US raw steel production tumbled 3.1 percent in the last week of June as mills operated at an average capability utilization rate (ACUR) of 76.1 percent. In the corresponding week last year, mills operated at an ACUR of 74.8 percent. Thus far this year mills have operated at an ACUR of 76.8 percent down from the same period last year when mills operated at an ACUR of 78.8 percent.

On 7/5 the Wall Street Journal reported that

US employers added 195,000 jobs in June, a sign of solid improvements in the labor market. The stronger job growth came alongside sharp revisions to April and May that showed employers added a combined 70,000 more jobs than previously estimated.”

The Labor Department said. Unemployment remained the same at 7.6 percent. Although encouraging news, the growth of jobs in this country has been little better than dismal during this “recovery”.

According to Dr. Ken Mayland, economic consultant to the Precision Machined Products Association:

Total payroll job growth has averaged 176k per month for the last 12 months, total payrolls are currently running 2.5 million positions short of the early 2008 peak. Furthermore, when grossed up to the current employment base, past recoveries have seen monthly increases of 400k to 500k. Aside from less than robust demand growth, perhaps the largest obstacle to new hiring is the fear of the added costs and bureaucracy associated with the requirements of the Affordable (?) Care Act (Obama-Care).”

Speaking of the un-Affordable Care Act, last week the administration delayed, for at least one year, the employer mandate related to this boondoggle of a law. Additionally, in its infinite wisdom, the administration has also now deemed it unnecessary for the states to confirm or validate anyone’s application for taxpayer funded health care dollars. This means anyone can apply for assistance and no one is obligated validate such applications. This is what happens when we “have to sign this into law so we can find out what is in it”. Thank you Nancy Pelosi. What happened to the statement in the Declaration of Independence “….Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed….” Did I read that correctly? “….deriving their just powers from the CONSENT of the governed”. That is us, you and I, the American citizen. This crap is being shoved down our throats, we have neither voted to give them our consent nor have we been asked for our consent. A blatant abuse of power.

What do we know about Benghazi?
What do we know about the IRS targeting of political groups?
What do we know about the Justice Department’s monitoring the phone calls of journalists?

NOTHING…….. Everything is a smoke screen with this administration. They believe if they ignore it, it will go away …. and to this point, they are right. No one is pressing for answers on these and a myriad of other questions which have not been answered. Where is Lerner from the IRS who refused to answer any questions, invoking her 5th Amendment rights after proclaiming her innocence? Where is Hillary to answer for Benghazi? Where was the president during the attack on our consulate in Libya? To all these questions we have a right to know: Who knew what and when did they know it?

I cannot let this rest. The American people are being led astray by greedy leaders. For years upon years the citizens of this country have overlooked the injustices committed by its leaders. Why? Because the United States has been the world’s greatest success in espousing individual freedoms, doing the right thing to spread peace and freedom in the world. Her might and respect was unmatched. So, we overlooked crookedness, a lack of integrity, greed, a lack of moral fiber in our leaders, our country was so great we could overcome any of these things.

But look where America is now, widespread disrespect on the world stage, a declining quality of life for her citizens, a lack of good jobs, over taxed, over burdened by government regulation. Those with no moral fiber (Bill Clinton: “I did not have sex with that woman”. Anthony Weiner for mayor of New York? Will his posters show his hairless chest or his penis? Eliot Spitzer for Controller of New York? Prostitution, crossing state lines with a prostitute. Hillary Clinton “What difference does it make now? We have four dead Americans and must find out how to stop it from happening again.” She has her eyes on the presidency. Are you kidding me? Crooks, the whole bunch of them.

God Bless America (please!)