President Obama's Weekly Address 11/8/14: It’s Time to Help Women and Working Families

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President highlighted the progress our economy is making, and the commonsense policies that could make it even stronger by ensuring that everyone who works hard has the opportunity to get ahead, especially women and working families. This commitment has been a core part of the President’s Year of Action and a priority since the start of his administration, which is why he has put forth a range of policies that would help women and working families get ahead, from raising the minimum wage, to ensuring equal pay for equal work, to increasing access to high-quality child care and paid family leave. This week’s address follows remarks the President delivered on Friday at Rhode Island College, where he discussed the importance of harnessing our economy’s momentum by making policy choices that will help women and all working parents fully participate in and contribute to our economy.

President Obama's Weekly Address 11/1/14: It’s Time to Help Women and Working Families

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President highlighted the progress our economy is making, and the commonsense policies that could make it even stronger by ensuring that everyone who works hard has the opportunity to get ahead, especially women and working families. This commitment has been a core part of the President’s Year of Action and a priority since the start of his administration, which is why he has put forth a range of policies that would help women and working families get ahead, from raising the minimum wage, to ensuring equal pay for equal work, to increasing access to high-quality child care and paid family leave. This week’s address follows remarks the President delivered on Friday at Rhode Island College, where he discussed the importance of harnessing our economy’s momentum by making policy choices that will help women and all working parents fully participate in and contribute to our economy.

President Obama's Weekly Address 10/11/14 : America Is a Place Where Hard Work Should Be Rewarded

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President made the case for why it’s past time to raise the minimum wage. Increasing the national minimum wage to $10.10 an hour would benefit 28 million Americans, and make our economy stronger. While Republicans in Congress have blocked this commonsense proposal, a large and growing coalition of state and local leaders and owners of businesses large and small have answered the President’s call and raised wages for their residents and employees. This progress is important, but there is more that can be done. No American who works full time should have to raise a family in poverty. That’s why the President will continue to push Congress to take action and give America its well-deserved raise.

President Obama's Weekly Address 10/4/14: We Do Better When the Middle Class Does Better

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President highlighted that six years after the Great Recession, thanks to the hard work of the American people and the President’s policies, our economy has come back further and faster than any other nation on Earth. With 10.3 million private sector jobs added over 55 straight months, America’s businesses have extended the longest streak of private-sector job gains on record. But even with this progress, too many Americans have yet to feel the benefits. The President reiterated the vision he set out earlier this week for steps that can lay a new foundation for stronger growth, rising wages, and expanded economic opportunity for middle class families.

President Obama's Weekly Address 1/11/14 : Ensuring 2014 is a Year of Action to Grow the Economy

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama called 2014 a year of action, which should start with Congress quickly passing emergency unemployment insurance for the 1.3 million Americans who lost this vital lifeline as they fight to find jobs and make ends meet.

One NJ Releases 1st Television Commercial Highlighting the Real Story Behind Christie's Record

Fact: NJ Is Falling Further Behind

(NEW JERSEY) – Tomorrow, One New Jersey is going up with its first television commercial to help people learn about the real story in New Jersey. The spot will run as a six-figure, state-wide cable buy for the next few weeks, and is being supplemented by a robust online ad buy.



“Governor Christie touted a Jersey Comeback. But, contrary to his claims, we’re clearly falling behind,” said Joshua Henne, spokesman for One New Jersey. "Our first commercial seeks to serve as a wake-up call to Trenton that there’s a huge gulf between the rhetoric being espoused and the reality on the ground. The sad truth is that New Jersey is falling further and further back due to the wrong-headed policies and misplaced priorities of the past few years. No amount of hype or hyperbole can hide the fact that middle-class and working families are hurting, while millionaires and powerful interests get special treatment – and New Jersey ends up worse-off, as a result.”

The facts speak for themselves. Over the past few years, New Jersey has consistently trailed the rest of America when it comes to jobs. In fact, under Christie and his policies, the state’s unemployment rate reached its widest distance from the national average since the 1970s. Right now, New Jersey has the country’s 7th highest unemployment and is the worst state in the region when it comes to joblessness.

