Better off!

About the same...but with $5T more debt for my kids to deal with.

HOW CAN IT BE BTTER, THINGS COST MORE. DON`T BUY THE NO INFLATION, FUEL AND FOOD WAY UP. IF YOU DO HAVE A JOB, YOU HAVEN`T GOTTEN A RAISE, BUSINESS`S BY IN LARGE ARE NOT DOING AS WELL. I KNOW ONE THING HEALTH CARE COSTS ARE THROUGH THE ROOF FOR SELF EMPLOYED.SO UNLESS YOU WORK FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, STATE, COUNTY, OR LOCAL. THINGS WORSE OFF, OR LEAST NOT ANY BETTER.

Let's see. Jobs down. Unemployment up. Small businesses hurting. Longest-lasting recession in 50 years. CD's and bank interest worthless. More turmoil in the world today. Less civility in politics. And Obamacare about to descend with a vengeance.
Um. Worse?

Obama has not presented a budget in 4 yrs - the first 2 years he controlled the house and senate and still couldn't do it. Healthcare will reduce the deficit???HUH - Ben do you work? Good grief

Fortunately I've been one of the lucky ones to keep my house and job. However I don't think I could consider myself better off as pay raises have not matched how much things like food and fuel have gone up.

I am tired of this constant bickering between Republicans and Democrates. Each is quick to blame the other with comments stating that it's not this presidents fault or it is. Face it, both sides are far from perfect and congress is just as bad. For me, it's going to be the lesser of two evils and I can't wait for Obama to get voted out and hopefully Obamacare to somehow go with him.

This one is too easy.

Sadly.

There are so many people who are legitimately fearful for the future of America; there are so many grandparents who are equally fearful for the lower living standards likely to be available/realized by their grandchildren, if not their children; there are so many people who fear that too many people are willing to trade-in their freedom for free stuff etc. that I firmly believe that the Country is much worse off now than at any point in my lifetime.

I suspect that a number of people will respond with facts/figures that support a thought that things are better, but I just don't see it that way. Perhaps they are for specific individuals which is a good thing for them. I am looking at the larger picture - and not liking at all what I see. Sorry.

The Country must get back on the right track. Perhaps Romney can get us there but Obama clearly cannot based on the past four years of waging class warfare and promoting a hyphenated America. I have never seen anything approaching this in a lifetime.

Gingrich, Santorum & DeMint have announced support for Todd "Legitimate Rape"Aiken. Ryan signed onto Aiken's proposed legislation that used the term "forcible rape".

I'm better off -- Romney's not.

And then there's this: http://tinyurl.com/brnlx7c

Linda - You make no effort to find out what Aiken meant by forcible. Instead, you speculate what he meant, then criticize.

Before you ask me what I think he meant by it, see if you can find what Aiken said he meant?

Ben, since I have the privilege of writing about this every week, you know that i respectfully do not agree with you at all. Our President too often does not tell the truth; We do not trust our government; For all the talk about employment, only the gullible believe that - especially when no fewer than 1.5M have filed new Unemployment claims every month for the past three years; Our position and prestige are not better off abroad; We are being stuck with over $1T every year in debt; $5T+ in the past four years, have had our credit rating downgraded and will go bankrupt if the interest rate goes up just one point; Foodstamp dependency has increased 50% in the past 3 years; The government is lurching into socialism; The political parties cannot talk to one anopther, let alone compromise with one another; Success is maligned and earned wealth is targeted for redistribution; and people - many, many people, are fearful for the future of the Country.

I do not intend to post in this string again because I have a weekly forum. But believe me when I say that I personally believe that America has never been in such bad shape. I am very sad about this - and concerned enough to have sent me into the community to volunteer to help fix it, and to express myself in writing weeky, even if I have to endure the endless shots from liberal leaners who think we are on the right track.

Wait - now because you are saying he admitted he was misinformed, that he never really meant what he said in the first place?

And he admitted it only after three days of a political firestorm in which his OWN PARTY abandoned him? And in which he continues to make derogatory statements about women?

Come on. This isn't rocket science.

