Going Forward

05/08/2012

2008

US Economic Meltdown

4.4 Million Jobs Loss

US Economy Spirals Down

2009 -2012

Jan 20, 2012 Senator Barack Obama takes the oath as President Of The United States of America

America starts to recover.

Today America’s auto industry is back.

Our enemy brought to justice by our greatest heroes.

Our troops are home from Iraq.

Instead of losing jobs America is creating jobs.

President Obama believes in America and fights for America.

We have more to do but we are coming back.

Because America’s greatness comes from a strong Middle Class.

Because you don’t quit and neither does he…



White House Forum on Women and the Economy

04/05/2012

Today, more than ever before, women are a driving force behind the success of the American economy. Expanding economic opportunities for women and ending discriminatory practices is critical to building an economy that restores security for middle class families, one where hard work and responsibility are rewarded, and where everyone who wants to can find a good job.

On April 6th, the White House Council on Women and Girls is hosting a Forum on Women and the Economy. President Obama will deliver remarks at the Forum to highlight ways the Administration has helped create economic security for women and recognizes that women are key to economic growth and competitiveness. Starting at 8:30 AM EDT, the half-day forum will also include a panel discussion with Senior Administration officials, followed by breakout sessions on: Women at Work, Education, Health, Women’s Entrepreneurship, and Violence Against Women and Girls.

People from across the country can watch the event live at www.wh.gov/live. During the Forum, Administration officials will answer questions from a live audience and also take questions submitted through a form on WhiteHouse.gov and via Twitter with the hashtag #WomenEconForum.

As part of today’s Forum the White House released a new report entitled Keeping America’s Women Moving Forward, The Key to an Economy Built to Last, which examines the ways in which the Administration has worked to ensure women’s economic security through all stages of life – from young women furthering their education and beginning their careers, to working women who create jobs and provide for their families, to seniors in retirement or getting ready for retirement. View the report HERE.

Here’s how you can participate:

  • Right now, you can ask the White House your questions about women and the economy through a web form or on Twitter with the hashtag #WomenEconForum
  •  8:45 AM EDT  12:30 PM EDT watch the forum live at wh.gov/live.
  • 10:15 AM EDT President Obama will deliver remarks.
  • Join the discussion live on Twitter and follow what others are saying with the hashtag #WomenEconForum
  • If you miss the live event, the full video will be posted on WhiteHouse.gov


StartUp America – 3 Day StartUp Events

03/01/2012

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StartUp America

Startup America is the White House initiative to celebrate, inspire, and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation.

Startups are engines of job creation.  Entrepreneurs intent on growing their businesses create the lion’s share of new jobs, in every part of the country and in every industry.  President Obama has called on both the federal government and the private sector to dramatically increase the prevalence and success of entrepreneurs across the country.

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3 Day Startups Events

The idea of 3 Day Startup is simple: start a technology company over the course of three days. We rent work space for an entire weekend, recruit 40 students with a wide range of backgrounds, cater food and drinks, invite top-notch entrepreneurs and investors, pick the best idea for a software startup during the Friday brainstorming session, and release a minimal prototype by Sunday night. The goal is to build enough momentum among a network of motivated people to sustain the company beyond the weekend.

Participants: Passionate students with an entrepreneurial drive, including Computer Science (PhD, MS, undergraduate), MBAs, law students, graphic designers, PR, business undergraduates, etc.

