RoswellGrey

Exactly right. Today, my place of employment laid off 75 of about 210 people in my department alone. Thankfully, I'm still here.

tdub2112

I think it all a domino effect. Mac Trucks goes under. Sams Club dies. Sams club goes, and small buisness goes in areas. (As poor example)


We all just need to hang on to our helmets and hope our government pulls us to the light. Cause I don't know what else is going to help. I wounder how this billion dollar package is even going to help. But as always. I'm 15. Just my 2 cents. Unless you have nothing better to spend you money on. I would buy a Challenger right now. Even if is 20K of what ever. There can be better things to spend money on. Like ammunition, food, and a house.

RLSH700

Not trying to get into a huge debate or anything, but I don't think the Government can pull us out of this, other than removing things that keeps our economy from growing. In my view, the CAFE standards should be disposed of with the agreement that the car manufactures have a fuel efficient model available. In my view, ALL possible domestic energy sources should be utilized. The banking thing just needs time for self correcting as well as proper regulations being put back into place. If you want to see jobs return, you have to remove the factors that make businesses want to leave plain and simple. Make no mistake there are things that should never be compromised such as safe working conditions, but some of these anal retentive rules are not helping us, they are killing us.

To a degree Billionare is correct, there are some "negative" markets, namely companies and industries that do well when the economy as a whole are not doing well. The solution to the problem is to diversify. I intend to set up a small side business to utilize this capability. It also depends on the field in which a person is in that dictates a person's perspective. My father is an accountant and most of our clients had a good year; however, this coming year is when it looks like things will be difficult. It is also important not to let fear and depression take control of us because they prevent us from accomplishing all we can accomplish.

Having said this, Billionare, the truth is the economy as a whole isn't doing well. Many of my friends have lost their jobs as the last pillar holding up my hometown is cracking and ready to implode as the auto industry is struggling. My cousin's business is hurting and plenty of people on this forum are hurting as well. It isn't impossible to get out of this, the issue is D.C. doesn't want to make the sacrifices it will take to get out of this.

lear4406

I concur, the Gov. is not the answer. Good basic human decency is. Stop with the greed and dishonesty and back to the trust. I'm having a problem with the trust. My investors tell me to keep investing. Its hard when 1/2 of your 401K is gone and you know greed caused it. Don't even get me started on the stimulus package (what a joke). More like a payback package to special interest. I don't see much stimulus, just goes against my instinct to borrow to get out of dept My son was laid off today so it has hit home. But we have a plan and it does not involve borrowing money, just hard work and a tightning of the belt

Paladin06

Yes, plenty of guns, ammunition, food, and a house with big dog.

Andre@Edge

I see declines more in Los Angeles then many places. So many places going under. Now overseas investors are buying a large amount of the repo homes.

No easy way out now, but we can only drop so far.
It would seem that unemployment could be fixed by dropping the work week to 36 hours. Sure we all suffer in a small way, but every 8 people who do it would open another full time job for 1 more.
Why cant we take a set fee on gas sales? For a few cents per gallion liability insurance could be paid at the pump. No more uninsured drivers. If you drive a V8, you pay more then the prius driver. We should set a fee on gas, so we have reserves the next time it reaches 4.00 plus.

How much fuel do we use a day in the US? Imagine a 1.00-1.50 fee added per gallion? That could be used in many ways, and dictated by the people.

Not another tax... a reserve.

When things get bad, you fix up your old car.... When things are good... you fix up your old car. Good time to be in the parts business.

RLSH700

A couple points. I see investors buying repo houses as a good thing as now someone who has the money is getting some good out of them instead of them being left vacant. This way money is being pumped back into our economy.

The 36 hour week sounds like an idea that might work on paper, but I'm not sure if it would work. There are more costs to an employee than just the hours they work (training the employees, benefits, etc.). The problem with dropping to a 36 hour week is employees would loose their benefits and I'm afraid of the problems that could come from lowering the length of the work week. Based on what I've seen with Gov't run anything the last thing I want to see is the Government getting involved in car insurance. If you do that, there will be no oversight and you'll have to have a lawyer with you at all times to get anything done. What are you proposing with the set fee with the V8s and hybrids? Correct me if I'm mistaken but you are proposing that we have a standard fee for each fill up instead of on the quantity. I like the idea that the hybrid drivers have to pay their fair share of the expense for once, but I can see the opportunity for abuse. People will buy huge drums like what farmers use and fill those up to get out of paying for the tax. How would this give us reserves when it reaches around $4 a gallon?

Are you proposing a stablized price by increasing the price paid before hand for when it is more expensive? I'm doubtful about this working honestly.

Yes the parts industry is likely a negative business industry (when the economy goes down it roars).