Q. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gas-prices-sink-obamas-ratings-on-economy-bring-parity-to-race-for-white-house/2012/03/11/gIQAuhYO6R_story.html
Disapproval of President Obama�s handling of the economy is heading higher .. as a record number of Americans now give the president �strongly� negative reviews on the 2012 presidential campaign�s most important issue, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/152021/Conservatives-Remain-Largest-Ideological-Group.aspx
Conservatives Remain the Largest Ideological Group in U.S.
PRINCETON, NJ -- Political ideology in the U.S. held steady in 2011, with 40% of Americans continuing to describe their views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal.
Approval Rating among Independents (who gave him the victory in 2008)
http://www.gallup.com/poll/153152/Obama-Approval-Averages-February.aspx?utm_source=tagrss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=syndication
53% of Independents rate his Presidency as a Failure
Disapproval of President Obama�s handling of the economy is heading higher .. as a record number of Americans now give the president �strongly� negative reviews on the 2012 presidential campaign�s most important issue, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/152021/Conservatives-Remain-Largest-Ideological-Group.aspx
Conservatives Remain the Largest Ideological Group in U.S.
PRINCETON, NJ -- Political ideology in the U.S. held steady in 2011, with 40% of Americans continuing to describe their views as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal.
Approval Rating among Independents (who gave him the victory in 2008)
http://www.gallup.com/poll/153152/Obama-Approval-Averages-February.aspx?utm_source=tagrss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=syndication
53% of Independents rate his Presidency as a Failure
A. The Obama campaign will have to continue its sleight-of-hand and smoke and mirrors magic show to spin a different story than the one Americans across the country are struggling to survive under. Reality for this Administration should assure Obama is unelectable, but they�re counting on selling what appears to be a "virtual economic recovery" to enough less than savvy, complicit members of the public who accept the new liberal version of "The Emporer's New Clothes" through the 2012 election season.
Polls can provide real, useful data, but it�s imperative to understand how the research is compiled, by whom, and whether there�s any allowance for or safeguards against bias. Much data from the government is decidedly lacking in the latter category.
On Friday, Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released to the media and countless news reports to the public suggested that our depressed economy is improving. Some critically important data was missing, however. A single category was used for the data, which claimed 223,000 new jobs were created in February. Since no turn or improvement in jobs has been evident to Americans in any significant numbers, more information from the BLS that was strategically left out Friday might give a clearer picture. The category used to support the positive spin was the Seasonally Adjusted Employment Level. When BLS statistics are categorized as seasonally adjusted, they�ve come, in part, from judgment calls made by the statisticians. There are formulas and guidelines that allow for adjusting what could be considered spikes or statistical anomalies, so that data is smoothed from month to month. Of course, where judgment is called for, it�s impossible to consider the data hard science and free from bias as most would prefer with statistics carrying the weight and importance assigned to the national unemployment rate and employment level, overall.
A potentially more accurate figure is available in the form of unadjusted data. It�s not statistically manipulated or reliant upon judgment of BLS statisticians anything like seasonally adjusted data is. The unadjusted BLS data available on March 9, 2012 showed a dramatically different picture than what was released to a public this Administration has to convince is facing an economy that�s turned and is improving. The Unadjusted Employment Level is published under Series Report LNU02000000. On Friday, it showed an almost identical increase in jobs during February to what was shown as lost in the unadjusted BLS statistics for January. For the two-month period, unadjusted data shows just 3,000 jobs having been added to the economy since the first of the year. If we go back a month, the UA statistics show an overall loss of jobs to the tune of 386,000 since December 1, 2011. If November is included, the loss of jobs across four months is marginally better at 303,000 fewer jobs now than were recorded with the BLS on November 1, 2011. Going back one month further, October data put the economy back into positive numbers for job growth, so that a five month total according to the more accurate, unadjusted statistics shows a cumulative increase of 182,000 jobs.
What�s interesting about that is that the five month figure is consistent with what economists say has to be seen on a monthly basis to provide employment for newcomers ready, available, and searching for inclusion in the workforce. Our colleges turn out more than 3 million newly credentialed graduates each year now, and more than a million young people will try to enter the workforce without higher education credentials. That means under Obama some 13 million young people were ready and determined to find work, but the overall numbers show our economy down about 2 million jobs from when Obama took Office in January of 2009. And where seasonally adjusted counts are intended to address anomalies, over the past six months, October may be the actual anomaly, since it was the only month during consecutive quarters that led to cumulative positive growth according to the Department of Labor.
