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The comments and analysis in *RED* are from the web host.
The following May 29, 2007 speech by Senator
Clinton will be analyzed based on information documented in
REPORTCARD2000.com.
Again, the comments and analysis in *RED* are
from the web host.
·
* Background: The following speech and analysis exemplifies
the deceptive tactics and unprincipled politics used by Senator Hillary
Clinton. If there was any doubt about
the validity and relevance in the analytical
content in ReportCard2000.com, it should be dispelled from the
following analysis and a specific reference
by Senator Clinton in the May 29, 2007 speech.
Looking back, from the
analysis of Senator Clinton’s comments
on February 7, 2005 we learned that Senator Clinton will make untrue statements
in an attempt to advance a political agenda.
This is clearly evidenced by her statement the CBO “predicted” a $5.6
trillion budget surplus when the CBO explicitly stated they were not making
a prediction. The necessary links are
included in Senator Clinton’s quote
analysis. Furthermore, we
saw Senator Clinton’s lack of understanding of the budget process when she
concluded on September 5, 2001 the Republican administration had “shrunk” the
budget surplus when the CBO included in the January 2001 report a total of
eleven pages of uncertainties
surrounding the projection. In other
words, Senator Clinton ignored all but 2 sentences of the 190 page January 2001
CBO budget report to advance a political agenda. This is also a clear indication Senator
Clinton has a tactic of using deceit to advance a political agenda. Finally, Senator Clinton quotes excerpts from
the 2001 budget projections without any comment on the use of forward-looking
statements. On February 7, 2005, by
stating the CBO predicted a surplus, Senator Clinton willingly tried to advance
a political agenda using deceitful tactics associated with forward-looking
statements that, if made by a public company CEO relative to the public
company, would expose the CEO to a five-year prison sentence and fines.
With the above background
about Senator Clinton’s tactics we will move to the analysis of the text of the
speech. *
ECONOMIC POLICY: Modern Progressive Vision: Shared Prosperity
Speech by Senator Hillary Clinton
Well,
Colleen, I can assure you that as President, I will strongly support schools
like the
And that
is because this school has great leadership. I want to especially thank the
Principal. Karen White has led this school in an exemplary fashion, and I know
she's worked closely with Governor Lynch to design the plans that will enable
the school to be renovated and grow even stronger in the future. I really
applaud your leadership, Karen. Because you can't look at the Manchester School
of Technology without realizing that it didn't happen by accident. It was built
by the people of this state who, even 25 years ago, understood that to compete
in today's economy, young people need the skills for today's jobs. That's what
we've always done here in
Now we've
done this before. We did the same thing back at the turn of the 20th century.
Back then, the American economy was dominated by large corporate monopolies.
Corruption was far too common and good government far too rare. Women couldn't
vote, and the minimum wage, well, that wasn't heard of and worker rights were
completely unimagined. Back then,
In
response to these excesses, the progressive movement was born. Throughout the
late 1800s and early 1900s, the progressives busted trusts and fought for safe
working conditions and fair wages. They created the national park system, and
replaced a government rife with cronyism with a merit-based civil service. They
understood, as the great progressive President Teddy Roosevelt once said, that
"The welfare of each of us is dependent fundamentally upon the welfare of
all of us."
Well,
today, at the beginning of the 21st century, I think it's time we remembered
those lessons. For the first time in history, we have a truly global economy. * Note the senator is stating that historical
comparisons are not necessarily valid in the new global economy. (This does not prevent the senator from
drawing comparisons to the 1929 US economy in the text that follows.)* Workers today think nothing of holding
teleconferences with colleagues on three continents at once or e-mailing
business partners across the globe. Companies also think nothing of shipping
our jobs -- even entire factories -- overseas. * on what is this based?
There is always tremendous analysis when considering a business
relocation. * Today * as
opposed to 1929? (The senator references
1929 in the text that follows. The importance of the 1929 reference will make
sense below)*, competition no longer stops at the water's edge. In
fact, for many of our companies, that's where it starts. For example,
At the
same time, technology is playing an increasingly important role. It's really
revolutionizing how we live and work. We're seeing
Like it or
not, that is the reality of globalization. And it isn't going away. However, if
managed properly, globalization may offer the promise of new markets, new
growth, and new opportunities for broadly shared prosperity to young people
like Colleen.
