Is it 1929 all over again?

[Tom Carlson]

I was born in 1932 when the Great Depresion Started

And I remember how thrilled I was in the late 1930s when I got some hand sown PJs made from flour saks. But I did not know it was a depression. My dad had professional people working for him part time. I unfolded newspapers to be used for plant wrapping [we were a wholesale pot plant greenhouse]. I cleaned and repainted the wooden labels [like tongue depressors]. And had to sort and restack empty pots from spring plant sales. I didn't know it was a depression.

Last June, GM announced that the auto plant in our city would close by Dec 2010. They changed their mind, not it will close next Dec 23rd. 4,500 employees in our city of 65,000 will no longer be working at GM. Our largest commercial account closes the same day, Lear Seating. This plant was GMs oldest plant [90 years] and I have heard that it is the only plant that GM owns. Must be all other plants are leased.

So I am taking an agressive attitude toward marketing. Not planning on big ad campaigns, don't think that will work. My goal for the florist side of my business is to increase sales through getting new accounts. I have hired a part time professional PR person to knock on doors. I have some other promotions in the works but choose to not comment on them yet.

Listened to a book on CDs last week, named "The Secret". It makes a lot of sense. Type in The Secret on Google and you can get an idea of what it is about.

Tom Carlson

 

[Beth]

Thank you for mentioning the plumbing thing!!! My grandparents (that had the farm) didn't have indoor plumbing until 1965!

Thank you for mentioning that. I thought I remembered my mother once saying that our first house, the one that I came home from the hospital to, didn't have indoor plumbing... it had an outhouse... in Springfield, Illinois! I thought I must have remembered that wrong, but maybe not!

 

[BOSS]

Last June, GM announced that the auto plant in our city would close by Dec 2010. They changed their mind, not it will close next Dec 23rd. 4,500 employees in our city of 65,000 will no longer be working at GM. Our largest commercial account closes the same day, Lear Seating. This plant was GMs oldest plant [90 years] and I have heard that it is the only plant that GM owns.

And the beat goes on...

Yesterday, Chrysler announced they are going to lay off 25% of their workforce...most by the end of the year.

Grab your assets and hang on folks...it's going to get ugly now.

 

[sfox]

And the beat goes on...

Yesterday, Chrysler announced they are going to lay off 25% of their workforce...most by the end of the year.

Grab your assets and hang on folks...it's going to get ugly now.

Where have you been? Where I'm at, it's been ugly for years now! My postings about how our industry's failures are turning consumers away from floral were based on living it. There are at least 10 major auto plants located near my shop. The changes that many are just now seeing have been happening for years now.

 

[BOSS]

Where have you been? .........................................many are just now seeing

Creative editing to answer your question...

Sfox it's just starting to hit my city it would appear.

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Grab your assets and hang on folks...it's going to get ugly now.

I've got both "ass_ettes" firmly clenched in both hands....though we all feel "upbeat" in a certain sense, it gonna be very tough to convince yourself to keep going some days!!

 

[sfox]

Boss

Here's a thought for you.

I think we all can agree that the housing crisis was the driving force behind this financial meltdown we are now seeing. Think about this.

One of the reasons given for the houseing meltdown was the fact that people got into mortgages without doing their homework. They only read the parts they wanted to. They believed what the mortgage broker was telling them, rather than researching it for themselves. And they bought into it because it seemed that everyone else was doing it.

That can be said for our upcoming election. Too many people are believing what they are hearing rather than doing the research. Too many people are jumping on the bandwagon because they believe so many others are. Most are making their choice at the time of great crisis because of what the crowd is doing.

Example, Obama is making speech after speech about his tax cuts for the middle class. Do the research, he is not cutting any middle class tax rates. He is giving tax credits. The big difference is that all during the year, the middle class worker will pay the same taxes he has always done at the same rate he has always done. But those credit are actually a backdoor to adding additional welfare to the system.The people who during the year who pay no taxes will still get the tax credit. The credit is not based on how much taxes you pay.

Another example, Obama health plan is different from McCains because McCain wants to give the tax deduction for buying health care the businesses have to the individual. And he wants to allow the individual to shop all 50 states to get the best health plan at the price the individual deems best. Today 100's of thousands of people are losing their health care because they are losing their jobs. Health care is too important to the individual to have an employer or the govenment have total control over. The difference between the 2 men is that one wants the average person to rely on either the employer or the government and the other wants to give the individual the resources to match their needs.

