*The* Recession was over 16 months ago. Just curious . . . is *Your* recession over?

[Stinky The Clown]

Clearly no one wants to make a big deal of the technical end of the recession. But that's the fact and that fact is now starting to be floated in the media.

So. Is the personal impact of the recession over for you?

[uppityperson]

1. Good grief no. Not for me, my family/friends or community

[emilyg]

53. Ditto

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. not for me. not at all. stay job scared --

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9170423

[Xipe Totec]

3. The last layoff at my co. was 18 months ago so yea, kinda.

but if you mean have wages gone up...

Nope.

[TK421]

4. Not for me, but when I read that headline I DID expect a post by Rod Serling n/t

[JuniperLea]

5. It takes years to recover from recession...

Quite frankly, I find this sort of discussion a useless whinefest.

[TheIdiot]

8. Yeah... discussions about REALITY...

tend to be a bit depressing these days.

But then, some rich-ass guy up in Iowa sez we should "buck-up".

Must be nice.

[JuniperLea]

31. Your post makes no sense...

Unless you're trying to live up to your name.

[Dr.Phool]

35. Pretty obvious where his inspiration came from.

Just saying.

[TheIdiot]

43. inspire this. n/f

[TheIdiot]

42. Yeah, I'm an idiot... with an opinion.

feel better now?

[JuniperLea]

44. Again... makes no sense...

:shrug:

[TheIdiot]

46. maybe i'll try again later when i'm not so pissed off...

or maybe not.

[Dappleganger]

19. If you don't want to listen to the "whining" people...

you have the freedom to not click on these threads. I am soooo sorry that my reality contradicts your precious little bubble of happiness.

[JuniperLea]

29. WTF?

What bubble of fucking happiness? There are three people in my immediate family who have lost their jobs, one who is about to lose his small business, and two who have had their homes foreclosed. And only half of us have health insurance.

If you don't like what I post, you have the freedom to avert your gaze.

[TheWatcher]

60. Then why not be SILENT instead of instigating conflict in the first place.

It was your senseless, needless remark that started this.

"Quite frankly, I find this sort of discussion a useless whinefest."

But then again, in all your superior obliviousness, you must have missed that.

:eyes:

[depakid]

67. That's simply a false statement of fact

along with the ironic return "whine" that sounds nothing so much like it came from the mouth of Phil Gramm.

[geckosfeet]

6. hardly

[thecrow]

7. No.. This household is unemployed

We are living off our retirement savingsfor the last 18 months.
And the Tebaggers are saying that Social Security and Medicare be gutted and privatized.

Ptooie.

[Sheepshank]

9. Is there anyone based in reality that assumes the day a recession ends

...that all of the fall out ends the following day? Really, there are those? I can't imagine who's been feeding them that load of crap. Fox, Boner, Ruch, anyone on DU?

[JuniperLea]

39. Look around this thread...

Your answer lies right here.

Your outta the woods your outta the dark you're outta the night... step into the sun step into the light...

[Sheepshank]

68. oh, right. n/t

[TriMera]

10. Nope, it's not over for me.

Or anybody else I know, for that matter. But, thanks for askin', Stinky.B-)

[Techn0Girl]

11. K&R !

Considering the number of anon unrecs you received - clearly someone doesn't want much discussion about this.

Lately though, on various Democratic boards, I've been seeing several veray prolific posters trying to claim the recession is over - so go vote Democratic this fall!

Well , I'm still out of a job and it's not any easier getting one this year than it was two years ago for me.

It ain't over.

[Missy Vixen]

12. No

For us, and the vast majority of people we know, it won't be over for quite some time.

Maybe I need to readjust my tinfoil hat, but I'd like to note that the economic "good news" is coming out just as retailers are gearing up for what they're hoping will be a big Christmas rush -- after all, "things are better", people should feel free to spend some money for the holidays.

What do you think?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. Recessions don't work that way, but if we're going on anecdotal individual experiences...

then I never had a recession in the first place.

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

17. not even a drop in investment values ?

[Stinky The Clown]

18. Which accounts for your usual sunny disposition.

Whutta guy.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

20. You don't have to be well off to be happy.

A lot of sad people make that mistake.

[Stinky The Clown]

30. Ah yes, ever the dispenser of snappy rejoinders with pithy messages.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

34. >your usual sunny disposition

>snappy rejoinders
>pithy messages

[JuniperLea]

33. Indeed...

And some of us have experienced a lot of loss in the past two years, and we still understand that our own personal experience has little to do with the reality of a recession, how it works, and how it ends or recovers.