Unfortunately,
we're not managing globalization properly. Instead of working for all of us,
globalization is working only for a few of us.
* Senator Clinton is ignoring
the lower cost goods available from overseas producers that are available to
all of us. *
Now, it is
working for corporations. Corporate profits have grown an average of 13% a year
since 2001, adjusted for inflation. *
Based on my understanding of corporate profits, 70 percent are now generated
from foreign sources.*
It's working for CEOs who've seen their pay go from 24 times the typical
worker's in 1965, to 262 times the typical worker in 2005. And it's working for
Americans with incomes at the very top. In 2005, all income gains went to the
top 10% of households, * a review of
AGI fluctuations indicates the top 1 percent also did the best in
the late 1990s * while the bottom 90% saw their incomes
decline, in spite of the fact that worker productivity has increased for six
years. * As stated earlier, worker
productivity increases as an economy becomes more capital intensive. That is because it takes less labor hours to
generate higher revenues. The senator
earlier acknowledged this fact. The oil
and gas industry is capital intensive and Reuters
reports there is over $400,000 of profit generated for every employee and over
$4,000,000 of revenue per employee.
However, because of the huge capital demands, the Returns on Investment
are comparable to many other industries.
Worker productivity in the oil and gas industry is high. According to Senator Clinton, employees in
the oil and gas industry must be the hardest working people in the world.*
Now, in
past economic expansions, that's not the way it was. In the past, about 75% of
net corporate revenues have gone to employee compensation * To compare the results of the current US
economic expansion in the new global economy to historic expansions that
occurred prior to when the US competed against inexpensive labor overseas
demonstrates the senator’s lack of understanding of the global economy. In addition, the senator is either demonstrating
a lack of understanding on the affects of capital investment on an economy or
the senator is intending to be deceitful.
For some reason the senator believes historical economic expansion
comparisons are somehow now relevant (even though the senator previously stated
the US was in a “new” global economy).
When you read further, the senator will discount the importance of
historical data.* and
only 25% to profits. However, for the past five years, the comparable figures
are 41% going to employee compensation and 59% going to profits. Think about
this: last year, the share of
The
inescapable reality is that globalization, modern technology, economic policy,
are creating new conditions that threaten our middle class families and make it
harder to achieve a middle class lifestyle. * Now the senator is stating that globalization is creating
new conditions. This further questions
the relevance of a 1929 economy comparison.
We learned from other quotes cited in the website the senator has a
propensity for political opportunism.*
Now,
during the second half of the 1990s, productivity growth led to rising incomes
across the board. * Was rising
productivity the cause of rising incomes in the late 1990s? There was record Direct
Foreign Investment and record domestic investment in the new
economy. With productivity being a function
of GDP and labor hours, productivity increases can be significantly influenced
by capital investment.
REPORTCARD2000.com provides clarification on the sources of funds that
lead to the increase in wages.*
But over the past six years, while productivity has gone up
18 percent -- that means Americans are working harder than ever * increases in productivity does not mean Americans are
working harder. The senator either does
not understand the formula to measure productivity or is being deceitful. Because labor hours are the denominator in
the equation, fewer hours worked can lead to an increase in productivity.* and, by most indicators * “most indicators” is not defined. The
The global labor market may even be depressing wages for
skilled and professional jobs. Since 2001, new jobs created in
And back
in 2000, child poverty was the lowest it had been in 20 years. Since then it
has risen by 1.3 million. And today we have 12 million children living in
poverty. * The reduction in child
poverty was a function of the higher wage rates from the considerable
investment in the
Now, given these realities, it's unsurprising we're seeing
rising inequality and rising pessimism in our workforce.
Today more than 80 percent of Americans believe that our
manufacturing jobs are at risk of being outsourced. * The
senator states below manufacturing jobs should not be unionized.*
And let's
be clear. It's not as if
As a
result, the gap between those who are enjoying the fruits of the modern economy
and those who aren't is growing wider.
