Those government low cost housing plans sure worked out well. Government became bigger, got a lot more control, added truck load of new yet to be written regulations, and markedly increased the size of their socially dependent voters. In the mean time, their debts, liabilities and money printing accelerated upwards, while much of everyone's irreplaceable time was wasted away, and is still being wasted away. And done most skillfully was where they were able to placed the blame. The cause of their Great Recession was fallaciously deflected from their short term based, socially-destructive economic policies to Capitalism, and what O considers the juvenile idea of a free-market. Yep, it sure worked well, for bigger government. Not so well for the people.

When you factor in inflation, taxes, new fees, and everything else your actual effective purchasing power is lowered probably closer to 40%.

The true measure of an economy... The relative state of individual prosperity of a John Doe.

And inflation is eating away at what we earn...

And my day to day expenses, such as food, gas, and clothing two growing kids, have exploded. The same food is costing me on average $150.00 per week more, at least! Gas is $4;38 per gallon, and shows no sign of lowering any time soon.

This is what a transformation of America looks like, looters! There will be nothing left for you to feed your parasitic selves on after the people who earn cease to do so. This is not the liberty that was envisaged by the founders! This is far worse than what they rebelled against! And the American people are going along with this madness like it's a day at the park! Wait until they begin to get hit up for more grubment pocket lining.

And during the same time, the costs of gas has doubled, same with milk and bread, meats even more, utilities, education, government fees -- on and on. The true drop in wages considering loss of buying power???

And at the same time, notice the drastic changes in the basic economic structure of the country -- more government employment and regulatory compliance in business -- less private employment (as a %), less small business and small business employment.

It all just has to break at some point and should.

Money is the barometer of a society's virtue. - Francisco d'Anconia

The job market changed over that time period.

Far less people today are working in construction than they did prior to the financial crisis, which is impacting wages.

People also took jobs that paid less. This is a free market. Don't you support it?

What's wrong with Wallstreet? Invested capital creates jobs.

But I thought profits were bad? Oh, that's only if I want to make a profit, not if THEY make a profit. Some people enjoy more "equality" than others I guess huh? It literally pays to know "higher" folks in the political realm eh? Mr. Mouch anyone?

hrrmm..weird..
Since 2008 I am up in a pretty noticeable way. Now, the paperwork is signed and I will be FTE soon, at what was looking to be a pretty acceptable number. Of course, I am a puppet guy in a world where the demand is growing way faster than our numbers. So, according to a recruiter earlier today the new going rate for a puppet guy in the Seattle area is now 150 a year. But, with the signing bonus pay back requirement I will be off the market for at least 12 months. Of course also, by the time we are done with this project ( fully automating the infrastructure for a billion dollar business ) me and the team will be ready to move onto greener pastures. We are now seriously considering the idea of selling ourselves as a pre-made automation department. So, I fully expect that between the growth in need along with the recognition from this project we will be looking at 200 a year after next year. As for the pay reductions.. We now live in a world where keeping employees part time is now incentive-ized. Along with that there are a lot of things that people used to do that have been even more automated away. Technically, it seems that if wages have actually fallen that much the result should eventually be a weird form of deflation where the fed is still printing money but the depressed incomes are preventing spending and forcing prices down.