Mitt Romney’s solution of how to strengthen the economy? Fire more people. He believes that if we fire more teachers, more firefighters, more policemen, we’re actually going to grow this economy. Even Governor Walker in Wisconsin this weekend disagreed with him. He said Mitt Romney learned the wrong lessons of Wisconsin. But none of this should be a surprise. He did this in Massachusetts. He did fire policemen, teachers, and firefighters. And what happened? Massachusetts plummeted to 47th out of 50 out of job creation. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody. We’ve seen this before. Mitt Romney made big promises when he was running for governor of Massachusetts in 2002 with his private business sector experience, big promises to turn the economy around and it didn’t work.”—Stephanie Cuttter, deputy campaign manager, on CNN Starting Point
And sorry Babe Buchanan; your talking points, those dogs don’t hunt baby.
ROMNEY CALLED FOR THE ELIMINATION OF JOBS FOR COPS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND TEACHERS TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMY
Romney Criticized President Obama For Wanting To Hire More Government Workers, And Called For Hiring Fewer Cops, Firefighters, And Teachers.ROMNEY: “[President Obama] wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more firemen, more policemen, more teachers. Did he not get the message in Wisconsin? The American people did. It’s time for us to cut back on government and help the American people.” [Romney Campaign Rally, Council Bluffs, IA, 6/8/12]
EVEN SCOTT WALKER DISAGREED WITH MITT ROMNEY’S COMMENTS
Scott Walker: Firefighters, Police Officers And Teachers Are Not “What I Think Of When I Think Of Big Government.”Walker: “I know in my state our reforms allowed us to protect firefighters, police officers, and teachers. That’s not what I think of when I think of big government.” [Face the Nation,6/10/12]
IN 2002, ROMNEY PROMISED HE WOULD USE HIS PRIVATE SECTOR EXPERIENCE TO CREATE JOBS
Romney: “I Have Experience In The Private Sector, Building, And Creating Thousands Of Good Jobs And I Want To Bring That Skill For You Here In Massachusetts.” Romney: “I want to make sure that as governor you have someone who can actually help and create new jobs in Massachusetts from employers here, from employers who can come here, from employers who can grow here. I have experience in the private sector, building, and creating thousands of good jobs and I want to bring that skill for you here in Massachusetts.” [Boston Herald/Suffolk Debate, 10/29/02]
Romney: “I’m The Only Candidate In This Race Who Has A Lifetime Of Experience In The Private Economy. I Speak The Language Of Business, I Know How Jobs Are Created And How Jobs Are Lost. I’m Going To Do Everything In My Power To Get Our Economy Back Working Again For The People Of Massachusetts.” [Worcester Debate, 10/1/02]
ROMNEY’S ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE AS GOVERNOR WAS ONE OF THE WORST IN THE COUNTRY
During Romney’s Tenure As Governor Massachusetts’ Economic Performance Was “One Of The Worst In The Country” On “All Key Labor Market Measures.”Andrew Sum and Joseph McLaughlin wrote in the Boston Globe: “As Mitt Romney pursues his bid for the presidency, his record as Massachusetts governor will come under scrutiny, including how the state’s economy performed during his administration. Our analysis reveals a weak comparative economic performance of the state over the Romney years, one of the worst in the country. On all key labor market measures, the state not only lagged behind the country as a whole, but often ranked at or near the bottom of the state distribution.” [Sum and McLaughlin, Op-Ed, Boston Globe, 7/29/07]
