How is the economy affecting your life?

firefreak said:
Why does someone who spends his days inserting bolt 'a' into nut 'b' get a full pension with full health benefits?

I spend my days designing roads, climbing water towers, standing in roads to do survey work, taking abuse from contractors, handling cranky residents on construction sites and clients who are unhappy with their product and at the end of my time here I will have a 401K which I had to fund from my own take home earnings, and barely any benefits. Someone please justify that.

I'm not saying that an auto worker doesn't deserve a nice retirement...everyone is entitled...but I need some justification towards what they get and why the get it.

Now conversely, a police officer, fire fighter, DEA agent, FBI agent...people who put their lives on the line daily qualify for full pensions and retirement benefits. They put themselves completely out there everyday to protect everyone else..give them what they deserve.

I dunno...I love the US but things are just completely bass-ackwards
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Civil engineer? You forgot to mention you get to listen to the architect bitch at you when you screw up a storm or sanitary invert. LOL

did you know all of our politicians get a full pension after only 6 years of service? Taxpayer money hard at work.
 
I think it's the same up here. Or maybe it's after 4 years.

At any rate, they make a ridiculous pension that nobody else could ever hope to receive.

Politics: acting for the ugly.
 
firefreak said:
I'm not saying that an auto worker doesn't deserve a nice retirement...everyone is entitled...but I need some justification towards what they get and why the get it.
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Well, the reason they get it is because the company promised it years ago. It is generally frowned upon for companies (or anyone) to give promises and not keep them.

But the auto companies' pension woes are a microcosm of what will happen with Social Security and Medicare as the baby boom generation starts using those programs in larger numbers. The longer we wait before doing anything, the worse it gets. But politicians do not want to make the radioactive choice of lowering benefits (breaking the promises of the past) or raising taxes.
 
This has been an interesting thread. I agree w/a lot that has been said about several things but would like to comment on the question. The original question was HOW HAS THE RECENT ECONOMY AFFECTED YOU?

I was gonna say, not one bit. I didn't know it could get much worse for myself than what I've gone through. (At one time, pretty bad, I couldn't afford the health care I needed, telephone or utilities, rent, food, even postage stamps!) I can't believe the people complaining about losing their incredible homes & lifestyles & how they have to downsize. I've been saying, welcome to my life! I've been scraping & living on peanuts for last ten years since moving to a place where there are few mental health professional jobs & then getting hurt so I couldn't hold down the physically demanding service jobs for tourists. I've learned to really scrape & somehow manage on very little, & doing without a LOT. And making pennies whenever I could doing whatever I could. And selling almost everything I had accumulated during my professional years. I admit it was my mistake moving here, but I had been engaged long distance 5 years & was in love...then I got hurt here & lost my engagement (good riddence--he didn't understand good & bad times, through sickness & health). Before I moved I also didn't realize that jobs here have nothing to do w/ what you know or your education & experience but how much you DON'T know, and WHO you know or blow for the few positions here. Boy was I naive! I really can't afford to move now, & have other reasons that make a move unrealistic.

Then I opened my mail today & discovered Medicare suddenly is refusing to pay for the oxygen & equipment I've had to use at night for over a year, among other things. Oh boy...another collection agency on my tail...Guess I'm gonna get hit by all the cutbacks too. Nothing like the *trickle down effect*.

p.s. My favorite vehicles to drive had to have been my '69 Dodge Dart, then later my '69 Pontiac LeMans w/ turbocharge. My most comfortable & economical to drive, however, was the Honda Accord LE II that got repossessed about eight years ago...now I can't afford to pay the opportunistic lawsuit I lost recentlty--$27,000 from a woman woman who ran a red light & hit me 60+ mph but she had someone in her car as a *witness*, so I lost my license for 7 years...no transportation where I live in rural mtns...it's been fun/NOT. Life goes on...I'm actually glad I've got a *dis*ability for the 1st time because at least I can ride w/ the Seniors to the swimming pool & store.
 
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Im pretty self sufficient and tucked away in a smaller corner of the world. I live a pretty care free life and I am very greatful for that.

Most of what I do is barter. For instance I fixed a letter box and got a leg of lamb, I fix the nose of a guys board and he paid me with some good compost etc.

I have my own vege garden and get meat for basically nothing as my brother in law is a butcher.

I barely drive my car as I usually just jump on my longboard.

So yeah the economy hasnt really affected me as yet :D
 
I agree, bartering whenever opossible is the way to go. :D Now if only the rest of the world agreed!!

I can't pay my house bills or doctor w/ a massage, (I'm good w/ deep tissue massage, reflexology & pressure point therapy, too, when my hands aren't cramping) a facial or by teaching relaxation skills, dang it. Nor do people want my paintings unless they are *cutesy* or cheap.
 
NBS 4life said:
Im pretty self sufficient and tucked away in a smaller corner of the world. I live a pretty care free life and I am very greatful for that.

Most of what I do is barter. For instance I fixed a letter box and got a leg of lamb, I fix the nose of a guys board and he paid me with some good compost etc.

I have my own vege garden and get meat for basically nothing as my brother in law is a butcher.

I barely drive my car as I usually just jump on my longboard.

So yeah the economy hasnt really affected me as yet :D
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I forgot they don't have money in New Zealand yet :D
 
I'm still waiting for the effects to trickle down to me, but so far I've been relatively lucky. I've recently been hired at a local sporting goods store as the Store Assistant Manager, and they are expanding their business at the end of the year (around here, sports are a top priority so they'll always be looking for equipment). I should be able to handle this while being a full-time student at the same time. Tuition is low, rent is low, gas is low (for now), interest rates are low...but I think all that is a matter of time. I did have a few of the high-paying clients that I train cancel because of financial matters, but that's not a significant part of my income.

It's hard to complain about how bad the economy is doing when I haven't directly felt the effects of it, but it's still difficult to hear the news everyday about how the market is down, bailouts, corrupt CEOs, and local manufacturing plants closing down.
 
No. New Zealand only has sheep. Everything else has gone extinct ...

Yes, of course New Zealand has horses! Why wouldn't it?
 
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Dang Karky you beat me to it. I was double checking his avatar and was going to post the same thing once I made sure he was our resident sheep lover...
 
Karky said:
BigTom will be moving there after seeing this.
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You're right. Because after Tom's read the first sentence, the rest of the post won't register ...
 
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