[TC Rider]

My .02 cents.

[Montfort]

I noticed the bias when I visited the RTP area. Truly loathsome newspaper.

[Captain Rabbit]

"But the N&O will keep hammering the Bush economy and how horrible it is for women and minorities. The sad thing is, we really don't expect any better from them. Even sadder are polls that say most Americans don't believe the economy is improving. No wonder." This is status quo for the DNC. They excel at attempting to, and many times succeeding in convincing the American public that only through the government can the economy improve. This DNC tactic gives many people in America a scapegoat. "Lose your job while the Republicans were in office? Well that's because this administration doesn't care about you! I, , will make sure you get a job and keep a job!" The whole debate cements their position, in the minds of many Americans, as all powerful deities who control jobs and inflation the way Henson controlled Kermit. BTW: Good article.

[xrp]

More seeking help in N.C. Gas, utility prices affecting the poor

I am so sick and tired of hearing how utility bills affect the poor so much. I wish this news source would bother to do investigative reporting on the full story.

It would be interesting to see if these so called poor are out buying lottery tickets, beer and cigarettes, THEN complaining about their utility bill while cooling to 68F (in summer) and heating to 80F (in winter). I cool to about 79F and heat to about 62F and my utility bills for 1400 sq feet average $75/month, easily affordable for ANY income.

[singlemomofone]

Here's what I find amazing. I keep reading in the N&O and elsewhere, stories such as those found in today's article. A person that used to make $60,000.00 as a graphic artist, lost his job due to jobs going overseas. Now he moans about making $9.00 an hour assembling bikes and toys at Toy's R Us. Then there is the woman who said she was making $35,000.00 as a clerical worker in manufacturing, and has lost her job due to companies closing down to go overseas, and is working at Walmart for a much lower salary. I also remember reading a few weeks ago about a technology worker who had lost his job - same circumstances - and was now bagging groceries at a grocery store.

I work for a company that provides mortgage servicing to lenders. We have been in a reach crunch to find qualified people to work in telephone customer service, tax analysts to research and pay real estate taxes, etc. We can't seem to find enough qualified workers. So where are all these people?

The truth isn't being told here. While the huge salaries are not available at our company, I would think that making $25 - 30K in an office environment, where you can work towards supervisory positions, get benefits, etc... certainly is better than bagging groceries and working at Walmart for minimum wage and unaffordable benefits. The people I describe above would be fine for these jobs. The "overqualfied" issue doesn't exist right now because employers understand that folks are having to start over. But none of these people are applying.

What I think is happening is that the high salary people are working menial pay jobs so they can continue to collect benefits given to those who are unemployed such as a check for doing nothing more than writing down two websites a week where you allegedly "applied" for work. And how about the free "re-training", school, etc. they get. If they took a real job, they would lose these benefits.

I'm tired of seeing the media report that all these highly-paid people can now only find minimum wage jobs. That's untrue. People aren't making the efforts to find them because it would mean going back to a life of honest work for your pay and benefits. And they'd lose the sympathy factor also.

Sorry to sound so unsympathetic and cynical, but in the industry I'm in, I've been displaced and laid off over and over, and I've always found a comparable - if not better - opportunity with a bit of effort and ambition. And by the way - I don't have a college degree.

[Willie Green]

They keep harping on the high cost of gas (the sole remaining poor economic indicator),

Not true.
Mortgage rates are climbing and Housing Starts have declined.
And the Trade and Budget deficits remain at astronomicly unacceptable levels.

[Willie Green]

My .02 cents.

That only gets you about 2½ tablespoons of gas.
You're not going to get very far on that.

[ricks_place]

The Raleigh News and Observer often seems overly homo-friendly.
...Not that there's anything wrong with that.