mccain's vp

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by GPK

Family of 4...4 bedrooms? Hubby and wife have seperate rooms? Buy a smaller, more affordable townhome, with only 3 bedrooms. Thats at least $1000 less a month there, right?

Two car payments?? Get ride of one payment and pay cash for a much cheaper reliable car. There is another $300 a month.

$1,300 a month in the blink of an eye....just with those two sacrafices alone. What is wrong with that picture?


And you didnt call me out asking about kids. I took no offense. I was married for a while with a stepdaughter, so I am well aware of the economics that go into raising kids, etc..

Okay so lets back out 1300 dollars. fine. Monthly outlay is still 3200 before we even get started. How far does that go?

These are teachers. Professionals with degrees that are priced out of living a middle class life in many areas. This is the problem and thats in the public sector. Look at how it is in the private sector where wages are going nowhere.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Danzig

bite your tongue, woman! it's called get credit cards. or get a line of credit based on the equity in your home, it's great.

And would that be like that if wages had risen with productivity the way the Reagan doctrine claimed it would?

[Rileyoriley]

Originally Posted by Danzig

bite your tongue, woman! it's called get credit cards. or get a line of credit based on the equity in your home, it's great.

Sorry. I must be old-fashioned. I don't live on credit cards. But then I think I also live in one of the "stupid and miserly" regions.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by pgardn

A 500K house is not middle class in San Antonio.
We must adjust regionally I suspect.

500k in fairfax county will barely get you a single family in the outlying areas. Indeed it is middle class.

I agree with the regional adjustment part.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

And would that be like that if wages had risen with productivity the way the Reagan doctrine claimed it would?

you're asking the wrong person. i have no credit cards and only have my mortgage, no equity line, no second mortgage, etc.
house payment, car payment, utilities. i was saying that to Riley tongue in cheek, which is why i had the

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Rileyoriley

Sorry. I must be old-fashioned. I don't live on credit cards. But then I think I also live in one of the "stupid and miserly" regions.

Dont stray far from the tree on my account.

[GPK]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Okay so lets back out 1300 dollars. fine. Monthly outlay is still 3200 before we even get started. How far does that go?

These are teachers. Professionals with degrees that are priced out of living a middle class life in many areas. This is the problem and thats in the public sector. Look at how it is in the private sector where wages are going nowhere.

$1,300 a month plus the previous $1,500 a month left over from the previous scenario = $2,800

If they can't get by on that, it seems to me they need to give up that nose candy

Obviously was a joke. How often do people like this eat out every week? That adds up real quick, not to mention the gas burned driving out to eat. Does the husband or wife work a 2nd job on the weekend? Tutor part time to make extra $$??

Everyone wants a little bit better than what they can actually afford. Too many people worried about keeping up with the Jones.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Danzig

you're asking the wrong person. i have no credit cards and only have my mortgage, no equity line, no second mortgage, etc.
house payment, car payment, utilities. i was saying that to Riley tongue in cheek, which is why i had the

I have no debt either but at the same time i do realize that people arent so fortunate and that other people have other hills to climb.

I chose a field and a life that has provided decent financial rewards (at least by my standards). Some sacrifice for the good of the community. Others simply aren't so fortunate.

[geeker2]

Originally Posted by Danzig

you're asking the wrong person. i have no credit cards and only have my mortgage, no equity line, no second mortgage, etc.
house payment, car payment, utilities. i was saying that to Riley tongue in cheek, which is why i had the

you have a great balance sheet..ripe for a hostile takeover

[Rileyoriley]

Originally Posted by Danzig

you're asking the wrong person. i have no credit cards and only have my mortgage, no equity line, no second mortgage, etc.
house payment, car payment, utilities. i was saying that to Riley tongue in cheek, which is why i had the

Riley got it. Riley also only has her mortgage.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by GPK

$1,300 a month plus the previous $1,500 a month left over from the previous scenario = $2,800

If they can't get by on that, it seems to me they need to give up that nose candy

Obviously was a joke. How often do people like this eat out every week? That adds up real quick, not to mention the gas burned driving out to eat. Does the husband or wife work a 2nd job on the weekend? Tutor part time to make extra $$??

Everyone wants a little bit better than what they can actually afford. Too many people worried about keeping up with the Jones.

What other 1500?

I agree though that many live beyond their means and i see it all the time. These people dont. One of them works tutoring and a summer job and the wife stays home with the kids when not teaching. Which brings us to the biggest expense-affordable childcare.

You have to live in the area to understand how inflated the prices are.

[Rileyoriley]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Dont stray far from the tree on my account.

I prefer the tree to what I'm seeing here.

