80% of Americans Say They are Not Better Off Now Than 4 Years Ago

Unemployment continues at about the same rate, regardless of what government says. In fact, it was only last year that my mothers company decided to nix 300 upper management positions and she just happened to be one of them.

My father is an experienced roofer of 30+ years. He is at his current job for about 15 years now making close to $20 an hour with benefits. In 2010 they started experience work shortages. In 2011 they returned to for for 8 months and now, since November of 2011, he has been laid off. In that time he has attempted to search for new employment at other roofing business that are now hiring in our "robust" economy. He has applied for four separate jobs now, three of which have offered him positions at $9 an hour and one at $12 an hour. None of them provide benefits.

I graduated college in 2008 about 6 months before the financial downturn. I have a degree in Network Administration. At the time, I could have entered my field for minimum wage, but I had a retail job making $11 an hour that I wasn't going to give up. Once 2009 came the IT industry went down just with everything else and there was no more jobs for me to get that anyone would hire without advanced experience. I then opened my own business. It started slow, I had a few side jobs, but now I do it full time. It is still slow. I just get by with the money I make at it. I still need help from time to time and if I did not cut corners I would not get by.

Four years ago, my mother had a marketing job making over $100k a year. My father had a construction job with lots of work and good benefits making $40k, and I had a full time job making $22k a year. Food and gas prices were drastically lower, work was more plentiful, the dollar was worth more, interest on savings was higher, there were a lot more businesses around, and mother nature wasn't belting the planet with the worst weather in recorded history.

Today, thanks to corporate downsizing and work shortages, my family is unemployed, struggling to find jobs, I make 1/3 of my former income, and though they still are able to benefit from unemployment compensation, it will only be a matter of time before my family's benefits run out and things only get worse.



My point is - my family has it good in my opinion. We get by and we still eat out, we go have our entertainment, and we are self sufficient to a point. In the past four years - my family's situation has fallen from graces on being blessed greatly, to being only mildly blessed, so I feel for the people who are actually struggling worse than we are in this time. In fact, I don't think there is anyone that isn't.

You might be able to say that you aren't but, you are affected by the changes that have happened in the last four years. The continued inflation of everything around you, the decrease in wages, the ever looming fact that tomorrow your business could be the next to go out of business - you might not be as well off as you think you are... and it only takes a day to change all of that and change your perspective on the entire world.

reply to post by gwydionblack


Not trying to change the subject, but even with low paying jobs, we still live like kings compared to many people in other countries.

reply to post by ldyserenity


I wasn't even going to comment on this but...Did you say Romney might be inclined to listen to the people?
Was that a serious comment?

This is the same Romney that is running for president right?
Truthfully I think he would be much worse than Obama.
I mean, never mind the other issues, just look at his rediculous stance on China.

Anyways this is moot.

The republican nominee will be Rick Santorum.
Look at the numbers. Brokered convention = Santorum nominee


If americans make Santorum POTUS, they will get what they deserve.


-added- I always love when people blame the economic situation on Obama, hes not the best, but the economic condition was created by years of de-regulation and risky and borderline illegal maneuvers made in the financial sector over the last 20-30 years.

I can never understand how people think that more de-regulation is the best answer.
Romney and Santorum are both for more de-regulation.
It is just going to create another bubble.

reply to post by KingAtlas


If Rick Santorum outlaws porn, what will I do for sex?

Yeah the .01% is much better off now than 4 years ago, heck they are much better off now than they were even 10 years ago. The majority are worse off now than they were 4 years ago, but lets not fool ourselves into thinking it's because of a sitting president with no real power. The same could be said about Bush who also had no real power. This isn't a left/right issue this is systemic issue. When people wake up and realize that their vote means absolute # and the mentality that economics is worth more than the people then maybe some real change can happen.

reply to post by Hydroman


This is true but you must ask yourself why. The reason being that scraps from the filthy rich does in fact trickle down to the lower classes, but they are scraps regardless. But the scraps are better than the big 0 that most 3rd world countries are left with after western powers (ours included) rape their environment and resources for the sake of our lifestyle and the lifestyle of our overlords.

Heck no, not even close! My home value is 20% less, cost of living has skyrocketed (groceries, gas), and nobody knows what in the world is going on with Obamacare. Is it going into effect or not? What is even in it? The politicians don't even know. Wars haven't been ended or probably overseen at all. Unemployment and government spending are through the roof. The last 3 years have been the definition of utter failure by the White House.

reply to post by jjkenobi


I was thinking the Iraq war was ended and troops withdrawn. Am I wrong about that?

reply to post by FlyersFan


It sucks out there..

My wife just got a small raise, we thought it would cover a bill so we could apply to pay down our debt. Ha. That was about the same time the gas prices started shooting up, which more then covered the entire raise. What was left after taxes anyways.

Even for those of us with jobs .. every little bit of inflation deteriorates our earnings and forces us to juggle money. For many that are on the brink and are living pay check to pay check (which is the majority of Americans!) $30 more in gasoline a month is a huge deal. Not to mention it then raises the cost of utilities and food..

I won't even get into the fact that 75% of all new jobs created are minimum wage..

reply to post by jjkenobi


I don't check my home value anymore because it makes me want to cry.. last time I checked it was a little over 24% under water.

reply to post by Rockpuck


I hear ya ... AND THE COST OF FOOD! The cost of food is through the roof. Here in our house, I have a very limited diet and can't eat anything with sugar or glutten ... (no breads, pastas, cereals, etc) so I have a higher protien diet. Meat is EXPENSIVE. All food has gone up .. but chicken/turkey/and red meats are killers to pay for.

reply to post by FlyersFan


I went vegetarian and it's surprisingly not cheaper. Or maybe I'm not good at picking ingredients yet. but this summer I should be able to produce 90% of my food myself. It's the only way I could think of to beat the grocery store.. The only thing we spend more on a month than food is the mortgage.. Food on the West Coast is very expensive. Actually everything about the West Coast is expensive.

