This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.
The Legendary U.S. Consumer Is Out Of Cash In These Cities
Today Macy's dropped a bomb with results that were nothing short of abysmal, and which confirmed that not only the "legendary" U.S. spender, the driving force behind 70% of US GDP, but also foreign shoppers have hunkered down to a greater extent than at any other time during the so-called recovery.
Quickly the apologists said that this is not an indicator of overall consumer weakness as much as it is lack of retail strength: the argument being that more spending goes to online markets.
There is just one problem: if that were the case, one would see a pronounced deterioration in spending uniformly across US cities. However, not only is that not the case, but there is a very clear distinction in which cities US consumers are doing well, versus cities in which they have been tapped out.
We know this courtesy of Bank of America's latest credit and debit card usage data which showed a dramatic divergence among the top 10 US metro areas.
As the chart below shows, there is a very distinct slow down in spending in various cities such as Atlanta and Washington DC, both of which saw a sudden and unexpected plunge in retail sales in October compared to their prior 6 month average; sales in Houston on the other hand continue to weaken – the region has experienced essentially no growth in nominal sales over the prior six months. On the upside, the US financial centers, Boston and New York, were the strongest as one would expect.
So for those wondering where the US consumer is all spent out, look no further than the cities at the bottom of this chart.
It is not just cities, but states where the divergence is acute, but no one state has been as slammed as much as Texas. As a reminder, Texas is the first state which, due to the commodity crisis, we declared had entered a recession in April. Now, retail sales are on track to confirm this.
According to BofA, spending on BAC cards in Texas continues to weaken relative to the rest of the country. The bank adds that sales in Texas are up 1.2% yoy, down from a recent peak of 5.8% in August 2014.
Finally one last chart which shows that US consumers are running on fumes is a comparison of spending at supermarkets (indicative of eating at home for those who can't afford restaurants) and eating out, as observed from restaurant sales.
While the former has been in a steady decline over the past three years, it is only recently that we have seen a material drop in restaurant spending - traditionally an indicator of how the upper/middle class is faring. And while it is still up a solid 8% Y/Y, the downward inflection point in early 2015 is certainly problematic and also confirmed what we showed a month ago in "The High-End Consumer Is Rolling Over"
Bottom line: the "sudden" weakness in discretionary spending is far less about migration to online sellers (keep in minda Amazon's recent jump in profitability has nothing to do with its traditional marketplace and everything to do with its cloud product offering) as it is about the ongoing decline in the purchasing ability of the US middle class - thank Obamacare and the economy.
For decades it has been said that anyone betting against the (tapped out, healthcare insurance-crushed) US consumer, will lose that bet. Judging by the above data, this time may finally be different.
»
- 352 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -
70% of the economy.
70% X 0 = 0.
The corpse is starting to stench.
That's bullish for Febreze, am I right?
Cotton wwool soaked in diesel.
Petrol in vodka bottle stopping with soaked rag.
(warning, fill just before conflict so as not tempt to drink.)
Gasoline mixed with styrofoam packing pellets sealed in glass bottle, with diesel soaked rag taped to the outside.
Equal parts gasoline and orange juice concentrate = napalm.
At least thats what Tyler said on the airplane.
Moth balls and finger nail polish remover makes a nice cocktail, too.
All those housewives should put their assets to work and make money if they want to consume. And teach their daughters too:
http://www.thepornster.net/video/395/hot-milf-teached-her-teen-daughter-...
Good idea! Be green. Recycle all that styrofoam - makes the mix 'stickier' ... and using old engine oil instead of new diesel also saves money and is good for the environment.
They had a great way to recycle tires in South Africa.... I think it was called 'Necklacing' ........
I thought you were supposed to mix some oil in with the gas so the flaming stuff sticks when the bottle breaks? Or maybe some styrofoam for a little more stickiness.
Add Tide to the fuel and see what you get. Not rapping the styrofoam, either, that staying power is effective.
Try motor oil and HTH pool shock.
All these items will not have to be banned.
