OMG, is Phoenix out of it's mind? (attorney, auctions)

[KarmaPhx]

Originally Posted by Wcoast

Arizona is looking into contracting the work to private companies - so instead of prisons being government run, they will be privately run. No one is letting the prisoners out.

Some prisons here are already ran this way as well.

[AZmildman]

Originally Posted by las vegas drunk

The state budget of Arizona is already done. People in Arizona are leaving in groves now, and there is absolutely nothing that is going to change that. As people leave, the taxes and revenue decreases, making Arizona the cesspool it has now become. My best friend was always the biggest cheerleader for Phoenix that there ever was, until recently. Phoenix is going to go down, and it will become the willd wild west out there again. The problem lies in the stupidity of the people who were appointed to run the place. The same thing is happening in Vegas, but at least they do not resort to stupid tactics such as photo radar like Arizona does. We are vying for City Center to pull us out of this, but it is doubtful that it will unfortunately. The cool thing with me is I am kind of a nomad. I have no kids or family, no property a decent amount of savings, and a large credit line. I will leave Vegas too if this continues. My friend is talking about moving to Corpus Christi, Texas, since he has family out there. I hate Texas, as I have lived in Dallas, but he claims Corpus Christi is really cool. I just might join him.

You are really misguided is the kindest way I can say this. How are you wrong? Let me count the ways: That was cute, leaving in groves, they must have been picking fruit. OK, actually, as a native of Phoenix, I would be so happy if people would go back where they came from. This state is full of 1) people who used to come here on vacation to get away from the snow. 2) In the seventies, more than the citizens here were trying to get people to quit moving her. The state was pondering a nationwide public service announcement to tell people to NOT to come to Phoenix anymore. There were no jobs and we literally couldn't afford anymore people here. We didn't just have a small influx, in 1981 when the auto plants shut down in Detroit, some idiot with the county actually advertised that Arizona had more jobs that they national average, it made it sound like we were rolling in it. We had "6 thousand people a day" not just passing through, MOVING TO Phoenix. One popular bumper sticker was, "Welcome to Arizona, Now GO HOME!" After the autoworkers had sold their house, car, and everything else they owned, they realised they were stranded here. You could hear them constantly complaining in public, "I can't earn this much money, what about my family?" After a few months you could see the same guy standing on a street corner with a sign that said, "Will Work For Food". By that time they would take any job. They couldn't feed their families on the kind of money that was paid for doing the jobs that were advertised, mostly farm labor and "domestic help" (sweeping the floor at Jack in The Box) and that is how the majority of our homeless population started in downtown. There is a myth that no one else will do those jobs. Here is the truth. When I was younger I would do ANYTHING for work at times. So, I tried to apply as a farm worker at several of the local farms. There was always some guy there who said he was the "foreman". Each of them explained that their bosses wouldn't hire you if you weren't Mexican. They can get away with cheating the illegal mexicans without fear of them reporting the company to the authorities. One grower actually used to have immigration show up periodically to keep his employees in a state of fear. Once every six months, he would have anyone who complained arrested. He could get away with paying them almost one third of what they were promised in Mexico. Then they are charged for their transportaton and expenses from the camp store so they NEVER can get out of debt. When anyplace closes an industry or large business, we in Arizona end up getting them floating in here. Henderson in the Vegas area WAS booming for about two years but I don't know how it is now. When Silicone Valley shut down, and they all came over here. I know a systems administrator from the Frisco Area that was making over $121 an hour, was living in a big house near the beach in San Francisco, had at two Lexuses, and now he lives in a Trailer in Tuscon and tries to eek out a living doing freelance websites. People don't realise that there are no stong unions here and without that, the standard wage is about one third what California employees recieve for the same job. On top of that, this is the gateway to the United States for the illegal aliens. Moderator cut: racist and hostile The propaganda is that they do the jobs no one else will do. WRONG, they work for people who would have to pay a living wage and benefits to American citizens who don't have to hide. Basically, they are a major drain on a state that already has employment problems. Not to mention our rate of children getting a decent education is really low while teenage drug usage and they employ the gangs for transportation who come here and shoot our policemen on a regular basis. And now, on top of that and the fact that we had an already struggling economy in this state, you would think people would be running away, but, you can sleep in your car here without freezing, unlike some states. The myth is that they are really hard workers but they just come here to take avantage of us. Yeah, welcome to Phoenix, where I was born back when the whole city seemed to be filled with citrus groves and vacant lots. Phoenix, where people get a flat tire and end up stuck here for their lifetime. People are leaving??? I wish!