Naturally of course food isn't counted in inflation reports. Nor is gasoline for that matter.

reply to post by FlyersFan

80% of Americans are racist???


We won't be better for a while. I like to think of our recovery like my knee replacement.

On one hand, I could do nothing, have the wife cater to me, have work brought home, get disability, get fat, not walk well ever again.

Or (what I actually did) was go through some intense pain, hard work, having a goal in mind, lots of sweat, tears, and frustration.

But now I walk on my own. No cane, no assistance, no crutch, no limp.

What kind of recovery does America want?

Originally posted by FlyersFan
... Are you better off now than you were four years ago?
Well Americans ... are you?
According to the (left wing) New York Times Poll ... you are not.
I have to agree with that. We are definately losing ground here ...

According to this Poll

20% of Americans felt their financial situation was better today than it was four years ago.
37% say it is worse,
and 43% say it is about the same.

So according to the NY Times poll 63% say their situation is Better or the same as it was 4 years ago.

Bloomberg did a Poll this month too..

38 percent of Americans surveyed said they are in a better situation now, an increase from September, when 27 percent felt that way. (Up from 25% in 2010 - better of than 08))

36 percent say they are worse off (down from 50% in December 2010/asked better off than 2 years ago)

25% "about the same.

www.bloomberg.com...
www.mediaite.com...

These numbers have been steadily improving quarter by quarter and there is a tonnage of polls and data showing just that. It would be difficult if not dishonest to try and make the case that things are worsening, when virtually every poll over the past 3 years shows the opposite.

Just a little honesty amidst the spin.

I know I am better off. I had had enough of the BS from my mortgage company. I told them to piss off, then they foreclosed. Now, I am debt free and even pocketed a little money from the deal. So, that in and of itself puts me in a much better position.

Originally posted by ldyserenity

Originally posted by Hydroman

Originally posted by ldyserenity
He couldn't make it any worse.

You don't think war with Iran would be worse?

See my above post, and secondly, I think that Romney might be more inclined to listen to the people one thing with Obambass is he has deaf ears to the majority of this nation.

I beg you... whatever you do, stay away from a voting booth. People who OBVIOUSLY do not listen to these Candidates, do not pay attention to what is being said or simply does not understand what is being said, are simply not informed enough to cast a vote.

Anyone who is willing to cast a vote based on "facts" like, "He can't be worse than ..." or "I think he will listen" is making the same mistakes that were made in previous years. Do you even realize everything you have said in this thread was the same thing people were saying in 2008 about Obama? You can check on these same boards... "Obama listens to the people" "He can't be worse than Bush"

If you want to prove me wrong, if you want to show us you are an informed voter, let me ask you just one question.

1) What Policies did Mitt Romney enact as Governor, specifically, that made life better for the citizens of Massachusetts? Please include why you believe those policies worked.

It amazes me how carelessly some people throw away their vote and yet people really have to wonder why this Country is in the mess it is in?

I can't dance. I am a horrible dancer. For that reason, I choose to not dance and embarrass myself. If I didn't pat attention to Politics, if I didn't know the issues, if I could not make an 100% completely informed decision, I would not vote. I would keep my butt home on Election Day and not do something that would have an effect on the entire Country.

Originally posted by Indigo5
It would be difficult if not dishonest to try and make the case that things are worsening, when virtually every poll over the past 3 years shows the opposite.Just a little honesty amidst the spin.

Take it up with the New York Times. It is THEIR poll.

From what I'm seeing .... most Americans are definately NOT better off now than 4 years ago.
Food prices. Gas prices. Liberties eroding. Unemployment. Wages not keeping up with inflation.
Homes 'underwater'. I have no doubt that their poll is on the mark.

reply to post by Indigo5


Honestly I don't know what's worse, conservatives completely ignoring the Bush era, or Liberals acually believing the country is better than ever.

I'm much better off now having gone through huge changes. Kids are moved out and on their own, all working and going to school. Sold the house and downsized to a lot smaller place in a nice quiet rural area and banked some extra $$.

I'm able to live off my military pension. I now volunteer at a local senior center driving a shuttle for those that don't have transportation to get to appointments. It's really rewarding, some of them are so lonely.

Life is good. I'm very fortunate.

reply to post by ldyserenity

Going "Full Republican" wont help anything. GO Full Independent!!!! Repubs or Democrats are all crap garbage and dont give an "ish" about you.

Aint' nothing wrong w getting Gov help. Your taxes help pay for the system, so that when you fall on hard times, you can get help from the system. "Pride" is bullsh** !!! It keeps from doing what they should do.

Your anger towards all this will do nothing!!!! Its all gonna collapse and we all have to start all over. Corruption is rampant, but hopefully there will be a spring cleaning.

Even if Obama loses, who ever was to take his place wont fix anything. They are illuminati puppets.

I quit my job 5 years ago to be a stay-at-home mom, so we had to adjust to a lower household income. Thankfully, my husband's company is doing MUCH better now than it was four years ago, and my husband's salary has reflected that. So, we are definitely better off than we were four years ago.

so...the OP's answer is to vote in the very same people that got us here in the first place. jesus, even a 10 year old is not that stupid.


here is what was said publicly on record....republicans didn't care how much Obama wanted to help america get back on it's feet after his was elected by a MAJORITY of americans.

www.youtube.com...

that was, and still is, the GOP's top concern.