"You Can't Eat GDP"

[PostmodernProphet]

What crap. Wages have been flat for 40 years while corporate profits are at all-time highs. That money created by the workers, was confiscated by the top 1 percent. The wealth gap is worse than the Gilded Age. Damn take time off to learn something.

flat wages used to be true, but not for 40 years....

https://www.businessinsider.com/september-2015-average-hourly-wage-growth-2015-10?r=UK&IR=T

 

[tinfoil]

That’s a good point.

There are millions of people in this country that would go hungry before they gave up their $600 smart phone and the contract that goes with it.

I used to say the same thing, but there are no longer pay phones anywhere, so what choice do people have? Plus my phone does a lot of things that would cost extra for a replacement. I use the maps all the time and used to have to purchase physical maps and keep them in the vehicle. I use the hotspot on my business phone for internet at home and I save over $600 a year on that. The $600 phone pays for itself

 

[PostmodernProphet]

now?......

"With unemployment hovering around historic lows, employers' need to fill roles climbs," said Glassdoor Chief Economist Andrew Chamberlain in a press release. "What results is that more workers, especially in high demand industries like healthcare, finance, and e-commerce, are in the driver's seat to negotiate for better pay in order to fill these roles."

The Glassdoor data showed that traditional blue-collar jobs -- such as truck driver, warehouse associate, and materials handler -- posted large wage gains. The increases were tied to the increasing demand for manpower in those areas created by growth in e-commerce, and Chamberlain expects that wages for these positions will continue to climb throughout 2018.

June 17 to June 18
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/economy/2018/07/05/us-wage-growth-in-june-was-2018s-strongest-so-far/36579285/

JOB TITLE

MEDIAN BASE PAY

YOY % CHANGE

Bank Teller

$31,108

8.1%

Truck Driver

$54,659

7.3%

Warehouse Associate

$43,961

6.8%

Design Engineer

$72,261

5.5%

Material Handler

$36,179

5.1%

Tax Manager

$97,213

5.1%

Java Developer

$77,096

5%

Cashier

$28,017

4.9%

Retail Key Holder

$29,746

4.9%

Security Officer

$35,554

4.7%

 

[RB 60]

But you apparently have a tablet or PC lol!

Both

 

[CFM]

Obama had higher GDP's in 4 quarters during his Presidency. This one is based on massive increases in sales due to Trumps tariffs, and everyone wanting to avoid the tariff. Iowa farmers are losing as much as $50.000 eacjh on their loss of soybean sales. Prices for other goods are also increasing. Wages aren't though.

And wait until you see what the cost of wheat is going to be after all the wildfires.

Any excuse you can come up with to try and move up in the kiss Obama's asshole line, huh?

 

[CFM]

And have cable packages with crap I don't buy even though I could afford it.

And use EBT in the grocery stores while talking on those phones.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

Real Median Household Income is something you can look at by year. Perhaps that you think wages and income are the same thing is your problem, and your boss might be watching you texting when you should be supersizing my order, McChild.

Did you adjust those numbers for inflation and purchasing parity power?

 

[Althea]

People piss and moan about not making enough money but they're all carrying around expensive smart phones and paying large monthly service fees for them. Then, every time a new model comes out, the lines wrap around Best Buy three or four times.

Maybe the problem is the price of the phone?

 

[Althea]

That’s a good point.

There are millions of people in this country that would go hungry before they gave up their $600 smart phone and the contract that goes with it.

A $600 phone from your carrier, costs about half of that if you buy online. If you take the deal that the carrier gives you, it's about $30/month for two years.

I don't think people are starving because of spending less than half of what they do on cigarettes/month.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

Real Median household income is higher than it has been in 50 years. People have a spending problem more than an earning problem. If they didn't, corporate profits wouldn't be so high and the perceived wealth of all those 1%er stockholders wouldn't be so obscene.

Indeed.

"Between 2015 and 2016, US median household income rose 3.2% from $57,230 to $59,039, according to a new report released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday.

"It's now the highest income year on record, beating the previous high of $58,655 in 1999 (all numbers are adjusted for inflation).

