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| Post Number: 71
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Common Citizen 
Group: Members
Posts: 4818
Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: Nov. 14 2007,7:53 am |
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"He, He, He, He" -GW
Movin' on Up
John Edward's campaign on the "Two America's"... 
Tell us Johnny Reb...which America has had the greatest percentage change in income?
The income gap between the rich and the poor..."It is the incentive offered to those in the lower quintiles to get out of them and move up. And the fact that there are people where you want to go proves you can get there."
...however, there will always be those that are not motivated to move up, some can't help it, many can...there will always be those that are more comfortable remaining dependent on a nanny state from birth to death.
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| Post Number: 72
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katlade
Group: Members
Posts: 302
Joined: Aug. 2007
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Posted on: Nov. 14 2007,10:51 am |
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(jimhanson @ Oct. 30 2007,11:48 am)
QUOTE [ QUOTE Last summer, CenterPoint reported that about a third of its customers -- about 208,000 businesses and households -- owed money after the heating season. Gee, Wally, d'ya 'spose that might have somthin' to do with the fact that utilities can't shut off the gas in Minnesota in the winter time?  Not much incentive to pay the utility bill, when you know that they can't do anything about it.
Not true. You have to qualify in order for the utility company not to turn you off in winter. There is a form to fill out and you need to promise to pay a portion of your monthly income each month. If you make to much money you don't qualify and they will turn your utilities off if they so choose. SEMCAC still offers assistance but I believe the funding has been cut or still stays the same so it doesn't last as long with the rising costs.
So imagine all those folks who are living on a fixed income? For example - social security. They are getting a modest raise for 2008 but doesn't even come close to covering the rising cost of utilities, groceries, gas, prescriptions etc. So what choice do these people have. They have worked all their lives and now may lose thier homes because of the rising costs of everything. I am sure we all have parents or grandparents. I think it is bull ****. They will be forced to sell their houses and move into senior citizens dwellings.
And by the way even if some of these lower income people can make arrangements to keep utilities on during the winter they still have to pay what is left owing in the spring or get turned off at that time. Please don't make it sound like people are getting by with not paying their bill. Maybe you have suggestions for these folks that are struggling.
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"Stupid is as stupid does"
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| Post Number: 73
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| Post Number: 74
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TameThaTane
Group: Members
Posts: 6300
Joined: May 2005
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Posted on: Nov. 15 2007,12:51 pm |
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Stop voting to tax themselves.
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My choice is what I choose to do,
And if I'm causing no harm, it shouldn't bother you.
Your choice is who you choose to be,
And if you're causin' no harm, then you're alright with me.
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| Post Number: 75
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| Post Number: 76
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TameThaTane
Group: Members
Posts: 6300
Joined: May 2005
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Posted on: Nov. 15 2007,5:45 pm |
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School administrators got a fine raise. So did our little county attorney. Many get very handsome raises.
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My choice is what I choose to do,
And if I'm causing no harm, it shouldn't bother you.
Your choice is who you choose to be,
And if you're causin' no harm, then you're alright with me.
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| Post Number: 77
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Expatriate
Group: Members
Posts: 16903
Joined: Oct. 2004
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Posted on: Nov. 16 2007,2:15 pm |
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Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regulates electricity and natural gas, It is the Commission's responsibility to ensure Utilities provide safe, adequate, and reliable service...
MN Rules 7820.1500 - 7820.2300 covers the Cold Weather Rule , applies between October 15th and April 15th
your utilities can be shut off anytime, it's not the free lunch jimhanson would have you believe..
http://www.puc.state.mn.us/consumer/assist/coldrule.htm
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History is no more than the lies agreed upon by the victors.
~NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
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| Post Number: 78
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banquo
Group: Members
Posts: 464
Joined: Jun. 2005
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Posted on: Nov. 16 2007,6:52 pm |
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uhhh, messed up quote post. 
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| Post Number: 79
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usmcr
Group: Members
Posts: 922
Joined: Sep. 2003
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Posted on: Dec. 24 2007,9:59 pm |
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some interesting reading concearaning a recession in 2008.
Uh Oh... "It's Coming in 2008"
By Dr. Steve Sjuggerud
August 10, 2007
Talk about a bold call...
When interest rates were 15% back in 1980, Steve Leuthold wrote an extraordinary book predicting that interest rates in America would fall to 5%.
Nobody believed him... everyone thought inflation would run away from us and that we were doomed. In his book, The Myths of Inflation, Leuthold also predicted inflation would fall to 3%.
He was right on both counts. These bold predictions were extremely optimistic. So when Steve Leuthold makes a bold prediction – whether it's optimistic or pessimistic – I listen.
Steve Leuthold is one of my favorite investment analysts. Last year, DailyWealth's Tom Dyson trekked up to Minneapolis to meet with The Leuthold Group. In the process, the group put us on its client mailing list. We appreciate it (If you're looking for a good money manager in this rough time, you may want to get to know these guys...
In its latest missive, The Leuthold Group sizes up recessions since World War II. The evidence presented, based on one statistic, is decidedly negative... This indicator has only been wrong once (in '67). And the indicator is signaling that recession is coming in 2008...
The indicator is relatively simple... when long-term interest rates dip below short-term interest rates, it's a bad sign. The chart here tells the story... The blue line is the ratio of long rates to short rates. When it goes below zero, recession sets in roughly less than a year's time:
The indicator has just flashed again. If it's right, recession should be around the corner. With the problems in the real estate market, compounded by the subprime lending problems, it shouldn't be a surprise if we do see a recession.
Why would long-term rates ever dip below short-term rates anyway? Under normal circumstances, you'd want to be paid more for lending money for a long time than for a short time. Here's why it can happen...
The Federal Reserve controls short-term rates. But long-term interest rates are left up to the free market. What the free market is trying to tell the Fed is "Lower rates now!" When the Fed doesn't listen, short rates go higher than long rates, stifling the economy and pushing us into recession.
Leuthold also looked at the '40s and '50s and found that, even though the Fed kept interest rates artificially low, whenever the ratio of long rates to short rates got extremely low, recessions hit. In all instances, stocks turned down before the recession set in.
Leuthold sums the study up by saying if stocks stay weak, and we combine that with the inverted yield curve, the likelihood of recession in 2008 is "quite high."
world wide problems?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money....123.xml
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"Do not confuse dissent with disloyalty" Edward R Murrow
Memento homo quia pulvis es, et in pulverem veverteris
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| Post Number: 80
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january
Group: Members
Posts: 265
Joined: Dec. 2006
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Posted on: Dec. 25 2007,7:39 pm |
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We figure things are going south here as well.
We cut our own wood for heat and are going at it pretty intensely in an attempt to ward off inflated fuel oil prices.
We are attempting to be objective and basically optimistic but it is difficult and we figure the recession is going to hit 2008-2009.
We have stocked up on much meat/grocery items. I read the financials and current events voraciously every day. Things are not good.
We are attempting to streamline and focus.
When I was in my twenties I had a rough financial patch and remember that fallout for years. It is something you just hang onto. Even if I become a multimillionaire I believe I will always feel poor.
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