Sometimes a picture is worth over 10%

[Lola's Mom]

Just look at this:

http://cohort11.americanobserver.net/latoyaegwuekwe/multimediafinal.html

How very, very, sad. Those of you who are lucky enough to avoid the grey/purple zones, please don't gloat. This makes me sick.

 

[cubby558]

Where's all that bailout money????

Our local rate is currently the highest in the nation @ 11.8% approaching 12-13% by the end of the year most experts predict. Any of our contractor customers who have work, tell all their employees if they have to lay anyone off; it will be over a year before they will be called back.

Just look at this:

http://cohort11.americanobserver.net/latoyaegwuekwe/multimediafinal.html

How very, very, sad. Those of you who are lucky enough to avoid the grey/purple zones, please don't gloat. This makes me sick.

 

[Animate]

Thanks for posting. That's a very sobering and clear view of how serious it's gotten.

 

[XFireXLR]

Whats even sadder is that it will get worse before it gets better.

 

[mswaim]

Our overall sales across the globe jumped again this year; we have reduced production in our glass plant however that is due to reduction in glass bottle sales to our competitors. Gotta love a company that produces and sells bottles, corks, caps and labels to their competitors ! The wine might not be ours, but rest assured the corks, bottles and labels were made by us.

 

[MissySupaBling]

Just plain awful!

 

[First Robin]

Colorado Springs unemployment rate for October just posted 7.5 %

 

[cubby558]

Our area just south of Chicago posted their in the paper today 12.8%--and not the highest in the state. Wolford county (I think that's right) is 15.6%

 

[njlouc]

Unemployment in the USA

IMHO:

For some years now our leaders have been of the mindset, and very proud that we are in an information econony. What does that mean?? Basically we have become paper shufflers. We no longer the great world producer. Our corrupt/out of touch politicians/law maker/breakers think that a great job for all the country is working for the govt. like the social security admin writing checks all day.
Add to that the environmentalists who dont want any noise/pollution/traffic/global warming/ - you get it, and our factories are shutting down like crazy.
Now we add our yutes who refuse to be educated, and our "educators" who think that college is the way to go.

Here's the way I see it. paper shuffling for the govt has its place but not for the whole country. We must produce things or we will become weak (maybe too late). to produce you have to make some noise and ruffle some feathers.
Not all can/want/need to go to college. It's too expensive and it produces very little tangible results. A good technical school training in a craft is what we really need. Our teens need a skill to become productive and actually produce something. Then they will move up the ladder of success.
Our present school systems are ruining the economy and we get so little out of it.
I pay $7200/year real estate taxes for my 1800sqft "mansion" in a "poor" suburb of NJ. It is 90% school tax. AND the kids still cant tie their own shoes!!!

So here it is - we have high unemployment, and everyone is waiting for the big signal so they can get back to work. HELLO - there is NO work. All our factories/offices are GONE. People with NO money cant buy cars etc. GM and all others are gone or sold out to the Chinese.

Govt controlled, manditory health care/insurance - is a scam. It is a lesson in socialism/communism. We are being taken over little by little - It is a slow motion coup. Do you think that the system can support additional millions (yes including illegals) with out consequence. Keep believing that "the wealthy" wll pay and by having all records in the computer and the elimination of ALL corruption, costs will be covered.
If that were true it would be done and the money saved will cover those not covered - case closed.

Our enemies are laughing and waiting. When we eventually wage war with a real foe, we will have to out source our weaponry. If we wage war with China, we will have to say "dont go to war for about 2years while you produce munitions for us to use against you"!!

We will become the healthiest,most pollution free thirld world nation.
Take out the dominoes.

 

[Lola's Mom]

njlouc - it's so plain to see.

 

[Lola's Mom]

California - 12.3%
San Diego - 10.5%
Just published October stat's .... highest since WW2

I can't even imagine the terror of no job, no income, nothing in the foreseeable future -

 

[njlouc]

LIARS!!!!

Do you think that those stats are correct coming from professional liars??
It doesnt count those whose who are not/gave up looking, and those who never had jobs at all.
AND BTW those out of work are the ones who actually produced something.

 

[HOMEGAMEROOM]

I love my job, I love my job, I love my job...........

I can put an ad out for employment for $8.00 an hour and have them beating down my door. The saddest thing is the older (60+) people or people with families who just want a job for medical benefits (no, I don't want to start that argument on this thread! NO HIJACKING!!! ).

I wonder if the chart is higher because unemployment lasts longer these days, thus making the unemployed stay "on the charts" longer. Does anyone know for sure? Don't people fall off the statistic after they stop getting checks?

