Getting better?

From CNBC:

Americans finally feel better about economy: Survey

After seven long years of sharp recession and tepid recovery, the CNBC All-America Economic Survey found some key measures of U.S. public opinion finally regained their precrisis levels.

Ninety-one percent of Americans now believe their home prices will either be stable or rise over the next year, the highest since March 2007. And for the first time in three years, Americans picked real estate ahead of gold as the best investment.

Respondents also said they will spend about as much on a summer vacation as they did before the recession, following a sharp drop during the financial crisis.

That optimism comes with greater hopes among respondents for their paychecks: Thirty-eight percent believe their wages will rise in the next year, the highest percentage since December 2008.

Meanwhile, pessimism declined. Only 33 percent of those polled judge the current state of the economy as poor, equaling the December 2007 low and a five-point decrease from the March study’s results.

The survey wasn’t all good news, though. It also showed that some critical measures of optimism continue to lag. Just 18 percent say the economy is good or excellent, virtually unchanged from March and eight points below the prerecession level.

Americans expect home price gains of just 2.2 percent over the next year, a little more than half of the expectation from the more optimistic days in 2007. The outlook for wage gains is a healthy 3.5 percent for the postrecession period. But before 2008, Americans regularly expected wage gains between 5 percent and 7 percent annually.

This entry was posted in Demographics, Economics, Employment, Housing Recovery. Bookmark the permalink.

102 Responses to Getting better?

  1. Juice Box says:

    Labor force participation rate is the same as 1978. Hours worked is the same as 1998. But hey Bernanke and cohorts created a ZIRP policy going on six long years practically infinity if you are old and living on fixed income to drain everyone’s savings to bailout housing bubble bondholders and hey ever thing is all right. Glad I don’t have to live off fixed income. No worries we might get a a raise next year.

  2. Essex says:

    It’s getting better all the time…..The Beatles

  3. anon (the good one) says:

    @GuardianUS:
    How Hillary Clinton’s new memoir ends: “Will I run for President in 2016?
    The answer is, I haven’t decided yet.” http://t.co/yVGI6JerF2

  4. Essex says:

    3. Billlll ! Is the best thing Hill has going for her. Sure, she’s a tough saavy gal, but geez. On her own she’d be DOA. My two cents.

  5. anon (the good one) says:

    “During his concession speech, Rep. Cantor reflected on the mistakes that might have led to his defeat: “Should I have cut more school-lunch programs for poor children? Perhaps. Should I have cast more votes to screw over disaster victims? Definitely. Should I have not said the thing about treating children of immigrants like human beings? Man, do I wish I could take that one back. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but at the end of the day I was just too damn empathic for this district.”

    But Rep. Cantor was gracious in defeat, offering words of congratulation to the victorious Mr. Brat. “The people of the Seventh District have spoken,” he said. “The time has come to pass the torch to a new generation of asshats.”

  6. Comrade Nom Deplume, a.k.a. Captain Justice says:

    [5] anon

    ““The time has come to pass the torch to a new generation of asshats.”

    Good luck in the new gig.

  7. Comrade Nom Deplume, a.k.a. Captain Justice says:

    What the well dressed anon will be wearing at the next GTG

    http://www.zazzle.com/this_is_my_asshat_hat-148118819335637502

  8. chicagofinance says:

    You are always so sparse on details……which square exactly?

    Transfuse the Cadaver says:
    June 10, 2014 at 10:05 pm
    Eric Cantor is a piece of shit. Good riddance.

    Turn out all the incumbents, then hang them in the public square.

  9. Street Justice says:

    N.J. minimum wage hike costs summer jobs for young adults

    http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/06/opinion_nj_minimum_wage_hike_costs_summer_jobs_for_young_adults.html#incart_m-rpt-1

    By Laurie Ehlbeck and Michael Saltsman

    Summer’s practically here, and New Jersey’s young adults are undertaking the time-honored tradition of the seasonal job search.

    Unfortunately, these part-time opportunities will be more difficult to come by this year as a consequence of the state’s Jan. 1 minimum-wage increase.

    Don’t tell that to New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, who has kicked off a statewide tour to support his claim that “critics’ predictions” about the state’s wage hike have “fallen flat.” Sweeney’s allies were singing a similar tune last fall: Gordon MacInnes of New Jersey Policy Perspective claimed that “jobs won’t be lost” as a consequence of the wage hike.

    Unfortunately, the evidence so far paints a far less positive picture. In a recent survey of 237 New Jersey businesses affected by this year’s wage hike, the Employment Policies Institute found that one-quarter were very likely to reduce employee hours as a consequence of the new law.

