今年國慶
【邱鴻安】去年國慶時，金融危機還未爆發，但事事已開始失控，汽油和食品價格飆漲(舊金山世報門外那個雪佛龍加油站所掛出的一般無鉛汽油零售是4.69元)、股市開始進入熊市、房市查封狂潮湧現、失業率連續六個月攀升、國債猛增、美元疲弱。當時，亂象已呈，彷彿進入了黑暗時期，人人苦不堪言，慨嘆只能在家度假 (staycation)，不想出門。但想不到的是，一年之後，今年的國慶竟又比去年更為不如，眼前的情況可說是危機重重。
眼前的危機，莫大於經濟危機，而在經濟危機中，又莫大於就業的危機。歐巴馬1月20日上任後，雖迅速在2月通過了7870億元的刺激經濟計畫，但在過去的四個月內，「刺激」的作用還未見到，經濟衰退卻造成更大破壞，以致四個月內失去了160萬個就業機會，刺激經濟計畫則只創造了15萬個。國慶前夕公布的數據顯示，6月份全國又損失了46萬7000個就業機會。如果從2007年12月經濟衰退開始計算，至今損失的就業機會已650萬個；如果再以每月應創造10萬就業機會去計算(每月須創造10萬個就業機會，才能追上人口增長的需求)，那麼從2007年12月至今，已經總共短缺了850萬個就業機會。歐巴馬的刺激經濟計畫目標只是創造350萬個，兩者相比，就可見到美國就業危機多麼嚴重。
經濟衰退發展至今，最惡劣的下滑情況雖已過去，但是要補回850萬個就業機會，並不容易，何況經濟學家還預測，高失業率還要持續兩三年，換言之，就業機會還繼續減少。日本1990年代的「消失十年」，在美國重現，並非不可能。
除了全國的危機，加州又比全國多了一重財赤的危機。因為找不到辦法瀰補263億元的赤字，加州政府在國慶前夕已不得不發出借條(IOUs)，用來支付部分的賬單，從本月2日起，數以萬計的加州人將會接到這種借條，試想想，12萬名已獲加州助學金(Cal Grant)的貧窮大一新生，在今年秋季開學時，只獲發借條，他們可以怎麼辦？自金融泡沫爆破後，我們的加州出現了不少「後泡沫」的新生事物─例如數以萬計的查封屋、堆積如山的賣不出的新車、以及最新出現的荒謬的借條。
史瓦辛格和州議會的共和黨人極力反對加稅，因此加州到了最後，為了平衡預算，只能大幅削減開支，而大削開支則意味著加州的窮人將難逃劫數，成為削減開支的受害人─包括了94萬貧窮兒童，他們將會失去由州政府提供的健保。號稱全球第八大經濟體、生產總值(GDP)佔了全國12%的加州，竟然連貧童的健保也要取消，相信再沒有更差勁的政府。
從今年國慶向前望，雖然經濟下滑的最險惡時刻已經過去，但經濟復甦卻姍姍來遲，甚至可能要再拖數年才會出現；不少經濟學家已經建議，歐巴馬政府須提出第二輪的刺激經濟計畫，如果國會真能通過這樣的計畫，或許經濟復甦就可以快點到來。(世界日報，7.7.2009)
Jariel, seems that you've done some damage on these liberals. Take it easy on him...
I am not going to insult him back this time, I will just take the insult for the sake so that we can start from a clean slate.
Remember, Don't reply to my posts and I won't reply to yours from this point on!
You see, both you people as well as mine mind are already made up according to each other's idiology, I don't think you/we can nor will change. So there is really no need to "DISCUSS"!
You and I say whatever we want regarding to Mr. Chiu's article and just leave it at that?
In your recent post, you committed two mistakes: You put words in people's mouth, and then you yapped in abandon. Because you were off the mark from the start, whatever you said afterwards are irrelevant.
Let's not get sidetracked, the three measures I put forth, like it or not, is the prescription that is needed for the current economic malady experienced by California. You see, medicine does not have to be sugar-coated.
You are assuming in a family/society, there is only fixed and limited resources to be gain as a whole, or "zero-sum". In your point of view, the rich is only stealing from the poor. Hmm... I think I've read that somewhere in the past. Oh yeah, Karl Marx wrote something like that before.
If you have not noticed, world economy has been growing and expanding ever since the recognition of capitalism. The end goal of capitalism is in hope that EVERYONE could be inspired and instinctively motivated to do good and well for that individual and its family.
However your ideology is to rub from the creative and hard-working ones and give to the exact opposite. Aren't you afraid that letting the majority (government) rubbing from them so much, that you might kill that gold goose? As for the poor, how about "teaching them how to fish, instead of feeding fish"? Don't you worry your fish feeding tactics would destroy whatever incentive a person would have to do well financially for himself? Judging from the amount of freeloaders today, I say that probably has happened already. Thanks to liberals like you.
你們從來也不是可以討論的對象, 每每合夥圍剿 Jariel 叫人看不慣, 最近居然又企圖離奸 SS 小人行徑居心不良.
Jariel 已經好聲好氣的跟你們交手﹑你們自己拿不出料來辯論﹑儘拿些挑動感情毫無價值(可憐﹑挨餓之類)的語言作藉口。尤其那個叫Sandroff 之人﹑什麼時候看過你寫了一點可讀的東西﹖一個大草包而已比起 Jariel, SS 你們差遠了!
Jariel 就是網霸! 只有他是對的,別人都是錯的。
把少數服從多數歪曲成 mob rule，才是連民主真諦也不懂！Mob is a disorderly crowd。守法的人絕不是 mob。
先是要無止境的從我們口袋裡把錢給搶走﹑現在連抗議也不準﹑再來可能要開坦克碾死我們﹖
少數服從多數叫作 mob rule. 你連民主真諦也不懂﹑誠然小人嘴臉
這是什麼態度﹖
活在自由國家裡有個好處就是可以愛說什麼就說什麼﹑窮嚷嚷也犯不著誰來的。虧你還講“我們可以平心靜氣來談﹗”我看是你一人講就好﹑別人不要窮嚷嚷﹗