Posted on 07/31/2009 8:48:00 PM PDT by Steelfish
Back-to-school sales suffer
By M.S. Enkoji Jul. 31, 2009
Jeans for $29, the sign reads.
What's a mother to do if she has two daughters about to go back to school?
"The sales are really enticing," said Janet Weeks, who has a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old. "That's a pretty good deal for jeans."
But she's a teacher who is a little worried about her job at McClatchy High School. So moderation is the theme for this year, said Weeks, who is passing up a lot of the deals and bargains.
"This year, they can probably start the school year with shirts and shorts from summer and we can wait a bit on the jeans and sweat shirts until they really need them," she said. "Instead of Macy's, we'll do H&M."
Traditionally, retailers rely on a midyear wave of back-to-school spending. But consumers like Weeks have signaled belt-tightening this year.
"It will be challenging," said Kathy Grannis, spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation in Washington, D.C.
Retailers also view back-to-school shopping as a traditional prelude to the holiday season, mainly as a measure of consumers' willingness to spend, Grannis said.
The forecast for the holidays is slight optimism tempered by reined-in expectations, according to retail watchers.
Most retailers have already done holiday season ordering and they're not buying a lot, said George Whalin, a long-time retail consultant from Carlsbad.
For back-to-school spending, the NRF predicts an almost 8 percent drop from last July, making it a $47.5 billion season, including shopping for college-bound students. The NRF, in an annual online survey, found families will spend an average of $549, compared to $594 a year ago, to resupply kindergarten through high school students. The priciest category is college freshmen, whose families will spend an average of $821.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
What the heck is “germx”? And most school budgets DO include toilet paper, which works just fine as tissue for nose-blowing. And presumably soap in bathroom sink soap dispensers.
Dangerous stuff. Kills all but the most resistant bugs — leaves the rest getting all the food to themselves and multiplying.
Why with Nationalized health scare care, this will ease the minds of the sheeple. Who cares if they aren't working. Now, they'll have Obama care. Isn't this the “hope” and “change” they wanted? Unemployed with health care!
Hey, go to Walmart and $ave more!
Maybe, Obama should run a clothing or back to school charity. Donate your old books, crayons, pens, pencils, erasers, backpacks, lunch boxes to the government and he'll give you $$$$. It's like the cash for clunkers things Obama is having trouble financing but heck he's got oodles of money for the nationalized health scare stuff. Yes, the public has lots of confidence in Zero!
When Sassy was in school the teacher’s had wish lists. They wanted boxes of tissues, waterless hand cleaners, bleach wipes for desks, & items like markers, colored paper & glue sticks etc. I was amazed at the list & sent in what I could. MRSA hit our area & I didn’t mind helping with the hand cleaner & wipes for desks.
Germ X is an antibacterial gel that the kids use before eating or after sneezing. And I think the tissue cuts down on trips to the bathroom, at least that’s the only logic I can figure.
I am glad they stopped asking for brand name items like the scissors for younger kids had to be FISKARS. I went with the cheaper brand, and dared them to say anything about it.
you said - “why the parents have to buy paper, pens and binders? You’d think almost $10,000 per child would include paper and pencils”
dittos!
And no, I did not take advantage of the illogical “cash for clunkers” incentive.
Certainly, you’ve heard of the TEACHERS, not known to be “highly compensated”, who shell out hundreds or more for supplies for their classrooms.
Where DOES all of the money go??
I'm able to get some $10 tops and bottoms at Walmart/Target but that's the first place everyone goes and when they run out...ugh.
Jeans and t-shirts would be so much easier (and cheaper!)
Kindergarten school supply list: 3 box of 16count Crayola crayons, 2 bottles of Elmer's white school glue, 12 regular sized pencils, Fiskar blunt tip scissors, 1 box thick tip Crayola markers, 10 glue sticks, 3 dry erase markers, 1 zippered pencil bag, 1 white 1" binder, 2 boxes tissues, 1 box of baby whipes, 1 Crayola watercolor pain set, 2 reams white copy paper, 1 towel (kids have to take a nap on the hard floor).....plus school uniform-like clothes. BTW, my children attend a Chapter 1 school where most of the kids are on reduced/free lunches. Like those parents are going to be able to afford all that for every one of their kids. The higher grades have longer supply lists.
You want to bet mother has her hair done weekly and her nails done every couple of weeks? I bet she owns a few pair of 14K gold earrings she could sell too.
I’m just saying.
I don’t have much sympathy for people in these stories. Maybe they are true and maybe they aren’t. I just don’t trust the media.
I have met too many parents who ‘can’t afford’ this and that but they seem to always have the latest in everything (even when they don’t pay their bills).
I suppose I’m am getting harden in my old age. /s
When we started a new school year we had fresh mastodon breechclouts and it was good enough for us!
Hee hee. We got 3 uniform blouses, 2 skirts, and a school sweater or uniform jacket. Add some knee socks and a pair of shoes and that was it. Solved a lot of clothing problems.
PROGRAMS & administration of the PROGRAMS
Per: Cato Institute
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa518.pdf
After Title I (Title I - Improving The Academic Achievement Of The Disadvantaged), special education programs account for the largest section of Educations K-12 budget governed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Head Start, Even Start, Job Corps, Impact Aid, Minority Honors, Energy conservation for building, Honors research, Teacher development, Overseas dependent schools, Children nutrition programs, mental health training initiatives just to name a few!
The federal government has expended hundreds of billions of dollars on everything from Safe and Drug-Free Schools to programs for towns with historical ties to the whaling industry.
And what does it have to show for it?
The Massachusetts sales tax increase (also known as the New Hampshire Retail Stimulation Act) kicks in today, August first. That is just in time to further suppress business in MA and push shoppers over the northern border[1].
Anyone who is smart enough to run against incumbents on a “repeal” platform will probably be a shoe-in for state office. With luck this will be Coupe Deval’s waterloo.
Peet
[1] That is until MA sends “tax cops” to prowl southern NH mall parking lots...
Doubtful. When Massachusetts had a chance to repeal its income tax, the idiots overwhelmingly rejected it.
I said: Anyone who is smart enough to run against incumbents on a “repeal” platform will probably be a shoe-in for state office.
You replied: Doubtful. When Massachusetts had a chance to repeal its income tax, the idiots overwhelmingly rejected it.
Well. I was going to respond “That was then; this sales tax increase had to have changes attitudes.”
Then I realized that my fellow MA voters are just flat-out stupid. They don’t learn — not from the “temporary” income tax increase, not from the lies on RomneyCare(r), not from the lies on seatbelt laws, not from the abject failure known as Chapter 180, not from the bottle-deposit lies, and the list goes on.
I give up. You’re right.
I’m outta here as soon as the Mrs. retires...
P.
You illustrate my new favorite saying
There is plenty of money for the things we want. It’s the things we need that are tougher to buy
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