mike1965
Geek4rent
join:2002-09-23
Marion, IL
| reply to Pathfinder
Re: in the back pocket
said by Pathfinder  :I don't know about you but I have had Verizon DSL for 7 years and have never paid a fee. My service is $29.95 per month and that is what I pay. we had a gov fee I think was some sort of recovery fee.....once it expired verizon dropped it for a couple months then renamed it and added it back on was supposed to cover for those with DSL and don't have phone service,,,,,,I belive us in IL and those in WA got nailed with it, |
|
pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
 ·Comcast
| reply to jc100
said by jc100 :Yep sure is (though I note your sarcasm). Try moving anywhere east of the Mississippi and finding a job requiring education. Good luck on that. I got a masters degree in a good field and there are none. I've lived east of the Mississippi river my whole adult life and have never had problems finding a good paying job with my bachelor's and master's degrees.
said by jc100 : I got relatives in Michigan who are doctors and professionals and they can't keep a job due to the economic conditions there. The problem in Michigan is due to an idiot governor and idiot legislature who continue to raise taxes when the economy in that state is down. Perhaps your relatives should move to a better-run state.
said by jc100 : It's called hospitals shutting down and getting rid of people due to low budgets. The housing market is dragging this country down. Low budgets? Governments all over the country continue to rake in more money than ever before. As for the housing market, there hasn't been a better time to buy a home in years since prices are leveling off and interest rates are coming down.
said by jc100 :The fact Bush and his idiots don't know how to manage a country doesn't help either. Bush's economic stewardship has resulted in huge economic growth since the recession of 2000-2002. Unemployment is down to historic lows. GDP continues to grow, and the government continues to make more in tax revenue. How much more do you want?
--
Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
|
pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to amigo_boy
Well, I see the right to vote in the same light as the right to keep and bear firearms. While yes, you are guaranteed the right to keep and bear firearms, that right does not mean you have the right to use firearms irresponsibly.
Voting should be the same way. I have no problem with people of opposing political views casting votes against me if they could prove that they too have a working knowledge of what is going on before they cast a ballot.
--
Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
|
KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
 ·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
| reply to TKJunkMail
said by TKJunkMail :All you have to do is ask the rep when ordering. Bold emphasis added by me. See, that's the problem. You have to be actually ordering the service to find out. They aren't clearly known up front for comparison shopping purposes (like surfing the web, or the advertised rates.) Sure, when you're 85% of the way into signing the contract, you might be able to find out then, maybe... but there's nothing to stop it from increasing immediately, either. It's too much hassle. Up-front pricing, yes please.
--
"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!) |
|
KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
| reply to jc100
Actually, I believe the opposite. When most the people don't vote, that means the extremists are voting and have a massive share in the outcome, and means they also have to be cow-towed too.... it also means they elect people that have more extreme positions then normally would be possible to get elected. This is largely a direct result of voter apathy, IMHO.
--
"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!) |
|
KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK | reply to pnh102
You're leaving out all the good stuff.
IE, the parts that don't agree with your Partisanship, that is.
I'll just throw out a few words.
Energy
Inflation
Debt
War
Budgets
'Nuff said really |
|
amigo_boy
join:2005-07-22
Tempe, AZ
·Cox HSI
 ·magicjack.com
| reply to pnh102
said by pnh102 :Voting should be the same way. I have no problem with people of opposing political views casting votes against me if they could prove that they too have a working knowledge of what is going on before they cast a ballot. Prove it according to who? As I said, it seems like politics are dominated by extremes who believe they have a working knowledge, when all they're doing is fighting to save us from someone not much different than the person they want us to have.
Whether that's more valuable than votes from the apathetic is left for the reader to decide. Personally, I think the extremes put more value on themselves for saving us than is justified.
Your comparison to the right to arms is a good one. The right to arms was intended to guarantee (at least primarily) the existence of the universal militia where *all* individuals were coerced into public service and hardship to foster a spirit of civic virtue, setting aside one's personal ambitions for the sake of the common good. The modern use of the 2nd amendment has virtually nothing in common with those original goals.
IMO voting has suffered similarly. And for similar reasons. Those who fancy themselves as patriots are usually the most extreme partisans, just as far removed from civic vitue (common good). It's no wonder they prefer the less passionate to remain home. Or, that they want to be the judge of what passes as a meaningful vote.
