We seem to be in agreement, generally, on the spending point. What we don't really know, is how to come up with sufficient cash to do significant enough spending to make a difference. It doesn't make any sense to borrow new/faux cash to buy down old debt and create further debt.
im in agreement with you here with regard to going into debt. i think there are things that we can do that can make a difference without hitting the credit cards. say 100 a month on replacing worn things, things that are needed anyway with an occasional splurge for those who are still working. something beyond the regular monthly expenses. im buying a mini and looking at replacing the tv in my living room. i want the mini and the tv is starting to go and needs to be replaced. walked by a sidewalk sale today and bought a few articles of gym clothes tho i felt bad about it. looked like a fire sale. spent 11 dollars on 2 pair of pants and a windbreaker. a lil further on my walk and they had north face jackets for a steal. really, 200 dollar jackets for 50 bucks? i was droolin i tell ya. didnt have my debit card with me only the change from the 20 that i had in my pocket but maybe tomorrow if they are not all snatched up. its not the one person thing but the collective thing all 300 million of us spending a hundred or so a month adds up. of someone is a smoker for instance quit and use that money to invest. thats gotta be good for people! or brown bag during the week and take the money saved and go out to dinner once a week. a server will thank you. or make a plan to invest. who were those old ladies who started the investment club? cant remember their names but they made a bundle. there are a lot of stocks right now that are super cheap. go in with some friends and start a club. look at the 52 week highs and lows and do some research on the companies and see if they will belly up soon if not go for it. a few months ago i invested in first solar and bought it at a low of 85 and watched it climb. i was chickesh*t and bailed when it hit 140 tho it went up nearly all the way to 160 a share. its down now. good time to buy again tho ill hold onto it for awhile if i do. the 52 week high for them is 317. so its a fairly safe investment id think. another solar stock to watch is jaso. they are struggling to finance right now but if they made that leap watch out. that 2. dollar stock will rise to 20 or more. the chinese leader addressed their economy today and they are enacting a 600b stimulus. ill be curious to see what happens tomorrow. anyway my point, and i do have one, lol is that there are some wonderous bargains out there that if purchased over the next year might leave people with some serious wealth in a year or two.
We need a lengthy deflationary period, it's inevitable. The "recovery" plan is incomplete, at best. At it's worst it's dangerous. Back in the hands of the money grubbing self interest filled congress for "details". Equally shameful is the current budget, drafted last summer but held back for the coronation. The one that Barack Obama swore he would take a pen to line by line and veto the "pork". Well, the pork survived. Jiminy Carter II is real and we need to deal with it.
i also agree that we are in a deflationary period. i think wed have noticed it earlier had bush and cheney not given us a couple of wars to fund and supply.
Throwing billions of dollars into pork projects will not heal this country. Not for any length of time. There'll be short term projects and little flurries of hope throughout some areas. Depending on where you live. But, no matter where any of us live we each carry some piece of these PORK PROJECTS with us. Nine thousand pork projects. How does a million dollar Convention Center for Charleston or Columbia, or anywhere in South Carolina get approved simply for being included?
building that convention center would bring a lot of construction jobs to the area. once its built it will employ people and attract biz to the area. im not minding that one. i did find the grape study to be a bit much tho. honestly, i see this as a real opportunity to make the kinds of changes that weve all said needed to be changed. mass transit for instance, or solar or wind power projects building state of the art schools and hospitals or research centers. all of those things are investments in our future.
Why does Harry Reid need a million or three to make Las Vegas "appear" more ecologically healthy?
i dont know about appearing more healthy but things like better management of water supplies or getting some solar projects going out there would be great.im thinking if they wanna make it look healthier they need to get those click click people who accost you walking between hotels with the girly pix. i know im a dyke but i dont want some sleezoid guy shoving girly pix in my face.
What the end result is will be felt differently depending on where one is geographically. So what happens in two years when the Fed funding runs it's course? Some of us will have to shoulder the burden of these initiatives in the form of higher taxes for everything the state can possibly think to tax us on. Our tags, licenses, internet use, additional taxes stuck onto our cell phone bills, taxes at the pump, on "non taxable" food products. How about taxing people for NOT using goods and services the ones that aren't "hands on deck". How about we tax eggs,milk,cheese, meat? Why not? Why stop at that. WHY DON'T WE TAX WINDOW SHOPPERS. Oops, that was a mistake, but it kinda made me sad-laugh so I'll leave it.
im never a fan of more taxes and im less a fan of tax decreases at the fed level and ill tell you why. i always end up paying more when the feds reduce taxes because when they do they also reduce the amount they give to states for basic service type things, highways, teachers, special ed, hospitals and on and on and the states then pass that all on to their residents. bushes tax cut has cost me close to 400 a month in extra taxes counting gas, sales, property and state income taxes. i think the govt taxation system should be one where we all sit down and decide what basic things we want to see done and fund them appropriately. extras? those things can be done on the local level but the biggies state roads, hospitals, police, schools, fire and ambulance etc imo should be funded on the fed level. hell if we simplified and stopped duplicating these tax depts we could save more than the pork in those 9000 items.
