ButAsForMe 

Recovery

The Big Squeeze

December 27, 2011

For retailers the holidays have spelled more traffic by customers, but smaller profits.  So, how do we explain the coverage on the nightly newscasts of crowds fighting to get into the stores?  A combination of pent-up desire from shopping junkies, controlled inventories, and large discounts. Despite the consumer having less to spend since inflation continues to [...]

Tagged as: Me sales, retail sales 2011, sears and kmart closings, the new face of the consumer, what holiday sales really tell us

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Consumers Saying Bah Humbug!

December 16, 2011

As the race to the bottom of cutting profit margins by retailers continues despite the mainstream media’s hype to convince viewers and readers that the economy has turned a corner and consumer confidence has returned as evidenced by the sales on Black Friday/Cyber Monday, the truth of the matter is that it ain’t necessarily so. [...]

Tagged as: consumers and holiday sales, demise of middle class, demise of the middle class, holiday donations, Middle Class, problems with consumer driven economy, Reformed Liberal, savvy consumers, stock market, unemployment stats, why consumers are spending

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Proposed Agenda For Occupy Wall Street #4: Prevent Another Financial Collapse By Breaking Up Big Banks

December 10, 2011

Strings were never tied to TARP, and as a result Wall Street and the financial institutions have learned zip from their wanton, careless and risky behavior pre-2008.  It is their sheer size that created the nation coming so close to the edge, and if the present problems of the European Union tells us anything is [...]

Tagged as: Break-up the Banks, James Kwak, Proposed Agenda for OWS, simon johnson, vulnerability of u.s banks and corporations to eu crisis

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Merry Christmas Begins With ‘ME’

November 29, 2011

Wall Street rallied on Monday coming off a Thanksgiving Week debacle not seen since the Great Depression and the media asks if the increases in retail on Black Friday and Cyber Monday indicate a change in consumer confidence and a upward swing of the U.S. economy that is 70% driven by consumer spending.  Hold on, [...]

Tagged as: Black Friday, Charlie Rose, consumer confidence, consumer spending, cyber monday, David Brooks, frugal fatigue, narcissism and overspending, Wall Street

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Obama Cuts Long Term Care Option For Seniors

November 10, 2011

One of the few benefits of Obama care for the middle class has gone on the chopping block–long term care.  CLASS, the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program has been abandoned by Obama’s Administration leaving a void in a health care system that specifically hits the working class. CLASS was seen as an initial [...]

Tagged as: AARP, CLASS, CLASS another hit on middle class, long term care, Middle Class, Obama Care, YES WE CAN IF WE KNEW HOW

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Jobs Report Indicates Stalled Economy

November 4, 2011

In the midst of reports of the rapid decline of the middle class, the October jobs report gives little comfort as the U.S.  economy continues to sputter and stall.  Forget the spin doctors, the 80,000 hiring gains is abysmally less than the 250,000 needed to turn around an economy that has lost 8 million jobs.  [...]

Tagged as: ecolnomy stutters and stalls, GOP, no way to spin lackluster jobs report, Obama, October 2011 jobs report, Reformed Liberal, unemployment at 9%

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Too Little, Too Late By EU May Spell Double Dip for US

October 25, 2011

Despite the hype on the meeting this week by the G20 to resolve debt issues of Greece, Italy and other financially troubled members of the EU, there is real fear that any deal struck will not go far  enough to prevent defaults and recapitalize their banks.  Failure to act decisively and boldly will have an [...]

Tagged as: banks, Belgium, Brussels, Double Dip Recession, Federal Reserve, France, G20, germany, Goldman-Sachs, Greece, Italy, JP Morgan Chase, New World Order, Portugal, Quantitative Easing, recapitalize europe's banks, Spain, United Kingdom, Vatican, wall street rally

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A Lonely Nation…

October 11, 2011

“Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon. Going to the candidate’s debate. Laugh about it, shout about it When you’ve got to choose Every way you look at this you lose. Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, Our nation turns it’s lonely eyes to you. What’s that you say, Mrs. Robinson. Joltin’ Joe has [...]

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Finally Obama Shows Fire In The Belly! (VIDEO)

September 8, 2011

In the midst of rumors of a possible 9/11 Al Qaeda threat from Pakistan, President Obama asked the Congress tonight to “Pass (his) American Jobs  Act,” as a necessary step to get the economy moving by reforming regulations and hiring incentives  especially for small businesses, and a larger payroll tax cut as a relief measure [...]

Tagged as: Obama Addresses Congress On American Jobs Act, Obama Jobs Plan, Obama Shows Fire In The Belly, Reformed Liberal, The Grauntlet Has Been Thrown Down By Obama, Threat of Al Qaeda as 9/11 Approaches, Video and Transcript of Obama's Address To Congress

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Europe’s Stock Market Plunges On Possible U.S. Second Recession

September 5, 2011

Labor Day rescues Wall Street as Europeans head for cover in the Swiss franc  and bonds.  While the U.S. market was closed today on a holiday that recognizes labor’s contribution to the nation, European markets fell sharply in anticipating a shaky world economy that includes a possible  second U.S.recession, lack of a solution to Greece’s [...]

Tagged as: August Jobs Report, European and Asian Markets Plunge As U.S. celebrates Labor Day, Second Recession

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No New Jobs Created In August!

September 2, 2011

Not since 1946 has the jobs gained in a month equaled the jobs lost netting a zero improvement.  As a result, the unemployment rate remains at 9.1%, with real number of  those unemployed rising to 16.2%, rekindling the rumors of a double dip recession.  Further, June and July hiring figures were downsized along with work [...]

Tagged as: 1946 Unemployment Record, August 2011 unemployment, Summer 2011 jobs tank

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