In regards to Obama's discussion today with those twenty CEO's

[MadHound]

According to various news sources, one of the areas of focus for this meeting was creating jobs. Now this seems rather, well, strange to me. After all, no business, no corporation is going to hire people that they don't need. If there isn't demand for products out there, then these CEO's aren't going to hire. So why is Obama turning to them in some sort of misguided effort to create jobs?

The only way to break this vicious circle lies with Obama and Congress. The government is, as it has always been, the job creator of last resort, so to speak. So why isn't the government coming up with a true jobs creation program? Worse yet, why has nobody in this administration even broached that possibility? After all, it isn't like our infrastructure is in great shape, it isn't. It is one of the worse infrastructures in the developed world.

Turning to CEO's in order to create jobs is laughable. Rather than trying to get corporations to do the government's job, Obama should be advocating for the best solution in this time of crisis, a true, WPA style jobs creation program. Anything else, like this meeting today, is nothing but smoke and mirrors.

[vi5]

1. Because....

The types of efforts and programs you're talking about would require a hard fight and aggressive, focused messaging. And Obama hates all of those things. It's much easier to reach out to people he knows won't budget or do anything, and then shrug his shoulders that "this is the best we're going to get".

[MadHound]

2. Yeah, that's my read on it as well,

Depressing as it is.

Worse, he was hitting them up for 2012 campaign contributions.

[Angry Dragon]

3. What I heard was that the ceo's promised

that they would create work farms for as many people that wanted them.
They would supply the work, housing, food, guards, all the fencing,
and might even supply some wages..........

[elias49]

4. Because if he advocated for a jobs program like that

he'd have to spend the next 6 months being called a socialist.
And get nothing done. Which is precisely what the opposition party wants.

:shrug:

[subterranean]

5. We're already extending the Bush-era tax rates. What more do you want?

Maintaining the tax rates that failed to create jobs in the last 10 years for two more years will help grow the economy and create jobs. Obama said so himself. Or at least he said he was "absolutely convinced" that it will.