While Christie's policies have surely warmed the hearts of right-wing think tanks, they've had a chilling effect on New Jersey's families. Protecting tax cuts for multi-millionaires, but vetoing an increase to the minimum wage reveals a backwards set of priorities. Property taxes skyrocketed some 20% on Christie’s watch, while services are slashed. Fiscal pain is pushed along to municipalities, while local residents are paying more and receiving less from local government. New Jersey also became home to the 2nd highest percentage of mortgage loans in foreclosure in America, even though rates nationally are falling to their lowest levels since 2008.

Since launching in the Summer of 2011, One New Jersey consistently shines a light on those policies striking against the best interests of New Jersey residents. One New Jersey is also exposing efforts to divide the state and its people for political gain. Along those lines, One New Jersey has written op-eds and offered commentary on a whole host of issues - including economic failures, broken promises on jobs, regressive policies and New Jersey’s chronic unemployment. A true “Jersey Comeback” would, indeed, be a great thing. Unfortunately, that’s not the real story, as the facts prove otherwise.

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One New Jersey is an independent 501(c) 4 advocacy organization that monitors policy positions and actions of elected officials and brings to light their records on the issues that matter to New Jersey’s middle-class and working families. You can follow @OneNJ on Twitter and search for “One New Jersey” on Facebook.

President Obama's Weekly Address 3/9/13: End the Sequester to Keep Growing the Economy

WASHINGTON, DC— In his weekly address, President Obama said that businesses have created jobs every month for three years straight – nearly 6.4 million altogether, and have added 246,000 new jobs in February. We must keep this momentum going, and that’s why the President recently met with Republican leaders to discuss how we can replace the harmful, arbitrary budget cuts, called the “sequester,” with balanced deficit reduction. By working together, the President is confident we can reduce the budget by investing in areas that help us grow, and cutting what we don’t need.

An Open Letter To Governor Christie From MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry: Pump Your Brakes, Gov. Christie

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

By Melissa Harris-Perry – MSNBC

Dear Gov. Christie,

It’s me, Melissa. Well, there’s no denying it–you are definitely having a moment. Since last year when you put partisan politics aside to praise President Obama’s disaster response to the recent kick in the pants you gave House Speaker John Boehner, it seems you’ve become the voice of America’s frustration with Washington. And as a resident of a city that knows all too well what it means to rebuild in the wake of catastrophe, I know the people of New Jersey are grateful to have you as a champion.

You can tell by your 73% approval rating. And even more impressive, as a Republican governor of a blue state, you’ve managed to get 62% approval among Democrats, 70% among women, and 69% among people of color. That makes you almost a shoo-in for re-election this year. No doubt all that love has got you feeling like it’s all aboard the Christie train–next stop, the White House!

But not so fast. I’m going to need you to pump your brakes.

Your ability to lead people through the aftermath of a disaster does not qualify you to be president of the United States. Just ask Rudy Giuliani.

Oh, that Time Magazine cover line certainly had it right–you are the master of disaster. It’s just that the disaster struck long before Hurricane Sandy came ashore. Let’s hope you do a better job presiding over the state’s storm recovery than you’ve done presiding over New Jersey’s economic recovery. Because New Jersey’s economic performance ranked 47th in the nation in 2011. And right now, the [New Jersey] unemployment rate is 9.6%–surpassing the national rate by almost 2%.

It seems, governor, that residents are still waiting on that so-called “Jersey Comeback” you claimed had already begun.

And so much for your reputation for telling the hard truths–or telling the truth at all. When you ran for governor, you promised not to cut pensions, property tax rebates, or education spending. When you became governor, you promptly cut all three. Oh, and there’s also the matter of those other cuts you proposed–the tax cuts for New Jersey’s wealthiest residents. You even went so far as to veto–not once, not twice, but three times–a tax increase on millionaires.

Given your policy preferences for the wealthy, is it any wonder that it took a natural disaster and some convincing from President Obama before you could get some reciprocation in your love for Bruce Springsteen? You know his every lyric, so you also know that The Boss–I mean the real Boss–in his songs celebrates the working class. The same folks who suffer when you refuse to raise the state’s minimum wage or when you cut the earned income tax credit for low-income residents, or cut $7.4 million from reproductive health care services.

