Did NYC kill NYC?

From the NY Post:

NY’s job deficit continues to grow from already high pre-pandemic levels: federal data

New York still has 454,000 fewer private-sector jobs than it had two years ago before the coronavirus pandemic hammered the city and state — a 4.1 percent employment deficit that is the worst in the mainland U.S., an analysis of new federal labor statistics reveals.

As of February, job counts in 21 states had surpassed their pre-pandemic employment levels, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The US as a whole recovered 19.6 million of the 21 million jobs lost in the spring of 2020 –putting it within 1.1 percent of fully recovering all the jobs lost during the pandemic, said the analysis of the federal jobs data by EJ McMahon, senior fellow with the Empire Center for Public Policy.

But New York State was still 4.1 percent below its pre-pandemic employment level. The city’s population has also plummeted — particularly in Manhattan. 

“On a percentage basis, only Hawaii and Alaska were worse off,” McMahon said.

McMahon said the COVID-19 lockdowns and other public health restrictions that impacted commerce doesn’t explain why New York has lagged in job recovery.

Neighboring New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts were also hit hard and early by the COVID-19 outbreak and imposed identical lockdowns and restrictions starting in March 2020. So, did California.

Yet New Jersey and California are less than a half percentage point away — 0.4% — from recovering all the pre-pandemic jobs reported in February 2020.

Meanwhile, Florida and Texas have added jobs during the pandemic — 3.4% and 2.9% respectively.

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

173 Responses to Did NYC kill NYC?

  1. Hold my beer says:

    First

  2. Hold my beer says:

    Maybe jobs are down because people are tired of the progressive agenda and hypocrisy and have voted with their feet?

  3. Juice Box says:

    Anecdotal – my wife’s co-worker who moved out of NYC to their hometown several states away when the pandemic began has now resigned. Won’t be coming back to NYC for sure. Job is not easy to fill either, and training is years to make it through the crucible of NYC. They found a nice cushy job at some financial endowment.

  4. Bystander says:

    Hold,

    Or maybe the millions who suddenly retired bc of Dumpy’s socialist bailout of “investment” system. People who were going to work 5-10 more years but now took off early to FL. Is that in analysis?

  5. Hold my beer says:

    Bystander

    That is probably part of it. Also transfer of wealth through Covid deaths could be contributing to it too.

    Would you rather commute to nyc for 10 more years or move out of state and retire?

  6. Bystander says:

    Hold,

    We agree. If I could take off from this area, I would in a heart beat but young kids and one special needs. Certainly not FL…never..but I know people who did. A buddy of mine took his young fam outside Jacksonville in Nov. His house family went up so much that he jumped. He was waiting for it. Only one kid but still a big move as quit job and also Queens native.

  7. Juice Box says:

    Two boomers on my street have left for Florida, both job losses are tied to the pandemic. One sold his crumbling small business and the other was canned at 59 years old from his NYC job, that one took some of his old business which is real estate focused with him and now works maybe 10 hours a week remotely from Florida servicing some old loyal clients and playing golf the rest of the time. He is in Florida more than 1/2 the year now has become a resident for tax purposes but still keeps paying real estate taxes here in NJ. I think one of his kids wants to buy the house but needs some time.

  8. BRT says:

    My parents moved me to Florida from NJ in 4th grade. It was an awful experience. I think a lot has changed since then, they actually have school buildings instead of trailers in the town I was in. I couldn’t move my kids out when they are at the same age. I wouldn’t mind moving a town in NJ with a less progressive school board/superintendent. The people in my town are literally a caricature of the right wing portrayal of the school system. As a result, there are two types of teachers there. Normal ones that just come to work and do the job they are supposed to, and crazy ones who seek to politically activate your kid by 3rd grade. The former, I’m grateful for. The latter are empowered by the superintendent, and literally paid a stipend to do so. I’ve been fortunate enough to work in two school systems that aren’t anything like that with a few bad apples here and there at best.

  9. Bystander says:

    FL is nice to visit..not a raise a family. My Dad is youngest of 9 and grew up in Port Washington. His 2 older brothers and one sister moved family to FL in late 60s when my older cousins were anywhere from 1 to 15. I have about 25 first cousins there now. 5 are dead (some tragic some lifestyle), another 3 have spent significant time in jail, at least 6 have been drug addicts/alkies. The other half are a mixture of lower class (HS dropouts, tats, fisherman), some middle class and one that is super successful restaurant owner. Perhaps things have changed and much of outcome are family issues but still not liking those odds. Too many drugs, low ambition, low educated, troubled people in FL.

  10. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Think you both nail it. NYC needs the national economy to hit a recession, so it resets the job market again. This job market the past 2 years is a pure anomaly in labor market history. No one wants to work when their assets are flying up like rocket ships. Once the economy tanks, will make the labor market efficient again, as these people become desperate again with their stock gains getting erased.

    Bystander says:
    March 31, 2022 at 7:47 am
    Hold,

    Or maybe the millions who suddenly retired bc of Dumpy’s socialist bailout of “investment” system. People who were going to work 5-10 more years but now took off early to FL. Is that in analysis?

    Hold my beer says:
    March 31, 2022 at 7:53 am
    Bystander

    That is probably part of it. Also transfer of wealth through Covid deaths could be contributing to it too.

    Would you rather commute to nyc for 10 more years or move out of state and retire?

  11. Bystander says:

    No dipshi&t, you have to get inflation under control. You think companies paying huge salaries for all employees? Basic back-office, middle office, HR, ops roles are the backbone of NYC economy. You think it is rich sales and high class developers. It is not. These people are getting crushed with inflation and companies do not want to up their labor costs even in face of inflation. They will keep med costs flat, add maternity/paternity leave (useless to most) and give 0-2%. Meanwhile, housing, utilities, food and taxes going wild. Some of us live on the ground and see how major corp / finance works. The gap is growing too wide between executive board, investment sales hucksters, and the rest..Powell did it on purpose.

  12. Bystander says:

    See dummy..connect the dots to Lib’s post on Jon Stewart and failure of finance regulators, like Fed, to actually enforce rules and penalties. The roles above are basically ensuring the company complies with regulations at some level. If the group board and traders are aware of lack of enforcement than they simply will flout around rules or weigh costs vs rewards of paying small penalty. What they wont do is invest in people or tech to improve these systems. We are now a decade past Dodd Frank, FATCA etc. They are simply squeezing more and more bc SEC, FINRA , OCC, DTCC simply turn head other way and slap on wrist. You have no idea on our operational failures on FINRA data yet FINRA never penalizes us. Why? I am aware of one, probably 3 years ago and I work in compliance tech. I know that our problems are still there. We have had several breaches of data too. Management has not said a thing bc regulators do not penalize. They are soft and work with us. If they did, you would see business jump and invest.

  13. Some One says:

    Don’t worry about what corporations do. Worry about woke.

  14. 3b says:

    Bystander: It’s also another reason for companies to get rid of office space, huge savings and no need to pay for all that space, when systems allow a lit of the work to be done anywhere. It’s not like people are sitting around everyday with their Starbucks brainstorming and being creative. Barclays had an interesting article on NYC office real estate, it ain’t looking good.

