Why, oh why, do I think this is all just for show?

In addition to shutting down public-works projects, Schwarzenegger administration moves toward massive state layoffs as legislators again fail to garner the final GOP vote needed to pass a budget.

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Now, the Republicans are looking like the bad guys based on the above statement.  However, it looks like they’re fighting a tax increase, which is good, as a tax break is more likely to help the economy than tying up everyone’s disposable income with more taxes.

Cali needs something, but this ain’t it.

Some locals who depend on conventions to survive say they can’t afford the war of words going on between President Obama and Mayor Oscar Goodman.

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Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think a company that’s taken government money should have extravagant bashes on the taxpayers’ tab, but I also don’t think they should be expected to do absolutely nothing to build morale.  Maybe conventions could be toned down a little?

Bottom line: a fun place to work has more potential to be a successful business, and punishing the low-level employees for high-level stupidity isn’t going to fix anything.

Really, Chuck? You honestly think people don’t care how you spend their money? REALLY?

US lawmakers were to hand Barack Obama the first major win of his week-old presidency on Wednesday, overriding chiefly Republican objections to pass an 825-billion-dollar economic stimulus plan.

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Well, we get lots of pork, including $335,000,000 for STD prevention, and a stimulus package that’ll do little to fix anything.

CHANGE!  HOPE!  POST-PARTISAN!

Whew, that makes it all better!

HT: Business & Media Institute

The nation’s automakers are preparing to ask for wage and benefits concessions from their workers in early January to meet the conditions of a $17.4 billion federal aid package, but labor officials say they will seek to renegotiate the terms of the bailout rather than make those sacrifices.

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While I’m not an auto worker, and have never been in a union, I can sort of see the problem here.  Most Americans are 3 months from bankruptcy, regardless of income (generally, I realize there are exceptions).  We adjust our standard of living with each pay raise so that we continue living paycheck to paycheck at any level.  I also realize that I wouldn’t want to take a 10 to 20% pay cut at this point in life.  However, if it meant I’d still have a job, I would adjust.

Regardless of how the UAW feels, American auto workers have bloated salaries compared to those working for Japanese competitors.  Until that’s adjusted, the Big 3 will suffer.

The nation’s largest banks are refusing to say how they’re spending billions of dollars in taxpayer money.

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So, I was under the impression the main point of “The Bailout” was to get credit flowing again.  However, I suspect most banks either paid off some debts or are hoarding the money to buy smaller banks that collapse (Once you’re a certain size, the government can’t let you fail, right?  RIGHT?).  Not exactly a good return on my money.

An alarming half-million American jobs vanished virtually in a flash last month, the worst mass layoffs in over a third of a century, as economic carnage spread ever faster and the nation hurtled toward what could be the hardest hard times since the Great Depression.

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Yep, it’s getting worse.