Vice President Biden Outlines End of Year Goals for Recovery Act Progress
EmailABC News’ Karen Travers reports:
At a meeting with Cabinet members today, Vice President Biden outlined nine new specific goals for Recovery Act progress by the end of 2009. Biden said the administration set benchmarks for the first 100 days of the stimulus, the second 100 days and now they are outlining goals for the final 90 days of 2009. The goals include the Department of Energy putting in place funding for battery manufacturing plants that can power 400,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; 34 construction and modernization projects by the Defense Department at hospitals and medical centers across the country; and on-site construction improvement work in 105 national parks by the Department of Interior. The always loquacious Biden said that in the early days after the Recovery Act was signed, “everyone said this is going to get screwed up here.” He added that critics said the Obama administration would not be able to deliver the money and there would be massive waste. “Well, that's a dog that didn't bite, because of all of you, and because you were hands-on,” he told Cabinet members. Biden spent considerable time thanking the Cabinet members for their work enacting the $787 billion legislation and apologizing for being such a “nag” about the details. He said that by the end of 2009, the Obama administration aims to have obligated 60 percent of the nearly $500 billion in government spending. “Remember what the criticism was, we're not going to get this out quick enough. We're not going to get it in the hands of people who can use it,” Biden said. “Well, you're doing it. You've done it the first 200 days.” — Karen Travers
Obama: 'Now Is the Time For Common Sense Action' 
Romney Takes Aim at Conservatives
Is there a dunce alive who didn’t see this coming?
“DETROIT — GM, Ford and Chrysler reported September sales declines today, revealing a tough hangover from this summer’s Cash for Clunkers buying spree. General Motors Co. reported the steepest drop, 45 percent, when compared with September of last year. Chrysler Group LLC was down 42 percent and Ford Motor Co. had a much smaller decline of 5.1 percent.”
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | October 1, 2009, 3:17 pm 3:17 pm
Wow! The Stimulus Plan just skipped right over creating jobs for the 11-14 million people out of work!
Obama/Biden claims to have saved tens of thousands of civic-related jobs that can’t be verified, shovel-ready jobs that at best have created thousands of low-pay, temporary jobs (state report still pending) and now we’re already into long range projects!
Excellent job folks!
Posted by: Visualize Whirled Peas | October 1, 2009, 3:23 pm 3:23 pm
Does this guy live in this universe?
Sending stimulus checks to dead people
isn’t massive waste?
The “cash for clunkers” program
wasn’t a waste?
This program which has been touted as
a success for the administration is
just the opposite!
The chief beneficiaries of the program
were Toyota, Honda, and Ford.
None of those three companies received
bailouts from the government.
So despite the fact that the Obama
Administration poured billions of
taxpayer dollars into GM and Chrysler
they still couldn’t beat the competition
in the “cash for clunkers” program!
Hey Joe before you waste more of our
money on battery manufacturing plants
for 400,000 plug-in hybrid electric cars find out if there is a need for one!
Are there 400,000 plug-in electric
hybrids that need the batteries?
I don’t see much “job creation” in
this plan.
I guess good old Joe forgot about the
near 10 percent unemployment rate.
Posted by: reaganfan | October 1, 2009, 3:24 pm 3:24 pm
—Joe Biden keeps talking about the fabulous improvement on the economy he’s seen from the stimulus, but thus far, those effects have mostly been limited to the White House. Initial JOBLESS CLAIMS ROSE last week to 551,000, 17,000 more than the previous week and 12,000 more than analysts predicted. Americans spent more last month, but that mainly came from the Cash for Clunkers program.— (Hot Air)
BTW, Cash for Clunkers essentially stole auto sales from the fall and moved them into the summer. Now car sales are plummeting, just in time for introduction of the new model year. Stimulus, Baby!
Posted by: I Approve This Gaffe | October 1, 2009, 3:49 pm 3:49 pm
“Ford Motor Co. had a much smaller decline of 5.1 percent”
_____________________________________
Ford seems to have been on the right tangent, and has been throughout all of the problems. Hope their execs are getting paid what they’re actually worth. Also, it’s a good thing we didn’t lose any more of the GM and Chrysler jobs – let’s hope they can transition to remain competitive in the new market.
Posted by: tierra | October 1, 2009, 3:53 pm 3:53 pm
“Sending stimulus checks to dead people
isn’t massive waste?”
________________________________
An ill-informed comment. This wasn’t a ‘massive waste’, that very small percentage of checks were mistakes that amounted to pretty small potatoes.
Your agenda is showing again.