$20,000 a year job, student loan debt, health insurance, a $1,500 a month mortgage/rent payment. Gee whiz, I wonder why there is no consumer spending. It doesn't take an economist to figure that one out.
Meanwhile ZH is whining that fuel costs are too low, as if the 99% doesn't have enough burdens as it is.
Since fuel costs are down I started buying premium on my revolving card.
Hummer prices are also beckoning you....
Houston and to a lesser degree Dallas being stingy is thanks to the glut of oil and gas. The right kind of middle east war might help with this, but Bammy doesn't do those. He hates our military and hates America.
So you are in favor of a new war in the Middle East?
Neither party likes our Military
If they did they'd abolish the VA healthcare system and gjve them private health insurance and access.to the whole healthcare market.
Ho hum. Not the disaster headline suggests.
All of the year over year charts are still positive. Texas has it's own problem, and even then it's still up over 6 months.
Grocery stores down, restaurants up -- suggests money to burn.
Wake me up when YOY is down, not up.
$20,000 a year job? I can afford a Tesla? Right?
Mr. Crazy Cat,
You are not afford Tesla replacement battery or even hood ornament. You are save and purchase pass for public transportation or bicycle.
Boris. Crazy Cat cannot qualify for loan for purchase pass for public transportation or bicycle.
Crazy Cat is jerking off the dog to feed the Cat.
He can afford to be lend lease piece of corduroy road bed through debt swamp, is all.
"No credito ok. Se habla Español. Banca rota ok. Pagitos faciles." Just driving around the good ol' San Fernando Valley and you'll see those dealerships all over the place, right next to a taco place, a 7-Eleven, a Yoshinoya, a cash advancement place, and a strip bar.
"Crazy Cat is jerking off the dog to feed the Cat."
Good old innovation at it's best. With every problem comes a solution. I don't have a dog but will try this cost saving measure on my wife the next time she wants to go out to dinner. I'm married so I'll be jerking off anyways, might as well save the dinner cost. Who knew jerking was an investment strategy. Well Jim Kamer is a jerkoff, so I guess it's nothing new.
Choking chickens is definitely an investment strategy.
Price of hummers is still sky high.
Sure can. All ya' need is a 120 month loan.
I have a "shipload" of home equity.
I AIN'T TAPPING IT!!!
Red arrow?
SORRY MR. YELLEN!!
Maybe people in LA and Atlanta only show on line now?
I have been consumed by consumption.
Macy's is merely the obvious turd floating, but the entire retail industry is living on borrowed time and Christmas won't save them this year. The market has been lying to itself and everyone else, but things are heading for a hard landing........
Macy's is still around?
I thought everyone shops on Amazon or at Walmart.
90% of the volume at macy's is via sales. It should be renamed to Discount High Cost Warehouse
I went into a Macy's discount furniture warehouse on Long Island earlier this week, to see if I could get myself a new bedframe for a song.
The warehouse (which liquidates furniture that they couldn't move in their retail stores) was PACKED, wall-to-wall with sofas, beds and mattresses. One could only walk around the place through narrow tunnels in the inventory.
And guess what? The place was completely DEVOID of shoppers. I was one of two people in the gigantic space. There was probably six staffers, sitting amongst themselves and chatting on the couches.
No new households, no demand for household staples.
Seeing headlines now that toy makers expect a record Xmas season - Ha!
No household formation, no children...
You're forgetting about all those out of wedlock children born to all the single working mothers.
Twenty years back I furnished our house shopping in the department store clearance centers. Filled a house for 'hundreds' instead of thousands. Back then they were worth the trip. Lately they're overpriced compared to furniture sellers.
The US furniture indutry is dead with cheap stuff from China being sold for less than cost in furniture stores having perpetual sales to attract any shoppers - with a good number going out of business and having even larger price cuts to clear inventory. The stuff in furniture retailers is less expensive than discounted Department Store 'clearance stuff'.
