Slump in Plane Travels Grounds Wichita

The NY Times ^ | 041603 | Peter Kilborn

[dogbyte12]

You couldn't even buy a gardener's shed in the part of L.A. I live in for $187,000... but we make do, on less than $100k a year.

I hate to be judgemental here, but if you are making in a year, nearly the price of your home, you should not be in such trouble.

If they put 25% down first, on the $114k, they would have only needed an 88k loan. Pay off $1,500 a month on that, and even with interest, they would be free and clear in under 10 years.

[annyokie]

If they felt the need to over extend themselves to impress others, I felt the need to earn a paycheck. If they wished to be fools, that was not part of my job description to tell them they were fools. We have free will. after all.

[HiTech RedNeck]

So you knowingly contributed to some others' immorality. I couldn't sell Jags if I knew I was going to get marginal customers for which that would stood a good chance to be the breaking point.

[annyokie]

My guess is that you couldn't sell nails by the pound in True Value, let alone a $65,000 automobile. Most people wrote personal checks for them, BTW. It was the yuppie idiots who wanted to lease.

[RAT Patrol]

I did read it, but I reread it just for you.

Then three years ago, Mr. Salter left Boeing to start a machine-shop consulting business to work with the aircraft industry. The new business took off, he said. "Then Sept. 11," he said, "it dried up, like overnight."

Sept. 11 was a year and a half ago. His new business went great for a year and a half. That's hardly a fair testing period. If he took out as much capital to start the CONSULTING business as you claim, what did he spend it on and at what point during his 18 good months did he start turning a profit?

Mrs. Salter started at Boeing 15 years ago, waited out a three-year layoff, and returned. She last worked in a warehouse there for $23.02 an hour. "They told us in October after the attacks there would be deep layoffs," she said. She was let go two months later.

It doesn't say at what point during the 15 years she waited out a layoff. I doubt it was during her husband's business upstart. But, $23,02 an hour for 12 years (less in the beginning -- but cost of living was less too) should have covered the layoff time.

These people did not handle their money well. Period. I still feel sorry for them, but I'm not crying crocodille tears. I also am not willing to squeeze my budget or sell my house to accomodate a bunch of similar spendthrifts.

[RAT Patrol]

But those who expect the government to fix everything don't understand freedom either. That's exactly my point.

[The Red Zone]

anny, neck, both of you cool off. It is not seemly for Christians to quarrel like this.

[annyokie]

Sorry, my friend. Auto sales is an honest living, no matter what all may think. Talk about a thankless job!

[The Red Zone]

Well, I have to agree with neck's observation that there are foreign policy matters (illegal aliens, outsourcing to other countries), bleeding our economy, that the government CAN fix.

[The Red Zone]

On the contrary I thanked the fellow who sold me my last (used) truck very much. After I had thanked him three times for his time and started to walk off, of course :-)

[ARCADIA]

We know next to nothing about these people and you dare to call them foolish. That is arrogant.

I don't really care whether you feel any compasion for these people, but, I would suggest that it would be worthwhile to admit that we have a problem. The whole country is in hock collectively, and individually on the average. Our trade inbalance has been growing exponentially since 1996, and the only major activity we have grown within the last two years is debt generation through mortgages. So the last thing we need is to continue to export production.

[annyokie]

We know next to nothing about these people and you dare to call them foolish. That is arrogant.


Who wouldn't? They were making nearly the cost of their mortgage in wages and they have no surplus funds? What woould you call them other than foolish?

[The Red Zone]

Working the counter at a state run casino is an honest living too. You can NOT cheat at those operations, with cameras from every which way. But I wouldn't have the stomach for it.

[freeper12]

>>You say that a "tax cut" is the same as a "revenue cut."

And it seems to me you are saying that every tax cut will increase revenue, therefore, why don't we cut taxes down to zero...just think of all the revenue that would come in.

[RAT Patrol]

I am open to suggestions that do not cost taxpayers anything.

[The Red Zone]

In the late 1990's, Mr. Salter, 47, and Mrs. Salter, 44, earned a combined income of more than $100,000 a year at Boeing, easily enough to pay $114,000 for their house.

I guess I'd have to withhold judgment until I saw where these lost funds went. It could have gone into stock in Enrons or other companies which, unbeknownst to most, were almost purely hot air.

[annyokie]

I quit because I got tired of it, too. However, I had a small child to raise and a high school education at that time. Life forces tough choices on us sometimes.

Work at Denny's for tips? ($15,000 a year) or sell cars ($50,000 a year)? Tough choice for a 27 year old girl.

[Poohbah]

And it seems to me you are saying that every tax cut will increase revenue, therefore, why don't we cut taxes down to zero...just think of all the revenue that would come in.

And it seems to me that you are deficient in your reading and comprehension skills.

We are massively overtaxed compared to the days of Ronaldus Magnus. We are on the wrong end of the Laffer Curve.

[Poohbah]

A consulting business doesn't require a ton of capital.

[The Red Zone]

Some expenditures are needed to get and keep the illegal Mexican aliens out. Federal cops don't work for nothing. But this is the kind of thing that government OUGHT to do. I.e. crack down on evil doers, those who squat upon our land when they have no legal entitlement to do so.