Obama has laid off his jobs council: Yet another victim of the shrinking economy

[SallyMJ]

OUT OF WORK -- No JOBS for the JOBS COUNCIL

By JOSH LEDERMAN, Associated Press

January 31, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will let his jobs council expire this week without renewing its charter, winding down one source of input from the business community even as unemployment remains stubbornly high.

A provision in Obama's executive order establishing the council says it sunsets on Thursday. A White House official said the president does not plan to extend it.

Even before it was clear whether Obama would renew the jobs council, Republicans seized on its likely expiration as evidence the president has devoted insufficient attention to creating jobs, which polling shows remains a top priority for Americans. The Republican National Committee dubbed it part of "the failed Obama record," while the House Republicans' campaign committee, in an online petition, accused Obama of laying off his own jobs council.

Adding to the concern about the job market's continued vulnerability, the Commerce Department said Wednesday that the U.S. economy shrank at an annual rate of 0.1 percent from October through December of last year, the first quarterly drop since 2009.

The jobs council was a successor to another economic advisory board Obama created at the onset of his presidency. The panel was chaired by General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt and was comprised of prominent business leaders and economists.

Obama met with the council only a handful of times. During the last meeting, in February 2012, the president and the council highlighted an engineering education initiative alongside school deans.

The jobs council's main work product was report released in January 2012, entitled "Roadmap to Renewal." The council also organized a series of "listening and action" meetings across the country last year with business owners, local elected officials and academics, although Obama didn't attend those sessions.

Critics have argued that the council's primary purpose was to create the appearance of action at a time when the nation was pining for something — anything — to rein in soaring joblessness. The administration acted on many of the council's recommendations, including suggestions for streamlining the permitting process. But the White House was at odds with several council members on tax policies.

[SallyMJ]

Jobs council with input from the private sector:  A good idea, if you use it.

Seems like style over substance. 

Am I surprised? Not so much.

[broncfan]

heck, who needs jobs, we have the government !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gsprofval]

bho seldom even attended meetings with the Jobs Council and only formed it to pretend to care about Americans working. This will save a little of my hard-earned money.

More bho appointments like this need to be gone since they are totally useless any way.

[SallyMJ]

BUMP!

[blondekosmic15]

Saw this report today. A ripple effect thru out the Country. The next 4 yrs will be devastating for many families due to high unemployment & tax increases. Maybe Obama can lean on George Soros for advice since he laid off his job advisors <sarcasm>

[tnmomofive]

BUMP!

[broncfan]

no explanations of why BO does not think we need jobs in the good ole' USofA?  I guess this is just ANOTHER smoke screen blown away with the wind and the election.

[SallyMJ]

BUMP!

[SallyMJ]

BUMP!

[tnmomofive]

Obama has his job wth does he care..