Dems hammer Christie with new unemployment numbers
The state Department of Labor reported today that the preliminary unemployment rate has inched up to 9.8 percent in July, up from 9.6 percent the previous month. If those numbers hold - they are sometimes adjusted up or down when new data comes it - it would represent the highest monthly rate since April 1977, according to historical data.
Dems hammer Christie with new unemployment numbers
Matt Katz, Inquirer Staff Writer
For our complete story in Friday's paper, click here.
Using new data that indicates New Jersey’s economy may be getting worse, Gov. Christie’s political opponents are seeking to bloody him up before he heads down to the Republican convention to deliver the keynote speech.
The state Department of Labor reported today that the preliminary unemployment rate has inched up to 9.8 percent in July, up from 9.6 percent the previous month. If those numbers hold – they are sometimes adjusted up or down when new data comes in – they would represent the highest monthly rate since April 1977, according to state records.
The figure is also higher than the national unemployment rate of 8.3 percent. The state said 12,000 jobs were lost, mostly in the private sector.
As the Republicans’ keynote speaker at their national convention in Tampa at the end of the month, Christie is expected to tout his success turning around the New Jersey economy while arguing that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is the candidate best able to put Americans back to work. Christie has been using the term “New Jersey comeback” for months now to tout his success in New Jersey, and Romney recently began calling himself and running-mate U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan “America’s comeback team.”
Christie is on vacation at the Jersey Shore this week, but his office reiterated that the figures are preliminary and only represent one month. Overall, the state is experiencing job growth, according to a spokesman, with positive job numbers having been reported in nine of the last 11 months. Since February 2010, the first full month of Christie's term, 79,000 private sector jobs were added.
In other economic news released yesterday, revenue for the month of July was 3 percent higher than in 2011. That was portrayed as a positive -- but far below the 7 percent annual revenue increase that the governor is banking on to support a proposed income tax cut.
Democrats pounced on the job figures today in a flurry of statements.
"There is no way to interpret this other than bad," said Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester). "I don't want to hear any spin. I don't want to hear anything remotely close to painting this as good news. I don't want a press conference touting these numbers as if it's a 'mission accomplished' moment. What I want to see is this administration admit it is failing in terms of getting people back to work."
And the Democratic state chairman, Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D., Middlesex), said: "Governor Christie talks about telling direct and hard truths when he gets to Tampa. Well, here’s a direct and hard truth, Mr. Governor: New Jersey voters don’t care about whether our governor is famous and popular with his party, they care about having a job and providing for themselves and their families. Stop caring more about your personal reputation and political successes than you do about the people of New Jersey.”
fine, then can Republicans "hammer" Obama with UE numbers if they go up in 2 wks, or should we give him "more time"? Perhaps another summer of Recovery?— Tom813- Its Obama's fault.— psyrus
Comment removed.- There is the Christie myth,
and there is the Ronald Reagan Myth
"The task of watering the arid desert between Reagan's ears is a challenging one for his aides."
Columnist David Broder
"He has the ability to make statements that are so far outside the parameters of logic that they leave you speechless"
Patti Davis (formerly Patricia Ann Reagan) talking about her father, The Way I See It
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Ronald_Reagan/Ronald_Reagan_Myth.html
- Sweeney is such a dope. "I don't want to hear any spin. I don't want to hear anything remotely close to painting this as good news. I don't want a press conference touting these numbers as if it's a 'mission accomplished' moment. What I want to see is this administration admit it is failing in terms of getting people back to work." Hey Steve-o, tell that to the Muslim usurper in the White House.
"— MilesLong1 - @Tom813 - what do you mean "can the Republicans 'hammer' Obama with UE numbers"?!?!?! When have they stopped. From day one that Obama took office, the Republicans have laid the economy and unemployment at the feet of the President, despite repeated consecutive months of job growth. Maybe not at the rate we all want, but growth. The morons in Congress who could actually adopt Obama's jobs bill or offer one of their own have done nothing. Instead, they're too busy trying to repeal ACA over 30 times.
And, @MilesLon1 - Muslim usurper? He's a Christian, not that that should matter; and he usurped nothing. He was elected to office and won the Electoral College easily four years ago. What are you drinking?— veritas1325 - @sharkymachine By the end of Reagan's first term unemployment was down and we were seeing quarters of growth at 4% versus an optimistic 2% for this whole year. Tax cuts worked for JFK to end a recession as well as the former Democrat Reagan to end a recession. It's a pity when ideology and demagoguery get in the way of sound political decisions.— theodotius
- “"Reaganomics," …..
taxpayers earning under $10,000 lost an average of $240 from Reagan's 1981 tax cuts, while those earning more than $80,000 gained an average of $15,130.
By that fall, the jobless rate hit 10.1 percent-the worst in 42 years, and a year later 11.9 million were out of work.
In 1983, the country's poverty rate rose to 15 percent, the highest level since the mid-'60s.
In 1984, a congressional study reported that cuts in welfare had pushed more than 500,000 people-the majority of them children-into poverty.
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Ronald_Reagan/EnduringLies_RonaldReagan.html
- Look out...Christie's going to start snapping at people - interrupting them, calling them names, and putting them down!!!— johnnycola
- veritas1325, one of the main issues that the right wing has with Obama is that he is not a white man.
Obama has enacted or attempted to enact fiscal and foreign policies that Republicans had touted since the Reagan era.
Now that a person of color is the leader of the most powerful country in the world, many white people feel that their identity and heritage is threatened.
That is much is the heat behind the "take our country back" message of the tea party, but when asked about these things in public, they hide behind things like taxes or the economy.
This is also why they claim he is Muslim, Kenyan, or anything other than what makes those whites feel comfortable.— NorthPhillyTechie - veritas1325, one of the main issues that the right wing has with Obama is that he is not a white man.Obama has enacted or attempted to enact fiscal and foreign policies that Republicans had touted since the Reagan era. Now that a person of color is the leader of the most powerful country in the world, many white people feel that their identity and heritage is threatened. That is much is the heat behind the "take our country back" message of the tea party, but when asked about these things in public, they hide behind things like taxes or the economy.This is also why they claim he is Muslim, Kenyan, or anything other than what makes those whites feel comfortable. (HTML deleted)— NorthPhillyTechie
- Krispy Kreme in Tampa will be hiring temps for the RNC— Luriesucks
- Christie, guilty of being a fat disgusting egomaniac.— The One Who Knows
- Dems are always playing some card. When they are in power, it's Republicans' fault. When they are out of power, it's Republicans' fault. Some of this probably has to do with the national economy but Dems will never admit it. Based on the high unemployment rate, the plan to raise the minimum wage in NJ should be scrapped. It's never a good idea to artificially inflate wages during a bad economy. Let's see if Dems put their money where their mouth is or if they'll continue to play another card with that issue.— AvoidSundanceVacations
Reach him at mkatz@phillynews.com or 609-217-8355.
Follow Matt on Twitter: @mattkatz00. Reach Matt at mkatz@phillynews.com or 609-217-8355.