- Boston Globe Op-Ed: “Few Working Men And Women In Massachusetts Should See Anything Funny About The State’s Lackluster Economic Performance During The Romney Years.” Andrew Sum and Joseph McLaughlin from Center for Market Studies at Northeastern University wrote, “A full-time governor who is deeply committed to the economic well-being of a state’s workers can, however, make some difference. The state unfortunately did not receive such leadership over most of the past four years. Jokes about Massachusetts may receive some half-hearted laughter on the national campaign trail, but few working men and women in Massachusetts should see anything funny about the state’s lackluster economic performance during the Romney years.” [Sum and McLaughlin, Op-Ed, Boston Globe, 7/29/07]
UNDER ROMNEY, MASSACHUSETTS FELL TO 47TH IN JOB CREATION
Wall Street Journal: “The Most Powerful Statistic May Be That Under Mr. Romney, Massachusetts Was 47th Out Of 50 States In Job Creation, Down From 36th When He Took Office.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/31/12]
USA Today Fact Check: Under Romney, Massachusetts Net Job Growth That Was “Far Slower” Than The National Average And Ranked 47th In Job Growth Over The Entirety Of Romney’s Term.“Unlike Obama, Romney took office during an economic uptick. Massachusetts had a net job growth of 1.4 percent under Romney. However, that was far slower growth than the national average of 5.3%. As Romney’s opponents have frequently, and correctly, noted, Massachusetts ranked 47th in job growth over the entirety of Romney’s term. The only states that did worse: Louisiana, Michigan and Ohio.” [Fact Check, USA Today, 1/5/12]
AS GOVERNOR, ROMNEY’S BUDGET CUTS LED TO THE LAYOFFS POLICE OFFICERS, TEACHERS AND OTHERS
Romney’s Cuts To Local Aid Resulted In Layoffs Of 14,500 Teachers, Police Officers, Librarians, And Others. “The last time the state endured local aid cuts in the middle of a fiscal year was in 2003, when Romney cut $114 million. He followed that up with more cuts in the next budget. Together, the reductions in local aid resulted in about 14,500 teachers, police officers, librarians, and others losing their jobs.” [Boston Globe, 1/24/09]
2003: Romney’s Budget Cuts Forced Teacher Layoffs. “Governor Mitt Romney and the Legislature, faced with a multibillion dollar shortfall, made it more expensive to get a marriage license or a divorce, file a court case, buy a house, renew a driver’s license, or tap into a host of other state services. … Even with the fee increases, Massachusetts lawmakers have had to cut spending on K-12 education, forcing teacher layoffs, push 10,000 legal immigrants off Medicaid, and force rape crisis centers to close, along with a host of other state services that have been scaled back.” [Boston Globe, 7/24/03]
WHEN ROMNEY ENTERED OFFICE, THE STATE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS LOWER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. WHEN HE LEFT OFFICE, IT WAS HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE
When Romney Entered Office, The Massachusetts Unemployment Rate Was Lower Than The National Average. When He Left Office, The Massachusetts Unemployment Rate Was Higher Than The National average.[BLS.gov. Accessed 5/22/12]
- Under Romney, Massachusetts’ Unemployment Dropped From 5.6% In December 2002, To 4.7% In December 2006.[Bureau of Labor Statistics,www.bls.gov, 9/16/11]
- Nationally, Unemployment Dropped From 6.0% To 4.4% While Romney Was Governor Of Massachusetts.[BLS.gov. Accessed 5/22/12]
- Massachusetts Leapt From 29th Highest To 17th In Unemployment Showing The State “Wasn’t Keeping Pace With Other Parts Of The Country.” “But the state’s jobless rate stayed the same during Romney’s final year as governor, and Massachusetts leapt from 29th highest to 17th in unemployment. Clearly the Bay State wasn’t keeping pace with other parts of the country.” [Washington Post,11/4/11]
UPDATE: Romney Economics: Fewer Teachers, Fewer Firefighters, Fewer Police Officers
Pass it on!
Forest fire crews gain ground in Colorado, New Mexico
Zelie Pollon and Keith Coffman
Reuters
4:03 p.m. CDT, June 12, 2012
(Reuters) – Fire crews on the attack against flames roaring through national forests in New Mexico and Colorado gained ground in both blazes on Tuesday, though thousands of evacuees remained unable to return to their homes, officials said.