Thanks to you, the women of New Jersey now have six fewer family planning clinics. Those that remain saw 26,000 fewer patients after your budget cuts. That’s fewer breast exams, fewer cancer screenings – fewer lives that could be saved with preventative care. So yes, by all means, enjoy your moment. You’ve earned it.

But thanks to your policy record you’ve also earned what’s coming to you in 2016–and I have a feeling America’s voters are going to give you exactly what you deserve.

Sincerely,
Melissa

President Obama's Weekly Address 10/27/12: Protecting the American People with New Wall Street Reforms

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama highlighted the work of the new independent consumer watchdog he fought to create, which stands up for consumers and protects Americans from mistakes made by the companies who determine your credit scores. Republicans in Congress have tried to roll back consumer protections that help prevent big banks from creating another financial crisis, but the President refuses to let that happen and will continue to fight for working Americans as we move this country forward.

President Obama's Weekly Address 10/6/12:Congress Should Keep America Moving Forward

WASHINGTON, DC—In this week’s address, President Obama told the American people that as a nation we are moving forward four years after the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. While there’s more work to do, America’s businesses have added 5.2 million jobs over the past 31 months and the unemployment rate is at the lowest level since the President took office. To keep our country moving forward, Congress should act on the President’s plan to keep taxes low for 98% of the American people, rather than holding it hostage to give more budget-busting tax cuts to the wealthiest 2%. Congress should cut red tape so responsible homeowners can save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage by refinancing at lower rates, and act on the President’s proposal to create a veterans jobs corps to help our returning heroes find work. It’s time for our elected leaders to get back to work to help the middle class and build our economy from the middle-out, not the top down.

BUONO ISSUES STATEMENT ON NEW JERSEY JOB LOSS, URGES GOVERNOR TO RECONSIDER VETO

For Immediate Release:
4/20/12

EDISON - N.J. Senator Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) issued a statement in response to the New Jersey Department of Labor’s employment report for March 2012. The report shows the private sector lost 11,600 jobs with an overall loss of 8,600 jobs across the state.

“The jobs report from NJDOL underscores how fragile New Jersey’s economic recovery is.  Unemployment remained stalled at 9.0 percent for March, still higher than the national average and the highest in the region.  Now an additional 11,600 private sector jobs are off the books.   These recent job losses represent opportunities lost for our unemployed residents,” Buono said.

 “We must work together to create opportunities for job growth instead of seeing the governor veto and in the process, ridicule jobs bills passed at the end of the legislative session by referring to them as a “pile of crap”.

“This slackening of job creation in the private sector should serve as a clarion call to the governor to hold his fire before vetoing bills and refrain from deriding the Legislature’s credible initiatives to lift job growth and grow the economy.

Given the recent precipitous job loss in the private sector I urge the governor to reconsider his vetoes of the Legislature’s jobs creation package when these bills reach his desk again this legislative session.”

The Jersey Comeback

(Courtesy of New Jersey Policy Perspective)

While unemployment rates are going down nationally (8.2%) and regionally (NY 8.5%, CT 7.7%, Penn 7.5%) the unemployment rate is still stuck at 9% here in New Jersey. So much for that big Jersey Comeback which the Governor keeps talking about, New Jersey lost 8,600 jobs in March.

New Jersey Policy Perspective has a blog posting about it today.

President Obama's Weekly Address 12/3/11 : Extending and Expanding the Payroll Tax Cut

President Obama calls on Congress to extend and expand the payroll tax cut -- to protect middle class families and ensure that the economy continues to grow

As A Matter Of Fact...What did NJ get for $1 billion? About 5,000 fewer jobs.

May 5th, 2011 | Published in NJPP Blog: As a Matter of Fact …

Since the beginning of 2010, New Jersey has awarded more than $1 billion in tax subsidies as part of a strategy aimed at jump-starting the state’s economy and putting tens of thousands of people back to work.

