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Labor Department spent $500G in stimulus on green-job ad blitz on Olbermann, Maddow

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Labor Department spent $500G in stimulus on green-job ad blitz on Olbermann, Maddow

The Obama administration paid a PR firm nearly $500,000 in stimulus funds to run a barrage of ads on White House-friendly cable programs promoting its green job training program.

According to government records, the Labor Department paid the money in late 2009 to a company that negotiated a media buy on MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" and "The Rachel Maddow Show." The ad was set to run more than 100 times -- 14 times a week for two months.

It's unclear how many people might have gotten involved in the green job training program because of the ads. But in terms of direct economic impact, the official online entry on the contract listed zero jobs created as a result of the payment.

"On the surface, this doesn't pass the basic sniff test," Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who sits on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told FoxNews.com.
The government already spends way too much of our tax payer's money on propaganda and advertising but this really smells of dirty “Chicago style” politics. Does anyone really think it was an accident that MSNBC was the beneficiary here?




According to the Labor Department, the Job Corps committed more than $9 million in stimulus funds toward growing its training program and brought in more than 60,000 students to participate in the process.

The department reported that it was adding training programs "for an emerging green economy" -- by developing concentrations for such careers as weatherization technician, smart meter technician and other fields.
I have four friends who completed this “weatherization technician” training more than a year ago and not one of them has been able to find a job in this “growing” field. It was a waste of our tax dollars and a waste of my friends’ time.
 
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Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

They advertised on a lot of stations. They advertise lots of things on lots of stations.
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

They advertised on a lot of stations. They advertise lots of things on lots of stations.

So you defend this.

A bottomless well of excuses. "I refuse to hold the leaders I like accountable."
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

So you defend this.

A bottomless well of excuses. "I refuse to hold the leaders I like accountable."

There is no such thing as a government tax dollar wasted or unscrupulous and questionable actions by this White House in Deuce's world.
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

I assume it was a reward for their support. Should they have chosen Fox to advertise on?

Politician rewards supporter. Moon orbits Earth. Scandalous!


Labor Department spent $500G in stimulus on green-job ad blitz on Olbermann, Maddow

The government already spends way too much of our tax payer's money on propaganda and advertising but this really smells of dirty “Chicago style” politics. Does anyone really think it was an accident that MSNBC was the beneficiary here?




I have four friends who completed this “weatherization technician” training more than a year ago and not one of them has been able to find a job in this “growing” field. It was a waste of our tax dollars and a waste of my friends’ time.
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

I assume it was a reward for their support.
I assume the same.



Should they have chosen Fox to advertise on?
They shouldn’t have advertised in the first place. If the government doesn’t advertise, the likelihood for government corruption and propagandizing is reduced. See how that works?



Politician rewards supporter. Moon orbits Earth. Scandalous!
I see, you accept government corruption and propaganda as a fact of life and dismiss it as nothing more than a fact of life? I hope you don’t vote if this is your position.
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

Yes, I accept corruption as a fact of life and you don't. Which one of us will have any impact? It's discouraging and depressing. I watch our owners rape, brutalize and rob us every minute of every day.
What strategy do you propose? Elect a different pack of crooks? 4th largest population in the world and exactly 2 political parties, both corrupt, to choose from.
I assume the same.
I see, you accept government corruption and propaganda as a fact of life and dismiss it as nothing more than a fact of life? I hope you don’t vote if this is your position.
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

So you defend this.

A bottomless well of excuses. "I refuse to hold the leaders I like accountable."


I believe he was saying that it is was a typical political attack piece leaving out context and background information to make the situation seem worse that it is.

And I believe you were trying to put words in his mouth.

Don't do that.
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

14 times a week, ie twice a day, is a "barrage?" I don't think so.

Look if you're the government, and you got a new program to intended to help those unemployed or those in professions which too many workers for the demand and thus wages have decreased, if you've got a program to help those people obviously regardless of how good or bad the program is(personally I have no idea) people have to know about it for it to work. So you've got to get the message out there some how, was TV advertising the best choice? I don't know that either, but obviously you need to get that knowledge so people know its an option for them.

Now when it said zero jobs were created from this spending I wonder how they are calculating that. Are they saying that the purchase of the ad space didn't directly any jobs? To that I'd say no **** why would you expect advertisements to directly create jobs. If the fact is that the program as a whole, advertising included, created no jobs then its something that can rightfully be pointed out as a failure of the stimulus and should be examined and analyzed to ensure it doesn't happen again. Republicans could also rightfully criticize that program as a failure since it clearly met none of its objectives, if in fact the zero jobs point is talking about the program as a whole.

