OT: Advice for "real Americans"...

[Alan Baker]

...completely tone deaf and out of touch...

...but still advice:

'The agency that oversees federal workers has some advice for the
800,000 furloughed workers who are entering a seventh day without pay:
Try bartering for your rent payment.

The Office of Personnel Management on Thursday provided sample letters
that furloughed workers can send to their landlords in case they can't
make their rent payments. One of the letters suggests the cash-strapped
workers could barter handyman services in exchange for rent money.

"I would like to discuss with you the possibility of trading my services
to perform maintenance (e.g. painting, carpentry work) in exchange for
partial rent payments," the letter states. It also asks the landlords if
they would consider a partial rent reduction because of the government
shutdown. '

<https://www.cbsnews.com/news/opm-shutdown-advice-to-furloughed-workers-try-bartering-for-rent/>

'OPM also advised furloughed workers to "consult with your personal
attorney" if they need legal advice in dealing with creditors. That
earned some mocking replies on Twitter, with some pointing out that
federal workers of modest means aren't likely to retain their own
attorneys and that hiring an attorney would add to their mounting bills.

"Speaking as one of those 'Feds,' it's nice of you to offer meaningless
letters and suggest - while we have no pay coming in - that we incur
legal expenses as well while we descend into debt. Thanks so much," one
respondent wrote in response. '

[-hh]

Egads.

The OPM is one of the agencies responsible for enforcing the
Federal Regulations which limits secondary employment of Feds.

The OPM needs to fix this to be IAW 5 CFR § 2635, 18 USC § 209, et al.



-hh

[DumbedDownUSA]

...but the unchristian "Christian", "Don't Care" says "It’s a vacation."

Personal debt in the USA is at it's highest ever, it's the time of year
when short term borrowing is at it's highest. More people are living
from one pay packet to the next than in recent history. What a great
time to have empty pockets.

It just shows you it isn't just the elite that is completely out of
touch.

"God bless us every one"

--
"We have helped to create a situation that has allowed us to end up
with Trump. The dumbing down of our society through the media, the lack
of education through poor schools, allows for a dumbed-down electorate,
and for him to be able to actually get 63 million votes."

[toms...@gmail.com]

News flash: personal debt includes mortgages. If you haven't noticed, the real estate market is booming.

[DumbedDownUSA]

Is it, so that will push rents up.

A real estate boom and/or housing shortage is never a good thing on a
national level.

[-hh]

On Tuesday, January 1, 2019 at 10:37:40 PM UTC-5, toms...@gmail.com wrote:
> ...

> News flash: personal debt includes mortgages. If you haven't
> noticed, the real estate market is booming.

Oh, I read all about it in Forbes. Here's an example:


"Real Estate Markets Cooling Across The Country, And It's Not
Just The Winter Effect"

<https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinefeeney/2018/11/15/real-estate-markets-cooling-across-the-country-and-its-not-just-the-winter-effect/>


-hh

[toms...@gmail.com]

Sure it is - it means the economy is booming. You prefer the alternative?

[toms...@gmail.com]

Real estate goes thru cycles. The last one fueled by historically low interest rates. Doesn't change the fact that this is a major part of personal debt.

[DumbedDownUSA]

You really don't understand basic economics of supply and demand do you?

If the economy is booming why are enough houses not being built?

[DumbedDownUSA]

Which totally misses the point...

Read this again and see what makes it though to your tiny brain:

Personal debt in the USA is at it's highest ever, it's the time of year
when short term borrowing is at it's highest. More people are living
from one pay packet to the next than in recent history. What a great
time to have empty pockets.

Great time for a shutdown. You think all those government employees are
having a vacation house hunting?

[toms...@gmail.com]

YOU are the one that doesn't understand supply and demand economics:

Rising interest rates.
Rising labor costs.
Rising material costs.
Rising land costs.
No land to build on.
Regulations.
Regulations.
Regulations.

[DumbedDownUSA]

So none of those things point to a lack of supply? You seem to be
shooting at your feet again.

Being unable to build houses does not indicate a booming economy.

Now explain how your claimed housing boom is meant to help those
currently furloughed (on vacation as Mr Don't Care says) with huge
personal debts.

[-hh]

While he's at it, he can try to explain away the conversation that
Greg & I were having last month, about some of our real estate
interests which effectively are still underwater from 2008.


-hh

[toms...@gmail.com]

Is that a question or a statement? Either way, it doesn't make any sense, but why am I not surprised coming from you.

>
> Being unable to build houses does not indicate a booming economy.

House are being built every day. I saw several under construction today.

>
> Now explain how your claimed housing boom is meant to help those
> currently furloughed (on vacation as Mr Don't Care says) with huge
> personal debts.

I didn't claim anything, but you can't read very well.