Perhaps one more BLS category might be worth comment, because it�s telling for the harsh nature of what the reality is for our nation�s unemployed. Among the troublesome statistics were more than a quarter million discouraged workers who were dropped from counts of marginally attached individuals who appear for a time in categories kept under Not In Labor Force unemployed Americans. Those can be found on SR LNU05026642 and SR LNU05026645. Since it�s clear that more long-term unemployed and disenfranchised out of work Americans are being purged from counts than new jobs added back into the economy under this Administration, the recovery Democrats are trying to sell to voters whose support they need is more than tough to recognize. Most see it as non-existent.
Are voters really so blinded and confused to accept Obama as reelectable with the extent of his failures and a U.S. economy in shambles?
Polls can provide real, useful data, but it�s imperative to understand how the research is compiled, by whom, and whether there�s any allowance for or safeguards against bias. Much data from the government is decidedly lacking in the latter category.
On Friday, Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released to the media and countless news reports to the public suggested that our depressed economy is improving. Some critically important data was missing, however. A single category was used for the data, which claimed 223,000 new jobs were created in February. Since no turn or improvement in jobs has been evident to Americans in any significant numbers, more information from the BLS that was strategically left out Friday might give a clearer picture. The category used to support the positive spin was the Seasonally Adjusted Employment Level. When BLS statistics are categorized as seasonally adjusted, they�ve come, in part, from judgment calls made by the statisticians. There are formulas and guidelines that allow for adjusting what could be considered spikes or statistical anomalies, so that data is smoothed from month to month. Of course, where judgment is called for, it�s impossible to consider the data hard science and free from bias as most would prefer with statistics carrying the weight and importance assigned to the national unemployment rate and employment level, overall.
A potentially more accurate figure is available in the form of unadjusted data. It�s not statistically manipulated or reliant upon judgment of BLS statisticians anything like seasonally adjusted data is. The unadjusted BLS data available on March 9, 2012 showed a dramatically different picture than what was released to a public this Administration has to convince is facing an economy that�s turned and is improving. The Unadjusted Employment Level is published under Series Report LNU02000000. On Friday, it showed an almost identical increase in jobs during February to what was shown as lost in the unadjusted BLS statistics for January. For the two-month period, unadjusted data shows just 3,000 jobs having been added to the economy since the first of the year. If we go back a month, the UA statistics show an overall loss of jobs to the tune of 386,000 since December 1, 2011. If November is included, the loss of jobs across four months is marginally better at 303,000 fewer jobs now than were recorded with the BLS on November 1, 2011. Going back one month further, October data put the economy back into positive numbers for job growth, so that a five month total according to the more accurate, unadjusted statistics shows a cumulative increase of 182,000 jobs.
What�s interesting about that is that the five month figure is consistent with what economists say has to be seen on a monthly basis to provide employment for newcomers ready, available, and searching for inclusion in the workforce. Our colleges turn out more than 3 million newly credentialed graduates each year now, and more than a million young people will try to enter the workforce without higher education credentials. That means under Obama some 13 million young people were ready and determined to find work, but the overall numbers show our economy down about 2 million jobs from when Obama took Office in January of 2009. And where seasonally adjusted counts are intended to address anomalies, over the past six months, October may be the actual anomaly, since it was the only month during consecutive quarters that led to cumulative positive growth according to the Department of Labor.
Perhaps one more BLS category might be worth comment, because it�s telling for the harsh nature of what the reality is for our nation�s unemployed. Among the troublesome statistics were more than a quarter million discouraged workers who were dropped from counts of marginally attached individuals who appear for a time in categories kept under Not In Labor Force unemployed Americans. Those can be found on SR LNU05026642 and SR LNU05026645. Since it�s clear that more long-term unemployed and disenfranchised out of work Americans are being purged from counts than new jobs added back into the economy under this Administration, the recovery Democrats are trying to sell to voters whose support they need is more than tough to recognize. Most see it as non-existent.
Are voters really so blinded and confused to accept Obama as reelectable with the extent of his failures and a U.S. economy in shambles?
Who writes the software that operates the stock market and is it subject to review?
