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[Lifetime]

Sorry.... this is...to me watching people dying that a year ago were alive and they are still dying at a slower rate.... BUT still they die and families die with them... Hmmmm Do I want Terminal cancer with a 6 month prognosis or do I step out in heavy traffic.... Or... Hmmmm Choices Bubonic Plague or Eboli... which one is BETTER???
 
 

When 500,000 more lose their jobs and it is less than normal and we think that is a positive..
 

I actually do. Last November people were losing their jobs to the tune of 800,000 a month, so 175,000 a month is better by my math. Then, the news was all negative, with no reasonable idea how bad things would get, or how long it would last. Would the financial industry collapse?
Today thing are way better. The outlook is optomistic, not grim.
Are people suffering? Of course. No matter what the economy, there are always those that suffer. Recessions cause more to suffer. Recovery, no matter how slow, lessens that suffering.

[TiFeMb]

Lifetime: The outlook for your particular region of the US IS grim. There are fundamental problems in the economy there that haven't been addressed for decades.
 
I totally agree that you need to act on a local level to change things, but obviously people there seem to like their representation.
 
I agree with Puffin that you have to have a positive outlook with realistic expectations: Change what you can and encourage who you can. My experience in Crawford and Erie counties was one of dog eat dog, so that may play a part in your grim outlook.
 
I lived there through the 70's when you couldn't even get a job at McDonalds (2.35 an hour even!), at least where I am, you can cobble together 2 or 3 jobs to get by.
 
I tell my relatives in Michigan all the time: The past is gone. If you can't find a job, move where the jobs are. They still need a ton of construction help on the gulf coast (Texas, MS, ALA) and there are a lot of places in this world that are hiring...
 
Maybe just not Meadville/Western PA.
 
And that is a problem that needs to be discussed, not who's king of the hill in washington or harrisburg. People in your area should, like you, be active locally instead of being glued to fox news or cnn.

[Lifetime]

I will admit to you, I am a news junkie...be it national or local. I am retired so I do have steady income.... so far. I stay because... I was born and raised here and so far have lived below my means. I don't do without, just not all the bells and whistles. Yes, you are right.... things are bad here..
 
Economically, as a nation we have become the "junkie" of the world.... we will buy ANYTHING at a lower price and that at the cost of jobs we use to have. We have less large manufactuing here than we use to.
 
Locally, we couldn't attract flies if we were week old dung..... tax base is too prohibitive to attract all but small shops and Pizza Businesses. We are now putting all our eggs in ONE basket so to speak with the Health Businesses and Penn State. The rest is to serve those who are employeed by those two entities.
 
A large part of our actual citizens are there with a hand out once a month and food stamps in their pocket. Retirees and those still able to get our rears in gear for work, are expected to ramp up the Tax System within the cities and county. When we go to our final reward...so will this county and cities. No one else left to actually pay the electric bill so to speak.
 
We have entirely TOO many people on public dole and too easy of a system to allow that to happen. My mother started to work here in our valley in the 40's at the Texas Lunch as a waitress and now we have people who are unwilling to sling burgers at McDonalds.... Some seem to prefer selling drugs as long as you can take $1500 and convert it to a pound of Grass without getting your Arse shot at or off. I see a lot of probation that shouldn't be. And I see a lot of absentee landlords who could give a crap less who they rent to as long as PA sends their check to the account in the agreement. When people don't care..... this happens.
 
Now....don't think this will not come to a "Venue near you". See...the "good people" leave and the "bad ones" move in. When the pickings get slim... even they move.... sometimes down the street from YOU. No one is loyal anymore, sans their immediate family and are always looking for that "POT O' GOLD" elsewhere. When you bail, you give up and give in.... The homes either get sold for pennies on the dollar or are abandoned. Stores close, schools deplete, but the need for safety increases and the vicious circle.... less people paying for the Safety Forces and infrastructure and no one to bill but those who were loyal. You may not be facing this where you are YET.... but if the DAM gets TOO full... it will wash your way.
 
