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Obama: Payroll tax cut extension will help with higher gas prices
The Hill ^ | February 21, 2012 | Amie Parnes

Posted on 02/21/2012 11:12:37 AM PST by maggief

Basking in the glory of his recent payroll tax cut victory, President Obama urged Congress on Tuesday to move ahead on other policies he has put forward that will help improve the economy and benefit middle-class Americans.

“My message to Congress is, ‘Don’t stop here. Keep going,' ” Obama said at the White House in a 10-minute victory-lap speech.

“Keep taking the action that people are calling for to keep this economy growing,” Obama said before a diverse group of Americans who had written the president to explain how the extension would help them.

Obama briefly touched on rising gas prices, saying the payroll tax cut extension will help families who are struggling to fill their tanks.

For the typical family, he said the tax cut was "a big deal."

"It means $40 extra in their paycheck, and that $40 helps to pay the rent, the groceries, the rising cost of gas — which is on a lot of people's minds right now," he said.

Fearing a repeat of their December defeat, Republicans retreated on the payroll tax cut extension. The GOP hopes to now pivot to gas prices, where they believe they can hammer the Obama administration, especially if drivers pay more and more at the pump through Labor Day.

(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: elections; liberallunacy; nobama2012; obama
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To: maggief

I guarantee people are paying well over an extra $80 a month on groceries and gas since Obama took office 3 years ago. I would venture to guess it’s probably closer to $250 extra a month.


21 posted on 02/21/2012 11:49:22 AM PST by tobyhill
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To: maggief

22 posted on 02/21/2012 11:49:36 AM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: maggief

Barry is already living the utopian dream, and out of touch. At today’s prices we get pump fumes for $40.


23 posted on 02/21/2012 11:49:47 AM PST by pallis
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To: tobyhill

Certain cookies went from 2 for $5 at Christmas to 2 for $7 by February. I bought a couple of small lean steaks on a steep sale for $11 that trip. They had been over $20.


24 posted on 02/21/2012 11:52:33 AM PST by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah cometh. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto.)
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To: maggief

notwithstanding everything else that’s wrong with all this...

I’m still scratching my head how he comes up with 40 bucks a paycheck.

Weekly, it’s $19.23 s on 50k a year
bi-weekly it’s $38.46 on 50k a year.

so, according to obama, a paycheck is every 2 weeks,
everyone earns at least 50k a year
and the actual amount gets rounded up for political purposes.


25 posted on 02/21/2012 11:54:53 AM PST by stylin19a (time to Obamanos)
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To: combat_boots

I have really been trying to get the grocery bill down since it just went through the roof. No more steaks, pork if it is deeply on sale, and lots of chicken.
I also have got into making casseroles and soups again which has really helped alot.


26 posted on 02/21/2012 12:02:32 PM PST by sheana
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To: Beagle8U

People are bringing home the same amount they were bringing home last mont. Gas has gone up at least 15%. And 40% of those same people will believe obama’s b.s.


27 posted on 02/21/2012 12:07:00 PM PST by Terry Mross (Difference between a conservative / liberal-obvious. Difference between a rep and a dem? None)
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To: ml/nj

No problem. Just add it on to the debt.


28 posted on 02/21/2012 12:08:24 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied.)
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To: sheana

My wife and I not eat like rich folks. We eat a lot of hamburger meat (80-20) and lots of chicken. We cannot bet by on less $150 a week. I think people who say they only spend $75 a week on groceries are in denial.


29 posted on 02/21/2012 12:17:06 PM PST by Terry Mross (Difference between a conservative / liberal-obvious. Difference between a rep and a dem? None)
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To: Terry Mross

Our problem is hubby and I are home all day, every day. He is retired and I work from home so we cook and eat every meal at home. I know exactly what groceries cost and how much they have gone up. Our weekly grocery bill went from $75 a wk to well over $100 while the quality of food we were eating went down.
I have finally got it down to about $90 every week and a half now but we eat lots of leftovers, nothing gets thrown out anymore.


30 posted on 02/21/2012 12:25:04 PM PST by sheana
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To: sheana

We’re both home, too. We don’t throw anything away either. We’ve tried to cut everywhere we can. We’ve gotten it down maybe $50 a month from a year ago but the price increases are eating that up pretty fast. Target has pretty good bread. A year ago it was $1.12 a loaf. Now it’s $1.48. That’s a 24% increase.

