Who is optimistic about the economy?

[CARLHAYDEN]

Nice article on Rasmussen survey on the economy, and just who is optimistic:

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/12/28/rasmussen-govt-workers-a-lot-more-optomistic-on-economy-than-private-sector/

[opebo]

The reason for this is obvious, Carl - it is always better to work for the government.

I for example work for a 'government university', and I can tell you I'd probably kill myself if I had to work for 'private industry'.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Nice article on Rasmussen survey on the economy, and just who is optimistic:

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/12/28/rasmussen-govt-workers-a-lot-more-optomistic-on-economy-than-private-sector/

the top 10% of wage earners make up 50% of consumer spending, and the bottom 90% of wage earners make up the rest of consumer spending.

are the vast majority of government workers in the top 10% of wage earners?  NO!  So it really doesn't matter that much what government workers think, they're simply a small portion of half of the overall pie.

[Bo]

I'm cautiously optimistic.

[jokerman]

Nice article on Rasmussen survey on the economy, and just who is optimistic:

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/12/28/rasmussen-govt-workers-a-lot-more-optomistic-on-economy-than-private-sector/

the top 10% of wage earners make up 50% of consumer spending, and the bottom 90% of wage earners make up the rest of consumer spending.

are the vast majority of government workers in the top 10% of wage earners?  NO!  So it really doesn't matter that much what government workers think, they're simply a small portion of half of the overall pie.

I want you to examine that statement you just made and reflect on what sense it could possibly make.

First, I don't think it really matters what anybody thinks, by your criteria, since nobody is spending too much right now.  I really can't fathom the point of making that statement...are you trying to say that 90% of the people don't matter?

[You kip if you want to...]

I'm cautiously optimistic.

[k-onmmunist]

Relatively positive, though I still predict sluggishness for some time to come.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Nice article on Rasmussen survey on the economy, and just who is optimistic:

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/12/28/rasmussen-govt-workers-a-lot-more-optomistic-on-economy-than-private-sector/

the top 10% of wage earners make up 50% of consumer spending, and the bottom 90% of wage earners make up the rest of consumer spending.

are the vast majority of government workers in the top 10% of wage earners?  NO!  So it really doesn't matter that much what government workers think, they're simply a small portion of half of the overall pie.

I want you to examine that statement you just made and reflect on what sense it could possibly make.

First, I don't think it really matters what anybody thinks, by your criteria, since nobody is spending too much right now.  I really can't fathom the point of making that statement...are you trying to say that 90% of the people don't matter?

no, it's just that CARLHADEN focused in on them as if their economic opinion was macro-economically relevant enough to start a thread about, when in fact they represent a small percentage of the population and have mediocre incomes with little discretionary income.

Ever had to talk with anyone at City Hall or at the post office?  They ain't exactly the type who are going to go off and start their own business, unless it's selling dope.

[jokerman]

Nice article on Rasmussen survey on the economy, and just who is optimistic:

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/12/28/rasmussen-govt-workers-a-lot-more-optomistic-on-economy-than-private-sector/

the top 10% of wage earners make up 50% of consumer spending, and the bottom 90% of wage earners make up the rest of consumer spending.

are the vast majority of government workers in the top 10% of wage earners?  NO!  So it really doesn't matter that much what government workers think, they're simply a small portion of half of the overall pie.

I want you to examine that statement you just made and reflect on what sense it could possibly make.

First, I don't think it really matters what anybody thinks, by your criteria, since nobody is spending too much right now.  I really can't fathom the point of making that statement...are you trying to say that 90% of the people don't matter?

no, it's just that CARLHADEN focused in on them as if their economic opinion was macro-economically relevant enough to start a thread about, when in fact they represent a small percentage of the population and have mediocre incomes with little discretionary income.

Well I don't really think that was CARL's point in starting the thread (it was probably to denigrate the government as you are doing).

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That's kind of like saying the person flipping your burger at McDonalds isn't going to start their own business.  It's meaningless.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

That's kind of like saying the person flipping your burger at McDonalds isn't going to start their own business.  It's meaningless.

not in terms of consumer optimism generating more sales and higher demand. 

Example, it was said that every job at Enron generated 8 additional jobs in Houston.  Why?  Because Enron employees had high incomes with large discretionary spending...therefore, their economic optimism was extremely important to the broader Houston economy, much more so than the optimism of the postal worker.

Which is why I said the economic optimism of government employers is irrelevant to the direction of the economy...which may have been CARL's point.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Nice article on Rasmussen survey on the economy, and just who is optimistic:

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/12/28/rasmussen-govt-workers-a-lot-more-optomistic-on-economy-than-private-sector/

Around here, it seems that the government workers make a lot more than the private sector.

[opebo]

Around here, it seems that the government workers make a lot more than the private sector.

Yes, obviously most government workers make more than most 'private' workers, but jmfcst is refering the tiny privileged minority who do (he's quite right) the lion's share of the spending.  These are mostly private privileged, not government privileged.

Think of it this way:
Rich - 'private'
Very-high earning corporate elite - 'private'
run of the mill upper middle class - ordinary professions and the bulk of the educated government bureaucracy
middle class - ordinary government functionaries, a few middle managers in 'private' industry
working class - mostly private workers, and in fact most private workers are paid very little nowadays.

As you can see if you start to analyze these things, the first thing that you notice is that the State/'private' dichotomy is rather absurd.  But certainly government workers make up a much higher percentage of the Middle and Upper Middle classes than they do of other the privileged elite or the downtrodden working class.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I'm more optimistic about the economy because the economy here is doing well thanks to a major pipeline project in the region.

Sadly, a wood processing mill that shut down in 2007, while being bought out and reopened, will only employ half as many people as before. 

Overall we have several hundred workers in town from Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana.. and I'm sure they're loving all the snow and below 0˚F temperatures!

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/31/car-sales-surge-in-final-days-of-2009/19299341/


An upside surprise, I wasn't expecting to occur in December.