Q. I've yet to be able to find this answer online. First and foremost, are NASDAQ and NYSE private corporations? My best guess is that each stock exchange creates its own proprietary software that processes trades and sets the prices in real time. If they each have a different platform, does that mean there are perhaps subtle differences in the way prices on different markets are set? Do NASDAQ and NYSE have a team of developers that develop the software that performs this process and is the source code subject to any form of regulation/review by any agency?
If our entire economy is depending on these systems, it seems these answers should be very clear, but I can't seem to figure it out. Even in Vegas they have a gaming commission to review slot machine software to ensure its a fair game. What's to stop a programmer on the team from putting a little back door in the stock market software that can make the stock go up a bit before they sell? Furthermore, if hacker groups like anonymous have been able to access various pieces of highly sensitive data, what's to stop them from tampering with the stock market itself if we have no review of its security?
And finally, where might the physical hardware itself be located? I assume there are multiple locations around the country, but is there a chance there's just a big server farm sitting in the NYSE building? If a plane crashed into that building instead of WTC would the entire NYSE have shut down for weeks or months?
Thank you for the thorough answer "A Nobdody". You say there is no software involved in setting the market prices, but if that is the case, then how is it possible that the prices update so frequently (as quick as every second perhaps)? It seems like there must somehow be software algorithms involved in setting the prices based on number of outstanding buy/sell orders among other things.
If our entire economy is depending on these systems, it seems these answers should be very clear, but I can't seem to figure it out. Even in Vegas they have a gaming commission to review slot machine software to ensure its a fair game. What's to stop a programmer on the team from putting a little back door in the stock market software that can make the stock go up a bit before they sell? Furthermore, if hacker groups like anonymous have been able to access various pieces of highly sensitive data, what's to stop them from tampering with the stock market itself if we have no review of its security?
And finally, where might the physical hardware itself be located? I assume there are multiple locations around the country, but is there a chance there's just a big server farm sitting in the NYSE building? If a plane crashed into that building instead of WTC would the entire NYSE have shut down for weeks or months?
Thank you for the thorough answer "A Nobdody". You say there is no software involved in setting the market prices, but if that is the case, then how is it possible that the prices update so frequently (as quick as every second perhaps)? It seems like there must somehow be software algorithms involved in setting the prices based on number of outstanding buy/sell orders among other things.
A. The stock exchanges and clearing agent create their own software and have developers on staff to assist with the creation of new programs or making changes in current processing. Often times they will be bring programmers to help with the code but everything is done in-house
The software DOES NOT set the prices, it only reports them. The mechanics of trading set the prices based on the current market. As a trade is executed it is reported and the data file of executed orders is updated. As market makers, specialist and/or brokers change their bids and offerings, the exchanges market data base is updated and reported as such to the members.
Each registered broker/dealer or exchange are mandated by law to have internal audits of the systems,.files and procedures. These audits must be done at least annually and must confirm to company policy, as well as industry rules and regulations. The SEC requires that each registered broker/dealer and exchange have an independent accounting firm audit the systems that are in place and file such reports with the appropriate regulatory agency.
Not only are the programs, systems policies and procedures subject to the audit of the out side accounting firm so too are the firm's internal audit procedures findings and reports are subject to outside audits. At the same time the SEC can and does it's own audits of the exchange and B/D systems.
The securities industry systems are among the safest in the world. Professional hackers have tried to "break in' and at time have been paid by accounting firms to verify the security of systems by the Exchanges and firms. There's more regulations on the securities industry than any other.
Hackers can get into government data bases easier than they can with banks but have serious problems in getting into exchange or brokerage systems.
All firms and exchanges are required to have "Disaster Recovery" procedures in place and such proceeds are audited by both the independent accounting firm and regulator agencies. The disaster recovery program includes all policies, procedures that include software, hardware and the staff responsible for such. All firms and exchanges must have, by law, back up systems including hardware and staffing that are not in the same general area as their primary facilities.
Yes there are rooms of servers in the NYSE building, but there are also just as many in NJ and/ or Conn. At times during the trading day there have been times when processors have been switched from primary to back up and no one on the outside knew the difference
The software DOES NOT set the prices, it only reports them. The mechanics of trading set the prices based on the current market. As a trade is executed it is reported and the data file of executed orders is updated. As market makers, specialist and/or brokers change their bids and offerings, the exchanges market data base is updated and reported as such to the members.
