How have your raises been in the last six years? Have you been getting the 19% and 29% yearly increases that the CEOs of large companies? I’ve gotten one 2% raise in three years and my job is going overseas. That’s not official but it will happen. We have “redeployments” quarterly. I just haven’t been hit yet.

So we are preparing for that day by spending less, paying off some debt, and saving money. There is no chance of my getting another job at my current salary in upstate New York.

According the New York Times business section, retail sales were down in the second quarter of this year except for one niche. Can anyone guess in what area retail sales are increasing? Luxury items. Sales of luxury items have increased. It looks like the 5% of the population who are doing better in this economy are spending some money while the rest of us are cutting back.

Have any benefits “trickled down” to anyone you know? Maybe some yacht, diamond, or mercedes dealers are doing better. I wonder if the car washers/detailers at Delta Sonic or the manicurists at the local day spas have noted a large income increase? Or any income increase? I’m going to go out on another limb here and guess that they haven’t.
We all know that the Republicans are against any raise in the minimum wage. They have been voting against it for 9 years. This latest bill is just a cynical ploy to try to fool the public. They attached the “poison pill” tax cuts for the rich to the legislation to make sure that it won’t pass in the Senate. The GOP did it specifically so that Republicans like Randy “Rubber Stamp” Kuhl could vote for it but they could still keep BIG MONEY happy by not actually passing the bill.

My aunt told be an old quote. “If you want to live like a Republican, vote for a Democrat.” So true. Well, maybe not the luxury items, but if you want decent pay, retirement and health care, that’s what you have to do. From an economic point of view, it makes no sense to vote for Randy “Rubber Stamp” Kuhl. Unless you make more than $164000 a year that is.