IT`S FUNNY THE MEDIA DOESN`T COUNT THE DEAD ANYMORE , WHEN BUSH WAS IN WE WOULD GET A HEAD COUNT DAILY, WHERE HAVE ALL THE WAR PROTESTS GONE I GUESS WHEN OUR MEN DIE WHEN A PRESIDENT HAS A D NEXT TO HIS NAME IT DOESN`T COUNT.WHERE OH WHERE IS CINDY SHEEHAN ? HASN`T HAD MUCH TO SAY LATELY, I`D SAY ALMOST 4 YEARS NOW.WE ARE LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKE A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY JUST TAKE A LOOK AROUND, HELL WE ALL CAME FROM SOMEWHERE, AT LEAST WHEN PEOPLE CAME VIA ELLIS ISLAND THERE WAS SOME CHECKING, BACKGROUND, MEDICAL ETC.NOT ANYMORE GRAB DUFFLE BAG AND JUMP THE FENCE NOW. OBAMA LOOK`S LIKE A LEADER OF A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY, AND GUESS WHAT, LOOK AROUND WE ARE STARTING TO TAKE ON THAT LOOK.

Jay Leno thinks Obama has screwed up.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2012/09/28/leno-we-wasted-four-years-waiting-obama-do-something-about-economy#ixzz27mFlQpHQ

Aiken? Sounds like some people are trying to change the subject which is " are we better off today" with Obama? Even Jay Leno has jumped ship. http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2012/09/28/leno-we-wasted-four-years-waiting-obama-do-something-about-economy#ixzz27mFlQpHQ

Name calling violates the user agreement at Patch. Comments that call other posters names will be deleted. Thanks!

Again Ben, I have to question you on your numbers. You say unemployment is dropping? Isn't it higher now than when Mr. Obama took office? Arent there more people presently unemployed and looking for work, than we he took his oath of office? I can provide those numbers if you need to see them. Also didn't unemployment under Obama spike at 10%? So to say that it's dropping to 8.1% is a little bit misleading dont you think?
Now I will say what I think....I'm about the same. No better off, or no worse off than 4 years ago. Is that due to Mr. Obama? Honestly I can't say. Is Romney gonna have me rolling in dough? Only if he gives me some of his! I'm voting for Romney for the same reason Mr. Obama wanted us to vote for him 4 years ago....Change! I love how Obama declares that he is a Washington Outsider as he has Joe Biden (A career politician and the epitome of same old same old) by his side. I've seen enough to know that I have seen to much! Goodnight all! And may the best candidate win. Even if its not mine.

Question: What do the items below represent?

* 8.1% unemployment
* $16 trillion plus deficit ($5 trillion increase in 3.5 yrs)
* $3.90 a gallon gasoline
* record food inflation
* record number of added jobs @ 12 bucks an hour
* record number of foreclosures
* record number of Americans on food stamps/EBT
* STAGNANT housing market
* another recession brewing

According to Democrats, a resume for Barack's re-election!

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/sep/27/barack-obama/barack-obama-says-hes-responsible-just-10-percent-/

Not better off. Don't need to say anything more.

Definitely WORSE if for reason other than this: The national debt is over 8.1 trillion dollars. That puts each citizens share of that debt to over $27,000. The National Debt has continued to increase an average of $2.28 billion per day since September 30, 2005. U.S. Public debt is more than ten times the amount of United States currency in circulation as of 2005, estimated to be $730 billion.
http://www.accumulatingmoney.com/how-does-the-national-debt-affect-the-individual/ If our supposed 'representatives' don't immediately cut EXPENSES there no amount of taxes that will get us out of this hole.

the right wing morons forgot that 4 years ago bush and his scumbag vp ran from the white house after nuking the middle class. maybe obama should of fixed it all in 6 days then rested on the 7th.

Really, marko is forgetting that the dems were on 8 years paid vacation under Bush.

They weren't to blame for anything, They didn't see the downturn coming. Familiar?
They saw nothing.
They knew nothing.
They heard nothing.
They did nothing.
The most they did was collect a check and add schlock mortgages to the pile.
They resembled that Hogan's Heroes character...Schultz!