Each registered broker/dealer or exchange are mandated by law to have internal audits of the systems,.files and procedures. These audits must be done at least annually and must confirm to company policy, as well as industry rules and regulations. The SEC requires that each registered broker/dealer and exchange have an independent accounting firm audit the systems that are in place and file such reports with the appropriate regulatory agency.
Not only are the programs, systems policies and procedures subject to the audit of the out side accounting firm so too are the firm's internal audit procedures findings and reports are subject to outside audits. At the same time the SEC can and does it's own audits of the exchange and B/D systems.
The securities industry systems are among the safest in the world. Professional hackers have tried to "break in' and at time have been paid by accounting firms to verify the security of systems by the Exchanges and firms. There's more regulations on the securities industry than any other.
Hackers can get into government data bases easier than they can with banks but have serious problems in getting into exchange or brokerage systems.
All firms and exchanges are required to have "Disaster Recovery" procedures in place and such proceeds are audited by both the independent accounting firm and regulator agencies. The disaster recovery program includes all policies, procedures that include software, hardware and the staff responsible for such. All firms and exchanges must have, by law, back up systems including hardware and staffing that are not in the same general area as their primary facilities.
Yes there are rooms of servers in the NYSE building, but there are also just as many in NJ and/ or Conn. At times during the trading day there have been times when processors have been switched from primary to back up and no one on the outside knew the difference
State Farm Insurance settlement?
Q. My wife and I were involved in a auto accident in May of 2011. Long story short, the attorney we hired was a dud and didn't do anything for us for over a year. He is now out of the picture. How much can I reasonably expect to get from the insurance company without representation? See details/injuries below:
-- Accident was 100% the State Farm insured's fault (cited and admitted fault at the scene)
-- Accident occurred in SC; NJ resident (if that matters)
-- No long-term injuries (Scrapes, bruises, back problems for the duration of 12 week treatment)
-- Total medical expenses (ambulance to hospital, treatment at hospital, 12 weeks therapy treatment) -- about $9K.
-- Accident was 100% the State Farm insured's fault (cited and admitted fault at the scene)
-- Accident occurred in SC; NJ resident (if that matters)
-- No long-term injuries (Scrapes, bruises, back problems for the duration of 12 week treatment)
-- Total medical expenses (ambulance to hospital, treatment at hospital, 12 weeks therapy treatment) -- about $9K.
A. It is hard to answer this question without more data. By the way, the statue of limitations is 3 years. South Carolina is a Med-Pay state, and not a PIP state.
Here's what we do not know. We do not know if you had med-pay coverage under your own auto insurance, and if they paid some of your medical bills. And do they have the right of subrogation to recover what they have paid from State Farm? And were the rest of the medical bills paid by your health insurance company? And did your health coverage "adjust" the amounts due, and pay a lesser amount? And does your health insurance have a right of recovery? Do they have a ERISA lien? Have they asserted such a lien? Are all or any of these medical bills still outstanding, meaning they all remain unpaid? Were any bills paid for by Medicare?
With respect to the medical treatment you received, was all of this treatment reasonable and necessary? State Farm's obligation would be to only cover reasonable and necessary treatment.
Were any of the medical charges inflated beyond the prevailing rate for similar treatment? For example, if they charged $3,500 for an MRI, this would be considered "excessive," and State Farm's obligation would be to only pay for reasonable charges based on prevailing rates.
Once the medical specials are sorted out in terms of what is owed and what isn't, then they would need to consider your pain and suffering.
It sounds like most of your injuries were very minor. A back muscle sprain/strain injury will heal, with or without treatment, in a matter of weeks. Usually 3 to 4 weeks. Getting treatment, like chiropractic or physical therapy does NOT make your body heal any faster. So your 12 weeks of therapy seems a bit excessive to me. It makes it look like you were getting the treatment just to build up your claim. I wouldn't be surprised if State Farm cuts that excessive treatment in half.
You can also add up your chiropractic or physical therapy treatment, and divided that total by the number of visits to get your AVERAGE cost per visit. If the average cost is over $100, it is excessive, and will likely be reduced by State Farm.
