Are you better off than you were 4 years ago?

reply to post by RELDDIR

No worries man. We're all for the same cause.

Cool!

Can I remove my foot from my mouth now?

To answer the question of your OP, “Are American’s better off,” I think our awesome statistics tell the story.

I believe I owe you a S&F!

reply to post by RELDDIR


Well, by personal experience my husband and I for the first time in our lives are depending on government hand outs to live

My husband and I has aways been productive members of society paying on that tax bracket that is higher than most.

My husband held a job with not problems under 6 presidents, we put kids in college, now my husband lies unemployed under Obama this year due to budget cuts.

So again this is the worst we have been in 32 years of been productive.

Yeah, I don't think most Democrats are actually aware that it's not free and they have to pay.

Originally posted by Fromabove
No. And now we await the heavy hand of Obamacare tax soon to befall the entire American populace. That's right, and you either buy it or pay for it either way.

reply to post by seabag


Thank you! We're all on the same side. Come on man!

Originally posted by InfiniteConsciousness

Originally posted by IrVulture
I would have to say YES!

I make more money now than I ever have....

Shouldn't you be making more money? I mean, usually that's the trajectory. You get more experience in your profession and you experience upward movement in your pay scale. Yet, I bet that upward movement has (EDIT) NOT been keeping pace with inflationary realities.

EDIT: Wild fluctuation in oil prices due to speculation create such instability in the economy that businesses have no choice but to arbitrarily raise prices of their goods and services due to this instability and uncertainty. Fuel prices fluctuate totally incoherently to the rise and fall of the price of a barrel of oil. Everything across the board experiences a rise in prices and as of the last 25-30 years, the wages of the average middle class American has been completely stagnant when you consider inflation. We are much WORSE off and no end in sight.

edit on 3-9-2012 by InfiniteConsciousness because: (no reason given)

All I can say is, Under Bush 43, I lost a career I had been in for 20 years and had to start all over again from scratch at the age of 45! (not an easy thing to do).....

reply to post by RELDDIR


That is not all, like you said nothing is for free, the taxes will come and will hit Americans on the head like a piece of rock falling from the sky, many will become stupefied many already knows the deal.

Already my husband a retired marine under tricare prime in the first wave of Obamacare we just got a letter telling us that our premiums are up, medications are up and so deductible

We are presently unemployed for the last 3 months, so were is the afford ability right now, because health care even for us is not free

Originally posted by marg6043

So again this is the worst we have been in 32 years of been productive.

Hold on to your hat.

One of the site Neocons will call you lazy, a bum and a Socialist.

Because they all know that is the criteria for recieving benefits.

reply to post by Tw0Sides


Yes I know, but I take consolation on the fact that we have already pay off the real bums in society over and over again when we were productive members.

Trusts me the money my husband gets now will never be the same amount that he has paid on taxes and entitlements for the last 32 years, that will count to a few millions

Originally posted by seabag
To answer the question of your OP, “Are American’s better off,” I think our awesome statistics tell the story.

I believe I owe you a S&F!

That stats show we are still falling.
They also show Obama at least gave us a parachute and slowed that fall way down.

Originally posted by bintim
No I'm not better off. I lost my house, I had to move, I work for half of what I used to make. Obama didn't cause this. Greed and corruption caused this. If I recall correctly our economy went to # before the election. I am an independent, not republican, not democrat. Our whole system is broken and politics damn well won't fix it.

Bingo! We have a winner!

My personal situation hit the crapper in the late summer and fall of 2007. I work in construction engineering but when NO ONE ANYWHERE is building...kinda hard to keep the work flowing. This trainwreck was enormous. If anyone thought it could be put back on the tracks and off to prosperity land in 4 years...you are a moron. I knew then that it had went so far downhill that it would take at least a decade if not more to fix it.

Those that have a brain capable of remembering anything beyond last night's "America's got talent" might recall the "experts" said it would take at least a decade to recover fully...and you thought Obama had a magic wand or something?

I really don't see any point of hashing this out, anyone with the capacity for critical thinking, reason and rational thought knew this was really-really bad and would take years to fix.

Am I better than 4 years ago? Yes.

Do I agree with Obama on much of what he has done? No. I disagree with extending the Patriot Act, I disagree with HR347, I disagree with NDAA and I disagree with telling me that I HAVE to buy a product from a private industry...it's MY money...I will spend it like I want thank you very much!

