blazr Wrote:There is no way for any reasonable person to conclude, aside from personal agendas, that this is a poor economy. The facts indicate otherwise...

Bush is in office. That's all he needs.

blah Wrote:You should be thrilled, GWB signed the increase in minimum wage. You should be getting a raise this year.

Ouch.

Don't forget he will see more expensive rent, more expensive food, more expensive cloths... we'll see if that upgrade in salary actually translates into more buying power. Most likely it will hurt everyone as those making $9 an hour won't be seeing any more money but higher prices.

RebelKev Wrote:

blazr Wrote:There is no way for any reasonable person to conclude, aside from personal agendas, that this is a poor economy. The facts indicate otherwise...

Bush is in office. That's all he needs.

That about sums it up We are in the darkest economic times since the Great Depression. In fact the Great Depression was also GW's fault. The fact the NYSE is up almost 7k points in the last 6 years is just a neocon plot. President Bush has also successfully capped employment levels so he can discriminate against minorities and liberals. Rumor has it this is because Maury Povich made a huge campaign donation to the Republicans realizing that with full employment there would be nobody left to watch his "Whose the baby's father" show.

mlb Wrote:

blah Wrote:You should be thrilled, GWB signed the increase in minimum wage. You should be getting a raise this year.

Ouch.

Don't forget he will see more expensive rent, more expensive food, more expensive cloths... we'll see if that upgrade in salary actually translates into more buying power. Most likely it will hurt everyone as those making $9 an hour won't be seeing any more money but higher prices.

He can move to California. I was there last month and saw where In and Out Burger was so desperate for new employees that they were advertising starting them at $10.50 per hour.

blah Wrote:What exactly is the message you are trying to convey?

That he has absolutely no clue what he's talking about. And he conveys that quite well.

when the left try to downplay the current economy by comparing to Utopia("Clinton years"), there is spin in the numbers. They want to take the start of Clinton vs. start of Bush as if they are comparable economically. It has to be adjusted because Clinton came in while the Economy was well out of Recession, Bush came in as it was going into a Recesssion starting end of 2000, then took a $1 Trillion dollar hit on 9/11 and then all the 90's corporate scandals that were uncovered after 9/11. When you adjust the numbers, if comparing presidencies, and place on economic expansion timeline you get far different results. Which is about 2yrs in of Dubya's term compared to start of Clinton, give or take 6 months.

Its really pretty amazing how we've recovered since 9/11 and dot.com bust and corporate scandals. All that said, we are really still in the "Reagan Economy, Expansion, BOOM"....70% top tax rates and idiotic economic policies in beggining of his term he got rid of.

Quote:It is the American entrepreneur that we can thank and there are people on all ends of the political spectrum that contribute to this economy.

Nail on Head..... The Entrepreneur As American Hero

The govt. does have to stay out of the "hero's" way however and create a friendly environment.

ShoreBuc Wrote:The fact the NYSE is up almost 7k points in the last 6 years is just a neocon plot.

That's an outrageous exaggeration. The stock market is at 13,358.31 at this moment and was at 11,000 on May 3, 1999.

That's 2,358.31 in eight years.

The poverty rate has gone up from 11.3% in 2000 to 12.6% in 2005.

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/h...tpov2.html

As for the minimum wage, the Democrats tacked it on to the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act. Not surprisingly, the six years Republicans controlled the House and Senate minimum wage never stood a chance.

29 states have state minimum wage laws higher than the Federal minimum wage.

Quote:A minimum wage increase would raise the wages of millions of workers.

* An estimated 13.0 million workers (10% of the workforce) would receive an increase in their hourly wage rate if the minimum wage were raised from $5.15 to $7.25 by 2009. Of these workers, 5.6 million workers (4% of the workforce) currently earn less than $7.25 and would be directly affected by an increase. The additional 7.4 million workers (6% of the workforce) earning slightly above the minimum would also be likely to benefit from an increase due to "spillover effects."

Minimum wage increases benefit working families.

* The earnings of minimum wage workers are crucial to their families' well-being. Evidence from an analysis of the 1996-97 minimum wage increase shows that the average minimum wage worker brings home more than half (54%) of his or her family's weekly earnings.

* An estimated 1,229,000 single parents with children under 18 would benefit from a minimum wage increase to $7.25 by 2009. Single parents would benefit disproportionately from an increase — single parents are 10% of workers affected by an increase, but they make up only 7% of the overall workforce. Approximately 6.4 million children under 18 would benefit as their parents’ wages were increased.

* Adults make up the largest share of workers who would benefit from a minimum wage increase: 79% of workers whose wages would be raised by a minimum wage increase to $7.25 by 2009 are adults (age 20 or older).

* Over half (53%) of workers who would benefit from a minimum wage increase work full time and another third (31%) work between 20 and 34 hours per week.

