How is the economy

[75racer]

doing in your area?

[AFChap]

I've certainly done my part to boost it in the past few weeks here in the DFW area with RV park fees, roof sealant repair, and a new cooling unit in my refrigerator!!

[Jim Stewart]

Un-employment well above 10%. Housing values down by 40-50% with 1 in every 6 behind in their payments or under foreclosure. Small businesses going out of business faster than an old lady slipping on ice. Most products have increased in price and shrunk in size. Eighty year old men are now taking jobs packing groceries at the Publix Supermarkets. Cars on sitting un-sold on the Car Dealers lots that were not dumped (closed) in the Bankruptcies. My Mom lost her Medicare Supplement payments from the Auto Industry and her drugs that used to total $50/month are now $250/month. Instead of a COLA from Social Security, she may get $250 this year.

Golds up, stocks up, oils up, dollars down. People are now back to only loosing about 30% of what they saved. Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play!

[JJHoneck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 75racer doing in your area?

Our business is down 30% from what it was in 2008. (We own and operate a small, aviation-themed boutique hotel.) The travel industry isn't predicted to recover now until 2012, at the soonest.

[diandtom]

The Social Security COA that we not getting this year. I wonder if the House and Senate going to vote themselves a raise this year ?

[RedneckExpress]

Still be in the dumpster.

[Meandering Retiree]

Going to get worse before it gets better.

[CorsairIIAT]

Its not too bad here. The Dodge dealer did go under. But probably would have been closed anyway by Dodge. Because of the BRAC there is over 200 million worth of construction going on on the local Navy base. I did take a hit in Oct. Took a 30 % pay cut to keep working. The RV park I'm in is full from all the construction workers.

[Jackm]

The campground I'm staying at is being foreclosed. The owner's husband died not long ago and she can't cope with the drop in reservations over the last two years. Up here in Northern New England, things are VERY bad. Lots of folks losing their homes, their cars, their savings, and their way of life.

Now that winter is coming, they're going to be hit with heating costs that can now run as high as $1500/month in January and February. Problem is, they can't come up with an extra $50/month let alone $1500. Not that it really matters since most have already been black-listed by the local oil companies. Some families have wood stoves but firewood isn't cheap and there's no one to tend the stove all day while they work. When the temperatures start dropping below zero next month, they'll have to contend with freezing pipes as they do most years. Other than that, everything is fine.

Jack

[75racer]

I have been without a full time job for a year and one month. Things don't look good here in Wisconsin.

[read & learn]

One good sign in "The Arizona Republic" today reads SNOWBIRDS ARE BACK. It also states that winter visitors on the rise again and staying longer.
Reservations are up over what they were 3 years ago. Last year we were 85% full, right now we're looking at 95%.
I know this is just a drop in the bucket for the Phoenix area, but it is a start to help the locals get back on their feet.
Article also stated at least 50% of their visitors are Canadians as their dollar is up.

[fatboysrule]

Not bad in the Midwest, sold our house in 2 weeks, well above what we paid for it 5 years ago. Real Estate and Retail both up the last three months. We need to stop listening to the news, and look at the indicators.

[JJHoneck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatboysrule We need to stop listening to the news, and look at the indicators.

You mean the indicators like the one announced last week by GM? Only in our current "bizarro world" could a loss of over a B-B-B-B-B-BILLION dollars be seen as a "sign of progress"...

About the only good think I can say about this economy is that it's sure made finding qualified help MUCH easier. With over 6 unemployed workers for every job opening, we now have our "pick of the litter"...

[fatboysrule]

As I said don't get all your information from the News, how did GM get in this mess, built cars nobody wanted, not one car in the top ten, their board did nothing in the face of the disaster coming, paid workers not to work, benefits that anyone would envy. What part of this problem lays with the United Auto Workers and the management of GM.