Take a look at the photos of your car before repairs. If the car shows extensive damage, then the injuries are more believable because the damage shows a harder impact. On the other hand, if the damage was limited to a tiny dent, then any reasonable person may question whether you got hurt at all. This is all part of the evaluation.
So, without knowing more, your pain and suffering may range from $5,000 to $7,500.
We can add a portion of the medical bills onto this pain and suffering estimate, assuming these are unpaid and you are responsible to pay these. If the medical bills were paid by other insurance, then it isn't likely you are entitled to reimbursement on the medical you never paid for.
If you fired your attorney, he may choose to file an attorney's lien on your settlement for the unpaid time he expended on your case. Let's hope that doesn't happen.
Good luck.
Here's what we do not know. We do not know if you had med-pay coverage under your own auto insurance, and if they paid some of your medical bills. And do they have the right of subrogation to recover what they have paid from State Farm? And were the rest of the medical bills paid by your health insurance company? And did your health coverage "adjust" the amounts due, and pay a lesser amount? And does your health insurance have a right of recovery? Do they have a ERISA lien? Have they asserted such a lien? Are all or any of these medical bills still outstanding, meaning they all remain unpaid? Were any bills paid for by Medicare?
With respect to the medical treatment you received, was all of this treatment reasonable and necessary? State Farm's obligation would be to only cover reasonable and necessary treatment.
Were any of the medical charges inflated beyond the prevailing rate for similar treatment? For example, if they charged $3,500 for an MRI, this would be considered "excessive," and State Farm's obligation would be to only pay for reasonable charges based on prevailing rates.
Once the medical specials are sorted out in terms of what is owed and what isn't, then they would need to consider your pain and suffering.
It sounds like most of your injuries were very minor. A back muscle sprain/strain injury will heal, with or without treatment, in a matter of weeks. Usually 3 to 4 weeks. Getting treatment, like chiropractic or physical therapy does NOT make your body heal any faster. So your 12 weeks of therapy seems a bit excessive to me. It makes it look like you were getting the treatment just to build up your claim. I wouldn't be surprised if State Farm cuts that excessive treatment in half.
You can also add up your chiropractic or physical therapy treatment, and divided that total by the number of visits to get your AVERAGE cost per visit. If the average cost is over $100, it is excessive, and will likely be reduced by State Farm.
Take a look at the photos of your car before repairs. If the car shows extensive damage, then the injuries are more believable because the damage shows a harder impact. On the other hand, if the damage was limited to a tiny dent, then any reasonable person may question whether you got hurt at all. This is all part of the evaluation.
So, without knowing more, your pain and suffering may range from $5,000 to $7,500.
We can add a portion of the medical bills onto this pain and suffering estimate, assuming these are unpaid and you are responsible to pay these. If the medical bills were paid by other insurance, then it isn't likely you are entitled to reimbursement on the medical you never paid for.
If you fired your attorney, he may choose to file an attorney's lien on your settlement for the unpaid time he expended on your case. Let's hope that doesn't happen.
Good luck.
Is the G0P justified in its continued obstructionism?
Q. Or, has their deliberate tactics of partisan politics done more to undermine the political fabric of this Nation?
My point: Political dissent is healthy because the rigidity of partisan politics are not in the best interests of this culturally diverse Nation!
In no way is this in support of either candidate, because both are members of the Cultural mindset that's responsible for keeping America on this path of unsustainability!
@ Shovel Ready & Brianne: Maybe your party should begin its needed show of good will by repudiating Mitch McConnell promise of "doing all whatever it takes to make 0bama a one term POTUS!"
While your party may defend its so-called right to gang-up against the President, they are still first and foremost, servants of the public! In trying to depict 0bama as America's greatest mistake besides racism, the G0P overstepped their bounds, and in my estimation, has helped to fan the smoldering embers of race and class-ism, while blaming this same flare-up on the President.
My point: Political dissent is healthy because the rigidity of partisan politics are not in the best interests of this culturally diverse Nation!
In no way is this in support of either candidate, because both are members of the Cultural mindset that's responsible for keeping America on this path of unsustainability!
@ Shovel Ready & Brianne: Maybe your party should begin its needed show of good will by repudiating Mitch McConnell promise of "doing all whatever it takes to make 0bama a one term POTUS!"