Posted by: tierra | October 1, 2009, 3:59 pm 3:59 pm
“Also, it’s a good thing we didn’t lose any more of the GM and Chrysler jobs”
Perhaps not yet, but it’s coming (unless Obama decides to bail them out again)
“let’s hope they can transition to remain competitive in the new market”
Realistically, this is not going to happen: (a.) uncompetitive products, (b.) backlash of Americans opposed to government bailout/takeover/union influence.
Posted by: tjp612 | October 1, 2009, 4:15 pm 4:15 pm
Yahoo Finance headlines:
Last Friday: Americans Ready to Spend Again
This Week: Consumer Confidence Down
Today: Market Tumbles
Nothing like writing your headlines every day in a vaccum.
Posted by: Visualize Whirled Peas | October 1, 2009, 4:49 pm 4:49 pm
That hole continues to widen. On Thursday, the Labor Department said initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to a seasonally adjusted 551,000 — up from 534,000 in the previous week and more than Wall Street economists expected.
The data followed a report Wednesday from payroll manager ADP showing that U.S. companies cut 254,000 jobs in September, also more than forecast. Government figures for September, including the official unemployment rate, will be released Friday morning.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | October 1, 2009, 4:56 pm 4:56 pm
“He added that critics said the Obama administration would not be able to deliver the money and there would be massive waste.”
Joe has forgotten that critics were talking about “pork” – that while it might have an eventual affect would be spent mostly to line the pockets of lobbyists and the people they represent. Many of the projects listed below would not bput “Joe the Plumber” or “Rosie the Riveter” back to work in the near future, if at all.
- $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film
- $650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program
- $88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker (arctic ship)
- $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees
- $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities
- $75 million for “smoking cessation activities”
- $200 million for public computer centers at community colleges
- $25 million for tribal alcohol and substance abuse reduction
- $500 million for flood reduction projects on the Mississippi River
- $10 million to inspect canals in urban areas
- $6 billion to turn federal buildings into “green” buildings
- $650 million for wildland fire management on forest service lands
- $1.2 billion for “youth activities,” including youth summer job programs
- $500 million for building and repairing National Institutes of Health facilities in Bethesda, Maryland
- $160 million for “paid volunteers” at the Corporation for National and Community Service
- $5.5 million for “energy efficiency initiatives” at the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration
- $850 million for Amtrak
- $100 million for reducing the hazard of lead-based paint
- $110 million to the Farm Service Agency to upgrade computer systems
- $200 million in funding for the lease of alternative energy vehicles for use on military installations
Posted by: Visualize Whirled Peas | October 1, 2009, 5:00 pm 5:00 pm
That hole continues to widen.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Oct 1, 2009 4:56:48 PM
And profit-taking on Wall Street begins. Dow down 203 points today.
Posted by: Visualize Whirled Peas | October 1, 2009, 5:03 pm 5:03 pm
Posted by: Visualize Whirled Peas | Oct 1, 2009 5:00:49 PM
Good list – At least SOMEONE is reporting what’s going on (nudge, ABC).
Posted by: tjp612 | October 1, 2009, 5:32 pm 5:32 pm
Posted by: Visualize Whirled Peas | Oct 1, 2009 5:00:49 PM
Good list – At least SOMEONE is reporting what’s going on (nudge, ABC).
Posted by: tjp612 | Oct 1, 2009 5:32:46 PM
Yea, it was really hard. I had to google three words ;-)
Posted by: Visualize Whirled Peas | October 1, 2009, 5:36 pm 5:36 pm
“That hole continues to widen. On Thursday, the Labor Department said initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to a seasonally adjusted 551,000 — up from 534,000 in the previous week and more than Wall Street economists expected.”
___________________________________
Even Wall Street economists can get things wrong.
Just like former President Bush got it totally wrong when he said last year that the state of the economy was just ‘a rough spot’.
Posted by: tierra | October 1, 2009, 5:58 pm 5:58 pm
“Many of the projects listed below would not bput “Joe the Plumber” or “Rosie the Riveter” back to work in the near future, if at all.”
_____________________________________
Almost all of those projects create economic activity in the manufacture, production end of things, in construction or renovation, or in various other projects – and all of these put money in the hands of people who will hire Joe the plumber. Some of those positions actually employ Rosie the Riveter.
Posted by: tierra | October 1, 2009, 6:03 pm 6:03 pm
“…the state of the economy was just ‘a rough spot…’”
It was. Then Obama rode into town.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | October 1, 2009, 6:22 pm 6:22 pm
More stimulus success:
WASHINGTON — A tiny car company backed by former Vice President Al Gore has just gotten a $529 million U.S. government loan to help build a hybrid sports car in Finland that will sell for about $89,000.
