[Archangelsk]

Memo to the President and Rove:

This is your midwest base, neglect them at your own risk. I will trade Florida and the whole southern strategy for the solid 81 electoral votes that these hard-working folks represent. They may not be degreed and pedigreed, but they sure as hell will be able to tell if their tax dollars are headed to Iraq. Once again, do not neglect this base.

[annyokie]

Let's do the math: They made $100,000 a year and own a $114,000 home. How in the world can their mortgage be $1500 a month? Did they borrow at 16%? Something's wrong here.

[cynicom]

When are these people going to learn, if they would work for $10,000 a year, they would be steadily employed. Thats capitalism, out source your work to China, show those greedy American workers.

[Poohbah]

What should Bush do?

Hand out checks?

Or try to lower taxes and stimulate the economy?

[Beck_isright]

""Why can't the president help people who are losing their houses and jobs?" Mrs. Salter asked. "He's going to send money over there to help build Iraq back up, and we lose everything we've ever worked for. It's not our fault that we lost our jobs, what the terrorists did. It's not. Our lives were going good. I don't understand."

It's not my fault that my 401k was reduced by 40% so I have to stay semi-retired and work for 5 more years at least. It's not my fault when hurricanes form. It's not my fault when France treats us like crap. It's not my fault when the IRS demands their annual pennance every April 15. It's not my fault when the Yankees lose. It's not my fault when the Bucs or Dolphins lose in overtime. It's not my fault that the moon rises in the east and sets in the west. When is W going to fix all of that too????

I think you get my point.

[Servant of the Nine]

Sounds like someone was already spending next years income on the credit cards.

SO9

[Oldeconomybuyer]

I went through an extended period of unemployment so I understand first-hand the plight of this family. However, the federal government cannot be responsible for the microeconomics of every American household. The Feds job is to create a macroeconomic climate that stimulates investment, growth, and ultimately jobs.

Good luck to this family.

[ALS]

I live in Wichita and this is all the usual hype from the left whenever Boeing or Cessna workers get downsized. It's a pile of croc!
The aircraft workers are union and they whine like banshees no matter what. The industry has scaled back and these people over extended theirselves to begin with in an industry that everyone here knows is not secure.
Anyone that gets a high paying job at Boeing and then runs out and lays down a 30 year mortgage is an idiot, and we all know it here.

This is nothing more than lefty fear politics again.
Don't believe the crapola about how terrible things are here in Wichita. The NY Slimes is counting on the average person being clueless about what is really happening here.

[ml/nj]

It's not our fault that we lost our jobs, what the terrorists did.

It wasn't terrorists. It was lawyers.

The companies in Wichita build General Aviation aircraft. If anything, these have become more desirable after 9/11. But lawyers sent General Aviation into the tank years ago with their insane liability suits. (E.g. Guy flies into mountain and dies. Wife sues Cessna, because there was no warning to wear shoulder belts on the instrument panel of the plane, and collects. Cessna doubles prices. Sales - and jobs - vanish.)

This guy need to find a lawyer and give him a piece of his mind. And let the lawyer take care of him. He's rich.

ML/NJ

[DC native]

"Why can't the president help people who are losing their houses and jobs?...It's not our fault that we lost our jobs, what the terrorists did."

But Bush IS doing something...that's what this war is all about. It's not about liberating Iraq...that's just a cover story to placate the bleeding hearts. This is about national security...it is literally about survival of the nation, and that includes financial survival. It's all about convincing the terrorists that their actions are not worth the consequences...it's all about stabilizing the Middle East..and the airline industry will in turn be stabilized. This administration sees the big picture and is taking action that will ultimately strengthen our economy. It would be quicker to hand out checks, but Bush's approach will be more beneficial in the long run.

[Nowhere Man]

I remember a similar thread where if the Republicans don't address this issue, the Democrats will and this will hurt us a lot in the long run. I don't think handouts from the government are the answer, but I think where the Federal Government can help is to cut personal and business income taxes (others too), stuff the H-1B visa program (foreign guest workers) completely, tax breaks for companies to keep jobs here instead of outsourcing, maybe some caps on liability lawsuits (that sent a lot of the private plane industry into the crapper), and yes, some tarriffs to balance the playing field a bit. some may agree with me, some my not, but I am afraid that if the Republicans don't address this, the Democrats will and/or some third party will and this could weaken our base.

BTW, my voting record was 1988 - George Bush, 1992 - George Bush (Pat Buchanan Primary), 1996 - Bob Dole, 2000 - George W Bush (Alan Keyes Primary). I could have voted in 1984 for Reagan but I registered too late, I turned 18 that summer. B-) I admire George W. Bush a lot and believe he is a moral man and what he is doing in the Middle east is fine, but I'm afraid that if we don't address the economy with these concerns, we might end up with a Democratic President in 2004. Right now I think Bush is a shoe-in but 17 months is a long time politically.

I know there are some people who overspend and I guess this is their problem but there are a lot of other people who through some misfourtune who need help. Maybe even then, it shouldn't be the Federal Governments role there either, it would fall to the States, but from above, I think there is some good Constitutional ways the Federal government can help.

[VOA]

"Why can't the president help people who are losing their houses and jobs?" Mrs. Salter asked.

1. Busy fighting and paying to bring terrorists to justice.
Until then Mrs. Salter, there simply won't be a rebound in commercial and civil aviation.

2. And Dubya has tried to bring weaken the trial lawyers...a large part of the
reason companies that build personal aircraft (e.g., Cessna) are thriving like they should.

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.

>$100,000 per year (for 5 years..."the late 1990s").
In flyover country, that's manna from heaven and a fast track to owning a decent house
and a few acres free and clear.

This is just a repeat of a bunch of my friends during the oil-boom of the late 1970s-early 80s.
Some didn't even graduate high school and were pulling down >$50K/year working on oil rigs.

Only problem was they were spending $60K/year buying cars, rounds for their buddies
and impressing the babes with cash expenditures.


Once again, those who ignore history (the reality of the business cycle) are the
ones who wail the most when their gravy train runs out of steam.

Oh, and any lurkers/posters can save the flames.
I grew up in north-central Oklahoma and spent about every other weekend in
Wichita at my mom's parents' place.
There have been boom-bust cycles in the plane industry in Wichita (and Seattle)
since the industry started.

(Although this may be a bit different with the outflow of work to lower-cost producers
like China and to subsidized workforces like Airbus.)

[thinking]

There should be some rules regarding offshore companies....if you want to sell in the US, then 70% of your product has to be made in the US.....!