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The Real Side | Commentary by Joe Messina
| Monday, Jan 18, 2016

joemessinamugUnfortunately, I couldn’t listen to the State of the Union speech live, because my national radio show (self-plug there) started when he did. I did, however, go back and listen several times – I couldn’t believe what I was hearing – and found little truth or fact in his speech. At times, it even sounded like he was running for office again.

For those of you who haven’t been listeners or readers for long, don’t start spewing “it’s because he’s … ” a Democrat or black or whatever. It’ll just fall on deaf ears. I took, and continue to take, equal shots at Republicans, Libertarians, Green Party and the others alike.

Now to the speech. “Anyone claiming America’s economy is in decline is pedaling fiction. What is true and the reason Americans are so apprehensive is that the economy is changing in profound ways.” The secret word is “profound.” It should scare you to death like “fundamentally change,” “hope and change” and “forward.”

“Profound” is an understatement. First of all, 2015 ended its worst ride since 2008. The DOW and S&P finished down, and even though the NASDAQ finished up 5.7, it had finished in double digits the prior three years.

Jump ahead to the first few weeks of 2016. Strap yourself in. It’s going to be a rough ride. The markets opened the year with the worst start since the Great Depression. I am sure Oblamo will take no responsibility for any of this, and his Kool-Aid drinking, low-IQ followers will blame it on Bush and the Republicans … Just wait for it. You will see them in the comments later.

Well, Mr. OZbama must live in the Emerald City, because back in the real world, the median household income while Mr. O has been in charge has flatlined. (Quick, get the paddles.) It was $56,957 in 2009. As of December 2015, it was at a whopping $56,746. Simple math. You lose.

The labor participation rate hasn’t been this low in 40 years. In January 2009 it was 65.7 percent. As of December 2015 it stands at 62.6 percent. Sounds like a no-winner to me. It’s been holding at just under 63 percent for almost two years.

The number of Americans needing government assistance under Obama has been surging. A record 45 million-plus Americans are receiving food stamps as of December 2015. Compare this with just under 32 million in January 2009. This is better how? That’s an increase of over 42 percent.

The 14 million jobs he said he created were mostly part-time jobs. Yes, almost 68 percent of them were part-time. How exactly does a part-time job feed a family? Now households that might have been doing well on one full-time and one part-time job per household are having to get by with sometimes three or four part-time jobs per household.

To top it off, it skews the unemployment and jobs numbers being reported. I guess when it comes to jobs, “profound” must take in the 150-plus stores Walmart will be closing and the loss of about 10,000 jobs. Then there is Macy’s laying off 4,800; BP laying off 4000-plus; and many more.

But let’s remember: Government doesn’t create jobs. It can either get out of the way and let the private sector create them, or continue to hinder job creation.

El Prez has talked about equality, everyone having a job, making more money, feeding their kids, and having insurance … but in 2008, 39.8 million Americans were living in poverty. In seven years, Mr. Obama has helped a record number of … well, no one. That’s right. His policies have helped ensure that more than 46 million Americans in 2014 lived below the federal poverty level. Sound better to you? That’s a 17-percent increase. All hail Obama.

Obama keeps saying the American dream of owning a home should be available to everyone – sounds like a Barney Frank tickle coming on – but according to the government, in 2008 the home ownership rate was over 67 percent. By the end of 2015, it was just over 63 percent. My less educated mind tells me that means fewer people owned or could own homes under Mr. Oblameless. And according to the Builders Association, 2011 was the worst year for home sales.

I always hear that Obama hasn’t raised the debt any more than any other president and less than Reagan. Really? In January 2009, our national debt was just under $11 trillion. Jump ahead to today, when it sits just under $19 trillion. That’s over a 17-percent increase and is more money than all of the presidents before him, combined. It will be over $20 trillion when he leaves office.

What a great parting gift. Not to mention that in 2011, he allowed America’s credit rating to be downgraded. Ugh.