    Nearly 30 percent reported that they were very likely to reduce staffing levels, and one in seven was even limiting future expansion plans in the state as a consequence.
    Surveyed employers in the state offered details on their experiences adapting to the law’s cost. One New Jersey restaurant “had to cut back on crew — we don’t get to work with as many staff as we used to.”

    Another retailer in Newark reported that he had to both raise prices and “let go one of the people that worked for me.”

    One seasonal business owner was wary of the summer months, suggesting he would “not hire that extra person like I would normally do, only because I can’t afford them.”

    These businesses aren’t cutting back on opportunities because they’re mean or hard-hearted — it’s because it’s the only option. When labor costs increase and employers can’t offset them by raising prices, they’re forced to reduce costs elsewhere. That means fewer job opportunities for young adults — and more teenagers on the couch all summer instead of working.

    The saddest part of this story is that the consequences were completely predictable. Last June, the National Federation of Independent Business released a study estimating that more than 31,000 New Jersey jobs would be lost in the next decade if the state minimum wage was linked to rise with inflation. Nearly 60 percent of those jobs were at small businesses.

  10. All Hype says:

    Nom (8):

    Do not forget the Mao pins. It is always important to accessorize. One cannot go out to the people’s party rally without one.

    http://www.amazon.com/MAO-TSE-TUNG-Awesome-Quality/dp/B00FZYRO1O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402491108&sr=8-1&keywords=mao+pins

  11. Painhrtz - Looking for cheap labor says:

    Hype well anon isn’t going to make it one any how.

    I imagine she/has a closet full of Mao and Che T-shirts skinny jeans and berets. topping off the ensemble with some Chuck Ts and horned rimmed glasses.

    Seriously asshat

  12. Michael says:

    Fast eddie, the writing is on the wall. Did I not say this yesterday, but keep waiting for the prices to fall. Wage inflation is coming, you guys can laugh, but it’s coming.

    “Ninety-one percent of Americans now believe their home prices will either be stable or rise over the next year, the highest since March 2007. And for the first time in three years, Americans picked real estate ahead of gold as the best investment.”

    “That optimism comes with greater hopes among respondents for their paychecks: Thirty-eight percent believe their wages will rise in the next year, the highest percentage since December 2008.”

  13. Ragnar says:

    What is weird is that so many people think Mao memorabilia is cute and ironic, buying hats, t-shirts, little red books on trips to China, but almost nobody wears Hitler hats or collects little Mein Kampfs on their trips to Germany.

    Why is that? They were both rabid mass murderers. People are always more generous with homicidal maniacs that focus on killing their own kind (especially of the capitalist roader variety), and don’t discriminate based on race.

  14. Street Justice says:

    David Burge ‏@iowahawkblog Jun 9
    #HillaryIsSoPoor all of her political offices have been hand-me-downs.

    anon (the good one) says:
    June 11, 2014 at 7:53 am
    @GuardianUS:
    How Hillary Clinton’s new memoir ends: “Will I run for President in 2016?
    The answer is, I haven’t decided yet.” http://t.co/yVGI6JerF2

  15. grim says:

    14 – Che?

  16. Fast Eddie says:

    Cantor was a wormy b@stard and a typical appeaser. It should be a sign for all incumbents to pack their bags now. The difference is that the republican voters have no problem crucify1ng anyone on their side that isn’t sticking to a belief or ideology or isn’t doing the job they promised to do. They’ll roast him/her and then toss them aside.

    The snivelers on the left, however, will pull the lever for anyone with a “D” after their name, regardless of performance, broken promises, criminal activity, whatever. The Libs and Dems come away unscathed and victorious despite their failures and flaws. As long as the muffin top, tat and pudgy muppet crowd is promised free stuff and a Scooby snack, the Dems will get elected.

  17. Fast Eddie says:

    grim,

    Unmod please.

  18. Comrade Nom Deplume, Guardian of the Realm says:

    [14] rags

    You know, they could simply be soc1alist symps.

  19. Comrade Nom Deplume, Guardian of the Realm says:

    Taxi protest in London against Uber. All the cabs are clotting downtown around Parliament. Ironically, Uber is probably cleaning up as all the hacks are on strike in one place. So anyone with an Uber app has a ride.

  20. chicagofinance says:

    The Chinese government treats its history differently than Germany’s repudiation of the Nazi era. Also, Hitler was the enemy of WWII veterans…..there is no direct link with the U.S. and Mao, other than at the national level……most importantly, people are idiots……..

