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Gallup
This is how Washington gets its reputation for being out of touch.
As the debate over the federal debt ceiling dominates talk on Capitol Hill, a new poll finds that most Americans are far more concerned with the economy and jobs than deficit issues.
Nearly one-third of Americans said the economy is the most important problem facing the United States today, according to Gallup poll released this week. Unemployment and jobs was the second most common issue on people’s minds, with 27 percent saying that was the most important problem.
The federal budget deficit ranks No. 3, with just 16 percent saying it’s the most important problem facing the United States.
Not surprisingly, Americans are also glum about their job prospects. Nearly 90 percent of those surveyed told Gallup that now is a bad time to try to find a new job.
Americans have good reason to feel more preoccupied personal financial worries than national ones.
The unemployment rate edged up to 9.2 percent in July, as the economy added just 18,000 jobs. That left more than 14 million Americans out of work and looking for a job.
Of course, the country’s deficit issues probably aren’t helping people’s personal financial situations. Economists already are warning that uncertainty about what’s going on with the federal debt ceiling is hurting the nation’s fragile economic recovery because it’s affecting consumer and business confidence.
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We have infrastructure needs that will affect our future as a nation if we don't start addressing them soon. The republicans seem to be the problem, their intentions are clear, block anything Obama proposes in hopes of regaining the White House, good politics I suppose, but bad for the country.
the country needs blue collar living wage jobs and that is a mathimatically no longer possible, the jobs that went to other countries are those jobs not college degree professional jobs, or skilled trade jobs or the very low wage fast food etc kind of jobs.capitalism is not meant to work in the long run, it has finally hit the brick wall
to steve c et al - infrastructure jobs are for one, temporary and secondly and most importantly, they will be paid with our tax dollars and creates no revinue on its own, its like robbing peter to pay paul,its just shuffling monies around, making us the tax payers poorer
Yes, but the investment yields a far larger dividend than anything on wall street. Bridges last 40+ years and building them now makes sense. Restructuring and upgrading the nation's electrical grid will yield a more efficient power distribution thereby preserving resources and money repairing the existing one. We spent a hell of a lot of money building up other nations infrastructure, that money will never be returned, except in the form of another terrorist attack. Better to be pound wise than penny foolish.
that goes for any job thats paid by our tax dollars
We have been in business for 40plus years. People just are still nervous about spending. and we NEED them to spend. If people spend $$ then we will order more, we order more, more people go to work, more people have $$ to spend. And round it goes. More people work, more taxes are collected and so on. What I don't understand is WHY our 'fearless leaders' don't understand. Why they don't get people to work. AND THEN YES we need to get spending under control. But that means so many different things to different people. WE NEED TO GET THE LOBBYING GONE!! Money that costs us all. WE NEED TO GET the congressman and senators back to "FOR THE PEOPLE". HOW??? is the huge question. Maybe something like 'american elect' is a start. At least something to shake things up. Make people think. People are angry. People are afraid. HOWEVER people are starting to spend again. Nibbling at the edges. Its going to take time. ANd guts. and BBIG BIG changes to how we think about politics and how to change it. What we are doing is not working. WE THE PEOPLE CAN CHANGE IT. But we must put in time (I work 80 hours a week so I don't say this lightly). Even if its just a few minutues. We can save us...God know the polictions we have can not.
Why ask a serious question when 95% of the population, regardless of any degrees hanging on their wall, are clueless? That's why we're in the mess to begin with. Somebody voted for the thieves in all levels of government....both dems and gop...there is no difference. They're all self-serving thieves and puppets of the mega-rich. Things will not get any better, at least not for the middle class. We will soon be back to the structure of the early 1900's. Think Little Rascals...the rich and everyone else. Wake up people.