patrick.net

The bad thing in my case is that my strengths would normally put me ahead of others but EEO laws don't allow employers to consider strong credit, geography, youth, or criminal background as characteristics in selection because they favor whites and amount to indirect discrimination. So basically some schmuk with a DUI, lousey credit, who just arrived here but had a decent job somewhere less competitive than here seems to get by me. If they are female and a minority they will usually get picked over me.

Peter, Phoenix has always confused me. People bought ridiculous houses. There is no way that people who paid that much would actually want to live in Phoenix over other areas. I absolutely hate that place, not for any specific reason. I just don't see why anyone would live in a desolate, hot, crowded white trash city. It is a pit. There is nothing there that is redeeming or interesting. Just a bunch of straight wide roads with endless mile long strip shopping centers. Surrounding this stamped out Flintstone repeating background are nothing but liquor stores, strip clubs, and used car lots selling vintage 80s domestic made crap at "1/2 the legal interest rate!"

Malcom,

Thanks for the honesty. It really helps me. Since most working adults shun anything resembling a (God forbid) "career coach" most of what "I" see is ex post facto.

We know there were scores of equity locusts that moved up to Bend from Cali that started half-hearted businesses and really relied on the RE Ponzi. So again we know that won't work or certainly won't work indefinitely. In fact locals say many of the EL owned shops didn't even keep reg. bus. hours? If one doesn't have the resources to start an Aptera (cool car btw) one can certainly use their r/o to become a consultant to them?

I realize yours is a different scenario it's just that I feel a huge responsibility when you see friend after friend wind up w/ no career AND no rollover to boot!

I just don’t see why anyone would live in a desolate, hot, crowded white trash city. It is a pit.

And despite all that land in Phoenix, the McMansions are crowded in on tiny lots.

My favorite was "stamped out Flintstone repeating background are nothing but liquor stores, strip clubs" LOL!

I don't know how many here are old enough to recall but the Flintstones (TM) animation was very crude. So much so that motion was conveyed by a constant "scroll" in the background. Kind of like 70's wood paneling with the same "distinctive" faux knot every 3 feet.

Here are the latest numbers from the Case-Shiller Home Price Index (PDF). Massacre is about the only adequate description I can come up with. Stumptown, Seattle and Charlotte are the only cities that managed to stay positive year-over-year. Month to month numbers show a 3.2% drop for the SF Bay Area index. Don't worry, I'm sure its only seasonal :-O
Oh, and I just checked the CME website. Look like the ask on the Composite Home Index futures pushed out the recovery to Nov. 2011 (now that's rather funny, as this is where Randy's chart -- which I have been carrying around for over a year chart -- put it.)

I just don’t see why anyone would live in a desolate, hot, crowded white trash city.

Well, people thought it was cheap.

Never invest in something simply because it is cheap. It is "cheap" for a reason.

Not investment advice.

Sedona is very nice though, but it is more expensive than many places in California.

Peter P Says:
And speaking of haircuts, anyone see the action on GOOG today?
What happened?

Recession + Adblock = several consecutive monthly readings of rapidly decelerating click-through growth.

In a scenario where prices are only appreciating by 1% per year (or -1%), doesn't this whole prop-13 debate become less of an issue? The main reason why this is such a huge pain in the arse right now is that the prices have shot up so much.

If it were not for that, I would not find the inequity so objectionable if it helped a few old farts continue to live in the home they worked all their life to pay off. IMO, the root cause (once again) is the inflated tax _basis_, and not the tax itself.

Less hand-out’s/welfare/intitlements/”programns”/gove involvement …. that is the best solution. Just my opinion.

Absolutely. Welfare is the root of all ills in this country.

I like the idea of McCain picking AK Gov. Palin for VP, even though her name will always remind me of a Monty Python character.

www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=12800

I like the idea of McCain picking AK Gov. Palin for VP

Cool!

Ooh, she was born in Sandpoint, ID.

I am still thinking about doing a Sandpoint-Whitefish trip by Amtrak.

Conventional wisdom on this board sometimes seems very heavily slanted towards some strange fantasy, a pure capitalist state with low taxes, small government, eliminated wasteful sloth encouraging social programs, and no government interference.

IMHO this viewpoint is a bit naive in that it does not recognize the massive ills that go along with a state whose values are completely corrupted by unseen corporate players.

I have a fairly good understanding of unintended economic consequence, and believe we would be a better country if we spent 4 to 5 times as much on social programs. The problem is how we spend it, mostly.

Its remarkable how you don't hear too much about it, but spend some time in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, or France and compare the quality of life to our own. We do not measure up on nearly every metric of measure. Their "welfare" spend is significant greater than our own. How does one reconcile their success against our own? Maybe that spending is more efficient which I submit is a result of comparatively less corporate interference.

We actually need significantly more "welfare" spending! Just throwing out 2 cents in interests of balance. Not trolling.

