Economic Downturn - Effects on DL?

[kiwitravel]

Auckland here Sorry if it sounded like I was passing judgement - I was just interested. Hmmm maybe I need to find out where you shop so I can get me some butter, we've moved to margarine as it's cheaper

Lol we don't eat much butter anyway, its really bad for you....

I was just researching the USA inflation figures, food went up 12% in 2007, predictions are 22% for 2008

Energy costs are following a similar trend.

It has only been since Bear Stearns has hit the headlines that New Zealanders have woken up to what is happening in USA.

Lets hope we can sign that free trade agreement with China, interesting to note its the one thing that both Labour and National are in agreement on...

 

[bradk]

I disagree actually, Disneyland on off days seems a lot less people. Being in a sales environment, i can tell you, its not as high as it used to be. Everything has gone down since since last summer.

fair enough, like i said, i hadn't heard anything about disneyland specifically. disney world is probably seeing a huge influx in foreign visitors too.

back on the bear stearns, it's now being said up to half of the employees may lose their jobs

and just to repeat myself, i think this is just the tip of the iceberg. it's about to get much worse no matter who takes over in january. some people were very reckless and blindly preached how wonderful things were despite the fact that all factors were showing the exact opposite.

and these weren't good loans either. this was a direct result of trying to combat news of a poor economy by showing how many people were now buying homes.

 

[tink2dw]

We [Americans] knew that a recession would happen when our government Started Fiddling with interest rates. They tried to say it would adjust naturally. But they never let it adjust. They kept messing with interest rates begging people to buy a house because Housing would save our economy. Now it is their fault that sub prime fanished early last year leaving a mess in it's wake. They created a false market.

Everytime the American Goverment thinks it can artifically fix something it really screws up!!

 

[Sunobo]

Our current economy scares the heck out of me. Dh got laid off in January 2007 and hasn't been able to find a permanent job. The only thing that has helped us survive has been a couple of contract jobs that have lasted 3 – 4 months each (in CA). His cobra runs out soon and I haven’t been insured since he lost his job. If he gets a job that would require us to move, we’re not sure we could even sell our house. There are four houses for sale right around ours and one abandoned. Two of those houses have been on the market for over a year.

We don’t really travel because it’s just too expensive. Our trip to DL in November was our one splurge and the only reason we did it was for the girls to spend a special Thanksgiving time with their dad. They all miss each other a lot.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

And to think we had a HUGE surplus when Bill Clinton left office and now our grandkids' grandkids will be paying off this ridiculous, never ending war. Like he said when we voted out the first Bush, "It's the Economy, Stupid!"
I'm worried. I'm seriously thinking about pulling everything I have out of the stock/bond markets and dividing them up between every bank in town so I'm covered by the 100k FDIC guarantee in case we do end up in a major depression. I bet I'm not the only one entertaining that idea. We've lost over $70k since October and my investment guy keeps telling me not to panic and do what I'm thinking of doing.
Gas here is almost $4.00 a gallon (actually over $4.00 on outer areas) and not likely to go down anytime soon.
If I were you folks in NZ, I'd be worried about enacting any type of so called 'free trade agreements.' IMO, the only ones it benefits are the corporations who outsource all the jobs, manufacturing and even service industry jobs! We should have enacted a Fair trade agreement, but we didn't. I never realized when they first started the Free trade agreements that corporations would be allowed to outsource their service jobs, but they have. (I stupidly thought is was 'just' manufacturing.) Well, guess what? I called my CC co recently and the guy answering the phone requesting my Social Security # was in India and barely spoke English. Like I really want to give a foreign stranger the most valuable financial info I have about myself? Same thing w/ Sprint. Called them and my call was routed to some woman in Jamaica who was requesting my Social Security #. Uh no thanks.
A friend of mine had his job w/ a Major computer manufacturer downsized a few years ago and still can't get work. He used to make $120k a year (after spending over $120k for his education) answering phones and troubleshooting for consumers. His job was outsourced to some guy in India who makes $15k doing the same job. (How much more $$$ do these greedy corporations have to make before they are satisfied?) Any job he applies at tells him he's overqualified and won't hire him because they fear he'll leave as soon as something better comes along. The problem is, nothing better is coming along, and now the economy is worse than when he got laid off.
The middle class is being eroded and the middle class is the backbone of our economy. Warren Buffet said it himself, he pays a smaller percentage of his income in taxes than his secretary who makes $60k a year does. What's wrong with the picture? Americans had better wake up and go out and Vote for the greater good of our nation! Get the religion out of politics for one thing...

