Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (33604)	3/10/2004 1:39:27 AM
From: KLP	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793955

Speaking of "where are the jobs". Went to the bank today. Interest on an account less than $100,000 is $0.25%!!!!!! The new assistant bank manager discussed other options, none were good. I brought up that there are people out there talking about "where are the jobs", and the blame game that is going on. I mentioned in this week's Seattle Times there is a story about Paul Allen letting go about 250 people from his new sound museum. (He seems to be tired of funding non-supporting non-profits, or heck, even those he hoped would be profitable, aren't). Boeing is in the pits. We hear daily that computers and software (Microsoft--now about 25 years old) is a commodity. We discussed banks, CPA firms, insurance firms and law firms....all of which, prior to the 1980's, were stable, and boring jobs....or so some thought. THEN in the late 80's and throughout the 90's...MASSIVE changes in business...These firms turned into the game "52 pick-up sticks", and were no longer stable. In fact, most merged during the 90's, therefore laying off hundreds of thousands of people. They weren't replaced. They were out with the typewriters and carbon paper. We talked about the number of government workers accounting for more than half of our work force, and the benefits given to these people, including tenured university people, and where the money comes from to support this number of employees...... We talked about productivity being at least 2/3 higher than it was in 1980, and thereby cutting the numbers of people needed for a job. We talked about the current lists of government reports showing not much change in the current new jobs created, and the same reports NOT including new business, even new "Mom and Pop" businesses which should be added to new jobs created. I even mentioned that my guess in our little branch alone, I knew there were MANY people who are in our neighborhood and area, that own their own small business'es (under 75 people, although the US Government considers small business as defined as under 500 employees) We talked about my feeling that "Profit" is a COST of doing business. And got back to the question that even if inflation is flat, where are the so called 'rich' people going to earn enough money to start new business'es so that more people can find new jobs. Having done my good deed for the day, I went off to Starbucks next door, and tried to support the local economy, and keep the barista employed. Seems hard to imagine that Starbucks wasn't even born in 1980....and neither were videos, cam corders, digital cameras, cell phones, and any number of copies and types of computers and software.... PS. Hope you're feeling better tonight....