Frankly, much of what's in the clearance centers these days is downright ugly and tacky and a good amount of it is broken or dirty. Much should be tossed in a dumpster.
Thirty years back we furnished our house from yard sales. Filled a house for tens, instead of hundreds.
Plus the cost of a couple flea bombs
We didn't have flea bombs back then, we had to deal with them the old fashioned way.
We chewed them out as we groomed each other.
I've done the same with my house in Venice Beach about 6 years ago but with the stuff I foud thrown away- people in Venice and Santa Monica often throw away designer furniture (armchairs that woudl cost 4k new etc). I bought a few designer lamps etc. I got a left over piece of carpet for free made of Lama wool ($200 a ft2) from carpenters doing my neighbor's house (it was a 8x6 leftover)
I also filled my garden with propagated plants and I made adirondack chairs out of wooden palettes my neighbors threw away. The garden looked so good I was offered have it displayed on Venice Architectural/Garden Tour.
I had friends there from all aroudn the world visiting and eating dinners - probably 5 times a week. I was cooking Serbian food for probably $20 for a bunch of 6 or so people
I live under a tarp and filled my pants, for pennies.
People living in RVs, cars, and tents don't need furniture; and the others that are house poor have liquidated the furniture on craigslist. Now they sleep on air matresses and eat at a card table, ready for a quick move when the sheriff comes knocking to evict. This is the current American dream thanks to Republicans and Democrats who sold us all out over the years.
They're literally tearing down a Macy's here and going to replace it with a Walmart. That Macy's, and others, have already become defacto discount apparel stores anyway. If you buy anything full price there you're an idiot.
They've been out of CASH for years.
They've now run out of available credit.
Yes and Fucking Yes.
And oh hell yes!!
Every time I shop at Target, and the cashier asks me to apply and save 10% on their Target Red Card, I say YES!!!!
maybe if they jack up home prices a bit more that moral will improve...
...or continue the beatings.
No, they will only jack up property taxes so their moral improves.
morale.
these peeps dont got no morals.
All it takes is for someone to say that new fancy school buildings are for the children and the bonds pass. The property taxes go up to service the long-term debt that will be waiting for the young ones to pay later. Can't think of a more wonderful and moral morale booster. /sarc
Nah, we've had a lot of rain in Atlanta and no one wants to go into a climate controlled mall to spend money... wait.
I would be interested to know how many of these people had gold/silver to begin with, and how many had to cash it in, to pay the bills.
If we could just figure out how to hyper-inflate home "values" we could give them all a huge home equity line, available credit boost and kick this apocalypse sized can a bit further down the road.
this is cultural - nobody I know in Serbia borrows money. In LA all my friends do. My former roomate owned 50k on CC and I asked him why he borrowed so much from the most expensive place (credit card) he had 10 top of the line surfing boards.
He replied : "But where else coudl I borrow it from?"
it's a kind of answer i always get from most of my friends
another friend with 120k student loan always spends about 120$ for her face cream
Obozo and his staff take classes on demolition. They then come to work and practice on the economy.
Thank you for continuing the Team Red/Team Blue divide and conquer narrative. And for reminding me what a paradise America was under the Bush-Cheney regime.
"Obozo" is not a refence to Obama? Seriously?
We dont know his name...i thought it was bi partisan?
Its them with printing pressses against the creators of value.
RIPS
You look new here, so I'll answer that.
Yes. Yes it is.
Alternate names are President Zero, DipShit, Idiot in Chief, Traitor to the Republic, War Criminal, Fuckin Fag, and a host of others.
If you think hating on obama/obombya/oblameya/obola means liking the republicans, you are one stupid piece of shit.
Republicans are red, and Democrats are blue,
and neither one of them, gives a fuck about you.
A valentine to the citizenry.
Combine the two and you get royal purple, the traditional color of ruling bastards and priests.
Notice that any complaint about The Zero will draw trolls bickering about the Shrub?
Ever notice how they gleefully criticized Shrub, but religiously defend Ovomit? Same policies (if anything worse now) but yet the proglodytes cannot grasp a person being against both ends of the Statist spectrum?
