As some of you may know, I am involved in the transportation industry.  We're amongst the first in the economy to see signs of economic dropoffs.

Over the past month we've seen transportation requirements dropp off substantially - like 10%.

The last time this happened, my company knew what was going on at least 2 months before the government pencil-necks would admit it.

Brace yourselves, looks like we're on another ride...

You don't have tell me. 

Once you're unemployed you stay unemployed.  My situation is atypical so I wouldn't use myself as an example.  My friend is an accountant.  She went to great schools and has a sterling resume.  She can't get hired to save her life.  She's used up her u/i benefits, she's been on food stamps for two years, and she's in danger of losing her apartment.  She isn't atypical either.  Millions of people who played it straight, made the grade, obeyed the rules, and pursued careers in the professions are now worse off than they ever imagined. 
::)

Max, there's a lady that works with me whose hubby is in the same boat as your friend...2 years ago, he was making 6 figures as an accountant and she was working at a "fun" job, just a few hours a week. Then the bottom fell out, her husband lost his job, and now she's working close to full time, in a job she doesn't really care for, and he JUST found another job in accounting, making about 1/4 of what he used to.

We see it in the pharmacy as well...people buying less of the acne meds and the "medically unnecessary" rx's, and some are even not taking them as prescribed in order to make them last 60 days instead of 30. More and more people are losing insurance or goon on Medicaid an fewer older people have supplemental insurance. It's sad...

can't wait for those bush tax cuts to kick in and fix all this!

Paul Krugman has been predicting this since '08, but nobody was listening.  And still the repubs want to focus on the deficit instead of jobs.  But its all Obama's fault, right LB?

can't wait for those bush tax cuts to kick in and fix all this!



;D ;D ;D ;D


Karma.



Cat

Paul Krugman has been predicting this since '08, but nobody was listening.  And still the repubs want to focus on the deficit instead of jobs.  But its all Obama's fault, right LB?


Obama is the most anti-business president in U.S. history!  I heard it of FOX News, so it MUST be true, right, DC?
???

can't wait for those bush tax cuts to kick in and fix all this!


Note that the Bush tax cuts took millions of people in the lower earning brackets off the taxation rolls.

Everybody wants to forget that as a percentage of pre-Bush tax burden, the lower income brackets got far more if a % reduction than the rich dudes.

Repeal the bush tax cuts and the little guy gets screwed.

Note that the Bush tax cuts took millions of people in the lower earning brackets off the taxation rolls.

Everybody wants to forget that as a percentage of pre-Bush tax burden, the lower income brackets got far more if a % reduction than the rich dudes.

Repeal the bush tax cuts and the little guy gets screwed.



That's what "they" want you to believe. Right now, the little guy is getting screwed. When you figure in all the breaks the mega rich get and the little does not, the little guy ends up paying a higher percentage.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/tax/article1996735.ece



Cat

That's what "they" want you to believe. Right now, the little guy is getting screwed. When you figure in all the breaks the mega rich get and the little does not, the little guy ends up paying a higher percentage.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/tax/article1996735.ece



Cat


Well then let's reverse the tax cuts altogether - all brackets.

Well then let's reverse the tax cuts altogether - all brackets.
that gets my vote.

No taxes, no subsidies, no nothin'!

Every crumb for himself!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/03/diablotin.gif

No taxes, no subsidies, no nothin'!

Every crumb for himself!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/03/diablotin.gif
i think we should use taxpayer subsidies to have the government build a little libertarian island for each and every one of us to live on by ourselves. it'll have a wall and we'll all get a lot of weapons and ammo and there'll be a coconut tree we can sit under in our rags, like far-side characters. we'll eat the occasional coconut when it falls off the tree and we'll ponder how magnificently free we are, when we're not taking potshots at the commies who found enough common cause to build a raft and go drifting around, stealing other people's labor.

libertarianism: I AM DONE. please, you guys. please stop. think about it for a second.

Note that the Bush tax cuts took millions of people in the lower earning brackets off the taxation rolls.

Everybody wants to forget that as a percentage of pre-Bush tax burden, the lower income brackets got far more if a % reduction than the rich dudes.

Repeal the bush tax cuts and the little guy gets screwed.


That's what "they" want you to believe. Right now, the little guy is getting screwed. When you figure in all the breaks the mega rich get and the little does not, the little guy ends up paying a higher percentage.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/tax/article1996735.ece



Cat
Actually, you're both wrong ;)  The "little guy" still pays taxes, and a single person can make up to $34,500 and pay the same % as someone who makes $1M+. Make <$8500 and you pay 10%. It's everyone else that gets screwed, paying 25-35% of their income.  Here's a breakdown of the tax brackets, excluding the tax cuts/breaks for the "$1M+ club":  
http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html

Of course, that 15% "hurts" the little guy more than it does the "wealthy guy"  When you're making $20K/year, chances are you're living paycheck-to-paycheck anyway and that extra $3K could make a huge difference between eating Ramen and eating healthier options like fresh produce, which tend to be more expensive...

Actually, you're both wrong ;)  The "little guy" still pays taxes, and a single person can make up to $34,500 and pay the same % as someone who makes $1M+. Make <$8500 and you pay 10%. It's everyone else that gets screwed, paying 25-35% of their income.  Here's a breakdown of the tax brackets, excluding the tax cuts/breaks for the "$1M+ club":  
http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html

Of course, that 15% "hurts" the little guy more than it does the "wealthy guy"  When you're making $20K/year, chances are you're living paycheck-to-paycheck anyway and that extra $3K could make a huge difference between eating Ramen and eating healthier options like fresh produce, which tend to be more expensive...



I guess it depends on the definition of "little guy."  Even the people in the lowest tax bracket who does not pay taxes, gets services taken away. But my point is everyone gets screwed except the mega rich.



Cat



Cat

i think we should use taxpayer subsidies to have the government build a little libertarian island for each and every one of us to live on by ourselves. it'll have a wall and we'll all get a lot of weapons and ammo and there'll be a coconut tree we can sit under in our rags, like far-side characters. we'll eat the occasional coconut when it falls off the tree and we'll ponder how magnificently free we are, when we're not taking potshots at the commies who found enough common cause to build a raft and go drifting around, stealing other people's labor.

libertarianism: I AM DONE. please, you guys. please stop. think about it for a second.


http://thebaba.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=257&g2_serialNumber=3

I think about it every fracking day :)