Anemic job growth numbers threaten President Obama's 2012 run - New York Daily News

President Barack Obama makes a statement on the monthly jobs report, Friday, July 8, 2011, in the Rose Garden of the White House. The low numbers threaten his 2012 re-election campaign.

WASHINGTON - President Obama scrambled yesterday in the wake of another disastrous jobs report to reverse America's economic slump - and salvage his 2012 prospects.

Numbers as anemic as yesterday's - only 18,000 private sector jobs created in June - caused the unemployment rate to rise to a politically unpalatable 9.2%. Despite a recovering stock market and 2 million jobs created on Obama's watch, the new jobs number was the lowest in nine months - dealing Obama's "momentum theory" an embarrassing blow.

"Today's job report confirms what most Americans already know: We still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do to give people the security and opportunity that they deserve," Obama said in brief remarks in the White House Rose Garden. "Our economy as a whole just isn't producing nearly enough jobs for everybody who's looking.

"We've always known that we'd have ups and downs on our way back from this recession."

He noted the jobs market has faced "some tough headwinds," including soaring gas prices, natural disasters like fires and floods, the Greek financial crisis and state and local budget cuts costing tens of thousands of public service workers their livelihoods.

Nervous White House political strategists privately agree with their Republican critics - Obama is running out of time to get the economy humming to avoid becoming a one-term President.

Even Democratic optimists recognize Obama will defy history if he's reelected with this struggling economy.

No incumbent President since Franklin D. Roosevelt has ever won another term with unemployment higher than 7.2% - and Obama's economic gurus believe the jobless figure will remain north of 8% by Election Day next year.

Republicans pounced on Obama yesterday, claiming ordinary Americans have been turned off by his assertion last month that poor monthly job numbers are "bumps on the road to recovery."

"It's like nails on a chalkboard to them," GOP strategist Ed Gillespie said of Obama's rhetoric.

White House press secretary Jay Carney acknowledged the June numbers were "disappointing," but added they underscore "the urgency of the moment" as Obama and congressional leaders try to hammer out a budget deal.

Obama and the eight bipartisan leaders meet at the White House again tomorrow for high-stakes negotiations.

tdefrank@nydailynews.com

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Northampton University 'fined £56k' for not displaying EU flag - Daily Mail

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 12:33 AM on 9th July 2011

The University of Northampton has been fined more than ?56,000 - just because it didn't display the EU flag.

It was revealed in Parliament that the university was fined ?56,477 for not displaying the European logo on a board outside the college building.

The fine was imposed by European officials because money from the European Regional Development Fund had been used to fund new facilities inside the Newton Building.

Fined: The University of Northampton has been fined more than ?56,000

Conservative MP for Northampton North, Michael Ellis, said the money should be paid back to the university immediately

The punishment has been labelled 'astronomical' by the Conservative MP for Northampton North, Michael Ellis, who said the money should be paid back to the university immediately.

He said: ‘It's outrageous. These European dictocrats shouldn't be worrying about their egos or wasting taxpayer's money on investigating these matters.

‘This is British taxpayer's money being wasted on absurd self-publicity. There's not an ounce of common sense being used here.’

Northampton-based Euro MP, Derek Clark, has also pledged to bring up the issue of the university's fine in the European Parliament.

The UKIP politician said: ‘This whole thing is an absolute disgrace and an awful thing to do to a university. These European officials insist on having flags put up to tell people how wonderful they are, but they're nothing of the sort.’

The University of Northampton's Vice Chancellor, Professor Nick Petford released a statement saying: 'Clearly we are unhappy with this state of affairs, but the process regarding this European funding for The University is Northampton is currently under review.'

The university was one of eight organisations in Britain to be fined for failing to follow European rules on publicity since 2007.

It has emerged that fines relating to cash given by the European Regional Development Fund since 2000 have reached almost half a million pounds

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is a fund allocated by the European Union and those who receive grants are obliged display the EU flag or logo.

If the flag or EU logo is not displayed, the institution can be fined for technical publicity breaches for failing to credit the fund.

Other groups included Liverpool-based transport authority, Merseytravel, which was fined for 'insufficient publicity' and Doncaster Council, which was fined for not mentioning European funding in a radio advert.

The University of Northampton has confirmed it received ?2.5 million in European funding for its 'NVision' project, a high-tech 3D visualisation centre which allows businesses to design and develop products in 3D.

A spokesman for the university said: ‘Without the support of the European funding, the project would not have been possible and we appreciate their continued support.’

When he announced the European fines in Parliament, local government minister, Bob Neill, said he would push Europe to 'sweep away' any such penalties in the future.

The news comes after it was revealed yesterday that two west Midlands groups were fined over ?25,000 in total for the same crime.

Regional development agency Advantage West Midlands and the Birmingham Chambers of Commerce were both ordered to hand back grant money for failing to put the EU logo - a circle of stars on a blue background - on brochures and publicity material.

A spokesman for the European Commission said: 'The European Commission, as co-funder or co-investor in projects in all Member States, including many in the United Kingdom does not impose fines or asks for money to be paid back to Brussels because no EU-flag is flown over these projects.

'In the contract rules, agreed between the European Commission and the UK authorities, it is stated that a mention should be made of the European Regional Development Fund as a co-funder or co-investor, just as this is the case for many investors in projects.

'For most projects, those under a total value of approximately ?465,000, a mention on a website or in a leaflet suffice.

'If this is not done, then the UK authorities make a correction for a small percentage, but that money remains available for other projects in the United Kingdom and or the same region, so no taxpayer's money is lost.'

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