While your party may defend its so-called right to gang-up against the President, they are still first and foremost, servants of the public! In trying to depict 0bama as America's greatest mistake besides racism, the G0P overstepped their bounds, and in my estimation, has helped to fan the smoldering embers of race and class-ism, while blaming this same flare-up on the President.
A. No way are they, but they'r just the puppets of the extreme right p-Lootocrats who couldnt care less abt the US; they just want to loot it to the max and move on to parasitize their next host.
===========
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/08/opinion/sunday/still-crawling-out-of-a-very-deep-hole.html?hpw
�The current recovery is largely the result of support from Congress and the Federal Reserve. A self-reinforcing, virtuous cycle of growth has yet to take firm hold, and until it does, the need for help remains�
.
�At the same time, home equity � for most families, the most important store of wealth � has been devastated by the housing bust,
.
�with $7.4 trillion wiped out since home prices peaked in 2006�
.
�Without good jobs, families certainly can�t power the economy with spending. Incomes always fall in recessions, but they usually rebound and then reach a new high. That didn�t happen after the 2001 recession�
.
Analysis of government data by Moody�s Analytics shows that median household income, in 2011 dollars, peaked at $56,000 in 2000, and did not rebound to that level.
.
When the Great Recession hit, income fell again.
.
�Though there has been some progress in the last two years,
.
�median income, now at $52,000, is about where it was in 1997.�
Xxx
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/12/business/economy/family-net-worth-drops-to-level-of-early-90s-fed-says.html?_r=1&hp
.
�The recent financial crisis left the median American family in 2010 with no more wealth than in the early 1990s, erasing almost two decades of accumulated prosperity, the Federal Reserve said. [The recession lasted from Dec 2007 to June 2009. The figures in the Fed�s survey were collected in 2010.]
.
�The median family, richer than half of the nation�s families and poorer than the other half, had a net worth of $77,300 in 2010, down from $126,400 in 2007, the Fed said.
.
�The crash of housing prices explained three-quarters of the loss.
��the median amount of home equity dropped to $75,000 in 2010 from $110,000 in 2007. While other investments have recovered much of the value lost in the depths of the crisis, housing prices have hardly budged.
.
�This vast loss of wealth was compounded by a loss of income, as the earnings of the median family fell by 7.7 percent over the same period.�
�
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/us/politics/after-primary-losses-legacies-of-debt-and-strained-reputations.html?hpw "He [Gingrich] had criticized Mr. Romney so pointedly (�Are you calling Mitt Romney a liar?� �Yes.�) that the Obama campaign has produced an entire Gingrich-based anti-Romney video that could make any eventual Gingrich endorsement of Mr. Romney look like a joke."
xxx
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/A8/20110915/NEWS01/109150328/Christie-offers-details-talk-oil-tycoon Sept, 2011.
.
There was a ��private lunch meeting between NJ Gov. Chris Christie and billionaire oil tycoon David Koch this winter -- five months before Christie decided to pull the state out of the [10-state pact to limit greenhouse gases in the region]"
.
�In June, 2011, Christie flew to Vail, Colo., to deliver the keynote speech at the Koch brothers' semiannual retreat. The event was full of wealthy conservative donors, but closed to the public and media.
.
Christie's appearance at the retreat went unreported for months. He flew to Vail directly after an appearance on "Meet the Press" and was home that night. The political speech was not listed on the governor's public schedule.
.
�On Wednesday, he defended keeping the meeting and travel to Colorado private.
.
" �If it's a private meeting, I'm not disclosing it,� " the governor said Wednesday. �I'm allowed to get advice and counsel from people that I want to ... you're not entitled to know everything I do.� "
.
�The trip to Vail was paid for by the New Jersey state Republican Party, according to a party spokesman.�
Xxx
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/09/audio-chris-christie-koch-brothers-seminar Audio expose of GOP Gov Christie as keynote speaker at the Koch bros semi-annual retreat in CO.
�David Koch introduced Gov. Christie as �my kind of guy.� (The two had previously met in private at Koch's New York City office, he revealed.)
�Before long, seminar attendees were roaring with laughter as Christie regaled them over dessert, telling them how, in his first weeks in office, he'd exercised extraordinary executive powers to impound billions of dollars in planned spending.
.
"The good news for all of you and for me," he said, "is that the governorship in New Jersey is the most powerful constitutional governorship in America...
