Tag: Jobs

Posted on by — Leave a comment

NJ TRANSIT PARTNERS WITH U.S. ARMY ON JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS

Ridgewood Train Station
file photo by ArtChick
April 2,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  NJ TRANSIT is partnering with the U.S. Army on a program to help provide soldiers with career opportunities following their military service.  In a signing ceremony held today at the Frank R. Lautenberg Station at Secaucus Junction, NJ TRANSIT became the newest member of the U.S. Army’s Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS).

The PaYS program is designed to help soldiers prepare for a career after the Army by connecting them with employers who understand the skill, discipline and work ethic that military service members can bring to an agency.  Since PaYS began in 2000, more than 500 employers have partnered with the program.

“We are pleased to join the U.S. Army’s program which benefits both NJ TRANSIT and soldiers in many ways,’’ said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Steven H. Santoro. “As an agency that proudly employs veterans throughout all levels of our organization, we know firsthand the tremendous value they bring to our agency.  The leadership skills that veterans possess are true assets to our transportation system.’’

PaYS matches soldiers with participating businesses most in need of their particular skill set.  During the enlistment process, soldiers can choose to participate in PaYS and select the job and company they are most qualified for. By participating in PaYS, NJ TRANSIT will provide qualified PaYS participants the opportunity to be assessed and to possibly interview with a representative of the company when a job opening is available. The program does not guarantee employment, but it does help a soldier clear the first hurdle to starting a career.

“The Army PaYS program is a win-win opportunity. The Army helps soldiers find employment with companies who value the skill and discipline that comes with an Army career, and companies can draw from an endless pool of qualified talent to fulfill their needs,’’ said Lieutenant Colonel Ed Croot, U.S. Army Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Battalion.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Manufacturers’ Optimism Hits 20-Year High in NAM Survey

Trump thumbs up

As Manufacturers Meet President Trump to Talk Regulations, Taxes and Infrastructure, Industry Is More Confident in Improving Business Climate

by Jennifer Drogus
March 31, 2017

Washington, D.C., Fresh off the heels of the third straight month of manufacturing job growth, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) today released the first Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey since President Donald Trump took office. The survey shows a dramatic shift in sentiment, with more than 93 percent of manufacturers feeling positive about their economic outlook. This is the highest in the survey’s 20-year history, up from 56.6 percent one year ago and 77.8 percent in December.

The NAM’s release of the survey coincided with a meeting of small and medium-sized manufacturers at the White House today.

“Across America, manufacturers’ optimism is soaring, in no small part because of President Trump’s laser-like focus on pursuing bold action, particularly on rethinking red tape to address regulatory reform, to accelerate a jobs surge in America,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.

“As the survey shows, manufacturers of all sizes are now less concerned about the business climate going forward because they are counting on President Trump to deliver results. Small manufacturers—more than 90 percent of our membership—are among the hardest hit by regulatory obstacles. Regulatory costs for small manufacturers with fewer than 50 employees total almost $35,000 per employee per year—money that could otherwise go to creating jobs. It’s encouraging to see an administration so focused on providing regulatory relief to spur manufacturing growth.

“We are grateful for the chance to meet with the president today as we continue to tell the White House directly which regulations are still the biggest obstacles to a manufacturing surge. There is much work to be done, and manufacturers have the solutions on regulatory reform as well as on infrastructure investment, workforce development, bold comprehensive tax reform and a host of other issues.”

The survey shows not only a positive outlook but also that concerns about the business environment have dropped. When manufacturers were asked to identify top challenges to their business, concerns about the business environment fell to third place. This had previously been respondents’ top concern since the question was added to the survey in 2011.

For the past 20 years, the NAM has surveyed its membership of more than 14,000 large and small manufacturers to gain insight into their economic outlook, hiring and investment decisions and business concerns. The NAM releases these results to the public each quarter.

Posted on by — 5 Comments

TRUMP ENDS YEARS OF GOVERNMENT OVERREACH

16601639 10155056993625799 6819157838572236604 o

“Any regulation that is outdated, unnecessary, bad for workers, or contrary to the national interest will be scrapped.” – Donald J. Trump

YEARS OF GOVERNMENT OVERREACH: President Donald J. Trump has inherited the bloated regulatory regime of the past Administration.

According to the American Action Forum, the regulations from the Obama Administration cost United States taxpayers a total of $873 billion.

The Obama Administration issued 3,037 finalized regulations.