  15. Bystander says:

    Some,

    Yes..or worry about the border..the immigrants pooring over Dumpy’s huge wall or Hunter.

  16. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Do you really see a world where there are no offices or retail, and all real estate is residential/industrial? Where all homes act as an office now?

    Was at my daughter’s talent show at school yesterday. Was talking to some of the father’s. Guess what? They are excited to be back in the office and city. They say that they enjoy the daily routine of going to work. They don’t like working at home everyday. They work 4 days a week now with friday’s off. They said it’s starting to feel normal now, it’s just recently started picking up. More people on the trains, and the city seems alive again.

    That’s from their mouth..maybe they are not telling the truth, but I don’t see why they would lie.

    3b says:
    March 31, 2022 at 9:28 am
    Bystander: It’s also another reason for companies to get rid of office space, huge savings and no need to pay for all that space, when systems allow a lit of the work to be done anywhere. It’s not like people are sitting around everyday with their Starbucks brainstorming and being creative. Barclays had an interesting article on NYC office real estate, it ain’t looking good.

  17. Fast Eddie says:

    In the office again today… train parking lot roughly 50% full. Slowly, more colleagues are in the office. You got to believe that it’s going to be a 3/2 split of a home/remote work week. There’s no justification otherwise.

  18. The Great Pumpkin says:

    And the topic came up with just casual talk…

    Simply just talking about what is going on in their life right now. This wasn’t some WFH debate or anything. I don’t talk about my positions in person. I keep that stuff to myself. Only on this blog do I say whatever I want because I have no fear of hurting social relationships.

  19. 3b says:

    Fast: It’s continuing to evolve, and more and more companies are embracing the hybrid/ fully remote model. As the old guard is pushed out and the younger Gen X and older millennials assume positions of power in companies it will continue. The 5 days a week in the office will be the exception, not the rule.

    I don’t know anyone that wants to be in the office 5 days a week, and I have family and friends in almost every business sector. Even my Attorney brother has embraced 2 days of WFH, he never wants to go back to the antiquated 5 days in the office. NYC and other cities need to plan accordingly.

  20. 3b says:

    BLS analysis predicts inflation for first quarter of 2022 will come in at over 9.00. Fed watchers chances over a 50 bp hike at next meeting at 66 percent, subject to March inflation data.

    Median house prices in the USA rose 27 percent from 2nd Qtr 2020 through 4th Qtr 2021. Some housings analysts advising buyers to wait , bubble conditions, irrational exuberance. Las Vegas one of the most overvalued markets in the country; that ain’t no surprise, just like last time.

  21. Fast Eddie says:

    3b,

    We’ve proven it over the last two years. There was no drop in production so the hybrid model is now the standard. It was going to occur anyway but the pandemic just pulled it forward. I don’t mind the few days in the office, it’s good to see colleagues again. The work/life balance is so much better now. And it also appeases the environmental crowd; less traffic, less pollution, etc. It affects other industries, I feel for them but advancements in technology does have it’s collateral damage.

  22. BRT says:

    Even when the rules are “enforced”, it’s a pay off. For the longest time, I read about a JP Morgan massive billion dollar fine for some fraud. They collect their billions, give the government their cut, and it’s all good. No admission of wrong doing.

  23. Bystander says:

    Blumpy – the studies are clear. 75% of workers do not want to return to office and 60% will look for a new job if forced. Even 3 day a week requires monthly pass and monthly parking. The costs of gas, tolls, food in NYC are up huge. Rail/subway are subsidized now but huge shortfalls so money will come from somewhere. Citi and BoA want people back in but offering 70/hr like before. One recruiter told me $77 hr is highest BOA pays. Good luck. I will move before taking these shit p^ying jobs with 3-4 day commute.

  24. 3b says:

    Fast: It’s a huge improvement in quality of life and it has for many increased productivity including my firm, which had one of its best years last year in a long time. And the millennials especially the ones married with kids want it, and that’s why it’s going to stay. The amount of time wasted in the morning getting ready then the 1.5 hour commute in, and the same back, makes no sense. Yes, technology does have its collateral damage, creative destruction is another term for it.

  25. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I’m only passing along what people told me. They said they like staying home on friday, but do not want to be home all week.

    Just because you guys like being home all the time, other people don’t. Especially go-getters. It’s like in high school, you had some kids that never left their house. Those are your remote workers, they hate people. Other people like leaving their house and talking to people. They like going to lunches with co-workers or employees from other companies.

    I don’t know you guys in person, but I bet you don’t like leaving your house too often. Don’t think this is the norm for others.

  26. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Let the labor market return to the norm and you will be in the same position you were in 10 years ago…take whatever job you can get.

    “One recruiter told me $77 hr is highest BOA pays. Good luck. I will move before taking these shit p^ying jobs with 3-4 day commute.”

  27. The Great Pumpkin says:

    And the younger generation loves WFH because they are not home. They are out and about. How they continue to be these hyper efficient employees when they could care less about the company is beyond me. They get their “to do list” completed and nothing more. They have no intentions of growing with the company. No company culture. Just want their “to do list” and to get it done in as quick amount of time as they could (some do it in 2-3 hrs) and then go chill all day. That’s the reality. Meanwhile, efficiency hasn’t come down because the workers that carry the company have been putting in 10-12 hour days to make up for all the other slackers. They will burn themselves out if they keep this up. The slackers are going to have to step it up, but good luck training them or motivating them over the WFH platform.

  28. Fast Eddie says:

    One recruiter told me $77 hr is highest BOA pays.

    That seems like pretty good dough to me but I guess it depends on lifestyle. Maybe I’m undercutting myself.

  29. Bystander says:

    You are too dumb for words. The world is not the same from two years ago. Keep thinking somehow return to norm is coming..it is not. Fed pulls the liquidity and blockchain, crypto, payment tech etc will collapse. So many high paying jobs in NYC are built on injections of capital. It is tech bubble 2.o. You don’t see it.

  30. Bystander says:

    Ed,

    It is garbage with no benefits- how do you pay mortgage, taxes, medical costs, commute, retirement, time off from 600/hr We are paying people 200/hr for basic java dev. You are undercutting yourself.

  31. Bystander says:

    sorry 600/day

  32. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I’m just calling it how how I see it. Most workers are not motivated in the office without the manager on their ass, so imagine how these workers are without ever having to talk to someone in person. Human nature is a bitch…don’t hate the messenger.

  33. Bystander says:

    Most teachers either…just how I see it with 50 posts a day. Back to toxic mine for me. More cuts announced, no replacements hire allowed.

  34. BidenIsTheGOAT says:

    missed the point. Corporations are woke. It’s woke inc.

    They do the same thing as leftist politicians. Don’t look behind the curtain to see who’s exploiting slave labor or turning a blind eye to religious persecution, look how woke we are. Turning out some kids for the trans movement doesn’t cost anything, pushing China on humans rights does.