A good measure of community is to observe the total function of the schools and the activities within... legal and illegal. Those are the future.... Even those who held their noses up in our county are now seeing activities they have not seen 5 years ago. Either hold the line or let it continue.... by moving... again. then REPEAT until you paint yourself in the proverbial corner.
 
 

Lifetime: The outlook for your particular region of the US IS grim. There are fundamental problems in the economy there that haven't been addressed for decades.
 
I totally agree that you need to act on a local level to change things, but obviously people there seem to like their representation.
 
I agree with Puffin that you have to have a positive outlook with realistic expectations: Change what you can and encourage who you can. My experience in Crawford and Erie counties was one of dog eat dog, so that may play a part in your grim outlook.
 
I lived there through the 70's when you couldn't even get a job at McDonalds (2.35 an hour even!), at least where I am, you can cobble together 2 or 3 jobs to get by.
 
I tell my relatives in Michigan all the time: The past is gone. If you can't find a job, move where the jobs are. They still need a ton of construction help on the gulf coast (Texas, MS, ALA) and there are a lot of places in this world that are hiring...
 
Maybe just not Meadville/Western PA.
 
And that is a problem that needs to be discussed, not who's king of the hill in washington or harrisburg. People in your area should, like you, be active locally instead of being glued to fox news or cnn.

[TiFeMb]

You're right, a lot of people don't pull their own weight. I thought you could only be on the dole for 2 years now?
 
btw, I worked at McDonalds 40 hrs a week in HS to support myself to take the pressure off the family.
 
I didn't move to leave what I didn't like, I LOVE the area, especially the outlying areas of Crawford County. I left because there aren't any jobs! I work in the IT industry and can find work in a number of places, just not there.
 
It's different down here, lots of suburbs, we have our share of ghetto but when it starts encroaching on the good neighborhoods they/we fight it back. It's hard to explain but things are 'different' elsewhere. I have lived all over the country and the only place I have found less opportunity (than Western PA) is Detroit. I have relatives there and man, it's sad.
 
MnM doesn't make it any easier by glorifying being poor and in the ghettos of Detroit....
 
I ramble but hey, I'm glad you're doing alright. Just keep fighting the good fight where you're at!

[lifefeedsonlife]

The Senate unveiled 'their' version of healthcare . . .

yay.

“Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now.” - Thomas Jefferson

[Lifetime]

I went through the House Version with Veterans in mind... I found some scarey proposals involving Native Americans utilizing the VA and if they are Veterans no problem but what  see.... The HHS will have provisions to bill the VA but the other way around.... not so much
 
Now I quickly went through over 2000 more pages of the Senate proposal.... Veterans..... There seems to be some shady regulations on the Medications prescribed in the VA and Tri-Care with some shady wordings on means to administer the Meds and possibly prosthesis.
 
Personally. I am still trying to figure out why the Veterans Administration was even mentioned in this..... It has a separate Cabinet Position and once a year we take the Independent Budget to Washington and present it to the Joint Committee in order to show what is needed to finance the services/Bricks and Mortar the VA already has. Now we have to worry that another entity will be suckling at the teat that we Veterans have prepared and worked to set in place. To me, in my opinion.... this is just a backdoor grab by HHS to add more money to their Dept. at the cost of cannibalizing the VA. IMHO.
 
This whole thing sucks but I am just one person.
 
 

The Senate unveiled 'their' version of healthcare . . .

yay.

“Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now.” - Thomas Jefferson

[NightmarePatrol]

I beloieve the VA was mentioned as the government wants to consolidate health care under one giant umbrella (except for government officials of course) to reduce the costs. Weather or not any savings would be realized remains to be seen. The same thing is going on in the financial sector.

I suspect the end result will be "divisions" in the health care system. I chose "divisions" because that's exactly what it's going to be.

[Lifetime]

This is the very reason we do NOT want private hands in this.... The VA Health System is.... no matter what you have heard or read.... one of the BEST Health Systems in our country. This is why the other Health Systems have been trying to aquire it. I have seen the reports on the VA compared to the private/public crap. I don't have the actual reports handy but... I am sure if you address this to the Mercer County VA Director at the Mercer County Courthouse, he will find it easier than I could. The VA is very highly rated. Private sectors what to emulate it and would love to "own" it.
 