Mark |
|
supergirl
join:2007-03-20
Pensacola, FL
·Cox VOIP
·Skype
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southeast
·magicjack.com
| reply to TKJunkMail
said by TKJunkMail :said by jjeffeory :Yes, the fees are hidden. You don't know what they are until after you're charged. That seems pretty hidden to me. All you have to do is ask the rep when ordering. They will give you what % the unfees come to. Funny, Bellsouth claimed the "hurricane cost recovery fee" was a tax. It wasn't. It was a tariff that went directly to them.
--
Saving the world keeps me busy. However, I find Earth very primitive from my home planet of Krypton.
-Supergirl |
|
Ahrenl
join:2004-10-26
North Andover, MA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to pnh102
State tax receipts are DOWN across the country, and were only up before because of the housing market, which was the result of an expansionary monetary policy perpetrated by this administration.
The current administrations "economic stewardship" was to double the national debt by adding 5 trillion dollars and distribute through inflated government contracts, and tax breaks on interest and capital gains income that lowered the effective tax rate of the super wealthy below those living at the poverty line. Oh our saviour.
This has been one of the worst administrations this country HAS EVER HAD. I know some people like the fact that they tried to put discrimination into the constitution, and prevent life saving medicine from being funded; our only hope (and I mean real republicans) is the evangelicals the f@&k out of the party and go back to being marginalized crazies again where they can't hurt anyone but themselves. |
|
pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| said by Ahrenl :State tax receipts are DOWN across the country ... Maybe if your version of "down" means less than expected. Every year that passes, government at all levels collects more tax than the previous year, regardless of the economy. It might be a lot more, it might be a little more, but it is always more.
--
Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
|
marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO
| reply to pnh102
said by pnh102 :Unemployment is down to historic lows. GDP continues to grow. Meanwhile in underemployment rates....
And don't forget that inflation is 4.3% against that 3.8% increase in GDP. |
|
pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| said by marigolds :Meanwhile in underemployment rates.... Considering that just about everyone believes themselves to be underpaid, I would dare say the underemployment rate is a constant 100%.
--
Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
|
marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO
| said by pnh102 :said by marigolds :Meanwhile in underemployment rates.... Considering that just about everyone believes themselves to be underpaid, I would dare say the underemployment rate is a constant 100%. Underemployment has nothing to do with pay rates. Underemployment is high skilled laborers being employed in low skill jobs out of their primary skill field or involuntary part-time workers (at least in the sense that is statistically tracked, there are other definitions of underemployment but none of them have to do with paid wage).
The second type I mentioned is particularly high right now (a phenomena that is a leading indicating for economic stagnation). This is particuarly strange right now because underemployment is not supposed to appear when unemployment is normal as it is right now.
Economic growth though is plenty healthy right (especially since we are seeing an appropriate export response to the weak dollar), there are just some disturbing abnormalities rising up.
--
ISCABBS - the oldest and largest BBS on the Internet
telnet://bbs.iscabbs.com
Professional Geographer
Geographic Information Science researcher |
|
jc100
join:2002-04-10
1 edit | reply to pnh102
PNH returns. Surprise Surprise. (Not Really).
First off PNH. The U.S. dolllar is at it's lowest value EVER. IE inflation. That in itself means we're importing more at HIGHER prices and exporting at lower prices. The exporting part is good, but considering a MAJORITY of products are made overseas, we're paying more than ever.
Oil and Energy prices are at record highs while wages have not kept up with such increases. In the span of 3 or 4 years fuel prices have tripled.
We have spent around 1 Trillion on a war, yet we have neglected our own country. Ever seen the break down of what 1 trillion could buy? It could fund Healtcare for every American, Fund every school, build new roads, provide community programs, the list goes on. Yet, we use this money chasing big bad boogey men in a country who never harmed us. How about let's look at what one trillion could do in another aspect. It could fight crime. Crime has risen a lot under Bush. We have 20-22,000 murders in this country. Crime in the suburbs has seen record surges. The list goes on. How about hiring more Police, Firefighters, EMS, and creating community programs to keep kids engaged so they are off the street?
