ATV Florida Forum

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Is there currently a problem with it? You can practically live for free now a days. Free goverment cheese,food stamps, section 8 housing,welfare checks, unemployment checks. The list goes on and on. Refuse to work and have plenty of kids. That's the ticket. Why worry about the economy when you have choices like this?

Ok, that will work for a little while. I'm not sure I can get fuel and beer under your plan either. What will I do in five years? I need a long term solution. I realise a few Cat 5 hurricanes can fix South Florida for a while, so that is what I am wishing for as a quick solution. That does not help the rest of the country though.

You might find this interesting:

"Almost four out of 10 welfare recipients say either that they have not been told there is a limit on how long they can receive benefits or that they do not know how many more months they can receive benefits.1 Recipients with two or more serious barriers to employment are significantly less likely to know how much time they have left than other recipients. While some of these individuals may be exempt from their state's time limit, the number without full information far exceeds the number who could be exempt. The situation raises concerns because welfare recipients without accurate knowledge about time limits are at risk of losing assistance before they are ready to make the transition off welfare.

Federal reforms in 1996 eliminated the entitlement to welfare and limited benefits to a maximum of five years in a lifetime. States can exempt up to 20 percent of their caseload from the federal time limit. Moreover, they can extend the time limit beyond five years, as long as benefits are paid with state dollars. In 2002 only two states—Michigan and Vermont—did not have any type of time limit on benefits (Bloom, Farrell, and Fink 2002). Seventeen states had time limits of less than five years."

http://www.urban.org/publications/310904.html

Thats it I'm going to the Dish. ::)

And remember that Clinton fought tooth and nail AGAINST putting time limits on collecting welfare, etc.  Keep that in mind just in case his husb..... errr..... Hellary wins the D nomination. (Jack the E was no typo  ;) )

Our economy ? Oh just great. The oil execs are posting record profits, the illegals suck our school, welfare, healthcare systems dry, then send the tax free money they earned back to another country. The only ones screwed are the ones that actually EARN a living.

Wow,

Fuel, Health care & Insurance are really hurting my business.

I've never seen it so bad. Even after 9-11 it was tough but things could still get worse. We didn't have the housing disaster after 9-11 to deal with. Florida got lucky and has had a big boost with the last few years with housing construction. And that has kept Florida alive. But with new construction in the dumps, alot of people are just struggling to get by.  

The price of fuel is crippling business. People aren't traveling, all the products we buy are all going up. And they aren't going down anytime soon. We're getting used to paying $3.25 - $3.75 a gallon. Wait till next year when it'll probably go up to $4.

The crooks in washington are not going without anything. The president hasn't done anything to help the fuel costs. Oh sorry he's an oil guy that has only a few more months in office to make some money for his friends in the oil business. His second term he really jammed us hard. The only positive thing I see is that the interest rates are still low trying to stimulate the economy.

Why is diesel fuel at $4 a gallon when it doesn't cost as much to refine as a gallon of gas.  

I support the troops but the cost of this war is way out of hand IMO.  It's in the trillions right now without and end in sight.

The US dollar is worth less that ever. The country is at is a big turning point with an election comming up. I hope thing will just get better. The next president will left with a big pile of crap to deal with. Who would want that job......Republicans Democrats there all in it for the $$$$.

I apologize for my ignorance with this subject, if I sound Little hot, we just layed off a few good electricians at my company. I'm a little ticked off.

 

I really don't remember what Clinton was doing in 96 because I was rolling in the dough. Honestly, things were never better.

I googled to see what I could learn and found this gem:

"the new law, while saving an estimated $55 billion in federal funds over six years, would be extremely costly to state and local governments. "It is clear that with 32 million people, no state has as much to lose from welfare reform as does California"

I wonder how much more it has saved since 2002. I would have expected to see a much larger number.

You are dead on with the illegals. We really need immigration reform NOW IMO.

I feel your pain. Of everyone I know only one guy could be considered as thriving. From what I understand they are printing money to pay for the war which is why the Euro and lowly Canadian money at are all time highs.

At this point IMO the only thing that could possibly turn things around would be capturing Bin Laden and parading him around TV for a morale boost and having a clear and decisive victory in Iraq to usher in a typical post war economic boom. Forgive my pessimism but I don't see that happening any time soon.