In 1970,
the top 1 percent of households held roughly 9 percent of our nation's income. * In spite of the senator acknowledging we
are in an unprecedented global economy, the senator draws on another historical
comparison. In addition, Figure 20
explains why the senator selected 1970.
A casual observer to Figure
20 will notice the maximum Salaries and Wage percentage in GDP
occurred in 1970 at approximately 53 percent.
From 1970 forward as the
Now, our founders knew that inequality wasn't good for our
country. They believed that vast concentrations of wealth were a threat to
democracy. They believed
But today, that ideal is at risk. We are in danger of
losing that uniquely American engine of opportunity that has created so much
wealth and spread it so widely.
Believe it or not, today in some parts of Europe there is
more social mobility than right here in
Well, now
we haven't heard much from
I believe people are fed up with the policies of the past
six years. So many people I talk to just want to hit the restart button on the
21st century and redo it the right way. And I agree with them. * This is only anecdotal evidence, nothing substantive.*
Now, after
all, we started the decade with rising incomes, declining inequality * not
true, Figure 23
shows the widening inequity in the late 1990s and wages peaked in 2000,* robust job growth and a surplus in our
federal budget. * The CBO did indicate
the 2000 economy was slowing
at an unexpected rate and the “new economy” of 2000 may only be temporary*. Instead of building on policies that worked * The policies did not
work because the economy was slowing and investments were declining before
President Clinton left office. Looking
at Figure 20 in
REPORTCARD2000.com you can easily see the temporary nature of the economy of
the late 1990s.* , the
Washington Republicans reversed them with predictable but intolerable
consequences. * Again, the CBO had stated in January 2001 the economy was
declining at an unexpected rate.*
I believe that one of the most crucial jobs of the next
president is to define a new vision of economic fairness and prosperity for the
21st century, a vision for how we ensure greater opportunity for our next
generation, and then to outline a strategy and then to implement it.
Today, I
believe we need a new progressive vision for this new century. Now, I consider
myself a thoroughly optimistic and modern progressive. I believe we can grow
our economy in the face of global competition, and in a way that benefits all
Americans.
I believe we can curb the excesses of the marketplace and
provide more opportunities for more Americans to succeed.
I believe
we can support and promote smart trade policies that truly enforce strong labor
* the senator below states only jobs
not at risk of outsourcing should unionize.* and environmental
standards.
I believe we can help more workers join unions to improve
wages and conditions in our workplaces for jobs that cannot be shipped
overseas. * The senator only thinks unions are valid for
jobs that are not at risk of being shipped overseas. Apparently the senator does not believe high
risk manufacturing jobs should be unionized.*
I believe
that, just as 20th-century progressives fought corruption with a new civil
service, we can restore competence to the front lines of our government and
ensure that we never, ever experience another Hurricane Katrina. *
Similar to making a reference to 1929 and the hopes of capturing a negative
connotation, the senator is now referencing Hurricane Katrina, an event that
was influenced and impacted by all levels of government. The senator’s tactic of referencing
cataclysmic events like the depression and Katrina is now obvious.*
In short, I
believe that our government can once again
* “once again”, exactly what
time period is the senator referencing and how did the government work for all
Americans* work for all
Americans. It can promote the great American tradition of opportunity for all
and special privileges for none.
Today I
want to focus on how we ensure both strong economic growth and economic
fairness.
Now, we have seen for more than a century that fairness
doesn't just happen. It requires the right government policies. And no one should be surprised, human nature being what it is, people
will go as far as they possibly can get away with. *
Here the senator’s speech explains the human nature associated with how far a
senator will go to try to become President.
The senator has focused on a significant reason there is a need for
auditors and forensic accountants.