To the poster who said they didn't think China would be able to produce agriculture, I would ask you, are you sure about that? They have millions of acres of land. They are an extremely large country, and they will do anything for $$. The could easily build large greenhouses (for very cheap) and grow the agricultural products indoors to avoid the 4 seasons issues. They pay their workers literally cents for a whole days work. Then they house them (they require they live in property) and charge them $$ for rent, food, and housing so they really end up making dang near nothing! It should be a crime to pay the people that work in their factories what they pay them.
Free trade is NOT free. The sooner we all get that, the better off we'll all be.
Anyone who's still reading that would like to see how Free Trade really affects people who live/work for these corporations should rent the movie Bordertown. It's based on actual events, and it really illustrates how basically only a few people & corporations are getting really rich off the Free Trade Agreements.
The sad thing is, no matter who takes office in January, they are going to inherit a huge mess thanks to the present administration and it's going to probably get far worse for a long time before it gets any better unless they get rid of the FTAs and start investing a little bit of the trillions of dollars they are spending on this G*d forsaken war back into our own country and people. Our kids don't have books in public schools, and they're cutting budgets for social services across the board.
The divide between the middle class and the top 1% of wage earners is getting larger and larger everyday. If things don't change soon, we're going to wake up one day, and there won't be a middle class left; and we will become a third world nation like China and India used to be. (I say used to be because they are well on their way out of 3rd world nation status thanks to FTAs.)
If any of you think I'm a freak having hysterics, my DH and I own our own small corporation, so I should be in love with all the FTAs and tax breaks, right? We have a son to put through college (we make too much for him to qualify for Financial aid, but not enough to be able to afford the best schools) and we care for my 90+ year old granny who lives in a retirement community. (which under the IRS tax code is not tax deductible!) If I had to stay home and care for her, how would I go to work? We are one of the fortunate ones because we can (for now) afford her care. What's going to happen if I lose my job or our business folds or G*d forbid we lose all of our investments?
I love Disney. I want to go back this summer. But it's getting ridiculously expensive. Disney is fantasy...and this, well this is reality....And our economy is in the toilet.

 

[MunkyMe13]

There was an article recently where the CEO of the Disney Parks said even with American economy troubles the presence of foreign tourism is helping all parks a lot. Because the American dollar is weakening the tourists can get more for their money so they are coming. I've been to Disneyland most recently at the begining of the month and previously twice in December, in December the park was at capacity both days and in this month it was fairly crowded. I doubt there are any problems right now.

 

[ballarinamom]

I agree- the FTA with Mexico (NAFTA) really helped the American economy didn't it?????????
Living close to the Mecian border, I can tell you all it did was leave tons of tire treads that fell off of cheap 18 wheelers on the side of the rode!!!

DH works in the oil and gas industry here in Texas. He's actually the one who tells Exon/ Mobil and other companies where the oil is. The problem is not lack of oil. It's the refineries and the agreements we have with OPEC and other countries. Because we feel we have to keep those agreements, we are hurting ourselves. DH's job is truly secure as he has seen a boom in business and can't keep up with supply. He actually is having a hard time finding time to interview new hires!

I know people are yelling to not drill in Alaska as it's so beautiful. But has anyone actually seen the areas they want to drill? It's an area where people live in shacks and have stranded cars lined up with more tires and junk than a landfill. A rural area with no polar bears. After seeing this area- I say drill! Why rely on and support so many other economies?


