Name:	DS Realist -	Reply
Subject:	Better Off?
Date:	8/22/2016 6:30:56 PM

I, for one, am not better off than 4 or even 8 years ago.  More tax dollars flowing from my paycheck and no added benefit.

Also looking at America:America was once a beacon of Liberty, a symbol of hope for the oppressed peoples of the world. Ronald Reagan, who called us a “shining city on a hill,” famously declared the Soviet Union an “evil empire” and demanded that Mikhail Gorbachev “tear down this wall.” The current squatter in the Oval Office, on the other hand, has shown nothing but sympathy toward tyrannical regimes. He stood by silently as the Iranian Green Revolution, which called for democratic reforms and more freedom, was snuffed out by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s forces, which gunned down peaceful protesters in the streets. He later enabled further tyranny by the Iranian government when he facilitated the nation’s drive for nuclear weapons, handing over $150 billion that he acknowledged would be used in part to fund terrorism against us. His feckless (I love that word) “Russian reset” showed only weakness, which Vladimir Putin took advantage of as he invaded the Crimea, Georgia, and the Ukraine. No friend to freedom he.

Authoritarian regimes disguise their brutality in many candy-coated flavors; Hitler’s National Socialism, Mussolini’s fascism, Soviet communism, China’s Maoist version of Marxism, and even the soft tyranny of European-style democratic socialism, which takes an ever greater portion of the fruits of man’s labor to achieve the purposes of the state to which the people are subjects. Yet whatever the flavor, at the core lays a poison pill that kills individual liberty, prosperity, and the entrepreneurial spirit which has elevated untold millions from abject poverty.

Just ask the people of Venezuela.

Name:	architect -	Reply
Subject:	Better Off?...you bet!!
Date:	8/22/2016 7:48:40 PM (updated 8/22/2016 7:53:33 PM)

Sorry you haven't done well over the last 8 years.  Guess you just didn't have the forsight to take advantage of the 130% increase in the DOW or the moxie to invest in bonds as interest rates were cut by 2/3ds.  Our family's very conservative portfolio, excluding real estate, has increased over 80% inspite of some big cash withdrawals to travel and make major purchases.  If we were younger and felt comfortable taking a more aggressive approach the increase would have been well over what it was.  I estimate that with the real estate depression our real property holdings dropped about 20% in value between 2007 and 2011 but are now back 20 to 30% above its peak value in 2007.  Our 2.5% mortgage is nice too.  I just sold a duplex last week for double the value estimated in 2010!

I suggest you take another non-politically biased look at how well you have done in the last 8 years.  If it still looks so dismal, maybe you need to move to an area where the economy is better.  Atlanta is booming, so is Charlotte and Nashville!

Oh, BTW, how do you think Trump's ''Russian reset'' will go.  Probably better than Obama's  since Trump thinks Putin is a great leader and a hero to be imulated!  PM Tony Blair was Bush's lap dog...Trump will have that position with Putin.

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Better Off?...you bet!!
Date:	8/22/2016 9:23:39 PM

Your good fortune is rooted in smoke and mirrors.  The Dow is doing well because the Fed printed money with no value to back it up.  It is a house of cards and you best hope that nobody kicks out that bottom card.

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	Ahhh, the archidiot BS flows.....
Date:	8/22/2016 9:32:57 PM

Well, it's obvious he's unemployed and he's never said he's retired, so make your own decision if it's BS or whatever.....

Name:	architect -	Reply
Subject:	Wiximbecile blows...smoke
Date:	8/22/2016 10:20:21 PM

I am 72 years old and continue to go to the office for at least 6 hours every day because I enjoy it.  I no longer have to work but I do so because l want to.  So what is your problem with that?

Well Mr H, I hope you cashed in your assets before Obama took office (sell at the bottom in a panic!), bought gold and hid it under your mattress.

I still have a fair amount of confidence in the US free market economy...by most measures the strongest in the developed world and by all measures the safest in the world...period!

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	Question for Archidiot
Date:	8/23/2016 9:12:40 AM

How many forums such as this one do you TROLL? 

Name:	architect -	Reply
Subject:	Question for Archidiot
Date:	8/23/2016 9:21:19 AM

l do not troll any forums this one included, and I do not post on any other forum except  very occasionally my neighborhood ''grapevine'' where l sometime participate in discussions on who is a good plumber or the last sighting of a lost cat.  This is the only forum I have ever read where so many downright nuts such as you so predominate.  It is always good for a real belly laugh.

Now a question for you.  Do you post on any other forum?  Tell me where so I have another place to go for unintended humor!

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	Question for Archidiot
Date:	8/23/2016 12:16:55 PM

I post on 73 liberal idiot type forums, just for fun. I also post on 38 conservative forums, for serious discussions about the dismal condition of America and the proud future we all look forward to.......with the Clinton Clan in prison.  Come visit, alias is Wix on all......

Name:	architect -	Reply
Subject:	Question for Archidiot
Date:	8/23/2016 1:05:46 PM

Ooh...that must keep you busy every hour of every day big shot.  Are you an obnoxious jerk on all of them?

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	Question for Archidiot
Date:	8/23/2016 2:07:34 PM

You are my idol Archidiot.  I mimic your every word and literary action...same attitude, every time, all the time!

Name:	DS Realist -	Reply
Subject:	Better Off?...you bet!!
Date:	8/24/2016 6:11:18 PM

Mr. Architect,

Everyone did not have the good fortune that you did.

I did not have the foresight to see that the company I worked for was going to close their doors because of Obamacare and that the state of the economy (not doing so well) was going to prolong my job search.  I did not foresee relatives who were going to be in the same spot with their jobs also.

