Things are getting very interesting around here.......The shoe is dropping...
Wow.....I have a lot to say...and I do not want to bore you....but this is very important.
First off....as you all probably know I own an Electronics store here in Portland Oregon. We are doing pretty good considering......but I am witnessing first hand all kinds of things happening very fast.
Secondly......several of our big companies that we buy product from....just laid off 30% of their work force. These are some of the biggest electronic companies in the United States. Very Sad.
Next......I have been talking with several Realtor, and Mortgage company owners over the last week, (Heavy Players in the Portland Market) and they are all talking about the doom and gloom in the commercial real estate market that is coming. This is going to be way bigger than the housing collapse.
Myself....I eat lunch at a little Deli about 1 mile from my store. The Deli is in a strip mall that has about 20 stores. Well 85% are empty...and I just learned from the deli owner that the strip mall is going back to the bank next week because the owner can't make his $42,000 a month payment. Ouch.
Next.....I bank at a very good credit union.....about 1 mile from my store. They just moved out of the strip mall that they were in...into a new free standing building. The strip mall that they were in has 10 stores. Well.....now it only has 1 out of 10 rented. It is so sad to see what is going on.
The Chrysler Dealerships near us.....GONE.....
Burger King across the street.....gone..
KFC...gone....
Flea Markets and Check cashing places opening up....
It is a very different world....
On and On and On....
I could keep going.........
The only Positive thing in this entire Chaos is if you have cash....you are King.
We are buying items for our store at 30% to 80% off...and we are able to pass that savings on to the customer which is making us as busy as can be....
Tell me what is going on in your neck of the woods....
We decided to shut down our manufacturing company
for the last year we haven't paid ourselves we work and work and everyone else gets paid. We operate our business with no bank loans or financing and own all machinery and equipment out right, however it is no longer worth the investment with what the government is aiming for... it is very unfortunate not for us as much as for our employees, some have worked with us for over 20 years. We are just going to go play with our collector cars and our other hobbies. We know many business owners and most feel that the new proposals will absolutely drive their profits to unsustainable levels. Ours was a business with no debt, I can only imagine what is happening to businesses struggling with financing. I feel this is going to be a VERY common occurrence in the next few years. The government policies are going to destroy the ability to create wealth in this country. Maybe they want to drive independent businesses out.
The Liberty a society retains is inversely proportional to the number of Lawyers in the Government.
The Liberty a society retains is inversely proportional to the number of Lawyers in the Government.
Sorry, I don't think you are awake.
"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." Benjamin Franklin
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government of the people, by the people, for the people
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Everything seems pretty normal in my neighborhood
Certainly the local news keeps saying that companies in Atlanta are letting people go, but my neighborhood seems to be fine. In fact, a couple banks are opening up...right across from liquor stores!
;-)
in my area . . .
it's hard to be awake; it's easier to dream--
300 jobs just lost in a local company--
the "hope" is that they will be rehired when things 'improve'--
those who remain on 'skeleton' *crew* continue with furloughs--
it's hard to be awake; it's easier to dream--
I read an article today that said that all the Chrysler
dealerships that were closed, belonged to owners who were Republicans & did not support Obama. Anyone else read that? True?
do you have a link
to that article? I'd like to post on another social network. Thanks!
WND Fox News and others
This story was reported on over a few weeks period. It was not until the end that we learned who in the whitehouse made the list and who thier wife was.
Chrysler Obama Scam - Probably True
The guy who was in charge of creating the list supposedly used purely data or deterministic logic to figure out who got shut down. This person was an Obama Appointee working in the Whitehouse.
How did he choose when there were two dealerships which one would live and which one would die... He stuck to his story of pure logic and numbers however the ancedotal eveidence suggested otherwise.
It turns out that this guy that was selecting who lived and who died had a wife that was the main computer person for the donation database at the Democratic National Headquarters. So his wife had the list of Chrysler dealer campain contributors to the Democratic party and Obama.
So this guy deciding who made the cut just ran his spreadsheet against his wifes spreadsheet (or had a dba do it against the real DB). This produced the list of dealerships that were Democratic contributors. So his list combined with his wifes list produced the Chrysler survivers list.
So yes they appear to have targeted Republican dealerships and they had the easy technical means to do so.
A report from Lansing Michigan
There are four whole auto factories completely gone, two were across the street from each other, the sites are now vast empty lots since the structures were demolished and rubbish removed. Our whole infrastucture in Lansing Michigan was built upon a successful auto industry and it is a real struggle. One of our hospitals is struggling and there are major budget deficits that are anticipated to worsen once the stimulus money is gone. However, I love Michigan, it has amazing resources (water/land/forest) and I plan to stay here no matter what.
I live in the Seattle area
I keep hearing how unemployment is up and things are getting worse, but our housing prices never went down that much and are going up again.
I'm just happy I have a job.
WTF??
"Your comment has been queued for moderation by site administrators and will be published after approval."
When the hell did I end up on a watch list on DP??? Did I say f*** or something?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO18F4aKGzQ
'Peace is a powerful message.' Ron Paul
I have stores on Amazon and
I have stores on Amazon and eBay. I had a massive drop in sales around September. It picked up a little bit last month, but the only items people are buying now is stuff that is priced under $5. I've seen a lot of threads on seller forums over the last few weeks complaining about an unusual slump in sales, so it's looks like I'm not the only one...
I just bought...
'For Liberty" off Amazon - hope that was from someone here!
