Is anybody else worried about 2013?

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Grampa

climber

from SoCal

Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 14, 2012 - 06:23pm PT

Am I alone or are there others? For the first time in my whole life, I feel a real sense of dread and out right fear about where we are heading. This is not about who wins the election because our country's challenges are bigger than what a President can fix. Consider:

1. Fiscal Cliff Jan 1, 2013 when massive federal budget cuts and increased taxes begin. Possibly Congress can prevent this, but not until after the election.

2. Living in California, new voter tax initiatives are leading in the polls. California will have the highest sales tax in the country and one of the top 2 highest income taxes.

3. The Federal Reserve, in conjunction with other western world banks, is artificially inflating the stock markets, setting us up for a much larger crash than we saw in 2009.

I barely get by with the money I make. We do not go out to eat, we don't buy anything new and take only local vacations. I pay $4.59 a gallon for gas. I don't have any money for higher state and federal taxes.

Sorry for the rant, I just need to vent and see if I am alone or not....
Al

Grampa

climber

from SoCal

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 14, 2012 - 06:38pm PT

My understanding is California initiatives require a simple majority and we are in trouble.

jogill

climber

Colorado

Oct 14, 2012 - 06:39pm PT

Number 3. is a doozy. What is the fed reserve thinking??

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber

Toquerville, Utah

Oct 14, 2012 - 06:46pm PT

Best thing to do?

Learn to speak Chinese.

Prod

Trad climber

Oct 14, 2012 - 06:52pm PT

Darkness before the dawn? People will not get up and make changes until they are really uncomfortable. I've been saying this for years and people are getting more and more uncomfortable.

So what are you going to do about it Gramps?

Prod.

Grampa

climber

from SoCal

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 14, 2012 - 06:53pm PT

Despite all of Governor Brown's talk of tax fairness, Proposition 30 circumvents the Legislature’s 2/3rd requirement to raise taxes. In fact, Proposition 30 is “electioneered” by Governor Jerry Brown and his allies to only require a simple majority to pass. Proposition 30 asks the 50% of California voters--who pay little or no state income tax--to pass a big tax increase on the top 2-3% of California taxpayers, who already pay roughly 50% of ALL state income taxes.

Simple majority...

coastal_climber

Trad climber

Squamish, BC

Oct 14, 2012 - 06:56pm PT

Oh my f*#k. Its not the end of the world. Work hard, don't let people f*#k you over, and climb hard.

jstan

climber

Oct 14, 2012 - 07:02pm PT

1: If you are going to die soon, do it before 12/31/12. I did some calculations too far back to remember but I think the exit of Bush's income tax cuts affects mainly the affluent. They were the ones who benefitted. Will a lame duck congress act before 12/31? I would doubt it. It took several years to turn the depression around. If that pattern repeats the 2008 failure would turn sometime late next year Something like five years. We may see a reversal with the furloughing of military and other federal workers however.

2. I suspect it will probably go through. What choice have we?

3. I don't think the Fed has been bailing out any firms other than the banks and pharmaceuticals lately. Maybe you know something I don't. In its QE and twist programs the Fed has been buying treasuries to try and force interest rates down and support the housing market. When Draghi came out and said the Euro would survive you knew he had to have had a call from Angela. Couple days later it came out. It will still be tough but I am thinking the Union will survive. I was thinking flight money from Europe would be leaving our debt issues and we would see some of our rates inch upward. Not so far. My bad. But the lady has not sung yet either. If our debt begins to look questionable there will be untoward consequences. On shore.

4......

Anastasia

climber

InLOVEwithAris.

Oct 14, 2012 - 07:18pm PT

My parents grew up in a war zone. They knew real hunger and fear. I was raised knowing just how lucky my brother and I are to be in this country. Even our poor are rich.

So no... I am not afraid. We will figure it out. Heck, if my parents can survive when they had real reasons to not be alive, I think we can to. We just need to get our spoiled pampered, self entitled butts in gear and grow up a bit. Stop whining, move!

hossjulia

Social climber

Eastside (of the Tetons)

Oct 14, 2012 - 07:24pm PT

^^^^here here, what she said^^^

Jan

Mountain climber

Okinawa, Japan

Oct 14, 2012 - 07:37pm PT

I'm with Anastasia and Prod.

Jon Beck

Trad climber

Oceanside

Oct 14, 2012 - 07:43pm PT

truly a first world whine. we need to learn how to live with less

mouse from merced

Trad climber

The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.

Oct 14, 2012 - 07:46pm PT

I'm with Anastasia, Prod, and LOCKER!!! Great kid, Locker. Nothing to worry about. Anastasia, great kid!!!! Prod, great kidder!!!!!

I want to express my thanks agiain X 13 to whichever of you told me 13 is a lucky number.

bergbryce

Mountain climber

South Lake Tahoe, CA

Oct 14, 2012 - 07:54pm PT

John Beck for the win.

wah wah wah.

divad

Trad climber

wmass

Oct 14, 2012 - 07:55pm PT

Don't worry about a thing
Cause every little thing gonna be alright

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Oct 14, 2012 - 08:09pm PT

Just be glad you're not Argentine - 25+% inflation and a megalomaniac whack job (who thinks Hugo Chavez is awesome) for a presidente.

Swami Jr.

Trad climber

Bath, NY

Oct 14, 2012 - 08:15pm PT

I'm with coastal climber.

fear

Ice climber

hartford, ct

Oct 14, 2012 - 09:13pm PT

Al, you're just waking up... Yeah it's ugly. Kind of amazing when I realized those green pieces of paper I was working my entire life for really were just whimsical prayer flags based on nothing but faith.

But... that doesn't mean the SHTF tomorrow or next week or next year for that matter. There is still plenty of time to prepare.

There's no way to know how it's going to unravel or how quickly. There's a lot of ruin in a country this size with as many resources as we have. I tend to think it'll be a much slower rot and decay than most others are predicting.

Being in a place to build a local network of like-minded self-sufficient people is key. The ones who think they'll shoot there way out of it alone are the first to go. Being far away from urban centers is a good idea.

In the meantime enjoy what you can in this Twilight Zone reality while it lasts.

Jan

Mountain climber

Okinawa, Japan

Oct 14, 2012 - 09:18pm PT

My guess also is that it will be a slow steady decline rather than anything cataclysmic. I think it will happen here pretty much like it did in France and Britain when they lost their empires. Their pride was hurt, life was not as easy, but it continued on. The main difference is that when people perceive the economy is no longer expanding, they start asking questions about allocation of resources which is long overdue in my opinion.