President Trump: The NEW one and only politics thread

If half the air traffic control workers in Atlanta didn't go to work for two days, this stupid shutdown would be over in a matter of hours. Trump is no Reagan.

 

That folks don't have even a week's paycheck set aside is certainly an indictment of American household money management.

But also a telling symptom of a workplace lockout.

 

If they threaten not to work the few days before the Super Bowl, Robert Kraft would call Trump and the thing would be over in 45 seconds.

 

Not that big a surprise.

He's never run a business with more than a handful of employees. Most of whom over the last ten years were his children.

 

How many of you could go two missed paychecks and feel no financial pain?

 

This whole thing is also an indictment of DC’s horrific cost of living, where you get all of the price of New York City living with the added excitement of never ending urban sprawl damn near necessitating a car.

 

There was also a Donald Regan in that administration (Treasury Sec., then Chief of Staff).

Raises hand. Dave Ramsey says to have six months of expenses set aside. I have about two years.

Too bad I could never get a federal job. I applied for several.

 

Could also be a symptom of stagnant wages for the last X years. That said, it's a common problem.

Only 39% of Americans have enough savings to cover a $1,000 emergency

I'd feel a bit of pain as I saw my savings dwindle. But two missed paydays (monthly for me) wouldn't result in a drastic lifestyle change for us.

But I'm damn frugal and we have zero debt. Our biggest monthly expense is groceries.

 

That's nothing. POTUS has been on the job for two-plus years and is an expert in nothing.

 

There was an article in the summer talking about how the middle class could do itself a favor and stop buying so much stuff. I agree. I will try to find it.

This isn't it, but it brings up some good points...

“Contemporary U.S. households have more possessions per household than any society in global history,” says Jeanne E. Arnold. That's both shocking and unsurprising all at once.


https://www.getrichslowly.org/cluttered-lives/


an older article...

"If you ask economists to explain this state of affairs, they are likely to finger credit-card debt as a main culprit."


The Secret Shame of Middle-Class Americans Living Paycheck to Paycheck

 

Our entire economy is built on consumption. Used to be you bought a new TV when your old one died. Now you get a new one every few years when the technology improves and you consider yours obsolete. It isn't. You can still watch TV on it. The marketing folks have just sold you on the idea it is.