Democrat Leadership

[NewHampshireRed 94]

Worker safety. On June 30, OSHA revoked a 2001 requirement that employers track workplace ergonomic injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. The record keeping rule required employers to check a box on standard workplace injury and illness logs if an injury was a musculoskeletal injury. The rule was designed to help employers, workers and OSHA identify and keep track of ergonomic injuries. Studies show nearly two million workers a year suffer from crippling musculoskeletal injuries. In 2001, President Bush signed the repeal of the first nationwide ergonomics standard that would have required employers to control ergonomic hazards and given OSHA the power to enforce the standard.

 

May 2003

 

Privatization. The Bush Administration on May 29 unveiled the details of its plan to eliminate federal jobs and contract out the work to private companies. The changes are in the rules that govern contracting out - OMB Circular A-76 - and give private companies the advantage over federal workers in the private-public competition process. In November, the Bush Administration announced its goal of putting 850,000 federal jobs up for bid, including at least 15 percent, or 127,500 jobs, by October 2003.

 

Worker health and safety. The Bush Administration halted efforts to establish workplace health rules protecting workers and patients from exposure to tuberculosis (TB). On May 27, OSHA withdrew a proposed TB rule from its regulatory agenda. The proposed rule would have established procedures to prevent and limit the spread of the infectious airborne disease. In 1997, OSHA estimated the new rule would help protect an estimated 5.3 million workers in more than 100,000 hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and other work settings with a significant risk of TB infections.

 

April 2003

 

Proposes to eliminate civil service protections for Department of Defense (DOD) workers. The Bush Administration has developed legislation that would enable DOD to gut the current personnel system that governs DOD workers' pay, salary increases, hiring, firing, job classifications, performance evaluations, due process and appeal rights, reduction in force rules, and many other federal workplace rules. The proposal would allow DOD to create an entirely new personnel system that could eliminate congressional oversight of many personnel policies, strip workers and their unions of current workplace rights, and place much more personnel decision making power in the unchecked hands of supervisors.

 

March 2003

 

Proposes to end overtime pay for millions of workers. The Bush Administration proposed new rules March 27 that would deny overtime pay protections for millions of workers. The changes in the FLSA regulations would affect a wide range of the more than 80 million workers protected by the FLSA. The proposed rules would enable employers to reclassify many workers currently eligible for overtime as managers, administrative or professional employees who are exempt from time-and-a-half overtime. They eliminate overtime protection for large numbers of police officers, nurses, and firefighters.

 

Denies airline workers due process in security assessments. The Bush Administration issued new rules January 24 that allow the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to revoke an aviation worker's certification without basic due process protections. The new rule was issued and took effect without any public comment period. It allows the government to revoke or deny needed federal certification for pilots, mechanics, flight instructors and other aviation workers if the government - under secretive and arbitrary procedures - concludes a worker is a "security threat." The rule denies an employee the right to an impartial review of the facts and does not require workers be shown the evidence orbe told the specific reasons behind a security-risk finding.

[NewHampshireRed 94]

And just to kick them in the butt read this one :) And I will put it in bold

 

December 2002

 

Eliminates report on mass layoffs and plant closings. The Bush Administration announces it no longer will issue public reports on mass layoffs and plant closings. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly analysis details every layoff of more than 50 workers and the type of industry. The last report to be issued was for November 2002, and it reported 2,150 mass layoffs and about 240,000 workers who lost their jobs, mostly in the manufacturing industries. State officials have said the monthly reports were vital in helping them plan and fund their dislocated worker programs and services.

[blueinbama 259]

I was hoping you could tell me in your own words your reasoning behind your objections to the policies and agreements. Any 12 year old with a computer can copy and paste material from a website. Tell me in your own words why you feel some of these policies and agreements you have mentioned have hurt our economy. I can see where some have, but I want to know where you stand. Some of this dated material you have just posted has no bearing on the economy today. It's old news.

[NewHampshireRed 94]

I was hoping you could tell me in your own words your reasoning behind your objections to the policies and agreements. Any 12 year old with a computer can copy and paste material from a website. Tell me in your own words why you feel some of these policies and agreements you have mentioned have hurt our economy. I can see where some have, but I want to know where you stand. Some of this dated material you have just posted has no bearing on the economy today. It's old news.

