How about the kid with *zero* experience that likes to lecture on how nobody else can write software as well as themselves.

Or the really old guy that through some miracle conned someone into thinking they were a programmer because they once dragged a button onto a form in VB3. Types really slowly with two fingers as well.

Or the guy that blames every bug, problem or delay on Microsoft or other applicable vendor, when in fact it's their own incompetence and abuse of the technology at fault.

Or the permie that obsesses about being a contractor and is constantly trying to pull you into conversations about how much money you make.

Or the buzzword happy 'architect' with no understanding of architecture, that insists on mixing the latest MS technology into their horrible unscalable mess of an application.

Or the PM that won't offer a new contract until the last hour of the last day. Byeee!

I have seen this topic around before, its old school.

sd

AUSTRALIANS doing business abroad better watch what they say, after a survey found Americans and British colleagues think we're rude.

Australians working overseas are most likely to offend in the US and the UK, according to an international workplace survey which found Britain and America have the strictest office etiquette.

In fact, workers in the US and UK are more sensitive even than business colleagues from etiquette-conscious Japan, China or the Middle East.

English and American business people were more offended by colleagues who use speakerphones, swearing and not being offered a drink than their international counterparts.

They also hate the distraction of personal guests visiting the workplace.

No "good morning" from colleagues when they start the day was also considered offensive, the survey found.

According to the survey of business people in 13 countries, the top five business pet peeves are: people who arrive at work without greeting their workmates, not offering office guests a drink, speaking too loudly across a room, swearing and using speakerphone.

Swearing was the issue that most divides Australians from their international business colleagues.

A quarter of Australians say it is perfectly acceptable to swear while doing business, while almost all of the English and Americans surveyed found it deeply offensive.

Almost 90 per cent of Japanese and 80 per cent of Middle Eastern participants also rated swearing as very offensive.

And while almost all Australians say they'd never hesitate to call their boss by a first name, this is considered rude by many Chinese businesspeople.

Australians are also considered rude when they speak too loudly, take personal calls at work and pry into the personal life of co-workers or business partners.

"Being aware of potentially offensive behaviour is a key factor to Australian business success abroad," said Taine Moufarrige, executive director of office company Servcorp, which conducted the survey in 13 countries.

Australian business people were more laid-back when it comes to office behaviour, but did say they were offended by colleagues who don't offer them a drink upon arrival or forget to buy them a drink.

Australians rude at work, say US and UK business colleagues

This comment was removed as it contained offensive content.

I once worked with this technical team leader (yes WW! You!) who was (is) one of these goys who is a total control freak. His idea of fun were 4 hour team meetings where he would harangue each team member with so-called transgressions of his rules, which he had published as "agreed upon rules". He agreed... nobody else did. These rules included no unnecessary talking in the office, no unnecessary phone calls, being available 24X7 for work calls, etc. A new category: micro-managing psychopathic control freak!

Here is what I think (being from overseas and everything):

Go ahead, swear as much as you like, never mind the ******** drink at arrival (who cares?!!!) and please call me anything you like (you can even make jokes about my mother). These things mean absolutely NOTHING!

The one thing that bugs the hell out of me, though, is incompetence. And, I'm sorry to say this, but I am ******* BLOWN AWAY by how much of that I get here!

I LOVE the Aussies. But some of you are just to ****** well paid and know NOTHING. It ***** me off!!!

The ugly work I have been forced to witness DISCUSTS ME!!!!

You are one of those guys who looks at everyone else, and says, "Whoa... !! Hang on a minute, everyone else except for *me*, is a total idiot..."

Don't worry Platon, as this is a fairly common psychological problem experienced by scores of people at every work-site.

3 things:

First: I didn't say everyone.

Second: it's not a psycological problem (i wish it was) - it's a design problem. Not realising that migt be YOUR problem...

Third:...defending crap work kinda' makes people think that you are one of those muppets that produces it...

...so Platon, why don't you go back to where you came from.....and watch that the revolving doors at the airport doesn't slam you in the ass.

LOL at the content removal. It's called satire, a joke, only a humorless tool would be offended.

I bet you work for the ACMA burning books or banning computer games with heavily pixelated nudity or something.

A rant accusing everyone else of incompetence, full of spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors. The irony meter just topped out at "troll".

I think it's rather your understanding of the English language that should be scrutinised; again, I didn’t come down on “everyone else” – perhaps you should read it again? For your information, I love working with skilled, professional people. And I’m not going to apologise for being fed up with crappy “code writers” that someone mistook for an IT professional. Most of my work, so far, has been about cleaning up after wannabes that surfed the “skill shortage wave” and charged big buck for substandard work! Not only does that type of work suck, but it is also frustrating that these losers manage to win work that should have been won by someone else (not necessarily me). Interestingly, some people here identify themselves as victims to these allegations – I wonder why? Not surprisingly, one of them is Hawkwind – who seems to mistakes age discrimination for that which I am trying to make a point of – namely lack of competence and professionalism.

And mind you, my dear “Padwan” (with reference to your problems with spelling errors and such) , that I post in here using my third language. Do you even have a second? Perhaps you just pointed out your own weakness right there: focusing on less relevant matters (such as grammatical correctness of bill board entries) rather than perfection in your profession? But to answer your misplaced (and indicative) question: I’m here because too many of your type are here. If there were fewer of your kind – I wouldn’t be needed and would happily return to civilisation....

Lets now talk about the IT Down turn, com on all you regulars lets talk.

