The Nation's Financial Condition

[Jim Malone]

The Fed buying up US Treasuries is not QE anymore?

[a fan]

This is why China is right to laugh when we claim they manipulate their currency.

[Peter Brown]

Is that truly accurate? I travel to Denver a decent amount. I have never looked at those local roads and bridges (and airports!) as anything less than spectacular, new, solid. I do not live there obviously, but is the news of our country's infrastructure collapsing perhaps highly exaggerated?

The amount of money the FAA is spending on airfields around America is staggering...I am not aware of one airport (commercial or private) which is not seeing a decent flow of dollars upgrading runways, terminals, mass transit, FBO's, etc...

Your flying business is good, no?

Why? Because more people are flying then they were 20 years ago, no? Would you expect more wear and tear on infrastructure? How's funding to air traffic control, the FAA, etc?

When I say infrastructure, I'm specifically talking about roads, bridges, forests, dams, storm water systems, water, electricity, and even internet.

We're falling apart. Notice how many more fires we're having out West? We have no money for forest management.

You could be correct on 'infrastructure' but I just don't see it; I see better and better engineering, technology, and software, helping all of us make massive strides forward in transportation.

By the way, more people fly today than ever not because of some unexplained phenomenon....more people fly today because the cost efficiencies of air travel are bearing fruit at every corner. Engines are more powerful, more efficient on Jet A, way lighter, and way less polluting, and not for nothing, less expensive relative to inflation and time-out-cost-to-air-mile traveled.

And flying as a % of income/wealth will only get cheaper (and safer!)!

It sounds strange, but private air travel is the future for almost every person born today and beyond. And by private, I do not mean a G650 with all the bling, but affordable UberElevate and electric air taxis; long distance travel will still require large body commuting for the masses.

The golden age of aviation is very near, and when the cost efficiencies of private electric travel start bearing its own fruit, travelers will be delirious. I am telling you, no better time to be alive and working than now! Every day I get to work I am more excited than the day before. I wish I was 21 again!

[foreverlax]

FOX BUSINESS: USMCA to Add $68.2B to US Economy, Spur 176K Jobs Says Key Independent Review Panel

“A new trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada would add $68.2 billion to the U.S. economy and create 176,000 new jobs, according to a study from the International Trade Commission released on Thursday. … ‘The model estimates that the agreement would likely have a positive impact on all broad industry sectors within the U.S. economy,’ the [ITC] report says. ‘Manufacturing would experience the largest percentage gains in output, exports, wages, and employment, while in absolute terms, services would experience the largest gains in output and employment.’”

Greatest trade deal in the history of our nation, which gets rid of the worst trade deal ever struck....what a joke.

U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement: Likely Impact on the U.S. Economy and on Specific Industry Sectors

[ChairmanOfTheBoard]

No one thinks long term.

agreed. and why is this?

because no one has to. voters won't hold officials to this standard. it's a systemic issue. just like your post about special interests & mousetraps.

[ChairmanOfTheBoard]

Is that truly accurate? I travel to Denver a decent amount. I have never looked at those local roads and bridges (and airports!) as anything less than spectacular, new, solid. I do not live there obviously, but is the news of our country's infrastructure collapsing perhaps highly exaggerated?

The amount of money the FAA is spending on airfields around America is staggering...I am not aware of one airport (commercial or private) which is not seeing a decent flow of dollars upgrading runways, terminals, mass transit, FBO's, etc...

Your flying business is good, no?

Why? Because more people are flying then they were 20 years ago, no? Would you expect more wear and tear on infrastructure? How's funding to air traffic control, the FAA, etc?

When I say infrastructure, I'm specifically talking about roads, bridges, forests, dams, storm water systems, water, electricity, and even internet.

We're falling apart. Notice how many more fires we're having out West? We have no money for forest management.

You could be correct on 'infrastructure' but I just don't see it; I see better and better engineering, technology, and software, helping all of us make massive strides forward in transportation.

By the way, more people fly today than ever not because of some unexplained phenomenon....more people fly today because the cost efficiencies of air travel are bearing fruit at every corner. Engines are more powerful, more efficient on Jet A, way lighter, and way less polluting, and not for nothing, less expensive relative to inflation and time-out-cost-to-air-mile traveled.

And flying as a % of income/wealth will only get cheaper (and safer!)!

It sounds strange, but private air travel is the future for almost every person born today and beyond. And by private, I do not mean a G650 with all the bling, but affordable UberElevate and electric air taxis; long distance travel will still require large body commuting for the masses.

The golden age of aviation is very near, and when the cost efficiencies of private electric travel start bearing its own fruit, travelers will be delirious. I am telling you, no better time to be alive and working than now! Every day I get to work I am more excited than the day before. I wish I was 21 again!

had recently thought about this and wondered- isnt this what's causing all this talk in the news about overtourism, bad behavior, selfie-injuries, people defacing historic sites, etc.

