Private Sector Job Growth Accelerates, Report Shows By REUTERS Published: November 30, 2011 at 9:39 AM ET NEW YORK (Reuters) - Private sector job growth accelerated in November as employers created the most jobs in nearly a year, prompting economists to raise their forecasts for Friday's more comprehensive U.S. labor report. The ADP National Employment Report on Wednesday showed private employers added 206,000 jobs this month, surpassing economists' expectations for a gain of 130,000 jobs. It was the biggest gain since December 2010. "The ADP news is very good news. The private sector is adding jobs," said Wayne Kaufman, chief market analyst at John Thomas Financial in New York. The government's November U.S. labor market report on Friday, which includes both public and private sector employment, is expected to show a rise in overall nonfarm payrolls of 122,000 this month and a rise in private payrolls of 140,000. Economists often refer to the ADP report to … [Read more...]

I missed this one last week but found in my Facebook feed. Thomas Friedman expresses my sentiment exactly. His statement I voted for Barack Obama, and I don’t want my money back. He’s never gotten the credit he deserves for bringing the economy he inherited back from the brink of a depression. He’s fought the war on terrorism in a smart and effective way. He’s making health care possible for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions, and he saved the auto industry. This is big stuff. But, as important as all of these achievements are, they pale in comparison to the defining challenge of Obama’s presidency: Can he put the country on a sustainable economic recovery path at a time when, if we fail, it could be the end of the American dream? is what every Liberal, Progressive, and Moderate should be stating loudly and often. These truths should roll off of every thinking American’s tongue. The reality is anyone in the middle class voting for any Republican in this election is voting … [Read more...]

The Kingwood story with legs. Houston Chronicle joins in on reporting this Kingwood story that likely says more about our young children than about Kingwood proper. One can only hope that other some of the national outlets give this positive story more exposure. Many times we give people coverage for having overcome a drug problem or some previous bad act. For those who have done things right all along there never seems to be a reward. Think about this. That recovery from bad acts seem to be rewarded more so by our mainstream media than good acts or good behavior may be causal in the denigration of our society. Who knows, it may be even increase bad ad acts in seek of the satisfaction of a possible redemptive reward. Just maybe Oprah Winfrey, Helen Degenerous, and others will give these kids some coverage to show America that good in fact is rewarded. Kingwood High students stand up for Mr. Love By LISA FALKENBERG, HOUSTON CHRONICLE Updated 11:28 p.m., Thursday, November 24, 2011 Douglas … [Read more...]

Charles Dickens Revisited by Bob Henderson If you've read any nineteenth-century English literature, several societal conditions leap out at you instantly. In books that accurately portray the facts of life of more than a century ago, children are the best source of cheap labor. In fact, collective bargaining is against the law. The rich invariably exploit the working class. And the fate of women is such that they are exploited by practically everyone. You would think that all such conditions, so richly engrossing when we encounter them in Charles Dickens, would be out of place in the 21st century. But if Dickens were still alive, he might be surprised to learn that the policies he wrote about are still in vogue in some circles today. According to the most recent national polls, the leading candidate for the Republican nomination for president is Newt Gingrich. Last week, Gingrich called for the repeal of child labor laws, and advocated nine-year-olds go to work as school janitors. He also proposed … [Read more...]