Ill start it off, it is now much worst than the dot com crash of 2000 - 2001, nearly all my friends in IT are layed off. No one wants to employ local IT professionals. This country will be full of doctors and Lawyers and police. Im joining the army to kill my enemy's.

sd

This comment was removed as it contained offensive content.

I'll stick to studying toward my Psychology degree - healthcare is on the up and up.

Sid (and others) - ask yourself these questions and come up with real honest answers:

1. What would workforce do in any other industry under these circumstances?

2. Why has there never been any petitions, strikes and class actions?

Hawk man,

There is no Australians left in the work force to complain about it.

Even if there is Australians are tooooo lazzzzy to protest against it, the Government takes advantage of this and treat us like cash COWS.

Maybe the next generation might.

SD

Maybe where too afraid of losing there homes as well.

sd

Again Australians do nothing, the government expects this.

What usually happens is we expect some opposition from the public like a protest, but we wear them down, and in 2 weeks leter we apply the new policy and is forgotten.

This is a typical political thought, we know people forget very quickly and are stupid, that why we treat them like cash COWS, the rich don't mind but the poor to lower middle class have a bit of whinge but soon forget what they were complaining about.

SD

Maybe where too afraid of losing there homes as well.

They already have anyway - citizens can't afford the mortgage anymore. When the banks throw us out try looking for rental accomodation.

457's cannot own real estate.

This is the core reason why we have banks going broke worldwide and we have the "Global Financial Crisis".

They made the bed, now they have to lay in it.

Students aren't even studying maths and science anymore as a result. There is no future here for occupations involving science and technology and the government knows this.

The challenge ahead in the future relates to science and technology to solve the problems of climate change and pollution reduction as well as water shortage.

These problems need to be solved NOW and Australia is completely devoid of scientists and engineeers capable due to the lack of foresight.

Hewlett-Packard laying off dozens of American software engineers while running PERM fake job ads to sponsor foreign workers for Greencards. Idaho Department of Labor is embroiled in HP scam to displace American software engineers with foreign workers

For the past two years Hewlett-Packard has been running fraudulent job ads whose primary intent is to NOT find qualified Americans to fill positions, but rather to demonstrate that "no qualified Americans are available" as a step in obtaining greencards for their temporary foreign workers. This fraudulent PERM recruitment is continuing even as HP is laying off dozens of qualified American software engineers. The Idaho Department of Labor, by running these sham ads, is now unwittingly a party to this fraud against U.S. workers.

DISCLAIMER: This Press Release makes allegations against Hewlett-Packard based upon a set of circumstantial evidence. We have sent this PR to Petra Ramirez at HP, giving her an opportunity to rebut that the job ad running at the Idaho Department of Labor is a PERM ad, for a position that is already filled by a temporary foreign worker, and the HP's intent is to not find any qualified Americans to fill this position. We further allege that many of the American software engineers that HP is laying off are qualified to fill this and other HP positions.

Sacramento, CA September 15, 2008 -- PERM regulations require that employers "demonstrate" that no qualified Americans are available by posting job ads in a Sunday newspaper, and a few alternate recruitment procedures.

Read On and Vomit

Hewlett-Packard laying off dozens of American software engineers while running PERM fake job ads to sponsor foreign workers for Greencards

The financial meltdown is not the result of a cyclical economic phenomenon. It is the deliberate result of US government policy instrumented through the Treasury and the US Federal Reserve Board.

This is the most serious economic crisis in World history.

The "bailout" proposed by the US Treasury does not constitute a "solution" to the crisis. In fact quite the opposite: it is the cause of further collapse. It triggers an unprecedented concentration of wealth, which in turn contributes to widening economic and social inequalities both within and between nations.

Architects of the Global Financial Crisis

The current destruction of the middle class is part of a much broader agenda. The agenda has been uncovered by many researchers, including Dr John Coleman who published "Conspirators Hierarchy: The Story of the Committee of 300".

The broader agenda is to create a One World Government and one-unit monetary system, under permanent non-elected hereditary oligarchists who self-select from among their numbers in the form of a feudal system as it was in the Middle Ages. In this One World entity, population will be limited by restrictions on the number of children per family, diseases, wars, famines, until 1 billion people who are useful to the ruling class, in areas which will be strictly and clearly defined, remain as the total world population.

There will be no middle class, only rulers and the servants. All laws will be uniform under a legal system of world courts practicing the same unified code of laws, backed up by a One World Government police force and a One World unified military to enforce laws in all former countries where no national boundaries shall exist. The system will be on the basis of a welfare state; those who are obedient and subservient to the One World Government will be rewarded with the means to live; those who are rebellious will simply be starved to death or be declared outlaws, thus a target for anyone who wishes to kill them. Privately owned firearms or weapons of any kind will be prohibited.

Almost every crisis has been engineered to lead the global population down a pathway that fits the agenda.

God I love conspiracy theories

The fact that this whole world problem can be easily explained away by greed and stupidity, it must be all part of the conspiracy.

I was once told a truth I have yet to see proved wrong. “Never put down to malice, what can also be put down to stupidity.”

Basically it boils down to a few blokes got to greedy, and where good at conning people. They however underestimated the stupidity and gullibility of white trash America, the end result is that white trash America was given trillions in loans that should have never been given to them. The inevitable result was that a large majority defaulted, and as such a large number of re-processed homes went onto the market. This seriously pushed the property prices down. Now the trillions of dollars worth of loans are now only worth a fraction of the money. Given the US dollar is linked to everything else, when it falls (which is what happens when your land and housing falls so seriously) it takes everything else with it.