A large part of the problem is this left/right illusion fostered ever since the French revolution -the ministers on the King's right supporting His Statism, while the ministers on his left support some form of radical Statism.
Well, the only valid aim of government is the freedom of its citizens; that does not fit into the left/right Statist paradigm, so they collectively ignore reality. Reality is that the 'political spectrum' is best envisioned as a triangle or pyramid, with the 'left' and 'right' being the statist/monarchist/fascist/communist base line, and true Individual freedom forming the ultimate apex -neither left or right, but the crowning peak of government's true function.
Get back to me when the inherently-criminal primary aggressor against person and property decides to defend your rights.
Constitutional conservatives are the lamest fucking excuses for libertarians. News flash: THE CONSTITUTION FAILED!!! LOOK WHERE WE ARE NOW
Who mentioned that collection of Statist platitudes authored by the likes of Alexander Hamilton -arch-statist who helped (among other things) lead a Federal Army to crush the rights of Pennsylvanians during the Whiskey Rebellion a mere couple years after pushing through the creation of the Federal Government by deliberately lying and obfuscating the truth of what kind of power he sought?
The Constitution did not fail, it succeeded beyond the wildest imaginings of its authors -creating an omnipotent beast suckling the life of every citizen. Why else would the very Bill of Rights be AMENDMENTS (which may be changed) instead of being the very essence, core and heart of government's foundation?
How did he continue the narrative exactly? Obama is an asshole, period. And he is destroying the country on behalf of his banking masters. Just like Bush/Clinton/Bush before him. Sorry if the facts hurt your feelings.
exactly. What makes it worse under Obama there is no rule of law on wall street. He keeps his SEC and other department dogs locked up.
As bad as Bush was, the Fuhrer is 3000% worse. You f'head Fuhrer apologists can't look back in time far enough, can you?
brick and mortar is where you return the items that you bought on line because they didn't have them in stock in the store to begin with.
My wife does this and it makes me crazy. She'll order the small and petite size and take one back. I just think about restocking costs, and all the people using the brick and mortar stores to try out products (cameras, other electronics, etc.), then buying online, driving brick and mortar out of business.
My household shops online and purchases everything at the store. I still want to touch the items prior to purchase, kinda like pre-wedding stuff...
My wife will order 5! Yes 5 dresses online or even buy at the god dam store and return all but 1 maybe 2 if we have an event to attend. It actually makes me angry as hell that 1. The stores allow this and 2. Women have made this normal behavior.
The only solution is a radical tax increase, if you ask Hillary, Bernie, or any other Democrat. And now, I guess, Republicans as well. Of course, they'll only be raising taxes on the 'rich', just like the last 5 presidents.
NIMPB
Not In My Pocket Book
The only solution is a radical tax increase, if you ask Hillary, Bernie, or any other treasonous, Fascist, Marxist, scumbag, criminal, piece of shit, sociopath who all should be hanged. And now, for sure, most treasonous RINO's as well...
...there...fixed it for ya. ;-)
most treasonous RINO's as well...
needed to be accenuated,
Most? Most?
You mean that there are some RINOs that are not treasonous RINOs?
Consumer Money is on the sidelines in anticipation of a ' fill yer boots ' Xmas shopping spree.
Jim Crapper (CNBC)
Flush him.
Pointless, he'll just float back up...
Douse with kerosene and light on fire?
...in a paper bag on Bernanke's front porch. Ring the doorbell...
there in USA you ain't seen nothing yet
you worry about cars sales ?
people in eastern europe started to consume LESS FOOD
I only *wish* that would come to the U.S. Might make a dent in our raging obesity rate.
Only a complete fucking prick would wish hunger on others. And i'm 5'8" and 130lbs, so no, i am not coming to you from the fatty brigade.
I've seen pictures of their young ladies and it is working out great!
Wait til all they can choose from is halal food. It'll be great. "No schnitzel for you! Ever again!"
