Joe Average Americans: What is your economic situation actually like?

[Kreon]

boohoohoo... god forbid they contribute to their own benefits and pensions instead of leeching off taxpayers.

They contributed before. Now, they contribute more for less benefits.

They definitely don't leech, especially not when working for the lowest paid school district in the state.

When my dad was laid off in the early 90s, he turned down a $80,000 year job for a ~$35,000 year job teaching. He didn't do it for the benefits (which were basically the same).

 

[GT1999]

Same IT job for the past (almost) 4 years. Decent pay, but could be better. Thinking about moving across the country for a government job (it's actually for the State Police in their IT department). I'm deciding whether this would be a crazy move or not... just about to start doing the panel interiewing in the coming weeks.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

They contributed before. Now, they contribute more for less benefits.

They definitely don't leech, especially not when working for the lowest paid school district in the state.

When my dad was laid off in the early 90s, he turned down a $80,000 year job for a ~$35,000 year job teaching. He didn't do it for the benefits (which were basically the same).

hmm... so they're like everyone else now, except we don't get to retire of full taxpayer dime after working for only 20 years?
cry me a river.

 

[Kreon]

hmm... so they're like everyone else now, except we don't get to retire of full taxpayer dime after working for only 20 years?
cry me a river.

well, to start in NH its 30 years.

Secondly, most teachers have to work longer than that to have enough savings for after. And my mom loses her health insurance when she retires. My dad may (I'm not sure what the new contract states).

If you're so envious of how awesome teachers have it, why don't you become one? I know its a job I never want, mostly because of people like you and parents like you.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

well, to start in NH its 30 years.

Secondly, most teachers have to work longer than that to have enough savings for after. And my mom loses her health insurance when she retires. My dad may (I'm not sure what the new contract states).

If you're so envious of how awesome teachers have it, why don't you become one? I know its a job I never want, mostly because of people like you and parents like you.

so that i become part of the problem?
sorry, i don't subscribe to the philosophy of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em".

the system overall is unsustainable and driving many states bankrupt.
teachers unions are the scum of the earth. all they do is encourage tenure, because once you become tenured, you never have to worry about losing your job no matter how shitty a teacher you are.
and now during a budget crisis of the state (NJ), they won't even budge a little to help out fellow taxpayers.
fuck them.

oh teh noes, they have to PAY for their OWN health insurance after they stop working??? the nerve of the great state of NH!

 

[Wyndru]

because once you become tenured, you never have to worry about losing your job no matter how shitty a teacher you are.

Yes, tenure makes it harder to lose your job, but if you are bad enough, they will find a way to boot you. Our district has fired quite a few horrible tenured teachers over the past 10 years.

Not sure if NY is different than NJ or NH though.

 

[IronWing]

boohoohoo... god forbid they contribute to their own benefits and pensions instead of leeching off taxpayers.

Ah, another dumb fuck that thinks somehow public sector employee benefits are not earned like private sector employee benefits. Employers look at total compensation per employee. Part of that compensation goes toward benefits. Whether they put the money directly in a column called benefits or put it in a column called salary and then hold back a portion to cover the cost of the benefits really doesn't matter. Unless of course you are a dumb fuck.

When are you going to stop leeching off your employer?

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Ah, another dumb fuck that thinks somehow public sector employee benefits are not earned like private sector employee benefits. Employers look at total compensation per employee. Part of that compensation goes toward benefits. Whether they put the money directly in a column called benefits or put it in a column called salary and then hold back a portion to cover the cost of the benefits really doesn't matter. Unless of course you are a dumb fuck.

When are you going to stop leeching off your employer?

is my employer costing you anything in tax money?
yeah, thought so.

 

[Kreon]

Yes, tenure makes it harder to lose your job, but if you are bad enough, they will find a way to boot you. Our district has fired quite a few horrible tenured teachers over the past 10 years.

Not sure if NY is different than NJ or NH though.

Same in NH
School district my parents teach in fired 5 teachers while I was in high school. 3 of them were tenured.

 

[IronWing]

so that i become part of the problem?
sorry, i don't subscribe to the philosophy of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em".

the system overall is unsustainable and driving many states bankrupt.


oh teh noes, they have to PAY for their OWN health insurance after they stop working??? the nerve of the great state of NH!

The system is unsustainable because dumb fucks keep voting for irresponsible politicians who took the money that was supposed to fully fund the retirement systems and handed it out via tax cuts to their buddies. Dumb fuck voters voted against their own self interests in order to make the rich richer. Bunch of dumb fucks.

 

[Turin39789]

Better every day.

 

[IronWing]

is my employer costing you anything in tax money?
yeah, thought so.

Your response in no way addressed the issue.

 

[Wyndru]

is my employer costing you anything in tax money?
yeah, thought so.

Salaries are usually lower though. I make 10k less in the same public position than I did when I was private. Right from the interview they explained it is because they consider the better benefits as part of the difference.

 

[Kreon]

is my employer costing you anything in tax money?
yeah, thought so.

You can do this thing, its called voting.
Its how you have control over your local government (and thus schools).

So in a sense, you own the school.

And, depending on who you work for, there is a possibility your company has cost me (and all of the teachers who pay taxes too) billions.