The VA System was created for VETERANS ONLY. It was meant to originally take care of those who were harmed while in the mission of serving their country. If the black and white turns gray.... we have veared from that mission.
 
 

I beloieve the VA was mentioned as the government wants to consolidate health care under one giant umbrella (except for government officials of course) to reduce the costs. Weather or not any savings would be realized remains to be seen. The same thing is going on in the financial sector.

I suspect the end result will be "divisions" in the health care system. I chose "divisions" because that's exactly what it's going to be.

[TiFeMb]

Lifetime: keep up the good work. A lot of us don't have the time to peruse these documents, and I appreciate your effort. If more of you retired folk had your gumption, we could probably take back washington (or eliminate it to a degree)
 
I'm confused now, I thought the 2 separate bills went through the house AND senate and the last bill was the combination that got voted on. So the HOUSE bill took that long to get passed? Sheesh, what a bunch of idiots.

[Lifetime]

Confused... LOL From the chain of event necessary.... they are .... just now going to vote ..now get this.... to even discuss the Senate Bill. God help us... they need an act of Congress to just FART..  ...
 
There is even a proposed bill to award Purple Hearts to those killed and wounded in Ft Hood and they haven't YET found the guts to call this an act of a Terrorist. WTF? Don't think this doesn't have those who earned the Purple Heart in a War Zone ... wondering the same.
 
You have no idea what Confusion is until you put 535 people into the mix when ANYTHING needs "discussed". Votes are bought and sold like the express lane at Walmart.
 
They keep you focused on their right hand while the left hand is cleaning you out of money and security. I think this is why they call them CONgress as opposed to PROgress.
 
 

Lifetime: keep up the good work. A lot of us don't have the time to peruse these documents, and I appreciate your effort. If more of you retired folk had your gumption, we could probably take back washington (or eliminate it to a degree)
 
I'm confused now, I thought the 2 separate bills went through the house AND senate and the last bill was the combination that got voted on. So the HOUSE bill took that long to get passed? Sheesh, what a bunch of idiots.

[lifefeedsonlife]

http://www.resistnet.com/notes/Top-Line_Facts_and_CBO_Highlights_of_Reid_Bill
 
A link to a summary of the effects of the Reid version of Healthcare "reform" in the Senate. I tried calling the P aSenators today to express my concerns over the bill - but their voicemails are full. (Both good and bad I guess.) Sending them emails instead.
 
Though that's far less effective.
 
http://casey.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
 
http://specter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=contact.contactform
 
If you want to do the same.

[IC2ITUC]

LIFE,  This Socialist Democrat party is going to pass the final version of the HC Plan no matter what the majority of the people want.  Their next main thrust most likely, will be processes to establish a  one world government and the loss of an individual's attachment to their country's social systems, religions, values, systems of government, etc.  This is also foretold in the Bible of course.  The current President and his followers are being shown for what they are, but the average person is so dumbed down and readily dupped, that this country deserves what happens to it, to finally wake some of them up.  It's just a shame that we who can see through their real plans have to put up with it, but we chose to be here during these times and we have a place, as Christ's followers and soldiers, to do what we can to thwart them and their diabolical plans as best we can. I'm glad that you are doing your part.  God Bless

[lifefeedsonlife]

R's and D's alike are the problem. When you look at deficit increases and spending as a whole - there's been leaps and bopunds this decade - much of it under complete R control. Not good. It's like they're hellbent on tanking us for some reason . . . though I think the reasons are obvious for those who care to look a little deeper . . . .

[TiFeMb]

This is also foretold in the Bible of course

that's what keeps me calm.
 

[lifefeedsonlife]

Well - this wasn't exactly foretold - but it could be interpreted as such. But - gotta agree with you TiFe - for those who believe in a certain fashion, the end of the story is certain.