Minimum wage increases benefit disadvantaged workers.

* Women are the largest group of beneficiaries from a minimum wage increase: 59% of workers who would benefit from an increase to $7.25 by 2009 are women. An estimated 12% of working women would benefit directly from that increase in the minimum wage.

* A disproportionate share of minorities would benefit from a minimum wage increase. African Americans represent 11% of the total workforce, but are 16% of workers affected by an increase. Similarly, 14% of the total workforce is Hispanic, but Hispanics are 19% of workers affected by an increase.

* The benefits of the increase disproportionately help those working households at the bottom of the income scale. Although households in the bottom 20% received only 5% of national income, 38% of the benefits of a minimum wage increase to $7.25 would go to these workers. The majority of the benefits of an increase would go to families with working adults in the bottom 40% of the income distribution.

* Among families with children and a low-wage worker affected by a minimum wage increase to $7.25, the affected worker contributes, on average, over half (59%) of the family's earnings. Forty-six percent of all families with affected workers rely solely on the earnings from those workers.

* Relatively large shares of the workforce (up to 19.1%) in some Southern and Mid-Western states would benefit from an increase to $7.25.

A minimum wage increase would help reverse the trend of declining real wages for low-wage workers.

* Since September 1997, the cost of living has risen 26%, while the minimum wage has fallen in real value. After adjusting for inflation, the value of the minimum wage is at its lowest level since 1955.

* Wage inequality has been increasing, in part, because of the declining real value of the minimum wage. Today, the minimum wage is 31% of the average hourly wage of American workers, the lowest level since the end of World War II.

A minimum wage increase is part of a broad strategy to end poverty.

* As welfare reform forces more poor families to rely on their earnings from low-paying jobs, a minimum wage increase is likely to have a greater impact on reducing poverty.

* A recent study of a 1999 state minimum wage increase in Oregon found that as many as one-half of the welfare recipients entering the workforce in 1998 were likely to have received a raise due to the increase. After the increase, the real hourly starting wages for former welfare recipients rose to $7.23.

* The federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) combined with the minimum wage helps to reduce poverty, but the EITC is not a replacement for a minimum wage increase.

* The minimum wage raises the wages of low-income workers in general, not just those below the official poverty line. Many families move in and out of poverty, and near-poor families are also beneficiaries of minimum wage increases.

The inflation-adjusted value of the minimum wage is 30% lower in 2006 than it was in 1979.

* The effect of the last minimum wage increase in 1996-97 has been completely eroded by inflation.

* $5.15 today is the equivalent of only $3.95 in 1995 — lower than the $4.25 minimum wage level before the 1996-97 increase.

There is no evidence of job loss from the last minimum wage increase.

* A 1998 EPI study failed to find any systematic, significant job loss associated with the 1996-97 minimum wage increase. In fact, following the most recent increase in the minimum wage in 1996-97, the low-wage labor market performed better than it had in decades (e.g., lower unemployment rates, increased average hourly wages, increased family income, decreased poverty rates).

* Studies of the 1990-91 federal minimum wage increase, as well as studies by David Card and Alan Krueger of several state minimum wage increases, also found no measurable negative impact on employment.

* New economic models that look specifically at low-wage labor markets help explain why there is little evidence of job loss associated with minimum wage increases. These models recognize that employers may be able to absorb some of the costs of a wage increase through higher productivity, lower recruiting and training costs, decreased absenteeism, and increased worker morale.

* A recent Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI) study of state minimum wages found no evidence of negative employment effects on small businesses.

the other Greg Childers Wrote:The poverty rate has gone up from 11.3% in 2000 to 12.6% in 2005.

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/h...tpov2.html

As for the minimum wage, the Democrats tacked it on to the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act. Not surprisingly, the six years Republicans controlled the House and Senate minimum wage never stood a chance.

So what are you going to do with all that extra money, move out of your mom's house?

the other Greg Childers Wrote:

ShoreBuc Wrote:The fact the NYSE is up almost 7k points in the last 6 years is just a neocon plot.

That's an outrageous exaggeration. The stock market is at 13,358.31 at this moment and was at 11,000 on May 3, 1999.

That's 2,358.31 in eight years.

Wow I guess you only look at the markets in term of politics and who should get credit Do you remember that little event called 9/11?? and the corporate scandals??
I know your moveon.org sites don't cover this but you might want to check and see how far the market has grown since that decline.

Do you even invest??? If you do I hope you are letting somebody else make the decisions for you because you have shown again and again to not even have a remedial understanding of economics and the market.

From the onslaught of insults, it has become obvious that the conservatives around here have no rational, logical answer. I figured as much.

the other Greg Childers Wrote:From the onslaught of insults, it has become obvious that the conservatives around here have no rational, logical answer. I figured as much.

Why waste our time offering up to you that which you have no ability to grasp or understand?