"The US poverty rate simultaneously declined about 1% to 12.7%, returning to nearly the same level as in 2007, prior to the recession. In total, 2.5 million fewer people were in poverty in 2016 than in 2015."
(https://www.businessinsider.com/us-census-median-income-2017-9)
~~~
Notice what years the data is for. Thanks, Obama.

 

[Centerleftfl]

"You Can't Eat GDP": Reminder That Most Workers Are Struggling as Trump and Corporate Media Tout Economic Growth

"Any administration would tout a strong GDP report like today's, but if it's not reaching workers' paychecks, which it isn't, then cease the applause."

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2...are-struggling-trump-and-corporate-media-tout

Best description I've heard in a long time! NO WAGES ARE NOT KEEPING UP WITH GDP! And haven't for 3 decades!


Trump's 'apartment' in Manhattan...

One of Trump's 'sitting rooms' in Mar A Lago

STEVE MNUCHIN'S HOUSE IN LA

BETSY DEVOS'S "summer house"

CARL ICHAN'S "weekend getaway" in the Hamptons

Remember REX Tillerson--these are some of HIS homes

TILLERSON'S "RANCH"

Related images:

View more​

REMEMBER WILBUR ROSS? (Or is he still around?) He needed a little place while he was working in DC. (Maybe he just 'rented')

ROBERT MERCER--THE CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA GUY

He and his daughter own 6 units in this TRUMP property in NYC (rumor was they were going to convert into one unit). Maybe when you have this kind of wealth you can AFFORD and deserve to pick PRESIDENTS. I'm sure there are many more 'getaways'.

Mercers house

MERCER'S DINGHY

EVEN POOR LITTLE 'HAND TO MOUTH' SCOTT PRUITT'S HOUSE IN TULSA doesn't scream 'middle class'. You'd think staff wouldn't have drive around DC looking for 'freebie' lotions.

The 'POPULIST, Steve Bannon's 'crash pads'

A typical crash pad for young REP turks with silk curtains and mural'd walls. (Bannon holds court in his townhouse for young aspirational neo-cons)

 

[Mott the Hoople]

Indeed.

"Between 2015 and 2016, US median household income rose 3.2% from $57,230 to $59,039, according to a new report released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday.

"It's now the highest income year on record, beating the previous high of $58,655 in 1999 (all numbers are adjusted for inflation).

"The US poverty rate simultaneously declined about 1% to 12.7%, returning to nearly the same level as in 2007, prior to the recession. In total, 2.5 million fewer people were in poverty in 2016 than in 2015."
(https://www.businessinsider.com/us-census-median-income-2017-9)
~~~
Notice what years the data is for. Thanks, Obama.

Biggest burn of the year! Give the Owl a Hoot.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

The real test is will my paycheck go up 4.1%. That’s how much GDP grew. If my earnings don’t go up then I haven’t shared in that increase in productivity.

 

[Rune]

now?......

June 17 to June 18
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/economy/2018/07/05/us-wage-growth-in-june-was-2018s-strongest-so-far/36579285/

Now show how much purchasing power they have, liar.

 

[Eagle_Eye]

What crap. Wages have been flat for 40 years while corporate profits are at all-time highs. That money created by the workers, was confiscated by the top 1 percent. The wealth gap is worse than the Gilded Age. Damn take time off to learn something.

"Between 2015 and 2016, US median household income rose 3.2% from $57,230 to $59,039, according to a new report released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday. It's now the highest income year on record, beating the previous high of $58,655 in 1999 (all numbers are adjusted for inflation).Sep 12, 2017
The US poverty rate simultaneously declined about 1% to 12.7%, returning to nearly the same level as in 2007, prior to the recession. In total, 2.5 million fewer people were in poverty in 2016 than in 2015.
Plus, almost every demographic group experienced a rise in incomes last year, according to the Census, thanks to more Americans securing full-time and better-paying jobs — a total year-over-year rise of about 2.2 million workers. "

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-census-median-income-2017-9

 

[Old Trapper]

Any excuse you can come up with to try and move up in the kiss Obama's asshole line, huh?

