Friday, July 8, 2011

Hope and Change, YES WE...can?


Barrack Hussein Obama was inaugurated at Noon, January 20th, 2009...

January 2009
TODAY
% chg
Source
Avg.. Retail price/gallon gas in U.S.
$1.83
$3.44
84%
1
Crude oil, European Brent (barrel)
$43..48
$99..02
127.7%
2
Crude oil, West TX Inter. (barrel)
$38..74
$91..38
135.9%
2
Gold: London (per troy oz.)
$853.25
$1,369.50
60.5%
2
Corn, No. 2 yellow, Central IL
$3.56
$6.33
78.1%
2
Soybeans, No. 1 yellow, IL
$9.66
$13..75
42.3%
2
Sugar, cane, raw, world, lb. Fob
$13..37
$35..39
164.7%
2
Unemployment rate, non-farm, overall
7.6%
9.4%
23.7%
3
Unemployment rate, blacks
12.6%
15.8%
25.4%
3
Number of unemployed
11,616,000
14,485,000
24.7%
3
Number of fed. Employees
2,779,000
2,840,000
2.2%
3
Real median household income
$50,112
$49,777
-0.7%
4
Number of food stamp recipients
31,983,716
43,200,878
35.1%
5
Number of unemployment benefit recipients
7,526,598
9,193,838
22.2%
6
Number of long-term unemployed
2,600,000
6,400,000
146.2%
3
Poverty rate, individuals
13.2%
14.3%
8.3%
4
People in poverty in U.S.
39,800,000
43,600,000
9.5%
4
U.S.. Rank in Economic Freedom World Rankings
5
9
n/a
10
Present Situation Index
29.9
23.5
-21.4%
11
Failed banks
140
164
17.1%
12
U.S.. Dollar versus Japanese yen exchange rate
89.76
82.03
-8.6%
2
U.S.. Money supply, M1, in billions
1,575.1
1,865.7
18.4%
13
U.S.. Money supply, M2, in billions
8,310.9
8,852.3
6.5%
13
National debt, in trillions
$10..627
$14..052
32.2%
14
Just take this last item: In the last two years we have accumulated national debt at a rate more than 27 times as fast as during the rest of our entire nation's history.
Over 27 times as fast. Metaphorically speaking, if you are driving in the right lane doing 65 MPH and a car rockets past you in the left lane. 
27 times faster, it would be doing 7,555 MPH!
Sources:
(1) U.S. Energy Information Administration; (2) Wall Street Journal; (3) Bureau of Labor Statistics; (4) Census Bureau; (5) USDA; (6) U.S. Dept. Of Labor; 
(7) FHFA; (8) Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller; (9) RealtyTrac; (10) Heritage Foundation and WSJ; (11) The Conference Board; (12) FDIC; 
(13) Federal Reserve; (14) U.S. Treasury

Union curbs rescue a Wisconsin school district | Byron York | Politics | Washington Examiner

Competition results in more options for the consumer (in this case, BOTH the school district AND the union teacher) and lower prices.
Nice.
Union curbs rescue a Wisconsin school district | Byron York | Politics | Washington Examiner

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Outstanding quiz. How'd you do?

Take this quiz without 'looking up the answers in the back of the book (Google)'.  I got a 100%.  But then again, I have a major in Poly Sci, and a Masters in Econ with some Doc work.  Outstanding quiz.      http://www.isi.org/quiz.aspx?q=FE5C3B47-9675-41E0-9CF3-072BB31E2692

Red State, Blue State, Great State, Bad State...of economic activity.

I am from and live in Michigan.  After ten years of smashing, bashing and under-cutting the business community by our lovely state and national gov'ts, I'm frankly amazed it isn't worse.  Then again, it could have sky-rocketed from it's doldrums with the recent actions of the Republican lead legislature, and the "One tough nerd" Republican governor.  Long story short, the poor cannot be helped if there aren't any rich or middle class to tax. (Such an uplifting viewpoint!)   http://www.cnbc.com/id/41666602/

Monday, June 20, 2011

Super Rich? Super!

Apparently, the Super-Rich are earning their income, whereas decades ago, they inherited it.  So, the Kennedies versus the Jobs of the world.  Guess who wins?  And who loses in the court of public opinion?  Here's a quote, "Many of today’s super-rich started out in the middle and make most of their money through work, not inheritance. Ninety-five years ago, the richest 1 percent of Americans received only 20 percent of their income from paid work; in 2004, that income proportion had tripled, to 60 percent."  So...what' s the problem?  Is it Nouveau Rich v Old Money?   In an ostensible meritocracy, our current crop of Super-Rich should be lauded as those who earned their way.  However, these facts get in the way of an oh-so fun beer fueled rant by the guy on welfare blowing his check at the bar inside the casino...       http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/07/the-14-biggest-ideas-of-the-year/8556/12/