  35. 3b says:

    Bystander: I should be used to it by now, but I am truly dumbfounded that someone who never set foot in an office , never worked in corporate America deems themselves qualified to comment on work in corporate America, and doubles down by lecturing those of us who actually have been for years.

    Then when we choose to opine on their chosen profession we are told we don’t understand, and have no business commenting.

    On another note it’s going to be very interesting to see March inflation numbers which I believe will be released on April 12.

  36. BidenIsTheGOAT says:

    And while we’re at it, don’t worry about the Bidens and their dealings, I’m sure joes bellicosity toward Putin has nothing to do with guilt of conscience over his activities in Ukraine.

    Corrupt old joes calls for regime change are completely about wanting what’s best for the common man in Ukraine and totally unrelated to ending the narrative about his profiteering.

  37. A Home Buyer says:

    Completely anecdotal.

    I’m hours away from resigning to take 50% pay increase. Remote 3 to 4 days managing a remote (but within an hour drive) team. That increase is after my company provided 5% average raises and received a double digit raise from this company.

    Ps. Do not feed the troll.

  38. JCer says:

    $600 a day is a joke, $1200 is the new $800. All kidding aside experienced people working contracting gigs for the banks should expect 1k per day any less and you are basically cheap labor. The “expensive” consultants are all getting 2-3K per day or $200+ per hour, hourly is the better deal because all of these companies expect 10 hrs+ per day. When you consider you can sling burritos at Chipotle and make $20 per hour with benefits, $77 an hr for skill and experience, a commute, etc plus you have to pay the payroll tax and you get no benefits does kind of look like a “bad deal”.

  39. JCer says:

    Biden is the Goat, I know how hypocritical corporations are. All this woke BS, DEI, donations but where the rubber meat the road they will layoff a 10 year loyal employee who has a kid fighting cancer(on our health ins no less) and ship the job to India to save 50k per year. We have had our employees deported(fired and revoked their visas) at their own expense after they pissed off some one in management. They tried to do it to one of my employees, he gave notice they tried to have him deported, I actually helped his lawyer with INS because our HR refused to provide any documentation to him. Horrible people who would have their mothers turning tricks if it meant more profits but they pretend to support all of this nonsense to not look like the scum that they are.

  40. JCer says:

    Pumps, most workers are motivated by a few things.

    1. Success/Money, if there is no carrot good luck motivating them, work for profit is not in and of itself rewarding typically. People like to feel like they are getting stuff done but at the end of the day if they don’t feel it will benefit them their enthusiasm will fade.
    2. Not being bothered, people cannot stand being micromanaged or constantly annoyed while working. This can be done just as easily remotely as in person. Typically in productive organizations even in office no one has time to really see what is going on all the time there are more important things people are focusing on. Usually the output, the value someone creates is what dictates a keeper employee vs. one you’d rather eliminate.
    3. Not being fired, being in the office or WFH has no effect on this either. At the moment most firms aren’t laying off as they are all short staffed.

    Hybrid was already in the works when COVID struck, it just accelerated the adoption rate. It is both positive and negative for productivity depending on the people involved and the work being done.

  41. The Great Pumpkin says:

    You guys are funny. Just because I don’t work in corporate, I don’t know what is going on. If this is the case, I never ever want to hear one word out of your mouths about teachers. Not one, otherwise you are a hypocrite.

  42. Nomad says:

    WFH – how do you evaluate and develop people without face to face interaction in appropriate amounts? No doubt, WFH will remain but not sure how to accomplsh this. Perhaps more mistakes promoting or hiring wrong people until a method to do this properly evolves.

  43. The Great Pumpkin says:

    No one is getting fired. Unemployment rate says so.

    “Usually the output, the value someone creates is what dictates a keeper employee vs. one you’d rather eliminate”

  44. The Great Pumpkin says:

    This blog is filled with old workers who have mastered their job…hence, love WFH. Some of these guys are also antisocial in life. They hate people. So WFH is their dream come true.

    Nomad says:
    March 31, 2022 at 12:22 pm
    WFH – how do you evaluate and develop people without face to face interaction in appropriate amounts? No doubt, WFH will remain but not sure how to accomplsh this. Perhaps more mistakes promoting or hiring wrong people until a method to do this properly evolves.

  45. JCer says:

    Home buyer, were you at your existing firm a long time? I find that long time employees seem to miss out on market gains. I was there years ago then hopped for a 25% increase, then again for 40%, then again for job flexibility and have been there for 8 years taking my 4-5% annual raise and at least until very recently had serious job security. Ultimately if you stay with one employer you need to first get a job role promotion and title change and even then they will wait to pay you the next year. The only time you get money without that is when they think you are contemplating leaving and they have deemed you critical.

  46. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Perfect example of how WFH and the current labor market are hurting companies. It’s going to take a toll on companies long-term. Companies have no work culture anymore once the lifers retire.

    Workers just dance around collecting raises.

    A Home Buyer says:
    March 31, 2022 at 11:21 am
    Completely anecdotal.

    I’m hours away from resigning to take 50% pay increase. Remote 3 to 4 days managing a remote (but within an hour drive) team. That increase is after my company provided 5% average raises and received a double digit raise from this company.

    Ps. Do not feed the troll.

  47. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Blame FED all you want, but wfh is causing massive inflation. Inflation of remote real estate, and inflation in the purchasing power of employees jumping around getting unrealistic raises.

  48. Juice Box says:

    Jcer- Democrats/Republicans love this indentured servitude system. American workers not so much as it does drive down wages and opportunity.

    BTW – “Deportation” is ordered by an immigration judge, usually due to criminal activity and your company has no say in that matter. “Removal” is USCIS for expired visas. A person is remined to leave the United States due to expiration of visa, they can enter United States again and is not on the radar of the USCIS or feds or immigration officers. If they overstay too long well then it then becomes a criminal matter.

    H-1B and and the other visas E-3, L-1, O-1, TN etc visas are just that temporary, if unemployed for more than 60 days they need to go back to their home country, there should be no expectation of permanent status until you get a green card.

    BTW- Just ask Pumps, or heck the real hosewives of NJ about deportation. Their family members can never come back legally.

  49. JCer says:

    pumps you’d be surprised, we have let people go or otherwise tried to position them to leave(it’s cheaper). Even with high employment sometimes an employee just isn’t creating the value to justify their position, why should I pay you 150k a year if you are producing anything of value?

    Nomad face to face is extremely important with new employees. Even just to impart “corporate culture”. WFH is easier with people who have been in their role a while.

    I for one don’t love WFH, it was terrible at the beginning of the pandemic with everyone at home. It has gotten a lot better now that kids are back in school and my wife is back in the office 4 days a week. It certainly saves me a lot of time and money but it is monotonous, I used to WFH about 2 days a week which was really perfect but I had almost total flexibility if I wanted to not come in on a certain week or month it was not a problem.

  50. Bystander says:

    Preach it JCer.

    Awesome Home. You give us hope. I am still in the hunt. Some stuff this morning after a dead march mostly.

  51. 3b says:

    The Oracle continues to opine on that of which he knows nothing.

