Unemployed and out of work are not the same thing

Barry Levinson over at US News and World Report looks at what Abbott and Costello might do today with the shenanigans being played as to the current unemployment rate

Unemployment as reported is at 8.3 percent. But it's actually over 16 percent. Some smart statistician came up with a distinction, a slight of hand to make the unemployment number tolerable rather than frightening. The concept was simple: 8.3 percent are unemployed and are actively looking for work. The 16 percent includes those who gave up and are no longer actively looking for work. So those casualties are no longer counted. They cease to exist. The 8.3 percent is a fake, a sham, and worthy of an Abbott and Costello routine. If that great comedy team were still alive, the routine on our unemployment woes might go something like this:

COSTELLO: I want to talk about the unemployment rate in America.
ABBOTT: Good Subject. Terrible Times. It's about 8 percent.
COSTELLO: That many people are out of work?
ABBOTT: No, that's 16 percent.
COSTELLO: You just said 8 percent.
ABBOTT: 8 percent unemployed.
COSTELLO: Right 8 percent out of work.
ABBOTT: No, that's 16 percent.
COSTELLO: Okay, so it's 16 percent unemployed.
ABBOTT: No, that's around 8 percent...
COSTELLO: Waits a minute. Is it 8 percent or 16 percent?
ABBOTT: 8 percent are unemployed. 16 percent are out of work.
COSTELLO: If you are out of work aren't you unemployed?
ABBOTT: No, you can't count the "Out of Work" as unemployed. You have to look for work to be unemployed.
COSTELLO: But they are out of work!!!
ABBOTT: No, you miss my point.
COSTELLO: What point?
ABBOTT: Someone who doesn't look for work, can't be counted with those who look for work. It wouldn't be fair.
COSTELLO: To who?
ABBOTT: The unemployed.
COSTELLO: But they are all out of work.
ABBOTT:No, the unemployed are actively looking for work ... Those who are out of work stopped looking. They gave up. And, if you give up, you are no longer in the ranks of the unemployed.
COSTELLO: So if you're off the unemployment roles, that would count as less unemployment?
ABBOTT: Unemployment would go down. Absolutely!
COSTELLO: The unemployment just goes down because you don't look for work?
ABBOTT: Absolutely it goes down. That's how you get to 8 percent. Otherwise it would be 16 percent. You don't want to read about 16 percent unemployment do ya?
COSTELLO: That would be frightening.
ABBOTT: Absolutely.
COSTELLO: Wait, I got a question for you. That means they're two ways to bring down the unemployment number?
ABBOTT: Two ways is correct.
COSTELLO: Unemployment can go down if someone gets a job?
 ABBOTT: Correct.
COSTELLO: And unemployment can also go down if you stop looking for a job?
ABBOTT: Bingo.
COSTELLO: So there are two ways to bring unemployment down, and the easier of the two is to just stop looking for work.
ABBOTT: Now you're thinking like an economist.
COSTELLO: I don't even know what the hell I just said!

Judicial Watch Sues DOJ and DHS for Records about Legal Basis of Obama’s New “Amnesty” Program

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on August 15, 2012, against the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for documents related to the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” directive issued on June 15, 2012 (Judicial Watch v. Department of Justice et al. (No. 1:12-cv-01350)).  The new Obama administration policy would allow certain illegal aliens under the age of 31 to apply for protected status that would prevent their deportation and authorize them to work.
Specifically, Judicial Watch seeks the following records in its June 22, 2012, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request:

All records concerning…the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to exercise prosecutorial discretion with respect to individuals who came to the United States as children…Such records include, but are not limited to, opinions, memoranda, or legal advice rendered by the Office of Legal Counsel.

The DOJ acknowledged that on June 25, 2012, it received the FOIA request, and was required to issue a final response by July 24, 2012. To date, the DOJ has failed to respond to the request in accordance with FOIA law.
On June 22, 2012, Judicial Watch also submitted a similar FOIA request directly to the DHS, which acknowledged that on June 28, 2012, it had received the request. After granting itself a 10-day extension, DHS was required by FOIA law to respond by August 10, 2012. To date, the DHS has also failed to comply with FOIA law.
“This new Obama amnesty program is an attack on the constitutional role of Congress and runs rough shod over existing immigration law.  It is no surprise that the Obama administration doesn’t want to share the legal basis for this unilateral executive action and is violating Freedom of Information Act law to keep the American people in the dark,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.  “President Obama and his political appointees are abusing their offices with this new amnesty program.  If the administration were confident about the legality of its actions, it wouldn’t be keeping secret the legal basis for President Obama’s extraordinary decision to unilaterally change the law.”

Asking for I.D. to Vote is NOT racist!

 

Applying for the job of President of the US of A should be added to the list also……….

 Welfare also.

Four Simple Charts to Share With Friends, Family Members, Neighbors and Colleagues

• Household income fell more in recovery than during recession




• Gas prices have more than doubled since Obama took office



 • Labor Force Participation Rate Goes Backward to 1981



"The [labor force participation] rate dipped in the early part of the last decade but rose again during the Bush expansion and was 66.2% as recently as January 2008... It fell again in the recession, but the most distressing news is that it has kept falling during the last three years of recovery. This is unprecedented, and the big question is why."

• The 'One-Time' Stimulus Became Part of the Federal Baseline Budget 

In 2009, Democrats and President Obama pushed a "one-time" Stimulus spending package through Congress in order to jump-start job creation and keep unemployment under 8 percent. It ended up costing the American people $840 billion and unemployment has remained over 8 percent ever since...


 Unfortunately, that so-called "one-time" spending spree was built into each and every year's budget -- and is driving America to a Greece-style debt crisis.

 That one simple question to ask: Can we survive four more years of this?