    Ragnar says:
    June 11, 2014 at 9:07 am
    What is weird is that so many people think Mao memorabilia is cute and ironic, buying hats, t-shirts, little red books on trips to China, but almost nobody wears Hitler hats or collects little Mein Kampfs on their trips to Germany.

    Why is that? They were both rabid mass murderers. People are always more generous with homicidal maniacs that focus on killing their own kind (especially of the capitalist roader variety), and don’t discriminate based on race.

  21. Street Justice says:

    Journalist Attempts to ‘Debunk’ Anti-Gun Group’s List of ‘School Shootings in America Since Sandy Hook’ — Here’s What He Found

    (spoiler…they pad the numbers)

    http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/06/10/wow-journalist-attempts-to-debunk-anti-gun-groups-list-of-school-shootings-in-america-since-sandy-hook-heres-what-he-found/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=story&utm_campaign=ShareButtons

    anon (the good one) says:
    June 10, 2014 at 4:59 pm
    @sfiegerman:
    There have been 74 school shootings in the U.S. since Newtown.
    Here’s a map of all of them: http://t.co/kh4kgg8PEX http://t.co/ZnPWsuKU6O

  22. Street Justice says:

    Grim, would you please unmod my last post?

  23. Anon E. Moose says:

    Pain [12];

    And pajamas. Don’t forget the pajamas.

    http://bit.ly/1hItf6u

  24. anon (the good one) says:

    @washingtonpost:
    Vermont’s minimum wage will rise to $10.50 an hour
    http://t.co/XNRB7wUoSl

  25. grim says:

    I’ve spent quite a bit of time looking in the back of fast food joints lately, to get an idea for the average age of workers, and whether or not any of these people looked as if they were of an age that would indicate they were supporting family (30s, 40s).

    All these folks looked pretty damn young to me, I thought some could even be high schoolers working on the weekends.

    Based on the press, you’d think the place was filled with single mothers, but really, I’d wager a guess at the typical being a 20 year old male.

  26. Street Justice says:

    http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/chart.htm

    History of Federal Minimum Wage Rates Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, 1938 – 2009

    1938 – $.25/hr ($4.08 in 2013 dollars)

    2013 – $7.25/hr

  27. Street Justice says:

    Ξ BLACK REPUBLICAN Ξ ‏@blackrepublican 51m
    The [racist pro-Wall Street ] Tea Party supported a black guy w/ 90% of the vote and sent a Wall Street/Financial services ally packing.

  28. Comrade Nom Deplume, a.k.a. Captain Justice says:

    [25] grim,

    Don’t frequent them enough to be scientific in my sampling but I see predominantly h.s. and college age kids.

    Of course, they could all be single parents as anon suggests.

    The ONLY place I see true, bona fide adults working a counter in fast food is at Chik-fil-A.

  29. Comrade Nom Deplume, a.k.a. Captain Justice says:

    [27] street,

    Hush, you’re destroying the meme.

    Also why did the L.V. shooting dropped off the radar so quickly? Turns out it wasn’t so easy to label them as right wing nuts

    ” . . .[I]n November 2013, the Millers participated in a march called the “Million Mask March”, which was hosted by the group Anonymous to protest against wealthy businessmen, whose corporations “corrupted politicians who enslave the people”, according to the march’s Facebook page.”

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Las_Vegas_police_shooting

  30. 997340 943344Merely wanna input which you have a really good internet web site , I enjoy the pattern it truly stands out. 904213

  31. Libturd in the City says:
  32. Libturd in the City says:

    “Turn out all the incumbents, then hang them in the public square.”

    Turn out all the incumbents, then make them converse with Michael.

  33. Libturd in the City says:

    Nothing good ever comes from CiCi’s Pizza.

  34. Fast Eddie says:

    one more try…

    Cantor was a w0rmy b@stard and a typical appeaser. It should be a sign for all 1ncumbents to pack their bags now. The difference is that the republ1can v0ters have no problem crucify1ng anyone on their side that isn’t sticking to a belief or ideol0gy or isn’t doing the job they promised to do. They’ll r0ast him/her and then toss them aside.

    The sn1velers on the left, however, will pull the lever for anyone with a “D” after their name, regardless of performance, broken promises, crim1nal activity, whatever. The Libs and Dems come away unscathed and victorious despite their failures and flaws. As long as the muffin top, tat and pudgy muppet crowd is promised free stuff and a Scooby snack, the Dems will get elected.

