The U.S. Economy, Job Creation and The Unemployment Rate for June 2023.

 The U.S. Labor Department reported that the economy added 209,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate came in at 3.6%, down from May's 3.7%.  It was the 29th straight month of positive job growth and the unemployment rate stayed in the 3% range for the 17th straight month.  The numbers tell the story of an economy that has been solid since President Biden's policies took root even though one would think  not so if they listen to the negative voices in the media and the GOP whose recession predictions and doom and gloom projections for the economy have been wrong for the past year.

Thanks to PolidiDose commentary and commentary from journalist Froma Harrop. the positive news concerning the economy is being told.  There was a time in America when the media informed the people on the facts and the positive actions taking place to move the country and its people forward.  Now the main street media has joined the likes of the Fox News Network and the GOP with their negative attacks on everything good about the U.S. economy.  Ms. Harrop in her excellent commentary titled, "Biden's economy is Boffo" takes the GOP and the media to task for their negative voices on the economy and like previous PolitiDose commentary spells out the accomplishments of the Biden economy and its positive benefits.

The greatest threat to the U.S. economy comes from those negative voices because they ae the same ones who urged the Feds to raise interest rates high and fast originally and believe the only way to fight so called inflation is to weaken the economy, raise unemployment and see wages fall.  In other words, they have no answer, they just oppose the President's agenda.

In the mean time the economy continues to move forward, create jobs, lower the unemployment, reduce inflation and the consumers are still spending and wages are still rising.  And all the while, the GOP is still the "do nothing party."  PolitiDose, in its commentary will continue to inform the public of those positive issues that are taking place in America so the people can judge against the negative voices of doom and gloom.  And this writer believes Ms. Harrop will continue to do the same.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio 

The Positive News On The U. S. Economy Continues.

 The U.S. Commerce Department reported that inflation for May increased only 0.1% over April's inflation and that inflation is up 4% over the previous 12 months, the lowest in over 2 years.  Another piece of good news on the economy reports retail sales were up 0.3% in May.  Economist were predicting retail sales would be down for the month.  With job creation at 339,000 for May, the month was positive despite the negative doom and gloom voices.

After 28 full months in office (Feb 2021-May 2023) the Biden Administration's policies are still working for the economy and producing results.  The consumers are still spending, unemployment has stayed in the 3% range for the past 16 months, the longest string since the Kennedy-Johnson Presidency, record job creation, rising wages and America is leading the free world and democracy at home and abroad.  For those 28 months the negative voices have been wrong on every phase of the economy.

The media during those 28 months unfortunately, for the country and its people decided to push the negative doom and  gloom predictions about everything connected to the economy rather than the positive results of the economy and the President's policies.  So now they are pushing the negative voices predicting an economic disaster later this year.  

The sane voices of the President and the democratic party are working for America and its people in a positive and progressive way that continues to move the country forward for a better economic future.  The democratic party represents America's best interest and are the only party that is working for America and its people.  And that really says it all.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio 

The U.S. Economy, Job Creation and the Unemployment Rate for May 2023.

 The U.S. Labor Department reported the U.S. economy created 339,000 jobs in May and that the unemployment rate came in at 3.7%, up from 3.4% in April.  It was the 28th straight month of positive job growth and over shocked the usual negative voices who predicted only 160,000 jobs would be created.  So the negative doom and gloom voices who have predicted an economic recession for the last 15 months now say maybe before the end of the year.  They want to see it so bad it is driving them crazy.  The negative voices have been wrong on the economy for the past 28 months, ever since Biden took office.

There are so many ignorant voices on the economy just like there are on the federal budget.  Opinion writer Catherine Rampell of the Washington Post in a New Orleans Advocate of 6/6 titled, "What the heck is going on in the U.S. economy?" still don't understand and offers several suggestions.  The key to the economy is jobs because consumer spending represents 70%  of the economy according to the CBO.  Democrats understand that and that is why their priority policy is related to job creation.  And precedent over the past 92 years supports that.  From 1929 -2021 when Trump left office seven Democratic Presidents and 8 Republican Presidents served a total of 92 years.  Democrats 48 years, Republicans 44 years. 