 

[cubby558]

I believe you are right, Rich, however the government has now stepped in again with money they don't have, to extend benefits to the unemployed for an additional 13 weeks. At some point the government needs to be spending money to get our US companies to start making products again here in the US; not offshore or south of the border!! Many of the products I sell in my business are now being produced outside the US by 'cheaper' labor; however the cost of the product has not gone down!! With the 'Buy American' campaign going on, we can't bid government jobs in our area because we can't supply the jobs completely with American made product.

I agree with njlouc, not everyone needs a college education. We need to be getting some of our young population into trade schools, as our current labor pool is ageing rapidly with no replacements standing by. Our children have been spoiled; nobody wants to start at the bottom and work their way up like most of us had to do. The younger generation wants the $100k jobs right out of school. My current employee base is 40+ years old. I don't have anyone in the 20-30 year old range wanting a $15/hr job with my company starting out, not even out of high school. What's wrong with kids today?

I love my job, I love my job, I love my job...........

I can put an ad out for employment for $8.00 an hour and have them beating down my door. The saddest thing is the older (60+) people or people with families who just want a job for medical benefits (no, I don't want to start that argument on this thread! NO HIJACKING!!! ).

I wonder if the chart is higher because unemployment lasts longer these days, thus making the unemployed stay "on the charts" longer. Does anyone know for sure? Don't people fall off the statistic after they stop getting checks?

 

[Lola's Mom]

.......I don't have anyone in the 20-30 year old range wanting a $15/hr job with my company starting out,......?

In this economy, it's hard to support one's self much less someone with a family on $15 an hour. Probably damn right impossible here. $600/wk before taxes, ss, etc deductions. Ends up more like 10 bucks an hour. My in-high school grandson, who lives at home makes that part time and barely squeaks by just paying for his own fuel, car ins, entertainment and clothing. Certainly he couldn't move out on that. Rent would be more than 1/2 of his income. Things have changed and times are tough.

And, oh yeah .... the 60+ thing about working for benefits? Sure, I get it. Our new health ins payment, like I said before is almost $1500 mo. .... if I was working full time with NO benefits, I would have to clear $400/wk and that's $15 and hour (before taxes) just to pay my insurance ... does that put it in a more real perspective?

 

[First Robin]

The majority of the people that voted wanted change. I hope all of those that voted for change are happy with the change they are receiving.
A car dealer in Denver has put up a new sign on his billboard. Have any of you seen it on the tv news in your area?
I wonder what all the people that didn't vote are thinking. Bet they are sorry they didn't go to the polls last November.
Attended a lunch Tuesday that Edward Jones put on. The speaker from Hartford Insurance and Investments raved on and on about the recession is over, time to start investing in the stock market.
I do not believe it is over, I am not ready to invest in the stock market. I am not selling the stocks I have.
I will just tighten my belt and live off the little bit of interest I am getting on my cd's and cdars. One advantage we old folks have, we live on a lot less than the rest of the population as we already have everything, home paid for, vehicles paid for. We pay utilities, taxes, insurance on our home, health, vehicles, long term care, umbrella policy, HOA dues, buy food and once in a while some new clothes
We (old people) are so fortunate we don't have to worry about trying to find a job or keep a job. I truly feel sorry for the working people which make up the majority of the citizens of our country.
We should have been speaking up years ago to keep the people crossing our boarders from staying here without becoming an American Citizen, learning to speak English, getting a Social Security number and pay taxes on their income. We need to follow the examples of what happens if you cross the border of China, North Korea, Iran, and the rest of the countries in the World. No one can move to Switzerland unless every Swiss citizen, able and willing to work has a job.
We should have all spoken up years ago when the jobs here started leaving our country. We should have spoken up years ago when the foreign auto makers started building plants here. We should have put a limit on how many vehicles could be imported from other countries. We should have thrown out the rotten b-----ds that wanted One World Government. I guess we were all too busy working and making a living to pay attention to what was happening right under our noses.
Guess I better climb down but I have plenty more to say.

