It is so sad and disheartening to see so many businesses closing their doors. Some of these are owner operated, but others employ hundreds of people. What is upsetting is the chains that are choosing to close business because they do not meet expectations. I am not saying it is not a smart thing to do for the owners - it is just sad that so many will be losing their jobs at years end or sooner.
It is extremely hard in a small town to make a go of any specialty business. With rent and utilities taking the first thousand plus dollars of your sales there is nothing left for inventory replacement much less earning a salary. The business providing the "must haves" - food, gas, groceries, medicine - are hardly surviving, so you know a specialty shop is really taking a hit.
Our area is flooded with restaurants, drug stores and gas station/convenience stores, but most of the specialty stores have gone to the wayside.
Without a sustaining industry coming to our area, it will not be long til our little town will be a memory of what was.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Christmas and the Economy
How do you spend your way out of debt? I can't quite figure that one out.
We have spent years trying to change the image of Christmas and complaining it has become too commercial - too much spending, too much advertising, too much, well, of most everything. We have stressed that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus' birth. Christians know that December 25 may not be the actual date of birth, but no one seems to be able to calculate the exact date, so December 25 has been designated as the date.
The movers and shakers of the economic world seemed to base the state of the economy on the revenue earned during the Christmas season. Since Black Friday did not meet the sales expectations of the economist, we have been encouraged to spend, spend, spend.
There is a definite clash between the financial sector and the ideology of Christmas.
Have you seen a bicycle, a pair of skates, or a basketball with hoop advertised? Nope, because children are more interested in emulating mommy and daddy with their cell phones, iPods, Mp3, and laptops. Manufacturers and vendors are very much aware that this is a technological world. They have put their money into pushing items in electronics and technology. If a child were to receive a bicycle for Christmas instead of the cell phone which they crave, they would be highly disappointed.
It is easier and less time consuming for a parent to teach a child to use a cell phone than it is to teach them to ride a bike. The bike takes physical activity on both their parts. As I have said before, we have become a lazy society, dependent on a machine to perform for us.
Along another venue, the refinancing of mortgage loan program was considered a flop. Well, let's take a look. If a person is unemployed and has no idea when they will be reemployed, how will they get a loan approved? It seems the people are smarter than our legislators. People know they can not borrow money they have no way to pay back. Being unemployed is demoralizing, debilitating, and frustrating without being told "sorry, you don't qualify". Why add to their frustrations?
Listen legislators, being unemployed means having no visible means of support. I have talked to many many people looking for employment. They have tried the programs (refinancing, back to school, retraining), but if jobs are not available what do you do then? No amount of retraining can create jobs. No amount of refinancing can save a home if there is no money to pay the mortgage.
No we are back to the same round robin. Supply and demand is still the guideline for manufacturing and trade. If there is no demand, supply stops - therefore jobs are lost. So, yes, it makes sense to say spend, spend, spend. But, on the other hand.
We have spent years trying to change the image of Christmas and complaining it has become too commercial - too much spending, too much advertising, too much, well, of most everything. We have stressed that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus' birth. Christians know that December 25 may not be the actual date of birth, but no one seems to be able to calculate the exact date, so December 25 has been designated as the date.
The movers and shakers of the economic world seemed to base the state of the economy on the revenue earned during the Christmas season. Since Black Friday did not meet the sales expectations of the economist, we have been encouraged to spend, spend, spend.
There is a definite clash between the financial sector and the ideology of Christmas.
Have you seen a bicycle, a pair of skates, or a basketball with hoop advertised? Nope, because children are more interested in emulating mommy and daddy with their cell phones, iPods, Mp3, and laptops. Manufacturers and vendors are very much aware that this is a technological world. They have put their money into pushing items in electronics and technology. If a child were to receive a bicycle for Christmas instead of the cell phone which they crave, they would be highly disappointed.
It is easier and less time consuming for a parent to teach a child to use a cell phone than it is to teach them to ride a bike. The bike takes physical activity on both their parts. As I have said before, we have become a lazy society, dependent on a machine to perform for us.
Along another venue, the refinancing of mortgage loan program was considered a flop. Well, let's take a look. If a person is unemployed and has no idea when they will be reemployed, how will they get a loan approved? It seems the people are smarter than our legislators. People know they can not borrow money they have no way to pay back. Being unemployed is demoralizing, debilitating, and frustrating without being told "sorry, you don't qualify". Why add to their frustrations?
Listen legislators, being unemployed means having no visible means of support. I have talked to many many people looking for employment. They have tried the programs (refinancing, back to school, retraining), but if jobs are not available what do you do then? No amount of retraining can create jobs. No amount of refinancing can save a home if there is no money to pay the mortgage.
No we are back to the same round robin. Supply and demand is still the guideline for manufacturing and trade. If there is no demand, supply stops - therefore jobs are lost. So, yes, it makes sense to say spend, spend, spend. But, on the other hand.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Government Funded
After reading an article on the changes to the Health Care Bill, I am somewhat befuddled over the terminology. Government funded = People funded. Do our legislators not realize that it is the people's money, taxes deducted from each and every paycheck? This is not a monopoly game and these funds do not belong to the legislators to do as they see fit.
If Medicare is not working, then someone lied to the people when it was enacted.
If Social Security is not working, then someone lied to the people when it was enacted.
Yet, both taxes are still being deducted and placed in the coffers. Both programs are still functional. These two taxes were designated taxes - not general income tax to be used for general operations of our country's government.
During the early 60s we studied the Social Security System in a U. S. Government class. As students we were told Social Security would be broke by the time we retired. The same story is told today, over 40 years later.
If Medicare is not working, then someone lied to the people when it was enacted.
If Social Security is not working, then someone lied to the people when it was enacted.
Yet, both taxes are still being deducted and placed in the coffers. Both programs are still functional. These two taxes were designated taxes - not general income tax to be used for general operations of our country's government.
During the early 60s we studied the Social Security System in a U. S. Government class. As students we were told Social Security would be broke by the time we retired. The same story is told today, over 40 years later.
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