  52. JCer says:

    Juice thanks for the immigration lesson(removal not deportation), we abuse the visa system most often with the L1 visa. That is the threat and how they keep people in line, once they terminate employment the people have to go back and while the company paid to bring them here they do not help them go back which for guys who were making 25k in india who came to the US to make 75k puts them in a bad place the process of moving back costs them thousands which is money they do not really have.

    What we do with the folks who are on H1 is we try to sabotage/prevent transfer. I have also see them uses the levers on the H1 folks who will be terminated for the slightest of reasons, typically they cannot find a new position so quickly after being terminated and wind up having to leave. This is not only something they do to folks who they sponsored but also to people they transfered H1’s for.

  53. Bystander says:

    Lets not forget that this is coming soon. Imagine co-worker seeing range for recently released peer when they are not paid near that top end.

    “Beginning on May 15, 2022, employers in New York City must begin listing salary ranges in any advertisements for jobs, promotions, or transfer opportunities. The new measure is the latest in a nationwide trend of state and local laws designed to promote pay equity by increasing employee bargaining power in pay negotiations.

    Under the new law, any employer with more than four employees in New York City commits an “unlawful discriminatory practice” if it advertises a job, promotion, or transfer opportunity without stating the minimum and maximum salary for that position in the advertisement. Notably, independent contractors are included in the calculation of whether an employer meets the four-employee threshold. The employer must list a salary range extending from the “lowest to the highest salary the employer in good faith believes at the time of the posting it would pay” for the advertised job.

  54. 3b says:

    Jcer: Good analysis. As for WFH being monotonous, I view it the exact opposite. I can structure my days around what I need to get done work wise and personal activities. I can log on early at 6:30, and then go to the gym later in the afternoon, and still work if need be. I don’t have the dread of the miserable NJ Transit commute and save 3600.00 a year in commuting costs.

    I can continue to work after 7:00 PM and nor have to worry about missing the 8:30 train. Flexibility for going out to dinner in the middle of the week, and just general all around comfort.

    I agree it’s harder for new highers, but my firm has policies in place to help address that. Even if we were all in the office new hires would have many of the same issues as remote, because we along with other companies have teams that are geographically dispersed. This was happening prior to the pandemic.

    We have had multiple surveys and analysis by outside co
    Companies prior to going fully remote, including demographic breakdowns , and the millennials with children were overwhelmingly in favor of remote. That’s the demographic that matters most going forward.

  55. Bystander says:

    3b,

    You mean Orifice..

  56. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Aka I want the company to work around my schedule, not theirs. That’s real good for the company, let me tell you. Employees minds are everywhere else except for the company paying them.

    And of course you love WFH….we know you hate people and hate interacting with them.

    3b says:
    March 31, 2022 at 12:54 pm
    Jcer: Good analysis. As for WFH being monotonous, I view it the exact opposite. I can structure my days around what I need to get done work wise and personal activities. I can log on early at 6:30, and then go to the gym later in the afternoon, and still work if need be. I don’t have the dread of the miserable NJ Transit commute and save 3600.00 a year in commuting costs.

    I can continue to work after 7:00 PM and nor have to worry about missing the 8:30 train. Flexibility for going out to dinner in the middle of the week, and just general all around comfort.

  57. 3b says:

    Went right over the Oracle of cluelessness s head again. Typical.

  58. 3b says:

    Jcer: I agree on the wokeism bycorporate being window dressing. At the end of the day if they can save money by outsourcing your position or eliminating it they will. And it does not matter if you are in the office or hybrid/ remote.

    Companies can do what they want of course, but the government should incentivize companies that create jobs here, and penalize those that ship jobs overseas. Government is supposed to work for the people, not the reality of course, but it should be.

  59. Juice Box says:

    JCER – re: won’t pay for them to go back. Since it was an L-1 intracompany transfer, they are abusing that person, then again they came with the expectation of staying forever? Then they abused themselves thinking that, and perhaps should have asked for a contract for relocation expenses here and home if the job actually really is intracompany transfer of an essential employee who works in managerial or executive or some rare skills. I have a feeling it’s not, just another abuse of the visa system, against US workers.

  60. 3b says:

    Ian Shepherdson says house prices and rents headed for a substantial downshift , he predicts home sales will decline by 25 percent end of the summer and decrease in prices and rents.

  61. 3b says:

    Bystander: I stand corrected.

  62. A Home Buyer says:

    JCER,

    5-ish years. Unique circumstance though. I took a job to escape NJ and we were willing to take a loss. We had a plan to make it work. Then life circumstances occurred (for the positive) that required a reevaluation of our priorities and career trajectories.

    My income become primary / paramount and I began moving up for my family. Obtained a certification that is legally protected and hard to obtain making me very valuable everywhere. I moved up a couple of positions and eventually into management but raises for each move were single digit percentage increases, with one ok adjustment after I made some noise. And yes, the “you’ll see it next year during your raise then” occurred as well.

    All said and done, this is probably a story of being taken advantage of and/or selling myself short originally, but if you are not looking out for yourself you can bet no one else will be either.

  63. 3b says:

    Village of South Nyack in Rockland Co voted itself out of existence effective today . It will now be an unincorporated area in Orangetown.

  64. BRT says:

    Someone dug up an old clip of Fauci.

    “If she got the flu, she’s as protected as anybody could be…she definitely doesn’t need a flu vaccine….The most potent vaccination is getting infected yourself”

    https://twitter.com/ElijahSchaffer/status/1509569204638433280

  65. Hold my beer says:

    Is Biden trying to make everyone think Carter wasn’t so bad?

    He wants to end Title 42 which will cause a mass migrant event.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10672525/DEMOCRATS-urge-Biden-not-drop-Title-42-Senators-says-isnt-plan-migrant-influx.html

    Let’s see. We have a housing shortage, food prices going up, broken health care system, so let’s allow millions to enter the US. Hey, at least they can get free health care at ERs..
    Is this some way to make up for labor shortage in restaurants and home building sites?

  66. Hold my beer says:

    BRT

    Fauci changing his tune? Shocking. Said no one who’s not a progressive.

  67. Hold my beer says:

    Juice
    Europe has gone mad. All their green energy goals and progressive utopia dreams. Meanwhile they import gas and oil from Russia and buy tons of stuff from coal powered China and expect the US to protect them.

  68. Ex says:

    12:21 watching your wife work isn’t the same as working in Corp. environment.
    Most productive people in many firms are field sales/business dev. Staff.
    Nearly all of these folks are decentralized.

  69. BRT says:

    I’ve been saying for years the idea of dismantling your nuclear power plants was insane and counter the whole carbon neutral fantasy. But it also breeds dependence. Putin is showing, if you have nukes and commodities, you can do whatever you want.

  70. The Great Pumpkin says:

    It’s a product of the current environment. When the economy tanks and the bosses are in control, they will want an in person work force for the majority of the company. Right now, they are not competing against in person. No company is completely in person at the moment. So talk to me when sh!t hits the fan, and companies actually have to compete for profit instead of having it rain on them the past 2 years. They will use every advantage they can, and “in person” will be embraced again. They will have no choice as their competition will…

    Sure, we will have the hybrid platform, but WFH is not happening long-term for the majority of workers.