GETTING GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE WAY: Today, President Trump signed legislation to help eliminate unnecessary, harmful, and job-killing regulations.

Earlier today, President Trump signed four bills under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), in one of the few times the CRA has been used to cancel Federal regulations.
House Joint Resolution 37 will roll back the “blacklisting” rule that empowers big law firms to get rich by suing American companies and workers who contract with the Federal Government.
House Joint Resolution 44 removes the Bureau of Land Management’s “Planning 2.0” rule to prevent further centralization of Federal land management decisions at the expense of local citizens.
House Joint Resolutions 57 and 58 eliminate layers of bureaucracy that could have cost State and local school systems millions of dollars, while encouraging freedom and innovation in our schools.

CUTTING RED TAPE ACROSS THE GOVERNMENT: President Trump has signed Executive Orders and legislation to cut regulations that get in the way of Americans.

President Trump has required that for every new Federal regulation, two existing regulations be eliminated.
President Trump ordered agencies to create Regulatory Reform Task Forces to identify costly and unnecessary regulations.
President Trump signed an Executive Order instructing Federal agencies to minimize the burden of the Affordable Care Act on Americans while he works to repeal and replace it.
President Trump signed legislation, House Joint Resolution 38, to prevent the burdensome “Stream Protection Rule” from causing further harm to the coal industry.
President Trump signed legislation, House Joint Resolution 41, to eliminate a costly regulation that threatened to put American mining and energy companies and their employees at an unfair disadvantage.
President Trump directed the Secretary of Commerce to develop a plan to streamline Federal permitting processes for domestic manufacturers.
President Trump signed an Executive Order expediting the environmental review and approval processes for domestic infrastructure projects.
President Trump directed the Secretary of the Treasury to conduct a full review of the burdensome regulations required by the Dodd-Frank Act.
President Trump ordered a re-examination of the Department of Labor’s “fiduciary rule,” to make certain that it does not harm Americans as they save for retirement.

KEEPING HIS PROMISES TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: President Donald J. Trump has promised the country he would cut needless regulation.

While campaigning for President, Donald Trump promised to cut regulations massively.
While campaigning for President, Donald Trump vowed to cut any regulation that is outdated, unnecessary, bad for workers, or contrary to the national interest.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The 15 best jobs if you’re under 25—and they pay at least $40k

RHS_BEST_theridgewoodblog

Published: Mar 24, 2017 8:06 a.m. ET

You might love watching reruns of Law & Order, but just because you get a kick out of watching people duke it out in a courtroom on TV doesn’t mean you should go to law school. Yet 25% of high-school students choose their future career based on something they saw on TV or in a movie, according to research from CareerBuilder.

Choosing a college major or career because it seems cool can backfire. A third of full-time workers come to regret their college major, CareerBuilder found. But by the time they realize they’ve made a mistake, doing a career reset is costly and complicated. Better to pick right the first time than have to start all over again in your 20s or 30s once you realize you’re not really cut out to be (or can’t make it as) a software engineer, salesperson, or screenwriter. But how to choose?

“There is a world of opportunity open to younger workers in business, technical and creative fields,” Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder, said in a statement. To narrow down the choices, you need to consider both your own passions and the potential salary and available job opportunities, Haefner added. “The more informed you are about your options and what it takes to get to where you want to be, the better the outcome,” she said.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-15-best-jobs-if-youre-under-25and-they-pay-at-least-40k-2017-03-23?link=sfmw_fb

Posted on by — Leave a comment

What good is a liberal arts degree?

graduation

Published: Mar 22, 2017 4:57 p.m. ET

“I’m a liberal-arts major, and it feels like there’s no clear line of work for me to pursue. How can I use my degree to get a job when I graduate?”

The older I get, the more fiercely I defend unduly maligned liberal arts majors. I’m the proud recipient of an English degree. Some people thought that studying literature was an endearing quirk, not a career path, but it led me to a fulfilling career in journalism.

Now that I’m out in the real world, I’ve seen how desperate companies are for good writers, communicators and researchers. According to a National Association of Colleges and Employers spring 2016 survey, employers rated critical thinking, professionalism and teamwork as the most important career-readiness traits of college graduates — all achievable through liberal arts studies.

