New Fox News Op-ed: Government as Employer
My newest piece at Fox News starts off this way:
With the media and Democrats referring to the nation's financial crisis as the "worst financial crisis since the Depression," the economy keeps on showing signs of resilience. Weren't Christmas sales supposed to be down this year? But Black Friday's sales were not down, they were not even flat, they were up 3.5 percent over last year's.
Promising a recovery plan for Main Street, last week President-elect Obama vowed "creating and saving 2.5 million jobs - jobs rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, modernizing our schools, and creating the clean energy infrastructure of the twenty-first century." . . . .
posted by John Lott at 1:35 PM
17 Comments:
It's people like Lott with blinders on who didn't see the recession a mile away. Even his leader, George Bush, has to now admit we're in a recession. Still, in the midst of this turmoil, Lott can't seem the dire straits Americans face. In spite of the bland economical outlook, Americans are boldly shopping (even killing one another in doing so) and seeking bargains. He sees the climate as positive...ask the families of the guy who was killed this weekend during a desperate holiday rush for bargains.
Let Obama/Biden/Pelosi/Reid/Soros/and all the left wing hollywood liberals pay for it.
The Democrats ctreated the credit problem (Community Reinvestment Act - Carter/Clinton/Chris Dodd, Barney Franks). Why according to Joe Biden its "Patriotic to pay more income tax". Good old Joe. So what do you say liberals? How about putting your money where your mouth is?
I'm just asking.
It’s interesting that those who are not old enough to have lived through the last depression or old enough to have lived through the last depression but not old enough to understand the dynamics and nuances of the financial markets at that time, are the very people that are attempting to “fix” this situation.
Additionally, it’s these very people who are making decisions where they are doing little if any research on the dynamics and nuances of said historical time, so we can expect a similar outcome, although exponentially more destructive given the development and evolution of society & the markets.
Why not enlist some of the most influential and smart minds to support and relieve this problem, not through politicians, but through citizens, such a John Lott, who know their stuff and can speak to this situation with credential.
Given how little history our politicians seem to know, it’s not far fetched to think they know little about what a free-market laissez-faire approach would actually accomplish.
As for JN, I've got a reality check for you, Americans face dire straits because each person made individual choices for which he or she was incapable of being response-able toward and thus, contributed to this problem.
In addition, update your knowledge a bit about how the Dems contributed to this fallout and encouraged ineligible folks to buy homes.
It's a bit akin to a crack dealer just giving away the drug to encourage dependency.
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=312766781716725
Excellent article. Great insight by Dr. Lott, as always. Unfortunately, the American people have been brain-washed since Elementary School to believe that FDR's New Deal saved the US Economy. Way too many people are jumping on Obama's New New Deal bandwagon. It will be interesting, to say the least, to see how this new presidency turns out. If you think we have a recession now, wait until the new tax hikes fall into place and watch as they freeze a huge portion of the population's spending and dumps it into the federal government.
While I don't agree with JN's connection between the economy and the death at Wal-Mart, his first sentence is spot on. Mr. Lott has been in denial about the U.S. economy for a year now, and still shows no signs of a clue.
I appreciate the work Mr. Lott has done to promote the 2nd Amendment, and his efforts help us all learn more about Barack Obama. That said, I do not understand why a person as obviously intelligent as Mr. Lott is so clearly at sea about this recession.
Actually, John Lott does see a recession coming. That's why he's saying, "Hey, new Mr. President, don't try spending our way out of this." Obama's work program will deepen the recession. It's not what we're doing, which is why the Black Friday sales went up 3%, but because of what government is doing, people who are overwhelminly law students, not economic geniuses.
Rahm Emanuel's comment that "this crisis is too big to waste" is most telling. Of course, the MSM doesn't make a big deal out of this comment, but it is a huge deal. Obama and his posse of "progressives" will use it to push through "fundamental changes in our government" as Obama promised during his campaign. They twist history to suit their agenda. http://timtorevoltamerica.blogspot.com
Murray wrote "....sees a recession coming." Haven't you heard? The recession is here and has been here for a year now. Obama campaigned on the fact that it already existed. Seems to me you all might give the man with proper eyesight more credence than the one who couldn't even say the word.
A warmed over version of FDR's New Deal will not ameliorate our current situation. It will only create more waste, and larger government.