Those democratic administrations created 84.1 million net jobs and none lost jobs.  Those republican administration created 25.5 million net jobs and the administrations of Herber Hoover lost 6.4 million jobs and Trump lost 2.7 million jobs.  So far, the Biden administration has created a reported 13 million jobs in his 28 months in office, a record not included in the above numbers.  Past PolitiDose commentary has broken down each President's job creation separately.  Past PolitiDose commentary has also called the shots how the Obama and Biden administrations would bring the economy back with job creation, lower unemployment, lower deficits and reduced increases in federal spending and did so before they took office.  Precedent was on their side, the reason being that democratic administrations govern with policies and plans that address the issues at hand.  The GOP govern with ideology, an extreme one at that and tax cuts for you know who that never address the issues.  The disparity in job creation between the two parties tell an accurate story why the economy does so much better on the democratic watch.

Reagan, Bush 43 and Trump all cut taxes for corporations and the wealthy that were supposed to do wonders for the economy and job creation but all  three administrations gave the country an economic recession, 20 years of unbalanced budgets, record deficits and federal spending at the time.  Clinton raised taxes on those same folks, balanced the budget with surpluses and created more jobs in 8 years than Reagan, Bush 41, Bush 43 and Trump did in the 24 years they served.  Yes, my fellow Americans, precedent and policy tell the real story and how that can be a gauge to judge the future. 

What has taken place in that 92 year period is not a coincidence and is still playing out before our very eyes this day.  As the Sumerians said they were taught almost 6,000 years ago, "understanding the mistakes of the past is still the key to a better future" is alive and well.  And for the GOP, their future has been like their failed past.  And that really says it all.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Louisiana's Representatives Steve Scalise and Garret Graves: Still Ignorant On The Federal Budget.

 When Bill Clinton took office as President, some in Congress were shocked to learn his knowledge about the federal budget.  How could this be, a kid from Hope, Arkansas knew more than many in Congress who worked with the budget for many years?  There lies the secret why the government and its people did so well fiscally and economically on his watch.  Twenty two years later, the GOP, the media, Garret Graves and Steve Scalise are still ignorant on the federal budget.

In a New Orleans Advocate article dated 6/1 titled "House oks bill to avoid default" by four Associated Press writers, they quote GOP representative Graves as saying: "Republicans were fighting for budget cuts after Democrats piled on to deficits with extra spending."  Graves statement shows he is not  serious about deficit spending he is ignorant.  Deficits were not piled on by any extra spending or any spending at all.  Federal spending at the end of the Trump/GOP's last fiscal year was $6.8 trillion, a record.  Federal spending at the end of Biden's first fiscal year that ended 9/30/22 was $6.2 trillion a reduction in federal spending of 8% as published by the CBO.  And when it comes to deficit spending, the Trump/GOP administration holds the record.  The federal deficit in Trump's last fiscal year came in at $2.7 trillion.  The budget deficit in Biden's first fiscal year came in at $1.3 trillion, a 50% reduction.  Plus in just 4 fiscal years under the Trump/GOP crowd, federal spending crossed the $4,5 and 6 trillion mark.  The very first administration to exceed the trillion mark three times.  It has actually been the GOP who has piled on the deficits and the national debt with extra spending.

Scalise demonstrates his ignorance of the federal budget in the article and was quoted as saying. "For once in a long, long time, Washington is actually going to spend less money next year as it did this year and that's a reform that all of us can support."  That statement is false and displays Scalise's ignorance on the federal budget.  As stated in the paragraph  above Washington spent less money last fiscal year than it did the previous fiscal year which was Trump and the GOP's last fiscal year.  The reduction was 8%.  So it has not been a long, long time ago since spending was less.  And since 1946. year to year federal spending declined 8 times.  It was down 3 times on Truman's watch in 1946, 1947 and 1948.  It was down 3 times on Obama's watch in 2010, 2012 and 2013.  It was down one time on Biden's watch in 2022.  It was down one time on Eisenhower's watch in 1955.  Scalise's ignorance goes back a long, long way.  

President Biden and past Democratic administrations have "walked the talk" of fiscal responsibility.  The GOP has not.  They recently proved that under Trump and that was not a long, long time ago Mr. Scalise. 

This commentary was written by Joe Lorio.