Even as Governor Christie pleaded poverty to make deep cuts to essential services like education and health care, the state doled out tax credits and grants to corporations and developers in New Jersey at an unprecedented rate.

Incentives for economic investment were necessary, it was argued, to create a more business-friendly climate that would generate good jobs for New Jerseyans.

Sadly, it hasn’t worked. Not even a little bit.

Employment statewide is down more than 5,000 jobs since the beginning of 2010.

Last month, 3,847,200 people were employed in New Jersey, according to the state Department of Labor and Work Force Development’s monthly non-farm employment report, which is available here. That’s down 5,100 from the 3,852,600 who were employed in January 2010, when the state embarked on probably the most generous business subsidy effort New Jersey has ever seen. (For more, see NJPP’s report A Surge in Subsidies.) It’s also a precipitous drop – 231,700 jobs – from peak employment of 4,078,900 in 2007.

A breakdown of the data shows the state has lost 7,600 manufacturing jobs and 4,500 construction jobs in the private sector since January 2010. They also show the state has lost 24,400 public sector jobs — as teachers, police and other employees were laid off. Those 36,500 lost jobs were offset somewhat by a gain in the service sector of nearly 31,000 jobs.

The decline in employed New Jerseyans might come as a surprise to some who’ve assumed that the economy was improving because the state unemployment rate dropped from 9.8 percent to 9.3 percent during that time. (The U.S. rate, over the same period, has fallen twice as fast, from 10.0 percent to 8.8 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.)

But it turns out the drop in the state unemployment rate is a statistical anomaly because, since January 2010, the state’s labor force — the number of people working plus those looking for work — actually declined to 4,493,000 from 4,522,200 as people moved away or gave up on the hope of finding a job. So the unemployment rate didn’t go down because more people are working; it went down because fewer people are looking.

Seems like there might have been a better way to spend that $1 billion....

Good News For Obama and Dems: January unemployment rate drops to 9.7%

There is some good news today for President Obama and the Democrats, contrary to what some had been predicting the unemployment rate did not rise as expected. The unemployment rate dropped in January from 10% to 9.7% thanks in part job growth coming from manufacturing and retail industries.

541,000 Americans left the ranks of the unemployed and found job last month. you can read about it below:

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- The unemployment rate dropped unexpectedly in January to 9.7 percent from 10 percent while employers shed 20,000 jobs, the government said Friday.

The rate dropped because a survey of households found the number of employed Americans rose by 541,000, the Labor Department said. The job losses are calculated from a separate survey of employers.

The report also included an annual revision to the estimates of total payrolls, which showed there were 930,000 fewer jobs last March than previously estimated. The department also revised down its estimates for April through October of last year, adding another 433,000 job losses.

The November figure was revised higher, however, to show a gain of 64,000 jobs.

All told, the Great Recession has eliminated 8.4 million jobs, the department said. That's the most of any recession since World War II as a proportion of total payrolls.

Aside from November's gain, January's job losses were the smallest since the recession began. Employers cut 779,000 jobs in January 2009.

The report included more good news from the manufacturing sector, which is a key factor in the recovery. Manufacturers gained 11,000 jobs, its largest increase since April 2006.

Retailers added 42,100 jobs, the most since November 2007, before the recession began. Temporary help services gained 52,000 jobs, the fourth month of gains in that category. That could signal future hiring, as employers usually hire temp workers before permanent ones.

The number of part-time workers who want full-time work, but can't find it fell by almost 1 million. That lowered the "underemployment" rate, which also includes discouraged workers, to 16.5 percent from 17.3 percent.

Monmouth County Jobless Rate Seen As Stablizing With Recovery Underway

Even though Monmouth County's jobless rate is up by 3.2% over last year, it seems that the worst for county residents is over according to an article written by Tom Shortell and published in Greater Media Newspaper's The Independent .

With just a 10% seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, Monmouth County is in much better shape job wise then the State is as a whole according to statistical data sighted in the article

"...the worst of the economic crisis has passed. The county and most of its large towns tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics saw their unemployment rates peak in the summer of 2009."