    Ex says:
    March 31, 2022 at 2:18 pm
    12:21 watching your wife work isn’t the same as working in Corp. environment.
    Most productive people in many firms are field sales/business dev. Staff.
    Nearly all of these folks are decentralized.

  71. Juice Box says:

    Happy Trans Day everyone. Biden just announced today you can select X on your passport now for Sex. I bet someone is really happy they can update Wikipedia now.

    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Michelle_Obama%27s_U.S._passport_%282013-2018%29.png

  72. 3b says:

    The resident expert on corporate America work speaks yet again. I mean it only makes sense that a public sector worker would be an expert on corporate America.

    The real reason is something else of course.

  73. Juice Box says:

    Anyone got a recommendation for a reasonable roofer? Bergen County.

    Thanks.

  74. 3b says:

    Ex: Thank you.

  75. leftwing says:

    Really Lib…..

    “So even though the Bezos, Musks and Zuckerbergs make infinitely more in compensation than say the Fords or the DuPonts. Their philanthropy pales in comparison.”

    Uhhmmmm…can we give them a little time? Like the companies which are the source of their wealth are still in a growth phase? Maybe let them get to harvest mode, or even dead like some of the other great endowments you mention?

    “And even when they are a bit charitable, it is usual in a way that benefits the corporation (research hospitals, university buildings) where they are building their personal war chests from.”

    Dude your liberal bona fides are really showing here…no contribution to the wealth creation but all the self assurance of your right to dictate how it’s spent….and btw, you have an issue with universities and RESEARCH HOSPITALS?

    JFC, you’re just out headhunting now. And who funded the endowment to found the Univ of Chicago. Is that a problem?

    C’mon man!

  76. Ex says:

    2:29 that’s just it my man. The shit hits the fan every other quarter in Corp America!!
    Every time new management is hired, every bad quarter, every botched initiative….your head is literally on the block. No tenure baby! No nets.

  77. Ex says:

    Oh, and the longer your tenure in Corp America is, the bigger the target on your back.

  78. grim says:

    Corey Genardi from Clifton is solid – He came up to do my house in Wayne, but depending on where you are looking, might be out of his area.

  79. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Ex,

    Works both ways. I can’t jump around during a hot labor market to increase my pay. I don’t get bonuses when the economy runs hot. Everything has a cost…i have to pay for that job security through lower pay and money contributions to the union.

  80. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I also can’t leave my district unless I want to risk that tenure. Everything has a cost.

  81. Juice Box says:

    Genardi – thanks Grim…

  82. The Great Pumpkin says:

    “Friend just messaged me from a Big Box retailer. Sales are WAY down vs last two years. This echos what someone in Home Depot was saying. They staffed up huge expecting big spring sales and they’re running less than half expectations.”

  83. Ex says:

    6:08 nobody will talk to you – hot market or not.
    Despite what you might believe it isn’t that easy to make a move from teaching to corp life. Especially if you’ve taught a long time.

  84. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Ex,

    I have no intentions of going corporate. I’m at the end game. Plan executed. Told myself in my early 20s after working my butt off at the post office, Im going into teaching. Working in the same district till I retire. Seven more years till the magic number 25. After that, it’s all gravy. I’ll hang on at top salary for as long as I can. Once i lose the kids, I’m out. Not being the punching bag.

    Not bad for the village idiot.

  85. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Getting my butt kicked at the post office was one of the best learning experiences of my life. Taught me that every job sucks, so get the job with the most time off. Thank you for the lesson.

    Best part, the money saved from the post office helped me by the rental property. Funny how life works.

  86. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Huge support now at these levels. Let’s go!!

    “Wow, @CathieDWood is back buying 3.8M $DNA”

  87. Libturd says:

    For once, Pumps shows some intelligence.

    “ Getting my butt kicked at the post office was one of the best learning experiences of my life. Taught me that every job sucks, so get the job with the most time off. Thank you for the lesson.

    Best part, the money saved from the post office helped me by the rental property. Funny how life works.”

  88. Libturd says:

    My Boy’s team walloped a Connecticut team 9-1 to start Nationals.

  89. Libturd says:

    I’m also drunk.

  90. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Bystander-Jersey in the house! Let’s go!

    Libturd says:
    March 31, 2022 at 8:37 pm
    My Boy’s team walloped a Connecticut team 9-1 to start Nationals.

  91. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I’m stubborn, but I learn my lessons…sometimes the hard way. My dad, good ol ziggy, is who allowed me to do it. He was a good father at teaching lessons. I was arguing with my parents about college, because I naively thought it was all about the money. My dad was right, Education is everything. I wanted to quit college because I understood that you don’t need college to make serious money, but he understood how the quality of life correlates with level of education.

    What I didn’t understand is my parents perspective was ripe with age behind their logic; Education dictates life. I finally understand that perspective. People can claim college experience is a waste of money or an indoctrination, but they are simply idiots. College matters. It makes you into a better adult, the better your college experience, the better the adult.

    Libturd says:
    March 31, 2022 at 8:35 pm
    For once, Pumps shows some intelligence.

  92. Juice Box says:

    Lib – Congrats!@!!!!!!!!@@!@!@!@

  93. Juice Box says:

    Pumps – You are like me.. I am a son of immigrants too, and well some get it and some don’t. My old man wanted to go back home to Ireland, and it consumed him to his grave. He wanted to go back home, no matter what and when it was always NOW, and my mother would never do that, it was not easy for sure.

    I have seen you post plenty here about family, with all that painful stuff. You are a good man for sure, look you will be an old man soon too, don’t let it consume you move on and enjoy life. Take a trip forget about NJ and this place too…. You have earned it../.

  94. Ex says:

    Exciting!! Hockey news.

  95. Chi says:

    Lib: Yes!

  96. Chicago says:

    This Evening’s Fetus Update

    Five fetuses found in anti-abortion activist’s home in Washington DC

  97. Ex says:

    Bob Weir is “Truckin’” into a new Los Angeles home, and this cool cat cashed in some pricey chips for his stylishly compact pad. Per records, the legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Famer — best known as a founding member of the legendary band the Grateful Dead — has doled out $2.1 million, or more than $500,000 over the asking price, for revamped digs in the trendy Silver Lake community.

    https://www.dirt.com/gallery/entertainers/musicians/bob-weir-house-studio-city-los-angeles-1203467166/

  98. Juice Box says:

    Crazy Zero Covid Shanghai

    https://9gag.com/gag/a415bbA

  99. 3b says:

    Juice: Same background as you, all the years my parents lived here and Ireland was still called home. I got a letter from home was always part of the conversation.

    My FIL was the only one from his family to come here , and he always planned to go back. When my wife graduated from 8th grade , he was set to go, economy there had a bit of a boom, and he was a skilled master carpenter. My MIL said absolutely not and the kids did not want to go either, although they loved spending summers there. My Aunt the last of the old timers on my side can still recall her childhood vividly, and all the little townlands and villages. There was always the longing to go home, but most knew it would never happen.

