"Median household income in 2000 was $52,500; in 2008, it was $50,303."
~~ Time Magazine
In 2008, the Dow fell nearly 34%, the worst since 1931; the S&P was down 38.5%, the worst since 1937.
"The stock market is down 26 percent since 2000. (Inflation-adjusted, it's even worse.)"
~~ Time Magazine, Nov 2009
"There are six times as many Americans seeking work as there are job openings."
~~ Paul Krugman, New York Times, Nov 2009
"The Bureau of Labor Statistics employment-to-population ratio of 80.6 percent in November 2009 is the lowest since B.L.S. began keeping track in 1948."
~~ Time Magazine
"One recent survey shows that 44 percent of U.S. families experienced a job loss, a reduction in hours, or a pay cut in the past year."
~~ Don Peck, The Atlantic Magazine, March 2010
Want to know where you can move your checking and savings accounts away from the Big Banks? Check out free website www.MoveYourMoney.info
"In November [2009], 19.4 percent of all men [in the U.S.] in their prime working years of 25 to 54 did not have jobs, the highest figure since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the statistic in 1948."
~~ The Atlantic Magazine
"Twenty-four percent of U.S. workers between 18 & 34 do not earn enough to pay monthly bills, up 10 percent from 1999."
~~ per AFL-CIO 2009 survey
"The average amount of equity that Americans have in their homes has dropped from 59 percent in 2005 to 41 percent [in 2009], by far the lowest level on record."
~~ Newsweek Magazine
A young worker at a local Burger King volunteered the information that their most popular menu item is the Dollar Menu.
Over 100 U.S. banks failed in 2009 (the last time was in 1992, during the Bush 41 administration), which emptied the coffers of the F.D.I.C.
POLITICS
On 21 January 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court struck another blow for fascism and against freedom & liberty in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. case reversing a full century of election campaign finance restrictions on the ability of corporations to purchase any elected office that they want. The principle that they stood for is "One million dollers, one vote".
"I figured out why carbon credits seem like a bad idea: It is like an overweight person paying a friend to go to the gym and exercise for them."
~~ G.E. Nordell
Wealthy motor-mouth Sarah Palin's grandchild is receiving federal A.D.C. (Aid to Dependent Children) money.
~~ per several news reports
On 9 March 2010, Limp Rushbaugh threatened to leave the country if ObamaCare passed in Congress. Bye-bye, dirtbag, and good riddance.
"With only half of taxpayers having filed thus far, refunds are already up nearly 10% from last year, thanks to a broad array of tax cuts in the [American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]."
~~ U.S. Congressman Martin Heinrich [Dem NM-01]
LIFE IN AMERICA
"U.S. schools rank 32nd internationally in math scores, tenth in science, and 12th in reading."
~~ Time Magazine, January 2010
"The U.S. incarcerates 25 percent of the world's prisoners while having only 5 percent of the total population."
~~ Peter Stoup of Wisconsin
Modern Consumerism: There is now a $30 hearing aid disguised as a Bluetooth earpiece.
Not a lot of labor union activity out here in the boonies, and New Mexico does not have an overtime law. (California law is time-and-a-half after 8 hours in the day, or after 40 hours in the week.) The result here is many obviously worn-out workers at the local grocery and several local fast-food stores. The cashier at Taco Bell was dead on her feet and could barely make change, and co-workers in the back were way behind, and no manager in sight. (Current corporate policy seems to be to burn the workers out and throw them away, the next in line will beg to obey the corporate slave-masters.)
OTHER MATTERS
"The U.S. Brder Patrol has almost 17,500 agents stationed along the southern border, or the equivalent of 8.8 agents per linear mile."
~~ A.C.L.U. of New Mexico
Recently discovered the IndieGoGo.com incubator platform for independent film, music and other artisitic and community projects. Artists who join can then seek funding, collaboration, distribution – whatever is needed to realize the project. And IndieGoGo just acquired the online distributor Distribber.com which will (for a fee) add your video content to the iTunes and-or Amazon Video-On-Demand and-or Netflix Watch Instantly streaming sites, and then pay royalties on sales.
IndieGoGo official website • Distribber official website
"There are 600 coal-fired power plants in America, as against a hundred nuclear-powered ones."
~~ The Atlantic Magazine
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