 

[thomsbrain]

I have not been laid off, but raises have been frozen for a couple years now. My expenses have increased, so I'm a little worse off, but I consider myself lucky to be in good shape overall.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Are there really that many people unemployed? Yes
Has your standard of living decreased? Yes
Have you lost your job? Yes

The reason I ask is that one of my friends is seeking to get a medium sized business loan, and she's really been struggling trying to get it, and I kinda curious if the economy is so bad that she won't receive it. Most likely yes

 

[IronWing]

Anyway, to the OP's question. Since 2006 seven out of twelve clients that my employer provides services to in the building related trades have mothballed major operations, shedding more than half their combined workforces. Three have canceled planned expansions. The other two are doing okay, planning expansion several years out but no plans for immediate expansion. None are hiring.

 

[RbSX]

Are there really that many people unemployed? Yes
Has your standard of living decreased? Yes
Have you lost your job? Yes

The reason I ask is that one of my friends is seeking to get a medium sized business loan, and she's really been struggling trying to get it, and I kinda curious if the economy is so bad that she won't receive it. Most likely yes

Intriguing.

Anyway, to the OP's question. Since 2006 seven out of twelve clients that my employer provides services to in the building related trades have mothballed major operations, shedding more than half their combined workforces. Three have canceled planned expansions. The other two are doing okay, planning expansion several years out but no plans for immediate expansion. None are hiring.

I guess that now would be a bad time to bring up the company she is trying to save is involved in architectural wood work and largely does work on malls, restaurant chains etc.

The company has shed 70 people and is down to roughly 20 staff due to lack of work. This is partially because the owner was planning on retiring and was winding things down.

It will be really intriguing to see if the investors (if she actually has any, she says she does that are interested), would be willing to finance the company through a few more years of shit.

 

[Kreon]

I guess that now would be a bad time to bring up the company she is trying to save is involved in architectural wood work and largely does work on malls, restaurant chains etc.

The company has shed 70 people and is down to roughly 20 staff due to lack of work. This is partially because the owner was planning on retiring and was winding things down.

It will be really intriguing to see if the investors (if she actually has any, she says she does that are interested), would be willing to finance the company through a few more years of shit.

I know that the architects graduating from my college have had even worse placement than the engineers. Much worse. That may be a localized thing, but from what I've heard from architecture majors, the prospects are not good for architectural stuff.

Might not really affect that business though, since I assume its more on the construction side of the woodworking?

Get a contract with PF Changs. Somehow they're still booming 😛

 

[RbSX]

I know that the architects graduating from my college have had even worse placement than the engineers. Much worse. That may be a localized thing, but from what I've heard from architecture majors, the prospects are not good for architectural stuff.

Might not really affect that business though, since I assume its more on the construction side of the woodworking?

Get a contract with PF Changs. Somehow they're still booming 😛

They are more on the side of the woodworking. They are located in the mid west where everything has been sucking hard.

It's just curious, originally the deadline for the company shutting down was geared for Sept 1st.

Now it's been pushed back indefinitely. Who knows.

 

[OoteR02]

boohoohoo... god forbid they contribute to their own benefits and pensions instead of leeching off taxpayers.

Wow.. I'm so sick of this.

Taxpayers this, taxpayers that. It's the same thing you hear about police.

I'm not going to get into it on this forum, but it seems to always boil down to:

a) people who make a lot of money and go "OH BOO HOO MY TAXES EVERYONE FEEL BAD FOR ME. DAMN THOSE TEACHERS, LEECHES DONT DO ANYTHING FOR MEEEEE"

or

b) joe-six pack who didn't go to school for 7 years (4 for bs, 1 teaching year, 2 Masters) looking at compensation packages like they are just insane, because he makes $9.00 at walmart.

I really am not a fan of teachers unions. Really. but without them the taxpayers would require that all teachers make 8.00 an hour with no benefits, hold the same certifications, and get a PHD.. It won't happen.

I swear to god, if people like you are allowed to talk the vision in "idiocrasy" is inevitable.. We'll have the 8.00 an hour teachers "teaching" high school kids how to tie their own shoes.

....

Sorry.


Economically we are doing pretty well, but it's one of those "it could change anytime" sort of things. I'm working on further educating myself in case something does happen so I have a better shot of bouncing back as fast as possible.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Economically we are doing pretty well, but it's one of those "it could change anytime" sort of things. I'm working on further educating myself in case something does happen so I have a better shot of bouncing back as fast as possible.

And that is one of the main things hurting the economy. Even those of us with jobs are changing our spending practices because of that uncertainty. I could go out and buy both a house and new Camaro today and not have a problem with the payments. I won't, not because I want to save so much as the knowledge that the increased likelihood of losing a job right now means it could financially screw me.

 

[OoteR02]

I could go out and buy both a house and new Camaro today and not have a problem with the payments.

Exactly.. A black SS would be nice about now.. But we are just paying off a 10k used car and getting out of debt as much as possible.. The student loans are like.. 3 years at the least to pay off.. Blech.

 

[JackBurton]

I've been working in IT for the last 6 years and have been laid off twice in that span.

However, since my specialty is a hot commodity (VMware) I've been able to find jobs easily. But that will change once the virtualization wave ends.

That wave will continue to grow for a good while. Throw in some Citrix, and you're good to go. 😉

 

[rcpratt]

My biggest concern is saving enough money to buy a house before the market starts turning too far up again. The timing of this could work out really, really well for me, to be honest.