[Forkboy]

37. Except the one of the soul.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

48. Because you yourself are so full of moral, upright character?

lulz

[Forkboy]

49. As compared to you, or just in general?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

50. Either/or.

Same answer for both.

[Forkboy]

52. You got that right.

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

14. yes, the dropping/scary part is over, but the recovery that is going to take me a few years

[Dappleganger]

15. We are underemployed

but with insurance. We are in a really tight spot right now, hopefully that will be different in another 6 months. I try to not think too far ahead because it's so depressing and it won't change our situation. At times it seems like I'm the only one fighting as my husband is so down and tired.

I am grateful that when my back went out and the gall bladder needed to be removed, it wasn't a year ago.

[SoCalDem]

16. With the exception of one of our sons, this family was not affected by it at all

but we are among the lucky ones.. the one son who was laid off, is lucky enough to live in Washington state and is a "protected class" of workers...but if he is not called back soon, he and his fiancee are thinking of moving out of state or even to Central America.. They do not own property or have kids, and are both young & healthy, so they are considering a "grand adventure".. she's a teacher..he's a steel company crane operator with construction in his history

[NNN0LHI]

76. If your son and his fiancee decide to go the "grand adventure", route ...

... send them a DVD of "Lost in America", so they will be sure to not include Las Vegas in their travel plans.

:rofl:

:hi:

Don

[SoCalDem]

78. They are investigating Nicaragua & Panama

I think they are not that interested in Vegas:)

[Nay]

21. We never had a recession, but poor Sonny Nay, an electrician, has

just been laid off for a third time. So they're all living with us (him, his wife, and a kidlet) and it's lucky we all get along great. They are contemplating moving to another state for work, but things are pretty rotten everywhere.

[lunatica]

22. Nope. My next stop is foreclosure sometime in the future

I just missed this months payment of my Equity loan for the first time. I only made payments the last couple of months because I borrowed form friends. I declared bankruptcy in July. I'm still making my mortgage and can continue to do that but right now I simply can't pay my line of equity.

I imagine GMAC won't care. I'll get foreclosed anyway. So far they've refused to help me so that's my bright future right now.

[Nay]

23. We never had a recession, but poor Sonny Nay, an electrician, has

just been laid off for a third time. So they're all living with us (him, his wife, and a kidlet) and it's lucky we all get along great. They are contemplating moving to another state for work, but things are pretty rotten everywhere.

[cordelia]

24. No

[The Northerner]

25. As if the recession ever ended

[panader0]

26. No

I lost my small general contracting business and still can't find it.

[obxhead]

27. No and I don't expect it to be over for years, if ever. nt

[Tesha]

28. It's hard to say.

My web development business is doing better than it had been, but
certainly not going gang-busters.

About three months ago, Mr. Tesha was able to quit his "emergency
fill-in job" and is back doing the embedded computing work he loves,
but to do it, he went from a full-time (if tenuous) job to a better-
paying contract job; his new employers are promising a conversion
to full-time but it hasn't happened yet. This will matter a lot for
our health care when his COBRA from the old job runs out.

In addition, three different loans will be paid off over the next few
months so that will improve our cash flow quite a bit, and we can
see the end of our mortgage just 2.x years down the road; *THAT*
will make a pretty big difference in our cash flow and actually
owning our home free-and-clear with no threat of a job loss
causing foreclosure will be a big relief all on its own.

So personally, we're doing marginally better (although we're
still "keeping the sails trimmed *WAY* in"), but we're surrounded
by folks (friends and relatives) who are clearly *NOT* doing
*ANY* better.

Tesha

[xultar]

32. It was over for the rich 16 months ago but not me.

[FirstLight]

36. suuurrrrree

:rofl:


:sarcasm:

I don't wanna talk about it... life sux right about now

[TBF]

38. The "recession" is over for the rich. The poor continue to suffer. nt

[madinmaryland]

40. Technically I would have to say yes.

Since bottoming out in early 2009, the firm I work for has recovered back where we were in late 2007.

They are even having a company picnic next month. First time in at least three years.

[Roon]

77. I know someone who filed bankruptcy

She emailed me the other day for the first time in months and she is now finacially recovered and didn't lose any thing. That was a first I ever heard of that happening.

[Uzybone]

41. Yes

ended for me and my industry in early 2009. We had been in recession since 2005.