It seems that the biggest drag on the jobless rate remains real estate, where many builders and contractors have seen a 50 - 75 percent drop off of their revenues.

Other sectors of the economy like IT Services and the medical professions are still strong and helping to keep the jobless rate down. Many businesses still need assistance with their computer systems to keep their offices running, and while people are still employed, they still need the services of doctors, nurses and other health care professionals when they are sick.

Hopefully as the economy continues to improve over the remainder of this winter and into the spring, construction starts and the housing market will improve, which in turn will create even more jobs in the county and lower the jobless rate even more.

N.J. banks add 38 branches, 3,800 jobs as market widens: Good News For Corzine

For anyone who may doubt that the economy is beginning to turn around, there is some more good news about job creation here in New Jersey. During the past year 3,800 private sector banking jobs have been created due to the easing of credit and more loans being made.

This good, positive news for the Corzine campaign to build on because it shows that dispite recent NJ unemployment numbers hovering around 9% job creation has started to rebound.

From NJ.com:

With auxiliary lending businesses going bust, New Jersey banks were able to expand their reach, opening 38 branches and adding 3,800 jobs over the past year, the state banking department said Wednesday.

The number of bank employees in New Jersey rose from 17,203 in June 2008 to 21,003 in June 2009, and state bank lending increased 11 percent from $88.7 billion to $98.9 billion over that period, the state Department of Banking and Insurance said. Banking employees had been going down for several years.

Bank representatives said they picked up lending business when other avenues for consumers shut down, such as mortgage brokers. The secondary market for buying mortgages dried up over the past year, leaving brokers without a place to sell loans they made.

By contrast, some community banks hold onto some of their loans and do not resell them, said Neil Jasey, commissioner of the banking and insurance department.

The number of employees at New Jersey banks fell from 20,616 in June 2006 to 19,697 in June 2007, before hitting 17,203 last year, the department said.

President Obama's Weekly Address: 5/9/09

This week the President recaps a busy week, from strides on fiscal discipline, to financial stability, to cracking down on tax havens and tax breaks for shifting jobs overseas. For his next big step, he calls for a credit card reform bill: "Americans know that they have a responsibility to live within their means and pay what they owe. But they also have a right to not get ripped off by the sudden rate hikes, unfair penalties, and hidden fees that have become all-too common in our credit card industry." Watch Your Weekly Address to find out what he plans to do about it.

President Obama's Weekly Address: 3/7/09

President Obama capped off a busy week in Washington remarking on new lending guidelines aimed at lowering mortgage payments; an initiative to generate funds for small business and college loans; the release of his administration's first budget which includes $2T in deficit reduction; and the start of long overdue health care reform.

‘Republicants’ Deny Sky Is Falling

By United Steelworkers International President Leo W. Gerard, posted on The Hill's Congressional Blog.

The sky is falling.

For the average Working Joe or Jane in America, it is anyway. Unemployment is at 7.6 percent and rising. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that there are 4.1 job seekers now for every opening. The mortgage delinquency rate set another record last quarter, and foreclosures are predicted to top 1 million this year. Because of reckless speculation by Wall Street financiers, the stock market is plummeting, taking with it a third of the value of the retirement accounts of hard-working Americans.

If the average Jane and Joe have not lost their jobs, they’ve seen a big chunk of their retirement savings slip away. Or their kid can’t find work. Or a neighbor’s been foreclosed on.

Still, Republicans in Congress couldn’t find it in their hearts to vote for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, commonly called the stimulus bill. They just can’t vote to support the American people — they’re “Republicants.”

An official description of the act the Republicants rejected says it: “Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2009: (1) for job preservation and creation; (2) to promote economic recovery; (3) to assist those most impacted by the recession; (4) to provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency by spurring technological advances in science and health; (5) to invest in transportation, environmental protection, and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits; and (6) to stabilize state and local government budgets, in order to minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases.”

In the House, not a single Republicant voted for this bill to create jobs and restore economic growth. In the Senate, three brave members of the GOP stood up to the Republicants gang to pass the Recovery Act and aid suffering Americans — Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

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