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Blue State Economy

Posted: Jun 25, 2014

As usual, the Henny-Penny-sky-is-falling republicans are insisting that the economy is in the tank because of a weak GDP.

Most economists have already recognized that the terrible winter we had is the cause.

Last Friday the Dow and S&P 500 closed at new all-time highs and the Nasdaq hit a 14-year closing high.

In my neck of the woods, there are billboards on the highways with job advertisements. Just last week there was a job fair where 400 jobs were available. Real estate agents are complaining about a lack of houses for sale. House prices have increased 7% from last year.

Get a grip and get real. Maybe you need to move out of your red state, or change the color.

;

I do apologize for being a bit abrasive - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
I just read my post above and realized it was a little angry sounding. I have been sick all week and when I read all the posts blaming Obama, etc., for the one fiscal quarter economy shrinking, it just really irritated me.

If you are interested in the economy, you can educate yourself and keep in mind it is a long-range perspective.

Many people have already forgotten how scary it was at the end of 2008 (Bush)when the stock market crashed and gas was over $4 a gallon. I recall driving by restaurants that were empty, the mall was practically empty, and worrying about my 401-K. Six Obama years later, the restaurants are packed with reservation wait lists, cannot get a parking place at the mall, and my 401-K has more than doubled. It seems every business around here has "hiring" or help wanted sign around here. I do not want to go back to the way it was, that is for sure.

Wow. Your post was not abrasive. It was concise, truthful, and to the point! And this one was - just as good!! NM

[ In Reply To ..]
x

Remembering 2008 - no ACA

[ In Reply To ..]
When everyone was in such shock over the economy back then, I was worried about losing my job and my health insurance. With my chronic conditions, I could never have afforded Cobra and would never have been able to get private insurance.

I still worry about losing my job because I am an MT and that is the way it is with this industry, but I do not worry so much about losing my health insurance because of the "safety net" below me. I so not want to go back either.

TV commercials for job openings - Yay, Blue State!

[ In Reply To ..]
After I read this, I noticed a local television ad for job openings. Looking around, there are billboards looking for workers and help wanted signs all over. I remember when the recession started that there were no car commercials and I was very worried that the auto industry was going bankrupt and what that would mean for our country.

Apparently I am lucky to live in a blue state.

Are you serious? - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Do you not know what is going on in Detroit, a city in a blue state?

A perfect example of a Bush casualty - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Detroit was devastated by the Bush market crash. (By the way, Michigan has a Republican governor, Rick Snyder, and another famous governor from not so long ago -- George ROMNEY, so it is not true blue.) Detroit relied particularly on the automotive industry that was hit very hard. There are signs that Detroit is coming back to life.

Lets talk about that education - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
How about educating yourself on what is going on (and I mean the truth) about the economy. Not what the liberals spew. I don't care whether or not it irritated you, what I do care is the untruths being told that everything is just hunky dory, Obama is the new god and he can part waters, he has created a job for everyone, blah, blah. Same ol ___ we've been hearing. While the economy is tanking liberals are trying to do damage control with lies.

I don't really care about the economy under Bush because we are not living under Bush. Gas at $4 a gallon under Bush? Oh my gosh how horrible. Gas prices hit OVER $6...UNDER OBAMA. In fact, forget Bush, lets talk about Carter. Take it one more step. Gas prices grow more under Obama than under Carter. Under his admin gas prices increased by 103.77% and since your precious took over they have risen by 103.79%. Under Reagan gas prices dropped 66 percent. When Bill Clinton was president, gas prices GREW by roughly 30 percent, and under Bush gas prices rose by 20 percent.

Thank you for setting the record straight. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I live in a blue state (California). Things are not great here except for the weather. Lots of strip malls are vacant. Anchor stores are closing in bigger malls. Restaurants are not hopping. (In fact, it makes one wonder about the freshness of the food when there are not a lot of patrons.) Gas is well over $4/ga. Food prices are off the charts, including the price for produce grown locally. No, the economy is not good under this president. In fact, nothing is good under this president. All he has done is foster more needy people. But that's the ultimate goal: Keep them needy so they'll vote for the party that provides welfare (and Obamaphones).

That's what really gets me - Poster you replied to

[ In Reply To ..]

It is not all hunky dory like the OP posted. I don't know of anyone (and I've got freinds and family all over the country) and they say their states are suffering. You can't just come in and make up stuff that is not true. Billboards with job announcements? Really? Where? Funny how they don't say where. Upon doing some research I found no areas that have "billboards with job announcements". I did, however, find the ones below (and those are just a couple).

