The U.S. Economy Created 196,000 Jobs in March

The U.S. Labor Department reported the U.S. economy created 196,000 jobs in March and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.8%.  It was the 102nd straight month of positive job growth.  The report also announced that February's job numbers were revised from 20,000 jobs to 33,000.  In the first three months of 2019 533,000 jobs have been created compared to the 613,000 jobs that were created in the first three months of 2018.  So job growth at this point has fallen from last year despite the Trump-GOP tax cuts.

The March jobs report gave some economist hope after February's low job numbers and are pleased with the stock markets reaction but this writer does not believe the stock markets reaction is relative to the matter.  American jobs are not moving back to America from over seas as predicted by those who support trickle down economics nor has capital investment in new plant and equipment surged as predicted.

The U.S. economy at certain times needs to be stimulated to keep growing and the democratic controlled U.S. House will probably be the ones to set the agenda with the infrastructure bill they are working on and that they will present and vote on.  It is one of the best job producing avenues the country has that has a positive affect on all phases of the economy.  Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said during the 2016 campaign infrastructure legislation would be her number one priority if elected.  Trump missed a great opportunity when he sent a flawed infrastructure plan to the republican controlled congress as reported previously in PolitiDose.  The republicans just laughed at it because it was not a workable plan at all and they never gave it a thought much less a hearing it was so flawed.  But the GOP themselves never had the will to fashion their own plan.

The democratic controlled congress will not sit still and already passed several bills that will go to the republican controlled Senate for their actions.  At some point Trump and the GOP will have to back legislation proposed by the democratic party if they want to see the economy continue to grow.  Hourly wages for March dropped back from February's gain according to the Labor Department report which is another reminder that trickle down economics will not be a driving force in achieving middle class income gains.

One area of income gains for workers in the last few years are due to the under reported steps various states and business have taken on their own to raise the minimum wage.  They did not wait for congress to act.  And it was President Obama's administration who pushed to raise the minimum wage which congress never acted on.  Those business and states that did listen and did act deserve credit.  Target just announced it was raising their minimum wage to $13/hour.  That is the third year in a row they raised their wages and are on schedule to meet their goal of $15/hour by the end of next year.

The key to a sound economy, job creation and increase in wages always depends on sound policy and plans.  And so far all Trump and the GOP have to show is trickle down economics tax cuts and rhetoric.  The economy was doing well when Trump took office and so was job creation.  Now in his third year in office the people will see how well he can manage the rest of his term.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The President's Latest Rant To Shut Down The Border Offers More Proof Of Failed Leadership

If the border really requires shutting down because illegal immigration is out of control, then it took place on Trump and the republican's watch.  And during that time all the people were exposed too was the trumpet man's rhetoric.  There has been no attempt by Trump or the GOP congress to introduce any immigration reform legislation since the President took office in 2017.  The situation is a major failure to govern on an issue that Trump himself said was at the top of his priority agenda.

Trump's inaction has compounded the immigration issue and his divisive comments and actions of separating parents and children at the border has been a disaster for immigration reform.  Trump's talk about shutting down the border exposed his lack of knowledge and judgement of the harm it would do to the U.S. economy as a few in his administration had the courage to point out.  The President's reckless behavior caused former acting director of ICE to speak out and say, CLOSING THE BORDER WOULD DO NOTHING TO CURB THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE CROSSING THE BORDER.

Immigration is the issue Trump is trying to use while campaigning for reelection.  It is his autocratic way of trying to divert the public's attention from his failure to govern and the problems that are still building up around him and his corrupt administration.  If Trump and his party were serious about immigration they would take the immigration bill that the democratic controlled Senate passed in 2013,(that the republican controlled U.S. House allowed to die without even and hearing) adjust and make the necessary improvements and changes and work with the democratic party to come together on a good bill that is workable for the country.

President George W. Bush wanted immigration reform during his administration but his party would not have anything to do with it and as a result nothing was done.  It is now time, really past time, for Trump and the GOP to stop playing games with immigration reform and do their jobs.  They have had more than enough years to solve the problem.  A continuation of lies will not get the job done.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Note:  Before going to press with this commentary it was announced that Trump flipped flopped on shutting down the border and now says he will give Mexico one year to act before he shuts down the border.  Immigration to Trump is like a pin ball that goes from one extreme to another.