  35. The hour of our damnation is at hand.

  36. JJ says:

    The average junk-bond yield just slipped below 5% for the second time in market history, closing Tuesday at 4.978%, according to a benchmark Bank of America Merrill Lynch index. The only other time that’s happened was for a couple of days in May 2013, immediately preceding last year’s big bond-market downturn. The high-yield market’s improbable bull run continues, having now gained 5.23% so far this year despite entering 2014 yielding 5.67% on average on an annualized basis. The all-time record low yield set last year was 4.96%, and unless there’s another big pullback soon that record will likely be broken as bond yields keep on grinding lower

  37. Street Justice says:

    With Cantor gone…the Amnesty executive order is coming…

  38. joyce says:

    Instead of trying to provide better service/price/value, they are lobbying the government to “regulate” their competition. How american of them…

    Comrade Nom Deplume, Guardian of the Realm says:
    June 11, 2014 at 9:20 am
    Taxi protest in London against Uber. All the cabs are clotting downtown around Parliament. Ironically, Uber is probably cleaning up as all the hacks are on strike in one place. So anyone with an Uber app has a ride.

  39. Dash for trash. This should end well.

    “The average junk-bond yield just slipped below 5% for the second time in market history, closing Tuesday at 4.978%, according to a benchmark Bank of America Merrill Lynch index.”

  40. Street Justice says:

    Business adds ‘living wage surcharge’ after minimum wage hike
    By Mark Miller Published: Jun 9, 2014 at 7:47 PM PDT

    http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Company-adds-living-wage-surcharge-after-minimum-wage-increase–262466051.html

    SEATAC, Wash. — A locally-owned parking business is adding an unusual charge that customers are just starting to notice.

    On every receipt from Masterpark, in between the “airport access fee” and the “sales tax,” is a line that reads “Living Wage Surcharge.” The company is tacking on an additional 99-cents per day fee now that the law requires paying employees at least $15 an hour.

    “This is one way of business owners getting back at the public and passing on their costs,” said Eric Colville, who has left his car at Masterpark in the past.

    He was surprised to see the surcharge spelled out on a paper receipt.

    snip

    The managers at Masterpark did not respond to our request for an interview, but the research director at the Washington Policy Center offered an analysis.

    “I can see that a customer would say, oh you’re showing me this cost just because you don’t like the higher minimum wage,” said Paul Guppy, research director of the independent, non-profit think tank. “I just think that Masterpark is trying to be transparent. They face a problem with having to raise prices, but they want customers to know why.”

  41. Libturd in the City says:

    I think the clown should raise their $1 value menu prices to $1.50 to account for the market manipulation wage increases. Either that or offer a burger without the meat.

  42. “Now that the majority is tightly packed into a market devoid of yield/alpha, this concentration sets up the inevitable collapse of valuations perfectly.

    I recently had the pleasure of visiting a state fish hatchery. Those of you who fish know that the hatcheries are responsible for raising sports fishing species such as trout and salmon and then releasing them in lakes and rivers to bolster native stocks.

    The fish are kept in large concrete tanks where the water temperature and feeding are carefully monitored and controlled. In this particular hatchery, the public is invited to buy a small handful of food pellets (25 cents) to feed the fish when they reach a certain stage of maturity. (Proceeds go to maintaining native fisheries.)

    The fish are milling about semi-randomly, seeking whatever food might appear. In the stock market, investors and punters are also milling about semi-randomly, seeking yield and above-average returns (alpha).

    When a few food pellets are randomly tossed into the tank, the first fish in the vicinity to respond to the splash get the pellets. In the stock market, the pellets are yield and alpha.

    The fish milling around in the tank are highly attuned to the actions of their mates, and those nearest the first fish quickly follow them to the source of the food. This makes good sense, as the food (yield/alpha) might be plentiful and the second wave of fish would be well-rewarded for being second.

    These fish attract the attention of virtually every other fish in the area, and within a few seconds the water where the few pellets landed is boiling with fish seeking pellets (yield/alpha).

    This pattern can be repeated until one runs out of pellets: toss a few food pellets in a sparsely populated area of the tank, and watch how quickly the majority of the fish rush to the spot where the food has already been consumed.

    The few fish wandering around the edges who did not join the majority speeding to the place where the food (yield/alpha) has been exhausted are the likeliest to be closest to the next semi-randomly tossed pellets.

    In effect, those who join the majority thrashing around the spot where the food has been consumed are guaranteed to go hungry. I submit that the stock market is like a fish tank, and the majority are thrashing around precisely where the yield/alpha has been consumed and the risk of starving (losing money) is greatest.