The award this week to California startup Fisker Automotive Inc. follows a $465 million government loan to Tesla Motors Inc., purveyors of a $109,000 British-built electric Roadster. Tesla is a California startup focusing on all-electric vehicles, with a number of celebrity endorsements that is backed by investors that have contributed to Democratic campaigns.
Good luck with GM and Chrysler, tierra.
Posted by: Money for People | October 1, 2009, 6:52 pm 6:52 pm
The first Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 survey in the state finds that longtime Republican Congressman Mike Castle beats state Attorney General Beau Biden by five points — 47% to 42% – in a hypothetical match-up for the seat Biden’s father held for 36 years.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | October 1, 2009, 7:56 pm 7:56 pm
“President Bush got it totally wrong when he said last year that the state of the economy was just ‘a rough spot’.”
It was. Then Obama rode into town.
________________________________
Bush had no idea what was going on with the economy. Same as McCain saying the ‘fundamentals’ were sound. Both Republicans out to lunch while the economy was collapsing.
Posted by: tierra | October 1, 2009, 8:25 pm 8:25 pm
“Good luck with GM and Chrysler, tierra.”
___________________________________
GM and Chrysler were kept on their feet in the short term to prevent the complete collapse of two major American employers (at the same time as major financial institutions were collapsing) – whether they will last in the long term will depend on their innovation, ingenuity and business acumen.
Posted by: tierra | October 1, 2009, 8:34 pm 8:34 pm
What if you’re wrong about Ron Paul’s draw on Americans? What if middle America is sick of the left right divide… sick of politics as usual… sick of NGOs and rich fat cats like George Soros influencing our political system… sick of the mainstream media… sick of the lies we are being told by the democrats and the republicans?
Ron Paul is an American first. He’s a libertarian, he’s a strict constitutionalist. I know I speak for millions of middle class Americans who have family members in the military, who want them supported but who ALSO want this war over. Ron Paul voted against the war. If Ron Paul had been president we would NEVER have gone to war in Iraq.
Ron Paul also knows the truth about the Federal Reserve and has talked about it on Aaron Russon’s film… America… Freedom to Fascism. Why hasn’t ABC done a special on the OWNERS of the Federal Reserve? Is it because ABC is owned by the same people who OWN our Federal Reserve?
The biggest conspiracy in the world is the fact that national banks in every country are owned by the same shadowy cabal that own the United States Federal reserve. If you AREN’T owned and/or controlled by these people… why don’t you run Aaron Russo’s film?
I know… the Democrats threaten to pull your FCC license…
Do you have any idea how many Americans would rally around ABC and fight shoulder to shoulder with you…. IF you took on the cabal that runs the world through our banking systems… and here in the U.S…. the IRS.
Because of the internet… there are now millions of us who know the truth… ABC… I am asking YOU to join with us…
JOIN with the people who support Ron Paul… cut the tethers that bind you to the owners of the Federal Reserve and serve freedom and liberty. After all…. you do serve the people… with that FCC license… why don’t you do something really BRAVE and start coming out with the TRUTH about who has been running this country since 1913.
Posted by: aj | October 2, 2009, 1:29 am 1:29 am
Hey tierra:
I guess you think that the billions of
dollars President Obama gave to
GM and Chrysler are “small potatoes”
too! They still can’t make it!
By the way I don’t have “an agenda”.
Open your eyes, hero worshipper!
Posted by: reaganfan | October 2, 2009, 12:17 pm 12:17 pm
The fact that Joe Biden has an excellent job with benefits.. should reassure all of the unemployed..not to give up hope.. anyone can get a good job.
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | October 2, 2009, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
Heh why hasn’t Guam’s school system gotten the $107 million from this program to help it pay for new schools it needs and to pay for schools that we built and can’t afford to pay for?
Why have these funds instead been used to Federal Guarantee 2 Home Loans for someone on Guam? WHAT? Yes look at Recovery.Gov and is shows this program was used by someone to get homes. Which cost over $800,000 for one and over $500,000 for the other. Who on Guam can afford that? Gots to be the Federal Receiver that took over the dump…ain’t nobody else making enough money to pay that much for a house on Guam….unless they also got a contract and are getting some of this $$$ that the people ain’t seeing.
This Act and it’s $81 million spent on Guam ain’t created jobs or helped the people. It sure is loading somebody’s pockets up.
Why hasn’t our public school gotten any help from this Joe??
Posted by: Beach671 | October 3, 2009, 7:52 am 7:52 am