  

President Biden and His Administration Delivered For America and It's People As The GOP's Debt Ceiling Charade Comes To An End.

The U.S. House and Senate voted to end the GOP's debt ceiling charade with the democratic party supplying the majority yea votes in both chambers of Congress.  The total democratic yea votes was 210, (165 in the House and 45 in the senate.)  The total GOP yea votes total was 166. (149 in the house and 17 in the senate.)   The legislation suspends the debt ceiling for two years and will not be a factor in the next Presidential election as a hostage issue.  The GOP's weakness in their votes was an indication of their charade all along.  The legislation also ended the GOP's legislation passed earlier in the House that called for major cuts in federal spending and President Biden's priorities.  

Those who are familiar with the federal budget know that the GOP's debt ceiling charade and their rhetoric are incapable of "walking the talk."  THIS generation of the GOP has it's roots in the Reagan-Gingrich era that began when Reagan was elected in 1980.  Since then, Reagan, Bush 41, Bush 43 and Trump during the 40 year period they served, never "walked the talk" of fiscal responsibility or large cuts in federal spending as demanding the democrats do in the House bill they passed a few weeks ago. 

As a reminder how those 4 GOP administrations brought fiscal disaster to the federal budget lets recall what Vice President Dick Chaney said when he said, federal deficits don't matter.  Evidently President Bush agreed with his V.P. because federal spending increased 61% during Bush's 8 fiscal years, never balanced one budget, the national debt increased 105% and Bush's last fiscal year saw a record one year deficit that hit $1.4 trillion.  Trump broke that record with a $3.1 trillion deficit in his 3rd fiscal year and than a $2.7 trillion deficit in his last fiscal year.  

The Trump generation of the GOP have no record of being fiscal conservative and join Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 in that regard.  That is why they loss the debt ceiling charade before it even started.  The facts escaped the media because they are ignorant when it comes to the budget numbers and therefore are enablers of the GOP talking points concerning the budget.  

The CBO reported the debt ceiling agreement would reduce deficits $1.5 trillion in the next decade, a goal of the GOP.  Well President Biden's administration reduced deficit spending $1.4 trillion in his very first fiscal year budget.  The deficit came in at $1.3 trillion compared to Trump and the GOP's last fiscal year deficit of $2.7 trillion, a reduction of almost 50% in just one short year.  So the GOP is happy to reduce deficit spending close to President Biden's number but they want to take 10 years which is what a decade is.  

Opinion writers who are ignorant concerning the federal budget numbers and the two parties performance, never picked up on the facts and reported that democratic administrations have already cut federal spending long before the GOP's debt ceiling charade.  In fact year to year federal spending was down on the watch of 3 democratic Presidents that took place 7 times.  Year to year spending under President Truman was down 3 times, in fiscal years 1946,1947 and 1948.  It was down 3 years on Obama's watch in fiscal years 2010, 2012 and 2013.  It was down in fiscal 2022 8% on President Biden's watch.  It was down only one time in the last 68 years on President Eisenhower watch in 1955.  For the record federal spending in Trump and the GOP's last fiscal year budget was $6.8 trillion.  It was $6.2 trillion in Biden's first fiscal year budget. 

THIS generation of the Trump/GOP has no record of "walking the talk" of fiscal responsibility and that is why their debt ceiling talk has been a charade.  The President, the democratic party, the country and its people have won the debt ceiling debate and continue to be the only sane voice for America to move forward and leave the toxic rhetoric behind. 

This commentary written by Joe Lorio 

PolitiDose Told The Real Story About Donald Trump in Commentary in 2015 and 2016.

In 2015 Donald Trump announced he would seek the GOP nomination for President of the United States.  That was 8 years ago and the general news media (TV, Radio and Printed) are still enabling Trump with massive news coverage of being a viable candidate despite his traitorous acts as a Presidential nominee and President of the United States.  The latest example was CNN's town hall meeting with Trump just this week after a jury found Trump guilty of sexual abuse and defamation of a woman and fined him $5 million.  CNN gave Trump  another forum to lie about the verdict, lie about the election of 2020 and the riot at the Capitol on January 6.

