Government intervention prevented millions more like BP from going under. Republicans and Libertarians say that those homeowners should have been allowed to sink, along with major sectors like autos.
The primary end goal of Obamacare (if it works the way it is hoped to) is a national single payer health care system and the elimination of health insurance companies. We can speculate on the reasons why (some are good and some are not). If so, my job (and several million others) goes away. A direst result of Obamacare. Now, that said, I don't want to get into the merits (and lack thereof) of either the current system or the one being ushered in. When things like this change, people lose their jobs and most never get back what they had as they often lose everything. That's the way it goes. Just like ABM whose CEO sold them down the river so he could get tens of millions of dollars and a couple thousand people lost their jobs and many lost homes... It's the way it goes. Who knows what will happen to me if this occurs. But so long as there is cardboard, feltpens and freeway exits I figure I can get by.
You'll be retired by the time that happens, if it happens at all. I'm not sure you can blame anything about stock market performance on Obama. The stock market is way up since he was elected. barfo
I sure hope so. I mean, if it ever happens I'll be in my 60's at least. But another concern is that if business drops off to a certain point we will probably be sold and then who knows what will happen. Oh well, I'm not worrying about it. Yeah, maybe. Some sectors are down due to his administration, some are up as a result... There are effects on foreign markets and stocks as well. Again, it's all subjective and it's pointless to speculate. I just wish I had more investment options here at work.
Link? That is exactly the opposite of Obamacare (formerly Romneycare in Massachusetts), which uses corporations to the hilt.
Sure, some sectors do better than others. But overall, the market is going great under the current pres. barfo
im doing better every year, but that is only because i am a cutthroat take no prisoners free market union busting beast
If you haven't had to do it yet, it would be foolish to do it now. Prices have pretty much stabilized except in places no human would want to live, and are already on the way back up in nice places. Bend is already experiencing bidding wars on nice homes again. Unless Romney gets elected which seems doubtful, the housing markets are probably the best investment in America right now, even if you're currently in it for more than it's worth. With China buying up everything on the technology/commercial/industrial end and Japan and Canada buying up subdivisions right and left supply is being depleted at the fastest rate in history. By the time the general public is let in on it things will be so tight we'll have another boom going. Or maybe you live in Detroit? Besides since Bush gutted the personal bankruptcy protections, unless you can convert all your assets into a business first and do a business bankruptcy, going BK won't save you a dime. You'd be better off paying your debts like a man, even if you have to dip into your 401k a little.
You're a pretty smart guy, and it seems you're in a pretty boring job anyway. Ever think about switching careers? I've worked in 7 or completely different fields throughout my life. Some of the early changes were by necessity but the last 5 or 6 were due to boredom or to pursue things I had a personal curiosity about, challenges I made to myself to grow and continue to learn. Can't say I regretted any of them and the combined resume enables me to try just about anything I want to at this point. The wealth of knowledge, friends, and experiences is something I'd never trade for 40 years of "security" at the same job.
Am I better off? Yeah sure, finishing grad school and working in a field that I completely love is awesome, I'll never be rich doing what I do, but I'll be goddamned if I could be any happier in a job. Am I financially set on easy street? (No) and are there systemic problems in our government and economy that I worry about long-term (regardless of which assholes in either party are the flavor of the month)? You bet your ass -- and it's pretty much got fuck all to do with the sitting president.
Just showed one of my listings to a Realtor from Damascus yesterday (shopping for a vacation home on the river for herself). She said Portland has no inventory to speak of and her last 3 sales have been multiple offer situations where they ended up selling for higher than the listing price. Yesterday's Bend Bulletin had an article quoting economists as expecting a complete (local) economic turnaround by late 2013 with an expected influx of young families moving here and a rebounding job market.
Well if Assad is moving there you may have civil war conditions soon. But it'll just be for vacations, no worry.
I am much better off and a lot of it is thanks to Obama. I bought a house in 2006 and another in 2008, I have a good job and could afford both at the time. Looking back I was young, naive and cought up in the houseing bubble which just so happend to be at a time in which I was ready to purchase my first house in life. I felt rushed and thought if I dont get something now I will never be able to afford anything, when I should have been thinking that if I cant afford something then most people can't either. After the bottom fell out of the housing market I did what I could but I was stuck in some bad loans and was grossly underwater, I tried to make the best of it but I couldnt even refinance to a non interest only one one or non ARM on the other, or anything with a reasonable interest rate because of my negative equity. After a bad tenant a lot of idle rental time and big repair bills on my rental I was about to give up. The house saver programs put in place have allowed me to short sell my rental (pending at the moment) and modify my current house. My modification was nothing magic and didn't abuse the system it just lowered my interest rate to a appropriate % and changed it from interest only. I had to fight tooth and nail with the mortgage company but some of the recent laws put in effect helped push mine though. I am still underwater on my primary house but I can afford it and I love my place so I am staying. This admistrations plans have help me save my credit, my house, and kept me from bankrupcy. My over all net worth is still not great but there is at least light at the end of the tunnel. My retirment plan is more than it was after the crash but less than it should be, I essentially lost 3 years of retirment savings but again things are reasonably back up and I am more educated and prepared for future issues.
Even if some numbers are worse, they would be even worse had we continued with Republican policies. Compare the present to the horrible scenario we were looking at 4 years ago, the one that free enterprise critics say that we should have allowed to fulfill itself. http://www.alternet.org/hot-news-views/are-we-better-10-headlines-four-years-ago
http://thehill.com/conventions-2012...hill-poll-voters-think-second-term-undeserved A majority of voters believe the country is worse off today than it was four years ago and that President Obama does not deserve reelection, according to a new poll for The Hill. Fifty-two percent of likely voters say the nation is in “worse condition” now than in September 2008, while 54 percent say Obama does not deserve reelection based solely on his job performance. nly 31 percent of voters believe the nation is in “better condition,” while 15 percent say it is “about the same,” the poll found. Just 40 percent of voters said Obama deserves reelection. The results highlight the depth of voter dissatisfaction confronting Obama as he makes his case for a second term at this week’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. They also strongly suggest Democrats need to convince voters the election should be a choice between Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney, rather than a referendum on the president. Obama’s biggest problem remains voter unhappiness with his handling of the economy. ... The Hill’s poll was conducted Sept. 2 among 1,000 likely voters by Pulse Opinion Research. It has a 3 percentage point margin of error.