Vote em all out! - http://www.teabombs.com/
Fellow Veterans, This Is A Call To Arms!
http://www.facebook.com/events/192677970828185/
February 20, 2012 - Veterans For Ron Paul March on D.C.!
I sell via Amazon...I had the same slump the last few weeks
I am just selling stuff to declutter. But from July to October, I was selling about 30 items per week...now it is about 10 items per week.
Christmas might help...we'll see. To those trying to make a living this way, I pity them.
This post hit home
Like you,I have an electronics store in upstate NY: the cost of doing business keeps rising while customers are more and more hesitant to spend
Politics is Not the Answer
As RP has said, they own the system. Gonna take more than ballots.
Sheldon Waxman
sheldonw72@gmail.com
www.independentcontractor.info
Sheldon Waxman
sheldonw72@gmail.com
www.independentcontractor.info
www.thelawyer.info
This is true
and it will require that we hunt them dowm like the vermin that they are. It's not going to be pretty and I know a lot of folks here are peace minded but mark my words, you will all come around to the fact that there is but one solution to this problem.
Let me guess
Tyrannacide? Nah..
If everyone stopped driving and stopped working for a week it would bring them to their knees. There is a peaceful way.
That would be great if it would work
and I am willing to do just that. How do we make it happen. That being said, I am sad that those solutions have never worked in the past and this nation is a nation of people that NEVER learn from history.
Yes, it will take more than ballots and sell out politicians.
The description of the pain out there now is part of the process that will bring people to the revolution point. There is plenty more pain to come.
I am thinking that we won't get past 2020 without the outbreak of civil violence. All it will take is for going along with the present system of plunder and control to be more painful than the horrible pain of revolution, at which point we will follow the path of least resistance.
"The deepest sin against the human mind is to believe things without evidence." Thomas H. Huxley
rhino: The last shoe ...
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/67968
Prediction is over a year old.
This time next year ...
We will see most of what I describe unfold.
WAHOR!!
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/48994
WAHOR!!
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/48994
Just a little guy
Life in Urban South Florida today is tentative.
Commercial properties have already been hit hard, as well as residential properties. In my neighborhood, within a 3 block radius of my house, there are 23 foreclosures. The house across the street from me is in foreclosure. This is only the amount of foreclosures that I think there are, from my evening walks and hand counts. The home across the street has been vacant since 05-06. (just after Hurricane Wilma). It still has the remnants of the blue tarp they put on the roof after the Hurricane. I have lived in my house now for 24 years. I raised my 3 children here after my wife left me when my youngest (my little girl : )) was 7 years old. My daughter has now given me 2 grand children. This past April, my daughter, her husband, and 2 children moved back in to the house. It was kind of a win win. I have a large house (For me anyway). A 3bdr/ 2bth with attached garage and there was no way to sell it. So, i fixed the garage, live there, and rent the house to them.
My small business, that I have had for over 30 years, has been reduced to a cash only basis, for tax purposes. I grow my own food and I am thinking about raising some fish. I still have to buy meat and dairy. Being anti-war, I have never owned a gun. I had always thought that a gun was the primary tool of war. But, my longevity here on earth has taught me differently. I am now prepared for the defense of my family.
Life in urban South Florida today is tentative.
"The enemy is always within, never out there." - Vernon Howard
Good for you, and I love
your chosen monicker! I think you do know Jacksch---!!
Retail Sales
I own The Balance Wheel fine watches and Goatopia a small goat dairy here in the mountains of Colorado. In the past two years we have seen a drop in our average sale from $7000 to $700. I sold my store in Vail (for next to nothing) back in may and now only have my store in Beaver Creek. My clients are the wealthiest people in the world. And even they are not spending money. They are just as afraid as the rest of us.
My Dairy is starting to move forward but the local people are having a hard time commiting to $40 or even $20 dollars a month for our milk. Eggs are selling well. At $3 a dozen. I need more chickens or to run for a government office.
I do have to say that even with my support for Ron Paul the local GOP would support my run for office.
I have started to call family and friends. I am asking them to donate $25 for my Christmas gift. If we can all do this we will raise a bunch more money.
Hi Kevin
Please run for office, any office. This is the only way liberty can survive.
I would love to run for office
Does any one know where to start?
one concerned farmer
Good book on running for local office
The following is book I bought and used while running for local office. I found it practical and inexpensive. It includes guides for paperwork/finance and campaign materials
How to Run for Local Office: A Complete Step by Step guide
Author: Robert J. Thomas
How did you do?
Please tell me you won!
one concerned farmer
Affordable Housing
I have been a carpenter most of my life, I recently found a incredible building method which can help a lot of people who can not afford a "regular" house. It's called Earthbag building - http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/ These domes are virtually indestructible - impervious to hurricanes, earthquakes, fires and rot. No need for a concrete footing! A very small amount of wood (Which can be salvaged from pallets), sand bags, barb-wire and DIRT. To give an example of how inexpensive it is, you could build a 9ft high wall 100ft long for $550. Labor is the largest expense, (approximately 1 hour labor per 4 bags laid) but the way the economy is going all we'll have is time!
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."
Thomas Jefferson
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."
Thomas Jefferson
The problem with this method--is that building codes would
not allow this. Even log homes and straw bale homes are difficult to pass. This is not to say that I agree with all the cumbersome laws that restrict the use of our private property.
I have lived in a 100+ yr old farmhouse that was built onto many times---nothing ever inspected, and the house had survived many strong windstorms and even a flood.
"inspected" homes and commercial buildings are collapsing all the time! It is an expensive, intrusion on our Constitutional right to enjoy our property as long as it doesn't affect others.