    The same can be said of the residential rental market, and every other asset class where the majority of participants and betting capital that the food pellets are limitless, when the reality is the yield/alpha in the market has already been consumed by those who got there first and second–those who responded first when no other participants noticed the splash of opportunity.

    Now that the majority is tightly packed into a market devoid of yield/alpha, this concentration sets up the inevitable collapse of valuations perfectly.”

    http://charleshughsmith.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-stock-market-is-like-fish-tank.html

  43. Juice Box says:

    Joyce – No Credit Card no Uber for you, talk about discrimination.

    Also if you are a driver you are encouraged to use your own personal car. They say your personal car insurance will cover in an accident. Uber’s insurance policy is an excess liability policy that covers third-party liability incidents. If a driver injures himself or herself in an accident, most auto-insurance policies require the driver’s personal health insurance coverage to cover costs. I am no lawyer but the insurance companies may have something to say about that.

    You can see why they are rushing their IPO too to get ahead of the lawsuits.

    Also minimum 20 percent cut of the fare to Uber upfront. Does that sound fare cut to you since they get to price the ride too?

  44. Juice Box says:

    re # 40 – As long as the Clown keeps coffee at $1. small medium & large are all $1 although I hear that may change. Coffee is pretty good as well and heck with drive thru I don’t have to mingle with the hipsters clogging up the line in any other coffee shop.

  45. joyce says:

    Maybe the cabbies should just wait for Uber to implode.

  46. Street Justice says:

    McDonald’s CEO: ‘We Will Support’ A Minimum Wage Hike
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/04/mcdonalds-ceo-minimum-wage-hike_n_5445539.html

    (as they quietly install kiosks)

  47. Libturd in the City says:

    I agree about clown coffee. I rank it above all of the convenience store brews (Wawa, QuickCheck, On the Run, etc.), but below Dunkin for flavor, though it’s stronger than DD for sure. I never liked the burnt taste of Starbuck$ anyway. Keep in mind, I don’t drink foofy drinks. Coffee with a little milk and Splenda and I’m good to go. I am fine with Skim milk in most cases. Can’t stand flavored coffee. Tastes like chemicals to me. I have a burr grinder and only brew Kona at home ($20 per pound from my island source shipped), but I find the cheapo San Francisco Bay French Roast very serviceable out of the Keurig. I think the pods go for 30 cents each which is a bargain. Haven’t found much else that I like that I brewed in it. Gator and Jr. love the flavored crap you can make in it. Anyone else a fan of Keurig coffee?

  48. funnelcloud says:

    Cantor lost his job because he was/is an *sshole, I’ve seen this guy on the TV numerous times and he just visually not likable, At a quick glance you can tell He is an arrogant, self serving constantly campaigning douche, who could really care less about the people he represents. Couple that with the fact that he has made numerous enemies in washington it should be no surprise this jerk is soon to be unemployed, If we (the people) can only get our acts together to unite to vote out more of the the status quo incumbents (Dem & Repub) We may have a chance on saving this nation. The risk and sacrifice might be worth the reward. The people of virginia have spoken, I hope some good comes of this and sets a positive example for other states to follow their lead.

  49. Juice Box says:

    a $2 cup might cost Dunkin cost just ten cents to make. 95% markup all day long. You can see why the DD mini chains are busy exploiting small villagers in India to come here and work 80 hours a week slinging coffee. At least the workers at the Clown are paying some taxes.

  50. Street Justice says:

    It would be nice if you did not have to declare a party affiliation in NJ in order to vote in a primary.

  51. Libturd in the City says:

    Yeah…When I worked at Burger King when I was 14 and 15, I knew the markup on all of the products. The cup was more expensive than the coffee and the soda in it. Anything dairy had the least mark up, such as milk shakes. I think coffee back then worked out to less than a penny a cup, which is why it was free for seniors. Chicken products were more pricey than beef products, mainly because the amount of chicken was much greater on a sandwich than the amount of beef in a burger. Anyone remember the ham and cheese sandwich they used to make? I used to put the ham and chicken on top of a chicken patty from their original chicken sandwich. Om om om!

  52. Libturd in the City says:

    The obvious solution to these frequent school shootings is to lower the age requirement for conceal to carry. The best way to stop a trouble teen with a gun is a bunch of honor students with guns.

  53. Fast Eddie says:

    funnelcloud [49],

    I’ve been trying to say the same thing about Cantor but keep going into mod. The difference is that the Lib koolaid drinkers would never go against one of their own for any reason at all. As long as they get their free Scooby snacks, they’d vote for a ser1al k1ller.

  54. grim says:

    Need to sell a lot of coffee to cover the rent and overhead of a retail storefront.