As usual, you declare your absolute ignorance of reality, and your dick sucking qualities for Trump. Some day, and i seriously doubt it will happen in this lifetime, you might even grow a spine, and get off your knees:

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/ap-fact-check-trump-falsely-044729698.html

 

[Old Trapper]

"Between 2015 and 2016, US median household income rose 3.2% from $57,230 to $59,039, according to a new report released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday. It's now the highest income year on record, beating the previous high of $58,655 in 1999 (all numbers are adjusted for inflation).Sep 12, 2017
The US poverty rate simultaneously declined about 1% to 12.7%, returning to nearly the same level as in 2007, prior to the recession. In total, 2.5 million fewer people were in poverty in 2016 than in 2015.
Plus, almost every demographic group experienced a rise in incomes last year, according to the Census, thanks to more Americans securing full-time and better-paying jobs — a total year-over-year rise of about 2.2 million workers. "

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-census-median-income-2017-9

Hey grumpy, do you know what "median household income" means?

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/soci...ons-to-worry-about-the-american-middle-class/

 

[tinfoil]

What's up with mansions? Can only liberals have giant homes? I don't understand the point you're making. I'm certain I could find liberals owning mansions. I worked in a few homes of famous people and they all had 30K sqft homes. Homes you get lost in despite having worked there for three months. Letterman had a giant pad for the weekends up in North Salem. The only famous person I've seen with a modest home was Mia Farrow up in Bridgewater and it was a 200 year old house.

 

[Nomad]

I used to say the same thing, but there are no longer pay phones anywhere, so what choice do people have? Plus my phone does a lot of things that would cost extra for a replacement. I use the maps all the time and used to have to purchase physical maps and keep them in the vehicle. I use the hotspot on my business phone for internet at home and I save over $600 a year on that. The $600 phone pays for itself

A $600 phone from your carrier, costs about half of that if you buy online. If you take the deal that the carrier gives you, it's about $30/month for two years.

I don't think people are starving because of spending less than half of what they do on cigarettes/month.

Certainly people who use their smartphones for business purposes and are out driving around all day uilizing map features (though a GPS would suit that purpose) etc are justified in shelling out what they do, and I personally am not claiming that people are neglecting their nutritional needs in favor of paying their phone bills, but still, I would guess that the vast majority of the people who have these things don't really need most of the features these modern phones offer, and would have their communication needs met just as well with a cheap flip phone. There are millions of teenagers still in high school and middle school carrying these things around at no small cost to mom and dad.

And it's not just phones. People in this country spend a ton of money on leisure goods and activities. Here in Central Florida where family vacation related business represents a very large part of the local economy, the theme parks are packed to capacity every summer and every holiday season. The rest of the year they maintain a respectable level of occupancy too. People from around the country spend thousands of dollars just to come here for a few days. I think that for a typical family of four to fly in, rent a decent hotel room, pay admission into Disney or Universal for multiple days, food and souvenirs for the kids plus miscellaneous expenses, the bill comes out to the better part of $5,000.

I'm sure there are countless more examples. Going out to nightclubs and restaurants, buying clothes that aren't absolutely necessary, other toys and gadgets, etc, etc. Americans waste a lot of money on things that they only think are absolutely necessary because they convince themselves that they need every shiny new thing that gets dangled in front of their faces, while being told how much more wonderful life would be if only they had one.

Obviously there are plenty of legitimately needy people too. I'm not discounting that. But I remain convinced that the number of people who feel like they are struggling to make ends meet, could be greatly reduced if Americans learned to live within their means.

 

[Old Trapper]

What's up with mansions? Can only liberals have giant homes? I don't understand the point you're making. I'm certain I could find liberals owning mansions. I worked in a few homes of famous people and they all had 30K sqft homes. Homes you get lost in despite having worked there for three months. Letterman had a giant pad for the weekends up in North Salem. The only famous person I've seen with a modest home was Mia Farrow up in Bridgewater and it was a 200 year old house.

The point is that all of these right wing whiners are profiting while claiming, falsely so, that it is a benefit to the middle class. In the real world the middle class is struggling.