Without scrutiny the senator highlights why, in her opinion, people will
continually test the limit. The senator
has just identified the need for REPORTCARD2000.COM. Conforming to the senator’s opinion about
human nature, politicians “being people will go as far as they possibly can get
away with.” REPORTCARD2000.COM in the Quotes section identifies innumerable
deceptions and unprincipled political statements and the website provides
meaningful evidence the senator’s opinion about human nature applies to
politicians.*
The genius
of the American economic in the 20th century was that it helped to counter that
tendency for people to push as far as their own interests would take them so
that we created a leveler playing field that benefited everyone. * Except for the widening AGI levels that
occurred in the late 1990s.*
Unfortunately,
for the past six years it's as though we've gone back to the era of the robber
barons. Year after year the president has handed out massive tax breaks to oil
companies, no-bid contracts to Halliburton, tax incentives to corporations
shipping jobs overseas, tax cut after tax cut to multimillionaires, while
ignoring the needs and aspirations of tens of millions of working families. * The senator’s assertions are not validated
by the facts. The tax revenues have
nearly returned to historical averages.
In addition, domestic spending is higher per capita now than in the late
1990s. See the current
data in REPORTCARD2000.com.
Also, the senator is using Halliburton and other examples as a negative
word association tactic similar to the 1929 and Katrina references.*
And how
has he paid for all of this largess? By running up record deficits. He has
simply charged it to our national credit card and left our children and
grandchildren to pay the bill. * To understand what happened in the late 1990s
and early 2000s requires a critical reading of the contents in
REPORTCARD2000.com. The effort required
to understand what really happened is considerable and the senator is assuming
most voters are not willing to invest the time and energy to study the
issue. The senator’s tactics are clearly
politics without principles.*
In fact, every baby born today starts like with $29,000 of
national debt on his or her tiny shoulders, the largest birth tax in our
nation's history.
It's also important to understand these policies are
consistent with the administration's theory about how we should manage our
economy: leave it all up to the individual.
That's why
they want to privatize Social Security and let individuals bear the risks. * Social Security (SS) was designed to operate as a
pay-as-you-go system. Until 1983 SS was
operating essentially as it was designed.
After 1983 SS has experienced a surplus under the assumption the SS
surpluses would be available for the retiring baby-boom generation. Because the debt of the entire government is
the only relevant debt figure, the debt between government agencies is
irrelevant. In other words, the SS
surplus has been a sur-tax on the wage earners, as the baby-boom retirement
demands will have to come from additional future borrowings. The late Senator Patrick Moynihan, a Democrat
from New York, was an advocate to remove the working-class sur-tax that exists
from the SS surplus. Privatizing SS was
a step towards allowing the SS surplus to be invested by the individuals paying
the excess and to remove the tax inequity that was addressed by Senator
Moynihan.* It's why their
answer to the health care crisis is limited to creating health savings account,
which allows the healthiest people to get the best deal, with little concern if
the sickest get worse. * The senator missed an opportunity to address the growing
obesity problem in the US. The health
savings accounts are partly designed as an incentive for people to take better
care of themselves and thereby reduce associated health care costs.*
They call it the ownership society. But it's really the
"on your own" society.
On the
other hand, they protect the drug companies from competition, including from
their own products coming back across the border from
As a result, too many of our families are left running in
place or falling behind.
Health
care premiums have gone up 87 percent since 2000; college costs up 40 percent
since the 2000 school year. Gas prices have more than doubled. And I don't need
to tell anyone that they're heading even higher today.
Wages and
incomes are lagging so much that, after five years of overall growth, there's
been a 4 percent increase in the percentage of workers falling below the
poverty line, and a 4 percent increase in working families losing their health
insurance. * The decline in investment in the
It's like
our middle-class and hardworking families are invisible to this president. * The
CBO stated in 2001 the “new economy” may be temporary. Figure
20 is clear evidence the “new economy” of the late 1990s was
temporary.*
If you're
a worker who can't organize for fair wages and safe working conditions, you're
invisible.
If you're
one of the over 45 million Americans who don't have health insurance, you're
invisible, too.
If your
company has shipped your job overseas and you don't know how to pay your bills,
well, you're invisible.
If you
drive up to the gas station and have to pay $3.20 or $3.30 a gallon to fill up
your tank, you're invisible as well. * Everyone is paying these prices so everyone
is invisible.*
Well, you're not invisible to me. And we can't restore the
American dream unless you're a very visible part of it.
