The problem is the business. They've already shed jobs due to the economy, now they are shedding people and trying to make their employees do the work of two. Its a nasty trick they are pulling but they think its an employers market so they are going to wring us dry until we die, all in the name of business. I'm back to no eating out, no vacation, very little Christmas, a lot of window shopping but NO BUYING. HAVE A TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS WITH HOMEMADE GOODIES. Make these businesses fail or at least make them get on their knees and plead for forgiveness.

Mickey, how can you wish a company that did all it can to stay in business fail all because they make those they retain work harder? You are welcome to quit your job if you don't like it. Thare are lines waiting to fill your place.

Martha writes:

"Media writers and headline writers hold some of the responsibility for the intensity of the recession and much of the responsibility for the dip in consumer confidence. Each story and particularly each headline seems to emphasize the negative aspect of what can also be seen as a positive or improving picture. Hitting people in the face with negativity can only lower confidence. Bad news may sell, but it also depresses the economy"


What is your point? This is a unemployment number. Not a consumer confidence number. And talk about the media, except for a few they are nothing but puppets on a string for Obama. In general the media has been spinning this horrible economy positive. I dont know what you are seeing, but they have been spinning a recovery is underway for months and that there is no more recession. If anything they are trying to dupe the naive into spending more then they have, starting the same problem that casued this.

well said!!! I agree 100%

You are partly right. The media did spend lots of ink trying to convince the public that the economy was a mess during the Bush administration, especially after Bush pulled us out of the dot-com bust and the 9/11 slump. After the democrats took over congress and the economy really did start lagging we heard very little until a month or two before the election.

I definitely agree that all political lobbying must be stopped - it has been a growing "cancer" within our political system and will only become worse as big corporations desperately seek new means to successfully achieve new and undeserved heights of corruption, power and money at the expense of the US citizen.

Political lobbying must be recognized and identified for what is truly is: An act of "TREASON" .... it should be considered to be a serious offense against the United States and its citizens and should hold equally serious consequences for lobbyists, corporations and politicians alike. This should be an issue of high priority in D.C. but...Don't hold your breath because it is a big source of easy income for our politicians.

As far as closing the US borders to foreign commerce -- this seems unlikely with the NAFTA Highway currently under construction. If you don't already know, our gov is participating with Mexico and Canada in the construction of the largest (and, possibly most secret) highway system ever built connecting southwestern Mexico through the US into Canada.

The plan is presented in numerous gov reports which can be viewed on Google and... the highway construction has already been completed through Mexico including the State of Texas.

This NAFTA Highway will have its first border checkpoint coming from Mexico located in Kansas City, Kansas. The Mexican truckers and rail system, which parallels the highway, will have open access into the US unchecked until the Kansas City checkpoint.

Why is this NAFTA highway so necessary?...It is planned (and published) that Chinese goods will be shipped via large container cargo ships to a deep water port in southern Mexico; the cargo will then be transferred to either truck or rail and then shipped north into the US through this huge highway & rail corridor. Of course this will negatively affect the future of US jobs as China and Mexico will have much easier access to both our country and our local store shelves.

It's no wonder why the NAFTA Highway hasn't received more public awareness in the US ...It's simply bad for the US worker as more jobs here will be lost to manufacturing of cheap products in China.

The middle class is being thrown under the bus. I guess that's the CHANGE I voted for. I mean, I've never been thrown under the bus before. I'm sorry I voted for him. My apologies to all.

The big problem is there are no more trade barriers. All the protection we had in the past is gone allong with our way of life

Speaking of the Romans, I see our fearless leader concerned about the 2016 Olympic games!!

I guess he thinks we will still have a country in 2016. What kind of a moron leader would be concerned about "games" when this constituents are dropping like flies here at home.
I guess he didn't get the memo that that the mortgage/rent payment is due tomorrow, and millions of us are broke!!

How arrogant. How dare he spend 5 seconds worrying about the Olympics 5 years from now!!! The number one issue has
to be JOBS in this country. Screw the Olympic games, I need to feed my family TODAY!!!

How can anyone possibly say Obama lied?? THis just part of the 'change" he promised!! Remember Congressman Joe Wilson was admonished for his "truth"!!
Mr. Obama , where are the JOBS you promised. By the way, Mr. Obama, there is still a war going on and you are needed to make some decisions. Don't let our troops "hang out to dry!!""

....All monetary problems begin at the fed reserve

How quickly we forget about the expense wars that Bush started in Iraq under the false pretense of Iraq hiding nuclear facilities. Obama hasn't even been in office for a year. He is trying to clean up Bush's mess, give him a little time.