are you better off than you were two years ago ?

[mudwhistle]

Maybe we should pull the plug on the two military escapades we got going and use that money to help Americans here at home who find themselves unemployed and without prospect.

Seeing as how the schmuck in the White House doesn't want to win the war....this is a good idea.

Next we need to stop the wasteful spending on entitlements we can do without for a few years.

Maybe a few less gov. funded research projects on why snails fuck or a couple less fish ladders.

 

[code1211]

Maybe we should pull the plug on the two military escapades we got going and use that money to help Americans here at home who find themselves unemployed and without prospect.

Or heres a suggestion give some tax cuts to business that will hire people.

The democrats have already done that.

Employers don't hire people because they get a tax break. Employers hire people because they have sold a sufficient amount of their product and anticipate continued high sales and so must increase their staffing levels.

Jobs are created when the general public buys stuff.

A stimulus program that works incents the general pulic to spend money. Give tax credits to buy stuff that starts the econmy moving. If the crooks in Washington had spent the Trillion dollar stimulus on a 20 or 25% tax credit for any improvement to any personal dwelling, it would have pumped 4 or 5 trillion into the economy. Put an individual limit on the rebate of 25 grand.

As it is, it was pissed away and produced nothing.

A criminal waste of our children's future. A revealing picture of how our political parties try to buy votes. The Reps cut taxes and the Dems make payoffs. Crooks. Dimwits. Liars. Theives.

And we continue to re-elect the same crew. Idiots led by crooks. What a country!

 

[Greenbeard]

Or heres a suggestion give some tax cuts to business that will hire people.

The democrats have already done that.

The cost of labor has always been deductible to any business. Exactly what other tax cuts did you have in mind?

Probably those passed months ago in the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act:

R-2010-33, March 18, 2010

WASHINGTON — Two new tax benefits are now available to employers hiring workers who were previously unemployed or only working part time. These provisions are part of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act enacted into law today.

Employers who hire unemployed workers this year (after Feb. 3, 2010 and before Jan. 1, 2011) may qualify for a 6.2-percent payroll tax incentive, in effect exempting them from their share of Social Security taxes on wages paid to these workers after March 18, 2010. This reduced tax withholding will have no effect on the employee’s future Social Security benefits, and employers would still need to withhold the employee’s 6.2-percent share of Social Security taxes, as well as income taxes. The employer and employee’s shares of Medicare taxes would also still apply to these wages.

In addition, for each worker retained for at least a year, businesses may claim an additional general business tax credit, up to $1,000 per worker, when they file their 2011 income tax returns.​

 

[sangha]

Or heres a suggestion give some tax cuts to business that will hire people.

The democrats have already done that.

Employers don't hire people because they get a tax break. Employers hire people because they have sold a sufficient amount of their product and anticipate continued high sales and so must increase their staffing levels.

Jobs are created when the general public buys stuff.

A stimulus program that works incents the general pulic to spend money. Give tax credits to buy stuff that starts the econmy moving. If the crooks in Washington had spent the Trillion dollar stimulus on a 20 or 25% tax credit for any improvement to any personal dwelling, it would have pumped 4 or 5 trillion into the economy. Put an individual limit on the rebate of 25 grand.

1) Employers hire for a number of reasons, and not just because their sales are anticipated to rise.

2) Obama and the dems have proposed a bill that does exactly what you want. The republicans oppose it

 

[Gremlin-USA]

"are you better off than you were two years ago? as promised? pood pa nub.

Political Promises nor Political Spending have anything to do with me being better off today than two years ago.

Perseverance, determination have grown my latest three year old business to five fold of what it was, My other business has neither grown nor shrank, it is one of those that is not really devised to grow, but it could shrink, I guess.

I am not one to wait on the Government nor ask anything from it, I am my own keeper. That being said I do pay taxes for Roads, Military, etc. things we need government for.

.

 

[Rozman]

short answer....NO

 

[JakeStarkey]

short answer. . . of course we are. . . we are not greedy and planned for this situation some years ago . . . the handwriting was on the wall to know that the Republican Congresses were going to shatter the economy (with some help from Wild Bill). . . everybody should have seen it coming

 

[Charles_Main]

it's too bad that, the republican senators voted down unbuck extension. at some point someone has to be realistic about finance. the democrat congress wasted the money on "the sex life of a college freshman girl" and seven mil for hillary's pollster. we can't stay an uncontolled frivolous spending indefinately. your hard earned tax money isn't monopoly money. so it's time to start asking "are you better off than you were two years ago? as promised? pood pa nub.

Your post is rambling nonsense, but I will answer anyway.

Two years ago, June 2008

Stock market and housing market was in a collapse. I lost 33% of my 401K and my house lost 20% in value. My 21 yr old son was cancelled from my health insurance plan and had to go on the private market to spend too much money on a plan that pays very little.

Today, June 2010

The Stock Market has recovered much of what it lost and my 401K is almost back to where it was two years ago. My house is still below value but has regained 5-10% of its loss.
With the passing of healthcare, I can now put my son back onto my healthcare plan and he can have full coverage again.