I don’t know how a family of four are making it unless both parents are making way above the minimum wage.


31 posted on 02/21/2012 12:30:37 PM PST by Terry Mross (Difference between a conservative / liberal-obvious. Difference between a rep and a dem? None)
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To: sheana

Yes grocery stuff is WAY up in the 3 yrs of Baraq.
A lot of packaged stuff that was 3 bucks is now 5.
Milk went from 2 to 3.
24 pack Coke from 4 to 7.

The Consumer Price Index doesn’t include food and fuel because they are considered “too volatile” and does include housing which has been going down.

For “normal folks” the everyday cost of living is up a LOT.


32 posted on 02/21/2012 12:39:26 PM PST by nascarnation (DEFEAT BARAQ 2012 DEPORT BARAQ 2013)
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To: combat_boots

I’ve been noticing the same thing—sharp increases in the prices of grocery items and I’m not at all sure all of it is due to transportation surcharges. So I’ve been buying store brands.
Barry doesn’t want to strangle the middle-class in its crib, at least not yet, but Holder’s people have gambling expenses, and we have their children to raise you know.
See that thread on `Amish Gals Gone Wild’ in a Detroit casino?
That’s a taste of things to come if (when) the bottom drops out.


33 posted on 02/21/2012 12:47:11 PM PST by tumblindice (Whitey-American: Taxed Enough Already)
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To: Terry Mross

We feed a family of six—including four hungry kids ages 13, 9, 7, and 4. My husband brings home about $3900/month if you include the raise he just received. I stay at home with the kids (well, one kid if you count the three that are in school). We’re fortunate that we are renting our current home for $600/month. We have another house in Arkansas that we couldn’t sell that we are renting out for $900/month (covers our mortgage plus almost $100 over). We don’t live hand to mouth, but we’re not extravagant spenders. We’re putting the Arkansas house back on the market soon, and we’ll hopefully be buying this place in Ohio this summer if all goes well.

I make my menu every week before the shopping trip on Fridays. First, I hit Aldi and get what I can off of that list, then head to Walmart for the rest. Once every couple of months or so, we go down to Sam’s and stock up on some things. Aldi still has the lower prices overall, but I’ve seen some spikes in several items I buy weekly, like apple juice, which seemed to go up 20 cents from one week to the next. We’re also feeding two large dogs and a cat, which adds a good amount to the grocery bill (the dogs more than the cat, lol).

My husband figured that if he was unemployed, we would get around $900 a month in food stamps (not to mention the reduced or free lunches at school, plus WIC for the youngest child). That’s more than I spend a month now on food, cleaning products, toiletries, and pet items. When he and I were first married, we qualified for food stamps (he was active duty Navy at the time), but we didn’t take them. We just used coupons and ate cheap.


34 posted on 02/21/2012 12:50:40 PM PST by Hoosier Catholic Momma (How long till my Arkansas drawl fades into the twang of southeast Ohio?)
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To: duckman

I’m actually laughing too hard to stay pissed at him


35 posted on 02/21/2012 12:53:30 PM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Hoosier Catholic Momma

Considering there are only 2 of us we should be able to eat on no more than 1/3 of what you spend. I’d like to see someone’s actual grocerie cash register ticket. With cleaning supplies and our pets we’re well over $850 a month. And Houston is one of the cheapest places to buy groceries in the nation.

Can you post your menu and then tell me how much you spend on groceries, dog supplies, toiletries and cleaning supplies? I assume it’s less than $900.


36 posted on 02/21/2012 1:46:46 PM PST by Terry Mross (Difference between a conservative / liberal-obvious. Difference between a rep and a dem? None)
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To: maggief

Let’s see..... If a $40 tax cut is 2% of wages, then the paycheck is $2,000. Duh... And they complain about $40!!!

Typical of the Rats!!!


37 posted on 02/21/2012 2:32:33 PM PST by tired&retired
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To: maggief

This has to be satire right....right?


38 posted on 02/21/2012 2:44:06 PM PST by Mike Darancette (Romney just makes me tired all over.)
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