I have just been commenting to colleagues here in Atlanta how traffic seems lighter here in my north Altanta community. I felt something had changed, and rather suddenly.
Tapped out would make sense.
I am in ATL also. I noticed the same phenomenon that STARTED just a few weeks ago.
A lot of FSA demographic around ATL, just like around DC (see chart) Could be they see the Hopenchange fizzling out and reversing with vengeance. I am not saying they grew some impulse control or IQ, just saying they are gloomy. Celebrate the little things as you go along in life.
Don't worry, help is on the way. Obama and every red/blue team member is getting on the $15 minimum wage train. Soon everyone will be prosperous again.
I commute from east cobb to buckhead (/back) & now that you mention it I would have to agree (not like "bs state/bank holiday" light but noticable delta)...
I was at Atlantic Station last night and it was post apocalyptic. Restaurants 90% empty or closed permanently or others close at 7 pm, about 12 people walking around. It was pretty sad.
We have this Government Loophole Entity called the Development Authority of Fulton County. They have lead to a lot of overdevelopment in Atlanta. They do not believe so, of course. They think that their property tax abatements and bond financing are necessary to cram as much development in today as possible. Otherwise these projects would not get done.
I, on the other hand, say that if the projects cannot get done of their own accord, then that is an indicator that they are not needed at this time. That is how one prevents an area from being overbuilt, and then having empty structures in the future. But what the hell do I know.
Hey Look! Zoom in to 17th street and Atlantic Station! There we go!
http://georgiapowered.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Embed/index.html?webmap=2f043...
You went to Atlantic Station at night? You're either very brave, crazy, or suicidal.
Lies. Everyone knows those welfare Norwegians are good, honest citizens.
we (wife/I) have plenty of cash but then we bought a used house in east cobb for <1x our income vs a new one for 2-3x but that's probably just coincidence... though after hearing kasich say fdic should "means test" depositors of tbtf[/p] banks I'm sersiously considering converting mid-5-fig or so (more) of it into ag - granted, this will have exactly the opposite effect on the macro economy that he (/fed/etc) wants but given we already know bank execs can't be prosecuted for anything less that having homeless children thrown off their buildings as skeet targets (& even then only if they post video of themselves snorting coke off their naked bodies first) & now I have to worry about hearing: "if you'd have just let them steal it from your investment accounts like a good little muppet we wouldn't have had to steal it from your fdic 'backed' accounts..."?
and they seriously expect me to "invest" and/or maginally consume in this environment?!?
As much as Obamacare sucks (and it does), imagine 47 million continuing to go without any healthcare, and another 50 million with "Swiss cheese" policies that evaporate as soon as you try to use it. Of course we could have had single payer, which would have dramatically lowered costs and covered everyone like all the other Western industrialized democracies, but noooo. That's s-s-s-s-ocialism!
HARM,
Those are fighting words. Don't you know that an unregulated free market always provides the best of everything for everybody? My green arrow may be the only one you get.
Edit: Cannot for some reason give an up arrow to you but can to others. Oh well.
Cuz Zero Hedge doesn't allow up-votes on anti-Free Market(TM) comments!
Anti free confirmed dope for sure.
Harm, if you do the block-quote thingie on the lead paragraph, outta' the box so to speak, then the voting mechanism mostly doesn't work.
Give it a line-feed. Or just text.
And don't cast asparagus towards the Tylers for your self-inflicted wound.
- Ned
Nope....it is because the comment starts with quotation marks.
Around here is known as the italics bug (whenever you start your first comment line with italics, it happens)...
Thanks for letting me & Tall Tom know all about things around here.
be careful what you wish for.
a government that has the power to give you everything you want, has the power to take away everything you have.
i prefer to be in charge of my own life, and live it on the basis of voluntary interaction with others.
You're only in charge of your life if you are independently wealthy (no job and don't need one) and have zero debt (no mortgage, car payment, credit cards).