I’m pretty confident that there are no new world orders ready to spring up and get rid of middle class, I’m very confident in this as it has effected all 3 classes fairly evenly.

Do you mean white trash like blue collar car assembly workers , middle level white collar workers , mechanics, construction workers which wages has been severely suppressed for last 20 years, so they can not pay home loan even if working full time?

On positive side the real producers and employers get decent rewards for hard work and innovative ways to make money

Middle class in ALL western countries have been experiencing the most severe financial hardship for more than FIVE decades.

Those families have faced soaring health insurance costs, the housing recession, rising childcare fees and the likelihood of caring for an elderly parent.

Deans of Universities have been anxious about why students from middle-income families appeared less likely to apply and discovered that families with a household income between $60,000 and $180,000 have been already under the gun on a daily basis - families who bought a house cira 2001-2002 now found themselves with a mortgage worth more than the property. Even if families have two incomes, it often means they have high childcare costs and health insurance premiums. This combined with the fact that this income group has never experience tax reduction - especially in the last eight years.

The cost of health insurance in the US rose by 86.5% between 2000 and 2006, more than four times the rate of average earnings increases.

Since 2001, average real wages have fallen and as a consequence median incomes, which include income from savings and social security, have also decreased. As a result homeowners have been trying to keep up consumption by taking money out of their homes.

In 2007 the housing market fell and household debt, skyrocketed.

There is also the practice of subsidising so-called "Home-Ownership" and all that does is induce greater debt and higher prices.

Then came the failure of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae - the too-big-to-fail NGOs who have a great deal of burden for the housing crisis as does the US Federal Reserve.

I can drill much deeper as to the root cause and I will post the depth later. These are just the symptoms of the social injustice.

A key economic forecast has found New South Wales has slipped into recession ahead of the other states, but may be the first to bounce back.

The Access Economics report predicts the state's economy will continue to shrink at an alarming rate and that 10,000 jobs will be lost this financial year.

The NSW Opposition Leader, Barry O'Farrell, says the Government's mini-Budget is largely to blame for the predicted job cuts and negative growth.

"It confirms the stupidity of mini-Budget decisions that cancelled critical infrastructure projects that would have increased job opportunities," he said.

Mr O'Farrell says the State Government is doing little to help during difficult times.

"The Rees Government's mini-Budget decisions were out of step with governments everywhere,' he said.

"Instead of trying to ease the pressures faced by families and business, they did the reverse and combined with decisions to cut road, rail and infrastructure problems, they've weakened not strengthened the state's economy by reducing job opportunities."

Of course it is not surprising that the damned politicians are in denial.

NSW first state in recession: report

In NSW there has been a massive 13.9% increase in insolvency activity in the October - December Quarter.

ADMINISTRATIONS UNDER THE BANKRUPTCY ACT

With the experts predicting job cuts in large numbers, it seems 2009 is going to be a very tough year for people in work and those looking for it.

Feeling nervous? If Steve Kean from the University of Western Sydney is right, you should be.

"I think something in the order of 900,000 to 1,000,000 jobs are likely to go."

So it would seem the holidays are over and the bean counters are definitely counting.

"There's no safe place to hide really as far as this economy goes this year," says Melbourne University's Professor Mark Crosby.

"Firms are trying to cut costs. They're realising that things are very uncertain, that the economic outlook is at best mediocre and at worst recession."

Steve Kean believes there is a real risk long-term unemployment will increase.

"People could expect unemployment periods to exceed one, two or three years. Long-term unemployment is going to be the norm rather than the aberration in this recession."

Jobs On The Line

Staff sacked but positions vacant: union

Monday January 19, 2009, 7:40 pm

Contracting company Thiess is planning to sack up to 40 workers at a central Queensland mine when it could put them in other positions, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) says.

The union says up to 40 jobs will be lost from the Burton Downs mine, west of Mackay, when Thiess has over 50 vacancies at other operations that would suit the skill set of the affected workers.

CFMEU state secretary Jim Valery said the compromise was put to Thiess at a Friday meeting, but the company refused without offering an explanation.

"Why would Thiess not place these workers in the vacant positions instead of putting their families through the harrowing experience of forced retrenchment?" Mr Valery said.

CFMEU regional vice-president Steve Pierce, who attended the meetings with Thiess, called on the company to "do the right thing" by the workers.

"Thiess are taking a slash and burn approach to these redundancies," Mr Pierce said.

"In our view they are treating these workers and their families like a commodity, putting to the side the human and economic consequences that flow for individuals and regional communities when belligerent and unnecessary decisions like this are made."

Thiess has been approached for comment.

Staff sacked but positions vacant: union

No bstd, I mean the people who have no jobs, no income, no savings of any kind, only living on whats left of America's unemployment benefits been given massive loans ($300,000+) with no means of repaying them. This senario was then repeated amongst 100,000+ people (probably more).

This is the reason credit is tighter, the credit companies have suffered and are learning from their mistakes.

....only living on whats left of America's unemployment benefits been given massive loans

You are very narrow minded at just pointing at Americans to be at fault. Where did you get those figures from - the Australian media perhaps. It is also quaint that Australians are in denial, even to the extent in claiming that we are insulated from becoming a victim of the "Global Financial Crisis" as though we live in some sort of cocoon. It is also not only the money lenders that are at fault.