  100. 3b says:

    Fed Reserve bank of Dallas says a housing bubble is brewing.

  101. grim says:

    Lots of us here first generation. My parents came here with basically nothing but their friends. What was so interesting about the polish ex-pat community is that they very much moved together. In the neighborhood I grew up in, all of our “relatives” were friends and families that moved together, literally into the same neighborhoods for the most part. When I went to Frydman, Poland for the first time (where they all came from), it was literally the cousins of my entire neighborhood. Never been there, but I pretty much knew the entire town. Some folks stayed back, because they owned land, houses, etc. They weren’t all willing to cut ties completely, so you had two incredibly close sister communities. This was a huge safety net for both communities to rely on. Families here in the US were always sending back money and packages. Likewise, we were always hosting folks that came over on work visas (as I got older). Helping newcomers get situated here.

    Sure, it was probably a major impact to Poland, there was this obviously coordinated siphoning of population. This is why so few went back, the incredible safety net. My grandmother on my moms side, was a single mom, with 4 kids. She was able to buy a house because this community gave her the mortgage. Who was going to give a single working mother who sewed pillowcases and clothes and was paid per piece a mortgage in the 50s/60s? Fuck all nobody.

    My dad still owns a substantial plot of farm and woodland there, even though he’s been here for basically 60 years. It’s lakefront now (due to a reservoir being created), so a perfect plot for a grim family compound.

    There were only a very small handful of folks that went back, and it was usually because they had significant others the didn’t come, yeah, some were deported, but still they managed to make their way back.

    But, that old country mindset was instilled in all of us, and it still is. Hell, I’ve got dual citizenship. I’ll probably get my kids dual citizenship as well.

  102. Juice Box says:

    3B – My Uncle who lived in a cheap apt in the Bronx saved all his money, he drove a bus for 20 years up and down Broadway for the MTA retired at 50 yrs old then moved back to Ireland with three teenage kids. He never bought a home, and drove an old beaten up Volkswagen beetle. His eldest son stayed here in the same rent controlled apt as he had a job in Manhattan for Chase.

    Whenever we visited in Ireland my Uncle used to rub it in to my dad and say he beat the system. Which at the time was true it was much cheaper to live there on a pension and later social security too in Ireland than the USA, no property tax etc hose he built was paid off etc. He coached kids teams and played allot of golf all over Europe, even played with Tiger Woods once as he won a contest.

    My dad always wanted to move back, it was his dream. The closest he got would be long summers he would save up all his vacation time and take us for five weeks at a time every few years. It was like we lived there for a time, was nice long summers with our cousins.

  103. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Juice,

    Thank you. I’m just the child of immigrants chasing the American Dream. Working hard to improve the fortunes of my family with hard work and sacrifice. I strive to work hard and be a good person because at the end of the day…that’s all that matters.

  104. 3b says:

    My Wife’s uncle drove the Central Park crosstown bus for years. He probably knew your Uncle all those Irish guys knew each other in those days. My wife and her family spent every other summer , sometimes every summer in Ireland for 6 weeks , same thing Father saved all his vacation time . We used to go on my side a lot too. There was a retired subway motorman from my Fathers home place who retired back there, and had his big fin black bright blue caddy shipped back. It was so unreal seeing that car zipping around the small country roads In my Father’s area. I learned to drive stick over there and on the other side of the road!

  105. 3b says:

    Grim Similar stories / background, although different in that it was not all coming from the same village like in your description. We have property in Ireland as well in the west, and we along with our kids have Irish passports as well. Anytime we go back it always feels like home, there is just something about it.

  106. Mike S says:

    ‘Bystander says:
    March 31, 2022 at 8:26 am
    FL is nice to visit..not a raise a family. My Dad is youngest of 9 and grew up in Port Washington. His 2 older brothers and one sister moved family to FL in late 60s when my older cousins were anywhere from 1 to 15. I have about 25 first cousins there now. 5 are dead (some tragic some lifestyle), another 3 have spent significant time in jail, at least 6 have been drug addicts/alkies. The other half are a mixture of lower class (HS dropouts, tats, fisherman), some middle class and one that is super successful restaurant owner. Perhaps things have changed and much of outcome are family issues but still not liking those odds. Too many drugs, low ambition, low educated, troubled people in FL.

    Same – my cousins whose family moved to Florida – all have mugshots online, time in rehab, kids out of marriage, etc.

  107. Juice Box says:

    Funny many people don’t know this but, you are automatically an Irish citizen if one of your parents was an Irish citizen, even if one of your grandparents was an Irish citizen then you are too. All you need to do is register your foreign birth and then you can apply for a Irish/EU passport. Just need a copy of the parents or grandparents birth certificate etc.

    Anecdotal the small village where my family is from has a pub my cousin now owns, passed down etc, it’s where we all would meet up during the summers. One year an old man introduced himself to me. He came in every weekend by himself and sat in the corner. He had an American accent, Midwest accent. Turns out he was in Infantry Soldier in the US Army on D-Day, after he retired in the states he moved back to Ireland because he wanted to travel in Europe and needed a base to stay, his grandfather was born in Ireland sometime in the 1800s and emigrated to the USA.

  108. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Good stories today… enjoying the read.

  109. grim says:

    If you are at all eligible for any dual citizenship, take it, you never know when that door closes.

    A lot of the Italian kids I grew up with had similar dual citizenships as well.

  110. Boomer Remover says:

    I’ve thought about going back to Wroclaw, Poland for a few years. I’d be able to put my kids in an international private school, enjoy the cheaper quality of life on western wages, and tour Europe extensively in the summers. It’s an attractive proposition but something is holding me back, and the doors are closing quickly.

    I thought I wanted my kids to have a Polish identity, but I’m no longer sure I want that to be any major part of their life, unless we were to go all in as described above. I myself don’t quite feel at home in the states, and at this point after 25+ years here there’s no denying that I don’t quite fit in back home either. It’s dreadful and it haunts me constantly.

  111. 3b says:

    Juice: I am surprised the Irish government has not changed the citizenship requirement, I thought the EU might pressure them to, but I guess not. We are planning to go in September for a family wedding, they do great weddings over there! Last trip was in 2019. Will be heading up north as well, as my Wife has never been that far north, although I have back in the day.

  112. Juice Box says:

    Ireland made it even easier now. It’s automatic citizenship now to people born before 2005, just apply for the passport is all you need to do.

    https://www.dfa.ie/citizenship/born-abroad/registering-a-foreign-birth/begin-online-application/

  113. grim says:

    I’m sure if you did a study, you’d see that extending dual citizenship encourages foreign direct investment and tourism spending. It’s all about keeping those existing connections, encouraging new ones, building strong ex-pat networks, and creating economic ties. Yeah, there’s the obvious cultural benefits, but I’m fairly sure the financial benefits vastly outweigh.

  114. 3b says:

    Juice: I did not know that, must be recent. We plan on visiting Dunluce Castle , it was in Game of Thrones, House of Greyjoy, Iron Islands.

  115. 3b says:

    Grim: I agree, definitely makes sense, and the financial benefits could be significant.