Things that are rational and logical don't sit well with you. You either ignore them or they fly over your head completely.

the other Greg Childers Wrote:From the onslaught of insults, it has become obvious that the conservatives around here have no rational, logical answer. I figured as much.

The same could be said about your constant insults of Bush and his administration.

the other Greg Childers Wrote:From the onslaught of insults, it has become obvious that the conservatives around here have no rational, logical answer. I figured as much.

I've seen plenty of them in this thread. You either can't comprehend them or you don't want to. Either way, I hope the economy keep chugging the way it has because I've profited a great amount since coming out of school in 2002.

fsquid Wrote:

the other Greg Childers Wrote:From the onslaught of insults, it has become obvious that the conservatives around here have no rational, logical answer. I figured as much.

I've seen plenty of them in this thread. You either can't comprehend them or you don't want to. Either way, I hope the economy keep chugging the way it has because I've profited a great amount since coming out of school in 2002.

+1

I have seen my salary more than double since leaving college. I wonder how much it would have gone up had we been in a "good" economy...

blah Wrote:

fsquid Wrote:

the other Greg Childers Wrote:From the onslaught of insults, it has become obvious that the conservatives around here have no rational, logical answer. I figured as much.

I've seen plenty of them in this thread. You either can't comprehend them or you don't want to. Either way, I hope the economy keep chugging the way it has because I've profited a great amount since coming out of school in 2002.

+1

I have seen my salary more than double since leaving college. I wonder how much it would have gone up had we been in a "good" economy...

So now you're making $10.50/hour? Congratulations.

See, I can play this game too.

Apparently there are still no answers from the conservatives.

the other Greg Childers Wrote:So now you're making $10.50/hour? Congratulations.

See, I can play this game too.

Apparently there are still no answers from the conservatives.

There have been PLENTY of answers and proof given. It just doesn't fit your agenda. You seem to enjoy taking the simplistic approach to everything, fitting for you. However, it's not that simple. We had 3 MAJOR events happen during the Bush presidency and we bounced back from every one of them.

Oh, and here's some more good news. Now go ahead and cover your ears and scream "I'm not listening, I'm not listening"

Consumer Confidence Hits 6-Year High


Nothing like what has happened since 2001 happened during the Clinton Administration. For you to discount that shows your intellect.

the other Greg Childers Wrote:

blah Wrote:

fsquid Wrote:

the other Greg Childers Wrote:From the onslaught of insults, it has become obvious that the conservatives around here have no rational, logical answer. I figured as much.

I've seen plenty of them in this thread. You either can't comprehend them or you don't want to. Either way, I hope the economy keep chugging the way it has because I've profited a great amount since coming out of school in 2002.

+1

I have seen my salary more than double since leaving college. I wonder how much it would have gone up had we been in a "good" economy...

So now you're making $10.50/hour? Congratulations.

See, I can play this game too.

Apparently there are still no answers from the conservatives.

In all seriousness, this thread is full of nothing but answers, data, and facts...probably more than many other Spin Room threads combined. It really makes me question your objectivity that you can't acknowledge that (well, that's not the only thing that makes me question your objectivity, but we'll leave it at that for now).

the other Greg Childers Wrote:

blah Wrote:

fsquid Wrote:

the other Greg Childers Wrote:From the onslaught of insults, it has become obvious that the conservatives around here have no rational, logical answer. I figured as much.

I've seen plenty of them in this thread. You either can't comprehend them or you don't want to. Either way, I hope the economy keep chugging the way it has because I've profited a great amount since coming out of school in 2002.

+1

I have seen my salary more than double since leaving college. I wonder how much it would have gone up had we been in a "good" economy...

So now you're making $10.50/hour? Congratulations.

See, I can play this game too.

Apparently there are still no answers from the conservatives.

Want to compare paychecks? Unless there are 6 figures before the decimal point you may want to STFU and move along. Hell, I'd almost be willing to match up my bonus check to your yearly salary. They are probably close.

blah Wrote:

the other Greg Childers Wrote:

blah Wrote:

fsquid Wrote:

the other Greg Childers Wrote:From the onslaught of insults, it has become obvious that the conservatives around here have no rational, logical answer. I figured as much.

I've seen plenty of them in this thread. You either can't comprehend them or you don't want to. Either way, I hope the economy keep chugging the way it has because I've profited a great amount since coming out of school in 2002.

+1

I have seen my salary more than double since leaving college. I wonder how much it would have gone up had we been in a "good" economy...

So now you're making $10.50/hour? Congratulations.

See, I can play this game too.

Apparently there are still no answers from the conservatives.

Want to compare paychecks? Unless there are 6 figures before the decimal point you may want to STFU and move along. Hell, I'd almost be willing to match up my bonus check to your yearly salary. They are probably close.

There are six figures peewee, and that's not counting the comma or the dollar sign.