The larger of the two blazes, now ranked as the third biggest on record in Colorado, claimed the life of a woman whose remains were found in the ashes of a cabin where she lived alone just outside Fort Collins, on the edge of the Roosevelt National Forest, authorities said on Monday.
Linda Steadman, 62, is the first casualty of the so-called High Park Fire, which has scorched more than 43,000 acres near the Wyoming border since it was ignited by lightning late Friday or early Saturday, and the fourth fatality in a Colorado wildfire this year.
More than 100 structures, including an undetermined number of homes, have been lost, and hundreds more dwellings remained threatened by the blaze and under evacuation orders.
But authorities on Monday reported their first measurable headway against the flames, saying ground crews had managed to cut containment lines around 5 percent of the fire’s perimeter. They said residents from a couple of neighborhoods will be allowed back into their homes Tuesday afternoon.
Still federal incident commander Bill Hahnenberg said he anticipates firefighters will be battling the blaze for the next several weeks, if not into the fall. The plan for Tuesday, he said, was to focus on the southern edge of the fire with a heavy aerial assault.
“The south flank is problematic. There are lots of homes and lots of heavy fuels,” he said. “We’re concentrating our efforts there.” About 500 firefighters were on the scene on Tuesday, but Hahnenberg said he expects that number to climb to as many as 800 in the days ahead.
GUESS WE NEED THOSE FIREFIGHTER ABOUT NOW, HUH MITTENS?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-usa-wildfiresbre85b1gl-20120612,0,7675762.story
Romney doesnt’ think America needs more cops, he’d rather impersonate them instead
Remember this is what Romney thinks about average Americans and education, folks!
Romney’s Long Assault On Firefighters – Salon
Romney’s long assault on firefighters
Mitt Romney has a long history of attacking firefighters and their unions, going back to his days in Massachusetts
BY ALEX SEITZ-WALD – Salon
MONDAY, JUN 11, 2012 11:11 AM PDT
snip>
Mitt Romney came under fire this weekend from Democrats after he suggested that we shouldn’t hire more firefighters. Then top Romney surrogate John Sununu, the former governor of New Hampshire, doubled down on Romney’s firefighter comments today, telling MSNBC they were not a “gaffe.” This is hardly the first time the presumed GOP nominee has tangled with firefighters.
In fact, he has a long, bitter history with them. As governor of Massachusetts, Romney often ended up sparring with firefighters and their unions. He proposed stripping collective bargaining rights for firefighters and police officers in a city that needed a state bailout, and cut funding to a fire station to be built on the site where six firemen died. He also proposed tripling the state police budget to deal with homeland security concerns in the years after 9/11, but didn’t offer a dime for firefighters, angering many at the time.
In 2004, when the city of Springfield was facing bankruptcy, Romney proposed a $52 million bailout package that included suspending collective bargaining and civil service benefits for the city’s unions, including public safety officers. “He hates us,” Robert McCarthy, the president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, told the Associated Press at the time. “Unions are what made this state what it is,” he said, but Romney “won’t even talk to us.” Romney spokesperson Nicole St. Peter defended the suspension of union benefits, telling the AP that the “control board” the governor appointed to oversee the city’s finances “needs maximum flexibility to restore Springfield’s financial footing.” The Democratic-controlled state Legislature eventually overrode Romney and preserved the bargaining rights, though the control board remained controversial in the city.
http://www.salon.com/2012/06/11/romneys_fight_against_firefighters/
Cops, teachers, and firefighters. SEE a pattern in ROMNEY’S history with these PUBLIC SECTOR jobs?
Congress PUT OUR VETERANS TO WORK!
Thanks, Ametia, for all of the goody goody goodness in today’s posts! You rock!! I’m posting as much as I can to my FB page. Most of my “friends” are former students and colleagues who tend to believe that anything a republican says is the gospel truth. My plan is to broaden their perspective with facts that don’t come from Fox or RW politicians, pundits, blogs, etc. So far, since I’ve been shining the light on Romney’s shortcomings, I have received zero pushback. These aren’t people who often have nothing to say, so I can only guess that my tactic of documenting the information I post with links leaves them little to do except think about the fact that Romney isn’t who they think he is. Thanks again, Ametia!!!!