Basically, they stayed home, shielded from any blame, is what you are saying

really teddy. i know it and you know it, obama wins. all the bla bla bla means 0.

marko, I know what I just stated. You still know nothing like Schultz. Too bad you don't. 58% of the dem. senators also voted for the Iraq invasion. Did you blame them any? Of course not, they have a D next to their name. Why didn't any dems. forewarn the people about the market bottom dropping out? Because they DIDN'T have a clue either. marko = dem. party SHEEP. Left wing moron.

marko - did you look at the link I posted? Even Dear Leader Messiah (gasp) LIES. Don't choke reading it while drinking your morning coffee! Yes You Can't!!

I don't get it. : 8 years democrats and the country was doing superwell, then 8 years Bush and it went downhill, shortly before the supergau, Obama came and dealt with the mess, like trying to stop an avalange. Now 4 years later, he gets blamed. I also think times are tougher these days, but you only can imagine, how it would be, would the repulicans still be in office. The superrich would be richer and middleclass wouldn't be existant anymore.

YES 8 YEARS OF DEMOCRATS, IT WENT WELL. IT WAS CALLED THE INTERNET BOOM. CLINTON CAUGHT LIGHTNING IN THE BOTTLE. COUNTRY WAS ATTCKED IN 1993 AT THE WTC, AND HE DID VERY LITTLE ABOUT IT, IT THAN GREW INTO 9/11 NOT TO LONG AFTER BUSH CAME IN. ISLAMICS SAID THEY WOULD ATTCK THE US ECONOMY AND THEY DID A REAL GOOD JOB OF IT.PLUS WITH THE HELP OF YES DEMOCRAT BARNEY FRANK, AND CHRIS DODD, FORCING BANKS TO GIVE LOANS TO PEOPLE WHO SHOULD NEVER HAD GOTTEN ONE.

I get it, republicans are never to blame.

NO THEY ARE TO BLAME, GEORGE BUSH IS VERY MUCH TO BLAME, HE TRIED TO BE TOO MUCH LIKE A DEMOCRAT, SPENDING MONEY LIKE A DRUKEN SAILOR.WE HAVE HAD ONE PARTY RULE IN THIS STATE, SINCE 1960, YOU THINK THAT`S A HEALTH THING ? IF JFK WAS ALIVE TODAY HE WOULD BE CALLED A CONSERVATIVE. ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU, BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY. FAR CRY FROM OBAMA`S AGENDA, YOU DIDN`T BUILD THAT, ONLY A FEW BUMPS IN THE ROAD, NO BIG DEAL. FREE CELL PHONE`S, FREE CONDEMS, ETC, THAT`S OK, LET GO AS IT IS, BECAUSE IT WILL TOPPLE. WHEN THE 47 % BECOMES THE 51% IT`S OVER AND WE ARE DAM CLOSE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The point is that neither party knew what was actually happening when big business threw a gambler's roll with our hard earned money. Deregulation played a big part, but there was no finger on the pulse monitoring of the true economic health. Every politician enabled an "All In" play of our money, on BOTH sides. And we are paying the price. Dems. will always point the finger away from themselves even though their party is in bed with big business just like republicans are. The sooner both parties come to the middle and agree on the issues, the sooner progress is made. Not on the extreme left or right. The hard-line party puppet Kool Aid drinkers will disagree. It just shows how deranged they really are. End of story.

CLINTON = NO MORE GLASS-STEAGALL, COUPLE THAT WITH DODD- FRANK. ECONOMIC MELT DOWN. THAT`S REALLY THE END OF THE STORY.WAIT YET THE STORY HAS ANOTHER, CHAPTER THAT TURNS A DISASTER, INTO A NIGHTMARE CALLED OBAMA

HEY LOOK the cap things is a bunch of BS okay, IM INTERESTED IN CONTENT, I REALLY DON`T CARE THE SIZE OF THE LETTERS, OF A LIBERAL WILL OF COURSE nit pick. IT`S IN THE DNA....