  116. Juice Box says:

    Yes can live and work in any of the 28 EU countries.

  117. BRT says:

    Murphy totally got covid walking through my classroom Friday

  118. Juice Box says:

    My sister and her kids got Covid this week too, came via middle school.

  119. No One says:

    I grew up in FL in a small town where I was in the AP crowd in HS. Most of the smartest kids ended up going out of state eventually for school and/or work. But that’s probably true of small towns everywhere. I think kids on the “wrong side of town” in small town FL had a better chance at education than the kids in Camden, but most of them turned out similar.

    Anyway, in my new high-end town near Sarasota, very few people grew up in Florida. Even the Mayor is a NJ retiree. He can hardly ever return my serve. Of the guys I know at my country club, I think only the guy who is the top local Realtor grew up in FL. He also happens to be the best tennis player at the club. But there are successful professionals who grew up in FL, people in the bigger cities like Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Tallahassee. Local people who own construction/repair businesses are making lots of money in the busy, prosperous areas. There are a lot of different types of people in FL

  120. 3b says:

    Psaki to leave White House in May, and in talks to join MSNBC.

  121. Very Stable Genius says:

    Wish more people would move to Florida. Right wingers stick around in NJ to enjoy very high quality of life funded by liberals.

  122. Some One says:

    Florida.

    It’s where you go to die. Lathered in coconut oil.

  123. OC1 says:

    Was down in Florida last november visiting my parents. Girlfriend and I spent a few days canoeing.

    On the Suwanee River, we met a guy who wore his mummified amputated toe on his neck like an amulet.

    That, to me, sums up Florida in a nutshell. ;)

  124. Fast Eddie says:

    You can always tell that one person here on this forum who uses an alternate handle, as if we don’t know who it is. The question is who do they think they become when they’re off their meds?

  125. Hold my beer says:

    Fast

    Can you play this on your les Paul?

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ON_zwi5_BqI

  126. grim says:

    You might hate Psaki, but she’s talented. She is so incredibly quick on her feet, and can sling a zinger like nobody’s business.

    I don’t know if she could swing being a talkshow host, but I can see that being an angle.

  127. grim says:

    Hot damn, Ukraine launches a helicopter attack on Belograd, Russia. They blew up a fuel depot a bunch of tanks.

  128. The Great Pumpkin says:

    That’s crazy…Ukraine is attacking Russia. Wow. If you would have told me this was the case two months ago, I would have told you that you are crazy.

  129. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I love people that vacation in rich coastal Florida and think that’s the real Florida. LoL

  130. SmallGovConservative says:

    Bystander says:
    March 31, 2022 at 8:26 am
    “FL is nice to visit..not a raise a family.”

    Funny seeing the anti-Florida comments from the Dem stooges, all of them completely ignorant of the key facts presented in the featured article — “New York State was still 4.1 percent below its pre-pandemic employment level…Meanwhile, Florida and Texas have added jobs during the pandemic — 3.4% and 2.9% respectively.”. You dopes are literally your own punchlines, dissing people that move to places that provide job opportunities and apologizing for the Dem politicians that give you potholes in your roads, extortionary taxes and post-apocalyptic scenery like that of the panhandlers camped under the crumbling Pulaski Skyway.

  131. Some One says:

    Places like Florida that provide tax breaks are always good for business. And retirees.

  132. joyce says:

    Which states do not provide tax breaks?

  133. BRT says:

    I love people that vacation in rich coastal Florida and think that’s the real Florida. LoL

    You could easily say the same thing about NJ. You love your little subburb, but check out Newark, Patterson, Camden, Trenton, and any of the entire counties below Burlington. It’s nothing like the North/Central suburbs at all.

  134. The Great Pumpkin says:

    How many of these jobs are based on housing construction in these states. When they top out, going to get ugly. Both of these states are living off the growth of the population and when that train ends, good luck.

    Florida jobs are mostly based on service. They live off people coming for vacation…how do you think they have no income tax?

    “Funny seeing the anti-Florida comments from the Dem stooges, all of them completely ignorant of the key facts presented in the featured article — “New York State was still 4.1 percent below its pre-pandemic employment level…Meanwhile, Florida and Texas have added jobs during the pandemic — 3.4% and 2.9% respectively.”. You dopes are literally your own punchlines, dissing people that move to places that provide job opportunities and apologizing for the Dem politicians that give you potholes in your roads, extortionary taxes and post-apocalyptic scenery like that of the panhandlers camped under the crumbling Pulaski Skyway”

  135. The Great Pumpkin says:

    This is true…that’s why when people come to NYC and fly into newark….they think nj is horrible.

    BRT says:
    April 1, 2022 at 1:30 pm
    I love people that vacation in rich coastal Florida and think that’s the real Florida. LoL

    You could easily say the same thing about NJ. You love your little subburb, but check out Newark, Patterson, Camden, Trenton, and any of the entire counties below Burlington. It’s nothing like the North/Central suburbs at all.

  136. 3b says:

    Grim: Yes she is good at her trade,and she can lie/ explain away, justify the most bizarre of Biden’s so called gaffes, but I would imagine it’s tiresome for her. Maybe she will get Maddows spot who is on leave and ultimately leaving at year end.

  137. The Great Pumpkin says:

    For those of you who live in Texas and Florida, how bad has the traffic become? I don’t know for sure, but I would imagine this huge population growth is taking a bite out of the quality of life.

  138. 3b says:

    We got lost in Cumberland Co, which I never heard of years ago, and it could have been just as easily some rural county in West Virginia; the name sounds like it too.

  139. crushednjmillenial says:

    Most of the World Cup 2022 seeding has occurred.

    I remain surprised every time around that FIFA doesn’t rig it somehow so that China and India are in the World Cup most years. Just such huge potential fan bases and FIFA isn’t, apparently, above rigging things. FIFA already has Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East on lock, significant interest in North America. Seems like they want to be focused on getting more of Asia in the mix.

  140. crushednjmillenial says:

    Speaking of the World Cup, the 2026 World Cup will be held in North America (games played in Canada, US and Mexico). Gov. Murphy says a big part of the pitch for holding the final at Metlife is that the Final will be held around the time of July 4, 2026 (i.e., USA turns 250 years old).

  141. Very Stable Genius says:

    That guy sounds like a local GOP congressman

    OC1 says:
    April 1, 2022 at 11:45 am
    Was down in Florida last november visiting my parents. Girlfriend and I spent a few days canoeing.

    On the Suwanee River, we met a guy who wore his mummified amputated toe on his neck like an amulet.

    That, to me, sums up Florida in a nutshell. ;)

  142. Bystander says:

    “Ireland made it even easier now”

    I am automatic Irish citizen bc mother born there. I could have also claimed based on grandparents on father’s side. I thought they made it more restrictive a decade ago. My cousin (both parents born in US) tried to claim Irish citizenship via grandparents so her son could have citizenship. Apparently he could not claim through her because she did not get her citizenship in time.

  143. Old Realtor says:

    Meanwhile you are still in NJ. Be happy to send you a one way ticket to sunny Florida if you promise not to come back.

