tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3426800777521979578.post5514693195419115404..comments2024-02-20T19:58:27.733-06:00Comments on Jake's Wisconsin Funhouse: Lotta cars bought in March, not a lot of other stuffUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3426800777521979578.post-90287167276271687132018-04-17T17:05:16.555-05:002018-04-17T17:05:16.555-05:00I like your cynicism. We'll definitely see mor...I like your cynicism. We'll definitely see more of that in these parts in the coming weeks.Jake formerly of the LPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15660401299391001751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3426800777521979578.post-37294856265050194892018-04-17T17:04:41.790-05:002018-04-17T17:04:41.790-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Jake formerly of the LPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15660401299391001751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3426800777521979578.post-86986664465171113142018-04-17T17:01:59.060-05:002018-04-17T17:01:59.060-05:00Maybe car sales increased because potholes led to ...Maybe car sales increased because potholes led to more broken axles.Katrinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11567024359026289208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3426800777521979578.post-39522497053785746852018-04-17T12:04:18.025-05:002018-04-17T12:04:18.025-05:00I do see a lot of comparisons to 2006 these days, ...I do see a lot of comparisons to 2006 these days, and not just because it looks like a good election year for Dems. <br /><br /> I also don't see what keeps an economy moving when inflation-adjusted wage growth and consumer spending is barely above 0%. Seems like music will stops and the chairs start disappearing sooner than later.<br /><br /> Oh, and PARAGRAPHS, PLEASE! Your points are good, but they look like a jumble when you write this way.Jake formerly of the LPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15660401299391001751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3426800777521979578.post-12499062302148653612018-04-17T10:01:28.151-05:002018-04-17T10:01:28.151-05:00Car sales may have temporarily increased because i...Car sales may have temporarily increased because interest rates and fuel costs have been on the rise and is it possible consumers might actually be struggling and being forced to purchase new vehicles to cut travel costs by switching to more efficient fuel or electric vehicles? With Toys R US, Bon Ton and several other retailers like JCP barely hanging on, it's easy to wonder if monthly job gains will turn to job losses. The main issue I'm seeing is interest rates and inflation rising, tax cuts benefitting the highest income earners who don't need the cash and having a minimal effect on the bottom 60%-70%. The Yield Curve has been dropping lower and lower over the past few days under 50 basis points making an inversion ever more likely and on top of all this, the threat of automation and artificial intelligence and Robots seems to constantly eliminate old jobs. Consumer, corporate, and government debt are at nearly record levels and pay increases are still barely above inflation. We also face the constant threat of a trade war and home and apartment prices that far exceed income growth. The government also continues to step up enforcement of monopolies and lack of competition across most industries. With so many employed either part time, in the gig economy with no benefits and so little job stability, let alone reasonable wages, for so many workers, I completely don't understand what is going to keep the economy from crashing. What real improvements are being made for the bottom 60%? Corporate stock buybacks send 1/3 the benefit to overseas investors,and how is that doing anything for people who live here? I wish I could think of even a few improvements that would meaningfully have a positive impact on the bottom 60%, but I can't think of a single thing that's been done to help them recently. So the real question is, what's actually stopping the economy at this point for outright crashing?! I'm actually amazed it hasn't crashed yet in all honesty! I'm guessing that adding jobs monthly up until now and possibly foreign investment but it does seem we are on the edge of a cliff and something small could cause a very quick and massive implosion. I'm guessing it wouldn't take much.Jake Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03609331924008419458noreply@blogger.com