NVA Renter,

Have you lived in Sweden, Finland, Denmark or France?

I have lived in Portugal, England, Italy, Turkey, France, and spent some time in Germany. The average Euro citizen does not have a richer material lifestyle over their American counterpart. I will admit that the Euros have more fun socializing. Europe also has far less fat people than America, despite the very good food.

Its remarkable how you don’t hear too much about it, but spend some time in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, or France and compare the quality of life to our own.

It depends upon what your definition of "quality of life" is.

I am a self-confessed food fanatic and yet I prefer US to most countries in Europe.

I have a fairly good understanding of unintended economic consequence, and believe we would be a better country if we spent 4 to 5 times as much on social programs. The problem is how we spend it, mostly.

Huh? Okay, if they can manage all those social programs with a 15% (state-federal) flat tax I will not complain.

We actually need significantly more “welfare” spending! Just throwing out 2 cents in interests of balance.

You are welcomed to volunteer additional tax on your return.

I will admit that the Euros have more fun socializing. Europe also has far less fat people than America, despite the very good food.

The undeniable fact is that US has a lot more billionaires than the entire Europe combined.

I have no problem with fat people so long as they buy two seats when they fly.

One more thing...

Globalization is inevitable.

Yet the combination of welfare state and globalization is deadly.

I doubt Europe can survive in its present form for more than a decade or so.

northernvirginiarenter Says:

> Conventional wisdom on this board sometimes
> seems very heavily slanted towards some strange
> fantasy, a pure capitalist state with low taxes, small
> government, eliminated wasteful sloth encouraging
> social programs, and no government interference.

Only an insane person or someone unwilling to work would want high taxes, big government tons of sloth encouraging social programs and government interference…

> IMHO this viewpoint is a bit naive in that it does not
> recognize the massive ills that go along with a state
> whose values are completely corrupted by unseen
> corporate players.

We currently have high taxes, big government tons of sloth encouraging social programs and government interference and a state whose values are completely corrupted by (unseen most) corporate players. Explain how higher taxes, bigger government tons more sloth encouraging social programs and more government interference will reduce the influence of corporate players?

> I have a fairly good understanding of unintended economic
> consequence, and believe we would be a better country if
> we spent 4 to 5 times as much on social programs. The
> problem is how we spend it, mostly.

There is no accountability in government spending so 90% of the money is just wasted. Have we won the “War on Poverty” “War on Crime” or “War on Drugs” yet?

> Its remarkable how you don’t hear too much about it, but
> spend some time in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, or France
> and compare the quality of life to our own.

If the US was full of white people of Swedish, Finnish, Dutch and French decent we would be a lot like more Sweden, Finland, Denmark, or France. There is not a single place in the US with a lot of white people of Swedish, Finnish, Dutch and French decent with high crime or high poverty, but there are plenty of places in the US with a lot of black and Hispanic people with high crime and poverty just like every black country and many Hispanic countries in the world…

Sedona is very nice though, but it is more expensive than many places in California.

Oak Creek and Big Park are 10-15 minutes from Sedona proper, and they have nice red rocks views as well. Here's a nearly new house with nice views for $400K.

http://www.realtor.com/realestate/sedona-az-86351-1094911399/

And here's a decent remodeled older house for $300K.

http://www.realtor.com/realestate/sedona-az-86351-1090867886/

Can you suggest some places in CA to look for someone who enjoys an "outdoor" lifestyle, no more than 2 hours from SF? This is a serious question.

STCM

Prop 13 makes me so mad I want to start punching every old person I see at Safeway. But your solution is worse. You only have to pay taxes if you don't have money. If you have money, you avoid paying the taxes.

Screw you, poor people!

Everybody pays the same taxes for property. If you're too much of a pansy to tell old people sell and move to cheaper properties when they're retired (or tell them to save for their goddamn retirement like I have to because you KNOW SS isn't going to be there when I'M 65), well, you can let anybody retired and over 65 and making less than half of the median income put their property taxes as a lien against the house, to be repaid when the house is sold/inherited/no longer a primary residence for Oldy McGee. Oh, and banks are allowed to make mortgages contingent on taxes being paid. You stop paying your taxes, and they can foreclose before the tax lien exceeds the equity. Don't like it? Pay off your damn mortgage.

Can you suggest some places in CA to look for someone who enjoys an “outdoor” lifestyle, no more than 2 hours from SF? This is a serious question.

Marin county is just across the GG Bridge. Parts of Monterrey county should also fit your description.

This thread is hillarious - thanks all!

I've voting prop GREED and I don't even live in CA.

@ Malcolm:

Here's my personal SWOT

Strengths:

Most assets held outside USA in non USD assets
Currently renting
Strong FICO score
Clean background
Real experience
Long time resident - IL
Good skillset
Thanks to buying right and selling in 2005 I can undercut if needed.