Romney will be no better...but by all means...do whatever is necessary to fool yourself that his "magic" underwear will miraculously accelerate time and we will be back in the lap of luxury in the blink of an eye...

reply to post by Jeremiah65


Yes, all around us we have seen the neighbors lose their homes since 2008 4 in our street, we thought we were OK, so far our retirement is down, our savings are down, still my husband military retirement will pay for the house, at least we rather starve than lose that.

But I know that others around us were no that lucky, sad times, very sad times, many never understand how it is to lose everything until it hit home.

We are praying that the contracts were my husband falls under will finally reach a solution before we are to gone on the unemployment to even make a difference.

Just wait for all the new taxes to hit. You think it is tough finding someone to employ you now? Taxes, regulations, and uncertainty are the reasons businesses are not hiring. Make the situation even worse, and more will go out of business or reduce their staff. Being short-sighted though most Americans will vote in what they perceive to be their own best interests and thus the downward spiral will continue.

There is no such thing as free stuff kids.

BTW:

The US congress was Democrat from 2006 to 2010. If you suffered during or just after these years you know EXACTLY where to look. The president can only do so much no matter which party he belongs to.

reply to post by MsAphrodite


The president points the gun.

Congress pulls the trigger.

reply to post by MsAphrodite


As stated by another, it wasn't Bush or Obama...it wasn't the Dems or the Repubs...it was all of them...Corruption and greed de-railed this train...plain and simple. The bankers and brokers devised a clever way to make more and more money while gambling the future of literally millions of people. They got theirs but in the end, when tossing dice...sooner or later you get craps...they took their winnings and left the herd to clean up the mess they left behind.

I get really disappointed that people lose sight of this...it is, apparently, more soothing and easier to accept that it was this party or that which caused the disaster...when it was neither and yet it was both.

reply to post by Jeremiah65


You left out the BIG HUGE CORRUPT government and their ENORMOUS role in this situation. I noticed that you left them out.

Do more research into how government policies affected what the corporations and banks did as a result. Your answer is too one sided. I don't think you really see the big picture.

Originally posted by RELDDIR
Here are the stats:

Unemployment: 7.8% then, 8.3% now
Median income: $54,983 then, $50,964 now
Gas prices: $1.85 per gallon then, $3.78 now
National debt: $10.6 trillion then, $15.9 trillion now

Are Americans better off? Obama aides won't say
By BEN FELLER and DAVID ESPO | Associated Press
news.yahoo.com...

I will not vote for Obama or Romney, but I must note that the gas prices are responsible for most of these troubles. It certainly seems like extortion! If Romney gets elected and they come down I would say that our keepers have gotten their way! A real leader would do whatever it took to bring the gas prices down.

Originally posted by Nomadmonkey
Why does honest factual numbers scare you guy so much?

Why does answering the question scare you so much?
So much that you have to muddy the water with nonsense.
YES OR NO. Are you better off now than four years ago?
Simple question.
How about a simple answer. YES or NO??

Nope. I'm working same job I was 4 years ago but wages have been frozen the whole time so with everything costing more I have less.

Anyone that is so dense as to not pay attention to market trends and works for the man deserves what he gets.

By learning, watching and being aware of the marketplace, a wise man can do extremely well in any political setting. It's a global economy now! Get with the program and prosper.

Blaming your poor economic situation on the president is stupid.

It's time to take personal responsibility and quit this pathetic whineing.

Yes, I'm better off now than I was 4 years ago. Thanks for asking!

Originally posted by MsAphrodite
reply to post by Jeremiah65

 

You left out the BIG HUGE CORRUPT government and their ENORMOUS role in this situation. I noticed that you left them out.

Do more research into how government policies affected what the corporations and banks did as a result. Your answer is too one sided. I don't think you really see the big picture.

What part? The Gov has been stealing money for years...so what part of corrupt government are you speaking of in particular? The corrupt part that deregulated Wall Street so their bed buddies could make billions and share it with them on the sly while simultaneously destroying peoples lives and retirement? Or was it the Corrupt Gov that fleeced us into paying for two wars while they cut taxes? Or was it the Corrupt Government that enables cronyism and restricts ground up new businesses?

Please be specific. The truth is, they are nearly inseparable. Your representatives are bought and paid for by the "too big to fail" corporations that "your representatives" handed out billions of your tax dollars to.

So please...

1) Which corrupt part of Gov are you talking about
2) why do you think one party is any less despicable than the other? Corruption runs through all party borders...it doesn't play favorites.