Another sign that the US economy is improving...

**MomToTwoBoys** · 08-07-2008, 02:44 AM

The Canadian dollar has fallen about 5 cents in the last week or so. It's sitting at 0.9545 or 1.0477 USD at closing. It's also projected to go even further down. The price of oil also closed out today at around $118 a barrel.

I guess that four year budget of $80 million in Iraq really did something to the speculators.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/06/mark...ion=2008080617

(Above is about stocks boosted by sliding oil prices.)

http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/06/mark...ion=2008080613

(Above is about rising value of the dollar and its projected growth.)

As of today, CNN polls also show that the number one issue on Americans' minds right now is the economy. Who is the one candidate they feel can do the best with the economy?

Barack Obama

(I don't overall care for the guy, but if he can make the economy stronger and help us all stretch our dollar that much further then I am all for it.)

**Greebo** · 08-07-2008, 05:29 AM

While the office of the President can certainly influence the economy, the idea that any President is solely responsible for good OR bad times is ... sad.

The person in my mirror controls my economy above anything.

**Sonnenwende** · 08-07-2008, 06:39 AM

What is actually causing this is:

1) A forecast for a weakening global economy.
2) Drop in oil prices.
3) For CND, it is a report on high commodities prices hurting Canadian manufacturing.

Obama isn't Jesus. He had basically nothing to do with it.

**Cricketlegs** · 08-07-2008, 09:47 AM

I don't see why he can make the economy better---all I see is him raising our taxes and MAKING me buy health insurance I can't afford.

**Sonnenwende** · 08-07-2008, 09:50 AM

Of course he has to raise taxes and not for just welfare. Have you seen the national decifict/debt lately?! Money to pay for what the Republicans got us into isn't going to come out of the sky.

**Greebo** · 08-07-2008, 09:51 AM

I have a hard time seeing how raising taxes and increasing spending (healthcare) will serve to reduce the deficit.

I don't like either of the major candidates, for the record.

**Sonnenwende** · 08-07-2008, 10:00 AM

I think we should move to a single payer system like I used in Germany. I had great health care. I was never denied anything that I remember. Sure, it has problems, but so does ours and both my husband and I 100% agree that our quality of life dropped vastly in the health department moving back to the US.

That said, I also am not a big fan of either canidate. There is a huge mess to be mopped up for whoever gets into office. I doubt much else will be done besides damage control and it will stall progress in either direction for both canidates.

**scottp999** · 08-07-2008, 12:47 PM

I think we should move away from socialism, not run toward it. We should also support a free market, not managed markets with managed trade agreements. We are in for a lot of pain, continuing devaluation of our currency and standard of living.

People like to compare currencies against each other, and that's fine, but you have to remember that they are all unbacked, debt based fiat currencies in fractional reserve banking.

If each governement could devalue (inflate the supply) their currency at the same rate then all currencies would look stable. They would not be stable, they would all just be devaluing at the same rate.

Based on CPI (which understates inflation) the Federal Reserve's own caculator shows the US currency has been devalued over 95% since they became the central bank in 1913. This trend will continue.

We have defaulted on our obligations (been bankrupt) twice since 1913. Once in 1933 during the Great Depression, and in August of 1971 when Nixon closed the gold window, defaulting on our obligations based on the Bretton Woods agreement (after the Great Depression) that made the US currency, the reserve currency of the world.

The current Federal Reserve notes we carry around are 37 years old. When's the next time we will default, and how will it be handled? Or will we continue to inflate the money supply (devalue the currency) in order to pay back old debts with newly created money, hurting savers and people on fixed incomes?

**MomToTwoBoys** · 08-07-2008, 01:46 PM

Oh I'm not saying that any candidate has an influence on how the economy is, but alot of people saw one having a better outlook on the economy and how to handle it than the other. Either way, whichever candidate is voted into office and their respective Senate/HoR has to clean up the mess that the current President has put the country into. That mess not only includes stuff domestically, but it also includes international relations. The US economy has so much influence in how the value of the dollar in Canada is and I'm particularly interested because my pension is from the VA. If the USD is on par with the CDN, I actually lose money or break even. If the CDN sits lower than the USD, then I get more. I always budget the montly amount that the VA sets out tables for in December, but any extra amount is better for us in terms of savings and bill payments.

Canada has a socialist system in terms of health care (I believe). Everyone in Alberta is covered and payments into health care are subsidized based on the previous tax year's income. It's a marvelous system, to me, because we are able to defer our health care premium payments to DH's employer. On January 1, 2009, health premiums all together are being scrapped. While that may not affect us, it will affect others who have had to pay premiums and it'll flush more money into the Alberta economy. We have a pretty high cost of living and with that comes things I didn't get when I lived in the US, like health care coverage. I think I'd rather pay more in taxes and have my quality of life improved in more than one facet, like cleaner air and good health care.

Sadly, it's going to take as long as George Bush and the eight years he's been in office to clean up the mess he's thrown everyone into. This is why I can't stand him, one of the reasons anyways.

**mike1w** · 08-07-2008, 02:08 PM

I changed my post to be less adversarial. I think Bush is irrelevant, I am sick of hearing about him. And I don't like him because his patriot act has eroded our freedom. I would like to kindly request that we discuss issues, and leave out individuals not currently seeking to be the next president.

**kimmy4433** · 08-07-2008, 02:53 PM

I really will be knocked around but here goes........