It's time
for a new beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few and for
the few, time to reject the idea of an "on your own" society and to
replace it with shared responsibility for shared prosperity. I prefer a
"we're all in it together" society.
Now, there
is no greater force for economic growth than free markets, but markets work
best with rules that promote our values, protect our workers and give all
people a chance to succeed.
When we
get our priorities in order and make the smart investments we need, the markets
work well.
Some of
you might remember that, while we began the 1990s with record deficits, we
ended the decade with a balanced budget, a record surplus, higher wages for the
middle class, and 22 million new jobs. * REPORTCARD2000.com details how the
surpluses and wage gains occurred. Figure 20 shows the temporary nature of the 1990s
economy.*
Now, of course, we can't simply
recycle the policies that worked in the 1990s. These are different times. *
This statement demonstrates clearly the political opportunism tactic utilized
by the senator. Earlier the senator made
two comparative references to the 1929 economy but here the senator states what
happened a mere 10 years ago is not relevant for comparison to current
decisions. This is a clear indication the
senator knows the budget surpluses and wage gains of the late 1990s were the
result of short term investment spikes, a hyped stock market generating capital
gains and defense spending cuts. The
senator is clearly not willing to discuss the details of the economy of the
late 1990s. If there was ever a doubt
about the validity of the contents and conclusions of REPORTCARD2000.com, the
senator’s refusal to discuss the details of the 1990s economy should dispel all
the concerns. If there were a Democrat secret
to the success of the 1990s economy, the senator would certainly tout the
policy at this point.*
But we can
return to many of the principles that guided us then, the principles that have
worked time and time again to build our economy, expand opportunity, and offer
all Americans the chance to have that American dream which we promised. *
What principle is the senator referencing?
The senator already stated the policies of the late 1990s cannot be
repeated. So what are the principles to
be repeated? Also, the senator says,
“that American dream we promised”.
The senator apparently thinks the American dream is something to be
granted by her and her colleagues.*
Now, I'm the product of this chance. I grew up in a
middle-class family in the middle of
My father
came back from World War II after having served in the Navy, and he worked hard
to build his small business. He believed that one should avoid being in debt at
all costs, and instilled in me the importance of being responsible with a
budget at an early age, a value I still hold dear today.
Like
millions of other families, we worked hard, we saved and we invested. And
together, our determination and work ethic helped to create the American middle
class.
Now that
middle class is under assault from global economic forces and wrongheaded
economic policies. * Was it wrongheaded
economic policies that lead to the decline
in the economy starting in 2000 as referenced by the CBO in January
2001?* So I'm proposing a
new progressive plan to restore that American dream and to give all Americans
the chance to compete and prosper in the global economy.
Here's what I believe we should do.
First, I'm going to work to level the playing field and
reduce the special breaks for big corporations. We say this in every campaign.
We make a little bit of progress. And then unfortunately, when the Republicans
get back in office, they reverse everything we've done and add to the corporate
welfare. * Apparently the senator believes
the flat corporate profits,
a factor in the unsustainable economy of the late 1990s, is a good
policy.*
Well, I
think we're going to have a better shot this time because we're going to make
it an issue in this campaign. We're going to ask people who are running for
Congress to sign up one way or the other: Are they for corporate welfare, or
are they for the average American having a decent shot at the American dream? * A populist message being advanced by the
senator.*
And
there's a lot we could do right now.
You know,
I believe that if we did give Medicare the chance to negotiate with drug
companies, we would save $10 billion to $15 billion a year. * An explanation on
the impact on innovation when profits decline would be beneficial to
demonstrate an understanding of the situation.* Why should the drug companies be immune from
the process that goes on every day in
When Bill was president, he gave it to the V.A., which is
one of the reasons why the V.A. has the lowest drug prices in
We also
need to require the big oil companies that are making the largest profits in
the history of the world to invest in alternative energy themselves or pay into
a fund to spur clean energy research and development. * Why not just advance a tax at the pumps? The affect will be the same.* And there are many other examples that we
could all give about how to zero in on corporate welfare.