  55. Libturd in the City says:

    Most of them do. The DD on Broad and Bay in Bloomfield has a line 10-deep from 6am-10am and from 4pm-7pm. Non-stop.

  56. All Hype says:

    In other news it appears that Al Qaeda has taken over control of Mosul in Northern Iraq. They also control one of the five largest oil fields in the world. They also got 400 million USD and a whole bunch of US military equipment. This bears watching as if they can control all of Iraq and Syria then they are a threat to Saudia Arabia and Israel.

    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-11/al-qaeda-jihadis-loot-over-400-million-mosul-central-bank-seize-saddams-hometown

  57. grim says:

    Funny, idiots are praising companies that pay employees two dollars more than the minimum wage, but simultaneously berate companies like Goldman Sachs that pay well in excess of minimum wage.

    Waiting for the first discussions about fixing the price of labor, nobody gets paid any more than anyone else.

  58. Ragnar says:

    Grim I know the correct price of labor better than everyone else.
    Everyone must be paid $26.63 per hour. Any more or any less and you go to jail. And everyone must work 36 hours per week, and get 3 personal days, 3 weeks of paid holidays. Or you go to jail.
    Also: the official language will from hereon be Swedish.
    In addition to that, all citizens will be required to change their underwear every half hour.
    Underwear will be worn on the outside so we can check.
    Furthermore, all children under the age of 16 years old, are now 16 years old.
    Silence.

  59. Arm the children. It’s the only way.

  60. Juice Box says:

    re: # 56 – No worries they just took Tikrit only a hop skip and a jump to Baghdad.

  61. Ben says:

    For coffee I go kona mountain shipped from a shop in Hawaii. Amazing stuff. Theirs is 30 a pound and I thought it was the best I had on the island

  62. Street Justice says:

    FLASHBACK: Boehner Jokes about Losing Job If He Pushes Immigration Reform

    Circa June 2013

    http://www.mrctv.org/videos/flashback-boehner-admits-he-could-be-ousted-if-he-pushes-immigration-bill-without-gop-support

  63. Juice Box says:

    Ah the plutocratic racket that is modern capitalism. There will be no selling of US Treasuries just buying. With the new Term Deposit Facility (TDF) it is now possible for the Fed to do QE to Infinity (or as long as you shall live) and buy up all the Treasury Securities on the market, and still maintain ZIRP.

    Who cares about interest on savings or CDs anyway?

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-06-11/fed-prepares-to-keep-super-sized-balance-sheet-for-years-to-come.html

    No selling folks so party on.

    Feel better now?

  64. Michael says:

    Payment for labor proves how unfair life is. There is no logic applied to labor rates. Labor rates are funny, study them and you will see who is taking advantage of who. The people at the top get to dictate their own pay (ceos), and at the same time, they get to dictate what everyone else makes. This might end up in a fair process. No different than our fair judicial process.

    I said it once, and I’ll say it again, how do you justify the guy at the top making 300 times what the avg worker makes. Not all ceo’s invented their company. So how do you justify one guy making in one year, what it takes the others to make in 300 years. That’s crazy and not sustainable. There is nothing an individual can be doing in one year that is the equivalent value of 300 years of hard labor. Labor is a joke. That’s why working is for fools.

    My grandfather used to have a great saying, “You will never get rich working for someone”. It’s literally impossible.

    grim says:
    June 11, 2014 at 1:29 pm
    Funny, idiots are praising companies that pay employees two dollars more than the minimum wage, but simultaneously berate companies like Goldman Sachs that pay well in excess of minimum wage.

    Waiting for the first discussions about fixing the price of labor, nobody gets paid any more than anyone else.

  65. Libturd in the City says:

    Ben…I get my coffee from a tiny farm. I mean really tiny farm. They sell all of their produce to local restaurants and from a roadside stand on the honor system. I’ve been ordering coffee from them since I was married 9 years ago and my latest order was order #4425. My first order was #2697. It’s not always 100% consistent, but it always tastes great. Plus I’m buying from a really nice family and they send me a real holiday card each year.

    http://shop.sweetokolecoffeecompany.com/product.sc?productId=12&categoryId=4

    By the way, Fairway Kona is up to $36 pound, but I never had it brewed.

    You can get raw beans from them as well.

  66. grim says:

    64 – Let me get this straight, if I start a company, make it successful, I can’t decide how much of that profit to take for myself? I’m the one that came up with the idea, I’m the one that built the business, I’m the one that risked everything, I’m the one that hired you to do a job for me.