The main cause is: the megalomaniac corporates who have pulled the rug out of under the feet of those who used to be on an income of between $60,000 and $180,000 and mortgaged to the hilt - then finding that they cannot pay the mortgage - the bank forecloses only to find that the value of the house, financed during boom times, has dropped in value considerably and have had the bear the loss in the transaction.

Currently there are many dream holiday homes on the Central Coast once valued at approx AUS$1.5M a piece now going at bargin prices; their owners having to bear the brunt of the devaluation.

Broadcast Date: December 16, 2008

For 20 years, thousands of hard-up Australians have been living in a mortgage nightmare and this time the banks are not at fault.

It was a social experiment that went horribly wrong for 27,000 unsuspecting borrowers including Dianne Cowling.

In 1988, the single mum was living on a pension but to her astonishment was offered her dream home.

Dianne was given a $59,000 loan by the then Victorian Labor Government to buy a modest weatherboard in Melbourne's east.

It was a spiralling debt trap and over 20 years, Dianne paid back over $100,000 but her principal had not reduced at all, it increased to $71,000.

"What people don't understand about these sub-prime loans that this shonky government gave to the most poorest in our society was that we pay back over nine times what we borrowed," she said.

"Your loan that you get through a reputable lender, like the bank, you only pay back two-and-a-half times."

The loan structure was complex, clearly benefiting the government lender.

Charges included the going inflation rate plus market interest rates, which in the late 1980s reached almost 20 per cent.

But borrowers - usually pensioners - were not required to pay any more than 27 per cent of their income, so repayments did not cover even the interest.

Interest was charged on outstanding interest and the borrowers plunged into poverty.

Now an aged pensioner, Leslie Addison was 44 and a single mother of two when she signed up for a $79,000 government housing loan two decades ago.

Leslie's first loan statement showed she was doomed.

"I sort of felt like I was trapped in it and I couldn't get out of it," she said.

"What happens is if I sell it, where am I going to go and I just thought it will be fixed up and it never ever was."

Leslie said she still owes $45,000, and that is despite paying $147,000 in interest, for years sacrificing over half her pension to the loan as well as her $10,000 superannuation policy.

Social justice officer for the Victorian Uniting Church, Dr Mark Zirnsak, said his mission is to right a government wrong.

"One client we dealt with was going without hot water to make extra repayments," he said.

"She turned off the hot water so she could add extra in to make the loan balance go down faster in her case.

"We don't think people should have to be suffering hardships for a loan scheme that was dodgy in its design."

Of the 27,000 mortgages issued between 1985 and 1996, around 2200 are outstanding.

Dianne has finally refinanced hers and will subdivide and sell off her backyard to pay out her debt.

For Leslie, there is no end in sight.

"I don't want anything for nothing, none of us do," she said.

"We want what we were promised, home ownership."

Government loans causing hardship

"In the last decade we have got very good at counting the homeless, but we have done very little about it," said Mr Nicholson, who runs the Brotherhood of St Laurence.

A paper released yesterday to outline the Government's policy says early data from the 2006 census shows an increase in the number of people who are sleeping rough. It says the biggest cause of homelessness is domestic violence, and other causes include mental health problems, drug abuse, unemployment, family breakdown and rising rents.

"There are signs that homelessness may be getting worse," the paper says. "Homeless Australians must be given the encouragement to achieve economic independence … The best responses to homelessness provide more than a bed. They … [connect] their clients to education, employment and counselling."

Mr Nicholson said about 250,000 people experienced homelessness last year, including about 55,000 children under 10 who accompanied their parents to crisis accommodation.

"For those with prolonged experiences of homelessness, their life expectancy is 15 to 20 years shorter than for average Australians. This issue has been crying out for national leadership."

Shame on us: Rudd pleads for homeless

Somebody too much timeon hands need job desperate.

Gonu

Since October, more than 100,000 jobs have been eliminated by IT vendors and solution providers.

Not even the industry stalwarts can escape the economic plague. This week Google announced layoffs of 5,000 temporary and contract workers and 100 staff personnel. According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft is considering headcount reductions. And Motorola announced a reduction in force of 4,000 workers.

Layoffs Climb above 100,000

In the United States, more people are joining the military due to a lack of job options.

The layoffs are not the only indicator of the dilemma that lay ahead.

Keep checking this link for the next 2-5 years:

NASDAQ Composite Index

Click the 5 Year button on the graph - What do you see?

The peak in mid-2008 and the slope down is reministant of what occurred on the index April 2000.

Click the Data tab - What do you see?

Thousands of newly unemployed people are likely to end up on the streets due to harsh welfare to work policies, a peak welfare group has warned.

People receiving unemployment benefits must regularly search for jobs and participate in work-related activities or risk loosing their benefits for eight weeks.

In the 2007-08 financial year, about 32,000 people copped the penalty, introduced by the former Howard government.

The Rudd government has proposed changes to water down some of the rules, but wants to keep the eight week penalty.

The National Welfare Rights Network says thousands will be forced onto the street this year unless the complex penalty system is scrapped.

Network president Kate Beaumont says 2,400 penalised people were made homeless in 2007-08 because they could not pay their rent.

"The newly unemployed will have to deal not only with the loss of income, but also the risk of falling foul of the complex compliance system," she warned.

"Many people who have never dealt with Centrelink are ignorant of the rules and may find themselves joining the queue needing the assistance of homelessness services which are already overstretched."

