Used Car Prices During the Great Recession
Used Car Prices During the Recession infographic http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/03/used-car-prices-during-great-recession.html
Used Car Prices During the Recession infographic http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/03/used-car-prices-during-great-recession.html
"I moved to NYC in February of 2011 and found a studio in the East Village for $1,550. A year later the landlord and I agreed to a 4 month lease at $1,650. After 4 months I had not found a new place so signed a one year lease with the hope of moving out and subletting. The new amount was for $1,725. I moved out a month later. She quickly found a new tenant willing to pay $1,900. Let me again state that this is a studio apartment. The room is 11’x13’ with a kitchen and bathroom attached that combined are 10’x7’. The term ‘shoebox’ would be generous. This is a SMALL apartment that is going for nearly $2,000 dollars! In two years the rent increased by 22%." Continue reading →
"The coalition of striking workers includes employees of McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, KFC and other major chains, as well as community and clergy groups dedicated to improving the lives of low-wage workers in the mostly non-unionized field of restaurant work. One of the main organizing groups behind the strike told CNN that dozens of workers walked off the job at the Times Square McDonald’s and that the Flatbush Avenue Burger King in Brooklyn barely opened its doors on time Thursday morning. The workers are asking for a minimum pay of $15 an hour and the right to organize and collectively bargain without fear of firing or retaliation." Continue reading →
"The Obama administration now says a special system of exchanges designed to make it easier for small businesses to provide insurance will be delayed an entire year -- to 2015. The exchanges were designed to give workers a range of choices supported by dollars from their employers. But now they will have only one choice until 2015, which could mean they can't shop for insurance that includes their current providers. Since insurance is more expensive for small businesses, many of which have no obligation under the law to provide coverage, analysts now fear many might just stop trying and let workers go on the soon-to-be-launched state exchanges." Continue reading →
"Meet Tick Segerblom, a state senator in Nevada. Tick boldly advertises that he has no principles, no respect for the rule of law or the Constitution, and no cojones: not only is he 'blocking Nevada’s Anti-NDAA legislation,' but when 'PANDA [People against the NDAA] Nevada’s State Team Leader, Chris Corbett, met with Senator Segerblom last week,' Tick flippantly announced: 'If people really care about this bill, they’ll call me.' Tick dislikes emails and will not accept them, despite the good folk of Nevada handsomely paying this slug to communicate with them." Continue reading →
"One of the great things about federalism, above and beyond the fact that it both constrains the power of governments and is faithful to the Constitution, is that is turns every state into an experiment. We can learn what works best (though the President seems incapable of learning the right lesson). We know, for instance, that people are leaving high-tax states and migrating to low-tax states. We also know that low-tax states grow faster and create more jobs. I particularly enjoy comparisons between Texas and California. The Lone Star State is kicking the you-know-what out of the Golden State in terms of overall economic performance." Continue reading →
"Entrepreneurs and investors in California can expect to receive a rude shock in the mail if they sold their company in the last four years. Not only did the state's Franchise Tax Board (FTB) eliminate a tax break on capital gains for small business owners and investors, it announced the tax would be reinstated retroactively. This means those who benefitted from the break can expect a bill for unpaid taxes, plus interest, stretching all the way back to 2008. Now, not only will stockholders have to pay the full tax rate on capital gains, which has risen to about 13%, but they'll also be billed retroactively for 50% of the taxes they excluded." Continue reading →
"I work in television production as a freelance worker. While freelance, I do work for one major media company that uses me quite a lot and accounts for probably 85% of my work. I regularly work 3-4 days per week with them and often more depending on the time of year.Today we were told that freelancers would soon have to work under 30 hours per week. Since shifts are 8 hours, this means nobody will be able to work here as a freelancer for more than 3 days per week (24 hours total). I've calculated that the maximum I can make in a year with them is now about 30% less than I have made with this company in each of the past 2 years." Continue reading →
"As part of new regulations to assist Americans choose the right Obamacare options for their families and needs, officials are scouring the country for what they call 'navigators.' In some cases, these navigators can earn up to $48 an hour – a far cry from the standard minimum wage of $7.25 — all to assist consumers in getting a better understanding of the benefits they are signing up for. From translating in their preferred language to breaking down jargon, navigators will basically navigate you through the so-called ‘Obamacare experience.’" Continue reading →
"With colleges producing more graduates, and youth unemployment at a sky-high 11.5 percent, even landing a job selling Big Macs is getting competitive. Consider: A job opening at a Massachusetts McDonald's restaurant for a full-time cashier requires one to two years experience and a bachelor's degree. 'Get a weekly paycheck with a side order of food, folks and fun,' offered McDonalds. It is not clear if the fast-food restaurant really wants that kind of experience or is fishing for the highest-qualified applicants. The website for the Winchedon, Mass., McDonald's also lists jobs in Spanish." Continue reading →