I have never voted strait ticket, nor will I. I always pick the best person for the job, but that does not mean that person will do a good job, just a better job then the other. Which is why I voted for Bush. Kerry would have put his tail between his legs! And just because I like Heinz ketchup does not mean he got my vote!

Now I have to pay out of my pocket each month $400.00 for healthcare and dental (BCBS). I have no vision coverage so that is another $300.00 average out of pocket for me (contacts and glasses) I work full time 40 hours a week and the company contributes $500.00 a month for my health care and dental insurance. Sure you may be thinking I make good money, but after the Bi-weekly health deduction my check is reduced by 25%. If it were not for my DH income I would be considered poor. My DH on the other hand works anywhere from 20 to 80 hours a week (plumber) and is offered Omni-Care health insurance. Sure it would only cost him about 1/4 of what I pay, but BCBS is a much better insurance so we pay the extra to insure good coverage for our daughter.

So I pay a large amount for myself, DH, and DD. BUT I work for what I have and I pay for what I have. I do not think those individuals whom chose not to work should be entitled to the same coverage and care as I have nor do I think I should be required to pay extra for "better" insurance. But at the same time I do believe ALL employers should be required to OFFER some type of coverage. Anything is better then nothing. Not that we should all have the same type, just ANY type.

How will companies afford to offer insurance especially if they are a small company? That is where the government should step in and STOP sending our jobs over seas. Start penalizing companies who do an outrageous amount of penalties and more employers will stay hear creating more jobs thus a stronger economy. I get that cheap = less cost to consumers, but when does the safety of our children and our selves loose value over saving money? I would much rather pay extra money for safety, as I am sure most of us would.

I have no answers just opinions and they are mine to have. But the government needs to do something. I have worked for the same company for 4 years and the only thing on my pay check to increase is my taxes. Hell Granholm penalized people for working in Michigan instead of raising the sales tax. If she would have raised the sales tax it would have generated more money as everyone would have had to pay (visitors, workers, SAHP) not just the workers who stuck around this godforsaken state.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 08-07-2008, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by kimmy4433

I really will be knocked around but here goes........

I have never voted strait ticket, nor will I. I always pick the best person for the job, but that does not mean that person will do a good job, just a better job then the other. Which is why I voted for Bush. Kerry would have put his tail between his legs! And just because I like Heinz ketchup does not mean he got my vote!

Now I have to pay out of my pocket each month $400.00 for healthcare and dental (BCBS). I have no vision coverage so that is another $300.00 average out of pocket for me (contacts and glasses) I work full time 40 hours a week and the company contributes $500.00 a month for my health care and dental insurance. Sure you may be thinking I make good money, but after the Bi-weekly health deduction my check is reduced by 25%. If it were not for my DH income I would be considered poor. My DH on the other hand works anywhere from 20 to 80 hours a week (plumber) and is offered Omni-Care health insurance. Sure it would only cost him about 1/4 of what I pay, but BCBS is a much better insurance so we pay the extra to insure good coverage for our daughter.

So I pay a large amount for myself, DH, and DD. BUT I work for what I have and I pay for what I have. I do not think those individuals whom chose not to work should be entitled to the same coverage and care as I have nor do I think I should be required to pay extra for "better" insurance. But at the same time I do believe ALL employers should be required to OFFER some type of coverage. Anything is better then nothing. Not that we should all have the same type, just ANY type.

How will companies afford to offer insurance especially if they are a small company? That is where the government should step in and STOP sending our jobs over seas. Start penalizing companies who do an outrageous amount of penalties and more employers will stay hear creating more jobs thus a stronger economy. I get that cheap = less cost to consumers, but when does the safety of our children and our selves loose value over saving money? I would much rather pay extra money for safety, as I am sure most of us would.

I have no answers just opinions and they are mine to have. But the government needs to do something. I have worked for the same company for 4 years and the only thing on my pay check to increase is my taxes. Hell Granholm penalized people for working in Michigan instead of raising the sales tax. If she would have raised the sales tax it would have generated more money as everyone would have had to pay (visitors, workers, SAHP) not just the workers who stuck around this godforsaken state.

I'm right there with you on the taxing part. DH made more money and got stuck in a higher tax bracket as far as federal goes because he made $41,115 last year. After looking at his paystub from two weeks ago, it's absolutely ludacris how much he gets taxed:

Reg 80 hrs @ 17.23/hr = 1378.40
Over T 4.5 hrs @ 28.85/hr = 116.30 (he gets time and a half on OT)
Total gross for two weeks = 1497.61
Total net for two weeks = 1,144.95

Taxes:

Fed tax - 245.10 (he gets taxed that payday for 16.37%)
E.I. (Employment Insurance) - 25.91
CPP (Pension) - 69.82
LTD-EE (?) - 11.83

He also has several other work-related expenses, including dental and life and EHC, etc which I'm not sure on. He has a health spending account from his work for $450/yr that we found we could use for the kids' glasses but even the glasses are insanely expensive. If you get them at any other place like Lenscrafters or Pearl Vision, it's $450 for just one pair of kids' glasses and that's lens + frames. We get our glasses for youngest DS at Superstore where we pay at max $120. I had eye surgery a few years back and haven't bought any new glasses. I know DH spent $450 on his glasses a couple years ago.

Things are just so expensive nowadays and even for us having coverage through DH's work, it gets pricey. Back in 2003 before we got any sort of health coverage, we'd probably have paid $528 for four people every six months. That's as much as we're paying for auto insurance right now. There are families out there who do work and they qualify for a subsidy, even with paying taxes. The health care system here takes into account when people are going through hard times and aren't working.