We are not a post-racial society at all. We had a mini wave of a reverse racial society. That's already behind us. Now, it's just another man with his overinflated ego and a dare me look that doesn't really have a clue when the teleprompter goes blank.
All in all? I don't think it's such a bad idea to rethink a poll tax and a literacy test. To vote.
psssst! Psych! I LOVE this pic you're currently using as your avatar:
(sorry for the interruption)
why thank you!! its the harbor in ptown taken last summer. im needing to be reminded that beach weather is a mere few weeks away. in fact its supposed to hit 55 on sat and 62 on sun. if the rain doesnt come in front of the nice weather and melt this sunday pasts 16 in of snow im thinking spring skiing on sat and hiking a bit of the appalachian trail on sun.
Anonymous wrote: Her words, not mine. The reality is Barack Obama seemed to distance himself from his heritage(s) and race wherever it benefited him to do so.
which begs the question, if we truly are in a "post racial" society, if race or ethnicity truly doesnt matter, why do candidates feel a need to back away from their heritage? not the stereotypical image of particular ethnicities but the cultural aspects of difference that might instead be celebrated?
One note to Jindals credit, something that has been grossly spun and misrepresented to appear a spiteful, intentional foot stomping gop tantrum is his comments regarding refusing the Fed money for the extension of unemployment benefits to include part time employees. His point, along with several governors, is that part time employees have not sufficiently paid into the insurance that builds a reserve for unemployment compensation.
that would depend on the amount the part time worker makes id suspect. there are lots of part time jobs that pay 20-30 dollars an hour thats a hefty chunk of income to lose without the same guarantees for protection that a full time worker gets who makes half that per hour. Still, the questions regarding state reimbursement down the road is a valid question and one that should have been made clearer when the handful of governors decided to balk. instead this was made to look like these govs were going to reject ANY of the money when in fact most were eager to take the other 95% of the money. it was the democratic folks who said uh huh sure buddy and clarified what was really in question here. if there were truly a spirit of doing whats right for this country those who needed clarification on the unemployment measures would have said that straight up and not made it appear to be that they were the ones saving america from the big bad spenders. after all it was the big bad folks who preyed on the consumers and raised the deficit to the highest levels ever that got us into this mess. which leads me to wonder who knew what when vis a vis the tanking economy. that kind of deficit spending surely propped up a sinking economy. it sort of reminds me of a bank embezzler whos been stealing and cooking the books to cover saying to the bank examiner years later oh yeah by the way i borrowed a few dollars.
i think i am as aggrevated as the rest of america at the republicans efforts to stop any sort of solution from working right now so as to win back seats in the next election. this is a time when all hands are needed on deck and they are in their life rafts headed toward fantasy island. shame on them. and its a strategy likely to backfire since it presupposes that americans werent already sick of the posturing nonsense that led to the call for real change in america. that meant them too. if ya cant lead get outta the way. leadership is whats called for here not gamesmanship.
That said, when the Federal money halts in two years and the state has already incorporated this into their constitution as per the feds demand, how is it to be funded? That is a very relevant and sincere question, especially coming from a state that was "poor" even before the "downward spiral". Hell, every single Governor out there should be asking this question? Two years is right around the corner. In the name of their constituents, how are the states going to fund that after the feds faux cash fades away? To the part time employees that boo hoo over not receiving something they never had? Get another part time job to fill the void of the unemployment check you never had. We all have problems.
unfortunately some people have had to get 2 part time jobs or 3 to make ends work. that doesnt mean in addition to their full time job but instead of their full time job. there were large shifts in corporations over the last few years with fewer full time jobs created and more part time no benefit type jobs. for the most part this was about health care and other benefits in a competing global economy. for the worker who has 2 part time jobs who loses one, they lose half their income and even if they are covered by unemployment insurance they are likely to not be able to collect since the amount they make in the other may exceed the maximum benefits their state allows which aint much. jobs of any kind are hard to get right now and there are long lines of people waiting. the local six flags had a job fair here looking for summer workers. the lines were incredible and many of those applying were people who once had big ticket jobs. which leads me to my other gripe with this republican foot dragging and fear mongering. im reminded of the old adage that we are all as happy as we choose to be. this economy has been driven by consumer spending and financed by home prices for the last decade. it will take a good decade to pay down that debt and until we do and go back to some sort of economy based on real assests, people have to spend money. this has become a self fulfilling prophesy sort of thing. to hoard the bucks is to lose someone a job. we do have some control over this stuff, so yeah, buy a stock, buy a tv, lease a car with a well take it back if you lose your job guarantee, take advantage of some of the best bargains we may ever see in our lifetimes, deplete the on hand stock of "things" and the engines of "progress" will once again start up.