“In many cases in job interviews, it’s those other applied experiences that students have had that help them stand out,”Paul Timmins, director of career services for the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis

It’s true that PayScale’s list of bachelor degrees with high income potential is dominated by science and engineering. But a humanities background can give you the foundation to solve problems, lead and collaborate with others, which can help you rise through the ranks in any industry. You never know where your liberal arts background may take you. Late-night talk show host Conan O’Brien majored in history and literature. Howard Schultz, chairman and chief executive of Starbucks, majored in communications.

Follow these steps to gain confidence in your formidable knowledge, relay it to employers and land a job you love.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-good-is-a-liberal-arts-degree-2017-03-21?link=sfmw_fb

Posted on by — 4 Comments

N.J. experiences largest private sector job growth in 16 years

Chris_Christie_Governor_of_New_Jersey

“We’re actually now over-performing the rest of the country, and I would suggest to you that the reason that there is that lag is because New Jersey is still a very expensive place to work and do business, and if the legislature had been willing to do other tax cuts and other measures that I put and recommended on property taxes and income taxes, perhaps we’d be in even better shape and it would’ve happened even faster. But, we’re certainly better off than we were from 2001 to 2009, when there was zero net private-sector job growth during a time” Governor Chris Christie

 

By KATHERINE LANDERGAN

03/13/17 03:08 PM EDT

Gov. Chris Christie on Monday heralded the state’s fiscal health as new figures showed New Jersey last year experienced the largest spike in private sector job growth since 2000.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the state gained 60,800 private sector jobs last year, meaning New Jersey recovered all of the jobs it lost during the recession, and then added another 65,000 jobs.

“This didn’t happen by accident,” Christie, a Republican, said at a press conference in Englewood Cliffs. “The tax cuts we put in place, holding the line on other taxes, the 2 percent property tax cap — all of these things are bearing fruit.”

Christie also said the state has shown strong gains in construction, the tourism industry, and the number of new businesses filings, and has seen a decline in foreclosures.

“It’s great news for the state and we should stop the drumbeat that somehow New Jersey is underperforming from a jobs perspective,” he said.

https://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2017/03/nj-experiences-largest-private-sector-growth-in-16-years-110315

Posted on by — 4 Comments

Meet the Snake Who Killed Hundreds of N.J. Jobs

Remove term: Northern Pine Snake Northern Pine Snake

POSTED BY: MATT ROONEY MARCH 10, 2017

The facts speak for themselves once you get past the hysteria.

Do your homework: Each Wal-Mart superstore can employee several hundred (or more) employees, Save Jerseyans, depending upon its size. These stores provide employment opportunities and affordable goods particularly in areas where the population is struggling and/or lacks sufficient levels of education or skilled training. It’s a win-win for the local community and the overall economy.

https://savejersey.com/2017/03/snake-toms-river-wal-mart-jobs/

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno Celebrates Tourism Successes and Improved Revenues

artchick_jerseyshore_theridgewoodblog

photo by ArtChick

March 10,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton, NJ ,Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno today attended the New Jersey Conference on Tourism to discuss the New Jersey Tourism Industry’s diverse attractions for all seasons and the improvements the industry has made over the last year.

New Jersey again set a record in 2016, with the tourism industry accounting for $44.1 billion in economic impact – an increase of more than 2.9 percent over the previous year. This was in part due to an increase in visitation to New Jersey, which increased for the seventh straight year. The number of visitors to New Jersey increased by 3.3 percent last year to 98 million.

“Over the last seven years, as the Lt. Governor and Secretary of State, I’ve traveled hundreds of thousands of miles across this great State seeing the amazing and diverse attractions we have to offer,” said Lt. Governor Guadagno. “So, it’s no surprise that the Travel and Tourism Industry had another year of increased growth across all seasons.”

In 2016, the tourism industry directly supported more than 321,231 jobs. When factoring in indirect impacts, more than a half million jobs – or nearly one in 10 of all New Jersey jobs – depended on tourism. The New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism recently released promising numbers from the past year. In 2016, tourism in New Jersey generated $4.9 billion in state and local tax revenues. Without the tourism industry, New Jersey households would each need to pay $1,525 in order to maintain the current level of state and local government services.

To learn more about New Jersey Tourism, visit www.visitnj.org.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Trump Jump Hits US private Sector Creating 298K jobs in February

Pence and Trump

March 8,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the Trump jump continues with companies adding more jobs than expected in February. There was also a notable shift away from the service-sector positions that have dominated hiring for years.

President Trump had tweeted on Monday, “There is an incredible spirit of optimism sweeping the country right now—we’re bringing back the JOBS!”

