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AJC:Less-confident consumers could stall recovery

futurebeachbum avatar
Beach Fanatic
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Story in the business section of the AJC today called "Less-confident consumers could stall recovery".

Its all our fault for not buying as much stuff.

Consumers are having second thoughts about the recovery.

Shoppers are losing confidence, becoming more concerned about low pay and a weak job market than about bargains. And their worries are threatening to drag down the economy.
....
With unemployment at 9.5 percent, shoppers are likely to stay frugal in the coming months. If they retrench sharply, businesses could cut back on hiring. Potentially, the economy could slip back into recession. The odds of that happening, while still low, have risen in the past three months, economists said.

How typical of an AJC article. Things aren't deteriorating because the government has totally bungled dealing with the economic crisis and refused to do anything to stimulate job creation...They are bad because those darned citizens are being frugal.

I am again reminded why we referred to the AJC (AJ & AC back then) as the "Urinal-Constipation" when I was a student at Ga Tech in the 70's.

Replies

15
Geo avatar
Beach Fanatic
#2
Dumb question- what is AJC?
futurebeachbum avatar
Beach FanaticAuthor
#3
Dumb question- what is AJC?

Atlanta Journal-Constitution AKA The Urinal-Constipation AKA The Fish-Wrapper
DuneAHH avatar
Beach Fanatic
#4
The proverbial Guilt Trip... such juicy fruit.
Mankind should just commit seppaku :sarc:
Beach Runner avatar
beats on hood
#5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution AKA The Urinal-Constipation AKA The Fish-Wrapper
Being born and reared in Atlanta, I've heard the AJC referred to as the "Atlanta Fishwrapper," but not the other.

Sometimes I can be so slow, but I get it now -- a play on words:
Journal ~ Urinal
Constitution ~ Constipation.
:lol:

My Daddy read both the Constitution (AM) and Journal (PM) every day, but he always complained about their liberal twist on the news.

Back to the thread, we are cutting back (except for my shoes and makeup ;-)) and paying off unsecured debt. We have three cars that we actually own for the first time since the car that Mom bought us when we were in grad school was replaced by a luxury vehicle purchased by us. We used to trade often, so we leased. We used to shop at Lenox every Saturday. Now we never shop anymore other than for the exceptions above. Hubby teases me that he's surprised that Neiman's is still in business since it's no longer my second home.:lol:

So I guess that the AJC is saying that we are contributing to the downfall of the economy. That happens as one gets closer and closer to retirement unless one has a much greater income than ours. Until the economy rebounds, we have no choice but to be conservative in our spending now.
Lynnie avatar
SoWal Insider
#6
I think I remember hearing Urinal Constipation before-that's very funny! It is way far left, unfortunately, but I picke up a Sunday paper about 2-3 times a year.

Perhaps my lack of purchase is contributing to their slow recovery as well.
:)
Beach Runner avatar
beats on hood
#7
I think I remember hearing Urinal Constipation before-that's very funny! It is way far left, unfortunately, but I picke up a Sunday paper about 2-3 times a year.

Perhaps my lack of purchase is contributing to their slow recovery as well.
:)
I pay $5 a month for the daily online version. I figure it's worth that.
Beach Lover
#8
You just need to learn the difference between need and want. You need money in the bank you want a new dress but you do not need a new dress.
LuciferSam avatar
Banned
#9
Story in the business section of the AJC today called "Less-confident consumers could stall recovery".

Its all our fault for not buying as much stuff.



How typical of an AJC article. Things aren't deteriorating because the government has totally bungled dealing with the economic crisis and refused to do anything to stimulate job creation...They are bad because those darned citizens are being frugal.

I am again reminded why we referred to the AJC (AJ & AC back then) as the "Urinal-Constipation" when I was a student at Ga Tech in the 70's.

I didn't read the article, but I think it's a simple matter of we are damned whether we do or don't. We are screwed if we spend and screwed if we save, and we desperately need to do both for the good of the economy.
Miss Critter avatar
Beach Fanatic
#10
I didn't read the article, but I think it's a simple matter of we are damned whether we do or don't. We are screwed if we spend and screwed if we save, and we desperately need to do both for the good of the economy.

Soooo . . . we're just screwed. :lol:
futurebeachbum avatar
Beach FanaticAuthor
#11
I didn't read the article, but I think it's a simple matter of we are damned whether we do or don't. We are screwed if we spend and screwed if we save, and we desperately need to do both for the good of the economy.

You're right and we as a nation will overreact as usual. Instead of seeking the middle ground (spend more wisely -vs- not spend at all).

It always amazes me how overboard we have to go on everything.

Banking is a good example. We had it tightly regulated (no interstate banks, no risky investments, etc.) That might have been too much regulation, but rather than try and moderate it, we got rid of almost all controls and the industry went apes**t. Now we overreact in the control direction and feel good about making banking too expensive for a sizable percentage of the population.

Our tendency to 3 strikes laws, zero tolerance, Sarbannes-Oxley, etc... are manifestations of this all or nothing approach. We seem to think that every time something bad happens, we need to legislate some reaction.
LuciferSam avatar
Banned
#12
Soooo . . . we're just screwed. :lol:

Damn screwed.
Beach Fanatic
#13
Story in the business section of the AJC today called "Less-confident consumers could stall recovery".

Its all our fault for not buying as much stuff.



How typical of an AJC article. Things aren't deteriorating because the government has totally bungled dealing with the economic crisis and refused to do anything to stimulate job creation...They are bad because those darned citizens are being frugal.

I am again reminded why we referred to the AJC (AJ & AC back then) as the "Urinal-Constipation" when I was a student at Ga Tech in the 70's.

Here is a good article by Mort Kuckerman (an Obama supporter at one time) in case you haven't seen it.

Obama's Anti-Business Policies Are Our Economic Katrina - US News and World Report
Beach Fanatic
#15
Here is a good article by Mort Kuckerman (an Obama supporter at one time) in case you haven't seen it.

Obama's Anti-Business Policies Are Our Economic Katrina - US News and World Report

Zuckerman heaps scorn on the financial reform bill and the regulations it may impose.

The bill definitely has warts but at least it is a first step to regulation of hugely derivatives market.

Drop the finger-pointing the regulatory void was bi-partisan .
Beach Fanatic
#16
Story in the business section of the AJC today called "Less-confident consumers could stall recovery".

Its all our fault for not buying as much stuff.


How typical of an AJC article. Things aren't deteriorating because the government has totally bungled dealing with the economic crisis and refused to do anything to stimulate job creation...They are bad because those darned citizens are being frugal.

I am again reminded why we referred to the AJC (AJ & AC back then) as the "Urinal-Constipation" when I was a student at Ga Tech in the 70's.


It is a rehash of a concept called the paradox of thrift.

We are a consumer driven economy and logically when consumers pull back it ripples.

As far as stimulating the economy, extending unemployment benefits would work wonders.

How Unemployment Benefits Stimulate Economy : NPR

:rolling:

From Moody's Analytics, a regular Marxist bunch

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