[Danzig]

i grew up in that area, we all bailed. four of us and my parents. scattered to the four winds. it really is outrageous up there, i think only cali and hawaii have higher property values.

[Mortimer]

I just fell out of love with Dannie.



And myself.


I'm leaving.

[GPK]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

What other 1500?

I agree though that many live beyond their means and i see it all the time. These people dont. One of them works tutoring and a summer job and the wife stays home with the kids when not teaching. Which brings us to the biggest expense-affordable childcare.

You have to live in the area to understand how inflated the prices are.

This is from your post #996 in this thread

Gross income 9k per month

Car payments= 600 per month.

student loans= 300 per month.

mortgage payment=3500 per month

Credit card debt= zero



lets do the math here GPK. 9k gross means they are taking home about 6000 per month. Debts equal 4500 per month. Now add utitlies, phone, insurance, food, gas, etc.

This is the middle class in our area. What is wrong with this picture?

That $1,500 plus the other $1,300 we deducted from a smaller house/townhome and reducing 1 car payment = $2,800

I have a ton of my contempararies that live in the Northern Va/Washington DC area. I used to travel to that area alot for business, so I have a fairly good idea how the cost of living is up there.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Okay so lets back out 1300 dollars. fine. Monthly outlay is still 3200 before we even get started. How far does that go?

These are teachers. Professionals with degrees that are priced out of living a middle class life in many areas. This is the problem and thats in the public sector. Look at how it is in the private sector where wages are going nowhere.

Exactly how many places are considered middle class with 500k homes?

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Originally Posted by pgardn

You are from the state of Ronald Reagan.
And Barbara Jordan, born and raised in Texas.

Jeeezzzzzzzzzzzzz. The regional thing is getting old.

So we are infected by birth.
Just like Blacks and Mexicans.
Its just something Z and I cant help.
We were born stupid and miserly just like
blacks were born stupid and lazy. Thats it?
Yes?

No, not at birth.You're up in arms about it, but you are both living in redneck states.You can't escape the backwards economic thinking that white trash have. Look at where that simple thinking white trash Jeff Kent made a beeline for when he went to make home for his family....TEXAS!! You have said repeatedly that it doesn't help the middle class if you redistribute the wealth. Well, we've been doing it a long time. It does strengthen the middleclass. If we didn't do it, you would just see rich and poor. You are all hot n' bothered about taxing your rich doctor friends. So, go the other way and get rid of the taxes on the middle class. That's who needs help in this country. The main reason we have all these problems for the middle class is the rich don't want to pay anybody much. So, they don't, and yet they want a civilized society (somehow,) and so what they refuse to pay in salary and benefits is paid in taxes. You can btch all ya want about it, but if ya didn't have a progressive tax system( the wealth redistribution you say doesn't work,) then this country would be a sh-i-thole.

Originally Posted by dalakhani

What other 1500?

I agree though that many live beyond their means and i see it all the time. These people dont. One of them works tutoring and a summer job and the wife stays home with the kids when not teaching. Which brings us to the biggest expense-affordable childcare.

You have to live in the area to understand how inflated the prices are.

One option is clearly to move.
That family could make it easy in many places.
Including the stupid, miserly regions of Texas and Arkansas.
They would have no problem living where I live.

Scuds of course thinks San Antonio is akin to Ankara, Turkey.
Having never visited he knows.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

What other 1500?

I agree though that many live beyond their means and i see it all the time. These people dont. One of them works tutoring and a summer job and the wife stays home with the kids when not teaching. Which brings us to the biggest expense-affordable childcare.

You have to live in the area to understand how inflated the prices are.

Honestly the example you give is hardly typical. These people are screwed not because the rich are keeping them down. They are screwed by living in an extremely expensive area. I just dont what exactly this shows except you better be damn rich to live in Fairfax county

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by SCUDSBROTHER

No, not at birth.You're up in arms about it, but you are both living in redneck states.You can't escape the backwards economic thinking that white trash have. Look at where that simple thinking white trash Jeff Kent made a beeline for when he went to make home for his family....TEXAS!! You have said repeatedly that it doesn't help the middle class if you redistribute the wealth. Well, we've been doing it a long time. It does strengthen the middleclass. If we didn't do it, you would just see rich and poor. You are all hot n' bothered about taxing your rich doctor friends. So, go the other way and get rid of the taxes on the middle class. That's who needs help in this country. The main reason we have all these problems for the middle class is the rich don't want to pay anybody much. So, they don't, and yet they want a civilized society (somehow,) and so what they refuse to pay in salary and benefits is paid in taxes. You can btch all ya want about it, but if ya didn't have a progressive tax system( the wealth redistribution you say doesn't work,) then this country would be a sh-i-thole.

When you move back to the US you can talk