[emmadoggy]

45. Nope, not even close. nt

[prolesunited]

47. Nope

Still can't find a job. On a more positive note, my 403(b) account is a little higher than pre-recession levels, which is good because I'm going to have to raid it soon when my unemployment runs out.

[Historic NY]

51. Well I am doing a little better, thanks to SS disabiity..it stopped the hemorrhaging.

[stray cat]

54. You need to look at what words mean and how they are defined

[mix]

57. empathy is more vital than your politics nt

[Stinky The Clown]

58. *You* need to read what got said in the OP

The Recession™ was over 16 months ago. That's a fact. I can define all the words that convey that concept to you.

Apart from that, I asked of anyone who cares to answer if their (inferred: personal) recession was over.

What of my words do YOU think I need to better understand?

[stray cat]

55. I have a job - so there is no recession - ie that's the value of yours and my opinions

The world does not revolve around you, me or du

[Stinky The Clown]

59. You, dear poster, need a good chipectomy.

[FarLeftRage]

56. Hells no!

I'm entering my 23th month of unemployment, with no end in sight.
All the jobs that have been offered, I'm either under or over qualified to do.

Unless they have a tier five for unemployment benefits, the money runs out my mid-December...

[dkf]

61. The fall in the stock market and real estate devastated two of my very good friends.

You can have a job and still have been screwed by this recession. But many here would have called my friends "rich" and hated their guts and been happy at what happened to them.

[spanone]

62. economists have equations that they judge such things by...doesn't mean it's effects are over.

[paulk]

63. No.

Our income these last two years is less than 40% of what it was previously.

can't collect unemployment, being self employed/

Savings are gone.

There are no indications that this is going to change anytime soon, if ever.

[Hatchling]

64. nope

And it won't be until inflation goes down so necessities cost less or they start giving me COLA in my SSA check again, and Schwartzenegger reinstates the $70 dollars a month he took from my SSI check and they start giving us Renter's Rebates again. Also being able to pay down debts I had to incur. That will fix my little depresion. Ooops! I meant REcession. My bad.

That's close to a $1200 a year drop of income for me. From an income of approx 11.500 down to 10,300.

[cherokeeprogressive]

65. Nnnnnnnnnope.

[depakid]

66. We were never in a recession- because our government listened to progressive economists

with track records of getting it right.

[Sheepshank]

69. blah, b-l-a-h, b--l--a--h

how in the hell does Obama admit a recession is over and people are still hurting and do that without admitting there ever was a recession?

blah blah blah

[depakid]

70. Because in Australia for the reasons mentioned there wasn't a recession

and America would be in a far better position if the administration and Congress had listened to those with track records of getting it right- and whose focus is on improving conditions for ordinary Americans, local communities and small businesses.

Dean Baker for example- or Joseph Stiglitz, who had this to say:

THE great recession of 2008 reached the furthest corners of the earth. Here in Australia, they refer to it as the GFC - the global financial crisis. Kevin Rudd, who was prime minister when the crisis struck, put in place one of the best-designed Keynesian stimulus packages of any country.

He realised it was important to act early, with money that would be spent quickly, but that there was a risk the crisis would not be over soon. So the first part of the stimulus was cash grants, followed by investments, which would take longer to put into place.

Rudd's stimulus worked: Australia had the shortest and shallowest of recessions of the advanced industrial countries. But, ironically, attention has focused on the fact that some of the investment money was not spent as well as it might have been, and on the fiscal deficit that the downturn and the government's response created.

More: http://www.businessday.com.au/business/in-praise-of-stimulus-20100808-11q8e.html

(Technically, there was no recession, because Australia never had two quarters of negative growth (and unemployment never rose above 5.8%. It's now 5,1% nationally -and falling. Some regions are near "structural" full employment).

[Techn0Girl]

71. So How do I emigrate there? Marry me?

[depakid]

73. Because of the employment situation, points are available for a wide range of skills

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/

[liberal N proud]

72. With the exception of my daughter not having a job yet?

Mostly OK.

But I live well within my means to begin with.

[northofdenali]

74. Nope.

We meet with an attorney on Monday to file bankruptcy. :(

[pecwae]

75. Not just no, but hell no.

I know no one who's in any state of recovery, either. Stretching everything is now a way of life. Nothing is going into savings. If my spouse ever loses work, and it's entirely too possible, we are fucked four ways to Sunday.

[treestar]

79. Yes.

Things were very slow in late 2009 - I really felt it. They started to pick back up again in January 2010 and improved ever since. I'm self employed, so closer to the ground, so to speak.