Since Obama has gotten in:

1. My husband lost his job and it took 18 months of trying to get another one.
2. I haven't gotten a pay raise since Obama took the oath (the medical field is preparing for a disaster) yet gas has gone from about 1.89 to almost 4.00.
3. We now have no savings, are trying to catch up on our mortgage, etc. and are nine years away from retirement age. Right now it doesn't look like we'll ever get to retire.
4. And now we're going to have to pay for the mistakes of Frank, Dodd and an Obama bailout failure.

And I KNOW we're not the only ones.

You want to tell me if we're better off or worse since Obama got in?

Relax, C`est La Vie, As the DEAR LEADER say`s . What`s a few BUMPS in the road.

Had there been a magic wand it would have been waived long ago. Yes America, we are better off. We were spiriling down over a half million jobs lost a MONTH before this office took over. Make no mistake - in the first two years of the Obama administration we were rescued from a depression. Of this no informed citizen can doubt. The last two years saw a Congress who failed to speak to one another. The Speaker of the House (in case you missed it in your civics class) must approve of any bill brought onto the floor of the House of Representatives. In this Speaker's term he brought forward 33 bills dealing with Obamacare. He brought ZERO job bills to the floor. This Speaker's sole goal in his term was to get to the 2012 elections. This is a failure of government. The President WILL be re-elected and Congress will be forced to deal with hard budget items. You never saw this attitude with President Reagan and Speaker O'Neill. They differed - but - compromised for the good of the nation. Have faith - the hope you voted for in 2008 is right around the corner.

This has been the worst four years of my life along with many family and friends. This year the worst of the four!!! I don't know if I could survive another four with this President!

http://www.businessinsider.com/are-you-better-off-than-4-years-ago-charts-2012-9?op=1

sorry teddy your wrong again.i actually have an (i) next to my name and voted for both parties over the years. your new sara palin/fox news party will keep shrinking the big tent into a pup tent.its the math! (left wing moron?) not very nice teddy. o by the way, obama wins and thats a fact like it or not.

I've seen the company I work for layoff many good people. I've watched the deficit sky rocket. Gas prices have more than doubled. Washington is in gridlock. The current administration has promoted class warfare. Unemployment has been over 8% for God knows how long. Record numbers of people are on food stamps. We have a new "healthcare" law forced down our throats by people who never read it before they voted, even though the majority of citizens opposed it. The Middle East is in turmoil. An you have the gonads to try and convince us we are better off?

We no longer have to worry about the sparkler pandemic, which should save thousands of Massachusetts lives. Everything else is just politics.

what's everybody arguing over? Why pick sides? It's not like your vote matters. You don't get to pick who wins lol, the Average citizens votes don't matter, they don't DO ANYTHING.

It doesn't matter who wins the popular vote...

Mitt Romney is trying to "change the very mindset" of many, many folks out there, who have fallen vicariously into becoming enabling members of Our Society, through many of The Governmental Programs which have been bestowed amongst us all, that has been out there in Our Society for many years now, and not in just the last eight years or so, either.
The Democratic Party has truly over the years, created many Governmental Programs, which has made it so much easier for many of those who do not want to better help to themselves, after they've received assistance, and feel more than comfortable to actually stay in that mode of their chosen behaviors, because they have become quite comfortable enough to survive in that very process, and not ever to strive for a better everyday life as they move forward into their lives!
I'm certain that many of you either know of, or know a few folks here and there, where this is exactly what they've been doing for quite some time now.
Unfortunately, many who do choose to get into a comfortable mode of living habits/behaviors, and since many or very few, has ever been called to task on it for the most part, at least to better themselves, they just feel quite comfortable in staying that very way, with little to no inspiration to strive for a better way of life.

Certainly this is more than a "Food For Thought" moment, its been right there under all of our noses for many, many years now, as well. Its like the term that has been around for ages, where many are just like "Dead People Walking On Earth!" biding their time while their amongst us. Look around you, they are everywhere, too!
Although, there are still millions of children & adults whom go to bed hungry,here in These United States of America, which is more than just a conundrum, its a darn right shame to say the least, for which none that we in this country should ever have let that happen in the first place at all!
What I mean by that is, that we should have our elected officials from the cities & towns throughout, do what they were elected to do in the first place and ensure that it does not continue to go on period!!