PolitiDose was not fooled by Donald Trump and said so in commentary in 2015 and 2016, commentary that explained 8 years ago how Trump and the GOP were one and the same liars.  Also, how Trump as a presidential candidate asked Russia to spy on America seeking Hillary Clinton's emails.  That was a traitorous act the media said little about.  But PolitiDose commentary told the story when Trump made the traitorous comment.  And when Trump the President tried to overthrow the government on Jan. 6, PolitiDose also told that story of his traitorous act when it took place.  The full corruption of Trump and his toxic rhetoric was also exposed by PolitiDose commentary those two years early on.  

During those telling two years the media treated Trump as a star and devoted most of their news cycle to him and his lies.  It was the media who helped create Trump and his toxic influence and are doing the same thing today billing him as a legitimate Presidential candidate.  It's the same as supporting a known and convicted fraud and ignoring what America really needs at this difficult time.  The media's support for Trump and his party's un-American attitude and anti-American government ideology is totally unacceptable in a democratic society.  

Eight years ago PolitiDose understood what Trump and the GOP were all about and said so in commentary.  The media did not, let it all slide and today are still enabling Trump and the GOP's toxic and corrupting ideology to flood the air waves.  Yes, my fellow Americans, understanding the mistakes of the past is still the key to a better future.  There are hose who will never learn because they do not want to.  So stay tuned to PolitiDose, your daily dose of political commentary.    

This commentary written by Joe Lorio 

Conservative Opinion Writer Byron York Is Still Ignorant Concerning The Federal Budget.

 In a New Orleans Advocate column dated May 10 titled, "Recession and the 2024 Campaign" York of the Washington Examiner continues to display his ignorance concerning federal spending in the federal budget.  His ignorance is also displayed in his comments concerning the GOP's predictions of an economic recession they have been pushing for the past 15 months that has failed to take place.  Is it really ignorance or just the plain fact that York is a ditto head of the Trump/GOP alliance that enjoys dealing in misinformation to his public audience and reader ship?

York writes Biden's federal spending has been stratospheric.  But, stratospheric federal spending actually defines what took place on Trump and the GOP's watch when federal spending hit the $4, $5 and $6 trillion mark in only 4 fiscal years for the first time in American history.  And as of this day, federal spending under Biden has not exceeded Trump's spending and in fact Biden's very first fiscal year budget came in 8% lower than Trump's last fiscal year budget which was $6.8 trillion.  Trump's third fiscal year budget came in at $6.5 trillion.  Biden's first budget came in at $6.2 trillion.  

Trump and his GOP were the very first administrations to cross the trillion dollar threshold 3 times and in only 4 years.  Reagan crossed the threshold one time being the first President to cross the trillion dollar mark.  Bush 43 crossed it twice being the  first to cross the 2 and 3 trillion mark.  In 8 years Clinton never crossed the trillion dollar mark and Obama never crossed the 3 trillion mark in his 8 fiscal years.  

What York, Trump and  the GOP will never talk about is the record deficit number Trump added to the national debt in just 4 short fiscal years, $8.2 trillion.  No other administration has come even close to that number in any one term.  The large increases in federal spending and the national debt since Reagan was elected can be defined as devastation on the republican watch and the record backs it up.  York and his ditto heads have nothing to offer the American people but deception.  And sadly, they like it that way.  

This commentary written by Joe Lorio 

Governor Edwards Should Veto "Don't Say Gay" Legislation If Passed By The GOP Controlled State Legislature.

 If and when the GOP controlled state legislature passes "Don't Say Gay" legislation, Governor Edwards must have the character and courage to veto such legislation and stand tall against the GOP's assault to discriminate against certain people's right of privacy, the pursuit of happiness and to live their own lives like all Americans.  Anything less than a veto should be unacceptable.  

The drive to deny constitutional rights both statewide and nationally by the GOP ditto heads are so un-American in nature, real leaders have to stand up, be counted and fight the good fight to protect all citizen's right to live their own lives.  The corrupted GOP has no business to try and regulate other lives, nor do they have any moral authority to do so.  

Governor Edwards turned around the failure of 8 years of GOP control when elected and moved the state forward.  And now as he prepares to leave office, he cannot afford the state to slip backwards again and allow such harmful legislation to become law.  Leaving office on a positive note by displaying character and courage will define the difference between good government and those who want to use government to deny people their right to live their own lives.  