The Trumpet Man Is Not So Presidential

Those who followed the 2016 Presidential campaign should remember every time a police officer in America was shot and killed by gun violence, Trump would blame it on President Obama as being weak and then would tell the people that all that would stop when he became President.  Well, now comes a report from The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund that reports the following:

More law enforcement officers were shot and killed in 2018, 52, than in 2017 when 46 were killed by gun violence.  The gun statistics reverses what had been a steady trend in recent decades, when police officers were more likely to die from car crashes than gunfire.  In 2018, 50 officers died from traffic related incidents, according to the report.  But the President is silent on the issue because his own record of embracing violent acts and his support for extremist.

And lately there are other breaking stories that relate to the President's failure to govern and be Presidential.  The President keeps losing most of his cases taken to the federal courts seeking relief and most of the rulings came from republican appointed judges who many gave the same reasons for ruling against the administration.  The judges ruled that Trump's lawyers never defined a reason behind their filings and offered no real evidence to support their case.  It appears to this writer that Trump is arrogant enough to think he can just go to a court and try to flex his authority as President.  But judges, no matter who appoints them have more character and integrity than Trump and will not allow Trump to define who they are.

We are also being informed that in Trumps latest summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, Trump gave to Kim a letter before they met that demanded North Korea give up all their missiles, their nuclear capabilities including nuclear fuel and send it to the United States and completely dismantle their military infrastructure.  Of course N. Korea would not do so.  That means Trump did not walk away like he said so.   It was N. Korea that walked away from a bad deal because President Trump thought he could force Kim to negotiate with a threat.  The two summits with N.Korea failed because of President Trump's ignorance and belief that he holds all the cards without preparation.  The summits have been a disaster.

Trump's decision to go to the Supreme Court to dismantle the ACA completely demonstrates once again the President's unAmerian and unPresidential action on a subject matter he and his party have no creditability on.  It is another of so many examples of Trump's autocratic ego and disdain for legislation in a democracy.  It is also his way of trying over and over again to obtain favor from a conservative court.  The trumpet man tries his best to spread his malignancy.

America has lived through 24 months of a not so Presidential President who cares only for himself and conducts the business of the U.S. with lies.  The democrats in congress need to continue to stand tall against this autocrat and traitor of American values.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Special Counsel Robert Mueller Delivers His Report To U.S. Attorney General William Barr

Robert Mueller handed over his report to the Attorney General last Friday and it was reported that Mr. Barr gave members of congress a summary of Mueller's report on Sunday.  Almost immediately President Trump and the republicans in congress were taking a victory lap but all should remember as of this very moment congress and the public has not seen and does not know what is in the report or its details.  The Attorney General's summary is just that, a summary and is not the special counsel's report.

The summary by the Attorney General without releasing the full report is reason to be skeptical and should cause everyone to pause and think about how this is unfolding  When there exist a legal and lawful investigation the facts should come out at one time in one report and not piece meal as Mr. Barr has suggested.  President Trump's constant attempt to discredit the investigation by calling it fake news, a fraud, a witch hunt and other derogatory comments about the previous Attorney General, the Justice Department, the Director of the FBI and Robert Mueller are reason to make the report public immediately.  It is also a reason for the U.S. House to keep up its own investigation concerning the subject matter and Mr. Trump.

There is also the thought that should concern everyone.  A few months ago when Trump once again attacked and tried to intimidate a federal judge appointed by President Obama who ruled against one of Mr. Trump's executive order, the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John Roberts shot back and defended the judicial system by telling Trump there are no Obama judges, No Bush Judges and No Reagan judges.  There are judges who make legal decisions based on the law and not politics.  Judge Roberts did the right thing by not allowing the President to pollute the justice system.  It begs the question, why did the Justice Department not fire back at Trump and defend Mueller's investigation against his ongoing attacks to undermine Mr. Mueller and his investigation?  They were silent and allowed the President to have the bully pulpit.

Congress and the people need to see the complete report to understand the details, especially about the meeting the President and Trump Jr. acknowledged that took place with Russia to obtain dirt on Hillary Clinton.  No other Presidential candidate, republican or democrat has ever stooped so low and was willing to do business with a foreign country to seek dirt on a Presidential opponent.  That was a serious threat to our political system and those involved should have to pay the price.