I really don't think Americans are learning any lessons from this financial meltdown. They still want to go down the path of least resistence. They refuse to do their homework and instead are taking the easy way out.

Please don't take my examples as a negative. I posted them to show the differences between the two men.Can 1929 happen again? I say yes, unless people start taking control for their own actions. The government can't save someone from themself.

 

[BOSS]

Thanks sfox.....

 

[Bigted]

Foxie, I've got a better example of how we haven't learned yet. Right now there is a bill in Congress that will allow people to borrow the downpayment to get a house with an FHA loan.

That means that people that cannot save up $7,500 can buy a house with a $1,500 payment. Don't we ever learn?

 

[BOSS]

Don't we ever learn?

Not usually.... well at least not quickly.

Let's see here Andy... borrow the cash for a down payment, take out a mortgage, so now you have ZERO equity, then make your first payment and take out a home equity loan for $500.00 so you can buy groceries....

:wallhead:

 

[bloomz]

Another example, Obama health plan is different from McCains because McCain wants to give the tax deduction for buying health care the businesses have to the individual.

You make a good point there Fox, if you lose your job what employer is gonna pay for it? Bu, puzzle me this, with no income how you gonna pay it anyway? IF the gubbermint doesn't, guess where that leaves millions?

All hinging on IF you can trust either one to do what they say they're gonna do anyway.

But you just gotta excuse me for trusting the republicans less - they earned that. McBush has too many supporting programs he now says he was against type of stuff to believe anything he says. He gets more desperate every time I see him on TV and is starting to look flat out irrational, bad judgements aside.

I was thinking about this last nite. It's a darn shame that McSame is destroying his own image and any modicum of respect or dignity with all the attack stuff, so by the time he does get erected if they manage to pull something off, he will have little to no respect from many like me right out of the gate.

Before you accuse me of what I know you're gonna, do not forget - I was behind Dumbo and the Afghan mission until he pulled his boner out and blew it wth that other colossal blunder.

I find it funny how you kids are trying to shift the blame for the clusterfork we're in on the Congress which has been gridlocked for 2 years now. I think possibly a Dem majority with a Dem presidunce will maybe be able to get some radical changes made.

Just thinking out loud while i have my morning coffee.

 

[Beth]

Where have you been? Where I'm at, it's been ugly for years now! My postings about how our industry's failures are turning consumers away from floral were based on living it. There are at least 10 major auto plants located near my shop. The changes that many are just now seeing have been happening for years now.

Ugghhh, my sister has a house in Birmingham, Michigan, worth less than she owes on it. Ugly.

 

[crazy daisy]

I just so happen to live in Lancaster, SC....THE MOST VULNERABLE TOWN IN AMERICA...according to a new article by Forbes.

Our unemployment is 12.2%....the national average is 6.4%.

20% of our townspeople live at or below the poverty level.

Lancaster used to be a booming mill town with Springs Industries employing just about everyone here. Now Springs has shut down all of it's mills and left an entire town out of work. It's very sad.

Crime is on the rise (we had 6 robberies/shootings in 2 days!), the schools are terrible, we have vacant buildings and mills sittings everywhere just rotting away, and our taxes are going up again because some lunatic burned down our courthouse and we need the tax revenue to build a new one.

I've been living very frugally for a very long time now. This financial crisis hasn't hit me very hard in the sense that I've had to cut spending...I haven't been spending much anyway!!!

But, we have never been without a meal, I have a roof over my head that I can afford (worth more than I paid for it), and a husband who just got a raise and might be getting another one at the beginning of the year (job promotion).
So, I'm pretty darn thankful.

 

[Beth]

Lisa,

I am very thankful that we moved from Calif. to Wash. and bought a house with cash 4 years ago. No mortgage. Wonderful!

I guess it's good to stop and take notice of what you're doing RIGHT.

 

[sfox]

Bloomzie

You make a good point there Fox, if you lose your job what employer is gonna pay for it? Bu, puzzle me this, with no income how you gonna pay it anyway? IF the gubbermint doesn't, guess where that leaves millions?

All hinging on IF you can trust either one to do what they say they're gonna do anyway.

But you just gotta excuse me for trusting the republicans less - they earned that.

Bloomzie, I don't trust either party. That's why I have supported the Republican plans because it empowers the average citizen. Now don't get me wrong I am not 100% happy with what they propose, but it's a start.