Second,
let's once and for all get rid of the incentives for American companies to ship
jobs and profits overseas. It is one thing for the marketplace to encourage
overseas investment. It's another for our own tax code to do so. * So
non-competitive corporations will benefit the
But that's
exactly what is happening. Today, American companies that ship jobs overseas
don't have to pay a penny in American taxes on the profits they make abroad
unless they bring those profits back to the
It's
estimated this policy costs us billions of dollars each year in lost tax
revenues. * How is the tax loss
estimated? Is there a static assumption
in the estimate that no companies will leave the USA?* Even worse, we actually put companies that
want to create jobs here on our shores at a disadvantage to those who ship jobs
to tax havens.
Now, when
I'm president we're going to reward decisions to create jobs here at home. We
will consider eliminating the deduction for the actual costs of moving jobs. * So maybe companies will just start
overseas.*
These are
decisions that, if there's going to be a level playing field, there should be
no advantage given to anyone who takes a job and sends it overseas at the
disadvantage of our workforce.
Third,
let's reform the governance of our corporations and our financial sector. If
you have any doubt about whether corporate governance impacts ordinary
Americans, just think back to what happened at Enron, where thousands of
workers lost much of their retirement savings.
* Sarbanes-Oxley was designed
for reform. Is there a correlation to
the demands of Sarbanes-Oxley and the number of companies departing the
The way I
see it, allowing CEOs to escape with golden parachutes while their companies
abandon workers' pensions does not honor our values. *
Obviously.*
We need to
open up CEO compensation to public scrutiny and public challenge and ensure
that boards of directors are independent when determining CEO pay. * There already is more public exposure to
compensation.* And we need
to update our regulations to confront the emerging problems in our sub-prime
and private equity markets.
Fourth,
let's restore fiscal responsibility to our government. Let's get back to
balanced budgets and save Social Security instead of running up our
deficits. * The senator already
stated the policies used to balance the budget in the late 1990s are no longer
valid, so what are we going to get back to doing?*
You know,
people ask me all the time, "Why can't we get tough on
And when
the president's irresponsible tax breaks for high-income Americans expire, we
will return to the income tax rates for upper- income Americans that we had in
the 1990s, rates that were consistent with a balanced budget and economic growth.
* The senator earlier stated the
techniques used in the 1990s are not valid in today’s economy and now the
senator says we need to return to the higher tax rates that led to the balanced
budgets of the 1990s. The senator is
again indulging in a deceitful tactic.*
For
middle-class Americans, who haven't seen their paychecks increase, let's keep
the middle-class tax cuts and reform the alternative minimum tax in order to
give middle-class Americans the tax relief they deserve to have.
And let's
take a hard look at corporate tax reform. It's simply not fair that as
corporate profits have skyrocketed, the percentage of taxes paid by
corporations have fallen. * Based on my
latest information, 70 percent of the corporate profits are generated from
foreign sources. The senator is not
providing details for a complete understanding on the tax dynamics associated
with foreign income.*
It's time we restored the balance and required corporations
to pay their fair share. Under the law, after all, they are citizens of the
Fifth,
let's recommit ourselves to the idea that every young person in
We know
that having the most skilled, educated workforce in the world is key to our
future success. * No doubt.*
That starts at the very beginning, with access to universal pre-kindergarten:
high-quality learning opportunities for every 4-year-old in
We know
that pre-kindergarten keeps kids in school longer, keeps them out of trouble,
gives them more incentive to be academically interested and that it is a good
payoff for our country: For every dollar invested, we get a $7 return.
The
alternative is to pay costs in other ways. A startling fact is that some states
in our country, when they're planning how many prison beds they need, look at
third-grade test scores. And they extrapolate from the number of children who
are failing in third-grade reading as to how many prison beds they'll need.
That's a
lot more expensive than providing pre- kindergarten to those same children to
hopefully keep them out of our prisons.
We also
have to do more to raise up the opportunity for young people from middle-class
and working families and poor families to be able to go to college.
