Bush Vows to Keep Workers Competitive

[Omaha Steve]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20060904/D8JU9JFO0.html

Bush Vows to Keep Workers Competitive
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Sep 4, 5:25 PM (ET)

By DEB RIECHMANN

PINEY POINT, Md. (AP) - President Bush marked Labor Day on Monday by promising to help keep U.S. workers competitive in global markets and reduce U.S reliance on foreign oil so it doesn't choke U.S. economic expansion.

"Dependence on foreign oil jeopardizes our capacity to grow," Bush said in a speech focused on the U.S. economy - a key issue in November elections that will determine whether the GOP retains control of the House and Senate.

Democrats contend the middle class isn't enjoying the benefits of recent U.S. economic gains. They say sluggish median earnings show paychecks have failed to keep pace with inflation, and they note rising health care and energy costs.


President Bush, gestures as he delivers a Labor Day speech at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md., Monday, Sept. 4, 2006. (AP Photo/Chris Gardner)


Average prices at the gas pump have eased over the past month from more than $3 for a gallon for unleaded regular gasoline to $2.79. That has given Americans some relief, but Bush warned against continued reliance on oil-producing countries where the United States is unpopular.

FULL story at link above.

[papau]

1. To Bush workers are competive if their wage is the lowest in the world

Nothing Bush says ever means what one would think it means in a normal conversation.

[Metta]

2. More smoke and mirrors. "Even if they have pictures, lie."

Lenny Bruce.

[Deja Q]

3. Mishmash and a smokescreen.

Gas is 33 cents/liter in China. That's almost a whopping 70 cents per gallon.

In a "globalized" world, wages have to meet those of that for China's workers.

Meanwhile, that ALSO means prices for goods have to be the same in China so the workers can AFFORD them. If you haven't noticed, prices for goods have only been going up -- yet wages are being frozen or going down... assuming a person laid off can get work elsewhere.

And it's not the voters' faults that the US is unpopular. We elect people to represent us, and therefore we trust them to make decisions that help our country and not hurt it.

[stepnw1f]

4. And We the People Vow to Hold You Accountable!

good night

[theanarch]

5. of course, as in...

...there won't be any Chinese prison-labor Wal-mart contract, or Indonesian Nike contract, or Haitian Coke contract that underpaid, no-benefit, no job-security American can't "compete" for on an equal basis...Happy "rebirth pangs of an Old America" day, comrade DU'ers.

[applegrove]

6. Then give them Universal Health Care. That means 70% of it is free.

It is more competative!!!

[mcscajun]

7. Fulfilling the vow...

...Bush has ordered the development and construction of 50 million human-sized hamster wheels to keep the American workforce moving.

[kenny blankenship]

8. ...by lowering their wages still further

but will he be called on it?

[Warpy]

9. Competitive in global markets = driving wages down, down, down

Either that or he's going to have to drive the dollar down, down, down.

There is no way a worker in the US paid in and spending dollars can compete with any worker in the third world being paid in a disadvantaged currency.

Either you have to drive our currency down ($10/gallon gas, here we come) or you have to expect people to be paid less than it takes to keep them alive under a bridge.

[Skittles]

10. I cannot compete with someone who can live on $5000 a year

and less

[hatrack]

11. President Bush introduces new "Bag Of Corn" plan at Labor Day event

PINEY POINT, MD (AP) - President Bush today unveiled what he termed a "bold new plan" to help keep American workers in the global marketplace - the "Bag Of Corn" plan.

In what economists, including Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke are praising as an exciting move towards pure market forces, the president's new proposal would call for a repeal of the existing minimum wage law. The current rate of $5.15 per hour would be replaced with what Bush praised as "a way to offer hard-working employers and entrepreneurs real flexibility in a challenging global economy."

The presidential proposal, which he outlined in his speech today, would allow employers to pay workers with a small bag of parched corn instead of wages. This corn, similar to hominy in taste and texture, though slightly crunchier, would supply at least half of the calories required for an active adult - about 1,200 - and the caloric content would be enforced by federal law. The corn, according to Press Secretary Tony Snow, would also have the advantage of being pre-dried and so suitable for long-term storage in workers' homes, apartments, tipis or lean-tos.

"See, what this means is that you're not going to have to mess with going to the bank any more," the president stated. "They're not going to ask you for ID or what your social security number is. And no matter what, you're gonna get your corn. That corn is gonna be there for you. There's gonna be a bag of corn at the end of each day for every hard-working American man or woman.

Wall Street Journal columnist Larry Kudlow, though surprised by the scope of the administration's proposal, had nothing but praise for the idea. "It's a great concept. Finally, we're not going to have to worry about the inflationary pressure of ever-rising minimum wages. Finally, America's small business owners are going to get the kind of help they've really been needing from the federal government." Kudlow paused to enjoy a handful of parched, salted corn, noting that "It's really got a kind of nutty flavor that's quite delicious. I think America's working poor are going to like the taste of this proposal."

Democratic consultants Donna Brazile and Bob Shrum, though somewhat more restrained in their comments than Kudlow, admitted on NPR's "All Things Considered" that the move was a shrewd plan. "Certainly, if the goal is keeping America's wage structure competetive with the rest of the global marketplace, you can't deny it'll likely be effective," noted Brazile. Shrum agreed: "Some may view this as harsh, but there's no denying the bold free-market flavor of the concept." He noted that the Democratic Leadership Council was generally favorable towards the new Corn Law, though its members wanted to know more about the details.

As for the president, he concluded his remarks by throwing small bags of parched corn to the emaciated burlap-clad homeless people who had been allowed into the Coliseum for his remarks in return for the promise of some kind of food.

[ninkasi]

13. Oh, stop it!

Don't give them ideas. They don't need any more suggestions on how to screw us.

[samsingh]

12. as we all know now bush is a pathalogical liar

his vows mean nothing
his word means nothing

[pat_k]

14. . . .in the race to the bottom (nt)

[modrepub]

15. Keeping us competitive

by driving down our real wages! Meanwhile the "Wall Street" crew laughs all the way to the bank!


Wages down for 90% of Pa. workers

By Stacey Burling
Inquirer Staff Writer

The rich really are getting richer in Pennsylvania.

And, according to a new report on wages, everybody else is getting poorer.

When adjusted for inflation, wages for the bottom 90 percent of workers in the state fell between 2004 and 2005, the report released last weekend by the Harrisburg-based Keystone Research Center said. The decline came despite rising profits and productivity, and it affects workers at all education levels.


http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/15439530.ht ...

[gratuitous]

16. American workers ARE competitive

We're working harder and more efficiently than ever. American WAGES, however, seem to be lagging behind. Somehow a large portion of the wealth that's being created by the American worker doesn't quite make it into their pockets. But good news: There are now more billionaires than ever. So now a couple dozen overrich fatcats are sucking up all our wealth. Isn't that good news, American workers? I've heard that some of them hand out shiny dimes!