The economy is improving?

[bookman]

Help me with a friend. She sent an email with the following:

"... told him not to get his hopes up. The economy is coming back. Jobs will likely follow, and it won't matter that Iraq is a quagmire. They'll re-elect Bush next year. "

She's no Bush fan. We need to keep people like this positive. She's a hard working woman with a family.

[HalJessopJr]

1. The economy is NOT improving

With all the jobs we're losing to foreign markets and these reckless tax cuts to rich republicans, there is no way the economy is improving. It may be improving for the conservative fat cats on Wall Street, but that's about it. Working stiffs like us have to rely on unions and overtime to get any extra cash. What a bunch of crap.

[Wwagsthedog]

2. Montgomery County, TX sure does narrow one's perspective.

n/t

[bookman]

8. Not my perspective

:)

A friend in another state. And she is very anti-Bush. I guess my point of all this is to show how the BS is getting through. She will never vote for Bush, but the feeling that the country isn't with it is discouraging.

Just looking for something to say to her.

[acmavm]

3. Tell that dingbat that a boost in the economic indicators isn't valid

when it due to at least a 48% increase in defense spending. And it is NOT the small businesses that are making the big bucks, it is the defense industry and the contractors raking in the money in Iraq. And while this money is artificially propping up the economic indicators that George & Co. like to point to when they say the economy is "picking up", the fact is that layoffs and outsourcing of jobs to overseas is still causing increased unemployment for millions of Americans. It is an illusion to say that the economy is picking up when more and more people are out of work. Because whether the Bush Administration wants to admit it or not, the working people of this country are the economy.

[Dagaz]

4. job numbers come out on friday

Rumors say that they will be up by 500,000+. Some of the jobs aren't great but where I work we hired 6 people and 3 quit within a week because they got a better offer afterward. People I talk to in high tech all say they see corporate spending happening once again. Stay positive because the economy is coming back and we'll all be better off soon.

[zoeybug]

6. I'll believe it when I see it

I haven't seen any increase in the number of jobs available yet around here.

One of my friends has been out of work for over 6 months, the company my uncle works at has announced that they're discontinuing health insurance after Christmas, and my husband's been looking for a new job for over a year. I've been looking for a job for a couple months myself, since my husband's company has told him they may be closing next March. I'm a retail software programmer and he's a multimedia guru - so we're high tech - but no one is hiring right now.

I hope it improves, but still showing no signs of recovery in Ohio. :shrug:

[j_omnitech]

5. I DON'T THINK SO!!

My self and 2.7 million others in manufacturing have lost their jobs and careers to this jobless economy. Please join my fellow engineers, toolmakers, managers, programmers,,,, ect. in a "National Buy American Day" details found on our site, www.SAMNow.org.

[sandnsea]

7. 1980, I think this is SO important

There's probably other things I could point to about the economy right now, but it seems to me reminding people of the eighties is the easiest way to knock them into their senses. And to remind people like your friend of what to point out to her friends.

There will be no unemployment improvement. They do not want lower unemployment numbers. Does anybody remember, maybe ten years ago, that when unemployment numbers went up the stock market went up? Low pressure on labor costs means increased profits.

Does anybody remember the eighties 'boom'? Mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, outsourcing. Profits didn't come from increased productivity, it came from cost cutting. Just like today.

And can we forget the 80's military deficit? It isn't all the GDP, but it's enough of it to further make the connection between then and now.

If you loved the eighties, vote Republican! If you loved the nineties, vote Democratic!

Seems simple to me.

[bookman]

9. Thanks

Some good reminders.

[a_lil_wall_fly]

10. Sandnsea :D great line

"If you loved the eighties, vote Republican! If you loved the nineties, vote Democratic!"

Great reference to the 2 decades of difference.

[MissMarple]

11. $9 an hour and no benefits with a private college education.

Umm... yes. things must be looking up. So says the girl child. This is for a job that does not include training for working with disabled adults. Welcome to Georgieland.