I AM better off than I was four years ago.

[Sparkly]

AND my daughter has health insurance on her Dad's policy.

AND I bought an American car.

[JenniferJuniper]

1. My 401k has doubled....

[sadbear]

2. I am better off, too

in spite of republican obstructionism.

[warrior1]

3. Me too

I'm retired with a pension.

[jillan]

4. I am too. I just put my house on the market and was pleasantly surprised at it's worth.

My 401k is almost back to where it was before the stock market tumbled under Dubya.

[tammywammy]

5. I'm also better off.

Better job, better pay, better benefits.

[Jimbo S]

6. A technicality...

I was employed the summer of 2008, but laid off June 2009 due to busineess slowing down beginning back in September. Unemployed eleven months.

Now, I have no trouble at all finding work in my field. Thank you, President Obama!!

[Sparkly]

10. Are you blaming President Obama?

[Jimbo S]

14. No, not at all!

Recklessness by conservatives in the White House and on Wall Street are the two root causes of the Great Republican Reccession. It eventually led to my unemployment.

President Obama's quick actions ended the recession within six months, leading to now three years of economic growth. Many more job openings now than early 2009.

[gkhouston]

7. My family is much worse off. Doesn't mean we're remotely interested in voting Republican. n/t

[Sparkly]

11. Sorry to hear it...

BushCo waited until 2008 to pop the balloon and let the economy collapse -- it's a wonder we have a somewhat functional economy at all.

Hang in there!!

[gkhouston]

12. I still believe they trashed the economy on purpose, so the next administration would be too busy

putting out fires to prosecute BushCo.

[Sparkly]

13. It sure was an emergency situation, no question.

(I still wish they'd prosecuted, though.)

[Mimosa]

42. The economy was scuttled to get young people into military

In the absence of of a draft, wages need to be low enough to induce people to join the military.

[ellisonz]

9. I've had health insurance for the last year and will continue to have health insurance...

...only because of President Obama.

[DearHeart]

15. I'm not better off, but

there's no way in HELL that I would vote for those two assholes! Republicans are obstructionists and a bunch of sociopaths...my life would be so much worse if they got in!

[nolabear]

16. So are we. And our sons.

We just are.

[ibegurpard]

17. yeah me too

without question

[gollygee]

18. I am too

Substantially better.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

19. I'm Not

[Lone_Star_Dem]

22. LMAO!

Perfect!

[AtomicKitten]

41. +1

word

[B Calm]

20. We are better off too. So is Romney!!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

21. So am I.

I won't lie, I was scared I was going to lose my life's work four years ago. Things are so much better now. I'm the best I've ever been.

[AnnieBW]

23. We're much better off

Four years ago, we were living paycheck to paycheck. Now, we have money in the bank, and we're investing in a solar system for our home. American-made, too!

[coalition_unwilling]

24. I am way worse off than I was four years ago. I don't

blame Obama or the Dems for it. I blame 30 years of Reagan-Bush (and Reagan-Bush lite, meaning Bill NAFTA Clinton).

I also blame myself for not selling out, getting an MBA and learning how to kiss ass properly.

Those of us over 50 whose unemployment has run out have been utterly abandoned by our government. It really doesn't matter whether its Dems or Rape-publicans calling the shots. We are completely and utterly expendable.

Congratulations on your good fortune, I guess.

[RKP5637]

28. Definitely agree! I think a portion of us have been simply written off. And it is the 30 year

accumulation. Also, I think NAFTA was horribly implemented. It was a recipe for the destruction of many jobs. The root cause I see is that the economic model in this country is severely flawed for the 21st century, and I see little being done to fix it ... And I blame that on government collectively. The D's, R's and I's. It is a flawed dysfunctional system ushered in about 30 years ago. It's so massively flawed I don't think there's any magical wand Obama can wave. What I do think is that if Romney/Ryan get in this time now will seem like the best of times.

I recently had to do a lot of cross-country driving, and I saw a lot of people on the edge. Some are doing better, but a lot are not.

[Mopar151]

39. That 2nd line.........

I'm sure livin' that here. The only way I'm worse off, is that I had some money to lose then.

[bhikkhu]

25. Me too, and the business I work for is up 20% since 2009

...pretty consistently, every year has been an increase over the last. In my own case, there was a couple of years of struggling related to some unplanned debts, but things are stable and getting better. A house refinance that will fold a first and second mortgages together, and two student loans, into one payment at 2.8% interest will be the kicker - not quite done yet, but when it is it will makes things quite a bit easier and more relaxed, and allow us some of the long-fabled "extra money" at the end of every month after the bills are paid.

[davidn3600]

26. There was a recent study that showed the middle class is worse off

http://www.sfgate.com/business/bottomline/article/Middle-class-shrinks-as-incomes-decline-3819526.php

[SammyWinstonJack]

27. ...

killjoy!

[RKP5637]

30. Yep, I think what I see are pockets of people doing well, so they extrapolate that probably

things are getting better collectively. In the big picture, as this study points out, they are not doing better. And, it's going to get worse as the gap widens. Another hiccup in the economy, I think a lot of people are going to be in for quite a shock. I'm pleased some are doing well, we need more of that.

[xmas74]

29. I am NOT better off

but ask me this time next year and I hope to have a different answer.

I was laid off three and a half years ago. I worked multiple minimum wage jobs just to pay bills. No insurance, no benefits. It was awful.

Last week I found out that my old company was hiring and I got my old job back.

I still need to work a second job for some time to pay off bills but by this time next year I should have a large enough chunk paid off that I can focus on just one job. When I get to that point I plan on taking a couple of courses at the local university, since my company offers tuition reimbursement.

Bookmark this thread and ask me the same question this time next year. I hope to give you a better answer!

[Maine-ah]

31. I'm not.

I'm happy that someone is though

If I could find a job, that would be a drastic improvement.

[magical thyme]

36. you mean legalizing fireworks didn't bring back a rush of jobs?

Seriously, we've got to lose LaPage and get Maine onto a better track. My hours at the hospital just got cut....again.

When I advertised my mini-farm last year on Craig's List and a horse board I got a lot of serious interest. Everybody needed to sell or land a particular job, but the people were up front, knew what they were doing, what questions to ask, etc. Only a couple idiot, realtors and investor responses.

I advertised this year and got....crickets.

[modem77]

32. Better off thanks to Obama helping GM out.

Otherwise I would have been out of a job.

[SidDithers]

33. DU rec...nt

Sid

[SidDithers]

35. Kick for good news...nt

Sid

[closeupready]

34. I'm not better off, but things are getting better than at the bottom

back in 2009 or so.

I don't think that's in any way Obama's fault; to the contrary, I put almost all of it on Republicans.

K&R

[Care Acutely]

37. Pell grants and healthcare for my kids, we're MUCH better off too

4 years ago my wage was $8.73/hr. Today my wage is $22.96.

[taught_me_patience]

38. I'm much better off

Net worth has quadrupled and income has doubled. I feel like my family is on a path to prosperity.

[mike_c]

40. I'm not....

The last time I got a salary increase-- 2%-- was in 2007. We live month-to-month as we always have. Recently I've begun asking myself how long I can go on with this, and how will I know when it's not worth it any longer? We're making it, but it's getting harder rather than easier.

[renie408]

43. HOW DARE YOU RUB MY FACE IN MY PROBLEMS!!

You evil person, you.

Seriously, good for you! We are still struggling, but it is good to hear that other people aren't.

[xmas74]

44. That's why I commented that I wasn't better off right now

but maybe in a year from now things will be different. I hope so and I'm glad that others are having a turn of good luck.