Despite strong economy, many Americans struggle to get by (responsibility, increase, value)
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I assume your point is that since the 1950s and 60s, state and local governments have intervened in what used to be a fairly free market for apartment construction by putting in place needless fees, density restrictions, and all manner of zoning regulations artificially restricting the quantity of one-bedroom apartments everywhere in the USA to be fewer than they otherwise would have been. And a smaller supply coupled with an increasing population of one-bedroom would-be-renters makes the rent go up much more than it otherwise would have been.
Yes, the government intervenes, and frequently makes things worse.
And even liberal leaning news outlets, such as the New York Times and The Atlantic, are admitting this is true:
The situation has been aggravated by places such as Brisbane, just south of San Francisco, which has encouraged extensive office development while failing to build housing.
“We have cities around California that are happy to welcome thousands of workers in gleaming new tech and innovation campuses, and are turning a blind eye to their housing need,” said Mr. Chiu.
“Cities that deny housing are contributing to skyrocketing rents, unfair evictions and homelessness,” said Lori Droste, a member of the Berkeley City Council.
That depends what kind of doctor. A GP is not going to make money like that, which is a major reason we have a shortage of them. My chiropractor once told me his were over $300,000, he isn't making that kind of money, either. Also don't forget malpractice insurance is a huge amount, too.
Few docs go the GP route anymore. With primary care it is very easy to make $200K/yr. MP insurance for primary care varies by state, I paid around $12-14K/yr in AZ when I worked closer to full time.
I am not sure what to think really, but debt to gdp ratios higher than anything since post-Great Depression does sound a bit foreboding. Hard to imagine why policy makers and politicians wouldn't heed the warnings.
Politicians are bought and paid for by special interests (liberal and conservative groups). Everyone knows this by now. They're not interested in telling people the truth because they know the majority of people in America don't really want to hear it. I sort of don't blame them. It's been under our noses for a few decades now. So the people who will listen already know and don't need to be told. The people who need to be told most won't listen, anyway.
At this point, all they're trying to do is kick the can down the road, trying to make sure the blame doesn't fall on them or their party when it all comes crashing down.
I don't think the decline in wages is due to small employers not paying enough, more to the loss of good paying manufacturing jobs, loss of unions, etc. I do however hold corporations to a higher standard than small employers. It used to be profits would be shared with workers via raises, etc, but now it's all hoarded at the top. But IMO COL is the biggest factor. When people like my niece who works for a school district (teacher) makes in the 40's but pays almost $1000 a month for health insurance for her family, that makes a huge difference in standard of living and ability to not only save but just get by. By the time I get to 65, I'll have paid $84,000 in health insurance just for the 10 years between 55 and 65 IF my premium never rises...but it rises by a couple of hundred a month every year, so that figure will be well over $100,000. That makes a huge difference in my ability to survive when I am old. I didn't even include $30,000 in deductibles over those 10 years. I'll have paid much more in health insurance than I have toward my home.
That is the issue. We get a raise but it will always get offset by something else, so again nothing gain. Just another way to for the system to keep you working. I picked up a weekend job part time to help pay for gas and grocery ,but wouldnt need this second job if my current employer would just keep up with inflation and system would stop pricing us out of things. Kinda Coincidence that we get a raise, and some how my rent goes up too, and light bill went from 7cents to 9 cents per KW. So did i get a raise or just to make it look like i did so it can be pass on to another hand?
No it wasn't. Sporty was trying to connect the dots for you--dots you didn't want to connect. I did some additional connecting for you with my links from several different articles in post #401. People of your own political persuasion are starting to say the same thing as Sporty. Maybe it'll be harder for you to ignore them.
Interestingly, UT has a stronger middle class and less income inequality than most other states.
But heaven forbid we might admit it has something to do with the values of the people who live there. And we might have to admit that religious values have something to do with it as well.
The dominant religion in Utah also has a lot to do with that middle class solidity. The LDS church has always supported it's own when all other support fails. The church has just as many of its permanently poor as any other, but its willing to accept them as a fact of life.
They always have from their earliest days. It's part religion and part tradition, and the support has never been easily granted. There's always some form of repayment involved, and the biggest part of the repayment demand is adherence to the faith.
No it wasn't. Sporty was trying to connect the dots for you--dots you didn't want to connect. I did some additional connecting for you with my links from several different articles in post #401. People of your own political persuasion are starting to say the same thing as Sporty. Maybe it'll be harder for you to ignore them.
This isn't the politics forum, if you want to turn it into that then please start a new thread there.
That is the issue. We get a raise but it will always get offset by something else, so again nothing gain. Just another way to for the system to keep you working. I picked up a weekend job part time to help pay for gas and grocery ,but wouldnt need this second job if my current employer would just keep up with inflation and system would stop pricing us out of things. Kinda Coincidence that we get a raise, and some how my rent goes up too, and light bill went from 7cents to 9 cents per KW. So did i get a raise or just to make it look like i did so it can be pass on to another hand?
It's hard to make an argument for some systematic reduction in purchasing power when you look at real median weekly wages over time.
I don't doubt that your wages haven't kept up with inflation, but clearly it isn't some grand conspiracy.
That is the issue. We get a raise but it will always get offset by something else, so again nothing gain. Just another way to for the system to keep you working. I picked up a weekend job part time to help pay for gas and grocery ,but wouldnt need this second job if my current employer would just keep up with inflation and system would stop pricing us out of things. Kinda Coincidence that we get a raise, and some how my rent goes up too, and light bill went from 7cents to 9 cents per KW. So did i get a raise or just to make it look like i did so it can be pass on to another hand?
it really has no logic to it that the same job should have to increase in worth other than inflation adjusting .in fact with technology and out sourcing one's old job may actually be of less value to the market place . most of us increase wages by increasing our skills, position and job function . not because we expect to be paid more for the same old job other than just keeping up with inflation . even yearly inflation adjusting has not been seen in many jobs .
so it is up to individuals to pave their own way to earning more . there really is no choice , either we live on that income or we do something about increasing income . wishing and complaining can't be spent at the supermarket .
Last edited by mathjak107; 09-27-2018 at 04:43 AM..
it really has no logic to it that the same job should have to increase in worth other than inflation adjusting .in fact with technology and out sourcing one's old job may actually be of less value to the market place . most of us increase wages by increasing our skills, position and job function . not because we expect to be paid more for the same old job other than just keeping up with inflation . even yearly inflation adjusting has not been seen in many jobs .
so it is up to individuals to pave their own way to earning more . there really is no choice , either we live on that income or we do something about increasing income . wishing and complaining can't be spent at the supermarket .
Yea my choice is not the best one by working a second job, just because of COL wants to rule the world of slave labor. This is a mind set we all have, find something better, go to school, get a second job. When in fact the system is against you all the time no matter what. Who to say that we all go back to school and get that DR degree and now were flooded with DR and boom wages goes down. When simple fact that your job/employer just needs to keep wages with inflation would prevent others from having to look for another job or waist more time in a class room. Just a vicious cycle that never ends.
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