Long-Term Unemployment Proves Economic Austerity Folly

The Bureau of Labor Statistics showed little change in long-term unemployment in March, with 4.6 million Americans being tossed away like garbage. These are people who want a job but cannot find one, and their elected representatives are doing nothing about it. Republicans, particularly congressional Republicans, have shown very little concern for the unemployed. They reject any attempts to stimulate the economy, and when the long-term unemployed try to get by on unemployment benefits, Republicans try to snatch that from them as well.

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Electric Car Range Anxiety In Perspective, A Response To Tesla’s Musk vs. NYT’s Broder

A war has erupted between Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk and New York Times columnist John Broder. Musk takes issue with Broder’s review of the Tesla Model S, and backs it up with data recorded by the test car. I’m not concerned with parsing the details of the feud. I simply want to address the issue of range anxiety. “As I crossed into New Jersey some 15 miles later, I noticed that the estimated range was falling faster than miles were accumulating,” said Broder. “At 68 miles since recharging, the range had dropped by 85 miles, and a little mental math told me that reaching Milford would be a stretch.”

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Eliot Spitzer – Number of the Day: New Roads Equals Two For One Bargain

If I’ve repeated one thing more than any other, it’s the need for increased infrastructure spending. And the reason is simple — upgrading America’s roads, bridges, rail, electrical grid, etc. makes for good use of public money. In the case of roads, we get better roads, more jobs and the economic impact could be immeasurable. Take for instance the highway system, and all the businesses that sprang up along highway exits, as well as all the business centers that could not exist without highway access. And all in just one lifetime.

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New Jersey Bridge Collapse And Train Derailment Leads To Chemical Spill

Unlike global warming, where no single storm event can be directly attributed to a warming planet, we can directly attribute infrastructure failures with lack of public and political will. No, we do not know the exact cause of today’s train derailment and bridge collapse in Paulsboro, NJ, but we do know that events like this will become more common if we continue to allow America’s infrastructure to deteriorate. The bridge collapse and train derailment resulted in a chemical spill of vinyl chloride into the Mantua Creek. Over 70 people received medical treatment due to the spill.

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Mitt Romney’s ‘you didn’t build that’ moment

President Obama accurately explained in a recent speech (used out of context by the right for political gain) that the people who start businesses rely on the infrastructure that “We the People” have built. In a civil and democratic society, we collectively build the roads, bridges, schools and employ the teachers that make it possible for anyone with a dream to pursue it and start a business. Remove politics from the equation and you won’t find many who would disagree with this, but there are many who forget it when they say government is the problem, not the solution. This is not a zero sum game. The success of business, the economy and capitalism itself can be achieved through hard work in both the public and private sectors.

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Obama’s ‘you didn’t build that’ remark leads to yet another lie by Romney and conservatives

In a speech last week President Obama had his Elizabeth Warren moment. The president accurately explained (although he could have worded it better) why government has a role in the economy. At no time did Obama say that business owners aren’t responsible for creating their own businesses. He’s only pointing out what should be obvious unless you are someone who believes without proof that government is always evil or wrong. In other words, a right-wing partisan hack.

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