    SmallGovConservative says:
    April 1, 2022 at 1:17 pm
    Bystander says:
    March 31, 2022 at 8:26 am
    “FL is nice to visit..not a raise a family.

    Funny seeing the anti-Florida comments from the Dem stooges, all of them completely ignorant of the key facts presented in the featured article — “New York State was still 4.1 percent below its pre-pandemic employment level…Meanwhile, Florida and Texas have added jobs during the pandemic — 3.4% and 2.9% respectively.”. You dopes are literally your own punchlines, dissing people that move to places that provide job opportunities and apologizing for the Dem politicians that give you potholes in your roads, extortionary taxes and post-apocalyptic scenery like that of the panhandlers camped under the crumbling Pulaski Skyway.

  144. Hold my beer says:

    Pumps

    DFW area is still better traffic than Jersey for most areas. Most of the new suburban sundivisions is being built on what was farms and ranches and the new roads have been planned out. The major roads are 2-3 lanes in each direction plus left turn lanes. When the highways were built there was room to add an additional 1-3 lanes and those are being added, I-20 is always bad during rush hour in Arlington and by Fort Worth, and I avoid Fort Worth except on weekends. Fort Worth highways have terrible traffic and you can easily get stuck in traffic. The highways around Denton are usually heavy traffic too.

    Houston traffic has been terrible the two times I’ve gone there. Waco is awful. You have to drive through it to go from DFW to San Antonio and Austin. There has been road construction On the highway running through Waco for years. It always takes 30-40 minutes for a few mile stretch. People are complaining how crowded Austin has gotten but I’ve only been there on weekends a few times so no idea what weekday traffic is like.

  145. 3b says:

    Bystander: I thought they had changed it years ago, my wife and I got ours year’s ago, and we got it for our kids when they were little. Apparently the Irish passport is highly coveted.

    On another note my cousin over there tells me there are Ukrainian flags flying everywhere over there, and there are people putting together convoys of aid and making their way to Poland to have the aid delivered to Ukraine. There is an incredible amount of sympathy there for Ukraine. Understandable of course they know all about being invaded and bullied by their big next door neighbor.

  146. Some One says:

    Amazon Staten Island votes to unionize.

    Who would have thought.

  147. B Bubble Burst says:

    Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF Rating Cut to Negative At Morningstar

    Cathie Wood’s Ark Innovation shows “few signs of improving its risk management or ability to successfully navigate the challenging territory it explores”, Morningstar said.

    “The fund has recorded a “wretched” 45.5% loss over the past 12 months.”
    “Wood’s reliance on her instincts to construct the portfolio is a liability.”

  148. 3b says:

    Someone is kind of using my handle.

  149. Hold my beer says:

    I wonder if Russian troops even knew they were shelling a nuclear power plant and have heard of Chernobyl.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/russian-troops-suffer-acute-radiation-083839177.html

  150. Hold my beer says:

    Unreal. Russia can’t get spare parts for its invasion because they are made in Ukraine.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10677711/Russias-war-effort-stalls-Red-Army-replacement-weapons.html#article-10677711

  151. Fabius Maximus says:

    “Hot damn, Ukraine launches a helicopter attack on Belograd, Russia. They blew up a fuel depot a bunch of tanks.”

    While not an April Fools, be careful jumping on a story until you see the verification come through from reliable sources.

    https://twitter.com/tomiahonen/status/1510026813778632713
    On #Belgorod
    If it had been Ukraine, they’d proudly take ownership of a daring night time precision attack by their helicopters. But of course not. Ukraine denies it

    The most likely cause? Belgorod’s mayor has been selling oil to black market. Now the evidence is burned up

    Duh

  152. grim says:

    Pretty sure Ukraine’s comments were a f*ck you to Russia.

    They had every reason to hit that oil depot, given Russia’s telegraphing that they are going to stage troops near there for the next phase. Ukraine’s ability to hit supply lines had been the critical factor here. So why not hit supply lines further back into Russia?

  153. Libturd says:

    Boys won game 2. Though coach was an asshole and needlessly played the same line nearly the entire game against a team that was pretty much even with ours skill wise. Today we face the best team in the nation, but have already qualified for the quarterfinals. The road ahead is near impossible. Especially if our coach wants to make believe he is Jacques LeMaire. It took 11 penalty shots for us to win yesterday due to his stupid decision.

  154. Grim says:

    You better post updates real time.

  155. The Great Pumpkin says:

    “A bit of a subtle rebuke at the beginning to that guy from Morningstar that doesn’t get the Longterm Strategy. Cathie Wood is an economist by training and sees something different in Bonds that others ignore. Watch the whole thing. $ARKK

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgdxBl6kIEE

    She has a sober view of the political climate, need for Energy Independence & ramping Oil Supply into the elections in November. Interesting view on employment. Maybe business is over-hiring. Anecdotal: I see a lot of employees doing nothing productive at retail in particular.

    For the Oil Bulls, she specifically says “We got it wrong” in the short term but sticks to the Longterm call for lower prices and “maybe” the peak was $130 last month.”

  156. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Wow, I was ahead of the game. I said this labor market is hurting our economy a couple times on this blog. Cathie now pointing it out.

  157. Juice Box says:

    Stu – Very nice story about your boys on the usa hockey website, published on 3/31. I hope he win today! Best of Luck!

  158. leftwing says:

    Lib, congrats! No small feat to make to USAH Nationals QF!

    One game at a time, brother…any other team may be good enough to beat you nine times out of ten, but today and tomorrow you just need to win once.

  159. Libturd says:

    Down 3-1 end of 2nd, but this result doesn’t really matter. Kids see that they can keep up with best in country.

  160. Ex says:

    Excellent! Amazing experience.

  161. Libturd says:

    7-1 final. We won the 2nd period. Which is good because it shows we can play them. We also started our back up goalie.

  162. BidenIsTheGOAT says:

    Interesting comparison to Ireland. On the flip side, had the Irish done what the Ukrainians did, England would have obliterated them. Dublin would be a smoldering heap.

  163. 3b says:

    Lib: Congratulations all around. Wonderful accomplishment I am sure you are proud!

  164. Chi Day 7 says:

    This person is the Republican challenger to AOC in November.
    https://m.youtube.com/shorts/GEgScBvhwKA

  165. Libturd says:

    Kids are in the quarterfinals. From here on out, it’s win or go home.

  166. Libturd says:

    I thought that was Melania

  167. Phoenix says:

    Congrats Lib.

  168. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Best company in the world…what do they want. Rest my case.

    “Apple’s return-to-office policy is far stricter than other big tech companies — and some employees say they plan to quit in protest.”

    https://nypost.com/2022/04/01/apple-employees-say-theyll-quit-over-tim-cooks-return-to-office-push/

  169. njtownhomer says:

    while WFH is slowly ending, big box consumer staple retailers are laying off masses.
    slowdown is coming like a rock.

    Like Think/Grim’s take. NYC badly needs a recession for a reset. NY/NJ is relatively massive value compared to the rest of the country

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