How is your economy?

[littlejoe]

All this talk lately about how the economy is getting better. I just don't see it. This is a jobless recovery. I'm still not sure about the "recovery" part of it. I can't help but wonder how the Bush administration is doctoring or spinning the news. Personally, my economy sucks. How about yours?

[bryant69]

1. I have noticed

That every time the stockmarket pops up it's proof that the Bush Economy is ticking over like it's supposed to, but everytime the market drops or nothing happens, well, that's not news so much.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[mhr]

2. Unemployed 40 Months, Two College Degrees, No Prospects

Does that answer your question?

[caledesi]

10. mhr...read my post below. My husband is working a temp job

making $8.50/hour. This totally sucks. These thugs have to go.

[LSparkle]

3. I second that

I have a job at least but in an industry that's in transition and my finances have never been this bad. No raise, rising prices, overextended credit ... I swear, every time there's a Repuke in the WH, I feel like I'm on the verge of slipping out of the middle class. Last time I felt this hopeless was during 41's reign.

[caledesi]

11. OMG LS! Me too. I was unemployed during the Poppy reign...

Have I told you how much I hate these people?

[arcane1]

4. one indicator, at least locally...

is the ever-increasing number of units in my apartment building that are vacant, and some have been so for quite some time..

[littlejoe]

6. Working as a temp right now, myself.

But do you feel that the White House is manipulating the numbers somehow to spin better news? How many economists are on the administration's payroll?

[arcane1]

8. I don't know specific stats...

but I am 10,000% certain they will spin things to make themselves look good. It's what they do!

like recently when there was a small rise in GDP (though smaller than previous years). The pundits and other spinsters changed the word "GDP" to "economy" and spent a week gushing over the heroic growth of the "economy"

as far as numbers, consider the source. If a member of the Bush Admin tells you they have 10 fingers, you would be advised to count them and verify

[dweller]

16. be sure to count your wallet, pocket too

there's bound to be at least 5 repuke fingers in there.

dp

[arcane1]

18. lol

good point!

[caledesi]

12. Well, my own personal experience w/ friends etc tells me it's a

bunch of bullsh*t. There is a recovery for the stock market crowd, of which I am not one. Does that make me a bad person? <sarcasm>

[caledesi]

13. A1 - that is an interesting observation because I have recently

noticed a lot of apartment complexes here in Tampa with the "One Month Free" sign. hmm.......Haven't seen those signs since Poppy was in office. That is very astute of you.

[arcane1]

19. lots of those around too

I'm in the SF Bay Area, and we are already having kind of a mass exodus right now because housing is so high, but I first heard of that months ago, and it's only been recently that the vacancies became so blatant

most of these people are probably moving to places where the #1 employer is, or will soon be, WalMart

[ramapo]

5. Not so good

No raise in years. Business barely hanging on. Offshoring & H1B visa competition has had a tremendous impact. Worry about losing medical coverage (how do you pay for that on your own?).

Just a bad feeling. The media happy talk really pisses me off.

[wildmanj]

7. jobless recovery

we have created 4,000,000 new jobs since bush has been in office----ALL IN CHINA & INDIA:eyes:

[caledesi]

9. Get out the Kleenex...you will need it

As many of you DUers know my husband was laid-off from Citigroup after 18 years. It took him about 9 months to find another job. It's a temp job paying $8.50/hr (I kid you not...yeah, he is a college grad, but even at Citigroup he wasn't in management, but the salary was okay for Florida and the benefits were great.)

I have a home business developing Web sites for the legal community. All was going pretty well until I got sick. This I have also talked about here. Am in the process of being diagnosed w/ MS. My business is going downhill bec I have a myriad of problems, some of which prevent me from meeting with prospective clients. (can't walk too well at the time, use cane etc).

Anyhow, we are now on Cobra (health ins) and paying $223/month bec Citigroup is still picking up half. In February this ends, and we will have to pay full amount - $557/month (yeah, right). We are screwed. I try to take every day, because I can't obsess (which I am prone to do) about my husband going on permanently with this company, nor can I worry about the Cobra situation in February, because I would be freaking out every day. Interesting part is that my husband told me that up until 2 years ago the company he is temping for automatically took the temp on permanently after 3 months. That is no longer. He has been there 6 months.

We have a "mother-lode" that may come thru SOME day (land that is up for sale which will set us up pretty well), but until then...

Funny, you should post this subject, bec I was just thinking the other day of doing a post entitled. "I believe I am now one of the nouveau poor."

I feel for you LJ, but I think you will be shocked at the poor financial situ a lot of people are in now.

Remember this though - Cheesy, but true. 'When you have your health, you have everything.'

[littlejoe]

14. Corny, but all we can do

is take things one day at a time, and live for the hope that someone can beat Bush next year.

[Pastiche423]

15. And when you do not have your health

have no insurance and are poor, you are truly fucked.

Just call me, Ms. Fucked.

[caledesi]

21. Me too Pas, me too. eom

[qanda]

17. It's a shame that I'm sitting here thinking about

How to finish up my Christmas shopping with NO money. I had to pay all of my bills first and fortunately I bought things for my children, but I do have other family that I wish to buy for. Hopefully they will understand. My husband's been out of work since last year and even though he is doing odd jobs to make ends meet, life is not easy waiting around for jobs to come in. It bugs me terribly to hear how the media spins how GREAT everything is going in the economy-- like people just got a job and automatically caught up to their old standard of living.

[NoPasaran]

20. I am OK myself but

The small company I work for let a couple of people go a week ago. Also one of my friends' wives recently lost her job at a state agency. So I guess overall things suck.