The Cost Of Obama's Stimulus Plan: $312,500 Per Job (Vote) Created Or Saved (And Guess Who Is Paying It)

For those eager to put some math to the rhetoric coming from the White House over the president's jobs creation plan, and that should be everyone, here is a quick and dirty estimate based on the numbers being thrown around of a 2% GDP increase in year 1 and 1.9 million jobs created or saved... most saved, as in those you can't really quantify. Said otherwise, roughly a $300 billion increase in GDP yields 1.9 million jobs. So far so good.  Now since the president is proposing to pay for the program over 10 years, let's assume the $475 billion in direct expenses is financed for 10 years at 2.5% which adds roughly $120 billion to the total cost of the program. In other words, as the calculations detailed and show below elaborate, the overall AJA plan will cost $250,000 per job created (excluding the interest expense) and $312,500 per union job, er job created (including interest). And that's how much it costs for Obama to purchase one vote... created or saved. Keynesian efficiency strikes like a Swiss watch yet again.

And Now For Some Bad Economic News For A Change

The past few weeks have been so heavy on horrendous newsflow out of Europe, that we've had virtually no chance to analyze the negative news in this country. And following an atrocious H1 GDP number, and just as ugly August Non Farm Payrolls number, many are betting the ranch that at this point the economy has no choice but to go up. As most know by now, the conventional wisdom wildcard that is supposed to take Q2 GDP from its stall speed level back to some modest hockeysticking, is autos, and more specifically car assemblies and production. Unfortunately, as often tends to happen, conventional wisdom is wrong and we are happy to demonstrate, using Stone McCarthy data, that not only will autos not push Q3 GDP higher as expected, but in fact the manufacturing production which is expected to benefit from a strong car market, as well as Industrial Production as a final metric, will disappointing substantially, leading to a major miss in Q3 GDP, which we have anticipated will be at best a zero, and realistically, a negative print, and carry over such manufacturing weakness into Q4 and 2012.

Gold to reach $2,000 in 45 days, Turk tells King World News

CNBC, HSBC, and GLD in public relations backfire

 

 

Market Snapshot - What Happened?

A perfectly timed rumor that not only was unprovable but has potential merit (though has no ability to successfully 'fix' any of the issues that are rightfully staggering global equity and credit markets), was enough, combined with some awesomely-ironic VWAP reversion volumes to take the offer stack in S&P futures and squeeze weaker shorts enabling a miraculous run to the green finish line in ES today. While this move did support (or was supported by) other asset classes - the broad risk-basket was not as excited and moreover HYG/JNK did not participate at all in the last 30 minute rip-fest.

 

Guest Post: Stupid Politician Monkeys

The human ape has any number of qualities not often found in other species of mammalia, including opposable thumbs and the ability to fashion and use tools. Continuing the list, I would add a tendency to form all manner of mental constructs and to then act in accordance with those constructs, even when those constructs have little or no connection to reality. Thus, for instance, I stride confidently onto the golf course with the firmly held conviction that I am a solid striker when, in fact, on most days I am a wild-hitting duffer of the lowest order. But an over-elevated opinion of one’s golf game is harmless compared to some of the delusions humans are capable of. For instance, the teenager who becomes convinced that by blowing himself up in a crowd of innocents, he is serving some sort of higher purpose… or that his reward will be an eternity highlighted by bedding virgins. A more widespread delusion is a tendency to believe in the status quo. Simply, that tomorrow will be roughly on par with today, a construct that extends out as far as the mind’s eye can see. What will Team Obama dream up next in their flailing attempts at reinvigorating an economy that more than anything needs certainty? It is literally anyone’s guess. Are we going all in on the whole carbon credit thing, or is that now a passing fad? Will the Dodd-Frank Act, with its 400+ new rules for financial institutions and everyday businesses, such as automobile dealers who offer financing, help or hurt? Will the government, having bailed out the big banks, now turn around and sue them out of existence… or just until they squeal? Is it any wonder that the banks now have upwards of $1.6 trillion in reserves sitting on the Fed’s balance sheet? Sure, they are earning a whopping 0.25% interest rate while taking no risk, as they would do if they put the money out as loans to the public. But the real implication – at least to me – is that they are keeping their capital on hand against the uncertainty of future government action and to deal with the hundreds of billions in toxic loans still on their balance sheets.





China Puts The Screws To BMW

Posted by : testosteronepit

Post date: 09/12/2011 - 19:58

And BMW blinks. 

 

 

 

 

 

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