Fixing the infrastructure is all fine and dandy, but if one looks to what is currently being done by our government in how they sidestep the Constitution by means of denying States highway funds by attaching provisions that force Federal rules on the states serves as a fine example of what will happen under BHO's administration.
Also, what prevents BHO's plan from degenerating into a politcal porkbarrel mess whereby the work being done goes to States based upon politics, and not need?
In response to Shalz, I am sure the President-Elect and his administration can't do any worse than that of GWB. The nation is too sensitive and aware of the current administrations' degeneration into political pork barrel spending whereby Federal funding is benefitting big business based on corporate need. But then that seems to be okay with GWB.
My house isn't huge nor fancy and my car was bought used before my kids (now both in college) learned to drive. I've worked hard my whole life and lived within my means and DAMNED if I feel sorry for those who worked less and bought more. If you can't pay your mortgage then move to a place you can afford. If you signed a mortgage you didn't bother to understand then you're a reason for teenagers to listen in math class, not a reason to increase my taxes!
John, i am becoming quite a fan and hope to learn more. Thanks for the work and research! Can't wait to dig deeper.Do have some ?'s about your take on prohibition since we are approaching repeal day but still face a 69 billion(can't confirm this # but believe it's close) a year war on drugs and the exact same level of use as the 80's.
Now Mr. Lott has mistakenly entered his opinions within the public sector infrastructure discussion. As a civil engineer of 22 years, government spending on bridges and roads has been abysmal. It is always the first program financially trimmed or cut. Politicians reduce maintenance spending while forgetting it is far more expensive to rebuild then to maintain. Mr. Lott, please offer your discussion in engineering trade magazines if you wish to hear honest concerns from those in the industry instead of your ridiculous statistical manipulations and claims.
As for FoxNews…three columns by Lott. He is an inflammatory Op-Ed writer at best, but his arguments are ludicrous. FoxNews needs to offer reader comments within the Op-Ed sections, as is offered by most major media, so open discussion can debate preposterous declarations made by idiots like Lott.
Dear LetsDebateToFix:
Thanks for commenting, though some explanation for why the facts that I present are incorrect or misleading would be greatly appreciated. You say you are knowledgeable in this area so please provide some evidence that the problem with bridges has actually been getting worse rather than the reverse.
Thank you.
Dear JN. I respectfully disagree with your observation that "the President-Elect and his administration can't do any worse than that of GWB." The President is limited to what he or she can actually do, and rightly so. To blame GWB, and ignore the role that Congress plays, is simply overlooking the facts
Seeing as how the Dems still have a majority in Congress (as they have had for the last two years), they may not be 'Filibuster Proof', but they may be able to pass veto proof laws. BHO will surely wring his hands in public, yet in private, his actions we will never know.
"The nation is too sensitive and aware of the current administrations' degeneration into political pork barrel spending whereby Federal funding is benefitting big business based on corporate need. But then that seems to be okay with GWB." The President can send a budget plan to Congress, but in the end, who approves it? Surely not the President! It is Congress who is responsible for pork. Nation too sensitive? To what? Mainstream Media bias perhaps?
Time and again, our Government has proved itself incapable of managing much of anything. Even the process of elimination seems to be beyond them.
Congress is just like my dogs. I let them out to do their 'process of elimination', or shall I say defecate? I tell Rover to do his business in a particular area, and he just ignores me, while all the time he looks at everything, sniffs everything, does a lot of barking and acts like it is the most important job in the world. Congress makes a lot of noise, looks and sniffs at everything, acts like it is the most important job in the world, and just like my dogs, leave a smelly mess everywhere.
To Mr. Schlaz:
Of course BWB is responsible for nothing. For 8 years, nothing. Of course.
JN; I never said that GWB was not responsible. I pointed out the limitations of the office, and who actually creates the budget mess. The President cannot create legislation, only Congress can do that. Congress can, has, and does cram legislation and or regulations through over the objections of the President.
Only Congress can declare War. Hmmmmm, let's blame Iraq on GWB, shall we?
In a nutshell, my position is that it is our entire Government that is to blame. Not one single individual.
GWB can ask Congress for anything he pleases, but Congress can just ignore him, if they so wish. So when things go bad, there are those who shift the blame onto the President.
The following was ignored by the Media, simply because it is true...
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/09/20080919-15.html
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