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

[cupman]

Rose colored glasses, facts, I've learned it really doesn't matter too much. There may be individuals who are having a tougher time now than four years ago but the nation as a whole is undoubtedly better off. We lost jobs at 800k/month 4 years ago, we gained 115,000 this month. The stock market has more than doubled... are you really suggesting you were better off living in a country that was losing over 800,000 jobs every month and a stock market that was losing hundreds of points a day? I believe you can be of either political party and accept we are now better off as fact... whether the recovery is fast enough is up for debate and your vote this November will determine that. I just don't buy this notion that we were better off then than we are now. It just makes no sense to me.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

I wish I had your rose colored glasses with smell-a-vision! It really STINKS in this house hold and I don't need anyone telling me it dosen't! We are fighting to keep the boat floating and are not getting any gov. assistance, thank you very much..

Why not?

 

[mom'sfolly]

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.

 

[JD4570]

Hmmm, let me see. Food up 27%. Feed up 38%. Seed up 23%. Fuel up 116%. Profit margin down to 4% from 16%. Nope, I'm definitely NOT better off.

 

[chickened]

Don't let the fact that government is your husband, daddy or any other reasonable facsimile fool you into thinking you are better off, that debt will soon be paid by someone(s)

 

[catdaddyfro]

No I was on pins and needles around this time then as I was uncertain what was going to happen if our present day president got in office. Now I feel as if I'm sleeping on a bed of nails and walking on hot coals knowing that we surely can't take another 4 year term of the present day administration holding the cards the whole while.

Jeff

 

[jbowen9]

What they fail to mention on those 100,000 jobs that was created is how many of them are for 8 or 9 bucks a hour getting ready for the holiday season and will not last. In my little community we have lost several thousand coal jobs and gas jobs and these were not the 8 dollar a hour jobs these were the 50,000 plus jobs. If we want gas to come back down let them drill and build refinery's in this country that will create jobs and lower gas prices and that will help the prices on food to come down. The main reason housing market is coming back up isnt because of jobs but the interest rate has came down again and less restrictions on credit. As far as dow jones market I thought it was over 14000 in 2008 and now its well below that not fighting or picking just stating facts

 

[71stbrew]

Just want to add I had to go to work after being a stay at home mom 4 years ago just to make ends meet. Hubby and I together are still not making as much combined as he was making then, and prices for food and utilitys ( and taxes) keep rising. No he did not lose his job he just got cut back that much working in the gas field and has gotten maybe 1.00 worth of raises in the last 6 years. Used to get lots of ot none now, they will let leaks go rather than pay for an hour of overtime.

 

[arienwolf]

Just want to add I had to go to work after being a stay at home mom 4 years ago just to make ends meet. Hubby and I together are still not making as much combined as he was making then, and prices for food and utilitys ( and taxes) keep rising. No he did not lose his job he just got cut back that much working in the gas field and has gotten maybe 1.00 worth of raises in the last 6 years. Used to get lots of ot none now, they will let leaks go rather than pay for an hour of overtime.

You mean the company your DH works for hasn't done what other scumbagish companies do? You know, lay off the, say, 13$ an hour employee, for the hard-up in the dumps "got three kids to feed and no job", will work hard for minimum wage regular hardworking american?

 

[Sjisty]

We're not better off now. Hubby is a carpenter in a small town in Florida that has one of the highest unemployment rates in Florida. He has been laid off most of the last 4 years, so we are living on my pay which doesn't stretch as far as it used to. This year he worked about 12 weeks out of the year, which is more than last year, so maybe things are looking up. When he does get work, it is usually 1-1/2 hours away, though, so a big chunk of his paycheck goes for gas.

On the plus side, we are doing okay, just no "extras." We have a roof over our heads and food in our bellies, which is better than a lot of people out there, so I am grateful for what we have. I really don't see a quick fix no matter who is in office, so we're just riding out the storm and hoping for better days ahead.