So, the answer in my situation is that I am better off than I was two years ago

The Stock Market has recovered much of what it lost? dude it was at 15k at its high. Its at 10k now. are you for real?

And your house is not below value, in truth it is much closer to it's actually worth now than it was before the crash. That is kinda the whole point of a bubble, and what we are doing right now, trying to re inflate that bubble, is insanity in its highest form.

As far as you're 401k nearly being back to where it was, I call BS. I don't know maybe you have some special 401k but most peoples are still no where near where they were. how could they be with the stock market still 33% off its all time highs?

It is nice that you can put your son back on your health care. Really I am not being sarcastic at all I have kids, but at what cost? It might just be the whole damn house of cards at the rate were spending, and we all know Health care is going to cost WAY more than they're telling us.

 

[rightwinger]

short answer....NO

Are you unemployed? Do you make less money than you did 2 years ago?
Do you own a home or have a retirement plan?

 

[rightwinger]

it's too bad that, the republican senators voted down unbuck extension. at some point someone has to be realistic about finance. the democrat congress wasted the money on "the sex life of a college freshman girl" and seven mil for hillary's pollster. we can't stay an uncontolled frivolous spending indefinately. your hard earned tax money isn't monopoly money. so it's time to start asking "are you better off than you were two years ago? as promised? pood pa nub.

Your post is rambling nonsense, but I will answer anyway.

Two years ago, June 2008

Stock market and housing market was in a collapse. I lost 33% of my 401K and my house lost 20% in value. My 21 yr old son was cancelled from my health insurance plan and had to go on the private market to spend too much money on a plan that pays very little.

Today, June 2010

The Stock Market has recovered much of what it lost and my 401K is almost back to where it was two years ago. My house is still below value but has regained 5-10% of its loss.
With the passing of healthcare, I can now put my son back onto my healthcare plan and he can have full coverage again.


So, the answer in my situation is that I am better off than I was two years ago

The Stock Market has recovered much of what it lost? dude it was at 15k at its high. Its at 10k now. are you for real?

And you house is not below value, in truth it is much closer to it's actually worth now than it was before the crash. That is kinda the whole point of a bubble, and what we are doing right now, trying to re inflate that bubble, is insanity in its highest form.

As far as you're 401k nearly being back to where it was, I call BS. I don't know maybe you have some special 401k but most peoples are still no where near where they were. how could they be with the stark market still 33% off its all time highs?

It is nice that you can put your son back on your health care. Really I am not being sarcastic at all I have kids, but at what cost? It might just be the whole damn house of cards at the rate were spending, and we all know Health care is going to cost WAY more than they're telling us.

The market bottomed at 6600 and is above 10,000. The question was are we better off than we were 2 years ago not when the market was at its peak. Two years ago, the market was in a panic and that 14,000 dropped to 6600. Yes, my 401K has recovered to where it was two years ago. If yours hasn't, you need to invest better.
Putting my son back on my healthcare helps a lot. He is 22 and works at a job that pays no benefits. This is common with most new hires, most employers no longer want to pay for healthcare. By putting him back on my policy, he will see major savings.
The question was simply...are you better off than you were two years ago

My answer is still significantly yes

 

[Toro]

Yes. Substantially.

But I was better off every year under Bush too.

 

[Charles_Main]

Your post is rambling nonsense, but I will answer anyway.

Two years ago, June 2008

Stock market and housing market was in a collapse. I lost 33% of my 401K and my house lost 20% in value. My 21 yr old son was cancelled from my health insurance plan and had to go on the private market to spend too much money on a plan that pays very little.

Today, June 2010

The Stock Market has recovered much of what it lost and my 401K is almost back to where it was two years ago. My house is still below value but has regained 5-10% of its loss.
With the passing of healthcare, I can now put my son back onto my healthcare plan and he can have full coverage again.


So, the answer in my situation is that I am better off than I was two years ago

The Stock Market has recovered much of what it lost? dude it was at 15k at its high. Its at 10k now. are you for real?

And you house is not below value, in truth it is much closer to it's actually worth now than it was before the crash. That is kinda the whole point of a bubble, and what we are doing right now, trying to re inflate that bubble, is insanity in its highest form.

As far as you're 401k nearly being back to where it was, I call BS. I don't know maybe you have some special 401k but most peoples are still no where near where they were. how could they be with the stark market still 33% off its all time highs?

It is nice that you can put your son back on your health care. Really I am not being sarcastic at all I have kids, but at what cost? It might just be the whole damn house of cards at the rate were spending, and we all know Health care is going to cost WAY more than they're telling us.

The market bottomed at 6600 and is above 10,000. The question was are we better off than we were 2 years ago not when the market was at its peak. Two years ago, the market was in a panic and that 14,000 dropped to 6600. Yes, my 401K has recovered to where it was two years ago. If yours hasn't, you need to invest better.
Putting my son back on my healthcare helps a lot. He is 22 and works at a job that pays no benefits. This is common with most new hires, most employers no longer want to pay for healthcare. By putting him back on my policy, he will see major savings.
The question was simply...are you better off than you were two years ago

My answer is still significantly yes

That may be so, but like I said at what cost. The run away spending will lead to, down the road, yet another crash, and a big one.