We seem to be in agreement, generally, on the spending point. What we don't really know, is how to come up with sufficient cash to do significant enough spending to make a difference. It doesn't make any sense to borrow new/faux cash to buy down old debt and create further debt. We need a lengthy deflationary period, it's inevitable. The "recovery" plan is incomplete, at best. At it's worst it's dangerous. Back in the hands of the money grubbing self interest filled congress for "details". Equally shameful is the current budget, drafted last summer but held back for the coronation. The one that Barack Obama swore he would take a pen to line by line and veto the "pork". Well, the pork survived. Jiminy Carter II is real and we need to deal with it.
Throwing billions of dollars into pork projects will not heal this country. Not for any length of time. There'll be short term projects and little flurries of hope throughout some areas. Depending on where you live. But, no matter where any of us live we each carry some piece of these PORK PROJECTS with us. Nine thousand pork projects. How does a million dollar Convention Center for Charleston or Columbia, or anywhere in South Carolina get approved simply for being included? Why does Harry Reid need a million or three to make Las Vegas "appear" more ecologically healthy? Who goes to conventions right now? Who cares what Las Vegas "looks" like? What companies remain standing to have conventions by the time this is over? That's important. That's where a leader should step up and stop further closures, and joblessness. But, yes we're buying SC a new convention center and making Vegas look healthy. In an adjusted picture compared to the First Depression we aren't even at the halfway mark to what should be an all out panic.
What the end result is will be felt differently depending on where one is geographically. So what happens in two years when the Fed funding runs it's course? Some of us will have to shoulder the burden of these initiatives in the form of higher taxes for everything the state can possibly think to tax us on. Our tags, licenses, internet use, additional taxes stuck onto our cell phone bills, taxes at the pump, on "non taxable" food products. How about taxing people for NOT using goods and services the ones that aren't "hands on deck". How about we tax eggs,milk,cheese, meat? Why not? Why stop at that. WHY DON'T WE TAX WINDOW SHOPPERS. Oops, that was a mistake, but it kinda made me sad-laugh so I'll leave it.
We are not a post-racial society at all. We had a mini wave of a reverse racial society. That's already behind us. Now, it's just another man with his overinflated ego and a dare me look that doesn't really have a clue when the teleprompter goes blank.
All in all? I don't think it's such a bad idea to rethink a poll tax and a literacy test. To vote.
instead this was made to look like these govs were going to reject ANY of the money when in fact most were eager to take the other 95% of the money.
Yep and, Louisiana already gets $1.78 plus of Federal monies for each dollar of federal taxes. They are number 3 I think. At least one of the top five. Along with Mississippi. LOL I hate dis honest talking points like this that only serve the Republicans who are already poised for their comeback attempt. me
Anonymous wrote: Her words, not mine. The reality is Barack Obama seemed to distance himself from his heritage(s) and race wherever it benefited him to do so.
which begs the question, if we truly are in a "post racial" society, if race or ethnicity truly doesnt matter, why do candidates feel a need to back away from their heritage? not the stereotypical image of particular ethnicities but the cultural aspects of difference that might instead be celebrated?
One note to Jindals credit, something that has been grossly spun and misrepresented to appear a spiteful, intentional foot stomping gop tantrum is his comments regarding refusing the Fed money for the extension of unemployment benefits to include part time employees. His point, along with several governors, is that part time employees have not sufficiently paid into the insurance that builds a reserve for unemployment compensation.
that would depend on the amount the part time worker makes id suspect. there are lots of part time jobs that pay 20-30 dollars an hour thats a hefty chunk of income to lose without the same guarantees for protection that a full time worker gets who makes half that per hour. Still, the questions regarding state reimbursement down the road is a valid question and one that should have been made clearer when the handful of governors decided to balk. instead this was made to look like these govs were going to reject ANY of the money when in fact most were eager to take the other 95% of the money. it was the democratic folks who said uh huh sure buddy and clarified what was really in question here. if there were truly a spirit of doing whats right for this country those who needed clarification on the unemployment measures would have said that straight up and not made it appear to be that they were the ones saving america from the big bad spenders. after all it was the big bad folks who preyed on the consumers and raised the deficit to the highest levels ever that got us into this mess. which leads me to wonder who knew what when vis a vis the tanking economy. that kind of deficit spending surely propped up a sinking economy. it sort of reminds me of a bank embezzler whos been stealing and cooking the books to cover saying to the bank examiner years later oh yeah by the way i borrowed a few dollars.
i think i am as aggrevated as the rest of america at the republicans efforts to stop any sort of solution from working right now so as to win back seats in the next election. this is a time when all hands are needed on deck and they are in their life rafts headed toward fantasy island. shame on them. and its a strategy likely to backfire since it presupposes that americans werent already sick of the posturing nonsense that led to the call for real change in america. that meant them too. if ya cant lead get outta the way. leadership is whats called for here not gamesmanship.
