What I want to know is…
…who are the 35% of the American people who think they’re doing better than two years ago?
The New Neo
A blog about political change, among other things
…who are the 35% of the American people who think they’re doing better than two years ago?
Union members, large Democrat donors, Goldman Sachs executives, Democrat GM dealers, government workers. Who else in the country benefited from this disaster of a president?
Well, McDonalds got an exemption on the health care thing, most of their competition didn’t.
When government picks winners and losers, there are some winners. Hell, there are even some doing fine in North Korea, no doubt.
I have a lib friend in promotional video business that is booming these past two years like never before. Of course he gets a little ticked off that i can point out in less than a minute using google how taxpayer and stimulus dollars are connected to every single job he’s worked on. Which i use as a subtle reminder that he’s earning money my grandaughter will be burdened with paying back.
Well, if you have a job, and 90% of us still do, and don’t think too much about the future of your health care or the security of the nation, last year you might have gotten $4500 toward a new car; or maybe you got $250 from Social Security because inflation is too low; or both. I’ve already gotten rebates on my new (energy-efficient) washing machine and dryer, and should have one soon for my new (energy-efficient) furnace. Next year, I understand I’m getting a tax break. Obama is a genius!
Oh, I can name a few in addition to listed above in the thread.
Those who were the recipient of the bailout money.
F.i., engineering companies who bit huge chunk-transportation contracts and had to hire staff on the go, to claim the scheduled payments.
In architecture it is high time now for “graphic design” people: there are precious few actual projects to build, but plenty of pie-in-the-sky, “presentation”, “contest”,
“conceptual stage” work; highly-paid work.
&&&
All the above still do not sum up to 35%, so the question remains.
Sergey:
Left out, due to political correctness: black voters.
PS
What to know how the staffing of all those “quick, get the government money and show some report for for it, if only paper!”- engineering/military/transportation/construction Cos went?
I wrote of one.
…as well as some Hispanics.
Over the past two years the savings rate has increased greatly and people have been paying down debt. It is possible many people feel a bit more in control of their financial situation.
Union members (especially at GM), government employees, education administrators (where most of the stimulus finds went), Soros and all of the projects he funds (Media Matters, etc.),recipients of the Pigford settlement, the people who make those signs posted at every stimulus-funded road repair site, “green technology” companies receiving stimulus funds, people who received cash for clunkers, people/companies that received stimulus finds to winterize homes….
People living in Washington DC and people who work for the Federal government.
I don’t know why Neo bothers asking the question.
Here’s the unvarnished truth: it doesn’t matter what the people want of either the left or the right because the parties ain’t listening.
http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/12/07/lind_american_people/index.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig11/domhoff1.1.1.html
Convergence.
In the last two years, I paid off my non-mortgage debt and so I feel better off, even with my job iffy after next year. And my mortgage payments are still cheaper than monthly rent around here.
A few of my friends are better off than 2 years ago because they found some under-the-table jobs that pay more per week than their post-FICA/tax jobs did. They don’t get benefits, but they’re young and fit enough not to care. Because of the crappy housing market, two of them found houses with rent-to-own options that were far less than what they were paying for rent on an apartment. So they’re feeling better off, even though they’d like to work more hours.
Some humor
http://www.theonion.com/articles/american-people-hire-highpowered-lobbyist-to-push,18204/
People’s sentiments are often completely divorced from actual economic situation. They are expectation driven, and expectations are contagious. False hopes can prevail in certain segments of population, not necessary those who are really better off. This is the case when much abused term “false consciousness” can make sense.
I am.
However that is because I graduated college in 2000 (the height of the dot com boom) with a degree in Computer Science (yes, that specific concentration so I’m an academic weenie), got a job as research staff at Oak Ridge National Labs, and had my contract run out at the end of 2004 (November, almost at the very bottom of the dot com crash). It wasn’t until November of ’08 that I finally was employed again.
Further a number of sectors never really had the drop that others did and as such their purchasing power went *up* during that time – it isn’t uncommon for that to happen in an over all recession or even depression. Indeed, even in a severe depression there is a good 10% or greater that benefit from it *more* than if the economy were going gangbusters.
Lastly you have some that just frankly don’t know any better and answer that way.
That is why 35% doing better is an abysmal number – it is worse than the minimum needed for a sustainable economy. People touting anything less than 4% growth are also either so uninformed that they should not be listened too on economics or are lying trying to make that look good (anything under 4% is considered a dying/unsustainable economy). I’ve seen more that a few tout 3.5% growth as “great”.
35% is probably representitive of those who know in their gut they can’t make it in a real merit based world. They want to be subsidized by people who can and do. Even if they’re suffeing now, they stand by Obama in hopes a merit based world never gains a foothold.
Look for that magic number of 35% to be the lowest possible Obama will ever get in approval ratings for the same reason.
Well, hubby and I are doing just as well, but only because we have NO debt and live within our means. Always.
Off topic, Neo. I saw Leonard in concert last night, thought you might be interested in my review. http://nostalgic-nana.blogspot.com/2010/12/dont-worry-its-just-me-swooning.html
Honest-to-goodness, best concert ever. Thank you all over again for blogging about him.
coworkers who read the SEIU bulletins everyday….
Voters of Jerry Brown….
all of them state workers in CA (maybe some other states)
My friend who’s a bankruptcy lawyer is doing very well.
cathy:
I’m sure there’s a marriage out there of a bankruptcy lawyer and a divorce lawyer. Should they get divorced, I’m sure one could make a book or a comedy or maybe both out of it.
I don’t think there’s any proof whatsoever that black voters are faring better economically under the Obama administration. Also not all government workers are doing better – state and local governments are cash strapped and many have cut pay, instituted involuntary furlough days and reduced benefits. Local governments cannot print money.
I am baffled by the 35% as well.
Me again! I replied to your comment, but figured you probably wouldn’t see it. I kept thinking how fun it would be to be at the concert with you. And quit bragging about your uterus!
Hey, I got a nice severance package when I was laid off after 30 years with my company. I guess, at least in the short term, I am better off than I was two years ago.
I’m doing better but that’s just because I transitioned from broke college student to a guy with a real job.
To everyone baffeled by the results, or jumping to the assumption that it’s all groups favored by the current government actions, note that 35% could come from a lot of places. I’m guessing neo was more curious on the group breakdown than trying to make a specific point…
The question, “Are you better off than you were?” is a very different question than “Is the country better off?” or even “Are your investments better off?”… some of the 35% might be favored recipients, but they might also just be people who’s chosen life isn’t as affected by the current environment, or people who strive to succeed regardless of the circumstance. It makes sense that the Galts and parasites would both answer ‘yes’ to this question, right?
The main takeaway to me is that it’s below 50%. Maybe I have too much faith in people, or aren’t familiar enough with polls of this type, but a percentage lower than 35% in the US would be more surprising to me.
I am better off not because of the government, but despite their continuing efforts to sabotage my lifestyle.
Two years ago my portfolio was wiped down. I read the foolishness of the FedRes and played the ride back up fairly well.
I got out and turned old contacts into clients. I made new contacts, and some became clients. So I am doing more work than two years ago when everyone was on hold with the collapse.
I have managed my silly-huge debt well enough to keep my interest low even as government causes my creditors to squeeze on those of who make all our payments. I was going to go bankrupt, given the walk-downs of my credit lines and plums offered to defaulters. But due to the first to points, I have avoided personal collapse.
I am far from booming, but the two-year-ago benchmark is an historic low.
marine’s mom: Yes, it would have been fun.
And I’ll quit bragging about my uterus if you quit bragging about Jeff.