Homelessness grows as more live check-to-check

USA Today ^ | 8/12/03 | Stephanie Armour

[Gothmog]

Homelessness in major cities is escalating as more laid-off workers already living paycheck-to-paycheck wind up on the streets or in shelters.

As Americans file for bankruptcy in record numbers and credit card debt explodes, more workers are a paycheck away from losing their homes. Now the frail economy is pushing them over the edge. With 9 million unemployed workers in July, the face of homelessness is changing to include more families shaken by joblessness.

[BMiles2112]

Since the most that can be said against tariffs are they do not hurt the American economy
They do hurt. I work in the steel industry, but not steel manufacturing. Bush's 30% tariff on imported steel allowed the domestic producers, which we buy from, to raise their steel prices nearly 30%. That means our material costs go up roughly 30%. The products we make can be made from Steel, Aluminum, Magnesium, and a few other materials, with each having their advantages and disadvantages. Well, it turns out many of our customers are looking at other material options for their products. The other result is that purchasing steel components from other countries, like China, is now becoming more attractive because the tariff only applies to imported steel, not imported products containing steel.

sucsidy of airbus does hurt Americans by cutting both overseas sales and American sales the little bit of French German subsidy to American air travelers does nothing to make up for the harm it does the rest of us by limiting economic activity
I think this is a difficult statement to argue, either for or against. I stated it helps Americans who travel because it gives them a cheaper alternative at a foreign nation's expense, which it does. And I admitted that it does hurt Boeing. I don't know about the overall impact, it would be difficult to determine. I do think that it could be argued that they cannot continue forever to prop up a company that cannot, on its own, compete with Boeing. It's like pushing a child through school with a 4.0 telling them how great they are, only to watch them get a 600 on their SAT and flounder upon graduation. (I know, the analogy's not bulletproof, but it makes my point. Hope they remove those from SAT's)

[tdadams]

He has been without work for over two years now. He's run out of all of his savings and is living with friends. I guess he's just another big loser?

And I guess he considers working retail, McDonalds, or UPS beneath his dignity?

If he has no debt, no car payment, no mortgage, where does all his money go and why can't he live on $7 an hour? If I lost my job, I'd be in the same position and I'd certainly take whatever I could find until a career job became available.

And please, I'm hardly a Bushbot, you brainless jack@ss.

[Gothmog]

1990 was tough for me because I had a degree, but no experience. I got caught in that 'you need experience to get experience' loop. Also, with my new degree I had an inflated value of my worth. I eneded up working for hourly wages and working up.

Mid-1995 was probably the worst. I could afford the major bills, but I was lucky the gas station down the road took rolled up pennies for cigarettes. Also, Ramen noodles are pretty good if you slice up an onion and cook it with the noodles. Adds bulk, nutrition and flavor.

[Elliott Jackalope]

He's tried that. He gets the same story every time, "overqualified". They don't want to hire him for some $7 job because they feel he will quit the minute a better offer comes along. Did I mention this is someone who has been an independant contractor for many years, who in effect has been "running their own business". The problem is that there are no customers for his business, due to the big downturn in hi-tech.

As far as your insult is concerned, I'll ignore it for now. Just realize that if the employment numbers don't improve, and soon, then George W. Bush is going to be a one term president.

[Tokhtamish]

The Japanese are totally happy to let us make the geopolitical decisions. All they ask is to get rich within the Pax Americana.

China, the two characters that spell China, mean "The Center of the World". That is how they see their rightful place. They mean to become a military/economic superpower just like the United States. They mean to make the geopolitical decisions.

You seem incapable of understanding the difference.

[tdadams]

Well, boo hoo. Maybe he shouldn't have put all his eggs into one basket. Maybe he should have gotten some broader experience rather than being like the thousands of people who got an MCSE with dreams of making $75K a year and are now working at Walmart.

You say he simply can't get a job anywhere. Frankly, I don't buy it. I know if I lost my job tomorrow, I wouldn't be out of work for two years.

[Dane]

Actually the statistics are true, last night in Denver bush only had 350 supporters show up for his benefit, only 1 million raised and there were over 4000 protesters outside with signs that read, "Where is my job?". Open your eyes and your ears and pay attention to your fellow man.

Yep sammy no doubt about it, IMO, you are a McCawful democrat hack, working from the bowels of the DNC.

[Elliott Jackalope]

Yes, you're right. It sure was dumb of him to go to college for six years to get a masters degree in EE, and then spending another fifteen years gaining experience in building high-performance D/A and A/D circuits. He should have spent his free time learning how to ask "would you like fries with that" in order to stay up with current trends.

Your "let them eat cake" attitude is exactly what gives the Democrats hope of winning the White House in the next election.

[Tokhtamish]

You left out the Shirley Temple tap dance.