But of course the article itself states:
The official "award summary" on the Labor Department contract explained that the ads were meant for "raising awareness among employers and influencers" about the green job training program and to move a "target audience" to contact the Job Corps Call Center to ask about enrolling.
The summary cited "existing and new training initiatives in high-growth and environmentally friendly career areas."
According to the Labor Department, the Job Corps committed more than $9 million in stimulus funds toward growing its training program and brought in more than 60,000 students to participate in the process.
The department reported that it was adding training programs "for an emerging green economy" -- by developing concentrations for such careers as weatherization technician, smart meter technician and other fields.

So it appears the program was at least successful in gathering students, and thats what we should be focusing on, are these people better off because of this program and did it help lower unemployment and boost the economy and if "Yes" then was that boost worth the cost? Not an easy question and there's no clear answer as "worth it" is a subjective term. But just FYI 9 million bucks for 60,000 students is 150 bucks a student, sounds pretty cheap but again 150 bucks of worthless training is still wasted money even if per person it wasn't very expensive waste. So again, was it worth it? I don't know.

And lastly it would also be blown a bit out of proportion to focus entirely on this one thing, since the stimulus spent around 5.5 billion dollars and reduced taxes by 2.7 billion for a combined cost to the government (spending plus revenue lost) of over 7 billion dollars, focusing on 500,000 is kind of silly.

I conclude this story and article is a bunch of hyperbole and junk because it doesn't ask the right questions and focus on the real purpose of the stimulus spending except for a brief mention at the end.
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

Maybe a bit "off-topic", but not how I see it because I'm looking at an overall picture, not just 1 specific expenditure. IF we're upset about "frivolous and wasteful spending", then let's look at all of it, right??
I joined the US Coast Guard in 1999, mainly in part because every week on WWF's Monday Night wrestling show that I watched with my friends (yeah, I was 17) the US Coast Guard advertised. The US Military advertises everyday in an effort to recruit people and put the word out there about what they do. The branches of the Military sponsor NASCAR cars and races, Bowl games, and many other sporting events. Many of those I served with were influenced by advertising from these types of events. With such a GIANT Defense budget, in the hundreds of billions of dollars, WHY do people keep pointing out all of these TINY TINY expenditures in comparison??
Heck, Romney made 20% of that total, $100,000 just in salary in 1 year from a company he claims he had no involvement with...
Yet these same folks are upset at the Gov't for advertising a program twice a day to the audience they think will most benefit from it.
I see this as a certain group of individuals having nothing of any substance to really argue about, so they keep drumming up these outlandish "stories" to paint another certain group of individuals as dirty and irresponsible. Fact is, both sides do it all the time. That's not new to anyone.

I don't remember all the Reps getting up in arms when Boehner spent $500,000 on a law firm for the case challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). All the while he was promising that Washington would make spending cuts. Yeah, cutting Education $5.5billion and Veteran's Affairs $3.3billion. (I'm just using two that hit home with me).
How about what it costs for (UNNECESSARY) Voter ID Laws?? http://brennan.3cdn.net/2f0860fb73fd559359_zzm6bhnld.pdf
Now your talking about millions added to states that are operating in a deficit. But let's keep attacking this stimulus spending... that seems like such a terrible waste of MY money. Bahahaha!! seriously, I cannot believe I actually live in an America where we'll focus on THIS story instead of the millions of stories where REAL fraud is happening to us every f'n day.

p.s. This cracks me up >>> Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.) "We have a volunteer military and they have to advertise for recruits somewhere. …. Do you think they should advertise at the philharmonic? Or maybe you think they should advertise at the ballet. We could surely get some burly, mean paratroopers if we advertised at the ballet.’’
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

I believe he was saying that it is was a typical political attack piece leaving out context and background information to make the situation seem worse that it is.

All the context and background in the world doesn't make a bunch of political ads a legitimate use of stimulus money. Why would anyone advocate larger stimulus and more stimulus knowing this is the kind of pointless **** it gets spent on?
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

All the context and background in the world doesn't make a bunch of political ads a legitimate use of stimulus money. Why would anyone advocate larger stimulus and more stimulus knowing this is the kind of pointless **** it gets spent on?

And you felt the same way when W. spent tax dollars to win support for the Iraq war?

Just wondering...
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

Labor Department spent $500G in stimulus on green-job ad blitz on Olbermann, Maddow

The government already spends way too much of our tax payer's money on propaganda and advertising but this really smells of dirty “Chicago style” politics. Does anyone really think it was an accident that MSNBC was the beneficiary here?