That said, when the Federal money halts in two years and the state has already incorporated this into their constitution as per the feds demand, how is it to be funded? That is a very relevant and sincere question, especially coming from a state that was "poor" even before the "downward spiral". Hell, every single Governor out there should be asking this question? Two years is right around the corner. In the name of their constituents, how are the states going to fund that after the feds faux cash fades away? To the part time employees that boo hoo over not receiving something they never had? Get another part time job to fill the void of the unemployment check you never had. We all have problems.
unfortunately some people have had to get 2 part time jobs or 3 to make ends work. that doesnt mean in addition to their full time job but instead of their full time job. there were large shifts in corporations over the last few years with fewer full time jobs created and more part time no benefit type jobs. for the most part this was about health care and other benefits in a competing global economy. for the worker who has 2 part time jobs who loses one, they lose half their income and even if they are covered by unemployment insurance they are likely to not be able to collect since the amount they make in the other may exceed the maximum benefits their state allows which aint much. jobs of any kind are hard to get right now and there are long lines of people waiting. the local six flags had a job fair here looking for summer workers. the lines were incredible and many of those applying were people who once had big ticket jobs. which leads me to my other gripe with this republican foot dragging and fear mongering. im reminded of the old adage that we are all as happy as we choose to be. this economy has been driven by consumer spending and financed by home prices for the last decade. it will take a good decade to pay down that debt and until we do and go back to some sort of economy based on real assests, people have to spend money. this has become a self fulfilling prophesy sort of thing. to hoard the bucks is to lose someone a job. we do have some control over this stuff, so yeah, buy a stock, buy a tv, lease a car with a well take it back if you lose your job guarantee, take advantage of some of the best bargains we may ever see in our lifetimes, deplete the on hand stock of "things" and the engines of "progress" will once again start up.
does the criticism about jindals post, not the state of the union speech, have racist undertones? i saw the speech and thought it condescending and awful. i think he had a palin moment. others tho seem to think that its our gut reaction to jindal that has racist tones. heres the argument anyway.
impo his denial of his heritage is what brings racism into the picture. choosing to call himself bobby for instance and sporting the rfk hairstyle. anyone see the 60 min interview with jindal and his wife? they were trying so hard to not be of south asian heritage that all that came to mind was their sa heritage. when someone says, dont look at the light. really dont look at it. whats the first thing ya do?
-- Edited by Psych Lit at 15:05, 2009-03-03
Omg. I can't, I want to pass, but I can't. Should the pota return to "Barry" sporting a 'fro? Personally I find Jindal offensive on nearly all levels. But I think he does a good enough job of bringing that to light on his own. If he wants to go by "Bobby", whatever yanno? Remember Michelle Obama recalling her first meeting with the pota and thinking to herself wth kind of name is Barack? Her words, not mine. The reality is Barack Obama seemed to distance himself from his heritage(s) and race wherever it benefited him to do so.
"Bobby" Jindal is very young, very naive, very angry and amazingly, the Governor of Louisiana. How that happened, who knows? But given sufficient coaching, charm school lessons, and sufficient party backing he's building a resume that goes a long way on a national level. One note to Jindals credit, something that has been grossly spun and misrepresented to appear a spiteful, intentional foot stomping gop tantrum is his comments regarding refusing the Fed money for the extension of unemployment benefits to include part time employees. His point, along with several governors, is that part time employees have not sufficiently paid into the insurance that builds a reserve for unemployment compensation. That said, when the Federal money halts in two years and the state has already incorporated this into their constitution as per the feds demand, how is it to be funded? That is a very relevant and sincere question, especially coming from a state that was "poor" even before the "downward spiral". Hell, every single Governor out there should be asking this question? Two years is right around the corner. In the name of their constituents, how are the states going to fund that after the feds faux cash fades away? To the part time employees that boo hoo over not receiving something they never had? Get another part time job to fill the void of the unemployment check you never had. We all have problems.
does the criticism about jindals post, not the state of the union speech, have racist undertones? i saw the speech and thought it condescending and awful. i think he had a palin moment. others tho seem to think that its our gut reaction to jindal that has racist tones. heres the argument anyway.
impo his denial of his heritage is what brings racism into the picture. choosing to call himself bobby for instance and sporting the rfk hairstyle. anyone see the 60 min interview with jindal and his wife? they were trying so hard to not be of south asian heritage that all that came to mind was their sa heritage. when someone says, dont look at the light. really dont look at it. whats the first thing ya do?