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March 16 – 18, 2012

Santa Fe CIED (Center for Innovation and Economic Development)
Gainesville, FL http://www.s.co/event/3-day-startup-gainesville

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March 16-  18th 2012

International Business School
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA http://www.s.co/event/3-day-startup-brandeis-university

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March 23 – 25, 2012

Miller Hall, School of Communication
The Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL http://www.s.co/event/3-day-startup-florida-state-university

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March 30, 2012 – April 1, 2012

Austin Technology Incubator
3925 West Braker Lane
Austin, TX http://www.s.co/event/3-day-startup-austin

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Apr. 6 – 8, 2012

Duncan Hall at Rice University
Houston, TX http://www.s.co/event/3-day-startup-rice-university

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April 13- 15, 2012

Homeaway World Headquarters
1011 West 5th Street
Austin, TX http://www.s.co/event/3-day-startup-homeaway

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April 13- 15, 2012

Duke and University of North Carolina
Durham, NC http://www.s.co/event/3-day-startup-triangle-duke-and-university-north-carolina

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April 20-22, 2012

Hive at 55, 55 Broad Street
New York City, NY http://www.s.co/event/3-day-startup-nyc

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April 28- 30, 2012

The Green House
685 Auahi St
Honolulu, HI http://www.s.co/event/startup-weekend-honolulu-green-house

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May 4- 6, 2012

University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI http://www.s.co/event/3-day-startup-university-wisconsin-madison


Record Judicial Diversity, Record Judicial Delays

01/05/2012

Creating a judicial pool for the 21st Century, one with intellect, fair-mindedness and integrity that resembles the nation that it serves, is a top priority for President Obama and his administration. In fact, the President’s nominations for federal judges embody an unprecedented commitment to expanding the racial, gender and experiential diversity of the men and women who enforce our laws and deliver justice.

Hon. Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice
confirmation date: 8/6/2009

Hon. Elena Kagan, Associate Justice
confirmation date: 8/7/2010

Unfortunately, the delays these nominees are encountering on Capitol Hill are equally unprecedented: earlier this month, the Senate left for its August recess without considering 20 eminently qualified candidates, 16 of whom had passed through the bipartisan Senate Judiciary Committee completely unopposed, a development the Washington Post called “not only frustrating but also destructive” in an editorial published yesterday.

The victims of these delays, of course, are the American citizens who are being denied the fair and timely judicial proceedings they deserve because of the chronic shortage of federal judges on the bench.  Stephen Zack, president of the American Bar Association, told Senate leaders in a recent letter that the abundance of vacant federal judgeships “create strains that will inevitably reduce the quality of our justice system and erode public confidence in the ability of the courts to vindicate constitutional rights or render fair and timely decisions.”


Broadband.gov

10/27/2011

In February, 2011, President Obama announced details of the “National Wireless Initiative“.

On October 27, 2011, The Federal Communications Commission approved a $4.5 billion broadband Internet fund aimed at giving money to private companies to bring access to rural households.

Learn how the National Broadband Plan is shaping the future of issues that matter to Americans. Get key highlights in the plan about:


GOP’s War on Innovation

10/11/2011


The Right’s War on Innovation

10/9/11 sierraclub.org

The ugly media circus and congressional investigation of Solyndra were scripted and planned long before the solar company filed for bankruptcy.

I know, because in March, at the Eco:Nomics Conference, I watched Kim Strassel of the Wall Street Journal editorial page spend two days trying to get executives from companies like Dow Chemical, DuPont, and Ford to admit that federal support for innovation and competitiveness was unworkable, arguing that the American public would never tolerate the failure of some of these projects.

They didn’t give Strassel what she wanted, but the opportunity to tell that story did present itself on the final day of the conference when Kleiner Perkins partner Ray Lane shot back, “That depends on what you write, Kim. The public will be just fine if you tell the truth.”

But of course telling the truth was not the game plan. When Solyndra filed for bankruptcy, the pre-scripted media circus rolled out. The strategy was simple. The very first time that a clean-energy innovator stumbled, and fell back on its Department of Energy loan guarantee, opponents of clean energy would pounce — with absurd congressional investigations, manufactured scandals in the media, and political theater on Capitol Hill — all to undermine public support for clean-energy technology and the important role of the federal government in supporting that innovation.

It’s important to understand what the Solyndra bankruptcy actually represents — that without failure and without bold risks, we cannot innovate.