This writer thinks there is a legitimate reason to question how the Attorney General is handling the Mueller report, the summary and his  refusal to be up front and release the whole report.  Barr's past statements about the investigation was reason to recuse himself from the investigation but he was a Trump appointee and the President knew his views.  Trump took an oath to protect and defend our constitutional process but he was at the head of a campaign to obstruct the process.

If and when the special counsel's report is released in total and the details can be read clearly, the U.S. House may have enough information to cancel Trump's premature victory lap.  As Yogi Berra said, it ain't over until its over.

Food for thought:  If the special counsel's investigation was fake news, a fraud and a witch hunt as Trump says, does that mean the same thing can be said of the Attorney General's summary?


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The Latest Report On The Federal Budget Deficit: Only The Ignorant Should Be Surprised

The Treasury Department announced last week that the federal budget deficit hit an all time high in February coming in at $234 billion and that for the first five months of this fiscal year that began October 1, 2018 the federal budget deficit was $544.2 billion, up a whopping 39% from the same period last year.  The National Debt passed the $22 trillion mark for the first time ever, up $2 trillion higher than when Trump took office.

Other findings were:  (1)  Corporations have so far this fiscal year paid $59.2 billion in taxes, compared to $87.4 billion at this point in 2017.   (2)  Total spending in February was $401 billion while the government only took in just $167 billion.   (3)  Tax receipts usually rise when the economy grows, but the 2017 tax cut law has held tax revenues down as federal spending increased.

This sad report on the country's fiscal health is a repeat of what took place after the Reagan and Bush 43 tax cuts that favored the wealthy and corporate America the most.  And now for the third time under Trump, the fiscal disaster concerning budget deficits and debt repeats itself once again.  Anyone who lived through the Reagan and Bush years and claimed not to understand what took place allowed themselves to be ignorant of the facts.

And once again PolitiDose has been on target with the facts about the republican party's tax cut scheme and its appetite for out of control federal spending, budget deficits and debt.  The general media has closed its eyes to the facts concerning so called republican conservatism on the subject matter and allowed republications to set the agenda  The readers of PolitiDose are way ahead of their sound bites and understand the republican party and Trump's extreme ideology.  And that really says it all.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Trump's First Two Years in Office: A Failed Leadership By the President and The Republican Controlled Congress

President  Trump and the republican controlled congress passed only two pieces of legislation in the first two years of their administration.  The Tax cut of 2017 and The First Step Act (criminal justice reform).  Other accomplishments Trump brags about were executive orders that overturned many of the rules and regulations the Obama administration put into effect.  Health care reform, immigration reform and rebuilding the country's infrastructure were 3 of the Presidents top priority along with Mexico paying for a border wall.  It was the least productive congress for a President and his party who controlled everything.

Trump and his party's health care scheme failed so they decided to just dismantle the ACA .  Neither Trump or his party introduced any immigration reform legislation to debate, adopt and or vote on.  The people had to listen to Trump's so called tough talk instead.  Trump gave his party an outline of a $1.5 trillion infrastructure rebuilding plan financed by $200 billion from the federal government and the balance financed by the private sector but no indication how it would work or any details.  His own party's leadership just laughed at it and let it die without any debate or input.  Trump did nothing about his WALL until  December 2018 when he used the issue in a funding bill to shut down the government nor did the republicans in congress do anything about the WALL.

The Trump-GOP tax cuts also increased the federal deficit at the end of Trump's first fiscal year over the federal budget deficit in Obama's last fiscal year by 17%.  Trump and his GOP leaders in congress never made a serious attempt at legislation concerning Infrastructure even though it was one of the best investments to increase economic activity, job creation and wages.  They saw an economy that was doing well thanks to Obama's policies and instead, did the usual and reduced the taxes of those who needed it the least.  The economy would not receive their attention.  They also made no serious attempt to legislate immigration reform.

President Obama's administration in his first two years in office with a democratic controlled congress accomplished more in governing and results and passed the following legislation:  (1)  The American Recovery and Investment Act (Economic Stimulus included)  (2)  The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act.  (3)  Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (cut nuclear weapons in Russia and the United States.  (4)  Repealed Don't Ask, Don't Tell Act.  (5)  Lilly Ledbetter Act (ability to sue employers for wage discriminations)  (6)  Hate Crimes Prevention Act.  (7)  The Affordable Care Act.