I support McCain, because he is the better of the two choices. Your guy, Obama is too wet behind the ears. These are tough times and we need someone to lead. I think the Dem's want him elected so that they can lead him by his nose. The guy I believe who knows my health care needs the best is ME. I want the government to level the playing field. Make sure I get the same price as the big guys. Make sure there are no hidden items, like pre existing conditions.

As I have said before I usually put my money where my mouth is when it comes to an election, but this time, while McCain is my choice, he is only the best of two evils. So instead of giving money to the politicial candidate of my choice, this year I mailed the money to the U.S.O. I felt the young men and women doing the fighting over there need the money more then the two guys fighting over here.

 

[bloomz]

I want help, relief, assistance, call it what you will, with my health insurance which has tripled under the republicants.

Simple fact.

Actually, I have less of a policy now than I did 8 years ago at triple the price. So that will eat the age factors which have increased.

I'm hoping for it to be a bit better under somebody new.

But I'm not counting on it.

Why is it we always just end up voting against the other guy? I don't trust either one, but it's too easy to seem one of them supporting the last 8 years, tho now in the 11th hour trying hard to say he didn't.

ahhh life's a mystery.

But isn't it just a given that anyone, absolutely anyone who will ever try to become presidunce is an egomaniacal maniac who should not be trusted?

 

[sfox]

I want help, relief, assistance, call it what you will, with my health insurance which has tripled under the republicants.

Simple fact.

Actually, I have less of a policy now than I did 8 years ago at triple the price. So that will eat the age factors which have increased.

I'm hoping for it to be a bit better under somebody new.

But I'm not counting on it.

Why is it we always just end up voting against the other guy? I don't trust either one, but it's too easy to seem one of them supporting the last 8 years, tho now in the 11th hour trying hard to say he didn't.

ahhh life's a mystery.

But isn't it just a given that anyone, absolutely anyone who will ever try to become presidunce is an egomaniacal maniac who should not be trusted?

bloomzie, pull out all your old bills for health care. You will find that the cost went up just as much if not more during the Clinton years. Those years saw some serious cost increase percentages. And you are right, the older you get the more they add to the price.

And I can feel your pain because we are in the same boat. But the kind of health care relief you are looking for will not come from Obama.

He talks about making health care available to everyone. That doesn't mean he lowers your healthcare costs. That doesn't mean that he expands the coverages you have.

Bush didn't create the healthcare mess. If you think back to 1990 when Bill Clinton was first elected Hillary took on the issue of healthcare. It was problem back then. Costs were skyrocketing then. Bush's only fault in this is he has placed no priority on the issue.

Both parties have side stepped this issue. If your man is elected and his party gets their bulletproof voting block in the Senate, then we will get national health care. You will have coverage. It won't be cheap. It won't be better. It most likely won't have more coverage. But it will allow the government to decide for you what you need. Ask the Canadians.

They have coverage. They wait for their care. The cost is not cheap. And the decision about their care is made by the government, not they themselves. They have to love their system, it's the only only they can have. It's illegal to pay for care other than what's provided for by the government.

 

[Bigted]

I only have two issues now--health care and business survival. And both are related.

I can almost not afford health care for my employees. If Obama gets elected and rolls out a national plan, we will probably cancel our plan. Unfortunately, lots of other businesses will do the same. That's bad because we all end up in the big single payer plan where every one is covered with a crappy plan. Look at the medical coverage we give our vets--shameful.

 

[bloomz]

Bush's only fault in this is he has placed no priority on the issue.

If he would have, among other things, maybe the Dems wouldn't be eating your lunch right now?

They have to love their system, it's the only only they can have. It's illegal to pay for care other than what's provided for by the government.

And is that true you can't pay for your own care in Canada? I find that a bit difficult to believe.

We're gonna get what we're gonna get now, and too damm bad Dumbo didn't care enough about us to give it some priority. Like many other things, like the border fence for one.

I just think the poor moron didn't think it was as important as his unfinished family business.

 

[Bigted]

We're gonna get what we're gonna get now, and too damm bad Dumbo didn't care enough about us to give it some priority. Like many other things, like the border fence for one.

Both candidates are very pro amnesty. Unfortunately, you can forget the border fence. On the other hand, if the expected increase in taxes completely destroys the job market we won't need a fence.