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Update from ECRI on the economy – interesting video (late Feb. 2012):

http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000075118

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[quote=yoyoyah1]This is a simplification of the Greek problem.

They are spending at a rate faster than the tax revenue. Also, % of population working for the government is quite high.

This is not a rich vs poor problem.. its structurally unsound economy over reliant on government jobs.[/quote]

And exactly how is this different from California?

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[quote=CA renter]

This is connected to such phenomena as the decline of collective bargaining in the private sector, increased job insecurity and the explosion of household debt. Government workers are seen by the average strapped taxpayer as insulated from these pressures (public employees don’t help themselves by engaging in scams like “spiking” their final years’ pay to pump up their pensions), but the resulting resentment is the ultimate class-war victory of the haves over the have-nots. Middle-class taxpayers grouse about the retirement deals of teachers and DMV clerks, while bankers and CEOs, whose compensation and tax breaks really deserve public obloquy, slink away scot-free.“

[/quote]

It doesn’t really matter what it’s connected to or what the cause is (the sickening disparity between the public and private sectors), facts is facts and it is what it is.

And I think (and hope) that it goes beyond resentment; more like anger and justifiably so – for both public employees and bankers alike.

The average private sector worker is being attacked on all sides: public employees, often their employer (reduced benefits, and on and on…) and the banksters.

[paramount]

[quote=poorgradstudent]
It sounded like the biggest market for TVs this past Christmas was people who already own a flatscreen and wanted one in an additional room, such as bedroom. Similar to the PC boom and bust of the late 90s/early 2000s, we’ve reached the point in the cycle when most people who want a flatscreen have one, and there isn’t much incentive to upgrade. Maybe OLED or additional computer-like features will change that as the economy continues improving.[/quote]

TV’s seem to be more like washing machines than computers when it comes to consumer buying patterns.

They generally last a long time and there has to be a really compelling reason to update/upgrade.

[paramount]

It’s not anti-public worker propaganda; it’s essentially the same reason why the 99% in Greece are not happy paying for the greed of the 1%.

It’s a Great Injustice and particularly so in California where fat cat public workers are compensated as if there’s a labor shortage.

[paramount]

[quote=SD Realtor]Agreed about Greece. I presume you have heard about the 2T fund that is being created for the future…[/quote]

So by 2T fund is that code that just means more debt for Greece?

[paramount]

This is what I took away from CES 2012:

* 3-D is all but on it’s way out; at least it won’t be on the top of many shoppers lists. 3-D was a fad.

* OLED should be out in the fall, and as I understand the picture blows away anything out there today. Since it is new it’s big $$.

* TV’s are becoming computers (convergence).

* The TV manufacturers are trying just about anything to get you to buy a new TV. The 3-D thing didn’t work.

[paramount]

[quote]single family homes in middle and lower-middle class neighborhoods are likely to see more multi-family renters in 3 and 4 br. houses and more cars in the street, which is perhaps the ugliest form of “density” in previously quiet neighborhoods.[/quote]

This is exactly what I saw happen in my previous community.

When I 1st bought there (early 2003) most houses were owner occupied; by the time I escaped it was probably close to 90% renter occupied. The change really started with the bubble and accelerated through the crash.

I also witnessed a significant increase in crime: drug dealers, pit bulls, much increased police presence and police involved incidents, ghetto birds for starters.

[paramount]

Slightly off-topic, but would a Greek default trigger a tsunami of credit default swaps?

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[quote=flu]I want the hard drive back because it had a lot of work that will take forever to recover. Timing is so critical..[/quote]

No backups at all?

[paramount]

Reading through this thread confirms my long standing belief that many if not the majority of Piggington contributors live in a world apart from most Americans.

With so many people out of work, 50 million on food stamps, and many many more living hand to mouth I’m sure these gas priceincreases have real impacts far beyond trite blog entries.

But in general I have little sympathy: most people want BIG SUV’s and TRUCKS: number #1 and #2 sellers last year: F-150 and the Silverado.

Mark my words: a good majority of people would literally go hungry before giving up their full size trucks and SUV’s.

Remember we are a country with an average IQ of around 98.

[paramount]

Walk now while you still can. Seriously.

Well, I take that back.

1st ask for a principal reduction, which you will probably not get. By doing that 1st you can at least say you tried.

When that fails as it likely will, then walk.

With a clear conscience knowing that you tried to do the sensible thing, but your efforts were in vain.

According to Nicole Foss, credit won’t be around much longer anyway, so don’t worry to much about your credit score.

Do what makes business sense for you and your family.

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[quote=bearishgurl]
It has nothing to do with this. It has to do with the fact that the county may have not performed their “ministerial duty” or performed it properly. The quarry could allege that the county succumbed to (political) NIMBYism pressure instead of following the law or the rules/directives set forth by the county’s own ordinances and/or Charter.

My experience has told me that we shouldn’t count our chickens before they actually hatch. We have no way of knowing which remedy (if any) the quarry will try to resurrect their rights in this case.

Stay tuned. It’s never over ’til it’s over …[/quote]

The permit was turned down by the planning commission and now the board of supervisors.

We will stay tuned, and yes Granite has deep pockets, but then so do we.

Power to the People!!!

[paramount]

[quote=bearishgurl]
paramount, congrats on your so-far-successful “grass roots” efforts at NIMBYism but I don’t think it’s over quite yet. I’ve seen a lot of this in my lifetime and can emphatically say here that the “fat lady” still has to perform her encores :=]

see: http://piggington.com/ot_victory_gravel_pit_denied%5B/quote%5D

BG: Trust me, it’s all but 100% over. Sure, all probability lies between 0 and 1, but never == 0 or 1.

But in reality it would literally cost many millions and many years to restart the rezoning process; all the way from a DEIR to the FEIR. And community opposition would not be diminished.

They could choose to sue the county, but on what basis; because they didn’t get their way?

On a personal note, the oppositions PR Manager and I graduated from the same university, so that even though I played a relatively small role, it was still satisfying in a way. This particular university is known for advocating environmental justice for lack of a better term.

We will always be vigilant to these types of threats.

For now, it’s over.

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[quote=CA renter]Congratulations, paramount![/quote]

Thanks everyone, I have to say there were times that I thought it was a lost cause.

At the end of it all I think it came down to this: San Diego gets the aggregate, Granite got the profits and Temecula/Rainbow/Fallbrook got the mess.

Granite contributed significantly to the county supervisors, but the communities of Rainbow/Fallbrook/Temecula were united against Granite.

A historic victory for Temecula!

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