Also during Obama's first two years in office the federal budget deficit decreased from President George W. Bush's last fiscal year budget deficit and economic expansion and positive job creation started moving the country out of the great economic recession and record job losses the Obama administration inherited.  Policy, plans and political understanding are necessary for governing effectively, and that is why democratic administration do a much better job for the country and its people.  The republican ideology fails the test of governing and Trump is the latest republican to fail the test.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

President of The United States Donald Trump: Mentally Unfit For Office, A Continuing Story

President Trump was at it again with his personal attacks against a dead man, former U.S. Senator John McCain.  Mentally unfit with traitorous talk, the trumpet man demonstrates once again his inability to compete in the political world on substance and attacks a man who wore the uniform of his country during his generations war while the trumpet man cut and ran during his generations war.

Trump can't compete because of his own cowardly actions so he uses personal attacks against others to try and destroy them and their reputation.  Trump's mentally unfitness for office became worse when Senator McCain joined two other republicans in the republican controlled Senate who along with the democrats voted against the republican's health care scheme and defeated the bill.  The failure of that bill exposed Trump's lie when he stated in March of 2017 that if the republicans failed to pass health care he would introduce his own health care bill.  Well, Trump never did because he never had one and McCain and the democrats exposed Trump's lies once again.

The republicans in congress supported and accepted Newt Gingrich's negative and unAmerican political ideology and now they are supporting Trump's mental unfitness to a level never seen before in the White House.  Trump's malignancy has taken over the party and now the party embraces Trump's mental unfitness to serve the country.

The Mueller investigation and the democratic control of the U.S. House represents the best chance for the removal of Trump's malignancy to lead the nation.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

America's Household Net Worth: Anothr Reason Why A Balanced Economy Is Needed

The federal Reserve released its report last week and reported that total household net worth in the fourth quarter of 2018 dropped by the largest amount since the fourth quarter of 2008 when the country was in a steep economic recession.  Total household net worth is a measure of the assets - such as homes, stocks and bank accounts owned by American families and nonprofits minus their debts.  The drop was $3.7 trillion, a 3.5% quarterly decline.

Accordingly to the report, which was carried by the Huffington Post, the change was driven buy the poor performance of the stock market in the fourth quarter of 2018.  Other findings were:  (1)  Most of the net household worth and wealth in America, 79% is owned by the richest 10%.  (2)  Only 21% of America's net household worth and wealth is owned by 90% of American families.  (3)  Half of American families do not own stocks.  (4)  The top 10% of families control 84% of the stock market.  (5)  Stocks have recovered most of their 2018 fourth quarter losses.

Note 1:  Taken together, the numbers are a reminder that the stock market is not the economy and that big national level data sets may not necessarily reflect financial reality for typical American families, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to meet even small unexpected expenses.  (Also reported in the report.)

This writer believes the report is another window we can see through that exposes an American economy that is fragmented by a lack of real economic policy.  We know that over the past several decades productivity has increased dramatically while median family income has increased very little in relation.  We also know during that same period, CEO's and executive pay and bonuses have increased dramatically.

The 10% of American families that continue to own 84% of the stock market have the resources to continue to buy in the market even when it collapses, hold onto those stocks until the marked comes back and make even more money.   That is what they did when the marked collapsed in 2008 and other years.  What is needed is an economy that produces good paying jobs so other families can have the purchasing power to invest in the stock market or other options available that can improve their net worth which would allow them to be more independent and diversified in their financial well being.

The Federal Reserve comment shown in Note 1 above is right on target and should be an eye opener to those that believe trickle down economics is an economic policy.

Note 2:  According to the Economic Policy Institute, Americans are working more productively but the fruits of their work have primarily gone to those at the top and to corporate profits, especially in recent years.  From 1948 - 1973 productivity was up 95.7% and hourly wages followed and were up 90.9%.  Workers shared the fruits of that productivity as they should.  But all  of that changed.

From 1973 - 2017 net productivity increased 77% while hourly wages increased only 12.4% for the typical worker.  The gap between increased productivity and increased wages became essentially stagnated.  And the greatest part of the increase in wages during that 44 year period occurred between 1995 - 2002 during the Clinton economy.

