Economic expansion second consecutive month

Economic expansion second consecutive month. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) February 2025 Report on Business was released showing economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded for the second month in a row in February after 26 consecutive months of contraction, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business.

The report was issued by Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, CPM, Chair of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee:

The Manufacturing PMI registered 50.3 in February, 00.6 percentage point lower compared to the 50.9 percent recorded in January, the overall economy continued in expansion for the 58th month after one month of contraction in April 2020. (A Manufacturing PMI above 42.3 percent, over a period of time, generally indicates expansion of the overall economy)”
Fiore continues, “ US manufacturing activity expanded marginally for the second month in a row in February after 26 months of contraction. Demand weakened, while output stabilized and inputs, for the first time in several months, contributed to PMI growth.”

US raw steel production down from previous week

In the week ending March 1, 2025, US raw steel production was 1,641,000 net tons at an ACUR of 73.7 percent, down 1.1 percent from the previous week. Year-to-date production, adjusted through March 1, 2025, was 14,179,000 net tons at an ACUR of 74.3 percent. Down 1.3 percent from the same period last year.

Headline News

Tuesday night the president addressed a joint session of Congress, he spoke for an hour and forty minutes in what I viewed as a powerful speech. The useless Democrats sat on their hands all night, not once showing appreciation to Trump for what he has done and what he plans to do, or the people he kindly introduced to America, including the families of those who lost loved ones to illegal alien monsters, and others. They are just rude people. Un-American for sure. I do not know how they get voted into office. They seek only to enrich themselves.

One congressman, the useless Al Green, was escorted from the chamber by the Sergeant at Arms, for his disruptive behavior. This moron had the gall to introduce articles of impeachment a day or two after the inauguration, again. I wonder what his net income growth has been since he took office. They have learned nothing from the beating they took in November. Trump has done so much in six or seven weeks. I believe we will benefit as a country, from the tariffs, a little short term pain, but I am willing to deal with it in order to get our country back on track. All the naysayers are just anti-Trump, anti-America. Screw them. Look where listening to them has got us. Useless and unscrupulous people.

Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, in her rebuttal last night spewed a bunch of non-truths about Trump’s speech and what they are doing or will do for the American people. They do nothing, and have a plan for nothing other than to steal more money. The left is always accusing conservatives of doing what they ARE doing, something I have been saying for years.

She spewed the following:

Our democracy (we are NOT a democracy, we are a Republic) is at risk when a president decides he can pick and choose what rules he wants to follow (this is what Biden and the Democrats did for four years), when he ignores court orders or the Constitution itself (Biden again), or when elected leaders stand idly by and just let it happen (open borders, rampant crime etc. the Democrat party does this all the time), Sen Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) said. “But it’s also at risk when the President pits Americans against each other (another Democrat trait), when he demonizes those who are different, and tells certain people they shouldn’t be included (when did he do that? Does she mean boys in girls bathrooms, or competing against women in sports, or changing our language for these woke idiots? I could go on, you know I speak the truth).”

Trump wants to eliminate the Federal Department of Education, which has apparently been a slush fund for teachers etc. “…it takes no part in the daily, hard fought grind of teaching. It doesn’t step foot in a classroom, interview teachers, or debate pedagogy. It doesn’t meet with parents, coach sports or set bus schedules.

The department’s only job is to act as the keeper of the education treats. Every year these federal masters get some $80 billion to dispense on “good” behavior. They hive off a dollop for their own salaries, while the rest they dispense as if rewarding a pet. Good state puppies-those that roll, fetch and fill out paperwork in triplicate-get grants called IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act)funds. Bad puppies lose their school lunch money.

Need extra bucks? Concoct a need for teacher development, or non-English speakers, bulk up on shop classes, show a plan for “well-rounded education” and “safe and healthy students” and the money will flow, though only after studies, evaluations, assessments, surveys, training, certifications, complete exhaustion and total submission to a one-size fits all federal formula for success.

That formula has sent $1 trillion to schools since 1979, producing a perfect inverse correlation of plummeting education scores. Yet note what these federal funds have in common. The money, ostensibly for “the children,” all goes to the adults-to hire more counselors and special-ed teachers for those IEPs, more administrators to run programs, legions of staff to input data. And guess what? Most of these adults belong to a union local of the National Education Association or the American Federation of Teachers. Because the keeper of the treats was, is, and always will be Jimmy Carter’s thank you for teachers union endorsements. Randi ‘Weingarten controls the clicker.” From an editorial by Kimberly Strassel in the 3/7/25 edition of the Wall Street Journal

I do not know if the President can eliminate this entitlement with a stroke of his pen and put education back where it belongs-in local jurisdiction, but it sure would be nice. Hakeem Jeffries,, the minority party puppet has been saying he can’t, but he is a liar, and cannot be trusted to tell the truth. We have know of the uselessness of this bureaucracy for many years but when you have evil people holding the clicker, and career politicians in government, which we most certainly do, no one cares to step forth to stop the gravy train. Never mind our children who are not being taught the essential skills necessary to make their way in the world in which they live. This bureaucracy SHOULD be eliminated and the money put to good use elsewhere for the children’s education.

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN

“KEEP AMERICA GREAT”

Have a great weekend…. God bless America!

Buy American made products whenever you can, it’s good for you, good for your friends and neighbors and good for our country.

If you are hiring…try to hire a veteran…. they are loyal, disciplined, hardworking…and they deserve our support.

By the way, if you wish to comment on my rants or offer any other insights you may have, you are encouraged to email me.

TEDDY ROOSEVELT ON IMMIGRANTS IN AMERICA…1907

In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American and nothing but an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag…We have room for but one language here and that is the English language…and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”