Better yet, unemployment took it's largest jump since 2001 to a national average of 5 percent. Sure, that 5 percent might not seem high but let's consider that people who lose benefits and aren't counted. The government then does s survey of 60,000 to "calculate" an index. So let's see, 60,000 people are representative of 300 Million? I don't know where this index was taken but I guarantee you not anywhere east of the Mississippi. You might have a great job and live in Maryland, but that doesn't mean everyone does. I have been to Maryland and the first thing I saw were multiple people holding signs begging for food within about a 20 minute drive of D.C. So maybe you aren't one of those effected. Good for you. However, many are. Step outside your enclosed world, and take a drive up and down this part of the country. You'll see how many actually are. If you believe we're not headed for a recession, that's fine . You are selling yourself a lie though. My family and many others I know have felt the economy crunch first hand and they are all professionals with an outstanding education. Therefore, your life doesn't speak for the rest of America.
Last, look at the stock market and the retail markets. Major companies are down for the year and most are predicting a recession. I guess their knowledge of the market is surpassed by your professional expertise. I'm assuming you are a financial adviser or went to school for stockbroking right? Probably not. |
|
jc100
join:2002-04-10
| reply to marigolds
Mari,
Thanks I actually forgot that in my explanation to PNH. The government only tracks "unemployed" via the unemployment index and a survey of 60,000. They don't track the underemployed. Those who have the education or lack there of that are forced to take jobs that pay less than the poverty level. I am sure this number is VERY HIGH right now. Yet, we have no data on just how many are underemployed. The CIA World Factbook sticks the poverty level at 12 percent right now in the U.S. This is outdated and probably is a few percentage points higher considering the unemployment is still listed at 4.8 there. |
|
pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to marigolds
said by marigolds :Underemployment has nothing to do with pay rates. Underemployment is high skilled laborers being employed in low skill jobs out of their primary skill field or involuntary part-time workers (at least in the sense that is statistically tracked, there are other definitions of underemployment but none of them have to do with paid wage). I'm aware of the classic definition of underemployment. However, there are many times when people have to work outside of their job skill set. The only time this is a problem is when they get significantly less pay for doing so. Part of the reason I do not believe that the government tracks "underemployment" is because there is no real definition of what the "right" wage for a job is. It is too subjective.
That's why my generalization of everyone being "underemployed" still stands.
--
Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
|
pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to jc100
said by jc100 :PNH returns. Surprise Surprise. (Not Really). Considering I do have a job, I don't have time to respond to all of my fan mail in a timely manner.
said by jc100 :First off PNH. The U.S. dolllar is at it's lowest value EVER. Sure it is. I am sure this is the worst depression since 1775 as well. Everything is horrible. We're all going to die tomorrow. Blah Blah Blah.
When you begin a reply with such blatant BS, it pretty much negates any reason for reading the rest of your post. Sorry.
--
Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
|
jc100
join:2002-04-10
| reply to pnh102
Yes but they track poverty level and the last figure courtesy of the CIA worldfactbook, which is outdated, tracks it at 12 percent. Figure another 2 percent and its 13-14 percent now as their figure for unemployment is off base there some. So yes, that's a HIGH NUMBER. 1 in 7 people in the U.S. are living in poverty right now. |
|
jc100
join:2002-04-10
| reply to pnh102
No basis for your explanation but you offer loads of useless sarcasm. I think no one here can take you seriously. Every debate you have with me goes off base because some how you are the world authority on all subjects. Blatant B.S? I guess the CIA world factbook sticking poverty at 12 percent and probably at 13-14 now do to the increased unemployment since their last update, is wrong. I guess the financial companies predicting a recession are wrong. I guess the stock market losing money and the housing market going belly up is a figment of our imagination. We all know, PNH has the answers for all. Grow up. You might have a job but you lack something else. Common sense. |
|
marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO
| reply to pnh102
The government tracks part-time versus full-time employment. And that is the underemployment stat to be concerned about as it is a leading indicator to recession or stagnation.
More importantly, that stat is not dependent on the skill set of the employed person so it is not nearly as subjective. Instead, it is dependent on whether or not the person is seeking full-time work (still somewhat subjective, but no less subjective than whether or not a person is actively seeking employment).
--
ISCABBS - the oldest and largest BBS on the Internet
telnet://bbs.iscabbs.com
Professional Geographer
Geographic Information Science researcher |
|