ADP and Moody’s Analytics reported today that the private sector surged by 298,000 for the month, with goods producers adding 106,000, Construction jobs jumping 66,000 and manufacturing added 32,000.

The 298,000 total shattered market expectations of 190,000, according to economists surveyed by ADP.

Trump tweeted this morning, “LinkedIn Workforce Report: January and February were the strongest consecutive months for hiring since August and September 2015”

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Working Longer May Benefit Your Health

steel-workers-lunch-e1346698936516

Retiring

By CHRISTOPHER FARRELL MARCH 3, 2017

Are there health benefits to staying in the work force longer?

The scientific research is inconclusive, though it tends to tilt toward “yes.” This is particularly pronounced among people who find work fulfilling in the first place, who tend to be office workers, teachers and others whose workplace is not, say, a factory or a construction site.

More so than people in most previous generations, baby boomers are continuing to work past their early 60s, often well beyond. Sometimes, this means delaying retirement from a longtime job, but it can instead involve some kind of bridge job, part-time employment or self-employment. It turns out that, these days, older Americans who retire — in the sense of completely withdrawing from the paid labor force — are increasingly in the minority.

“What is the benefit of work? Activation of the brain and activation of social networks may be critical,” Nicole Maestas, an associate professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, said in an interview.

Researchers have long assumed that only well-educated and healthier people benefit from working after a certain age. Lately, however, scholars and retirees themselves have been exploring an intriguing question with implications for both potential workers and policy makers: Is a job a force for keeping older people mentally and physically healthy?

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/business/retirement/working-longer-may-benefit-your-health.html?_r=0

Posted on by — 1 Comment

‘U.S. News & World Report’ Best States Ranking; New Jersey Ranks a Respectable 14th

Sopranos

March 3,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, in a recent ‘U.S. News & World Report’ Best States Ranking, New Jersey ranks 14th.New Jersey beat out New York, Florida, California, Hawaii and Pennsylvania in the overall rankings.

According to the study, the Best States ranking of U.S. states draws on thousands of data points to measure how well states are performing for their citizens. In addition to health care and education, the metrics take into account a state’s economy, the opportunity it offers people, its roads, bridges, internet and other infrastructure, its public safety and the integrity and health of state government.

What’s amazing is the rankings not only consider such categories as health care(pricey in NJ ), education (forgetaboutit ) but  the “state’s economy(ugh), the opportunity it offers people (live with mom), its roads, bridges (total disaster), internet and other infrastructure (public rest rooms), its public safety (cops everywhere) and the integrity and health of state government( your kidding right).”

The Top 10 states in the overall rankings include (in order):

1.    Massachusetts
2.    New Hampshire
3.    Minnesota
4.    North Dakota
5.    Washington
6.    Iowa
7.    Utah
8.    Maryland
9.    Colorado
10.   Vermont

The Rankings noted the state’s “world-class universities, leading technology and biological science firms and one fast turnpike,” out of 50 states, the report lists New Jersey 2nd in education, 8th in health care, and 27th in opportunity.

In other categories, you guessed it New Jersey comes in dead last in the category of government, which takes into consideration such things as “Fiscal Stability” (ranked 49th in the country), “Budget Transparency” (29th), and “State Integrity” (18th) Scary New Jersey placed 18th.

The good news in the rankings, New Jersey leads the rest of U.S. states with a zero-percent over-capacity of its State Prison System. New Jersey comes in 2nd place for “Public Transit Usage,” and its low property crime rate ranked 3rd out of all 50 states.

Meanwhile, New Jersey ranked well in overall household income (4th), low suicide rate (2nd), fewest nursing home citations (4th), and pre-school enrollment (1st).

Posted on by — Leave a comment

New Jersey Home Sales Surged in January

ridgewood real-estate

By Josh Barbanel Published March 01, 2017 Economic Indicators Dow Jones Newswires

Home sales in New Jersey surged in January, continuing a trend of strengthening sales as the employment picture continues to improve.

Sales of new and existing homes in January increased 14% compared with the same month in 2016, and rose 31% from 2015, according a market report by Jeffrey Otteau, president of the Otteau Group, an appraisal and consulting firm.

“Looking ahead, expectations for deregulation and tax cuts are likely to further boost sales, particularly for luxury homes, which have lagged since the start of the last recession,” Mr. Otteau said in an email.

The report showed that the pace of sales increased for the 29th consecutive month, with activity in January the highest for the month since 2005.

