are y'all better off than you were 4 years ago ?

[punk-a-doodle]

I'm much better off and am about to make a move that should again improve that, thanks. But, there are deeply troubling trends that have been brewing and emerging for quite some time, and I certainly notice that I have no raises to work towards, am working below my education and experience level, and have been for 9 years now. Just one of the many patterns that can be supported by data and just by looking around. I have no plans to chalk it all up to a current figurehead or an opposing party (or parties in my case...neither donkey nor elephant are what I'm looking for). Really do hope people can get beyond the political rhetoric that makes a sports game out of an important process, and that has a remarkable ability to shorten and alter memories. Would much rather see people lift each other up and focus on the bigger picture. I'd think a good start would be focusing more on what things we have in common, and what common barriers we face.

 

[oldrooster]

I know that I'm better off than four years ago, and so are most people I know. The houses on my cul-de-sac are no longer being foreclosed on; new homeowners have moved in, and those who lost their homes are now working in real jobs again. Home values are recovering. I don't fear that the economy is falling into a Great Depression, as I did four years ago. I don't fear my husband being laid off because all his company's big customers are going under. Anyone remember the prediction that if the banks were not bailed out, we would be in a financial free fall? Yes, things did fall, and no the economy is not a speeding torrent, but isn't completely stagnant. The DOW and NASDAQ have recovered nicely; which actually makes me wonder where all that capitol is being spent, since it doesn't seem to be in producing jobs.

I do have economic fears, especially considering the problems with Spain and Greece. The economy is global, and if the European Union can not get a grip on things, it will effect the world economy. But personally, I'm doing okay. I also have the assurance that if I lose my insurance because my dh loses his job, I won't get smacked with a "pre-existing condition" clause when I go to get new insurance.

We are out of Iraq, a country we entered under dubious conditions. The war that is left is on budget, not being a funnel of money that doesn't show up on paper. We are bringing our soldiers home, and not fighting on two fronts.

Really we are out of Iraq 100% I'll tell those families their loved ones went AWOL and wanted to be there still......

 

[mom'sfolly]

We are out of Iraq. I'm not sure what you mean about AWOL in the context of your post. The last MIA soldier in Iraq was confirmed dead early this year. There are about two hundred troops left as embassy guards. AWOL means absent without leave.

The Iraq war cost about 10 trillion dollars...that is a lot of zeros after the 10.

 

[mom'sfolly]

We are out of Iraq. I'm not sure what you mean about AWOL in the context of your post. The last MIA soldier in Iraq was confirmed dead early this year. There are about two hundred troops left as embassy guards. AWOL means absent without leave.

The Iraq war cost about 10 trillion dollars...that is a lot of zeros after the 10.

http://www.pagetutor.com/trillion/index.html

 

[JD4570]

We are out of Iraq? Uh. . . . . a friend of mine just went back last month while another came home. . . . injured. He is just now able to use his right arm again. I guess that is a good thing, because he was getting ready to be shipped out to Afghanistan.

 

[Sunnysimplelife]

Our income is the same thankfully but food, gas, health insurance EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO LIVE is more expensive so yes I am worse off than four years ago. We live in CA where gas is almost 5 dollars a gallon. We are paying almost $600 a month just for gas to get to work and school for the kids. We have older cars and one used economy car. We would leave but husband has a job with benefits and aging parents so we feel stuck. Hard to leave a job at this time if you have one.

 

[chickened]

To satisfy your curiosity I am not in any one of your sarcastic suggestions. My business is a single, stand alone, propane distribution business in a small town where my competitors are Amerigas and Suburban and I do more business then both of them. You should only pray (along with Sydney) that you could find someone like me to run your business and then you would not have to whine about the government putting you out of business which is just nonsense.

Well Don I agree with you, the government does not usually run you out of business unless you depend on them. Which by the way is something that the timber industry has learned from the 80's. Firefighting is the big bucks with the feds in the USFS now days. There is no money in putting out fires only in managing them.

People usually put themselves out of business by making bad/greedy choices.

 

[chickened]

I'm much better off and am about to make a move that should again improve that, thanks. But, there are deeply troubling trends that have been brewing and emerging for quite some time, and I certainly notice that I have no raises to work towards, am working below my education and experience level, and have been for 9 years now. Just one of the many patterns that can be supported by data and just by looking around. I have no plans to chalk it all up to a current figurehead or an opposing party (or parties in my case...neither donkey nor elephant are what I'm looking for). Really do hope people can get beyond the political rhetoric that makes a sports game out of an important process, and that has a remarkable ability to shorten and alter memories. Would much rather see people lift each other up and focus on the bigger picture. I'd think a good start would be focusing more on what things we have in common, and what common barriers we face.

Can you elaborate on what you mean? And how it relates to the economy.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

I was not speaking strictly of the economy.

 

[chickened]

What were you referring to then?