75 percent
of students at
We've got
to make college affordable again, and that means everything from increasing
Pell grants to changing the way college loans are provided and cleaning up the
college loan industry from all of the scandals that is besetting it. Because if
we don't make college affordable, we are seeing the results: Young people can't
go.
The last
time I was in
Sixth, for
those who don't attend four-year colleges and those in the workforce who need
to update their skills, let's provide more support for schools like this and
for community colleges that prepare people for good, high-paying jobs.
And let's
provide wage insurance for our workers so that if you lose your job because of
our trade policies, you can get the training and support you need for a new and
better job.
There are
a lot of jobs in our country that are going begging because we don't have the
people with the skills to be able to fill those jobs.
Two
examples.
We will
need 35,000 automotive mechanics every year from now until 2010.
Automotive
Retailing Today reports that we have 37,000 vacancies for mechanics right now.
These jobs pay salaries up to $70,000 a year. And employers are aggressively
recruiting talented high school graduates to fill these positions.
I met
recently with the Machinist union. They were telling me the same thing about
Airline Mechanics. They have hundreds of good jobs they can't fill. It's not
just that we can't fill these jobs; it's that we've come to a point in our
society where, frankly, we don't have the respect that that these jobs should
demand.
This is
something I feel very strongly about. We have sent a message to our young
people that if you don't go to college and you don't have a high paying
job---something like a basketball player or an entertainer, or maybe someone in
a corporation---that you're thought less of in
And it is
time we begin to reverse the attitude that I think for too long has prevailed,
which is why I'm so pleased that Governor Lynch will be adding to the money
available through the state for technology and other kinds of advanced degree
learning that can give young people a belief that doing these jobs is
important.
As
Senator, I championed Regional Skills Alliances that support employers in the
same geographic region and industry. They support employers who pool their
resources and broaden opportunities so that employees can get the training they
need in today's economy. I think we need more programs like this. And when I'm
President, we're going to create more programs like this so that our workers
will have the skills they need for the jobs they deserve.
As
senator, I championed regional skills alliances that support employers in the
same geographic region and industry. They support employers who pool their
resources and broaden opportunities so employees can get the training they need
in today's economy.
Those
1,200 people who come at night: That's what they're doing. They're trying to
get additional skills that will enable them to fill jobs that already exist in
this region.
And we're
going to create more jobs and more regional skills alliances when I'm
president.
Seventh,
let's ensure that people who work hard every day can support their families and
save for the future. I do not believe anyone who works full-time in
Now that
we've finally reach the minimum wage, let's expand and simplify the Earned
Income Tax Credit so no one working full time lives in poverty.
Let's also finally overhaul our unemployment insurance
program. Today's unemployment benefits aren't even enough to keep an average
family above the poverty line. And many workers in today's economy -- including
part time and self-employed workers -- are still ineligible for unemployment
insurance.
Our
unemployment system has hardly changed at all over the last 70 years, and yet
we know a lot of employers don't want to give people full time jobs. They only
give them part time jobs so they don't have to pay for benefits. So when
someone is laid off or loses that part time job, under our existing system even
though it was all they could get, they're not eligible for unemployment
insurance help. So I'm hoping * I’m
hoping too* that we can do a better job by looking at our
unemployment system and bringing it into the modern age.
I think we also have to have a modern attitude toward
unions. We know that unionized workers make 30% more than workers who aren't in
unions. But today, just 7% of our private sector workplace is unionized.
We need to
give workers more of the benefits that come with union membership. Let's pass
the Employee Free Choice Act to make sure our unions can organize for fair
wages and safe working conditions. Let's appoint people to the Department of
Labor who are truly pro-labor. That would be an unusual idea, don't you think?