    Jesus, it’s my god given right to pay myself whatever the f*ck I want.

  67. grim says:

    You want to be the boss? Go ahead and thank god you are in America, where you have the opportunity to be the boss. Now get to work.

  68. Juice Box says:

    Grim – The revolutionary vanguard does not believe in god.

  69. Painhrtz - from Sabbatical says:

    I don’t believe in God Juice, but then again I’m not the militant atheist type and want everyone to stay out of my f*cking business nor care what they do with theirs so long as it isn’t hurting anyone else.

    But they are truly a detestable lot

  70. grim says:

    Socialize everything and lets pay each other in hugs.

  71. Juice Box says:

    Grim – Time for a new App and a new IPO. Crank out some shine a few hundred gallons at a time in a Shine Mobile. A gallon of shine is worth over $35. Why play by the rules, crank out that shine and sell it out of the back of an old truck. Use the latest App tech to send the GPS location of your Shine Mobile to the nearest vetted non law enforcement customers. Don’t forget about the congestion pricing. Don’t need much of a percentage of the Alcohol business either, since it is near $500 billion in total U.S. economic activity. Just think of the potential franchising fees and the IPO.

  72. grim says:

    So I’d get 20% of every gallon sold for those who use my app to find a moonshiner? I like that.

    At $35 a gallon, personally I’d make more money retailing through distributors than peddling it like crack.

    Did they ever get any money out of the silk road guy?

  73. Juice Box says:

    Grim Bitcoin isn’t money so says the IRS so I gather whatever change he had in his couch cushions.

    As far as the Shine Mobile App we are talking millions of gallons a week. Gotta think big if you are going IPO for 50 Billion.

  74. Grim says:

    Is there an uber for hookers yet?

  75. Good thing we secured Iraq for generations to come…

  76. Painhrtz - from Sabbatical says:

    I’m to hairy to hug

  77. Comrade Nom Deplume, a.k.a. Captain Justice says:

    I remember when this sociali, er, progressive policy was implemented.

    “Ben & Jerry’s used to have a policy that no employee’s rate of pay shall exceed five times that of entry-level employees. In 1995, entry-level employees were paid $8 hourly, and the highest paid employee was President and Chief Operating Officer Chuck Lacy, who earned $150,000 annually. When Ben Cohen resigned as Chief Executive Officer and Ben & Jerry’s announced the search for a new CEO in 1995, the company ended the five-to-one-ratio policy.”

    Basically, what got left out of the wiki narrative was that they held a CEO search and no one came. No one who was even remotely qualified would take that job for what they were offering. So they had to ditch the policy.

  78. joyce says:

    Comrade that math doesn’t quite add up.
    $8/hr * 2000 = $16,000
    $40/hr * 2000 = $80,000

  79. Comrade Nom Deplume, a.k.a. Captain Justice says:

    [80] joyce

    Yup. I didn’t write that. Also, I seemed to recall that the ratio was higher, not 5X. But regardless, the cap on exec pay still meant that when Cohen stepped down, there was no one willing to replace him. No one qualified anyway.

    BTW, in 1994-95, Ben and Jerry’s was public and the stock was getting hammered over this despite their otherwise successful business.

  80. joyce says:

    Of course, I don’t agree with arbitrary caps… but they should have just promoted from within. I thought pre-planned carefully orchestrated transition plans were a must for corporations going back decades.

    Comrade Nom Deplume, a.k.a. Captain Justice says:
    June 11, 2014 at 4:34 pm
    [80] joyce

    The cap on exec pay still meant that when Cohen stepped down, there was no one willing to replace him. No one qualified anyway.

  81. Michael says:

    You need to pay enough to sustain an economy.

    Let’s not forget who makes a boss. That’s right the worker. Maybe the worker should smarten up and exploit the boss. Show em what happens when you treat them like a slave instead of a human being. This isn’t communism, I’m just making a point. You cry about unions, because they unfairly grab the boss by the balls. But provide praise when a boss unfairly grabs the worker by the balls.

    You are right, if you don’t own a business, you are worthless. Everyone else is a parasite. I wish that fictional story atlas shrugged could come true. This world would be such a better place. That’s a dream to have these human beings that treat other human beings like a bunch of cattle to pick up and leave. I promise you, no one will miss them!! But I guarantee they will miss their cattle and the world in which they were kings.

    grim says:
    June 11, 2014 at 2:56 pm
    64 – Let me get this straight, if I start a company, make it successful, I can’t decide how much of that profit to take for myself? I’m the one that came up with the idea, I’m the one that built the business, I’m the one that risked everything, I’m the one that hired you to do a job for me.