At the same time, the inventory of unsold homes fell to the lowest January level since 2005. Most of the state’s 21 counties had a normal balance between supply and demand, the report said.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/03/01/new-jersey-home-sales-surged-in-january.html

Posted on by — Leave a comment

4 Tips For Finding A Career Mentor

waren_buffett_theridgewoodblog

February 27,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, It’s not unusual for careers to get off to wobbly starts as young people, hampered by their lack of experience and contacts, find it difficult to achieve a firm footing.

That’s one reason they should make it a goal to find mentors who could help guide them through the rough patches.

“One of the biggest benefits of having a mentor is that person’s success can act as a catalyst for your belief in yourself,” says Lauren Davenport, CEO and founder of The Symphony Agency (www.symphonyagency.com), a marketing and technology firm.

“It’s also a way to expand your network because a mentor can introduce you to people who could help you with your career and who you otherwise might not meet.”

While mentors can be a great asset for young people in their career advancement, don’t expect the mentor to materialize out of nowhere and then do all the heavy lifting, Davenport says. Much of the onus is on the mentee to seek the relationship, cultivate it and make the most of it.

She says a few ways to do that include:

• Don’t be afraid to reach out. A simple LinkedIn search can help you find people who are currently in your dream job. Somehow, they managed to get the very thing you want. How did they pull that off? Send them a short message and tell them your aspirations. Ask if they can spare 30 minutes for you to visit their office and “pick their brains” about how they achieved success.
• Do your homework. After you went to all the trouble to set up that meeting, you don’t want to show up unprepared. Learn all you can about this potential mentor with a Google search. Write down any questions you want to ask. For the meeting, dress like you already have a job with the person’s company and be 10 minutes early, Davenport says.
• Join a networking organization. If reaching out to an individual isn’t in your comfort zone, seek a networking organization that focuses on career growth. Sign up for a MeetUp group taught by someone you admire. “Take notes as the person speaks,” Davenport says. “After the event, you’re also going to need to muster up the courage to introduce yourself. To find a good mentor, in most cases you really are going to need to take the first step.”
• Pay attention to the mentor’s advice. You may not follow through on every suggestion, but you do need to listen to what they have to say. After all, the wisdom and experience they can provide is the whole point of having a mentor. Davenport recalls early in her career joining a networking group and trying to pitch her company to the members without success. She mentioned to her mentor her inability to generate any business. “She told me if I wanted to be taken seriously as a business woman I needed to change my wardrobe,” Davenport says. “I put away the summer dresses I typically wore and bought some tailored jackets and other clothes that helped present a business-professional look.” Soon after, business picked up.

“I still actively seek women who are in my industry and at similar career levels,” Davenport says.

“Sometimes they even work for competitors. We don’t share any company secrets, but we often are experiencing similar struggles, so we swap stories and give each other advice on how to overcome those challenges.”

About Lauren Davenport

Lauren Davenport is chief executive officer at The Symphony Agency (www.symphonyagency.com). She founded the company after discovering that businesses were struggling to understand how to implement marketing and technology to reach their full potential in the digital age. Her natural entrepreneurial drive grew the organization from a boutique consulting business into a multi-million dollar agency. She is a contributor for the New York Daily News and has been featured on PBS, ABC Action News, iHeartRadio, AMEX OPEN, and more.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Trump Sets a World Wind Pace Of Activity For the First Month !

Trump Signs 3 Sweeping Executive Orders

February 21,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Washington DC, New York Minute: President Donald Trump sets a very fast pace for his first month in office,working very hard to deliver results for the American people .

JUMPSTARTING JOB CREATION: President Trump is looking out for American workers that Washington has left behind.

  • President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum ordering the United States to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and agreement.
  • President Trump hosted the CEO of Intel to announce Intel’s plan to invest $7 billion in a United States factory that will create 10,000 American jobs.
  • President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum to clear roadblocks to construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline.
  • President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum declaring that the Dakota Access Pipeline serves the national interest and initiating the process to complete construction.
  • President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum ordering that all new pipeline construction and repair work use materials and equipment from the United States.
  • President Trump signed legislation, House Joint Resolution 38, to block the burdensome “Stream Protection Rule” from causing further harm to the coal industry.
  • President Trump signed legislation, House Joint Resolution 41, to eliminate a costly regulation that threatened to put domestic extraction companies and their employees at an unfair disadvantage.

SAVING TAXPAYERS MONEY: President Trump is fighting to save Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars. 