 

You seem to be trying to corner me I see lol but in my words, George W Bush (our person of subject here) that in the eight years of his presidency he actively pursued policies of deregulation which in turn helped cause the biggest financial and economic meltdown since the Great Depression. On his watch, the US authorities did basically nothing to prevent the sale of millions of mortgages to people who could never in a million years afford them. They failed to police the market in mortgage backed securities which has now collapsed with such devastating consequences. It's like getting blood from a turnip, it will not happen. Deregulation started long before President Bush came to power, and at the same time it was both the Democratic and Republican party, who neither one is at "full" fault but a combination of both.You can say that the Glass-Steagall Act as a major contributor to the current financial crisis. "But" it was signed by Bill Clinton, "But" also supported by Nancy Pelosi. But to add to that ignorance Bush actually increased the burden of regulation on US companies in 2002 what he called "the most far-reaching reform of American business practices since the time of Franklin D Roosevelt", the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

 

And I do believe the things that I listed above have direct connect with the situation at hand since these things happened prior to our recession. You take someone trying to take precious overtime hours away from our hard working people then your not fit to run The Country in the first place. Someone acting so selfishly not to worry about the "Working Class" American by trying to cut their overtime is Un-American.

Edited March 9, 2010 by mapper

[blueinbama 259]

Some good points, some just not true. One in particular is the deregulation issue. You admitted this began during the Clinton administration. Yet you turn around and blame George Bush for not being able to regulate what Clinton initiated. Many people who bought homes that cost far more than they could afford during the Clinton administration using questionable loan practices such as "stated income" were already in those homes when Bush took office. They also purchased these homes using adjustable rate mortgages (ARM) in order to afford the payment. When the rate adjusted upward, these home buyers found they were in a situation they couldn't afford. What happened? Many people went bankrupt, forcing banks to lose billions of dollars in loan fees. Many lost their homes because of the increased house payment they could no longer afford to make. Any regulation would have cost the lending institutions even more money, something Bush could not afford to let happen. When the crap hit the fan with the banks in 2008 it was directly a result of the deregulation instituted during the Clinton administration, and this happened under Obama's watch, not Bush.

Edited March 9, 2010 by blueinbama

[bucfan64 309]

Mapper,

 

It is important to remember that, Yes Bush did nothing to stop the massive mortgage crisis, however it was a situation that HE INHERITED.

 

The Republicans knew that the massive housing boom would keep the economy looking good for a while, and they hoped to pro-long the devastating effect until Obama came into office or whoever would follow Bush. More or less passing the buck along to the next guy. Which by the way, the president that follows Obama will have such a mess to clean up that he will be ridiculed for ages IF HE DOES THE RIGHT THING, if he doesn't, the problem will be passed to his successor.

 

Nonetheless, the Community Re-Investment Act, which was the brain child of JIMMY CARTER, was passed in 1977. It at first encouraged banks to deliver loans to low income families that normally would not qualify for a housing loan. Several revisions were made, in 1992 UNDER BILL CLINTON, the government took it to another level. Since many banks weren't cooperating, it was established through legislation that lending agencies were required to give a specific percentage of all loans to these UNQUALIFIED BORROWERS. With more drastic changes in 1994, 95 and finally in 99--- ALL CLIINTON YEARS BY THE WAY, some lenders were required to give over 53% of all loaned money to a minority or low income borrower, (over half of their $$$) REGARDLESS OF THEIR QUALIFICATOINS.

 

In addition to making these changes, they also increased the BONUS money provided to lenders for delivering such loans.

 

This was nothing but an attempt to give out FREE MONEY to people that they knew could not pay it back, with the hopes that the party in power (DEMOCRATS), would win lifetime voters!

 

These voters then faulted on their loans and these same CROOKS that built the system, then ran and blamed the lenders aka THE EVIL BANKS, for foreclosure.

 

This alone proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the DEMOCRATS WERE the initiators of this debacle and are equally to blame for the problem.

