Like a Cloud, Economic Woes Follow Bus Tour

The New York Times ^ | August 4, 2003 | ELISABETH BUMILLER

[dirtboy]

That chart you published is almost two years old. Quite a bit has chanced during that time, such as outsourcing.

[Willie Green]

If General Motors spends $1,000 per person per year on its prescription drug plan for retirees, and Uncle Sam comes along and takes them off the rolls for $800 apiece,

So you think that Big Government can provide health care benefits more efficiently than the private sector?

Your pinko commie roots are showing!

[Texas_Dawg]

This is interesting

The analyst of the firm I work for who covers Harley (Ticker: HDI) says the reports they hear from the dealers is that they are selling off the shelves.

One thing that I am noticing a lot more of lately is people talking about how bad the economy, but when pressed, saying, "Well... actually, I am doing great... but I'm just concerned about others." Sigh...

[Alberta's Child]

Are you serious? You think Uncle [Sam] can do ANYTHING better and less expensively than the private sector?

One of the advantages of having Uncle Sam involved in anything is that he can slash costs by delivering a sub-standard, sh!tty product without having to worry about getting sued. Ask any doctor how much he gets paid by a private insurance company and how much he gets paid by Medicare for the same procedure.

This is exactly what is going on here. Give it another 15-20 years, and "government-paid insurance" will cost $25 per year and will cover nothing more than a couple of hospital visits from a dancing medicine man.

[Alberta's Child]

See #44. Government is not going to be providing better benefits -- it will be providing worse benefits, and it will never get sued.

[Cacophonous]

You're half right. The service will be crappy, and as a result the government will keep raising taxes to make it better. It won't get better. Socialism in action.

[harpseal]

Prosperity is just arrounbd the corner is the campaign slogan that kept the Republicans out of the White House for over twenty years. the tax cuts were a step in the right direction but the Democrats did savage them. Now GWB had best take on the unfair trade practices employed against the USA. He does not even need Congress to get this issue all he needs to do is make a Presidential address eliminating H1-B visas and stateing he is going to look into tax measures to limit offshoring.

[Cacophonous]

And you support this?

[harpseal]

ping

[Cacophonous]

Good God man, it's Hillary care in a GOP package...

[jpsb]

Since we started socailizing medicine back in the 70's, prices have gone thru the roof. Get ready for the same thing to happen with drugs.

[harpseal]

No, Willie, Texas_Dawg probably agrees that trade policies should not be established with the premise that our dumbest, stupidest, most incapable and incompetent workers (presumably including yourself) should not be propped up at the expense of the rest of us who work hard and don't whine and demand continued handouts at every possible moment. get a clue or buy a new mop - there are many stalls that need cleaning & appears you still have the prerequisite free time so you're still the right man for the job! ROFLMAO So you support susidizing offshore investmnent with taxpayer dollars. You support 50% tariffs on American products. You support violation of our immigration laws with H1-B visas and L1 visas. You support the Chinese refusing to let Harley davidson motorcycles being sold in China even though they have captured one fifth of the world market without being allowed in the Chinese market. You support welfare and unemployemnt rolls rising so that we can have a Democrat in the Presidency.

No thank you.

[harpseal]

One thing that I am noticing a lot more of lately is people talking about how bad the economy, but when pressed, saying, "Well... actually, I am doing great... but I'm just concerned about others." Sigh...

Since you are not reflecting national statistical trends in your circle of associates I suggest you get out a little more and meet some people outside your current circle.

[jpsb]

You call yourslf a conservative? What a joke, you are a socialist!

[BushCountry]

George Bush senior no new taxes pledge is why he didn't win. Also, the recovery is happening a lot sooner, Americans will know the ecomony improved by the next election.

Do a monster search or hotjobs search for I/T you will find thousands upon thousands of jobs. The Agency for Workforce Innovation said Friday that there were 7,272,900 non-farm jobs in Florida last month, up 1.6 percent over the same month a year earlier. That is an increase of 116366 jobs since last year. There are several cities across the nation that have under 3% unemployment. Jobs are coming back my friend.

[harpseal]

Texas Dawg, Zhiang Zemin, Hillary Clinton, Jay Inslee peas in a pod. By the way the Democrat national Committee supported GATT which was negetiated and ratified under Clinton's watch. The New York Times supported both NAFTA and GATT and they support the WTO.

[SouthParkRepublican]

”The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!”

Might be funny to you but it’s not to people who are out of a career because of it. Even if things do work out “in the long run” if Bush does not at least pretend to take this seriously and propose to do something about it, the 04’ elections might really make the sky start falling. I’m not a Bush basher. I like W a lot and think he has done quite a bit to restore pride in America and the office of the presidency (especially after 8 years of Clinton) but he needs to get on the ball with this. Foreign military policy will only carry him so far.

[harpseal]

George Bush senior no new taxes pledge is why he didn't win. Also, the recovery is happening a lot sooner, Americans will know the ecomony improved by the next election.

Since I was not referring to George H. W. Bush I fail to see why you even brought this up. Can anyone name the US president who ran with the campaign slogan "Prosperity is just arround the Corner."

I am familiar with Monster.Com and I am also familiar with teh nunemployment numbers and the number of jobs that have disappeared since the "recovery" started. Do a monster search or hotjobs search for I/T you will find thousands upon thousands of jobs. The Agency for Workforce Innovation said Friday that there were 7,272,900 non-farm jobs in Florida last month, up 1.6 percent over the same month a year earlier. That is an increase of 116366 jobs since last year. There are several cities across the nation that have under 3% unemployment. Jobs are coming back my friend.

Tell me when it happens as I am of the opinion some additional steps from GWB are necessary for his election which personally I would prefer of any Democrat. Now there is ample evidence there are some structural problems in the US economy and what I am stating is it is fast becoming time for him to do this.

[SouthParkRepublican]

”Do a monster search or hotjobs search for I/T you will find thousands upon thousands of jobs. The Agency for Workforce Innovation said Friday that there were 7,272,900 non-farm jobs in Florida last month, up 1.6 percent over the same month a year earlier. That is an increase of 116366 jobs since last year. There are several cities across the nation that have under 3% unemployment. Jobs are coming back my friend.”

Take this with a grain of salt because I cant back it up with anything concrete (perhaps someone else can) but I heard that companies have to post IT jobs and interview US citizens before they can get workers on the H1B and L1 visas. One complaint a friend of mine made is that he feels he is going in for interviews where the interviewer obliquely makes him aware that regardless of how he presents himself he’s not getting a job.

The other thing I’d be interested to hear is what kind of non farm jobs have been picked up. Any info on this?

[harpseal]

Fixing tag line