Is it the declining wages, the high fuel prices, or the high medical costs that make the US economy great ?

Question

I keep hearing how great the economy is.
If you don't own blocks of stock -
If you are trying to send kids to college, or go yourself-
If you get sick-
If you are part of a massive layoff-
If your pension went south with Enron-
If your IRA of a lifetime ends up worth $20,000 -
If you are in the 99.5% who don't get big tax breaks-
If you are on a fixed income, buying medicine-
Is the US economy working for you?

Wages for workers in meat packing are about 60% what they once were. The auto industry wages have declined. 1 person may be okay, but many are suffering.

Answer 1

Am proud to be an American.... Ya right I work for a non-profit agency the economy is definitely not working for me or any of the people we help here

Answer 2

My favorite was the lack of tax breaks of you. You probably do not even earn enough to pay federal taxes in the first place, yet you complain you are not getting a break. I'd say paying no taxes IS the break.

I believe 4 out of 10 people in the US do not pay any federal or state taxes. Those people will never get a tax 'break'. You can only get a 'break' from something you do. I guess the other 6 are considered the 'rich' since they pay tax and those are the 60% that get the 'break.'

This is the best, simple explanation of tax breaks I have ever heard. I wish more people understood how the system works.

"Suppose that every day 10 men go to a restaurant for dinner. The bill for all ten comes to $100. If it was paid the way we pay our taxes, the first four men would pay nothing; the fifth would pay $1; the sixth would pay $3; the seventh $7; the eighth $12; the ninth $18. The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59."

The 10 men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement until the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20." Now dinner for the 10 only costs $80. The first four are unaffected. They still eat for free. Can you figure out how to divvy up the $20 savings among the remaining six so that everyone gets his fair share? The men realize that $20 divided by 6 is $3.33, but if they subtract that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would end up being paid to eat their meal.

The restaurant owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same percentage, being sure to give each a break, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so now the fifth man paid nothing, the sixth pitched in $2, the seventh paid $5, the eighth paid $9, the ninth paid $12, leaving the tenth man with a bill of $52 instead of $59.

Outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. "I only got a dollar out of the $20," complained the sixth man, pointing to the tenth, "and he got $7!"

"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got seven times more than me!"

"That's true," shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $7 back when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!"

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor."

Answer 3

I see several comments by those who have not lost jobs due to the recessions since 1999. But for those of us who live in Michigan and other areas where the unemployment rate is high, what this person says is not that far from the truth.

Most of us do pay taxes on our income, even for those of us considered low income. I'm working for less money now per hour than I did back in the 1990s. I also do not have health insurance because my employer offers medical benefits at the cost of over $1000 per month (that the employee pays) for family coverage. Sorry, but on a $12.00 per hour job, I can't afford to pay that much!!

And yes, I am looking for a better job (in a 7% unemployment market), but I'm also going to school to get a degree, because it's the only way to get out of this cycle. And I'm 44, commute 58 miles to school, drive a 10+ year old car, have medicaid insurance for my two children, and work nearly full time to help my husband meet the bills. We struggle, but we will make it!

Answer 4

It is definately the high fuel prices that is making my economy great!

Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and all the other oil field states are booming!

We have the lowest unemployment rate in over 40 years. The low unemployment has created a shortage of workers, which has resulted in increased wages. Our citys sales receipts were unbelievablely high.
It's awesome down here!

Answer 5

i'd be turning down the nice and cozy temperature this wintry climate, for particular. We already keep the thermostat at sixty 8 even as we are up and contained in the abode and fifty 5 when we are at artwork or asleep. earlier too lengthy, I assume we are able to purchase a woodstove. Ah, yet timber is a renewable source. If we do it intently, it truly is going to not finally end up that way. i in my opinion worry extra about air pollution than sparkling shrink. thanks for the suggestion, yet I stay in an area the position all i can get is propane. it truly is a minimum of as extreme priced if no extra. and may want to my oil burner be adapted to burn it? All issues i do not understand.

Answer 6

1. All my workers got raises this year. Maybe those like you that dropped out of school didn't deserve a raise.

Fuel price, Your side has squawked for years about using taxes to make gas $5.00 a gallon to cut use, I fail to see you having a gripe since it is still under 3 bucks.

Medical costs, I guess you would be happier with a French system, a system that uses 66% of their GDP to support.

Feel free to move, but for Alpha folks, the USA is doing just fine.

Answer 7

I have a bachelors degree in Engineering, a Masters degree in Engineering and soon to have a PhD. I pay for school all by my self. I have a great job, pays over six figures. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. My mother was an RN and my father was killed in the Vietnam war when I was only 2. If you have the drive, you'll have the success. I have two children, 14 and 9. I tell them to be very competitive in life and to strive for what you want.

I love people like you who have given up or give up so easily. I tell my kids that people like you are no competition for them and that's great that you willingly remove yourself from competition. Whether you like it or not, my family is competing against you and your family. So, keep up the whining, we appreciate the lack of competition!!

Answer 8

Wages are not declining, they are increasing. Our fuel prices are chump change compared to what the rest of the world is paying. I have a job, I'm not hungry, I have a home, I have a car, I have an education, I have expendable cash, I have health insurance.....so yes. The US economy is working very well for me as well as the vast majority of Americans. If you are having financial problems, there are resources easily available and at your disposal to change that.

Answer 9

You have made some good points. I was recently laid off and trying to find a job is very hard. Trying to live off of unemployment benefits which are only 65% of your former income is rough. Can't get sick no medical insurance, etc, etc, etc.

No the US economy is not great right now.

Answer 10

wages are rising, fuel prices are low in comparison to all time highs, and medical costs are expessive because doctors get sued all the time, so in order to make money that is worth being a doctor they need reasonable compensation to deal with the major pain in the *** factor

Answer 11

there is a saying i say too often.
the rich r getting richer and the poorer.
its now just a matter of survival for the working ppl. no saving and no help from the gvnmt(which in most part is a joke)
my opinion:
the money states has invested in making another country better has made itself worse.instead of spending money to fuel a war shelter feed and educate the americans.make a better future for ur ppl!