[PhoenixAirConcerns]

I saw that for the next budget year, they are planning on keeping juvenile corrections open. It was almost chopped off this year.

[Tailofdogma]

Of course, we could still allow the prisons to close, save the money. After that, legalize marijuana and other non-addictive drugs (mushrooms, LSD) and allow them to be sold in smoke shops, and just tax the stuff.

Fewer people in prison plus killing a black market, plus taxes seems like a win to me. Not to mention hardly radical in a place where its conditionally ok to pack heat in a bar.

[twiggy]

Some of its true, but not just in AZ. A lot of companies are pressuring high income employees to quit and hiring the desperate now for minimal pay due to the influx of highly qualified people who are out of work and will take anything. There are stories about this all over the place, news, internet, etc. One would expect this to happen, big companies will take advantage of this recession anyway they can. It's sad but things are changing. AZ is just no different, and we have a lot of people ripe for this occurance right now.

[MotleyCrew]

Originally Posted by twiggy

Some of its true, but not just in AZ. A lot of companies are pressuring high income employees to quit and hiring the desperate now for minimal pay due to the influx of highly qualified people who are out of work and will take anything. There are stories about this all over the place, news, internet, etc. One would expect this to happen, big companies will take advantage of this recession anyway they can. It's sad but things are changing. AZ is just no different, and we have a lot of people ripe for this occurance right now.

I agree with you. The new high paying wage/income is now $30,000 a year. Hard for couples making twice that to adjust, but adjust we must.

[PhoenixAirConcerns]

Originally Posted by MotleyCrew

I agree with you. The new high paying wage/income is now $30,000 a year. Hard for couples making twice that to adjust, but adjust we must.

This is why I believe we may see a protracted period of deflation, in spite of record government spending. Until wages start to go up, inflation in asset classes will not follow. The one exception is gold or other metals.

Also, there were some Arizona budget stories in the big papers today if anyone is interested.

[918cowgirl]

The prisons are not shutting down. Arizona is looking at selling the prisons to privately-run companies. No one's going to be released. I worked 15+ years in the Maricopa County Jails and have kept in touch with friends who are now working for ADOC. I'm a native of this area, so I'm not a newbie.

[phoenixscorpiogirl]

Hi LVD!
Privatization of prisons has been going on for awhile now and will probably expand due to the budget. And if they are going to let people out they should start with non violent offenders. Someone doing years for a few grams of pot is a waste of money, when they could be on probation and paying a fine to the state instead.
While I was working the census I came across a lot of people that have recently moved here from other states. As bad as it is here, it is worse in a lot of other cities, plus they have the miserable weather!
It's interesting to me to see so many people coming here and you would think that would make a demand for services and products...thus giving more people jobs....
Another thing I saw though was a lot of empty apartments, I know there are a lot of vacant houses but some of these apt complexes are really suffering. I guess it goes to show how many people(families) are livng together to make their incomes stretch.
I know it's hard all around but It's important that we all try to stay optimistic and be happy for what we do have. Sometimes we have to change our lifestyles or help each other out until things turn around but people who just keep complaining and throwing blame around aren't really helping the situation. Eventually things will change but until then we all have choices....none of us are being forced to live here.

[Howard Roark]

Good point. I agree. I have a sister who took a $20,000 pay cut to get out of Phoenix to a cooler place (Oregon) about four years ago. And just a year or so ago her company gave her an 8% cut in salary.

Another sister moved to Baltimore and took a 10% cut to go there. Now she's moving back to CA and earning slightly more than she did in 2008. But I am still worried for her. I think any wage gains are dead cat bounces.

I have braced myself for pay cuts for several years but they haven't come. No overtime though, so in a sense, my income has dropped a lot by just working 40 hour weeks.

Living the modern American lifestyle has never been affordable. We may be headed the way Japan has been. Look at the Nikkei stock index from 1989 to now. it's been going down for most of the last 21 years.

This American credit bubble collapse has been predicted for decades. So it shouldn't have been a surprise to many.

I'm going to get severely flamed for saying this, but the proper response for young people is to not have families and not buy houses until they can afford to. Just save money by having roommates and then by the time you are in your late 30s you should have a lot of cash to downsize your job (if needed), live for several years without a job, buy a house, and start a family.

Originally Posted by PhoenixAirConcerns

This is why I believe we may see a protracted period of deflation, in spite of record government spending. Until wages start to go up, inflation in asset classes will not follow. The one exception is gold or other metals.

Also, there were some Arizona budget stories in the big papers today if anyone is interested.