I did not foresee surgery that was going to rob me for several thousand more dollars because of the higher out of pocket cost of health care. 

Since my crystal ball is fuzzy, maybe I could borrow yours.

Maybe a different perspective will make you thankful for your good fortune and aware that it hasn't been so good for others.

The reason we have such low interest rates is because of the poor economy.  The feds are afraid that if they raise rates, the economy will tank.

Other random thoughts about the last 8 years:

Also, why does the federal government subsidize the solar industry to the tune of $38B per year?  They have pumped billions into companies that have either failed or are failing and continue to do so.

The govenment is the worst group to run anything, including the poorly manage healthcare initiative or any initiative at all (by 2018 there will be no choices for the exchanges; if the companies in the exchanges are losing money, they won't participate).  If they are so good at managing our money, why aren't companies copying their successful strategies?  Why has the deficit doubled?

Obama's legacy is almost certain to include a stubbornly large increase in the food stamp rolls. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects a very slow decline in the rolls. CBO estimated that when Obama leaves office in 2017, the number of food stamp beneficiaries will still be at 42.7 million — one third more than when he entered. 

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	What Archidiot won't say is.....
Date:	8/24/2016 7:08:11 PM

if he is telling the truth, the money he invested successfully was earned in his job (or inheritance) was done so under a Republican administration.  You can bet he made nothing, not a house plan under o-BAMMIE's first 6 years.  He didn't say what his company did the past 8 years, but we all know.  Just another stupid dimokrap.

Name:	architect -	Reply
Subject:	Better Off?...you bet!!
Date:	8/25/2016 3:51:17 PM

There are always economic winners and losers and there always will be.  Sorry you are one of the losers.

Now please explain exactly how your employer was put out of business by Obamacare.  Don't understand exactly how it could have been completely caused by Obamacare so would appreciate an explanation.  Prehaps your company was a loser, my structural engineering consultant was a winner and managed to keep the doors open during the dark days of 2009 and 2010 due to work directly attributed to the much hated (by the rightwing) stimulus bill early in President Obama's tenure.

When you lost your job, where did you go for insurance?  Take a look at Obamacare, it might offer a better plan.  It is bad, especially in AL, that some companies are dropping out of the exchanges, but it's called "free market economics'' and Republicans used to think it was a good system.  It is bad when insurance costs on the exchanges go up, but at least the participants now have the chance to get insurance even if it's expensive...an alternative many didn't have before.

Just announced by the Republican GA Labor Commissioner...Metro Atlanta gained 35,000 new jobs last month and over 75,000 this year!   He seemed to think it was good news.  Guess he didn't get the doom and gloom memo.

As I say, some of you might need to consider relocating.

Name:	architect -	Reply
Subject:	Get out the shovel...Wiximbecile is posting
Date:	8/25/2016 4:05:56 PM (updated 8/25/2016 4:10:04 PM)

As a matter of fact Wixie Poo, 2010 was the 2d best year I have ever had practicing Architecture and 2012 was the 3d (the Bill Clinton year of 1994 was the best).  I began intentionally scaling back a couple of years ago and have turned down several less interesting jobs or passed them to other Architects.

You have got to be kidding saying that business and/or investments have performed better under Republicans.  My worst performance business income and investment income wise was under George W Bush.  I made a profit as an architect under Bush but it was a pale comparison to Clinton and my investments tanked to the tune of 30% in 2008 alone.  And, it is not just me...since the end of WWII the statistics (new jobs, corporate profits, stock market performance, exports, on and on) have been not just higher but much higher during the years with a democrat in the White House.  Look it up Wiximbecle!

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	Better Off?...you bet!!
Date:	8/26/2016 6:21:22 PM

Yeah, I heard Walmart and MickeyD's have opened a bunch of new stores in the ATL- hood.  A big Walmart can employee a couple of thousand part-time workers........CONGRATULATIONS.

Name:	architect -	Reply
Subject:	Better Off?...you bet!!
Date:	8/26/2016 9:46:57 PM (updated 8/26/2016 9:59:58 PM)

You obviously haven't been to Atlanta or a Walmart lately!

BTW:  2015 job growth in AL...45,000 = 1.6%  (but 9,000 more than forecast and the best since 1996...even with Obama in office!!)

          2015 job growth in GA...108,000 = 2.6% (about as forecast)

Read it and weep Wiximbecile

Name:	MrHodja -	Reply
Subject:	Better Off?...you bet!!
Date:	8/27/2016 8:52:53 AM

So how many of those jobs are part time?  How many are associated with the non- Union automotive industry, an industry drawn to Alabama because the politicians are smart enough to bypass much of the red tape and industry-strangling taxes?

Name:	architect -	Reply
Subject:	Better Off?...you bet!!
Date:	8/27/2016 3:58:31 PM (updated 8/27/2016 4:27:32 PM)

I have no idea how many are parttime but I know a large proportion of them are in IT, technical services, medical tech and other reasonably high paying jobs that are the future as opposed to the past as is, for better or worse, union and non-union manufacturing including automotive.

GA is fortunate that our state political leadership, while much more reactionary than I would like, has not yet slipped into the dark ages as have AL, KS, WI and now, sorry to say, NC 

Business loves low taxes until the taxes become so low a state loses the ability to provide an educated work force, the infrastructure to support economic growth and the ability to care for its people.

In 1950 AL had 90% of the population of GA, today AL has 47% of the population of GA.  There is a reason for that...George Wallace, Lurleen Wallace and Bull Conner vs Carl Sanders, Jimmy Carter and Ivan Allen!  The differences may have been mostly perception, but perception matters.