We've had a bunch of people moving to my neighborhood from California. Because the housing costs are so high, they are stupid enough to pay the inflated prices my neighbors are asking for their houses. The Cali's think they are getting a deal! I bought my house 10 years ago in a beautiful neighborhood with a fabulous yard for $90,000/ Because of the California wave, my new neighbor paid $300,000 for a similar house!! He said he couldn"t believe the bargain he got!!
I feel really bad about the technology slump in California. I think that's what started the initial downfall. I remember going to college and everyone said get a dgree in computeres doing anything! I don't think that is the case any more. Too much outsourcing.

Has everyone noticed that George W hasn't been seen or heard from except to indorse John McCain with a tap dance??

I didn't like him when he was our governor and I really don't like him as our president. I don't know about Obama but like previous poster said, there was a surplus when Bill left office. Maybe he can give Hil some hints

 

[bradk]

back when BC was in office, the economy was doing so well, the economic forecasters were repeatedly looking for a crash because the market was doing phenomenally. never happened though.

but BC did something that W undid and mccain is set to worsen which is repeal, reset and increase the tax cut for the wealthy respectively.

trickle down economics is alive and well. evidently rich people think if you give them all the money, the poor will be better off for it.

 

[Albort]

fair enough, like i said, i hadn't heard anything about disneyland specifically. disney world is probably seeing a huge influx in foreign visitors too.

back on the bear stearns, it's now being said up to half of the employees may lose their jobs

and just to repeat myself, i think this is just the tip of the iceberg. it's about to get much worse no matter who takes over in january. some people were very reckless and blindly preached how wonderful things were despite the fact that all factors were showing the exact opposite.

and these weren't good loans either. this was a direct result of trying to combat news of a poor economy by showing how many people were now buying homes.

yeah, it also screwed over CMs now since low sales = more boredom = more tired. Sometimes, we dont even cover over our own cost. I guess its Disney's fault... :|

 

[kiwitravel]

:If I were you folks in NZ, I'd be worried about enacting any type of so called 'free trade agreements.' IMO, the only ones it benefits are the corporations who outsource all the jobs, manufacturing and even service industry jobs!

To the poster who said they didn't think China would be able to produce agriculture, I would ask you, are you sure about that? They have millions of acres of land. They are an extremely large country, and they will do anything for $$. The could easily build large greenhouses (for very cheap) and grow the agricultural products indoors to avoid the 4 seasons issues. :

The fact is NZ has a free trade agreement with everyone, it just isn't recipricated by a lot of countries. We are the ultimate free trade economy with next to no controls over imports whatsoever.... So for China to recipricate can only be a win for us.

China already does produce agriculture, it is one of the highest producers of Dairy, the thing is it doesn't have enough agricultural land to feed itself as its economy grows. The fact is that NZ has one of the best farming climates and is also one of the most efficient farmers in the world which is why the USA don't let us sell our produce to them. We may not be as cheap as the chinese but we are close enough for them to choose our produce because it is better.

 

[50sjayne]

There was an article recently where the CEO of the Disney Parks said even with American economy troubles the presence of foreign tourism is helping all parks a lot. Because the American dollar is weakening the tourists can get more for their money so they are coming. I've been to Disneyland most recently at the begining of the month and previously twice in December, in December the park was at capacity both days and in this month it was fairly crowded. I doubt there are any problems right now.

I saw something lately on the news that Disney Parks were doing very well-- wasn't really paying that much attention but it's what I heard and I just thought well cool, more money to put into the improvement of CA Adventures by the time we get there lol.

 

[50sjayne]

I'm not exactly Pollyanna, *sp? but I just see good things in our future being that a republican is just not going to be elected this time regardless- voters are turning out 3 to 1 democrat. I'm (obviously) a big fan of my girl Hilary but that was only after closely watching the first debate. Up until then I was behind Edwards. I just have some strong trepidation with Obama's total lack of experience-- the Republican machine would eat him alive. Not to mention just about anyone who has held a position of power who wanted to usurp the 'system' and refused to play with the rest... has been retired rather quickly. He's also already been shot at once. Anyways-- this is the Disneyland board-- our escape from reality right? At least Mcain believes in evolution and global warming-- it coulda been worse eh?