I really dont think i could have said it better, i own a door and window/ glass shop in orlando, and all we do for the most part is existing homes renovations, and even that has dropped to zip. people have just stopped spending money. maybe fuel prices, maybe the fact that nobody has any work anymore, hell, ive had a half dozen guys call the office looking for work in the past week. my main window manufacturer, PGT, based in florida, has laid off literally hundreds of employees. And the worst thing, i dont think weve hit botom quite yet...and ya know summer is coming and were due for a hurricane or two.<-----its funny, more people break  windows  putting up plywood than the hurricane does itself...lol

Feel my pain! working only 2 weeks in the last 4 months. :'(

Good thing I gots my Hoe's   O0

All kidding aside I feel for the average blue collar worker or small business owner in this day and age. The cost of fuel alone has changed the lifestyle of many.Honestly,how many people do not go on weekend riding trips as much as they used to because of the cost of fuel? The rise in fuel has surpassed the annual minimum wage increase. The only saving grace that I have is that I work for a communications company and no matter what the financial situation is whether it be a major tragedy such as 911 or the current economic situation were in now, one thing that stays constant is the cable business. Many familys simply cannot afford to travel or vacation anymore so their main form of entertainment becomes television. I feel blessed to have a company vehicle and sometimes forget what it's like to pay for gas until I go to fill up my personal vehicle. I try to be an optimist but I dont see a light at the end of the tunnel. I like many wait for someone or something to save us from the path were heading down and feel like there is nothing that I can do to help the situation other than to vote. Unfortunately even that seems less promising now then it ever has before. Jack I think you hit the nail on the head saying that the capture of Bin Laden or a decisive victory would be the only thing that could give us "our economy" a kick start. They say sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you realize you must turn things around.Lets hope thats not the case for the proudest country in the world.

I am lucky,I have never been busier at work.I do see some people that are having a hard time,but it is easy to make good money in fla.The people who live in industrial states are the ones that really have it tough.

Please do tell.

I got laid off in October, after being with the same company for 10 years.

Let's forget about the government for a moment.

I'd like to personally blame the realtors, mortgage brokers, banks, lenders, developers, investors, appraisers,  ignorant consumers, and everyone in between trying to make a fast dollar, for destroying the economy.   All of these people jacked up the prices of everything, squeezed people out of their last dollar, got people into homes that they couldn't afford, and led people to believe that what they were buying was really worth the price.  Instead of helping ignorant buyers make wise choices, these people fed off their ignorance to make a fast dollar.  I saw this first hand many, many times, and this was happening throughout the nation.  What comes around goes around, so I hope all of those people are paying the price now.  We were put on this earth to help each other, not screw each other over for a damn dollar bill.  

Now I'm not saying ALL of these people were involved in such dirty negotiations, but some were...just enough of them to throw the country into a tailspin.  

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

My buddy is a service tech for PGT. A few weeks ago they called every single guy to the plant and divided them up into two rooms.
While they were sitting there he really had to use the bathroom, after complaining for ten minutes they escorted him to it. He found thirty police hiding out in there. The reason was in case any of the guys who were about to be cut got hostile...

They took their vans and put them on shuttle buses without even letting them retrieve personal tools.

At least they gave out a few weeks of severance pay..


Amen

The results for this poll are the same as the one that inspired it.

The real estate market sucksssssssss @sssssssssss.

Don't have to tell anyone that.

Just wish I could bailed out like the builders.  Being able to claim losses up to 4 years later instead of 2. (no disrepect to the builders, just wish the love was spread across the whole real estate industry) >:(

But, that is the real estate market, and if you are going to be in it, you have to set yourself up for the down side of the wave, baby.  8)

Just trying to keep the doors open at this point. :-\

No need to worry everybody.  That stimulus check that is being sent out beginning next month is going to fix everything!!  WTF ever.  I think Bush has become delusional!!

Hey the real estate markey goes back to the mortgage brokers. Everyone wanted to be a broker 5 years ago. Then, they all got creative with no income verification loads, etc. in an attempt to chase down their commissions. The brokers told buyers that couldn't afford a loan that they could give them a low rate ARM with an interest only payment which would be fine because the value of their property would always go up. (Never mind the market getting flooded exponentially) Oh, and don't worry about income verification, the brokers came up with a way for you to verify your income yourself. (Crazy isn't it?) So, everyone leaves happy. The buyer gets the house he can't actually afford for peanuts for about 3-5 years and the mortgage broker gets his commission on the deal while dumping the crappy loan he just fudged to the bank thats none the wiser.

