chipwhich Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Considering the "tactical situation", it's possible that any deficit reduction would hurt the economy. (And I will observe that the economy is the #1 reason why we have said deficit in the first place.) Should Congress simply punt, kick the matter down the road by a year, and hope that, a year from now, the economy is a little bit better, and we can start weaning the economy off of the deficit then? Wow Larry, you are growing on me....you drinking tonight? You feeling happy thoughts because of Disney? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endzone_dave Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I think you and I have a very different idea of what a middle class family is. Seeing that your location is falls church (and IDK where you've lived all your life) I'll take it your assumption is that middle class families are those similar to that of the NOVA area. If you go down towards central and southern Virginia you'll find that there are many families who struggle (and really don't) buy any of those things.It's the difference between upper middle class, and the rest of the middle class. Middle class families are buying plenty of iPhones and Playstations. Look at the numbers sold in this country. Millions of people don't live in Falls Church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 I think you and I have a very different idea of what a middle class family is. Seeing that your location is falls church (and IDK where you've lived all your life) I'll take it your assumption is that middle class families are those similar to that of the NOVA area. If you go down towards central and southern Virginia you'll find that there are many families who struggle (and really don't) buy any of those things.It's the difference between upper middle class, and the rest of the middle class. Just checking The Tax Foundation. For tax year 09 (the latest where the data has been released), the median tax return (not person. Couples who file jointly get figured in at their total income) was $32,396 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumbo Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 36 and you're still an arrogant dick. Congratulations on your failure to mature. Take a week off, my good friend, and see if you can tell the differences between what he posted and what you did, and how it relates to the rules as written. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 Wow Larry, you are growing on me....you drinking tonight? You feeling happy thoughts because of Disney? Pointing out that my musings involved no tax increases, and no spending cuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 36 and you're still an arrogant dick. Congratulations on your failure to mature. see. you're not allowed to do that. you could have been a bit smarter about it, still insulted me, and not broken the rules. the smarter ES members have it down pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumbo Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Middle class families are buying plenty of iPhones and Playstations. Look at the numbers sold in this country. Don't conflate middle class families with filthy yuppies.Hey! Am I doing class warfare? (that would be sooo cool) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeluCopter29 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Just checking The Tax Foundation. For tax year 09 (the latest where the data has been released), the median tax return (not person. Couples who file jointly get figured in at their total income) was $32,396 Factor in the large amount of people who are in debt and have poor finances, plus the cost of living and the fact the median household income in the United States is at about 45K. I certainly wouldn't call that an eccentric life style that allows people to go out and buy iPhones and Playstations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipwhich Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Pointing out that my musings involved no tax increases, and no spending cuts. I am a firm believer and making the economy turn around All this other stuff is political noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumbo Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Maybe a good start would be not allowing any registered democrats or republicans to vote in the next election. :pfft: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselPwr44 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 A political party fear mongering?? Nawwwwwwww say it isn't so... Waiting for the traditional: They want old people to eat dog food and they won't give you your Social Security check. You know, the timeless classics.............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeluCopter29 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Middle class families are buying plenty of iPhones and Playstations. Look at the numbers sold in this country. Millions of people don't live in Falls Church. No, but that doesn't mean everyone who buys an iPhone can buy a playstation can buy a nice vacation. A smartphone isn't exactly a status symbol either. I know someone with a droid who lives in a trailer. Sometimes it's just people buying the nice things they can, because really nice things are far more expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipwhich Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Maybe a good start would be not allowing any registered democrats or republicans to vote in the next election. :pfft: I agree with this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumbo Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I'm old and don't eat dog food. Although the occasional can of Dinty Moore slips by when I'm alone and lazy. Not sure there's much difference except DM has more liquid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Tribbles?Trilobites? Tools? Tosspots? . Troglodyte ? I think Congress is quite capable of doing nothing,demonstrably so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselPwr44 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I'm old and don't eat dog food. Although the occasional can of Dinty Moore slips by when I'm alone and lazy. Not sure there's much difference except DM has more liquid. Dinty Moore? That why your coat looks so smooth and shiny... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumbo Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Troglodyte ? You're one of the few other people here that would have thought of that word (can't believe I left it out cuz it was in my head), and likely the only other person who would know that song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 America threatens to push Congress over actual cliff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumbo Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 America threatens to push Congress over actual cliff. I have access to a huge snow plow---extra wide highway blade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 and likely the only other person who would know that song. For shame... I happen to have that on a 45. Jimmy Castor. There was more than the Bertha Butt Boogie... not much more. And for good measure, here's my favorite scene from "Trog" Trog plays with Train ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popeman38 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 No, but that doesn't mean everyone who buys an iPhone can buy a playstation can buy a nice vacation. A smartphone isn't exactly a status symbol either. I know someone with a droid who lives in a trailer. Sometimes it's just people buying the nice things they can, because really nice things are far more expensive.A smart phone is a luxury. Minimum smart phone plan is $50/month. $600/year. Cut out cell phone, and you have a decent IRA. If you want to argue that the middle class is under attack (and that seems to be the current rage), you must acknowledge that over the past 50 years the definition of the middle class had changed. 50 years ago, a middle class family had 1 job, 1 car, 1 TV (free over the air signal), took 1 vacation (driving). Bills consisted of water, sewer, phone, mortgage/rent, car. They saved 10%. Today, the middle class ad 2 jobs, 2 cars (some more), 2+ TVs, 2 vacations. Bills include water, sewer, home phone, internet, cell phones, cable/satellite, multiple car payments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 50 years ago June could stay home while Ward went to work and could earn enough to feed the family working for a company that actually valued his employment. Times do change. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeluCopter29 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 A smart phone is a luxury. Minimum smart phone plan is $50/month. $600/year. Cut out cell phone, and you have a decent IRA. If you want to argue that the middle class is under attack (and that seems to be the current rage), you must acknowledge that over the past 50 years the definition of the middle class had changed. 50 years ago, a middle class family had 1 job, 1 car, 1 TV (free over the air signal), took 1 vacation (driving). Bills consisted of water, sewer, phone, mortgage/rent, car. They saved 10%. Today, the middle class ad 2 jobs, 2 cars (some more), 2+ TVs, 2 vacations. Bills include water, sewer, home phone, internet, cell phones, cable/satellite, multiple car payments. I will grant you that the standard of living, with time, has gone up. But I know families (and they know many families in the same position)who would today be considered middle class, and while yes, have what you describe do not have it in the way that more upper class middle class families do. A disney vacation, and a vacation to a small town in Tennessee are not the same thing. EDIT: And note that while a smart phone may be a luxury, there are more expensive luxuries and people who can afford many more expensive luxuries then the families that struggle to pay a smart phone bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedskinsFan44 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I believe the Democrats have already or are about to put forward an extension of the Bush "temporary" tax cuts for all income under 250k, so iit is not like they are taking an all or nothing stance. For all the rhetoric about the stimulus not working, the tax cuts did not prevent the collapse and have not brought about a recovery, even when coupled with the payroll tax cut. How much red ink for the tax cuts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignatius J. Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 A smart phone is a luxury. Minimum smart phone plan is $50/month. $600/year. Cut out cell phone, and you have a decent IRA. 600 / yr makes a decent IRA? let's say you have that 600 for years 20 to 65, that's 45 * 600 ~27k. That's not a lot of money to retire on. Can interest help? yes, but we're in a zero interest rate environment right now and will be for the foreseeable future. 100k isn't even much of a nest egg for retirement, at 5% that works out to 5k per year, and that's at 5%! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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