    Jesus, it’s my god given right to pay myself whatever the f*ck I want.

  82. Michael says:

    Wow, so you are saying the CEOs basically formed a union and did not take the job because it was too low. I wish workers could do that, but too many starving. Starving so much that they will work for wages that can’t even support their survival. Wish a CEO knew how that felt to work for a wage that was below fair value due to an over abundance of starving CEOs racing each other to the bottom.

    Comrade Nom Deplume, a.k.a. Captain Justice says:
    June 11, 2014 at 4:21 pm
    I remember when this sociali, er, progressive policy was implemented.

    “Ben & Jerry’s used to have a policy that no employee’s rate of pay shall exceed five times that of entry-level employees. In 1995, entry-level employees were paid $8 hourly, and the highest paid employee was President and Chief Operating Officer Chuck Lacy, who earned $150,000 annually. When Ben Cohen resigned as Chief Executive Officer and Ben & Jerry’s announced the search for a new CEO in 1995, the company ended the five-to-one-ratio policy.”

    Basically, what got left out of the wiki narrative was that they held a CEO search and no one came. No one who was even remotely qualified would take that job for what they were offering. So they had to ditch the policy.

  83. Theo says:

    Joyce,

    $150k divided by 40 hrs divided by 52 weeks, comes out to a 72 hr work week. Not unheard of for a CEO type.

  84. Theo says:

    $40/hr

  85. grim says:

    Exploit? Go work somewhere else.

  86. grim says:

    What’s next – a god given right to a job?

  87. Ben & Jerry’s is suckass ice cream, anyway. Have to be stoned to enjoy it.

  88. grim (88)-

    Robert Reich called it: a guaranteed income for everyone.

    Please shoot me now.

  89. joyce says:

    That’s fair; I didn’t consider the possibility that they would consider the job at a quasi-hourly rate.

    Theo says:
    June 11, 2014 at 5:53 pm
    Joyce,

    $150k divided by 40 hrs divided by 52 weeks, comes out to a 72 hr work week. Not unheard of for a CEO type.

  90. Comrade Nom Deplume, Guardian of the Realm says:

    [84] Michael

    Not my narrative. I just remember the story and know they did not get qual apps until they revised the policy.

  91. Michael says:

    Yes, a job is a god given right. How are you supposed to survive otherwise? All the land is owned, it’s not like you can go hunting and live off the land.

    grim says:
    June 11, 2014 at 6:11 pm
    What’s next – a god given right to a job?

  92. Michael says:

    93- don’t provide welfare or jobs, and you have yourself a law less society. The only thing that will prevail will be anarchy. You don’t like taking the risk or taking care of your business, someone else will. You are not special because you created a business. You are not special because you created a product that people get addicted to. Who needs half of the crap businesses sell anyway, most of the stuff is useless. People only buy it because they have been marketed the crap.

  93. Ben says:

    Ben…I get my coffee from a tiny farm. I mean really tiny farm. They sell all of their produce to local restaurants and from a roadside stand on the honor system. I’ve been ordering coffee from them since I was married 9 years ago and my latest order was order #4425. My first order was #2697. It’s not always 100% consistent, but it always tastes great. Plus I’m buying from a really nice family and they send me a real holiday card each year.

    http://shop.sweetokolecoffeecompany.com/product.sc?productId=12&categoryId=4

    By the way, Fairway Kona is up to $36 pound, but I never had it brewed.

    You can get raw beans from them as well.

    Yeah, this was a little shop I stopped in. Love the guy at the shop. I sampled a lot of coffee all over Kona cuz they literally beg you to sample it. This was my favorite but I’ll definitely give ur place a shot.

  94. Libturd at home says:

    Ben…Let me know what you think. By the way, I use 2/3rds the amount of grinds than I would use if I was brewing non-Kona coffee. It’s really smooth and rich and I don’t need that level of caffeine.

  95. Libturd at home says:

    “Wow, so you are saying the CEOs basically formed a union and did not take the job because it was too low. ”

    No…the market for CEOs (at least of the non-pot smoking variety), paid more than B&J was offering. But you wouldn’t understand free markets or the concept of supply and demand.

  96. The level of economic illiteracy exhibited by pea-brains like Michael and anon is scary…until you realize that most of the people who run the Treasury and Fed think the same way.

  97. We are well and truly fuct. The only stop left for the train to complete financial meltdown is this final phase of lemming-like crowding into high beta, toxic paper in a death grope for a few bps of extra yield.

  98. Libturd at home says:

    Death grope?

    Awesome!

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