Another stimulus package: the only solution, my friend says?

[sandorski]

Is this actually true or just a nice notion borne by sitcoms and nostalgia? I haven't checked on home ownership rates but I bet they are higher than they were 50 years ago.

Well, they *were* higher.

 

[Modelworks]

He sees similar stories everyday as he travels around the city. No, there are not masses of jobs out there dying to be filled but for the lazy preferring handouts. If you know of all these jobs, post them up, start a website, as there are many many people I've seen desperate to get working again.

I don't need to start a website, go to the different states employment security commission sites. Mine has 181 jobs in Raleigh, NC. that were posted within the last week.

People when looking for work tend to look in what their area of expertise is. When they don't see work in that area they start saying there are no jobs. Its great when you get work in the same field over and over but sometimes you have to make changes you may not want to make. If you are an engineer and working for a landscaper brings in money then do it until you can find something better. Don't just sit at home complaining there is no work.
If the jobs are not where you are then move to where there are jobs.

The problem I am seeing is people wanting their lives to remain 100% the same and if it isn't then they start complaining to the government to fix it. The government does not have the answers that should be clear by now .People have a choice. They can complain to the government, argue about the economy and sit at home worrying about unemployment or they can change their lives to fit the situation.

 

[Modelworks]

Yes, money doesn't bring happiness. But you know what else doesn't bring happiness? Losing your home. Living under a bridge. Having to repeatedly take public or charity assistance. People need money to pay the bills. Jobs or public assistance. Your choice.

Money to pay bills. Okay lets add up the bills.

Place to live
Electric/water
Food
Clothing

Almost anyone can earn enough at $8/hour to pay for those, so how is it people that earn 10x minimum wage cannot ?


People need to start asking what they would do if the government doesn't change their life for them ?

 

[Modelworks]

Is this actually true or just a nice notion borne by sitcoms and nostalgia? I haven't checked on home ownership rates but I bet they are higher than they were 50 years ago.

It depends on what you look at. There are a lot more people that have bought homes, but there are less people that have those homes paid off.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Spending our way into prosperity...sounds like a great plan...all the 'good' economists say so! Tax more...spend more...yeah, that's the ticket! Then we'll have a 'chicken in every pot'.

It's going to be tough for Dems this coming November...the party of fail is going to be replaced by the other party of fail....how nice.

 

[StageLeft]

Money to pay bills. Okay lets add up the bills.

Place to live
Electric/water
Food
Clothing

Almost anyone can earn enough at $8/hour to pay for those, so how is it people that earn 10x minimum wage cannot ?


People need to start asking what they would do if the government doesn't change their life for them ?

This is why comfortably middle-class people who file for bankruptcy, lose their home, etc. and not because of unusual and rare circumstances (like losing all their limbs) deserve it, absolutely. If you're two people making $50k/each you have to be stupid to set your lifestyle up based on the necessary continuation of $100k/year, even if you're both in secure fields.

 

[Cogman]

This is why comfortably middle-class people who file for bankruptcy, lose their home, etc. and not because of unusual and rare circumstances (like losing all their limbs) deserve it, absolutely. If you're two people making $50k/each you have to be stupid to set your lifestyle up based on the necessary continuation of $100k/year, even if you're both in secure fields.

Agree. People are weird and stupid in a lot of ways. NFL players are a key example. You give them $100,000/year, they will spend it all, you give them $1,000,000/year, and they will spend it all.

We have a poor couple in our town, they pull in something like $20,000/year. And yet, they were one of the first to get DSL (When DSL was a new and impressive tech)... Then they called us heartless bastards for cutting them off for not paying their bills... for something like 3 or 4 months.... They had DSL, DirectTV, Ect. Yet any chance they got they would tell people how poor they are and how rough life is.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Most everyone would like to be "Wealthy", aka not having to Work again without worry. Really though, talk of that is rather distracting from the Real Problem: Financial Security.

It was only a couple Generations ago when one would leave their Parents Home and could fully expect and receive a Well Paying Job, a Family, a House with a Yard, and a Car or 2. That was the "American Dream". Some still realize that Dream, but the numbers of People who do is getting fewer and fewer.

This is such an absurd statement I don't even know where to start. If all people had to pay for was a house with a yard and a car.. we'd have like 95% home ownership in this country.

Fact is, the American dream now includes:

3000 Sq Ft House with A/C
A car for each adult, plus 1 or more for each kid.
A Harley or Boat, Jetski's, etc..
Riding Lawnmower for that 20,000 sq feet of kentucky bluegrass in your yard.
Cell phones for EVERYONE in the family.
Internet, Cable, Satellite, Xbox, PS3, DVR, iPods, Laptops, Computers, 50" LCD TV (Sometimes several of them)
Don't forget the $10,000 worth of leather furnature to sit on while using all of those.
Going out to eat 3-5 times a week.
Going out to lunch every day at work.
Gym Membership to work of all that food.
Enough clothes and shoes to supply a small third world country.
Plenty of 'bling'.
Throw on TONS of new taxes, fees, etc.

Etc. Etc.. Etc.. I could go on and on. If you think people actually have it WORSE than people did generations ago you need to sit down and talk to your grandparents if they are still around. If people are happy with the lifestyle of 1950 they could easily accomplish that on a less than steller income these days.

I'm not saying people are HAPPIER.. but to suggest people are some how can't afford the 1950's lifestyle is simply absurd. You can be on welfare and have more than our grandparents did.