A better question than are you better off, would be is the Nations over all Economy better off, and more secure in the long term, and the answer is no IMO.

 

[Angelhair]

I would guess that some are, some are not......those who are will praise O.....those who aren't will blame Bush - ho-hum

 

[georgephillip]

Two years ago today I had been living under the Beverly Bridge just west of downtown LA for nearly three months. It would be another 11 months before I was able to get off the streets, hopefully for the last time.

Say what you will about homelessness, there are days when you actually have nothing to accomplish and all day long to accomplish it.

I suspect those who have had families and jobs throughout their adult lives will have a difficult time getting their minds around that one.

Certainly things are much better for me today than June 2008. After a lifetime spent working at minimum wage jobs, my current SSA payment and a part-time job at a local Adult Day Health Care center brings in more money every month than I ever earned before.

However, for whatever it's worth, I believe this country is at an economic tipping point. When the Industrial Revolution began it was claimed at some point the machine would free much of humanity from the need for daily toil.

Judging by the US rust belt that day has come and gone. There are currently too few jobs to pay too much debt.
The gulf between the rich and the rest continues to widen in a "republic" with 200 million private guns.

More war and more debt are all Republicans AND Democrats have to offer.

The homeless and the dead will be the lucky ones if we don't all do better in the next two years.

 

[Polk]

it's too bad that, the republican senators voted down unbuck extension. at some point someone has to be realistic about finance. the democrat congress wasted the money on "the sex life of a college freshman girl" and seven mil for hillary's pollster. we can't stay an uncontolled frivolous spending indefinately. your hard earned tax money isn't monopoly money. so it's time to start asking "are you better off than you were two years ago? as promised? pood pa nub.

Funny, for all the babbling from the right about "Democrats throwing money around" and such, you'd think they'd have an issue with the fact that half the deficit comes from Bush's reckless tax cuts.

 

[2Parties]

Financially I'm much better than I was 2 years ago. I'm making over 60% more money and have better job security. I've had to relocate states to do this though and many families are incapable of that.

 

[hortysir]

 

[code1211]

The democrats have already done that.

Employers don't hire people because they get a tax break. Employers hire people because they have sold a sufficient amount of their product and anticipate continued high sales and so must increase their staffing levels.

Jobs are created when the general public buys stuff.

A stimulus program that works incents the general pulic to spend money. Give tax credits to buy stuff that starts the econmy moving. If the crooks in Washington had spent the Trillion dollar stimulus on a 20 or 25% tax credit for any improvement to any personal dwelling, it would have pumped 4 or 5 trillion into the economy. Put an individual limit on the rebate of 25 grand.

1) Employers hire for a number of reasons, and not just because their sales are anticipated to rise.

2) Obama and the dems have proposed a bill that does exactly what you want. The republicans oppose it

What is that bill?

 

[code1211]

The democrats have already done that.

Employers don't hire people because they get a tax break. Employers hire people because they have sold a sufficient amount of their product and anticipate continued high sales and so must increase their staffing levels.

Jobs are created when the general public buys stuff.

A stimulus program that works incents the general pulic to spend money. Give tax credits to buy stuff that starts the econmy moving. If the crooks in Washington had spent the Trillion dollar stimulus on a 20 or 25% tax credit for any improvement to any personal dwelling, it would have pumped 4 or 5 trillion into the economy. Put an individual limit on the rebate of 25 grand.

1) Employers hire for a number of reasons, and not just because their sales are anticipated to rise.
2) Obama and the dems have proposed a bill that does exactly what you want. The republicans oppose it

I have never owned a business. I have managed many.

In every case, I have never hired anyone to stand around and look at others working. In every case, I have hired people to work. Work requires having sold a product of some type that someone else is paying to procure.

If nothing was sold, there is no work to provide it. No work? No employees required.

Why would anyone hire anyone in a for profit business if there was no work to do?

When did people stop saying they need to "find work"? Now people are "looking for a job".

 

[code1211]

short answer....NO

Are you unemployed? Do you make less money than you did 2 years ago?
Do you own a home or have a retirement plan?

As it happens, my job and income have improved slightly over the last two years. Mrs. Code's job and income have dropped off dramatically. As luck would have it, we ar old and make no payments for anything essential and our jobs are needed for income and benefits, but not like 30 years ago living in quiet desperation.

My occupation depends on the head counts of many businesses. Both the number of thriving businesses and the head counts within those businesses are down. The number of closures in my little world has slowed, but still continues. For a long while in 2008-9, we did not have a week in which we were not notified that one of our customers was simply closing their doors.

Very recently, say in the last 4 months, there has been some hiring. It's very cautious, but it's happening. Employers are scared. They will work the current employees OT and Weekends before they add one head.

Nobody truly understands what the environment might be after the Big 0 closes the next industry segment because he wants to pass another pet project.