This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The U.S. Economy, Job Creation and the Unemployment Rate for April 2023.

 The U.S. Labor Department announced that the economy added 253,000 jobs in April and the unemployment rate came in at 3.4%, down from 3.5% in March.  It was the 27th consecutive month of positive job growth under the Biden administration.  The Department also reported that wages were up 0.5% from March.  The economy continues to create jobs at a monthly average rate much higher than recorded before COVID.

The unemployment rate has stayed in the 3% range for 15 consecutive months since February 2022.  That is the lowest string of unemployment since the Lyndon Johnson administration when it stayed in the 3% range for 20 consecutive months in 1966-1967.  And for those who are ignorant on such matters, in the last 94 years only one Republican President has left office with a lower unemployment rate than when he took office and that was Ronald Reagan.  Every other Republican President, Hoover, Nixon-Ford, Bush 41, Bush 43 and Trump left office with a higher unemployment rate than when they took office.  No democratic President during that same period of time left office with a higher unemployment rate than when he took office.  And for the record, the nation lost 6.4 million jobs on Hoover's watch and 2.7 million jobs on Trump's watch.  

The jobs and unemployment numbers for April, once again shocked the negative voices of doom and gloom who were looking for a major slowdown and still predicting a recession to take place same time this year that keeps getting pushed back from their original prediction of the third quarter of 2022.  The negative voices still are incapable of saying anything positive about the economy.

The media in general is just as bad as the negative voices giving priority to negative news instead of the positives concerning the economy.  They know democratic administrations have a long historical record of creating jobs and putting America to work but never report the facts even though the numbers back it up.  They also know the GOP has no such record and are afraid to report it because their record is a disaster.

Even good economic conditions and results. when they exist, needs attention to keep progress moving forward for the country and its people.  No economy is self sustaining.  But we have a Federal Reserve, many corporate leaders and other negative voices who think you have to destroy jobs, raise unemployment and ruin the economy to make it better.  That is pure nonsense with no original thought and those are the same people who could help move the economy forward with a different policy attitude and support of the President's policies that turned the economy around for the better.

It is past time to get behind and support the President's policies that have worked and to support those issues that will keep the economy creating jobs, lowering unemployment, raise wages, reduce inflation and put the country in position to balance future budgets.  With political understanding we can keep the economy growing.  A positive attitude, policy and working together will get us there.  A negative attitude and division will not.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio  

The U.S. Economy: President Trump's First Two Years Vs. President Biden's First Two Years.

President Trump took office at a time the U.S. Economy was in it's 8th consecutive year of economic expansion, job creation was positive and unemployment was down 3.1% on President Obama watch.  Budget deficits were falling and federal spending was increasing at lower level than the previous administration.   There was no economic recession on the horizon to worry about.  During Trump's first 24 months in office the GDP (Gross National Product) grew at an average of 2.5% per year.  Unemployment was down 7/10th of 1%.  It was 4.7% when he took office and 4% two years later.  Job Creation for Trump's first 36 months in office (before COVID) averaged 183,333 jobs per month.  

President Biden took office with an economic recession and COVID pandemic in full swing, job creation in negative territory, an unemployment rate of 6.3%, negative GDP, the largest federal spending spree in the history of the U.S., increasing deficits and a record number increase in the national debt for any Presidential term.  During President Biden's first 24 months in office the GDP averaged 4% per year.  The unemployment rate was down 2.9%.  It was 6.3% when he took office and was 3.4% two years later.  Unemployment has stood in the 3% range for 14 consecutive months, the longest stretch since the Kennedy-Johnson years.  Job creation in Biden's first 24 months averaged 458,000 jobs per month, a record for any 24 month period.

The 24 month period tells us how each President's administration performed after what they inherited from the previous administration and how they responded.  We know the full details of how the Trump administration ended because it is already in the history books and is not a flattering one. 

The story tells us the country and its people did well the first 24 months of the Biden's administration despite inflation and the negative voices of doom and gloom who refuse to talk about the positive accomplishments that took place in America.  The President's report card is not the final judgement, but that day will come when his full term can be measured and recorded. 

This commentary written by Joe Lorio