustainability," the company said in a regulatory filing.

How can the economy ever hope to recover if the federal government continues taxing the few remaining profitable businesses and the few remaining employed individuals to support the too big to fail businesses that have no hope of ever becoming successful?

Socialism Works. Look At North Korea, Russia, Greece, ...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100507/cm_csm/299838;_ylt=AirZYcnmTx9lMVip9S8BzKes0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFlN3RhcTUwBHBvcwMyMTEEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl9vcGluaW9uBHNsawNncmVla3Byb3Rlc3Q-
Greek protesters: Ready to face reality about the debt crisis?

Your only reasonable course of action, then, is to work harder, save more, and adopt wiser public policies that promote wealth creation. Chief among these policy changes is to reject the socialism that you have been infatuated with for too long now. You need greater respect for private property. You need entrepreneurship. You need competition. In short, you need free markets. Without these, you will never become more prosperous.

What rock did this professor of economics crawl out from under? He certainly doesn't sound like a mainstream economist. He doesn't sound like any economists that are currently working for the federal government, or even any economists with any association with the federal government.

Reject Socialism:
Barack Hussein Obama, our socialist-in-chief, who was born and raised a socialist does not agree. Barack Hussein Obama has appointed more socialist czars and commissars than Russia had before its' collapse. Barack Hussein Obama is always working on new legislation to help spread the poverty wealth because the founding fathers weren't insightful enough to make that part of the constitution.

Respect Private Property:
The United States has no respect for private property. Try not paying your taxes. You will quickly find out that you don't really own your property. Want to build something on the land you think you own? Try getting approval from the ranks upon ranks of bureaucrats who must approve of what you do on your own land. Ever hear of "eminent domain"? This means the government has the right to take your property from you, at any time, for any reason.

Entrepreneurship:
Try starting a business. If you have ever tried to start or run a business, you will soon encounter a myriad of conflicting federal, state and local laws you must navigate to start or run a business. And let us not forget the myriad of federal, state and local taxes you must pay to start or run a business. There is no place for entrepreneurship in the current business world. You need to be a bureaucrat to even have a small hope of dealing with the red tape.

Competition:
Not for work. Unions prevent non-union people from working in any field where unions exist. Doctors, lawyers, ... all have regulatory agencies designed to limit the number of people allowed to work in that field.

Competition:
Not for businesses. Just look at the myriad of federal, state and local laws. Many of them contradictory. All of them enforced by some form of government or other regulatory agency.

Free Markets:
Not on the international level. Most governments are busy passing laws trying to protect inefficient businesses from being driven bankrupt by more efficient foreign competitors.

Free Markets:
Not on the local level. For every person who wants to start a business, there is some regulatory agency that doesn't want them to start a business. And if that person is foolish enough to actually start a business, then the regulatory agencies will swoop down to close the business if it doesn't follow to the letter, all the rules and regulations that the government can think up to put in the path of any business that wants to be successful.

Conclusion:
So while this economics professor may not be willing to say that his opinion about Greece applies equally to the United States, any of us less well indoctrinated in socialism find the similarities all too scary.

Bernanke Tells Students The Government Doesn't Care About G.D.P.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64716U20100508
Money can't buy happiness, but helps: Bernanke

Economic growth is not an end in itself, but policy makers pursue it because richer countries are better able to provide health, jobs and a clean environment for their people, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Saturday.

As part of Barack Hussein Obama's "Brainwash America" tour, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is doing his part by lying to graduating students at the University of South Carolina.

No government on the face of this planet ever has or ever will be interested in economic growth. The only thing that governments care about is accepting bribes from private sector special interests and the growth of government.

While this may not be obvious at first, let me try to explain in simple terms. Let us say that the whole planet has ten people. Without government, all ten people are producing goods and services that the other people want. In order to have a government, one of those people needs to stop producing goods and services, in order to spend time governing the other nine. So we now have nine people supporting ten people. As government grows, people switch from producing goods and services to regulating how the goods and services can be produced. If this continues, eventually we get nine people regulating how the one remaining person can produce goods and services to support the other nine people. This is the goal of all governments. Usually the government and the country collapses long before it reaches this point. The only thing honest economists (if you work for the government, you can't be honest) can't figure out, is the point where the economy and government crashes.

In a commencement speech at the University of South Carolina, Bernanke did not directly address the outlook for the economy and monetary policy.

Of course not. How many lies can any government official spew before the audience starts getting fed up. A few years ago, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke was ignorantly proclaiming the economic melt down couldn't happen. Now Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is ignorantly claiming he is the only one who can fix the problem. Even though most of the graduating students have had their minds dulled by the pablum the schools call education, some in the audience were probably getting sick listening to the "hype and confusion" that the current administration is busy shoveling down our throats. Most people (I am not sure I should include government employees as people) know that in order to fix a problem, you must first understand what it is. So far, none of the political class that caused the current economic melt down had shown any indication that they understand how the economy works, much less what the problem is. However, they are all busy wasting money trying to fix what they pretend is the problem.

Gross domestic product "is not itself the final objective of policy." Still, officials rely on growth measures to calibrate their policies because stronger economies are better at creating opportunity, he said.

You can say that again. "Gross domestic product" is definitely NOT what the government is interested in. All the government cares about is "Government domestic product". The term "Gross domestic product" used to mean what was produced by the private sector. But since the government sector has been growing at the expense of the private sector, the numbers were too depressing for the government liars economists to accept. So "Government domestic product" is the new measure of the governments growth. And it is doing a fine job. As the private sector of the economy is being destroyed, and the public sector is growing, the government has to substitute government growth for economic growth, or the public might start to understand the amount of destruction that is actually going on.

Economy Recovering. If You Ignore Homelessness, Joblessness And Business Failures.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703871904575215870609767844.html
Business Spending Propels Recovery

The U.S. economy grew at a slower pace in the first quarter, but the underlying trends—including a bigger share of growth from industry, strong consumer spending and low inflation—were encouraging.

The federal government and their minions and regulators destroyed the economy. Millions lost their jobs. Millions are facing losing their homes. Millions of businesses were closed.

Now the federal government is claiming that the economy is recovering?

Not by any rational, honest measure. Keep in mind that the federal government lies that when the size of government grows, that this is the same as the economy growing. But it is the exact opposite. When the size of the government grows, the size of the economy shrinks. The only thing the government produces is more regulation and inflation. When government regulation increases, this reduces the ability of businesses that produce products that consumers want to increase.

When the government talks about consumer spending increasing, they are lying again. Inflation is running rampant. Any increase in spending is because of inflation. It takes more money to buy less goods. Have you ever looked at how the government lies about inflation? Every year the government looks for any product that didn't increase in price and then uses that to prove there is no inflation. The current measure of inflation doesn't include food, transportation or housing. Obviously these are NOT things the average consumer needs, wants or uses. So it therefore must be fair for the government to exclude this items for their ever changing measure of what is inflation.

So the next time you see a report from any government liar about how the economy is improving, look around at all your unemployed friends and try to figure out how the economy could be improving when you and everyone you know is worse off.