Ms Beaumont urged the government to amend its legislation, to be voted on in the Senate when parliament resumes.

Many jobless 'may end up homeless'

BHP to slash 3,300 Australian jobs

Rio Tinto Alcan to slash 1,100 jobs

David Jones axes 150 jobs

Harvey Norman to close Campbelltown Domayne

Discount giant goes into voluntary administration

Aussies hit by 50yr record wealth decline

One big mistake I made in the last recession was believing that things would turn around brought on by all those bogus online job adverts that I could easily fill. Take no notice whatsoever.

The employment services industry will be another that will soon hit the wall.

Another massive time waster was learning additional IT skills.

What I would do is to take advantage of the ton of spare time and quickly make plans to change your "career" to something more sustainable and get training at TAFE or University. Its still not too late to apply.

It's much easier on AUSTUDY than putting up with the abysmal crap Centrelink and their dodgy Job Network employment agencies will throw at you, who know absolutely zilch about IT recruitment and do nothing else but drive you nuts.

Early access to your superannuation may be possible under the “severe

financial hardship” rules in the SUPERANNUATION INDUSTRY (SUPERVISION) ACT 1993

• being in receipt of an income support payment at the

time of the request

• having been in continuous receipt of an income

support payment for the last 26 weeks, and

• satisfying the trustee that they are unable to meet

reasonable and immediate family living expenses.

If the person satisfies all of the above conditions, the

trustee may, in any twelve-month period, release one lump sum payment. The lump sum payment is to be no

more than a gross amount of $10 000 and no less than

$1000 (or the balance of your benefit if it is less

than $1000).

Fact Sheet

If the trustees refuse, file a complaint.

Early Release of Superannuation Benefits

Thanks for these articles, Hawkwind. Makes it a very interesting read.

Keep it up - I am amazed the volume of information you are collating for us.

The real estate crisis is probably about 40% over. They’ll be further declines, residential and commercial, and then a basing out period that will take several years. The injection of cheap interest rates and a stimulus package of $825 billion are going to temporarily delay the downside. Instead of ending in 2011 it could extend to 2012.

There is now no question that all the legacy or money center banks will be merged into one nationalized bank, which we believe was the intention from the beginning. This will make it easier later in the formation of a One-World government to merge US banks into a world bank that will disperse a world currency. Government is going to take an ever-increasing role in bank ownership and in credit policy, as would be expected in any fascist government.

Much Worse to Come

To Hawkwind,

In 2.5 years this link will be deactivated.

Brainbox will also be a victim of cuts.

SD

Hawkwind,

That will be understatement,

There will be massive homeless numbers, it takes about 8-15 years for the flow on effect after a crises.

We haven't seen any thing yet

This will be a byproduct of over priced housing, financial hardship, greed etc.

Once some were on top of the pyramid, now they are a feather duster.

SD

It's Not Called Lay offs Anymore. Here is a new buzzword for you: Realigning Resources

Here is the full memo from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer about the 5,000 layoffs and cost cuts just announced, due to economic slowdown, which also resulted its weak financial results for the second quarter.

Steve Ballmer's Entire Memo to the Microsoft Troops About Layoffs and Weak Results

Sun Microsystems axed 1,300 employees on Thursday, the first wave in a series of planned redundancies intended to cut head count by almost a fifth.

The company said in a statement it had cut workers across all levels, including employees in vice president and director positions.

Open source and Java feel first Sun cuts

Microsoft cuts 5,000 jobs - but Ballmer's hiring

Note: The first sentence in the article is bull dust!!!!

IT vendor layoffs: The axeman cometh

BMers hear sound of axe being sharpened

The Rumours Are True - Sam In Denial

I was made homeless in 2001 and still am. I live in a rundown mice and cockroach infected boarding house together with drunks, junkies and nutcases.

I lost my house, car, a career of 3 decades and divorced.

The perpetrators will ALWAYS be in denial and they know who they are.

You mean a The Real Estate Scam don't you?

I saw it coming years ago.

I have never in my whole entire life seen 60+ people queue up for one rental property.

The last time justice was served and compensation for the perpetrators of human displacement, forced labour and slavery on similar scale of today was at the Nuremberg trial.

Forced labor in Germany during World War II

The main person responsible was Hitler's chief architect Albert Speer

Sam Palmisano and Steve Ballmer and their henchmen should take this test.

Are you a LOSER?

President Obama defuses lobbyists.

Lobbying Limits

A lobbyist who joins the Obama administration also is forbidden from working on issues they previously were involved with, he said. Any person who leaves the administration will be barred from lobbying the government for two years.

“We need to close the revolving door that lets lobbyists come into government freely and lets them use their time in public service” to promote their own interests when they leave, the president said. Government hiring, he said, will henceforth be based on qualifications, competence and experience, “not political connections.”

Obama's First Day in the Oval Office

Compete America - The Alliance for a Competitive Workforce

PRESIDENT BARACK Thank you. Thank you.

CROWD: Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama!

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

I thank President Bush for his service to our nation...

(APPLAUSE)

... as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.

The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.

Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.

(APPLAUSE)

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

(APPLAUSE)

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.

It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.

Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died in places Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed.

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

(APPLAUSE)

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.

The state of our economy calls for action: bold and swift. And we will act not only to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth.

We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.

We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality...

(APPLAUSE)

... and lower its costs.

We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long, no longer apply.

MR. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.

Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.

And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched.

But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.