Hi Majirr; that’s the ticket! Come ARMED with facts. It’s our greatest weapon, if these folks are open to them. Thanks for all you’re doing to help spread the FACTS.
ROMNEY CAMP DOUBLING DOWN THEN QUADRUPLING BACK!
Romney Campaign Can’t Get Its Answer Straight
Damage Control Takes Them From “Not A Gaffe” to “Out of Context” in a Matter of Hours
In a matter of hours, we’ve seen the Romney campaign struggle to contain the fallout from Romney’s out-of-touch comments in favor of eliminating middle class jobs on Friday:
On Friday, Mitt Romney criticized President Obama for saying we need more teachers and first responders…
Romney said of Obama, “he wants another stimulus, he wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more fireman, more policeman, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin? The American people did. It’s time for us to cut back on government and help the American people.”
[President Obama] wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more firemen, more policemen, more teachers. Did he not get the message in Wisconsin? The American people did. It’s time for us to cut back on government and help the American people.”
This morning, Romney surrogate John Sununu doubled down on Romney’s comments…
“I think this is a real issue. And people ought to stop jumping on it as a gaffe and understand there’s wisdom in the comment.
John Sununu defends Romney’s call for fewer teachers, says it was not a ‘gaffe’
By Chris Moody
June 11, 2012
Former New Hampshire Gov. John H. Sununu, a surrogate for Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, defended the presumptive Republican nominee’s comments that the nation should have fewer teachers, firefighters and police officers, saying there was “wisdom” in Romney’s remarks.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/john-sununu-defends-romneys-call-fewer-teachers-gaffe/story?id=16541093
.
But on a campaign conference call this afternoon, Romney surrogate Allen Bense said Romney’s comments were taken out of context.
Jim Acosta@jimacostacnn https://twitter.com/jimacostacnn/status/212286003740807168
Fmr FL Spkr Bense on Romney conf call re firefighters, cops remarks: “They, from what I understand, have been taken out of context.”
“Look at the remarks that Mitt made Friday, and they, from what I understand, have been taken out of context.”
Romney’s ‘Jobs Plan’ Gets Hammered by Economists
By MERRILL GOOZNER, The Fiscal Times
June 11, 2012Mitt Romney’s top economic advisers last week painted a clear portrait of the policy initiative the Republican presidential hopeful plans to use to restore robust growth to the U.S. economy. In a phrase: more tax breaks for business.
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, one of the leaders of the Tea Party movement, and Glenn Hubbard, a Columbia University business professor and top economic adviser to the Romney campaign, said the former Massachusetts governor, if elected, would enact the same policies as those enacted by President Ronald Reagan shortly after he took office in 1981. “Particularly powerful are (Romney’s) proposals to reduce marginal tax rates on business income earned by corporate and unincorporated businesses alike,” the two advisers wrote. “His goal, like Reagan’s, is to make it profitable to invest in job creation.”
The two advisers accused President Obama of failing to understand business when he said the president’s job is “not simply to maximize profits.” They said, “Jobs are sustainable only when profits are sustainable….The American economy was built on the profits earned by serving consumers, and it will only be saved by earning profits.
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/06/11/Romneys-Jobs-Plan-Gets-Hammered-by-Economists.aspx#page1
“Not surprisingly, Mitt Romney’s campaign is relying on distortions and dishonesty to distract from his out-of-touch comments that we don’t need more teachers, firefighters, and police officers. President Obama’s record is clear: he has cut excessive bureaucracy, while continuing to make critical investments that will help keep our streets safe and educate our kids. In Massachusetts, Mitt Romney had a very different approach. He grew the size of the government while laying off teachers and first responders, helping to drive the state down to 47th out of 50 in job creation. Romney’s promises to eliminate middle class jobs wouldn’t grow the economy and, in fact, would make it worse. Romney Economics didn’t work in Massachusetts and it won’t work now.”