 

Bush and his cronies, then allowed these bundled loans to be sold on the stock market and further send the debt into a spiral. Bush was wrong, but he only was responsible for his part of the mess, the Democratic party and the Clintons, and Jimmy Carter are equally responsible for coming up with such re-distributive nonsense!

Edited March 9, 2010 by bucfan64

[NewHampshireRed 94]

Mapper,

 

It is important to remember that, Yes Bush did nothing to stop the massive mortgage crisis, however it was a situation that HE INHERITED.

 

The Republicans knew that the massive housing boom would keep the economy looking good for a while, and they hoped to pro-long the devastating effect until Obama came into office or whoever would follow Bush. More or less passing the buck along to the next guy. Which by the way, the president that follows Obama will have such a mess to clean up that he will be ridiculed for ages IF HE DOES THE RIGHT THING, if he doesn't, the problem will be passed to his successor.

 

Nonetheless, the Community Re-Investment Act, which was the brain child of JIMMY CARTER, was passed in 1977. It at first encouraged banks to deliver loans to low income families that normally would not qualify for a housing loan. Several revisions were made, in 1992 UNDER BILL CLINTON, the government took it to another level. Since many banks weren't cooperating, it was established through legislation that lending agencies were required to give a specific percentage of all loans to these UNQUALIFIED BORROWERS. With more drastic changes in 1994, 95 and finally in 99--- ALL CLIINTON YEARS BY THE WAY, some lenders were required to give over 53% of all loaned money to a minority or low income borrower, (over half of their $$$) REGARDLESS OF THEIR QUALIFICATOINS.

 

In addition to making these changes, they also increased the BONUS money provided to lenders for delivering such loans.

 

This was nothing but an attempt to give out FREE MONEY to people that they knew could not pay it back, with the hopes that the party in power (DEMOCRATS), would win lifetime voters!

 

These voters then faulted on their loans and these same CROOKS that built the system, then ran and blamed the lenders aka THE EVIL BANKS, for foreclosure.

 

This alone proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the DEMOCRATS WERE the initiators of this debacle and are equally to blame for the problem.

 

Bush and his cronies, then allowed these bundled loans to be sold on the stock market and further send the debt into a spiral. Bush was wrong, but he only was responsible for his part of the mess, the Democratic party and the Clintons, and Jimmy Carter are equally responsible for coming up with such re-distributive nonsense!

 

I must admit I do agree with you in that sense Bucfan.

[bucfan64 309]

Some good points, some just not true. One in particular is the deregulation issue. You admitted this began during the Clinton administration. Yet you turn around and blame George Bush for not being able to regulate what Clinton initiated. Many people who bought homes that cost far more than they could afford during the Clinton administration using questionable loan practices such as "stated income" were already in those homes when Bush took office. They also purchased these homes using adjustable rate mortgages (ARM) in order to afford the payment. When the rate adjusted upward, these home buyers found they were in a situation they couldn't afford. What happened? Many people went bankrupt, forcing banks to lose billions of dollars in loan fees. Many lost their homes because of the increased house payment they could no longer afford to make. Any regulation would have cost the lending institutions even more money, something Bush could not afford to let happen. When the crap hit the fan with the banks in 2008it was directly a result of the deregulation instituted during the Clinton administration, and this happened under Obama's watch, not Bush.

 

This is correct, another thing to add is the fact that many of the down payments that these folks made, were also financed into the loan. For example if you needed 20% down and couldn't pay it the lender would grant you a loan for 20% of the value, meaning that some folks paid their regular interest rate and then paid a second interest rate on the first 20%, essentially a LOAN WITHIN A LOAN.

 

When these loans were then bundled by the lending agency, they were then sold on the stock market, sold at a low rate and then the buyer could expect a high return on these loans, assuming they didn't default.

 

When the value of the homes went down, the rates increased, raising payments, folks couldnt' refinance because the homes were not worth the amount they originally paid for them. This caused foreclosures to take place, since the lending institutues had already SOLD these loans in bundles on the Stock Market, they really had no reason to help the customer, their incentive to do anything was gone. The person holding these bundles, which they bought on the market, started losing money big time! This is why the Govt. came in and bailed out these folks, true the banks benefited , but it was private entities and many individuals who had a ton of influence politically, that used their leverage to get the govt. to bail them out of the crisis.