For a lot of people, it is not at all clear we've hit bottom. There's still a limping economy out there -- even if you live in relatively prosperous northern California where there are intimations of another tech boom.
Yesterday a friend reported that her construction worker husband is once again out of work. Jobs have been hit and miss for awhile. What's this mean?
This was a solidly middle class family until Wall Street's speculative "bets" crashed their livelihood."Well, he rebuilt the engine on his car …
"And in a couple of months we'll have to choose -- will we make the house payment? or pay our local taxes -- they call them "fees"? or will we buy health insurance?" We'll only be able to do one of these ...
Even if her husband gets a job next week and they escape their immediate crisis, these are not young people. They have few resources for retirement and no time to rebuild.
The one percent trashed their dreams and walked away with their bonuses and our political system seems unable to help them -- or any of us.
Yeah, I'm angry. And I intend to remain active. Nothing else to do ...
1 comment:
I grew up with a father who worked in the meat industry which meant the work was often interrupted by hard economic times (people buy less beef) and strikes. Construction people out here in the rural area mostly didn't have steady work either as down times can quickly mean no work. There is a lot of 'work by the job' people out here. I feel concerned we not forget the economy or buy into what the statistics tell us. But times of great financial stability have been rare for most people throughout history. Having grown up in a household with a lot of ups and downs, I have never taken for granted that good times will last-- and live/lived that way.
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