[toms...@gmail.com]

How in the Hell am I going to explain your bad investments, other than to say I am not surprised?

[-hh]

TomS wrote:
> -hh wrote:
> > DumbedDownUSA wrote:
> > > TomS wrote:
> > > > DumbedDownUSA wrote:
> > > > > ...

> > > > > You really don't understand basic economics of supply and demand do
> > > > > you?
> > > > >
> > > > > If the economy is booming why are enough houses not being built?
> > > >
> > > > YOU are the one that doesn't understand supply and demand economics:
> > > >
> > > > Rising interest rates.
> > > > Rising labor costs.
> > > > Rising material costs.
> > > > Rising land costs.
> > > > No land to build on.
> > > > Regulations.
> > > > Regulations.
> > > > Regulations.
> > >
> > > So none of those things point to a lack of supply? You seem to be
> > > shooting at your feet again.
> > >
> > > Being unable to build houses does not indicate a booming economy.
> > >
> > > Now explain how your claimed housing boom is meant to help those
> > > currently furloughed (on vacation as Mr Don't Care says) with huge
> > > personal debts.
> >
> > While he's at it, he can try to explain away the conversation that
> > Greg & I were having last month, about some of our real estate
> > interests which effectively are still underwater from 2008.
>
>

> How in the Hell am I going to explain your bad investments, other
> than to say I am not surprised?

First, an "interest" isn't the same thing as an "investment".

Second, the statement was simply that this region's market prices
are still underwater today relative to its pre-2008 crash's values,
which doesn't assign any actual purchase prices or dates.

As such, your insult attempt is revealed as quite lame.


-hh

[Alan Baker]

Which fits in well with everything else about him, you have to admit...

;-)

[toms...@gmail.com]

First: if you consider it an insult, it is only because of your own inept investment strategies. You are the one that said that you blew it, not me.

Second: "interest" means you have skin in the game - I call that an "investment."

Third: grow up - I am not going to coddle an overage teen.

[-hh]

> First: if you consider it an insult, it is only because of your own inept
> investment strategies.

Incorrect. You've claim that I'd made bad investments. Just what are these?

One guess is that you were trying to base that on was a conversation that
Greg & I had on real estate ... but it was Greg who said that he bought at
the 2007 peak, not me.

So then, just what is the basis for your "bad" claim? Was it this real estate
sidebar where I never said anything on purchase dates or prices, or is it
that I happened to have chosen to do withholding differently than you do?

> You are the one that said that you blew it, not me.

Oh, I'd claimed that I "blew it"? Really? Just what?
Cite please.

> Second: "interest" means you have skin in the game - I call that an "investment."

To you it may mean that, but that's not correct application.
The two terms are similar, but they are not synonymous.

Case in point, one can have an "interest" because of a friend/family/etc who you
happen care about - - but that's not a direct/personal financial investment.

Or an affiliation with a real estate agent who's been calling to try to coax you into
buying something...but since you've not yet bought in, there's zero investment.

> Third: grow up - I am not going to coddle an overage teen.

I've not who's been slinging the insults - - hypocrite, heal thyself.


-hh

[DumbedDownUSA]

The question mark is a clue.

> Either way, it doesn't make any
> sense, but why am I not surprised coming from you.

Exactly my point. YOu don't understand demand and supply economics.

>
> >
> > Being unable to build houses does not indicate a booming economy.
>
> House are being built every day. I saw several under construction
> today.
>

Yet just above you were laying out reasons for a lack of supply; Tomse
makes a shot to his left foot... and he scores.

> >
> > Now explain how your claimed housing boom is meant to help those
> > currently furloughed (on vacation as Mr Don't Care says) with huge
> > personal debts.
>
> I didn't claim anything, but you can't read very well.

So your post had NOTHING to with the topic or the post you were
replying to; it was just attempted whataboutism then.

Tomse makes a shot to his other foot and he scores again.

Tomse is on his arse wondering what happened. :)

[DumbedDownUSA]

Many prices are still at last century levels and sales are a fifth of
what they were during the last real "boom".

Most would call that a recovery, not a boom.

I guess Tomse claims the stock market is booming every other day.

[-hh]

DD wrote:
> Many prices are still at last century levels and sales are a fifth of
> what they were during the last real "boom".
> Most would call that a recovery, not a boom.

It has had a lot of regional variation...although previously stronger
areas are now reportedly sliding:

<https://www.crainsnewyork.com/real-estate/market-downturn-especially-condos-may-get-worse-report-finds>

> I guess Tomse claims the stock market is booming every other day.

Well, for the hedge fund guys, they’re trying to profit from each day
of volatility. I’ve seen an abhorrent amount of “analyst” hype for
individual investors to go buy AAPL, for example. Nope!


-hh