How is the recession where you are?
@valentinesdiner (1214)
United States
July 9, 2009 7:24pm CST
Obama administration recently talked of "green shoots" of improvements of the economy... NYS is facing $2 B in more deficit this year... consumer spending goes up... unemployment nears 10%... what is going on here?
So everyone... wherever in the world you are... how is your economy doing?
4 responses
@piasabird (1737)
• United States
10 Jul 09
Our Governor in Illinois is trying to cut a billion dollars from the state budget. He's thinking of letting loose 10,000 prisoners to save money. I work for the state and our budget hasn't been approved yet. Our union signed a five year contract but we might not get our raise this year.
At least I still have a job and things don't seem so bad here right now but I've got a feeling it's gonna get worse.
@pixeltwistr (613)
• United States
12 Jul 09
Hmmm.....but if he releases 10,000 prisoners then how would that save the state money?? Wouldnt there just be 10,000 more people on welfare and food stamps and unemployment then? The money wouldnt be saved it would just go in a different direction....not to mention the crime rate going up and having to pay more officers....
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
10 Jul 09
Down here in south central Florida some folks are hurting and some aren't. Our business is doing well because we charge less than Harley Davidson so the bikers come to us and right now we're making folks wait. The ranchers are doing okay...crops are growing well because we've had a good amount of rain. U.S. Sugar is talking about starting the harvest a little early this year so their employees and all of the businesses who depend on Big Sugar are happy. The snowbirds aren't back yet so things are slow here but the cities on the coast are reporting only a slight decline in tourists.
@pixeltwistr (613)
• United States
12 Jul 09
Hi spalladino,
Where about in Florida do you live? I lived in Fort Myers for 21 years.....we wanted to move back to florida because we really like it there and things are really bad here....but we called around some people we know there and they told us tile installers are now getting $.75 per sq ft.....we left there in 1996 and he was getting $1.50 per sq foot then and that was low......he was getting $6.25 per sq foot here last year....now all he can find is $3.00 per sq foot when he can find anything at all.....If i thought we would be able to find work i would love to come back to florida.....beaches arent the same any where else....
@KLVentures (119)
• United States
10 Jul 09
In Maine, we seem to be feeling it a little less than most of the country but our economy was pretty depressed prior to the national problem. Foreclosures have not been as much of a problem up this way. I think that if Bush/Obama had left the economy alone we may be on the way to a real recovery by now but instead they had to mess around with it so that we will have problems for years to come.
@valentinesdiner (1214)
• United States
10 Jul 09
Funny, us folks in upstate NYS joke that we've been down so long it seems like up to us. Unemploym,ent is up, but we have learned to adjust through the years.
It IS tough and manufacturing jobs are long gone, but there is a toughness of spirit here than reminds me of Mainers.
Good luck...
@maezee (41997)
• United States
10 Jul 09
I live in Minnesota, and it's not as bad here - that I know of. People are still getting laid off left and right, but it's not the worst - and at least in the inner city of Minneapolis - business is still doing OK. Not great, but OK. I don't really know if it's gotten any better or worse from 6 months ago, but I'm hoping that it's gotten better. My hours haven't been cut at all at work or anything so it really hasn't affected me, and I can't really tell the difference except for what I'm hearing from everyone else.