The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

(APPLAUSE)

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.

Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations.

Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake.

And so, to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

(APPLAUSE)

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.

They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use. Our security emanates from the justness of our cause; the force of our example; the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy, guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We'll begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard- earned peace in Afghanistan.

With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet.

We will not apologize for our way of life nor will we waver in its defense.

And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that, "Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

(APPLAUSE)

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.

And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.

To those...

(APPLAUSE)

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

(APPLAUSE)

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.

And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.

And yet, at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.

It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break; the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.

It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old.

These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.

What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence: the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall. And why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

(APPLAUSE)

So let us mark this day in remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled.

In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river.

The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood.

At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words; with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you.

(APPLAUSE)

And God bless the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE)

What an incredible series of posts. Hawkwind has finally thrown a rod. Very sad.

For fuck sake, Hawkwind (probably = Gloomy): Get a fucking life!!! Do yourself a favour and move on with your "life". You deserve better than this pathetic lifestyle that you’re stubbornly clinging on to.

Anything must be better than what you are doing at the moment - even becoming an alcoholic must be an improvement.

Why do you do this to yourself?

Let me help you – I can’t bare listening to your morning!

With people so easily amazed it's no wonder that so many wants to hire me to clean up crappy work!

Are you for real? How the fuck (!!!!) can you be impressed by this crap?

You really are an idiot, aren’t you?

"I was made homeless in 2001 and still am. I live in a rundown mice and cockroach infected boarding house together with drunks, junkies and nutcases.

I lost my house, car, a career of 3 decades and divorced."

I'm sorry if this is really the case. But how come you couldnt get a job between 2001 and 2008? I mean, ANYONE could get a job in this period. I'm not rying to scorn you, I'm just trying to understand.

What are your qualifications? How old are you?

Perhaps I can help?

Obviously you have not read my posts. I "picked myself up and dusted myself off" ages ago. So, read my lips son. I am studying a major in Psychology and Philosophy - this is my final year.

I can see right through cynics like you and the tides of change will rid the Earth of you and your kind because of my comprehension of human behaviour. It is interesting that people want to come here from overseas and steal the careers of Australian citizens like thiefs in the night and destroy all that we have worked for and our families, especially seeing that most of the work you are looking at is not even been carried out by Australian IT workers, but by your own kind.

You also do not deserve the right to the celebration of this Australia Day long weekend which is the reserved right of Australian citizens. You should be working, little slave. You would not know what it means.

Why don't you go back to where you came from - we don't need you here - and watch that the revolving doors at the airport don't slam you in the ass on the way through. Soon you will have absolutely no choice but to do so.

ALL of this is a psychologists dream and I am only telling it like it is.

Additionally, I will challenge you to a skills shootout. I have offered this challenge before and there has been no takers, because you are a God cursed coward. You can bring 50 of your buddies into it - I will beat you all.

Besides, you would not be working on the projects I have worked on because they are away above the skills you have or ever likely to have.

I mean, ANYONE could get a job in this period.

I could dig up at least a 1000 ex-iters, just in one industry who would give evidence otherwise.

I'm just trying to understand.

As the evidence of the layoffs suggests, the behaviour of the IT Industry will never change. Understanding is not one of its qualities.

How old are you?

None of your damned business. Jeez you have a gall. Clearly indicates the ignorance and rampant age discrimination rife in the industry - clearly demonstrated by such a question.

Qualifications resume and dozens of references?

Thrown them in the trash. Clearly if my references have never been contacted someone has not done their job regardless of 1000's of applications.

The questions you are asking are indeed rhetorical. The reality (devoid in the industry) is they are MY questions.

Note: this is the first time I have been actually offered help in this forum. I do however decline. The fact is I will NEVER work in the industry again - there will simply not be be the need.

Saying sorry is just simply not good enough. This is something that you say if you bump into someone acidently in the street and other similar minor accidents that do not damage. It was the purposeful and intentional by the perpetrators of my dilema. Hitler's chief architect, Speers, said sorry over his atrocities - still had to serve 20 years - lucky he didn't get the death penalty that many of his colleagues received for even lesser crimes.

I will continue to twist my sword until justice is done, and I prefer to watch from as much distance as possible, thanks.

Note: Still on topic

And who says I’m not a citizen, you dork?

I seriously doubt your “abilities” to figure out human behaviour. I’m quite academic myself and I happen to know that the “science” of psychology is nothing about taking a few courses and all of a sudden you have the ability to “go into people’s heads”, like some “Hanibal lector”. I’m sorry my friend, but that’s just on TV (and you revealing that you know nothing about this). In any case – anyone can study psychology, but not anyone will pass the screening to receive a licence to practice psychology. As most people understand, the psychologist profession requires certain human qualities on top of academic schooling, (like empathy and sympathy) that you seem to be in complete lack of. And being hostile towards foreigners doesn’t exactly strengthen your case either – it only shows what an ignorant and narrow minded individual you are.

Get one thing straight, you piece of shit – I didn’t exactly upgrade my standards of living by coming here. I originate from a place that offers far higher living standards than “Botany Bay”- and contrary to you I have no problem with anyone taking my spot.

But yes, this is a nice place, very much because of the friendly people. But then again, there is always rotten fruit like yourself. We have them “at home” as well and just like they are an embarrassment to “my kind”, you are an embarrassment to all Australians. I’m sure most Aussies would gladly trade you for any Chinese, Indian or whatever if only it would make them get rid of YOU’RE FUCKING WHINING!!!!

