Democratic Convention - Energy & Healthcare, What about Manufacturing? - Open Thread

Just out of curiosity, tonight I just started watching today's DNC, missed the first hour (6pm CST).  So far I've heard a ton about healthcare, and Steny Hoyer has said something about jobs. Well, actually, right now, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, who is doing a question and answer session using a panel. She's actually specifically mentioned industrial jobs. The theme so far in the questioning is that clean energy will equal more jobs. A steelworker from Pennsylvania is saying because of regulations requiring clean energy, steel workers are getting more jobs because of the needed metal.

Update: Use this blog post to discuss the Democratic convention, the speeches, the missing policy, good points, issues and general chatter this week.

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Manufacturing

I did not see anything about these policies that Gov. Graham mentioned on his website and more importantly I am not seeing those investment numbers tied to US citizens, to US workers to jobs in the United States.

They are not doing the thing that most needs to be done, which is to renegotiate those trade agreements and come up with a division, like the CBO or GAO to analyze trade deficits, trade policy, agenda in detail and provide recommendations to Congress.

Where is the US citizens first for jobs in America promise?

Are you noticing no one in the audience is listening to these speakers? My God, a Republican coming along and endorsing a Democratic one would think would get some attention and of course these regular folk up speaking about being completely ignored.

I wrote a piece about the Green Collar Jobs pointing these problems.

They simply must address the arbitrage issue.

I mean this isn't like before, those jobs could be moved offshore in 6 months or if they get their way with comprehensive immigration reform and the massive increase in guest worker Visas...they can displace US workers that way as well.

(Johnny, I changed your post to more of an open thread in hopes we can get others to start discussing the Democratic platform and presentation in terms of policy).

good points

You know, I have yet to hear anyone talk about what you mentioned. Immigration, or at the very least those H1B visas, can in a way be sorta like wage arbing. And yes, there is nothing to stop these companies from, after giving them grants for green investments, moving the stuff overseas or even to Mexico! Also, good idea on moving this to general discussion. I'm dying to know what others think, as more speakers show up.

business, business, business

Somehow they are just going to create these business friendly states to come and have jobs in them.

This is the DLC. Tax incentives to business, tax incentives to business.

Let's see. Howz that working out with the massive tax breaks already given to companies to invest here in the States? I believe IBM is moving offshore as fast as they can and in spite of tax incentives, promises and deals companies take these and then...move offshore.

Well if the carrot won't work....

Then it's time we should warn 'em that we could take a new tactic.

I think so

Because at least in the case of IBM, they just plain got the money, offshore outsourced the jobs and even sold off divisions to others and all sorts of fun business games can go on....yet they got the taxpayer money anyway.

If they are going to do that they must tie in an iron clad contract that says they have to create jobs, x # of US workers and for a specified time period to at least make the taxpayer investment pay off.

IBM is mostly offshore and moving the last remnants

It's also interesting to note that IBM is HQ'd in New York and many, many of the remaining jobs being offshored are/were also in NY.

So, in a major media/financial center of the world, the press and Democrat politicians have been largely silent on this? I recall that Sen. H. Clinton is a senator from NY but has anyone seen a single press account of her discussing the IBM offshoring? Has Sen. "anti-NAFTA" denounced the offshore outsourcing of American IBM jobs to India?

NO!!!

Hypocrites ALL!???!!!

cell phone industry?

ok, so firstly that's just plain wrong, you can do a startup throughout Europe, China, India easily. It's not just America and I'd claim Finland has way more support systems in place to make it even easier because one doesn't have to worry about being able to make the rent in the process as badly as it is in the United States.

So, does that mean everybody gets the chance to start a business in order to become a billionaire? I'm talking about the opening of Mark Warner's speech.

Training?

Oh God, this is not good listening to Warner for Americans already are the most highly educated in the world. This is higher education, not K12 and there is a glut of top tier engineers already who cannot find a job.

He sounded good, but it also laithed with some BS

I hear what you're saying. He does sound good, and for a moment thought that maybe Obama picked th wrong guy, then he did the cell phone piece. Some points he made were valid, but I think you were spot on with your assessment. And I think, after talking with this guy, is why Obama didn't pick him also.

note on ads

Sorry about the sudden flurry of GOP ads on the site. That's an automated program which places based on content. Trying to earn a little cash to pay for the site and so of course the minute the keyword "Democratic" popped up they are using this fact to promote their party!

Ha ha! bear in mind if anyone c___ licks (put those together this is a no no to say anyone should do such a thing) they pay for it!

Made ya some $$$

Hey, c----- licked on one, let 'em pay us for their stupid propaganda. I hope they pay you on time.

don't use the c word

that will get us in trouble.

Odd...no mention of finance

Well, you'd think someone would talk more about Fannie and Freddie. Plus that FDIC is looking at bucket-load of banks! Odd.

training and education

is the same line as the Repubs. It's also downright insulting to Americans to try to imply the issue is they are uneducated and not skilled. This is proven to be fiction. US workers are already the highest trained and educated. They simply are not addressing the wage ratio difference between the United States and emerging nations...plus literally they trade away jobs for some nebulous foreign policy.

I also note that manufacturing is almost non-existent.

They did a brief mention of tax credits for advanced manufacturing but the entire sector needs much more than that. For one they need to stop allowing manufacturing that is critical to national security from going offshore or being bought out by sovereign wealth funds. Then, how about simply banning the outsourcing of federal and state jobs. I think that one is stuck on stupid for that is taxpayer dollars and they should be recirculating in the domestic economy. While they think they are saving money for services when people do not have jobs that costs much more money to the US economy and the taxpayer.

Clinton speech

I'm just so amused, how scripted. They started with Hillary signs and then transitioned to Obama signs. Somehow I don't think that is going to pull in the Clintonistas with that nice imagery.

Where are Foreclosures?

I'm watching Bill Speech and I notice there isn't any mention of the financial crisis, the biggest economic implosion of this time.

War of the Public Relations, Marketing and Advertising

This is incredible. This is government? We're having dueling public relations wars in this theater of campaigns. We have the rock star blast for accepting the nomination to rule lead the nation and now we have immediate ads inserted placed on the TV coverage by the other side, along with denials promises to not rain on their parade while promoting leaks speculation, carefully timed repressed on the VP pick.

Obama no capital gains on startups

I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow

Ya all, I mentioned this previously but unless someone else can explain something to me, this reeks like a glory hole for hedge funds.

Why, when startups need capital, they are not publicly traded and private do they need no capital gains tax?

They do not even go IPO sometimes for years because they are absorbing capital and building up a business.

One of the huge frauds of the dot con era was hype and fiction as well as an insider game in the IPO offering.

Is this just for corporate entities and not for the individuals and founders who started the company and were compensated with options? What about the alt. minimum tax?

1. Magically every hedge fund and private equity firm is a startup, wala, they pay no capital gains

2. in a traditional startup, there is extensive stock options...so are they saving even in private holdings there is no capital gains? Well, how is that going to keep private equity and VCs from plain trading these like baseball cards and what about the actual profits
beyond creating fictional businesses, labeling them startups and trading worthless options like baseball cards?

This sounds like it can make the Dot Con era look like legitimate business dealings.

texting

uh, doesn't texting make a huge amount of money for cell phone companies?