This implies that it is someone else's fault. If you can't afford a new car, buy a used one or one you can afford. The same goes for a house, credit card debt and so on. If you choose to live above your means you gave up your own freedoms. The bank didn't hold a gun to your head to buy a house you can't afford the curtains for, or the shiny car, etc. How does one build wealth? By saving it... not by buying what one thinks impresses the neighbor's daughter or the neighbor too. America across the board has a spending problem not an income problem. The reaped rewards of building a system on debt has come home with vengeance but we have nobody but ourselves to blame for stealing the future from our children to our great great great grandchildren.
No one is literally 'in charge of' their own life; there are too many variables. But I agree with you in principle.
Nice use of the "straw man" technique. Nobody believes an unregulated free market always provides the best of everything for everybody. Only that it does a better job than socialism. It's called efficiency - look it up. But in your down-time I'd love to hear your thoughts on exactly why having people transact in the market, within the law but absent regulation, SHOULD be this huge evil problem you seem to think it is. Although, I can see how you might cower at the idea. People being free and acting like free men sure does sound scary.
It won't matter when the depression hits. I am convinced that the slow will be eaten by the former welfare recipients that only see the option to stone and eat them as a substitute for Walmart hot pockets paid by EBT cards.
Don't confuse Obamacare "insurance" with health care. They have almost nothing to do with each other.
Please, don't be so naïveté into thinking their all Obama care participants,most went to Medicare and that's a fact.
> imagine 47 million continuing to go without any healthcare, and another 50 million with "Swiss cheese" policies that evaporate as soon as you try to use it.
Someone needs to poke you with a sharp stick. Repeatedly, say about 2,500 times.
Standard Disclaimer: So you'll be writing me a check for not only the amount Obama said health care insurance would go down, but also the $2400+ my insurance went up last year. Let me know when you post it. Otherwise FUCK OFF. (x2500)
Excellent. I just got another $169 dollars a month increase starting in Jan. So i get to spent another 2K a year on top of the $10,000 dollars now. I think you need to remove the "otherwise" in your last bit. Not even going to comment on the deductible, copay, and out of pocket max, the drug costs, the list of doctors and pharms no longer covered, and so on.
And socialism is rationing. Sick people waiting for help. Some dying while they wait.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/164733/government-health-care-horror-sto...
Treatment decisions taken out of the patient's hands:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2013/10/ca...
Death rates off the charts:
http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/uk-nhs-disaster-death-rates-...
Had to drop my coverage. Can't afford it anymore. BCBS is dropping the PPO and only offering the HMO. Lots of luck with that network. Luckily, I know the way to Mexico.
Same here. Our policy being discontinued end of year. They sent me a letter saying they think I would "like" the new plan they are offering - 15% premium increase, $6500 deductible per person, and apparently not a lot of doctors and hospitals are on the plan. We'd have to spend about $12k before they would provide benefits. No thanks. I am done being extorted.
"As much as Obamacare sucks (and it does), imagine 47 million continuing to go without any healthcare, and another 50 million with "Swiss cheese" policies that evaporate as soon as you try to use it. Of course we could have had single payer, which would have dramatically lowered costs and covered everyone like all the other Western industrialized democracies, but noooo. That's s-s-s-s-ocialism!"
Hundreds of thousands of those on ONoCare, pay the prems but cannot use the insurance, they cannot afford the deductibles.So they pay the prems monthly, and go to free care centers for treatment.
Now that's a bitch.
They NEED 20 million NEW families/individuals to sign up this year, less than half are expected to, IF that.
Wait until you see the tax burdens on those without coverage that make over 19,900 dollars a year. That minimum wage hike to 15 an hour would be wiped out just in healthcare penalties...i mean tax. Odumb@$$ and gang are the most DIS-ingenious people EVER in US politics (except that bit about the civil war being about slavery). They deserve rope and a kicked chair...or jail, but i am sure it will not happen. Our water is "happy water" these days via all the pharms in it that can't get filtered out...
There are actually slightly more people without health insurance now. Except now they have to pay a penalty tax too. Lol
Hmmm, those locales.... Nothing a new release of some Air Jordans wouldn't fix.