  • After negotiations with Lockheed Martin, President Trump saved Americans $700 million on a new batch of F-35 fighters.
  • Secretary of Defense Mattis has ordered a cost-cutting review of Boeing’s next-generation Air Force One fleet, after President Trump was able to cap the cost at millions below that which was agreed to by the Obama administration.

RESTORING PUBLIC SAFETY: President Trump will work to reduce the threats of crime and illegal immigration to public safety.

  • President Trump signed an Executive Order to enhance the safety and security of the United States by, among other things, constructing a wall on the southern border.
  • President Trump signed an Executive Order to make sure Federal immigration laws are faithfully enforced throughout the country and that Americans’ tax dollars do not go to jurisdictions that obstruct the enforcement of immigration laws.
  • President Trump signed an Executive Order that directs the Attorney General to develop a strategy to more effectively prosecute people who engage in crimes against law enforcement officers.
  • President Trump signed an Executive Order that establishes a task force, led by the new Attorney General, to reduce crime and restore public safety in communities across America.
  • President Trump signed an Executive Order that re-focuses the Federal Government’s energy and resources on dismantling transnational criminal organizations, such as drug cartels.

GETTING GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE WAY: President Trump understands that excessive regulations stifle job-creation and harm our businesses.

  • President Trump signed an Executive Order instructing Federal agencies “to minimize the burden” of the Affordable Care Act.
  • President Trump has required that for every new Federal regulation, two existing regulations be eliminated.
  • President Trump directed the Commerce Department to streamline Federal permitting processes for domestic manufacturing and to reduce regulatory burdens on domestic manufacturers.
  • President Trump signed an Executive Order expediting the environmental review and approval processes for domestic infrastructure projects.

AN AMERICA FIRST FOREIGN POLICY: The President’s first priority is the safety and security of the American people.

  • Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of the Treasury sanctioned 25 entities and individuals involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program.
  • President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum directing the Secretary of Defense to work with other cabinet members to develop a plan to defeat ISIS.
  • President Trump has called or met with more than 30 foreign leaders.

DRAINING THE SWAMP: President Trump has taken action to ensure that all members of his Administration are working for the American people.

  • President Trump signed an Executive Order establishing new ethics commitments for all Executive branch appointees, putting in place a five-year lobbying ban and a permanent ban on lobbying for foreign governments, so appointees serve the American people instead of their own interests.
  • President Trump put in place a hiring freeze for Federal civilian employees to stop the growth of a bloated government.

KEEPING HIS PROMISE TO DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION: President Trump promised a Supreme Court justice in the mold of late justice Antonin Scalia.

  • President Trump nominated Judge Neil M. Gorsuch to the Supreme Court because of his consistent record defending the Constitution.

HELPING WOMEN SUCCEED IN BUSINESS: President Trump knows the country cannot reach its potential unless every American has a chance to prosper.

  • President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched the United States-Canada Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Americans brimming with optimism on the economy

16601639 10155056993625799 6819157838572236604 o

BY JONATHAN EASLEY – 02/19/17 12:00 PM EST

A strong majority of Americans say the U.S. economy is running strong, and most believe the upward trend will continue under President Trump, according to a Harvard-Harris poll provided exclusively to The Hill.

The survey found that 61 percent view the economy as strong, against 39 percent who say it is weak.

A plurality, 42 percent, said they believe the economy is on the right track, versus 39 percent who said it is on the wrong track.

Trump and congressional Republicans have claimed credit for the turnaround, noting numerous polls in 2016 that showed that many Americans wanted change in the nation’s capital. Democrats counter that former President Obama handed a healthy economy to Trump and point out that the unemployment rate has dropped under 5 percent. At a press conference on Thursday, Trump said he inherited “a mess.”

Among Republicans surveyed in the Harvard-Harris poll, 60 percent are satisfied with the economic trajectory, versus 23 percent who are dissatisfied. Only 33 percent of Democrats said the economy is on the right track, while 48 percent said it is headed in the wrong direction.

At 65 percent, Trump voters are the likeliest to say the economy is headed in the right direction.

“It’s really a surprising turnaround given how negative voters have been about the economy since 2009,” said Mark Penn, co-director of the Harvard-Harris poll. “But jobs remains the number one issue and a lot of the change in sentiment anticipates tax cuts and infrastructure programs.”

https://thehill.com/policy/finance/320284-americans-brimming-with-optimism-on-the-economy