President Obama has Failed to get California Back to Work

Press Release

During An April Visit To California, President Obama Said He Has Led "Extraordinary Progress Over The Last Two And Half Years":

* President Obama, During An April Visit To Los Angeles: "We Have Made Extraordinary Progress Over The Last Two And A Half Years." OBAMA: "[W]e have made extraordinary progress over the last two and a half years. … We can go down the list. But we also know we've still got a lot more work to do. We've just started, and we've got a lot more work to do." (President Barack Obama, Remarks in Los Angeles, CA, 4/22/11)
* "I Don't Want You To Lose Sight Of How Much We've Gotten Done. What We've Done Here Has Been Historic, And We're Only A Quarter Of The Way Through." (President Barack Obama, Remarks in Los Angeles, CA, 4/22/11)
* Then-Senator Obama In September 2008, When The Most Recent Jobless Rate In California Was 7.5%: "We Can't Afford Four More Years Of This So-Called "Progress.'" OBAMA: "We have the highest unemployment rate in five years. Home values have plummeted. It's harder to save and it's harder to retire. Those are the day-to-day challenges that people have. We can't afford four more years of this so-called "progress.'" (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks In Dover, NH, 9/12/08)

Few Places In America Are More "Stressed Out" Than California, A State Suffering From Rampant Unemployment And A Struggling Economy:

* California's 11.7% Unemployment Rate Is Second-Highest In The Nation And Is One-Fifth Higher Than When President Obama Took Office. In January 2009, the unemployment rate in California was 9.7%. The rate had increased to 11.7% by May 2011, an increase of 20% from January 2009 levels. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 7/19/11)
* The Number Of Unemployed Californians Has Increased By 20% Since President Obama Took Office. Over 350,000 more Californians are unemployed today than in January 2009. Currently, more than 2.1 million Californians are out of a job. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 7/19/11)
* Under President Obama, California's Labor Force Has Fallen By More Than 200,000 And The State Has Lost Half A Million Payroll Jobs. California's labor force has contracted by an estimated 225,000 workers since January 2009. Over the same timeframe, the state has shed an estimated 497,100 nonfarm payroll jobs. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 7/19/11)
* California Ranked 48th In The Country In Personal Income Growth In The First Quarter Of 2011. (Bureau of Economic Analysis, www.bea.gov, 6/22/11)
* Retail Gas Prices In California Are Roughly 80% Higher Than When President Obama Took Office. The average retail price per gallon for all grades/formulations in California was $3.826 for the week of July 11, 2011. For the week of January 19, 2009, the average price in California was $2.11. (Energy Information Administration, www.eia.gov, 7/19/11)

A Look Back At What Recovery Looks Like:

* Under President Reagan, California's Unemployment Rate Fell By More Than 30% Following The 1981-1982 Recession -- The Rate Has Actually Increased Under President Obama. Since the technical end of the recession in June 2009, the unemployment rate in California increased from 11.5% in June 2009 to 11.7% in May 2011, a span of 23 months. In the 23 months following the technical end of the recession in November 1982, the unemployment rate in California declined from 11.0% to 7.5%. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 7/19/11)
* Under President Reagan, California Added Over 900,000 Jobs Following The 1981-1982 Recession -- The State Has Lost Nearly 200,000 Under President Obama. Since the technical end of the recession in June 2009, the household employment level in California has declined by 187,208 (as of May 2011, a span of 23 months). In the 23 months following the technical end of the recession in November 1982, the household employment level increased by more than 901,669. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 7/19/11)
* During The Same Period, The Nation Added More Than 6.8 Million Household Jobs Under President Reagan While Losing More Than 600,000 Under President Obama. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 7/19/11)

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