Jesus. You got me to thinking: Can you just imagine the retail jump when they figure out how to make and sell the iJordan?
I think Cramer would blow his load all over the studio if Apple even hinted at that.
I have not seen MDB lately but I'm sure he would protest the unjustified pessimism about the great American Spender. Surely this exceptional country can find the strength to swipe that card just a few more time....it is what we do!!
IT's those new chip cards. We can't figure out how to use them.
My Taco stand cost me 50 grand, paying for permits and stuff cost me another 10.
I have two illegals working for $5 an hour and I sell tacos for $1 each.
My employees don't make enough to spend at Macies and I am broke as I only sold 500 tacos last week.
I looking for a fat government job, with two hour lunch breaks, three day week ends, $100 k + a year, retirement and medical and have a ton of sick days and vacation and no stress.
run for president. (you golf, don't you?)
Oh here we go with the "Obama plays too much golf" crap again. Let's check with Politifact to see how Bush and Obama actually stack up in vacation days, shall, we?
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2014/aug/23/who-took-mor...
As the article also points out,
Bush played many fewer rounds as president -- 24, mainly because he stopped in 2003, since it sent the wrong message when troops were fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.
So deliberately counting golf games alone --not vacations-- skews the results in a remarkably Red partisan direction.
Fuck you simpleton.
http://www.factcheck.org/2014/08/presidential-vacations/
If readers want to make an apples-to-apples comparison, the best solution is to use Knoller’s figures as of August 8, cited above: Bush, 407; Obama, 125. But the numbers say more about how many days the presidents spent away from the White House than they do about how much time the presidents spent not working.
Why are you so desperately trying to be a fucken retard?
Fuck you and your never ending feeding at the trough otherwise known as Obama's puckered starfish.
Standard Disclaimer: I hear Huffington Post is missing an idiot.
Harm, see, you lead in with just text and I have complete ability to give you a reddie, asshole.
Because we know Obama and Kerry are such hard-working individuals...
Q: Did Barack Obama and John Kerry miss 60 percent to 70 percent of their Senate votes while running for president, as Marco Rubio claimed?
A: Yes. Obama missed more than 64 percent of votes in 2008, and Kerry missed even more — nearly 90 percent — in 2004.
Standard Disclaimer: It's easy to troll. But you know what I really like about ZH. I can tell you to fuck off.
I am thinking MDB just ran out of amusing troll bait and couldn't go as humorously over the top. This sounds like his stuff, just not funny. Well, maybe sad-funny.
Did I miss something? No one said Bush wasn't a dipshit who took too much time off on the taxpayers dime. But I do see in your post that Obama is not concerned about sending the wrong message to the troops fighting in Afghanistan and Irag/Syria.
So to clarify the point and remove any partisan skew - virtually every politician takes way too much time off and most wouldn't last a month if they had to do any real work to make a living.
$50K for a taco stand?
I hope you got kissed first.
Sell the taco stand immediately and buy a USED food truck.
Work about 3 hours a day. Stand outside large office buildings at lunch time. Fri/Sat night outside bars at closing.
Just sell hot dogs and chips at high prices. Hungry drunks will buy anything. You can thank me later when you are raking in the bucks.
I recommend you get one of those government jobs that let you carry a gun. Then every couple months you shoot someone, cuz you were scared, and get a couple months paid aministrative leave. It's a great life and it helps cut down on the over population.
Why are we not ALL made president every four years... anything other is dyscrimonashuun and rayciss!!! We can all be millionaires in just a few years. Oh, wait... yep it passes the Krugman test!
And yet oddly enough, sales of weapons and ammo are off the chart. Be interesting to see what it would look like if you lumped in 'prepper' supplies with weapons and ammo and made it a separate line on the graph. Discretionary spending - matter of opinion I guess.
Once oil drops in TX and property prices falls all will end nicely for sure.
Red states at the bottom, it must be a failure of conservative policies, based on the prevailing logic.