I have four friends who completed this “weatherization technician” training more than a year ago and not one of them has been able to find a job in this “growing” field. It was a waste of our tax dollars and a waste of my friends’ time.

You can smell the "fair and balanced" stench from your computer screen. Fox even goes as far to say that running a single ad, twice a day, lol, is an "ad-blitz". This is ridiculous crap set up to enrage right wingers that don't care to actually check the facts.
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

You can smell the "fair and balanced" stench from your computer screen. Fox even goes as far to say that running a single ad, twice a day, lol, is an "ad-blitz". This is ridiculous crap set up to enrage right wingers that don't care to actually check the facts.

There's nothing "factual" or "non-factual" about calling it an ad blitz. You might believe it is misleading language but it has nothing to do with "facts."

What's factual is that "STIMULUS" money was spent on POLITICAL ADS. That FACT should enrage us all, not just right-wingers.
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

There's nothing "factual" or "non-factual" about calling it an ad blitz. You might believe it is misleading language but it has nothing to do with "facts."

What's factual is that "STIMULUS" money was spent on POLITICAL ADS. That FACT should enrage us all, not just right-wingers.

These weren't political ads. They were awareness ads about a program. Don't preach to others about facts unless you get yours straight first, k?
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

These weren't political ads. They were awareness ads about a program. Don't preach to others about facts unless you get yours straight first, k?

Why would viewers need to be aware of a White House-supported federal program? That counts as a political ad. And how is that a legit use of stimulus?
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

These weren't political ads. They were awareness ads about a program. Don't preach to others about facts unless you get yours straight first, k?

Then it shouldn't have gone to ONE media outlet. Bad enough using stimulus dollars to advertise a government program born of a partisan political move ("green" jobs), but then enrich the one news org that consistently backs the dems exclusively, that's particularly bad.
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

Why would viewers need to be aware of a White House-supported federal program?

Lets say it's a job training program, you think it would be a better idea for the government to just start it up and tell no body about it so that no body uses it, or do you think it would be better if they actually told people about it via advertisements and actually got some use out of it? Also the "white house supported" thing is a silly label your using. The stimulus was passed by congress also, and has nothing to do with whether the ad was political or not. Whether the president supported the stimulus or not, it doesn't change that the ad wasn't political.

That counts as a political ad. And how is that a legit use of stimulus?
One of the most outlandish things I've heard from a conservative/libertarian since lunch-time. If the ad said "Thank Obama for this!" then you'd be absolutely right, but since the ad was simply "to sign up for this program or to get information please call... or go to this website" it is NOT a political ad, and only someone that is dishonest would call it such.
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

Then it shouldn't have gone to ONE media outlet. Bad enough using stimulus dollars to advertise a government program born of a partisan political move ("green" jobs), but then enrich the one news org that consistently backs the dems exclusively, that's particularly bad.

I agree, they should have spread it around, but if they were only going to spend that money, it is possible that this is where they were going to get the best bang for their buck. Along with that, these advertisements are nothing out of the norm, the government has to advertise for stuff like this all the time, and foxnews just happened to latch on to the 1 that they could twist in to a scandal.
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

Yes, I accept corruption as a fact of life and you don't.
No, I accept the fact that it exists but the difference between us is that I believe corruption should be opposed rather than embraced.

Which one of us will have any impact?
Good question. If you see a rape or robbery taking place and you do nothing to stop it, you have made an impact on society that encourages rape and robbery. Unfortunately there are enough people who, like you, are politically paralyzed and refuse to fight corruption, thereby encouraging more corruption. Hopefully people like me will have more of an impact than people like you. This is why I say I hope you don’t vote; if positive change is going to occur, people like you need to stay home and let those of us who are willing, do the work that needs to be done to clean things up.


It's discouraging and depressing. I watch our owners rape, brutalize and rob us every minute of every day.
This is really pathetic coming from a “bigger government” liberal who wants to hand more power over to the true threat. Historically, liberal governments have murdered countless numbers of their own citizens while capitalist companies have shortchanged their employees or maybe put them into dangerous work environments but there is no comparison when considering the toll a bigger, more corrupt government will have over a bigger, more corrupt corporation. Logically, there is no comparison.



What strategy do you propose? Elect a different pack of crooks? 4th largest population in the world and exactly 2 political parties, both corrupt, to choose from.
I propose that you be as outraged by government corruption as I am and use your vote to get rid of those who are corrupt. Just because there is a 2 party system doesn’t mean we are powerless. Are you so willing to throw your hands up and become a slave of the government? Get out there with signs, protest corruption wherever you see it, rally people to vote against the corrupt.