[HooDat]

No one thinks long term.

agreed. and why is this?

because no one has to. voters won't hold officials to this standard. it's a systemic issue. just like your post about special interests & mousetraps.

thinking long term requires a high degree of selflessness and integrity, particularly for a politician. It also takes judgement and the ability to think critically. What our elections show us over and over again is that the vast majority of voters do not have these qualities, and therefore politicians don't have to either.

[ChairmanOfTheBoard]

yep. i think it's systemic.

[Farfromgeneva]

This one is bigger to me than even roads and bridges

https://www.infrastructurereportcard.or ... ing_water/

[Trinity]

Trump wants the cleanest water.

[a fan]

This one is bigger to me than even roads and bridges

https://www.infrastructurereportcard.or ... ing_water/

It's freaking insane. We've had 10 years without a recession. And our government is so messed up that they can't agree to do the one thing government does that has inherent economic gains....invest in infrastructure. Road, dams, power, energy distribution, internet, water, wastewater, storm water, forest management, etc.

All of it has been neglected this entire time. Both parties Idiots.

[Farfromgeneva]

https://www.sfnet.com/home/industry-dat ... e-bursting

[HooDat]

This one is bigger to me than even roads and bridges

https://www.infrastructurereportcard.or ... ing_water/

It's freaking insane. We've had 10 years without a recession. And our government is so messed up that they can't agree to do the one thing government does that has inherent economic gains....invest in infrastructure. Road, dams, power, energy distribution, internet, water, wastewater, storm water, forest management, etc.

All of it has been neglected this entire time. Both parties Idiots.

yep....

[foreverlax]

This one is bigger to me than even roads and bridges

https://www.infrastructurereportcard.or ... ing_water/

It's freaking insane. We've had 10 years without a recession. And our government is so messed up that they can't agree to do the one thing government does that has inherent economic gains....invest in infrastructure. Road, dams, power, energy distribution, internet, water, wastewater, storm water, forest management, etc.

All of it has been neglected this entire time. Both parties Idiots.

It's not all that bad...we got a "B" in railroads and a "C+" in bridges, ports and solid waste.

[CU88]

Freakin Welfare State:


APNewsBreak: West Virginia billionaire Gov. Justice’s family farms received $125,000 from federal trade-war subsidy

Justice, a Trump-loving business magnate who hardly fits the profile of a struggling farmer. He is worth $1.5 billion, and owns over 50 businesses, including a network of coal mines and the Greenbriar luxury resort, a popular gathering place for Republican officials.

https://apnews.com/4b1a60c53e43494a8171 ... SocialFlow

[Peter Brown]

This is major news, and I realize that many here have a permanent hatred of Trump, but I would caution you to ignore these statistics at your peril. Voters are way smarter than what you probably think, or want them to be. (I have a theory on politics: we always get what we deserve and what we want).

A study by former Census Bureau researchers and now statisticians at Sentier Research has found gigantic income gains for the middle class under Trump. The median or average-income family has seen a gain of $5,003 since Trump came into office. Median family income is now (August 2019) $65,976, up from about $61,000 when he entered office (January 2017). Under George W. Bush, the household income gains were a little over $400 in eight years, and under Barack Obama the gains were $1,043. That was in eight years for each. Under Trump, in less than three years, the extra income is about three times larger.

[Farfromgeneva]

Mostly from the tax cut which is just pulling forward future income by deferring future expenses.

[jhu72]

This is major news, and I realize that many here have a permanent hatred of Trump, but I would caution you to ignore these statistics at your peril. Voters are way smarter than what you probably think, or want them to be. (I have a theory on politics: we always get what we deserve and what we want).

A study by former Census Bureau researchers and now statisticians at Sentier Research has found gigantic income gains for the middle class under Trump. The median or average-income family has seen a gain of $5,003 since Trump came into office. Median family income is now (August 2019) $65,976, up from about $61,000 when he entered office (January 2017). Under George W. Bush, the household income gains were a little over $400 in eight years, and under Barack Obama the gains were $1,043. That was in eight years for each. Under Trump, in less than three years, the extra income is about three times larger.

Where is a source for this being "middle class" income only? Don't believe it.

[youthathletics]

On this forum, the chosen one, Obama, will get that credit.

[Peter Brown]

This is major news, and I realize that many here have a permanent hatred of Trump, but I would caution you to ignore these statistics at your peril. Voters are way smarter than what you probably think, or want them to be. (I have a theory on politics: we always get what we deserve and what we want).

A study by former Census Bureau researchers and now statisticians at Sentier Research has found gigantic income gains for the middle class under Trump. The median or average-income family has seen a gain of $5,003 since Trump came into office. Median family income is now (August 2019) $65,976, up from about $61,000 when he entered office (January 2017). Under George W. Bush, the household income gains were a little over $400 in eight years, and under Barack Obama the gains were $1,043. That was in eight years for each. Under Trump, in less than three years, the extra income is about three times larger.

Where is a source for this being "middle class" income only? Don't believe it.

It says on my post what the source is, Sentier Research (ex-Census Bureau employees, based in Annapolis MD). here is the study:

https://www.sentierresearch.com/pressre ... _03_19.pdf