“Stealing work like thieves in the night”. You idiot! I have CREATED jobs and INVESTED here. Get this: companies hire the people that they judge best serve their ambition – not because they are born in a certain place. We live in a global economy. Not realising this is just doing yourself a disfavour. It is probably your failure to realise this simple fact that has put you in such a disadvantage – and not migrants stealing your jobs. By the way – one of my friends – an Aussie – has migrated to my home country. She is very welcome there, and would probably be extremely embarrassed if I told her about you...

And who are you calling “son”, you dipshit?!!

You have previously shown some overwhelming evidence that you are nothing but a dissatisfied, dumbfuck with a skewed self conception.... but turning down empathy – that’s just so incredible stupid!

You don’t fool me – I’m not going to mistake you for a particularly educated person. You are just another idiot that benefits from having me here! But hey – it’s my treat....

Enough said – I’m not going to waste any more time on you and I wouldn't recommend anyone else to do it. You are simply a lost case.

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See what I mean brothers. A guilty psychopath trying to defend himself.

The expected and guaranteed reaction.

The root cause of the current Global Finanacial Crisis, ironically is indeed globalisation and organisations such as the World Bank, IMF and WTO and not caused by governments, banks and other financial institutions. Continuous warnings from the UN and the ILO have for a number of years have fallen on deaf ears.

A FAIR GLOBALIZATION: CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL

This comment was removed as it contained offensive content.

General: I think I see a pattern forming here.

Dreiwitz: Sir, these letters are unequivocal! Uh, e.g., [reads a letter] "Hey, Hauk. Eat a bag of shit. You suck." That's pretty much to the point, sir, not much gray area in this one.

Garlick: We got one positive call from some guy in Wichita, who thought that Hauk's comedy was "visionary and interesting." The other eleven hundred calls say that the man can't do comedy to save his dick! [pause] That's a direct quote, sir.

Phil: I've taken ninety calls this morning-- they just don't like Hauk.

Garlick: From a Marine in Danang: "Captain Hauk sucks the sweat off a dead man's balls." I have no idea what that means, sir, but it seems very negative to me.

General: I think the troops are trying to tell us something, fellas.

Former IT staff in America who lost their jobs are having to swallow their pride and accept menial jobs doing whatever they can.

This can mean up to an 80% paycut from their former salaries, at a time when living costs are shooting through the roof.

Take this job or Shove Off

....while still advertising jobs and claiming a skills shortage to justify the H1-B lottery cap increases.

In reference to the item having been in continuous receipt of an income support payment for the last 26 weeks in my post titled If You are Unemployed 2

Continous Unemployment is defined in the Social Security Act. For example, if during the 26 week period you had a 3 month contract, it is not considered because it is employment of not more than 13 weeks.

SOCIAL SECURITY ACT 1991 - SECT 38B

CentreLink will issue you with a letter certifying you on your request which will need to be attached to the form the trustees will send you. Centrelink will determine whether or not you qualify.

You might as well, and quickly, before it's worth nothing. They have squandered your investment.

Super funds lost 19.5pc in 2008

@The biggest loser ever also contains offensive content

Most of the people found following this link have non-IT related Jobs. Some of them are

from banking, technical , maintenance etc.

It jut go to show how deep the recession is cutting through in USA

Electrical Engineering Dept. at Carnegie Mellon University stated about a year ago that more than 30% of its graduates were getting jobs in the financial industry.

Special: Where Did The Jobs Go?

Includes a copy of Grassley's letter to Microsoft in regards to the layoff of 5000 workers.

U.S. Sen. Grassley: Works to ensure American workers are priority

This one includes a response from Microsoft:

Senator wants Microsoft to preserve American jobs over those of foreign guest workers

Of course, the statements made by Microsoft and lawyer Weber are standard industry lobbyist propaganda.

"Perhaps Senator Grassley forgot that Google and innumerable other large and small American companies that were founded by foreign workers have created tens of thousands of jobs for U.S. citizens. It is laudable for Senator Grassley to champion the cause of the American worker, but his calling for blatantly discriminatory layoffs is anti-competitive scapegoating, and in many ways removes some of the innovation that created large numbers of American jobs in the first place."]

Google was NOT founded by "foreign workers." Page was born in the USA, and Brin immigrated to the U.S. as a child. Brin was NOT a foreign

student and he was NOT an H-1B. Moreover, we don't need Google. I could do just as well with the search engines offered by Yahoo! or Microsoft or others.

In any case. most H-1Bs in IT are just programmers and engineers - not the "best and brightest" required for innovation.

Don't retrain as a barista!!

More layoffs expected at Starbucks

All the gloom and doom talk about the loss of jobs is only bad if you like being a wage slave.

More and more people are finding legitimate ways to make money online.

One such person is Yanik Silver, who runs the Underground Online Seminar every year. His seminar showcases a selective group of real people making real money online.

Living the Internet Lifestyle

Companies forecast more than 85,000 job cuts in a single day as the rampant financial crisis hit workers in factories and offices across the globe and brought down a government on Monday.

In a sign of the deepening social impact of the US-born crisis, several companies announced an avalanche of cuts, piling pressure on US President Barack Obama as he pushes a stimulus plan for the world's biggest economy.

The financial catastrophe also claimed a scalp as Iceland's Prime Minister Geir Haarde announced the resignation of his government after months of protests over economic policies that brought the country close to bankruptcy.

