I wonder where real wages and our economy would be if the misconception that full employment is the worst fate mankind could face wasn't held as a universal, but unsupported truth.
Posted on 10/20/2004 2:40:59 PM PDT by Willie Green
Sorry, I was wondering about why you were fixated on starting salaries over average ones, but I realized you were talking about yourself, instead of making a larger point.
Pretty darn close to infinity. Are you that thick?
I'm not too familiar with a 64 Beetle myself --- but are you sure they had no brake system or parking break? Were gas guages really unavailable in the 60's?
If "free trade" is such a good idea, why do these same politicians support tax rates ranging from 20% to 40% on trade between American citizens?
Check that list --- I'm sure some of those 'options' were also on the '64 car --- maybe not fuel warning lights but gas gauges that accomplish the exact same thing --- more reliably. Mirrors on passenger visors shouldn't really be a huge cost or improvement --- I don't know if they were on cars in the 60's though.
Actually, the tax numbers I used included both parts of Soc Sec (employee and employer) so after tax income would be about $4300 in 1964 and $20,270 in 2004. But I see your point. I also looked up the CPI conversion factor for 1964. It's .166 so a better comparison might be a 2004 car that cost $1800/.166.
So, how does a 2004 car that costs $10,800 compare to a 1964 VW?
Actually, it means that you have less disposable income than you did thirty years ago.
I never answered your question...we are a small, family owned marketing supplier to Nissan, DaimlerChrysler (Mercedes and SMART) and GM based in CA. We are a very small company, but I am telling the truth dealing with GM has become very painful...we are probably at a break even point on our business with them. Some day we will likely decide it is better not to have the business, and expand the other clients which pay better.
And with regards to the Toyota Tundra trucks, about five years ago, all the rave at GM was voluntary buyouts. The HR person would hit up each department waving forms for staff to sign with a giant bonus attached if they would seperate from the company. Every month the bonuses would be ratcheted up, along with the threat that "when we have to lay people off, there will be no cash attached, so volunteer now" As you can guess, the most qualified and marketable workers would see this as a boon.
Toyota hired away the person that designed the Chevy Silverado manufacturing process from GM. (The latest Silverado, which is now several years old) GM even paid them to leave....and the person walked right into Toyota's hands and planned and built their Indiana plant, and is designing the Texas plant.
The person responsible for Chevy Trucks advertising for the last 20 years was also encouraged to leave after a missed promotion. (Passed over for an outsider) He turned in his papers for retirement, was given pats on the back and within a month was working for Toyota for brand marketing for the Toyota truck line. It is no coincidence that Toyota is in Nastruck and those zany Darrell Waltrip Toyota Truck commercials are on during Nascar. (Another former Chevy guy)
185 - It's been a long time, and my memory is not great about it, but it does seem to me that my girlfriend's 68 Beatle had a low fuel red lite + guage, and a low oil pressure red light (I don't remember guage), but the lite would go out on reving it up, and also had a passenger side visor mirror. It seems to me that she was mad because it was not on the driver's side, as it was her car. I may have gotten my cars/women memories a bit mixed, but I think this is right. I remember her far more than the VW, and can still picture her lovely visage at this moment and the good times we had, and wonder what happened to her.
186 - LOL - "So, how does a 2004 car that costs $10,800 compare to a 1964 VW?"
Name a NEW car which list price that low - the lowest list price I can find is for a 2005 Ford Focus, at $13,230. And I would be willing to bet that there is not one you can find in the whole US for that list price, while the $1800 VW was available at any VW dealer.
Name a NEW car which list price that low - the lowest list price I can find is for a 2005 Ford Focus, at $13,230.
Would you like salt and pepper with those words?
I wonder where real wages and our economy would be if the misconception that full employment is the worst fate mankind could face wasn't held as a universal, but unsupported truth.
Regarding the charts, thanks. I actually generated that chart using the online graphing options at the Bureau of Labor Statistics site. As you probably know, I posted a number of similarly generated charts at http://home.att.net/~rdavis2/jobs.html.
Also, thanks for mentioning the apparent connection of wages and the strength of the dollar. I did look at some exchange rate data off the Federal Reserve site and saw the steep drop from 1970 to 1980, the partial recovery through 1985, the drop to new lows through 1991, and the partial recovery through 2002. Since then, it's dropped to its prior lows. In any case, I had not thought of the likely connection with wages.
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