The DOE loan guarantee program unblocked hundreds of billions of dollars of private investment in new, clean-energy technologies. That’s hundreds of billions of dollars in investments to create jobs and compete with China’s clean-tech industry — dollars that would never have seen the light of day without federal backing.

To match these private dollars, the DOE loan guarantee program was budgeted to lose $2.5 billion total upon the failure of some of these projects and companies — just as private bankers set aside loan reserves. So far, the DOE program has used less than 20 percent of this budget – hardly the sign of a reckless program that didn’t do adequate diligence.

For the entire article:  http://sierraclub.typepad.com/carlpope/2011/10/-the-rights-war-on-innovation-.html


USDA Rural Development

08/17/2011
The USDA is committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in rural America.USDA’s financial programs support such essential public facilities and services as water and sewer systems, housing, health clinics, emergency service facilities and electric and telephone service. The USDA promotes economic development by supporting loans to businesses through banks , credit unions and community-managed lending pools. USDA offers technical assistance and information to help agricultural producers and cooperatives get started and improve the effectiveness of their operations. USDA provides technical assistance to help communities undertake community empowerment programs.USDA Rural Development has a $115 billion portfolio of loans and will administer $20 billion in loans, loan guarantees and grants through our programs in the current fiscal year. The USDA achieves their mission by helping rural individuals, communities and businesses obtain the financial and technical assistance needed to address their diverse and unique needs.For more information visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/


U.S. Debt Default By The Numbers

07/17/2011

The risk of a U.S. default: By the numbers

Jul 15, 2011 The Week – news.yahoo (Excerpts)

If Congress doesn’t raise the debt ceiling by Aug. 2, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will have to make some very tough choices.

It’s all coming down to the wire. If Congress and President Obama don’t reach a deal to raise the U.S. debt limit by early August, the government won’t be able to honor all of its financial obligations. The nation’s savings account would be essentially empty, and without the authority to borrow, Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner would have to choose which bills to pay from incoming tax revenue — and which bills and obligations to ignore. “You can move the chess pieces around all you want,” says Jay Powell of the Bipartisan Policy Center, but “you’re going to lose.” How much? Here, a look at some numbers underpinning the debate:

$14.294 trillion – Current debt ceiling, reached May 16. Geithner has moved money around so the feds can continue paying the bills through Aug. 2, even though the nation’s legal borrowing limit has already been reached.

$80 million – Number of payments U.S. makes every month

$306.7 billion – Amount the U.S. is obligated to pay from Aug. 3 to Aug. 31

$172.4 billion – Amount of revenue the U.S will bring in from Aug. 3 to Aug. 31

44 – Percentage of those August payments that would have to be immediately scrapped if no deal is reached

$29 billion – Interest payments on Treasury securities due to investors on Aug. 15

$49.2 billion – Social Security benefits to be paid from Aug. 3 to Aug. 31

$50 billion – Medicare and Medicaid benefits to be paid from Aug. 3 to Aug. 31

$31.7 billion – Payments to defense contractors due from Aug. 3 to Aug. 31

$12.8 billion – Unemployment benefits to be paid from Aug. 3 to Aug. 31

$2.9 billion – Active-duty military pay due from Aug. 3 to Aug. 31

$2.9 billion – Veterans Affairs program payments due from Aug. 3 to Aug. 31

$14.2 billion – Federal salaries and benefits due from Aug. 3 to Aug. 31

$12 billion – U.S. tax income expected to be received on Aug. 3

$32 billion – U.S. spending planned for Aug. 3 (including $23 billion in Social Security checks)

50 – U.S. credit rating within 90 days

7,000 – Number of top-rated municipal bonds Moody’s will automatically downgrade without a debt-ceiling deal

$130 billion – Amount of municipal debt affected by the Moody’s ultimatum

74 – Number of times the debt ceiling has been raised since 1962

10 – Number of times the debt ceiling has been raised since 2001


President Obama challenges Congress: Stop the politics, Act now for the American people

06/29/2011

Highlights from President Obama’s June 29th press conference:

” There are a lot of folks out there who are still struggling with the effects of the recession. Many people are still looking for work or looking for a job that pays more. Families are wondering how they’d deal with a broken refrigerator or a busted transmission, or how they’re going to finance their kids’ college education, and they’re also worrying about the possibility of layoffs.