�We're going to have to reduce Medicare benefits.
.
We're going to have to reduce Medicaid benefits.
.
We're going to have to raise the Social Security age.
.
��We're going to have to cut all types of other government programs...
.
===========
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/08/opinion/sunday/still-crawling-out-of-a-very-deep-hole.html?hpw
�The current recovery is largely the result of support from Congress and the Federal Reserve. A self-reinforcing, virtuous cycle of growth has yet to take firm hold, and until it does, the need for help remains�
.
�At the same time, home equity � for most families, the most important store of wealth � has been devastated by the housing bust,
.
�with $7.4 trillion wiped out since home prices peaked in 2006�
.
�Without good jobs, families certainly can�t power the economy with spending. Incomes always fall in recessions, but they usually rebound and then reach a new high. That didn�t happen after the 2001 recession�
.
Analysis of government data by Moody�s Analytics shows that median household income, in 2011 dollars, peaked at $56,000 in 2000, and did not rebound to that level.
.
When the Great Recession hit, income fell again.
.
�Though there has been some progress in the last two years,
.
�median income, now at $52,000, is about where it was in 1997.�
Xxx
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/12/business/economy/family-net-worth-drops-to-level-of-early-90s-fed-says.html?_r=1&hp
.
�The recent financial crisis left the median American family in 2010 with no more wealth than in the early 1990s, erasing almost two decades of accumulated prosperity, the Federal Reserve said. [The recession lasted from Dec 2007 to June 2009. The figures in the Fed�s survey were collected in 2010.]
.
�The median family, richer than half of the nation�s families and poorer than the other half, had a net worth of $77,300 in 2010, down from $126,400 in 2007, the Fed said.
.
�The crash of housing prices explained three-quarters of the loss.
��the median amount of home equity dropped to $75,000 in 2010 from $110,000 in 2007. While other investments have recovered much of the value lost in the depths of the crisis, housing prices have hardly budged.
.
�This vast loss of wealth was compounded by a loss of income, as the earnings of the median family fell by 7.7 percent over the same period.�
�
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/us/politics/after-primary-losses-legacies-of-debt-and-strained-reputations.html?hpw "He [Gingrich] had criticized Mr. Romney so pointedly (�Are you calling Mitt Romney a liar?� �Yes.�) that the Obama campaign has produced an entire Gingrich-based anti-Romney video that could make any eventual Gingrich endorsement of Mr. Romney look like a joke."
xxx
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/A8/20110915/NEWS01/109150328/Christie-offers-details-talk-oil-tycoon Sept, 2011.
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There was a ��private lunch meeting between NJ Gov. Chris Christie and billionaire oil tycoon David Koch this winter -- five months before Christie decided to pull the state out of the [10-state pact to limit greenhouse gases in the region]"
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�In June, 2011, Christie flew to Vail, Colo., to deliver the keynote speech at the Koch brothers' semiannual retreat. The event was full of wealthy conservative donors, but closed to the public and media.
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Christie's appearance at the retreat went unreported for months. He flew to Vail directly after an appearance on "Meet the Press" and was home that night. The political speech was not listed on the governor's public schedule.
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�On Wednesday, he defended keeping the meeting and travel to Colorado private.
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" �If it's a private meeting, I'm not disclosing it,� " the governor said Wednesday. �I'm allowed to get advice and counsel from people that I want to ... you're not entitled to know everything I do.� "
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�The trip to Vail was paid for by the New Jersey state Republican Party, according to a party spokesman.�
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http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/09/audio-chris-christie-koch-brothers-seminar Audio expose of GOP Gov Christie as keynote speaker at the Koch bros semi-annual retreat in CO.
�David Koch introduced Gov. Christie as �my kind of guy.� (The two had previously met in private at Koch's New York City office, he revealed.)
�Before long, seminar attendees were roaring with laughter as Christie regaled them over dessert, telling them how, in his first weeks in office, he'd exercised extraordinary executive powers to impound billions of dollars in planned spending.
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"The good news for all of you and for me," he said, "is that the governorship in New Jersey is the most powerful constitutional governorship in America...
�We're going to have to reduce Medicare benefits.
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We're going to have to reduce Medicaid benefits.
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We're going to have to raise the Social Security age.
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��We're going to have to cut all types of other government programs...
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