Just telling it like it is

[hwystar]

I am sick and tired of hearing about how the "economy" is picking up, when it is most certainly not picking up for most people who work for a living. And no matter how much this "mantra" is repeated, it means nothing to more than 90% of the people in this country who are losing ground on a daily basis, when all real income and real costs are factored into the equation.

[rob banzai]

I'm going for an interview tomorrow for a job that probably pays about 30K less than my last one.

But that would be a huge improvement over unemployment.

See? The economy is picking up!

[JoeM]

hwystar Wrote:
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> >
> I am sick and tired of hearing about how the
> "economy" is picking up, when it is most certainly
> not picking up for most people who work for a
> living. And no matter how much this "mantra" is
> repeated, it means nothing to more than 90% of
> the people in this country who are losing ground
> on a daily basis, when all real income and real
> costs are factored into the equation.
>
> hwystar

Economic numbers can and are fudged these days. Most people around me are working their butts off to hold on but are loosing ground as every year goes by. And they're scared.

The all mighty dollar doesn't go very far these days.

[decocritter]

I agree. I am looking around for a job change. Not many jobs are offering benefits and most want contract labor.

[mrbigstuff]

move to Shanghai where the market is booming!

just don't be there when they invade hong kong - or japan

[Racer X]

when wage increases are roughly equal to COL increases, and housing costs are going up 5-20%, how are things getting better?

[hwystar]

Racer X Wrote:
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> when wage increases are roughly equal to COL
> increases, and housing costs are going up 5-20%,
> how are things getting better?

Personally, I doubt that even wage increases for the majority of jobs (not individual, for a given job, but overall, for all jobs) are keeping pace with C.O.L. A couple of CEOs getting a few more million can help the average, but it does nothing for 99% of the wage earners, whose real wages are going down while expenses are going up. And I would guess that health care related costs are increasing much faster than wages, as are transportation and housing costs.

If there is a way to twist the numbers to make it look like things are getting better, then I bet I could demonstrate 10 or 100 ways to make the numbers look worse.

"The economy getting better" doesn't mean anything to the average person unless it translates into real wages increasing relative to what it costs them to survive, and that has not been the case for about 5 years. Go figure. It isn't just Bush's fault (as the cartoon even shows) and he has had lots of help.


hwystar

[incognegro]

the economy is rosy for CEOs and politicians themselves.

[Otto Boners]

Errrr....Hong Kong does not have to be invaded. It was handed over to Mainland China in 1997.

[RgrF]

Otto Boners Wrote:
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> Errrr....Hong Kong does not have to be invaded. It
> was handed over to Mainland China in 1997.

Well technically, the lease ran out and control reverted to the original owner.

Gitmo's on the same deal.