Then the banks sell off the loans in packages to large investment firms that bundle them into AAA and BBB rated bonds that are sold yet again to institutional investors (like school boards, etc.). Then, when the ARM runs out, the property value tanks and the buyer can't pay (you know.....like right now) the loan goes into default.

Once in default, the institutional investors (ie.- your local school board types) stop getting paid on their AAA and BBB investments. The banks commence foreclosure and the rating company doesn't have the capital to insure over the AAA and BBB ratings artificially inflated by the front line Mortgage Brokers, perpetuated by the banks and then capped by the investment firms.

So, everyone loses (except the mortgage broker, provided he was smart with the money he raped from all of those buyers who trusted him). Buyer loses house and destroys his credit, the banks bleed money in bad loans, the investment firms pull back and the rating companies go belly up over the inability to insure those crappy loan bundles.

But wait, the government steps in and lowers rates. In fact, they lower them to historical lows. This is an attempt to jump start the real estate market which is now flooded with MILLIONS of homes in these cookie cutter subdivisions where every house looks basically the same, is built by the lowest bidder and is now offerred for sale because it's been foreclosed on.  Sounds like it will work right? I mean, a low rate will certainly spur a buying spree. Wrong.

Now, the mortgage brokers have all been fired and weeded out other than the ones who were decent in the beginning. Not that it matters, because banks have tightened up lending criteria to an all time high. Lines of credit have all but dried up, income verification is not only required, but the standards are higher than ever, over 80% mortgages are a fiction and the banks decide to tack on another 1-3 points in risk on any loan thus bringing effective rates right back up to stupid levels.

In the aftermath, the country sits as follows. First, the mean FICO score for the USA is now 70-90 points lower. Second, the real estate market is completely deflated and flooded with crap houses in crap subdivisions with pretty names like "Oak Creek", "Heron Strand" or take your pick of an endangered species and then add some natural feature as the last name. These houses are not going anywhere and are on the market for 20-30% less than they were originally purchased for. Good luck selling this crap.

Third, in the wake of the deflated housing market, the US dollar suffers. This is a no brainer. Fourth, because banks are tighter with their money, spending overall decreases....which means a weaker dollar. Fifth, the middle class takes it on the chin because is the class most impacted by the mortgage debacle. Sixth, the judicial system becomes swamped with thousands of foreclosures being filed in every county/township in the USA on a monthly basis. And seventh, the smart investor who kept his head above water and didn't get greedy during the five year "lets buy and flip" craze makes out like a bandit because he's in the best buyer's market in recorded history.

Okay, I'm tired.

The federal reserve banking system is to blame. The brokers did what the banks allowed them to do. The housing market is only a part of this economies problems today. I think the housing market values now are back to normal. They were way over inflated, these cookie cutter builders were profiting 65% on a 375,000 dollar house. The average is around 15%. Now there selling those same houses for 270,000.
I think alot of foreclosers right now are because of there homes are worth way less than there mortgages are. It might take 10 to 15 years until houses rebound to those levels again. If I was dumb enough to buy then I would walk away from my house too. ;)


Damn big A must of had a V8 and a nap! :D

It was the "Five Hour Energy" shot I drank.  ;)

Oh, and I'm not saying the mortgage brokers acted without approval. You're darn right that someone was sleeping on the job when they allowed these loans to be processed. Now whether or not that fault lies with the Federal Reserve is debateable. However, the end result is the same.

And I agree with you that the market shift in value is a corrective one. The only problem is the economic impact (what I laid out above) that came with it. Values are getting back where they should be. Too bad the prior loans are so much higher than the value. It stinks but sometimes the best advice I end up giving to clients is to just walk away.

You guys are forgetting something....the BORROWER.  If you're going to make the largest purchase of your life, how about doing some research and figuring out if you can afford it, what happens at the end of 5 years on an ARM, etc, etc.  In my mind, the biggest blame is on the borrower, if you believe the salesman, you're an idiot.  If you got in over your head, your an idiot.  And why is my tax dollars going to bail out these idiots, I did the right thing, i didn't get in over my head, why am I paying to bail everone out.

Because just like welfare, food stamps, and tons of other programs that allow idiots to mooch off the rest of us...... we're the ones paying taxes funding the bailouts, programs. We're always the ones penalized. The super rich avoid such liabilities with lawyers and loop holes, the poor are the ones being bailed out, and the middle is left holding the tab. (for the record I'm not saying all on welfare, foodstamps , or assistance are idiots - some are great people out of work or in bad situations - but many are those born and bred on the system taking advantage )

LMAO, isn't that the truth.