And when you want to talk about the failing/tanking economy, the border, the hearings, the lying, etc we get "Henny-Penny sky is falling" and it just "really irritates" people when you bring up the fact that its a mess. Yes, by all means, lets just sweep it under the rug and not dare talk about the mess. Then I read that she believes "restaurants are packed with reservation waiting lists"?????? Huh? How does anyone know this. Do they go around to every single restaurant. Sure I'm sure the rich and famous go out to eat a lot, but family's are struggling to survive. Not saying restaurants are empty, but I just don't buy the reservation waiting list thingy. Especially when we drive around and restaurants are closing down, shopping mall parking lots are empty and stores in the mall are closing down. Then comes off and tells us we need to "educate yourselves" about the economy. Egads! Reading the post again I do see the insult being thrown out, that if you don't believe the fantasy land story given on how hunky dory the economy and life is than you are not educated oh yeah "keep in mind its a long-range perspective". Well gee thanks for all that wisdom. Nice way to call people stupid who don't believe the garbage they are throwing out.

No thanks. I prefer living in the real world here - not an alternative universe

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes, you do sound angry (to use your own words).

In my neck of the woods, in my family's neck of the woods (across the country), in my friends neck of the woods (down south) and my other friends middle country and throughout the economy is much different.

There are no billboards with job advertisements. Unemployment is on the rise, more lay offs, home sales tanking, interest rates increasing.

Get a grip and get real? Yes, I would say you need to. Yes, we know you are a hardcore democrat. We don't need to move out of our state (which by the way I live in a blue state and it is bleak here. Are you saying that only a blue state is doing well?

We don't need to move or change color. We are all red, white and blue. It's called being an American. Its comes first over being a democrat, republican, independent, communist.

Yes, please get a grip and get real.

I looked into what the poster said, and she's correct. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]

No, not this poster, the OP is correct. This poster is completely WRONG on several accounts.

This poster said:
* There are no billboards with job advertisements.
* Unemployment is on the rise, more lay offs.
* Home sales tanking.
* Interest rates increasing.

So let's investigate these claims.

* There are no billboards with job advertisements. Not true. These are those!

* Unemployment is on the rise, more lay offs. Not true, going down actually.

Data extracted on: June 27, 2014 (5:20:35 AM)

Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey

Series Id:           LNS14000000
Seasonally Adjusted
Series title:        (Seas) Unemployment Rate
Labor force status:  Unemployment rate
Type of data:        Percent or rate
Age:                 16 years and over

* Home sales tanking. Not true, see below.
* Interest rates increasing. Rates ticking up and down
but still way lower than 6.5%+ in 2008.

smaller

Larger

By

CONNECT

Updated June 23, 2014 1:10 p.m. ET

This means nothing. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Even though you have provided many pictures and graphics, look at the date of your first picture, from December 2010! I stopped taking you seriously at that point.

In addition, all states are not created equal.

I've seen no billboards in my neck of the woods. None. Zippo. Nada.

While the housing marking may be rebounding in one area of the country, it may not be in others.

The same can be said for unemployment and availability of jobs. Also, keep in mind that a lot of people have fallen off the unemployment rolls because they are either no longer eligible to receive it or have given up looking for a job.

There are many factors at play here. It is not a wise idea to generalize.

"It is not a wise idea to generalize." - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Which is exactly what the post I responded to was doing, generalizing. Making all those wrong statements because they didn't apply to that person's "neck of the woods" still doesn't make any of them true, so I posted some pictures from other "necks of the woods." The statements are wrong. Just because someone doesn't see the recovery in their "neck of the woods" doesn't change the data of the country on the whole or mean that you can truthfully deny the recovery's existence at all (which the poster did).

You said: "All states are not created equal." Well, state the obvious. So using one person's "neck of the woods" to make all those wrong statements about the country would be rather pointless, wouldn't you say, when the country on the whole is recovering.

Since they use the same benchmark to measure unemployment as they always have, then your issue with that is moot. Has the stock market more than doubled since the Bush meltdown? Why, yes it has, and that's everyone's "neck of the woods!"

I stand by my post. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
You can twist and turn our words all you want. It doesn't change a thing. Your post still means nothing. It's not credible.

Who knows when those billboards were created - and like the poster said

[ In Reply To ..]
Since one was from 2010 it loses credibility. For all we know those billboards were up when President Bush was in office.

I stand by my post too. I don't believe anything the OP wrote and like the other poster wrote what may be happening in someone's town is not what is happening all over the country. OP had a nice fairytale, but in my opinion that's all it was.

not an alternative universe.

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Blue State Economy

I do apologize for being a bit abrasive - OP