Finance crisis claims govt, 85,000 jobs

Information on Pfizer (see link above and....

2008-11-07

Pfizer finds itself at the forefront of the debate over outsourcing and the H-1B visa program for foreign technology workers after workers in Connecticut raise the claim they have been forced to train their H-1B replacements, who will return to India to run Pfizer’s IT infrastructure. The criticism stems from an outsourcing deal Pfizer signed three years ago with Indian outsourcers Infosys Technologies and Satyam Computer Services.

Did Pfizer Force Its Staff to Train Their H-1B Replacements?

Pfizer Forcing U.S. Citizens to Train H-1B Guest Worker Replacements Before Being Fired

Britain is planning to ban advertising jobs overseas due to economic meltdown, a process which could hit Indian professionals aspiring for employment opportunities in the UK.

The government is mulling an idea to ensure that existing jobs go to British workers. The employers are being forced to notify vacancies in employment agencies within Britain to prioritise local candidates.

Indians are among the largest foreign professionals working in Britain. Every day, thousands of jobs are being cut across the sectors in Britain. Official figures suggest that unemployment figure is reaching the 2 million mark, for the first time since the mid-1990s.

Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, has announced plans to force thousands of nursing, primary teaching, hotel management and other "skilled migrant" jobs to be advertised in employment agencies such as Jobcentre Plus. Smith said "when it comes to immigration, in difficult economic times, I believe we need a tough system that offers British workers the first crack of the whip for jobs here".

Companies that break the new rules could have their licence to employ non-European Union migrants revoked.

Officials believe that the change will curb the number of migrants coming to Britain because they will not be able to obtain a work visa without a specific job offer. Official figures show that immigrants have taken four out of every five new jobs in Britain since 1997.

UK may shut its doors on foreign professionals

Malaysia has already banned foreign guest workers due to their high unemployment rate for their citizens

Malaysia bans hiring of foreign workers

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Some retirees have lost their life savings.

14 Jan 2009

Storm Financial banks face class action

Law firm Slater and Gordon is reportedly preparing a $100 million class action against banks linked to Storm Financial, one day after the financial planning firm was placed in voluntary administration.

The banks include Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd (CBA), and Bank of Queensland Ltd (BoQ), The Australian reports.

Storm announced its collapse on Monday, casting uncertainty over investments by the company's 13,000 clients, after CBA called in a $10 million loan.

According to The Australian, 230 Storm clients are seeking damages of more than $100 million, relating to margin loan facilities that allegedly required clients to put their house up as security for the loans.

The client action follows a similar claim by Storm against CBA last month.

Storm ran into trouble when hundreds of investors were left owing millions of dollars to margin lenders as the stock market dived, prompting an investigation by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC).

Storm appointed Worrells Solvency & Forensic Accountants partners Raj Khatri and Ivor Worrell as voluntary administrators.

Storm Financial banks face class action

January 31, 2009

IMMINGHAM, England (AFP) - Wildcat strikes against foreign workers spread through oil refineries and other energy facilities in Britain on Friday, fuelled by fears of rising job cuts due to the global slowdown.

The protest started at Britain's third-largest oil refinery, Lindsey in Lincolnshire, eastern England, where workers first walked out Wednesday over the use of Italian and Portuguese contractors on a 200 million pound building project.

But it had spread by Friday to a handful of other refineries and plants across Britain, where unemployment is currently at its highest rate for 10 years as the credit crunch hits hard.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has in the past made a point of pledging "British jobs for British workers," while more recently warning against trade protectionism as a response to the worldwide downturn.

Labour MP Shona McIsaac said the decision to hire foreign contractors was "like a red rag to a bull for people in our community who are out of work".

Protests against foreign workers spread

President Barack Obama called the prospect that some of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout could end up paying for bonuses to managers of struggling financial institutions "shameful" Thursday.

The president's latest concerns come two days after struggling banking giant Citigroup — which has taken about $45 billion from the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program — reversed plans to accept delivery of a new $42 million corporate jet under Treasury Department prodding.

Obama blasts bonuses for struggling Wall Street

Jan. 30, 2009

Some of the country's biggest recipients of taxpayer bailout money are busy bragging about what a good job they are doing, with one even pointing out that it has established two regional centers to help struggling homeowners.

There's at least one hitch, however.

Banks Spend Big Bucks on Brag Ads

The following companies have announced job cuts since the start of 2009.

Mounting job losses

President Barack Obama signed a series of executive orders that he said should “level the playing field” for labor unions in struggles with management and used the occasion at the White House to formally announce a new task force on the problems of middle-class Americans, installing Vice President Joe Biden as its chairman and unveiling a new Web site www.astrongmiddleclass.gov . Here, the White House’s statement:

Washington, DC – President Barack Obama today announced the creation of a White House Task Force on Middle Class Working Families to be chaired by Vice President Joe Biden. The Task Force is a major initiative targeted at raising the living standards of middle-class, working families in America. It is comprised of top-level administration policy makers, and in addition to regular meetings, it will conduct outreach sessions with representatives of labor, business, and the advocacy communities.

President Obama said: “The strength of our economy can be measured by the strength of our middle class. That is why I have signed a memorandum to create the Task Force on Middle-Class Working Families – and why I have asked my Vice President to lead it. This is a difficult moment. But I believe, if we act boldly and swiftly, it can be an American moment - when we work through our differences and overcome our divisions to face this crisis.”

White House Announces Middle Class Task Force