Of course any one who follows PolitiDose knows that it was the Clinton administration that formulated a sound all around economic policy that not only created a record number of jobs and a record economy that balanced the federal budget.  The poverty rate dropped by the largest percentage in the past 40 years, billions on the national debt was paid and corporate America invested a higher percentage of its resources in new plant and equipment than at any time in the past 40 years.  And President Clinton did not cut taxes for corporate America or the wealthy.

And yes my fellow Americans, understanding the past is still the key to a better future.  The worlds very first civilization, the Sumerians knew that and taught that.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The U.S. Economy, Job Creation and Unemployment For February 2019

The U.S. Labor Department reported the economy created 20,000 new jobs in February and the unemployment rate came in at 3.8%  It was the 101st straight month of positive job growth and the lowest since September 2017 when only 18,000 new jobs were created.  Economist said they were concerned but would have to see what comes next.

In Trumps first 25 months in office 4,673,000 new jobs have been created for an average monthly total of 186,920 new jobs.  In President Obama's last 25 months in office 5,188,000 new jobs have been created for a monthly average of 207,520 new jobs.  The weak jobs report comes at a time Trump has announced his budget plans for the governments next fiscal year that begins October 1, 2019.

And his budget is a whopper with a record federal spending budget of $4.75 trillion.  It includes a large increase in military spending and his WALL, cuts to domestic programs and single year federal deficits in the trillion dollar range for several years.  The budget also reneges on Trump's earlier budget which he said would lead to a balanced budget in 10 years.  His latest record budget now says it will be 15 years before the budget is balanced.

This latest Trump budget is a fairy tale budget in the image of Presidents Reagan and Bush 43 budgets with the same outcomes:  record federal deficits, federal spending and debt.  The failure of the republican party's extreme ideology is confirmed over and over by their own numbers and unAmerican attitude.  Trump and the republicans talk about being conservative on the federal budget, the national debt and fiscal matters should be disavowed by the national news media and the local news media in general.

President Clinton did not need 10 years to balance the budget.  He did so in his years 5,6,7 and 8.  And in his years 1,2,3 and 4 his administration reduced deficit spending every year.  No republican President can claim to even reduce the deficit 4 years in a row in the last 50 years.  In fact those republican Presidents left office with a larger deficit than when they took office.  The American people have been sold a bill of goods that republicans are really conservatives.  The numbers of Reagan, Bush 43, Trumps first two years and his proposed record spending budget have burned those journalists who project the republicans as keepers of the government's pocket book.  They have simply disregarded the fact that the last republican President to balance the federal budget was Eisenhower in 1960.  What a shame.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

DEFICITS, DEFICITS, DEFICITS: Its Really Nothing New With a Republican Administration

This weeks article in the Huffington Post informs the reader that America's trade deficit in goods hit $891 billion in 2018, up more than $80 billion in 2017 and the largest deficit ever according to the U.S. Commerce Department.  And it took place despite Trump's increase in tariffs and his promise to eliminate the trade deficits he railed against during the campaign of 2016.

It was also announced that the federal budget deficit for the first three months of this budget year was $310 billion, a whopping 77% increase over the same period in the previous budget year.  White House officials would not comment on the numbers but outside economists said they were not at all surprised , given the Trump backed massive tax cuts that became law in late 2017 and the tariffs he has imposed.

But this deficit information was nothing new to the readers of PolitiDose who for years informed its readers how and why the republican party represents the party of deficit spending and how their party's massive tax cuts that favor the wealthy and corporate America are a huge reason why.  They propose tax cuts with rosy predictions that never become facts even though they know precedent have proved them wrong.

The worst part of Trump's deficits is the fact that he entered the White House with an expanding economy, job creation, low inflation, low unemployment, falling deficits from the previous Bush administration  and Trump's unfunded tax cuts were unnecessary.  And as of this writing the country is seeing a repeat of what happened under the Reagan and Bush 43 administration after their tax cuts.

The bottom line is after two years in office of controlling everything, Trump and his party are living up to the party's record of unbalanced budgets, uncontrolled spending and a fraud tax policy.  And those that need tax relief the least are still laughing all the way  to the bank.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio