99% of whom voted for WHOM????
Posted on 04/11/2009 7:03:20 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Michael Steele, with a knowing laugh, notes how "packed'' the shopping malls are these days, in the midst of a daunting recession.
The Republican National Committee chairman was commenting on a caller's comment on Bill Bennett's radio show. The caller questioned how bad the economy really is, considering the fact that when he looks around he doesn't "see people spending any less money than they have been.''
"I've heard a number of people say that across the country,'' Steele replied with a laugh, and pretty well laughing all the way through the nodding comment: "The malls are just as packed on Saturday.''
"The malls are just as packed,'' the caller said. "You still can't get seat in a restaurant.''
(VIDEO AT LINK)
This, naturally, prompted a harrumph from the Democratic National Committee: "This callous statement just proves how out of touch the Republican Party is,'' DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan said. "Michael Steele may be worried about his ability to get a reservation at the latest DC restaurant, but there are too many Americans worried about just putting food on their kitchen tables.''
Then again, when Attorney General Eric Holder looks around the shopping malls, he sees something else: An unrelenting racial divide in America.
(Excerpt) Read more at swamppolitics.com ...
Come on Hari! That old 60s, college psychobabble just doesn't cut it anymore. This is the new millennium. Try coming up with something more original, will ya?
Count your blessings. It’s not like that here in fly-over country. Malls and restaurants are deserted, factories are closed, families are moving away ... hope it turns around soon.
World to End Tommorrow; Women, Minorities Suffer
And here, in a relatively prosperous area, the malls are still packed — I saw it today — but people aren’t actually buying much. News out this morning that federal tax receipts are down about 27% y/y.
Here in S. FL, the malls still seem crowded. Granted, restaurants are pretty empty. There’s STILL TONS of traffic though.
I thought Dallas was in flyover country
It’s a recession, not a depression. People still have needs to fill, and still have to buy groceries to eat. Malls have become a consolidated point for most of our need fulfillment type of shopping.
Larger Cities will see less of a downturn in customers than medium and smaller ones do.
In your particular case, 2DV, your area has had a more consistent economy than many, such as ours, here in Atlanta. Although, I still see them being busy, too. Lucky dog. :)
The Wal-Marts here are busy at 3:00 A.M., and VERY busy at 5:00 P.M.
Not ours. I do the shopping, and I go after midnight. There are maybe 50 people in the store. Some nights, there are more employees stocking the shelves, than there are customers.
Now, if you drive North up through Atlanta proper to the yuppie side of town, it’s a whole ‘nother ball game up there. I’m about 35 miles South of the City, wished I was further.
I have been in the mall when there was 1 or 2 shoppers in each of the big anchor stores and a dozen or so teens...hanging out near the entrances.
Everything seems to be on sale and leftover from the last season. Where is the spring and summer merchandise? It is 80 degrees here now. Who will buy wool and cashmere sweaters?
We have a new Discount department store and the shelves seem only 1/2 full. There are dozens of shoppers looking for bargains. They say the truck comes everyday and they are doing so much business shelves and racks never get full.
This is mid-east coast Fl so a mix of retirees and tourists.
Restaurants are closing almost weekly and small stores seem to disappear overnight. We have so many new centers and housing starts that never get finished and occupied it is depressing to ride up A1A.
Everyone talks about loss of earnings, but goes right on playing golf! Everyone seems to react differently.
The gun show sold out the first day and most of the dealers did not return for the second. There is money for what seems important, I guess.
It’s a recession, and far less severe one than 1982. We will never hit 10% unemployment. Layoffs have come in panicked waves due to Obama’s scary talk-downs. It was all a setup to give him massive credit when the economy comes back around sooner than “expected” (sooner than the manufactured dire MSM predictions, in line with the Soros Network that engineered the phony “crisis” to begin with on Sept 15).
My brother lives in the Fort Myers area.
He says that almost weekly there are restaurants closing and even some retail businesses.
There are also a lot of half-finished housing developments that don’t look like they’re gonna be finished at anytime in the near future.
When I was last down there, there isn’t a block where at least one or two houses are up for sale. Foreclosures are up too. I’ve seen a number of boarded-up houses.
His girlfriend (a professional student and moocher - but I digress) has trouble even finding part-time employment at a local outlet mall.
Florida seems to reesemble a wasteland no matter whether a person’s on the Gulf or Atlantic side.
I saw a steady parade of those flatbed carts filled with wide screen tvs, mega packs of food, household goods, furniture, etc. The march was unending. At Walmart, too, people are buying buggies of stuff. Best Buy, not so much buying, but shopping and looking. The mall, more looking and fewer bags walking out.
Conclusion: people are price conscious. Wal Mart, Target, IKEA, and the warehouse stores are selling because they are bargains. It wasn't always this way. I can remember last year, last summer, when Best Buy had a steady stream of big screen tvs heading out the door, but it is a slow trickle, now.
Thanks for you view of the “other side”.
It is funny the things and people who are still doing well..Property management companies, lawn and pool services, not furniture stores...they keep closing, especially all the mattress places.
Good. Let them reap what they sowed. For the record, “African Americans” have had more done for them by the government than any other race of people on the earth.
the roads are packed with traffic...the stores are busy...the restaurants are busy.....even on Easter.....
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