Obama stated in his State of the Union speech that it’s just wrong to burn down mosques (because it happens every day here?) or to speak ill of, or to, Muslims, saying, “that doesn’t make us safer.” Why didn’t he say, “When you vandalize or burn down mosques, churches or synagogues, or when you speak ill of Muslims, Christians or Jews, it doesn’t make us safer?” Why? Because he has an agenda. If that’s not the reason, then what is?

There have been more than 5,000 church fires in the U.S. in the last 20 years. Fifty-one percent of those have been ruled arson, and many others are undetermined. As if that weren’t bad enough, over the last decade there’s actually been an increase in the number of black churches burned. Why didn’t the president mention these? (Check out the National Fire Protection Agency, NFPA, for more relevant statistics.)

From 2007 to 2011, almost 400 synagogues fell to fire with over 40 percent considered to be “intentionally set.” No mention of them in the president’s speech. What happened to equality for all?

And then there is healthcare. “Almost 19 million Americans now have healthcare through the exchanges” (or what’s left of them, because several have gone belly-up). Really? Quick, get the fire extinguisher. His pants must be ablaze right now. But let’s just go with the 19 million for conversation’s sake. Over 6 million forced off of their company’s healthcare because it was (supposedly) “inadequate” and had to sign up through exchanges online. Roughly another 7 million became ineligible for regular medical and had to sign up for Medicare online through the exchanges. Notice they “had to.” There was no choice. Up to 5 percxent applied for healthcare but never paid for or followed through to complete the process, but they’re included in his count. So we are looking at nearly 15 million of the 19 million being forced on or who already had insurance. A far cry from – and I quote – “42 million Americans will now have access to medical coverage who didn’t have or couldn’t afford it before.” Must be common core math again.

And the best one of all: “Our relationships with our allies has never been better.” My only comment is: Someone please check his meds. He has access to our nukes. Thank God he doesn’t have the spine to use them.

 

Joe Messina is host of The Real Side (TheRealSide.com), a nationally syndicated talk show that runs on AM-1220 KHTS radio and SCVTV [here]. He is also an elected member of the Hart School Board. His commentary publishes Mondays.

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6 Comments

  1. Delusional POS, you should have watched it, you may have learned something! What a sad little world you live in Joe. Your mind is too small to know the truth. Im sure you do these opinion pieces to get some sort of attention to feed your ego since no one bothers to comment or care about your little radio show page.

    • Kelly Lundie says:

      This is the first “opinion piece” I have read by this man, and I know nothing of his political background, but I found it to be mostly an article of fact stating (with yes, some satirical jabs at President Obama in it as well) He disputed President Obama’s claims in the State of the Union with actual economic numbers.

      The day after the State of the Union I heard countless people question the validity of the President’s statements and I am positive they weren’t doing it to “feed their ego”. I do have an open mind Julie and would love to hear an actual opinion on why you think the article is false. Maybe you can provide some facts that dispute the numbers and claims in the article as opposed to just calling the writer names?

      • Dalin Rowe says:

        Kelly – This is the first time I have read this column too, and my advice to you is to not ask Julie to provide any facts to support her tirade of insults because she won’t provide any. She is obviously a liberal, and to her, the truth is in the Kool-Aid, no facts necessary. As Americans, we all have to live in Joe’s “sad little world” because it is run by Oblameless. If we can just hang in there for 11 more months . . .

  2. Dobie Gillis says:

    You seem obsessed.

  3. I fell asleep to it Joe, it’s like watching a bad movie, despicable how these politicians keep acting, I’m not impressed, objectively alarming how this country is going in Obsmax hands and all! Usually I don’t comment, wish some like more mature were available, just appears either a really bad movie or a comedy, better things to do with my time!

  4. Hardin Rich says:

    Usually I feel about 50-50 as to the matters Mr. Messina speaks of. Although and unfortunately for us all, in this he is spot on.

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