The struggles of middle-class families were a big problem long before the recession hit in 2007. They weren’t created overnight, and the truth is our economic challenges are not going to be solved overnight. But there are more steps that we can take right now that would help businesses create jobs here in America.

Today, our administration is trying to take those steps, so we’re reviewing government regulations so that we can fix any rules in place that are an unnecessary burden on businesses. We’re working with the private sector to get small businesses and start-ups the financing they need to grow and expand. And because of the partnership that we’ve launched with businesses and community colleges, 500,000 workers will be able to receive the right skills and training for manufacturing jobs in companies all across America — jobs that companies are looking to fill.

In addition to the steps that my administration can take on our own, there are also things that Congress could do right now that will help create good jobs

* Congress can send me a bill that would make it easier for entrepreneurs to patent a new product or idea

* Congress can send me a bill that puts construction workers back on the job rebuilding roads and bridges

* Congress can advance a set of trade agreements that would allow American businesses to sell more of their goods and services to countries in Asia and South America

* Congress can extend the tax cut I signed for middle-class families in December for one more year.

* Congress can get rid of tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires; tax breaks for oil companies and hedge fund managers and corporate jet owners

“So the bottom line is this: Any agreement to reduce our deficit is going to require tough decisions and balanced solutions. And before we ask our seniors to pay more for health care, before we cut our children’s education, before we sacrifice our commitment to the research and innovation that will help create more jobs in the economy, I think it’s only fair to ask an oil company or a corporate jet owner that has done so well to give up a tax break that no other business enjoys. I don’t think that’s real radical. I think the majority of Americans agree with that.

So the good news is, because of the work that’s been done, I this we can actually bridge our differences. I think there is a conceptual framework that would allow us to make huge progress on our debt and deficit, and do so in a way that does not hurt our economy right here and right now.

And it’s not often that Washington sees both parties agree on the scale and the urgency of the challenge at hand. Nobody wants to put the creditworthiness of the United States in jeopardy. Nobody wants to see the United States default. So we’ve got to seize this moment, and we have to seize it soon. The Vice President and I will continue these negotiations with both leaders of both parties in Congress for as long as it takes, and we will reach a deal that will require our government to live within its means and give our businesses confidence and get this economy moving. “

President Obama 6/9/11

For the entire transcript: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/06/29/press-conference-president

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Contact your legislator NOW YOU CAN HELP BY CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN!

U.S. Senators
U.S. Representatives
Tweet a Message to Your Representatives


Stop.Think.Connect

06/26/2011

Stop.Think.Connect

“People cannot value security without first understanding how much is at risk. Therefore, the Federal government should initiate a national public awareness and educational campaign…This campaign should focus on public messages to promote responsible use of the Internet and awareness of fraud, identity theft, cyber predators, and cyber ethics.”

 White House Cyberspace Policy Review June 2009

Stop.Think.Connect. is a national public awareness effort to guide the nation to a higher level of Internet safety by challenging the American public to be more vigilant about practicing good “cyber hygiene.” It will persuade Americans to see Internet safety as a shared responsibility—at home, in the workplace, and in our communities—and demonstrate that shared responsibility by bringing together a coalition of federal, state and local government, as well as private sector partners.

The creation of Stop. Think. Connect. was the result of an intensive collaborative effort over the past year from the Online Consumer Security and Safety Messaging Convention, an effort organized by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), key industry leaders, government agencies, and nonprofits.

Led by the Department of Homeland Security, the ultimate goal of Stop. Think. Connect. is to raise awareness among the American public about the need to strengthen cybersecurity—and to generate and communicate new approaches and strategies to help Americans increase their safety and security online.


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