 

[Lola's Mom]

The majority of the people that voted wanted change. I hope all of those that voted for change are happy with the change they are receiving.
A car dealer in Denver has put up a new sign on his billboard. Have any of you seen it on the tv news in your area?
I wonder what all the people that didn't vote are thinking. Bet they are sorry they didn't go to the polls last November.
Attended a lunch Tuesday that Edward Jones put on. The speaker from Hartford Insurance and Investments raved on and on about the recession is over, time to start investing in the stock market.
I do not believe it is over, I am not ready to invest in the stock market. I am not selling the stocks I have. I will just tighten my belt and live off the little bit of interest I am getting on my cd's and cdars. One advantage we old folks have, we live on a lot less than the rest of the population as we already have everything, home paid for, vehicles paid for. We pay utilities, taxes, insurance on our home, health, vehicles, long term care, umbrella policy, HOA dues, buy food and once in a while some new clothes

Those statements may be true for you and your friends and neighbors/neighborhood, which if I am comprehending is pretty upscale, - but I live in a moderate senior community of 300 homes where some people have been retired for up to 30 years and have actually outlived their projected savings and investments, not to mention what their SS benefits were 30 years ago. Some are having a heck of a time just surviving from month to month. I would say Robert that you are probably doing a whole lot better than the "average" retiree. Most homes here are 1 auto, and not XLR's and Cadillacs. We have 1 or 2 Pearl Harbor survivor's that live here, and he proudly drives a "scooter". I don't think that Veteran's pay is drawing him much interest.
Also, you're right, some of the expenses ARE different - especially that LTC insurance - pricey for one person, but a killer for a couple. From MY perspective I don't think the majority of seniors are better off than anyone else.
Our advantage is life experience and I think we can manage our $$ better, or maybe differently. And we try not to complain.

 

[First Robin]

When you come to Colorado next May you will see I do not live in an upscale neighborhood, the homes are not large but are pretty well kept. I could have bought a much larger house where the HOA payments are out landish but having grown up in a conservative home right after the big depression and WWII, I picked my home for location and price. I was taught to manage my money so I could be comfortable and enjoy the things I want during my lifetime. It all comes down to priorities. I do not want to pay $500.00 a month HOA dues, I did not want a hugh mortgage or any mortgage after I retired. I did and do feel it is important to have health insurance, life insurance and Long Term Care Insurance. I also carry the maximum coverage on my vehicles and home for my own protection. I am thankful I grew up in a Capitalistic country where I could work hard and achieve my goals. Now I am afraid we are surely headed towards Socialism or worse. Our government wants to take away from the hard working class and give to those that would rather not work. The government wants to limit our healthcare, let the old folks die off as they are a burden on society and why should we waste money on their health care. When they start taking from the rich and giving to the poor, soon the rich will have nothing to give and will be part of the poor, then what will happen?????? We need to throw out the people in the current administration that is violating our Constitution. The United States Constitution forbids our government going into partnership with private enterprise and that is exactly what happened with all of the bailouts. Our government is now in partnership with all the companies they bailed out. Did any of the bail out money really help the average American? NO! I just answered my own question so I guess I better stop here.

 

[Lola's Mom]

It will great to see not only your home, but Colorado in general - known for it's beauty.

The thing is - the AVERAGE senior income is about $28,000 a year. No matter where they live. If a senior was living today on CD interest only, they would have to have at least a million dollars invested at the current 2-3% rate just to garner that amount of money. Living on $28,000 is near impossible and probably closer to being poverty level. I believe at that point they would be dipping into their capitol. I know I would. Personally, I don't think I know too many people who have a million bucks socked away in cd's.
You have done QUITE well Robin, don't be so modest. We have worked, I think, equally as hard during our life, raised a GREAT family, and will be estactic if what we have earned, saved and invested takes us comfortably through the rest of our lives. Who knows?

I do know that we are grateful that we are not part of those unemployment statistics.

 

[First Robin]

It will great to see not only your home, but Colorado in general - known for it's beauty.

The thing is - the AVERAGE senior income is about $28,000 a year. No matter where they live. If a senior was living today on CD interest only, they would have to have at least a million dollars invested at the current 2-3% rate just to garner that amount of money. Living on $28,000 is near impossible and probably closer to being poverty level. I believe at that point they would be dipping into their capitol. I know I would. Personally, I don't think I know too many people who have a million bucks socked away in cd's.
You have done QUITE well Robin, don't be so modest. We have worked, I think, equally as hard during our life, raised a GREAT family, and will be estactic if what we have earned, saved and invested takes us comfortably through the rest of our lives. Who knows?

I do know that we are grateful that we are not part of those unemployment statistics.

Ruthie, I am just an old gray haired hippie from the Mountains, I thought you knew that. I have eaten a lot of peanut butter and jelly in my lifetime so I could afford the things I wanted. I still have the same furniture in my living room that I bought over fifty years ago. I am also known as a very frugal excentric. Live is fun and has been good even through the ups and downs, the good times and the hard times.