Has the economy affected you personally?

[Pepsi]

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Strangely I am not only not affected, I don't know anyone who has been affected personally.  The only thing I've seen personally is our home value went down a bit from 2007-2009.. now the value is back slightly above 2007 levels.   Work is going well, still have a good job, still working for a company who is making money.   Neighborhood stable, not seeing any stress here in Boston myself.   Knock on wood!  (did i just jinx myself?)

[Velleity]

I'm not really hurting but everything I have has been affected. My house is worth 1/3 less which isn't a real problem because I'm not planning to sell any time soon and I bought it 17 years ago, so that value lost is all paper loss. My clients' clients are slow paying them so, while I have plenty of work, my clients are slow paying me. That's hurt a lot. My wife was unemployed for a year and that hurt.

All financial accounts have been hit. Worst of all is the 529 plans, which sucks.

It hasn't been catastrophic but it hasn't been pleasant.

[johnhp]

Doing well.  Went up a notch at the U.  No loss of value in the home or the retirement plans.  Speaking in Montreal later this year and Syracuse early next year and may have a visiting appointment in Netherlands next year.

[Coke]

Strangely I am not only not affected, I don't know anyone who has been affected personally.  The only thing I've seen personally is our home value went down a bit from 2007-2009.. now the value is back slightly above 2007 levels.   Work is going well, still have a good job, still working for a company who is making money.   Neighborhood stable, not seeing any stress here in Boston myself.   Knock on wood!  (did i just jinx myself?)

I am affected in that because of the tight job market, I have to work really long hours and under stressful conditions.  I have not had a pay raise or bonus in 3 years but neither a pay cut.  If the economy was better, my company would be in a better position or I could leave for a different company without loss in pay.  I am not sure about home value but I bought when the market was high (sold my old home when it was high too) but I suspect it's lost some value.  I was affected during the Bush years with "underemployment".

[IM2]

Personally I have not been affected. I am in a job where there is nothing but future growth as I deal with issues of aging.

[Observer]

If the 4th quarter follows the pattern set this year, my personal income will be down about 60K this year. That isn't enough to hurt me, but it did cause me to put off the construction of my new range facility until next year.

I have seen a lot of people get hurt by the Democrat Economy, though. Art galleries, restaurants, even hotels... places where people spend "disposable" income, have been hit pretty hard. I spoke yesterday with a gallery owner who said her sales are down 85% from last year.

[johnhp]

I am affected in that because of the tight job market, I have to work really long hours and under stressful conditions.  I have not had a pay raise or bonus in 3 years but neither a pay cut.  If the economy was better, my company would be in a better position or I could leave for a different company without loss in pay.  I am not sure about home value but I bought when the market was high (sold my old home when it was high too) but I suspect it's lost some value.  I was affected during the Bush years with "underemployment".

Ouch.  Sorry to hear that.

[johnhp]

If the 4th quarter follows the pattern set this year, my personal income will be down about 60K this year. That isn't enough to hurt me, but it did cause me to put off the construction of my new range facility until next year.

I have seen a lot of people get hurt by the Democrat Economy, though. Art galleries, restaurants, even hotels... places where people spend "disposable" income, have been hit pretty hard. I spoke yesterday with a gallery owner who said her sales are down 85% from last year.

Who knew fry guy was a growth industry.

[lucy]

After a long absence.....



Hurt by the economy and forced to change plans......sold most everything.....and moved to the West Coast.......life is good.


takes me forever to write posts here......



more later......miss you

[johnhp]

Lucy

Sorry to hear that.  Good to hear from you though. 

[Velleity]

I am affected in that because of the tight job market, I have to work really long hours and under stressful conditions.  I have not had a pay raise or bonus in 3 years but neither a pay cut.  If the economy was better, my company would be in a better position or I could leave for a different company without loss in pay.  I am not sure about home value but I bought when the market was high (sold my old home when it was high too) but I suspect it's lost some value.  I was affected during the Bush years with "underemployment".

I think you make a great point here. We have all been adversely affected by the stupid policies of "conservatives" whether we want to see that or not. We have huge corporations degrading our environment, offshoring our jobs, retaining their profits instead of reinvesting them in us, putting dangerous products in our marketplace, demanding more productivity from us with less remuneration, and all the while earning record profits and giving us a concentration of wealth that we haven't seen since the Gilded Age.

And then we have "conservatives" telling us that we have no right to counteract the pure greed through collective actions, and we're stupid enough to listen to their rot.

[johnhp]

I think you make a great point here. We have all been adversely affected by the stupid policies of "conservatives" whether we want to see that or not. We have huge corporations degrading our environment, offshoring our jobs, retaining their profits instead of reinvesting them in us, putting dangerous products in our marketplace, demanding more productivity from us with less remuneration, and all the while earning record profits and giving us a concentration of wealth that we haven't seen since the Gilded Age.

And then we have "conservatives" telling us that we have no right to counteract the pure greed through collective actions, and we're stupid enough to listen to their rot.

You seem to be saying that greed is not good.

[Velleity]

You seem to be saying that greed is not good.

ALAN GREENSPAN: Well, remember that what an ideology is, is a conceptual framework with the way people deal with reality. Everyone has one. You have to -- to exist, you need an ideology. The question is whether it is accurate or not.

And what I'm saying to you is, yes, I found a flaw. I don't know how significant or permanent it is, but I've been very distressed by that fact.

REP. HENRY WAXMAN: You found a flaw in the reality...

ALAN GREENSPAN: Flaw in the model that I perceived is the critical functioning structure that defines how the world works, so to speak.

REP. HENRY WAXMAN: In other words, you found that your view of the world, your ideology, was not right, it was not working?

ALAN GREENSPAN: That is -- precisely. No, that's precisely the reason I was shocked, because I had been going for 40 years or more with very considerable evidence that it was working exceptionally well.

[johnhp]

ALAN GREENSPAN: Well, remember that what an ideology is, is a conceptual framework with the way people deal with reality. Everyone has one. You have to -- to exist, you need an ideology. The question is whether it is accurate or not.

And what I'm saying to you is, yes, I found a flaw. I don't know how significant or permanent it is, but I've been very distressed by that fact.

REP. HENRY WAXMAN: You found a flaw in the reality...

ALAN GREENSPAN: Flaw in the model that I perceived is the critical functioning structure that defines how the world works, so to speak.

REP. HENRY WAXMAN: In other words, you found that your view of the world, your ideology, was not right, it was not working?

ALAN GREENSPAN: That is -- precisely. No, that's precisely the reason I was shocked, because I had been going for 40 years or more with very considerable evidence that it was working exceptionally well.

Best exchange ever.

[Coke]

I think you make a great point here. We have all been adversely affected by the stupid policies of "conservatives" whether we want to see that or not. We have huge corporations degrading our environment, offshoring our jobs, retaining their profits instead of reinvesting them in us, putting dangerous products in our marketplace, demanding more productivity from us with less remuneration, and all the while earning record profits and giving us a concentration of wealth that we haven't seen since the Gilded Age.

And then we have "conservatives" telling us that we have no right to counteract the pure greed through collective actions, and we're stupid enough to listen to their rot.

Exactly.