Any questions?
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

No, I accept the fact that it exists but the difference between us is that I believe corruption should be opposed rather than embraced.

Good question. If you see a rape or robbery taking place and you do nothing to stop it, you have made an impact on society that encourages rape and robbery. Unfortunately there are enough people who, like you, are politically paralyzed and refuse to fight corruption, thereby encouraging more corruption. Hopefully people like me will have more of an impact than people like you. This is why I say I hope you don’t vote; if positive change is going to occur, people like you need to stay home and let those of us who are willing, do the work that needs to be done to clean things up.

I'm willing to let you handle it. How are you doing so far? What group have you formed? What action have you taken?


This is really pathetic coming from a “bigger government” liberal who wants to hand more power over to the true threat. Historically, liberal governments have murdered countless numbers of their own citizens while capitalist companies have shortchanged their employees or maybe put them into dangerous work environments but there is no comparison when considering the toll a bigger, more corrupt government will have over a bigger, more corrupt corporation. Logically, there is no comparison.

I'm a "bigger government liberal"? Where did that come from? I'm the guy who is voting for Gary Johnson.


I propose that you be as outraged by government corruption as I am and use your vote to get rid of those who are corrupt. Just because there is a 2 party system doesn’t mean we are powerless. Are you so willing to throw your hands up and become a slave of the government? Get out there with signs, protest corruption wherever you see it, rally people to vote against the corrupt.


OK. I'm outraged. No, really, I mean that. My frequent complaints are part of why I didn't understand your "big government liberal" definition. The entire system is so corrupted that I can't find an outlet for my outrage. Just posting that you're outraged doesn't really have much impact.

Any questions?

I really want to know what you've done to express your outrage besides posting here. If you haven't really done anything at all, then why do you feel so superior to me, who acknowledges reality. Reality is what is, not what you want it to be.
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

OK. I'm outraged. No, really, I mean that. My frequent complaints are part of why I didn't understand your "big government liberal" definition. The entire system is so corrupted that I can't find an outlet for my outrage. Just posting that you're outraged doesn't really have much impact.
Agreed: Posting your outrage to this forum doesn’t really have much impact when it comes to changing the minds of others but you do educate yourself and learn more about what you believe in. I’ve been a member of this forum for a while and I’ve had civilized discussions with people who vary from openly and active communists to openly and active anarchists. I hate to admit it but I lost some debates along the way.

I take the time to regularly write to my congressman and senator with hand written letters, and I’ll mail it to them too. Hand written letters and phone calls are way more effective than emails but they all count.

I live in California, so if anyone can relate to the political frustration and hopelessness resulting from entrenched politicians, I can.

I really want to know what you've done to express your outrage besides posting here. If you haven't really done anything at all, then why do you feel so superior to me, who acknowledges reality. Reality is what is, not what you want it to be.

I don’t feel “superior” to you at all. I do think my ideas are better than your ideas but it ends there. That is what this message board was created for....to test your opinions and ideas against opposing opinions and ideas and to see how they stack up against what others like me think.

I’m pretty sure we agree that government corruption is rampant but I doubt we agree on the specifics of how to make any changes because changes will upset the apple cart and you are already too partisan to oppose or support anything that your political master doesn’t direct you to do.
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

So you defend this.

A bottomless well of excuses. "I refuse to hold the leaders I like accountable."

No, I'm just pointing out that the outrage is incredibly selective. For instance, I didn't see anyone whining about spending money advertising for military recruitment. Because no dollar spent on the sacred military is wasted, right?
 
Re: Your Tax $$ to 'Stimulate' MSNBC?

No, I'm just pointing out that the outrage is incredibly selective. For instance, I didn't see anyone whining about spending money advertising for military recruitment. Because no dollar spent on the sacred military is wasted, right?

The Republican House loves them some military spending.

The U.S. House voted Friday against an amendment that would have banned military sponsorship of NASCAR teams....
[...]
The U.S. Army, National Guard and Air Force will spend about $30 million combined this year to sponsor Sprint Cup teams.

U.S. House rejects NASCAR sponsorship ban | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
It wasn't even close, the amendment lost 281-148.


That was in 2011. Just to make sure they did it again last month.

In July 2012, the US House of Representatives defeated the bill that would end military sponsorships for all major sporting events including NASCAR.


For the record, I'm not against either. I like seeing alternative energy pushed and I like seeing an 'Army' car going down the track at 300 mph+.
 
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