Sunday, July 09, 2006

Joe Lieberman's Big Lie

"I saved 31,000 jobs!" squawks Sen. Lieberman, endlessly.

But when you actually do the math, you find that he's not exactly telling the truth.

...and in fact, he's lying!

From Neal Fink's post over at MyLeftNutmeg.Com:
When asked of his accomplishments for the State of Connnecticut, Joe Lieberman's main talking point regards the Groton Sub Base. He takes credit for saving 31,000 jobs, and in typical political speak, moves on without giving any details. Well, surprise surprise, Joe's not exactly being honest here.

How Many Jobs?

The number routinely used by Joe and Republican Congressman Rob Simmons of the 2nd District, where the base is located is 31,000 jobs. However, this number is a fiction. The Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) would have shut down the US Naval Base in Groton, where 8,500 soldiers are stationed. It also reduced contracts for Electric Boat (EB), a sub manufacturer. At the time, EB employed 11,800, of which about 20% would have been impacted. However, these cuts may have taken place over a period as long as 18 years.

So, let's do the math. 8,500 + (11,800 x 20%) = 10,860. That's only about 1/3 of 31,000. So where did the bigger number come from? According to an Electric Boat Press Release, the 31,000 number is an economic estimate of total job loss impact for Connecticut AND Rhode Island. Of the 2,360 layoffs planned for EB, 1/4 of these were to be in Rhode Island. So, Joe is taking credit for saving jobs in Connecticut that never even existed because they are in Rhode Island....(more)

Read the rest of Neal's persuasive case in the full article here at My Left Nutmeg. This is investigating blogging at its best!

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