Unions
played a critical role in building the middle class, and I don't think it's a
coincidence that as union membership has dropped, middle class incomes have
stagnated. * Earlier the senator said
the global economy was impacting wages. The
senator doesn’t think it is a coincidence that as union membership has dropped,
middle incomes have stagnated; however, a quick look at Figure 28 will reveal
that AGIs are closely correlated to the investments in the economy. Figure
28 includes union and non-union.*
So this is not an either-or choice; we can have both. Some people say,
well, if you have more unionization that would make
That's
what worked for
Eighth,
let's ensure everyone the most fundamental benefit there is -- quality,
affordable health care. Now, we know that this is going to be challenging but if
we could spend more than $500 billion to fund the war in
Ninth and
finally, let's make the investments we need to create the millions of good jobs
necessary to lift up all of our families. To preserve and expand the middle
class in an open, global economy, we have to have a source of good new jobs
every five to eight years. Telecom did that during the ‘90s. In this decade,
that means an all out commitment to a clean, independent energy future. * The
telecom expansion in the 90s was profit motivated and included considerable Direct Foreign Investment. For comparative purposes the senator needs to
explain how a clean, independent energy future is going to occur from a profit
motive and the source of the investment capital.*
I'll be
talking a lot more about investing in alternative energy and energy efficiency.
Because we know that alternative energy isn't just good for our national
security, and we know that it's imperative for our environment and to tackle
global warming -- but it is also good for our economy. By working to break our
addiction to foreign oil and investing in clean energy technology, we can
create good new jobs right here in
When I was
up in
I also
believe we have to invest in 21st century infrastructure we need to compete. I
also believe we have to invest in 21st-century infrastructure to compete. Let's
set a goal of putting high-speed Internet access through broadband or wireless
within the reach of every single American so that people throughout this state
and every other one will be able to participate in the global economy.
In
Just as we
had a railroad system that connected our country, an electrification system, an
interstate highway system, an airport system, we have to have a broadband
system. And, unfortunately, other countries are gaining on us and surpassing
us, and that gives them economic advantages.
I also am
not giving up on manufacturing. I believe we can still have a vibrant
manufacturing base, with the right policies. It provides an immediate
laboratory for innovation and a challenging feedback loop for engineers,
designers and dreamers. It's an invaluable training ground for a new generation
of entrepreneurs and leaders. That's why I helped to start the Senate
Manufacturing Caucus, where I've worked to develop a manufacturing strategy
that will be suitable with the challenges of the 21st century.
I also founded a group called New Jobs for
So there's a lot we can do to give us a source of new jobs
and to have an innovation agenda that will make us competitive going forward.
We can't do it if we just accept the Republican policies or if we just believe
You know,
a lot of people around the world are writing
I'm
running for president because I believe if we set big goals and we work
together to achieve them, we can restore the American dream today and for the
next generation. The core ideals of a 21st-century progressivism are simple.
The foundation of a strong economy is the investments we make in each other: in
education, health care, clean energy and new technologies. Greatness comes from
policies that promote prosperity and ensure we all share in it. * The
top 1% did do the best during the late 1990s.*
Now, living up to these ideals and changing the political
makeup will not be easy. But I'm absolutely confident we can do it. And I would
just close by thinking of that Granite Stater Daniel Webster. He said it years
ago when he urged us to "develop the resources of our land, call forth its
powers, build up its institutions, promote all its great interests and see
whether we also, in our day and generation, may not perform something worthy to
be remembered."
I'm confident we have the discipline, the determination and
the drive that we will not be the first generation in American history to leave
our country worse off than when we found it. But we will continue, as every
generation has before, to create much that is worthy to be remembered. We will
restore fairness and responsibility to our economy, rebuild our middle class
and rise to the challenges of this new global century.
Thank you
all very much.
·
*Conclusion: The above speech by Senator Clinton provides many new
examples of the deceptive and unprincipled political tactics used over the
years by Senator Clinton. Some of the
senator’s tactics are documented in REPORTCARD2000.com. The senator, in the speech above, references
the extent to which human nature
will allow people to push the limits to attain their objectives. The senator’s
assertion on human nature is exemplified in her own deceptive comments in this
speech. With an understanding of the
causes and elements in the economy of the late 1990s and 2000s that are
presented in REPORTCARD2000.com and the 2001 CBO Budget Projection, it is easy
to discern the deceptive and shallow nature of the senator’s vision for a
shared prosperity.*