1ºChris Mushall obviously you're not saying $4.19 in Michigan are you? And just under $4 when two years ago we were at just under $2 doesn't make your point any better. Just saying. And even the new "less than $4" I still can't afford to go out and eat anywhere because it's at least 1/3 more expensive than it was 2 years ago. But on the bright side for Democrats it's back up to where it was when Obama was in office. Until they dropped the prices just before the last presidential election to about $2.98. all these Democrats know how to do is spend more and more money. They're like a brain-dead shopaholic who thinks that they can charge anything on their card.
2ºDavid Maryanski so you don’t know these individuals and you call them uneducated idiots. At the very least recognize that most people are commenting based on the personal experience they are having. This does not make anyone an idiot, even when one has less education.
Inflation literally means that the dollar buys less. The reality is that we already had a baseline year on year inflationary trend before any of the other current factors kicked that inflation into high gear. One only needs to look at housing to see where we have been over time. Alone this baseline change is arguably not a significant issue as long as earning rates keep up. This varies regionally, but in many areas across the nation pay has indeed not increased at the same pace.
More recently inflation has ranged from moderate to severe. This wide variation is both geographically and market segment specific. For example, housing in my area is literally bonkers. Six years ago we bought for under $200,000 and today we are being taxed at a value of well over $350,000. Actual market rates for my neighborhood are in the $425,000 to $450,000 range. We would make a lot of we sold but housing has been in such short supply in my area that finding something affordable is unlikely. Significant numbers of others report the same experience or worse., like valuations moving from the mid 4’s to around a million.
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3ºRon Langley no, you liberals have been screaming that crap when it suits you. Just because we have a corrupt DOJ and FBI the Biden's are getting away with their crimes and the media and FBI are more than happy to cover for them. Unlike you? If Trump did commit a crime? I would not support him. But knowing that the dems and FBI have committed illegal and under handed acts before? It's really hard to believe anything they say. Where's the investigation into Hunter's laptop? Didn't the FBI and the media say it was Russian Disinformation? Now they at least admit they have it.
4ºBryan Bolding I have an Academic Decathlon silver medal in economics, not that it matters to someone as dismissive as you, but you are wrong. It's a key indicator. Another key indicator is rising food prices. A bunch of people on my Facebook feed from all over the country are having trouble affording to feed their kids. So your smug dismissal is goofy asf tbh. You aren't gonna win the midterms by lying and saying the economy is doing great when prices are up up up. People are hurting right now and this article is overly optimistic to a fault. It's not realistic at all. People are holding off on major purchases, unable to eat out as much, unable to buy as much food, all key indicators of economic turmoil. I didn't even get to the housing and used car markets. A whole lot of people can't afford to build a future worth living right now. The politicians won't feel the pain because they have nice big salaries. So they care just as much as you do, which is not at all. Pitiful. L.
5ºDavid Day no I’m saying work while you can. At least temporarily. Nothing lasts forever. The economy changes the stock market changes, the dollar changes… it’s all cyclical. the trick is to know what to do in certain cycles. It don’t have to be forever. I’ve worked for the last 50 years and have not suffered in any recession depression inflation or anything and no I’m not rich. I am comfortable however because I know how to play the cards dealt to me. I’ve put 2 kids through college and they are both doing well. One thing I learned early in life is if you’re willing to work you don’t have to go without. The politicians and corporate America will always play games. You gotta learn how to play their game to your benefit. None of what we are dealing with is new.
6ºScott Bisick The article states who does the survey. If you google it, you find this page:
https://www.conference-board.org/topics/consumer-confidence
On this page, it says this:
"The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey, based on an online sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Toluna, a technology company that delivers real-time consumer insights and market research through its innovative technology, expertise, and panel of over 36 million consumers. The cutoff date for the preliminary results was September 20."
Following another link or two on this page, I found this:
https://www.conference-bo...ote_May2021.pdf
That's a detailed methodology of how they conduct these surveys.
This should clear up any questions you might have about how these surveys were done. I got your answer in 2 minutes by using Google and the information provided in the article, but then again, I am a professional researcher.
7ºWyatt Lee Cummings wrong you forget the great resignation and Striketober. Both false. And yes we here in blue states have way higher wages. In fact my union got $9.50 over four years. Our very own slush funds with .75 an hour added and another $1.50 next year. How about the fact that most of the jobs are new jobs including 350,000 in manufacturing jobs. We are getting a battery factory here, we have new everything. Building has been booming. And Biden’s last bill that passed made it so corporate that makes over a billion has to pay a minimum of 15%, he also lowered drug prices for Medicare recipients, and student loan relief which makes it so banks can’t rip off students anymore. I can go on and on.
8ºJoseph Knoer Look you say conservatives don't want an educated society when it's a society when I could say the exact same thing about the democrats and liberals. We sit here and argue about this dumb s*** when 9 times out of 10 we probably agree on almost 90% of s*** but disagree on 10%. I agree that Reagan f***** s*** up with his b******* trickled down economics. And I also understand of the things that Nixon did. But the republicans of 50 years ago are not the republicans of today just like the Democratic Party of 50 years ago was not the Democratic Party of today.
9ºKevin Pappas I know you know Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent," might I recommend Michael Parenti's "Inventing Reality" for a supplement on the same subject? And without getting ideological, you might find it hits a little bit harder. Parenti is...very direct with how he speaks, and he was/is a colleague of Noam. That said, h they both have books that touch on the same subjects (as ya do when you're two leftist academics), so give his bibliography a look and see if there are any of note that interest you.
TL;DR - I recommend Papa Parenti to all comrades. Either his lectures or books. He is good, and if you like Noam, you'll love him.
10ºNo, they really are not. Core inflation numbers are rising, as are gas prices again, and other everyday items has not come down.
Only Biden claims the economy is good... but people that have to work for a living know better.
Biden inherited a rapidly recovering economy, steady 1.4% inflation rate, low fuel and energy prices, a secure border......and on day one reversed course, setting in motion the destruction we see now.
So No, consumers do NOT think the economy is getting better, but to the contrary, see it getting worse. We're a 3 quarters now of negative GDP, meaning the economy is shrinking.