Friday
Mar052010
February Job Numbers: Caused By Heavy Snow, Or A Blizzard Of Bad Policy?
Friday, March 5, 2010 at 12:48PM
By Sofia Sanchez -University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
While the White House says last month's 'snowpocalypse' helped keep the nation's unemployment rate at nearly 10%, a Republican from Texas attributed the numbers on Friday to a "blizzard of bad policy proposals."
“The administration attempted to spin these numbers as a result of storms in the northeast, but in truth it is a blizzard of bad policy proposals, higher taxes, health care mandates [and] dangerous levels of debt that is the real reason businesses are delaying key investments in hiring,” said Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), during a Joint Economic Committee hearing on the newly-released statistics.
Brady's remarks disputed those of White House Council of Economic Advisers Chair Dr. Christina Romer, who said Friday that the snow did play a factor in keeping businesses from operating, and people from working.
“As many analysts have discussed in recent weeks, the large snowstorms in the Mid-Atlantic region in mid-February likely had a substantial negative impact in this number,” she said.
In a statement released Friday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) agreed with Romer's assessment.
“It’s widely acknowledged that this number [36,000] would have been better except for the snowstorms that hit the Northeast last month."
Administration officials and Democrats in Congress contend that the weather forced individuals to miss work, thereby keeping them off monthly payrolls. Brady, however, said he doesn't buy that argument.
“I know the President and Congress are well-intentioned in all these efforts [to restore jobs], but I am puzzled by the President's economic approach. I don’t know what you call it, maybe ‘Blame-onomics?'"
While the White House says last month's 'snowpocalypse' helped keep the nation's unemployment rate at nearly 10%, a Republican from Texas attributed the numbers on Friday to a "blizzard of bad policy proposals."
“The administration attempted to spin these numbers as a result of storms in the northeast, but in truth it is a blizzard of bad policy proposals, higher taxes, health care mandates [and] dangerous levels of debt that is the real reason businesses are delaying key investments in hiring,” said Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), during a Joint Economic Committee hearing on the newly-released statistics.
Brady's remarks disputed those of White House Council of Economic Advisers Chair Dr. Christina Romer, who said Friday that the snow did play a factor in keeping businesses from operating, and people from working.
“As many analysts have discussed in recent weeks, the large snowstorms in the Mid-Atlantic region in mid-February likely had a substantial negative impact in this number,” she said.
In a statement released Friday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) agreed with Romer's assessment.
“It’s widely acknowledged that this number [36,000] would have been better except for the snowstorms that hit the Northeast last month."
Administration officials and Democrats in Congress contend that the weather forced individuals to miss work, thereby keeping them off monthly payrolls. Brady, however, said he doesn't buy that argument.
“I know the President and Congress are well-intentioned in all these efforts [to restore jobs], but I am puzzled by the President's economic approach. I don’t know what you call it, maybe ‘Blame-onomics?'"
Napolitano To States: Tell Residents To Stay Off The Roads
Among them were Delaware Governor Jack Markell, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, and Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty. Following the conversations, Napolitano released the following statement:
“We are continuing to monitor this winter storm closely and are infrequent communication with our state and local partners across the impacted region...I urge all residents to heed the warnings of local officials and prioritize safety by staying off the roads unless absolutely necessary. This is a team effort and we will continue to work with our partners as the storm develops and the recovery process begins.”
A statement released by DHS said that FEMA has deployed state liaison officers to the emergency operation centers in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. According to the statement, Napolitano will continue contacting additional Mayors and Governors as the storm progresses.
The National Weather Service announced that as of 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, the seasonal snowfall total in Washington, D.C. stood at 54.9 inches, breaking the previous all-time seasonal snowfall record for the city of 54.4 inches set in the winter of 1898-99.