Quit smoking, live 5 years less

[Kent C]

.... through increasing public debt threefold. Guess it takes some talent to do that and still have no improvements in employment rate for the 6 first years.

Congress has a hand in it too - like the "balanced budget" during Clinton years:

http://www.truthfulpolitics.com/ima...ticipation-rate-president-political-party.jpg

 

[caramel]

Congress has a hand in it too - like the "balanced budget" during Clinton years:

http://www.truthfulpolitics.com/ima...ticipation-rate-president-political-party.jpg

GW Bush looks like the craftiest guy, he managed to increase it through all the possible combinations in Congress

 

[Kent C]

GW Bush looks like the craftiest guy, he managed to increase it through all the possible combinations in Congress

He's not the craftiest though:

Bowing out of this... fun though :- )

 

[caramel]

Try to express that in multiplicative terms (i.e. Obama x1.8, GW Bush x1.6 , Reagan x3) and Reagan still rules.

 

[AndriaD]

You were one of the smart, fortunate ones. Everyone I knew, that was living in a rental, I urged to buy. A few paid attention and are smiling today. Those opportunities don't come around very often. However, it's still possible it will happen again in the not to distant future if we don't see a real improvement in the economy.

As long as the tax laws don't get changed by some exuberant legislatures again, it's also the best way to build a tax free nest egg. In '97 they changed the Cap Gains laws on primary residences. You can make a $250k profit and not owe taxes. I bought a second house during the ugly days at a very reasonable price in a warmer climate (not warm, but better). I can sell my house here with no taxes, move in there and live for two years (required to establish primary residence) and sell that tax free. Then move somewhere with a better climate.

We were renting, from a lady whose mortgage was underwater, and she thought we were supposed to stay there and keep paying thru the nose for a property she wouldn't lift a finger to do anything.. the gutters were falling off, the roof leaked, the foundation was cracked, and one of the toilets had a mysterious slow leak into the basement, so of course the basement, between the cracked foundation and the slow leak, was a holy hell of mold. We approached my parents, retired with a nice nest egg, to "lend" us the money to make it all possible, and my stepfather, in sales and business all his working life, knew a good (great!) time to buy when he saw it, so he sealed the deal, somewhat against my mother's kneejerk automatic refusal -- later, they determined it would simply be part of mine and my son's inheritance from them, with no need to pay it back, so the money was free and clear as a gift, in all the paperwork -- they have to know where from and how much and everything. Without that help, we'd have been homeless, and my parents knew that too. It all worked out perfectly though. (ETA: we got a VA loan, thx to my husband, so no down-payment necessary!)

Andria

 

[Robert Cromwell]

It doesn't necessarily cost more to eat nutritious food, but it has to be available. Many low income areas are food deserts. When all that is available are 24 hour quick marts and fast food restaurants, and the nearest good sized grocery store is miles away it doesn't make for a situation that lends itself to healthy eating. It takes a good amount of extra effect to get good food in many areas. Easier to just go to the local fast food place or get frozen pizza.

Ohh it is easier and cheaper to fill your belly with junk food. One can live for a day on one box of little debbies honey buns for $2. What else you gonna get for $2 to keep you all day?