Don't worry be happy. In direct response to the question of whether or not the troop surge was working after several months, General Petrais said, " put the Champagne in the back of the fridge for now". Brilliant war strategy!

All our income taxes goes straight to the federal reserve banking just to pay our accumulating interest from our governments spending.

  In other words...It has to improve greatly JUST TO SUCK!!! Agreed.

Hops shortage: Higher beer prices on tap?
Posted Apr 08, 2008 @ 10:30 AM


FRAMINGHAM — Time was, when economic worries got you down, you could go to the corner pub to down a pint or two and drown your troubles before heading home.

Thanks to a worldwide shortage of hops, however, a beer might not offer much solace these days.

Hops are a key ingredient in brewing and hop prices have nearly tripled in the last year, brewers said. That price rise could soon affect the price you pay at the tap.

"Right now, if you call a hop merchant, they pretty much don't have any to sell you," said Daniel Kramer, the brewmaster at Owen O'Leary's Restaurant in Natick.

What, exactly, are hops, and why are they so important to beer?

"Hops are flowers," Kramer explained. "They grow on a vine, and they add two things - they add bitterness and aroma. If you have un-hopped beer, it's kind of out of balance."

In the last year, he said, prices for the tiny flowers have skyrocketed.

A year ago, Kramer paid anywhere from $3 to $8 per pound, depending on the variety of hops. Today, those same varieties are going for between $8 and $20 per pound. If the trend continues, prices may also soon be going up for customers at local brew pubs.

"If you walk into the liquor store, you will notice the price of beer is going up all around," he said. "I think we're in a fairly good position, but we may have to raise our prices a quarter a pint. That's really a decision the owner makes. I'm in charge of making the beer, he's in charge of making the company profitable."

The cause of the price spike, said Paul Gatza, director of the Colorado-based Brewers Association, is that there just aren't enough hops to go around.

"About 10 years ago, a surplus developed," he said. "There were more hops available than were being sold. That surplus has now been used up."

As those surpluses pushed hop prices down, many farmers responded by cutting back on production, hoping to plant more profitable crops, Gatza added. With the surplus of a decade ago now drained, brewers are turning to farmers, demanding more production on fewer acres.

"Now we find ourselves in a situation where there's not enough being planted to cover the world demand for hops," Gatza said.

This year's crop was particularly poor, he added, as weather decimated crops in Eastern Europe and England, putting further strain on hop supplies.

In an effort to stave off some of the increases, brewers like Kramer and Aaron Mateychuk, brewmaster for the Watch City Brewing Company in Waltham, have signed pricing contracts with hop merchants - the beer-making equivalent of locking in home-heating oil prices before the winter hits.

Mateychuk, though, admitted Monday the sudden economic pinch has been frustrating.

"It's a little ridiculous and stressful," he said. "We're craft brewers, but now we're worrying about numbers.

"At the beginning of this year, I was just a mess over it. I didn't want to get into the (commodities) market, I wanted to brew beer for a living."

The high price of hops is only part of the story, though.

Many brewers are also struggling with the price of another key beer ingredient: barley.

A 25-kilogram bag of the grain which cost about $30 last year today goes for $50 or more, said Dan Eng, owner of Barleycorn's Craft Brew in Natick.

Like other brewers, Eng has struggled with the question of whether to increase his prices to offset the increase.

"It makes for difficult times, yes," he said. "There's only a certain amount you can increase. We try to pass some of it on, but it's not possible to pass the entire amount on. Some of it we have to absorb."

Though he believes most of his customers understand the reason behind the increases, Eng admits business has fallen off lately.

"I would say at least 15 percent," he said. "But the general malaise in the economy is more to blame. Combined with the increased prices of everything across the board, we're getting squeezed from both ends, and it does make it difficult."

Plan and simple the economy sucks a%$ big time and it doesn't look like its going to get better any time soon as long as we keep paying for the endless war instead of making the ones that wanted us to go there its one thing to kill terrorist but make the iragi people pay there share they do have the oil that we are protecting.Im going to vote for mickey mouse he would be the best candidate. :gr :F :gh :cursing.gif


Don't worry the pope will save us all   rolback1 rolback1 rolback1 rolback1

Economy isn't good at all right now. I am lucky to have a job that is gonna last at least 2 to 3 years. I am in the construction industry and many of the guys that I know that are in it are hurtin.