Don't need to tell anyone but

Grumpy · #1 05-12-2009, 05:08 PM

This economy sucks ass !

wintermuted · #2 05-12-2009, 05:33 PM

Tell me about it! I'm out on my ass this week from the second retail management job in five five months due to my stores closing out from underneath me.

I refuse to acknowledge that either is in any way my fault!

RichF · #3 05-12-2009, 06:12 PM

Yep. Orders are down at my plant. Waaaay down. Right now we should be running 14 lines 24/7. We usually ramp up in March and go balls out through September. (We make pvc and composite fence, rail, and deck)
We have been running 5 or 6 lines, and the plant manager, HR manager, and dept heads have been having some pretty suspicious looking secret meetings as of late up in the large conference room. I'm starting to get a little bit worried that this just might be our last season.

Twodogs · #4 05-12-2009, 07:22 PM

Things are looking up just a little for Kansas, now that Kathleen is gone. Apparently the new Guv (name escapes me) is approving one new coal fired plant, and as soon as Roberts is in in two years (the Dems have no bench here), the second will get the go ahead. We also got some good news from GM as far as manufacturing of one of the Buick models (Lucerne I think) goes. The Fairfax plant will not have the exteneded shutdown this summer, and will instead, work two extra weeks, that would be a normal shutdown. I guess as some plants get bad news, others will take up slack. It still looks like a mighty long road nationally though.

kretinus · #5 05-12-2009, 09:15 PM

GM is headed for bankruptcy, read the financials, even their execs are dumping the stock.

The unemployment rate in Kansas has been rising steadily since July last year and continues to rise right through the end of the first quarter and beyond.

The problem here is people are looking for the trun around when the fact is we haven't even hit bottom.

The next real estate bubble is coming apart in the commercial sector, foreclosures are still rising, bankruptcies are still climbing and even strong companies are showing signs of cracking at the seams.

And we haven't actually even seen the effects of the house of credit cards our economy was fueled by to it's full extent.

Twodogs · #6 05-15-2009, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kretinus

GM is headed for bankruptcy, read the financials, even their execs are dumping the stock.

The unemployment rate in Kansas has been rising steadily since July last year and continues to rise right through the end of the first quarter and beyond.

The problem here is people are looking for the turn around when the fact is we haven't even hit bottom.

The next real estate bubble is coming apart in the commercial sector, foreclosures are still rising, bankruptcies are still climbing and even strong companies are showing signs of cracking at the seams.

And we haven't actually even seen the effects of the house of credit cards our economy was fueled by to it's full extent.

Yes, GM is heading for bankruptcy, but that doesn't mean they are going to stop building cars.

Kansas still has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. There is absolutely NO shortage of jobs in the area I live in (near Kansas City). I do not know a single person in this community that wants to work, and can find none.

I agree completely that there is a longer harder road to be trod, before any "real" turnaround occurs.

As for real estate, there have been some foreclosures in the area. These have nearly all been effects of the old ARM scam. Young couples who overbought, thinking they would be able to swing a higher payment, but in reality could not. My wife works in the real estate field, and has helped many of these young folks keep their houses, or do short sales. The banks (around here at least), have started to negotiate a little more as time goes on, and foreclosed properties fall into disrepair and ruin.

The credit card thing is just a mess. The only opinion I have on that, is don't use one unless you pay it off every time the bill comes.

Grumpy · #7 05-13-2009, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twodogs

Things are looking up just a little for Kansas, now that Kathleen is gone. Apparently the new Guv (name escapes me) is approving one new coal fired plant, and as soon as Roberts is in in two years (the Dems have no bench here), the second will get the go ahead. We also got some good news from GM as far as manufacturing of one of the Buick models (Lucerne I think) goes. The Fairfax plant will not have the exteneded shutdown this summer, and will instead, work two extra weeks, that would be a normal shutdown. I guess as some plants get bad news, others will take up slack. It still looks like a mighty long road nationally though.

I thought the new administration was frowning upon new coal plants.

kretinus · #8 05-13-2009, 09:25 PM

I think he's talking governors.

merrylander · #9 05-16-2009, 08:45 AM

Re credit cards we pay for everything with Amex because we get award points and use them to get free meat. It started because the local supremarket called one day and said they had lost our check. Put a stop payment on that one and even drove over and gave them a new one.

About two weeks later as my wife was about to pay for some groceries the clerk calls over the manager who loudly tells her our checks are no good. After much calling and talking to various cretins I finally discovered that they had 'found' the lost check and tried to cash it - of course the bank refused.

It finally got straightened out but we decided that if they did not want our checks then they effing well would not get them. BTW, the card is paid in full every month and if Amex tries to dick with us they get told we will cancel the card, boy does that ever make them sit up and take notice.

Just had a letter from Visa telling us there are all sorts of new charges but we only have Visa for merchants who refuse Amex.

OvenMaster · #10 05-16-2009, 09:22 AM

This "correction" would have started -- and finished -- a lot sooner if there hadn't been a crapload of non-existent future tax dollars given to all the criminals running the shell game they call American banks. All these bailouts are doing is prolonging the inevitable, IMHO.

I saw a headline and couldn't believe it:

"Obama Says Debt Load 'Unsustainable'; Warns of skyrocketing interest rates..."

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...efer=worldwide

If our Fearless Leader doesn't want deficit spending, then why on earth is he DOING it?!

/rant