—Lis Smith, campaign spokeswoman
Full video/transcript of President Obama’s remarks featured in selectively edited Romney video, including his call for Congress to put more teachers back to work:
HERE’S THE TRANSCRIPT: “And it’s worth noting, by the way — this is just a little aside — after there was a recession under Ronald Reagan, government employment went way up. It went up after the recessions under the first George Bush and the second George Bush. So each time there was a recession with a Republican President, compensated — we compensated by making sure that government didn’t see a drastic reduction in employment. The only time government employment has gone down during a recession has been under me. So I make that point just so you don’t buy into this whole bloated government argument that you hear.
And frankly, if Congress had said yes to helping states put teachers back to work and put the economy before our politics, then tens of thousands more teachers in New York would have a job right now. That is a fact. And that would mean not only a lower unemployment rate, but also more customers for business.”
YOUTUBE, BITCHES!
THIS DOG DON;T HUNT, BAY
Where’s the backup to these statements, Sununu? Waht ciities, what tax payers are saying they want less teachers? Jansing did a piss poor job here, but NO SURPRISE.
Mitt Romney–There he went again
It’s kinda funny, actually.
Yesterday, after President Obama slipped while uttering “fine,” my second thought was: Not to worry, because Mitt Romney, in his characteristic desperation to frantically exploit any out-of-context misstatement, will somehow step on, will jump up and down on, will absolutely pulverize his own exploitation.
Online I almost instantly predicted–which of course would have been far from original–this dead-certain futurism. Yet before I could even get to my keyboard, this colossal bungler of a presidential candidate had already done pulverized it through his colossally fatuous, foot-in-mouth “accusation” that Obama says we need more fireman, more policeman, more teachers. Oh dear!
Romney’s self-immolation had to be a record.
http://pmcarpenter.blogs.com/p_m_carpenters_commentary/2012/06/mitt-romney-there-he-went-again.html
Romney campaign betrays America again
As President Obama helps the world avoid a catastrophic collapse of the global economy, the Guardian reports that R. Glenn Hubbard — a senior adviser to the Romney campaign — did his best to sabotage the fragile progress being made by the President and European leaders. Mr. Hubbard offered a German-language diatribe in Germany’s leading business newspaper. From the Guardian piece:
In an op-ed in Handelsblatt, Germany’s leading business newspaper, R Glenn Hubbard, the dean of the Columbia Business School, said Obama’s strategy was “unwise” and revealed “ignorance of the causes of the crisis and of a growth trend in the future.”
It received a rebuke from White House officials who said airing the criticism in an overseas media outlet broke with political convention and undermined American foreign policy.
In the piece, Hubbard said it was a mistake for the US to encourage Germany to “stand up financially weak governments and banks in the eurozone”.
“Unfortunately, the advice of the US government regarding solutions to the crisis is misleading. For Europe and especially for Germany,” Hubbard wrote, according to a New York Times translation of the article from the Handelsblatt.
Read the rest here: http://bluemassgroup.com/2012/06/romney-campaign-betrays-america-again/
Willard ‘Mittens’ Romney likes to fire policemen, firemen and teachers – you’re to blame for the economy
Postred by AzBlueMeanie:
The manufactured media story of the week was President Obama stating at his press conference this week the following:
We’ve created 4.3 million jobs over the past 27 months. Over 800,000 just this year alone. The private sector is doing fine. Where we’re seeing problems is with state and local government, often with cuts initiated by governors or mayors who are not getting the kind of help they’re accustomed to from the federal government.
All of the DC media villagers in the White House press corps knew exactly what President Obama meant: 27 consecutive months of private sector job growth coming out of the Bush Great Recession.
http://www.blogforarizona.com/blog/2012/06/yet-another-manufactured-media-story-from-gop-talking-points.html