Weaknesses:

MBA (Things got much better once I took it off my resume) I started getting interviews and offers!
Out of work for a few years in the early 00's
Last job (as of 2003) was only for 2 months, prior to that longer periods of stable employment
Currently working (but I don't take it for granted)

Opportunities:

"Don’t seem to quite line up with my goals" (I hear you loud and clear!)

Threats:
"Biggest threat to me is that I feel like I am a perishable commodity.
Being idle careerwise has definitely hurt me."

AMEN - I feel for you in this situation. HANG TOUGH! I know you are getting all kinds of suggestions from people on what to do, and it SUCKS because none of that works. I will not tell you what to do - I hated that.

Oak Creek and Big Park are 10-15 minutes from Sedona proper, and they have nice red rocks views as well. Here’s a nearly new house with nice views for $400K.

I like the Village of Oak Creek. My wife actually likes it more than Sedona proper.

Thanks.

Paul, no kidding. I'm sitting here with a friend I went to grad school with and we both said the same thing. Maybe the MBA hurts the resume more than it helps. Maybe I'll move mine to the weakness category as well.

Peter P Says:
February 26th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
"Never invest in something simply because it is cheap. It is “cheap” for a reason.
Not investment advice."

That's really good noninvestment advice.

Folks,

If really wanna stir Prop-13 sh*t up you CAN see what your neighbors' assessment is.

Just go the Larry Stone's web site and type in the address you are interested in, and it will show the name of the owner and the assessment.

http://eservices.sccgov.org/ari/search.do

FAB:

I dunno. Even though I'm white I feel a lot more uncomfortable around white trash including some I'm related to, than nonwhites.

It is never a race issue. It is a culture and social-economy issue.

The best way to lift everyone out of poverty is to promote a free economy with big market and small government.

Me too. White trash is the lowest form of human life. The funny thing is that they are normally the ones who think being white makes them automatically above everyone. These are the idiots who get a credit card, go overseas on some boomer cruise, make an ass out of themselves, and then I go to the same place and wonder why the locals don't like white people.

Peter P:

I don't think that the choices are between what we have now, and Euro-Scleroic socialism and taxes.

t's been said that the US military spending is more than all the military spending of all other nations in the world combined. Maybe if resources were diverted we could have it both ways.

Malcolm,

There are a couple of people at work who had similar experiences (we are at an online broker). They agreed taking the MBA off the resume helped get calls, interviews and job offers. Again, I'm not going to tell you what to do, but what I did for a period of time was to have multiple resumes. One with it and one without depending on the audience. I got to point where I just wanted a "job" so the ones where I knew I was overqualified I took it off and the ones that were what I should be doing, I left it on. Ironically, I spent most of the '90's trying to be a generalist so I could target the mid to "c" level management jobs. Most of the feedback during the job search was that I had good knowledge of many different functional areas but since "I did not stay focused" nobody "knew what to do with me". My school (Loyola) was worthless in terms of career services. None of the above is intended to bring you down but to help with ideas.

Best Wishes!

Paul

DinOR Says:
February 26th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Malcom,
"most working adults shun anything resembling a (God forbid) “career coach”

I had a few inquiries about that and I am very clear that I am only interested in consulting small real businesses. What I do is basically set up accounting systems, and the lady I was talking about needed help interfacing her E-store with Quickbooks, and linking the new Quickbooks merchant account. There are some lessons an MBA like me can help with so at no charge I'm a sounding board for her ideas.

Reflecting now on that careers services situation really burns me up. Here you buy a product (an education) with the idea that it will help get a job. Then when you ask them for help at career services they want to charge you for the service. It is like buying a car and taking it back to the dealer and saying it doesn't start. The response from the dealer is that they want a consulting fee to see why it isn't starting!

Paul, thanks, that sort of describes me or at least I can relate to it. Maybe I should have gone for engineering or a technical skill for the undergrad stuff but those guys are hurting now as well, and many complain that they should have studied business. I was smart in following my undergraduate operations management degree with a professional certification from APICS as a production manager. General logistics theories are what they teach. Then, mainly for the satisfaction of it I went for the MBA in entrepreneurship.
I thought it would be a nice topping. I still find that I only am taken seriously in my original fields of accounting and procurement though. I guess I'm just one of those people who does better pursing my own ventures than operating in someone else's organization. I end up feeling very limited and I get frustrated easily. That's why I started in real estate, and why I thought maybe if I help launch someone's small startup I can get in on something from the ground floor and utilize some of the graduate skills. I know we can kid around, but that knowledge is very useful.

For the undergrad, career services was useless, we used to have some pretty good opportunities to work with companies, and even lots of internship opportunities presented to us right through the program that no one even explored the official career services.

correction:

For the undergrad, career services was useless. In grad school however, we used to have some pretty good opportunities to work with companies, and even lots of internship opportunities presented to us right through the program that no one even explored the official career services.

Even the King of Pop is having a tough go of it lately -

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23359218

btw - that was graduate school career services