Nations rise and fall. History does have winners and losers. They fall when capital export exceeds capital creation for too long. This nation is recapitulating the fall of Britain at the hands of Germany and America only our America is China. What makes this all the more devastating is that this is destroying the technological edge that was always America's advantage. We cannot continue to destroy high tech jobs and expect to remain a technological superpower for very long. We cannot transfer batches of R&D and high tech to China and expect them not to be shot back at us at some point in the future. We cannot decimate our own technical intelligentsia and destroy our productive capacity and remain a leader for very long. We cannot destroy the ability of average guys without college degrees to have stable jobs and be astonished to find a nation whose streets are ruled by rootless, vicious, young hoodlums with no futures and no remorse.

[tdadams]

Your bleeding heart apologetics tells me simply that you're a true Democrat and have no business on a conservative message board.

If he's got a masters in EE and can't get a job anywhere, there's something else to this story you're not telling us. What it is, I don't know. Maybe he lives in a small town and refuses to move. Maybe he's got mental health issues. I don't know.

But I do know there's a fundamental dishonesty that's most frequently seen among Democrats when telling a "social victim" story that I also see here in your postings. And I think it's B.S.

[Elliott Jackalope]

You are a real piece of work. You are calling me a "bleeding heart", and a liar to boot. Don't bother replying, you are now on my "do not respond" list.

[Tokhtamish]

You talk like a foolish, boastful child.

The EE field has been ravaged by outsourcing and offshoring. American high tech in general has been ravaged by it. It has nothing in the least to do with your experience or certification. It has to do with the inescapable fact that someone in Bangalore will do your job for a tenth of your salary and for the multinational corporation that is irresistable.

Adult maturity comes when you realize that bad things happen in life without your having "done something to deserve it".

[harpseal]

Whatever you say the fact is Henry ford was producing automobiules for a market that did not exist and he helped create by paying what ta the time were high wages. Boeing has a self interest in paying workers good wages because such wages support an American economy that allows the airlines to afford their planes.

[harpseal]

They do hurt. I work in the steel industry, but not steel manufacturing. Bush's 30% tariff on imported steel allowed the domestic producers, which we buy from, to raise their steel prices nearly 30%. That means our material costs go up roughly 30%. The products we make can be made from Steel, Aluminum, Magnesium, and a few other materials, with each having their advantages and disadvantages. Well, it turns out many of our customers are looking at other material options for their products. The other result is that purchasing steel components from other countries, like China, is now becoming more attractive because the tariff only applies to imported steel, not imported products containing steel.

Okay first you do not have a right to buy subsidixed steel imports that is inflicting harm on the American economy and the fact is we need a steel industry for defense and the fact is becuase your company made a profit from people inflicting harm on America does nothing to justify the imports of steel. Lots of people have made profits from harming the uSA that does not make it right or good policy to encourage.

I have no objections to tariffs on imported products/componets using steel and have ardently argued for tariffs on Chinese products. I stand by my original statement that tariffs do not harm teh American economy. The fact that you had been benefiting temporarily from a foreign subbsidy to stellmakers meant to drive competition expecially american competition out of the market does not confer that right.

[harpseal]

If he's got a masters in EE and can't get a job anywhere, there's something else to this story you're not telling us. What it is, I don't know. Maybe he lives in a small town and refuses to move. Maybe he's got mental health issues. I don't know.

Given teh current job market for Electrical Engineering and most other non-medical technical jobs I submit your statement is indicitive of mental health issues or you have not looked at the American economy and job market.

[BMiles2112]

Boeing has a self interest in paying workers good wages because such wages support an American economy that allows the airlines to afford their planes.
Boeing should have a greater self interest in paying workers wages that are as low as possible in order to be able to compete with Airbus.

[tdadams]

Ha ha. Ignore those you can't argue with. The predictable refuge of the irrational.

[DugwayDuke]

Well, using your logic we should impose a minimum wage of $1000 per hour. Just think how much support that provide for the economy.

[BMiles2112]

Read it again.

Okay first you do not have a right to buy subsidixed steel imports that is inflicting harm on the American economy
We don't. We buy DOMESTIC STEEL.

fact is becuase your company made a profit from people inflicting harm on America does nothing to justify the imports of steel.
What????? I don't follow. WE BUY DOMESTIC STEEL. In addition, where's the harm to America? Myself, and a couple hundred others are employed by this company in the US, we buy US goods, and pay taxes.

I have no objections to tariffs on imported products/componets using steel and have ardently argued for tariffs on Chinese products.
Fine, but those tariffs don't exist, and therefore the 30% tariff on imported steel, by itself, hurts AMERICAN producers of steel products, by forcing our costs higher when compared with foreign producers of similar products.

[autoresponder]

Gotta use what you have learned

Ideal time to start your own biz

Creativity is the son of hunger

You'll never work for others again