"The country is directionless," Iowa Bush poll result

[4dsc]

Bush's current 42 percent approval mark among Iowans is the lowest of his presidency and half of what his approval rating was in 2001 in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

David Goetz of Cedar Falls, a retired engineer who worked for John Deere, voted for Bush in 2000 and again last year. But his attitude toward the president has soured during the last several months.

"The country is directionless," said Goetz, 63, a political independent. "I don't think the country is going the right way."

He cited high gasoline prices, inaction on illegal immigration, proposed changes in Social Security that many people dislike, and continuing casualties in Iraq.

But Loretta Eue, a homemaker from Radcliffe, gives Bush mostly good marks because he has dealt with some tough issues.

"I think that the tax relief that he gave people with children really helped a lot," said Eue, 31, a Republican who thinks the economy is on firm ground. "There are tons of houses being built, and people are buying furnishings for them and spending like wild."

[BlueJazz]

1. In another statement, Loretta Eue.....

...also told this reporter: "And the good news is, these tax cuts will only cost us 6 Trillion dollars in future debts!"
She went on: "Why, Mr Bush is almost as smart as I am"

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Oh my!

She's saying that her $300 tax cut has enabled her to buy a new house and new furnishings and spend like wild. What planet is she from, exactly?

Here in Arkansas, new home construction and old home sales are down-way down. I work for a termite company, and this is when things start picking up, usually. We had a better February than we're having right now, and February is traditionally our lowest month for jobs. Many a time recently, we've bid out a termite contract only to be told that the buyers backed out at the very last minute. People are running scared and they are spooked. New cars only sell because of 0% finanacing plus cash incentives, and many approved for the deal shouldn't be approved. My husband was let go from his job at a new car dealership because business was so slow, and that was last year. I don't see very many people going on a shopping spree, unless you count stocking up on canned goods at the salvage store as a spree. I call it getting ready for the crash.

[IowaGuy]

3. "Tons of houses"...hmmm......

All about Radcliffe, Iowa....

Population (year 2000): 607, Est. population in July 2002: 587 (-3.3% change)
Males: 290 (47.8%), Females: 317 (52.2%)

County: Hardin

Land area: 1.0 square miles

Zip code: 50230

Median resident age: 38.4 years
Median household income: $39,417 (year 2000)
Median house value: $63,200 (year 2000)

New: Radcliffe, IA residents, houses, and apartments details

Races in Radcliffe:

White Non-Hispanic (94.4%)
Hispanic (4.4%)
Other race (2.5%)
Two or more races (1.2%)
American Indian (0.8%)
Ancestries: German (43.0%), Norwegian (32.1%), English (7.6%), Swedish (6.3%), Irish (5.1%), United States (3.5%).

not to disparage the good people of Radcliffe, but I'm thinkin' ol' Loretta has a pretty small view of the world and should not be taken seriously-notice the population change from when * took office....

[pstans]

7. There are a lot of houses being built west of Cedar Falls on Hwy 20

There are a lot of houses being built west of Cedar Falls on Hwy 20, which is near Radcliffe. Places like Dike, Aplington, Parkersburg have had houses built there recently. I can't say if that has increased in the past year or 2. I would say the building started in the past 5 years and was spurred on by the expansion of Hwy 20 to 4 lanes.

[justgamma]

4. There are tons of houses

being built in eastern Iowa. I commute 90 miles round trip to work. I vary my routes. Every road I travel has big, new houses popping up. All I can think of is people are borrowing the most they can afford. I think, just wait. The boom is going to burst and within 5 years, there will be a lot of these houses for sale.

[IowaGuy]

6. There are basically 3 hot spots for building in Iowa now....

Johnson, Linn County area - Polk, Dallas area and up in the northwestern corner....While there are a lot of big homes being built in highly visible areas all over - mostly people cashing out from other higher priced areas and retiring to hobby farms, over all - if you discount these areas the state is losing population. When the housing bubble bursts, its going to get really pathetic with all these people being stuck in their Mcmansions and owing more than the house is worth.

[pstans]

8. Don't forget that these people will also be...

Don't forget that these people will also be struggling to heat their huge, inefficient homes in the winter time. They will be walking around in blankets and huge coats like eskimos in their own home during the winter.

[Bluzmann57]

10. Another hot spot for new houses in Iowa

Overlooking the Mississippi River in LeClaire, Iowa. Eagle Ridge is the name of one of the additions. Very nice houses and top dollar. Jim Foster, the owner of the QC Steamwheelers and inventor of Arena Football lives there, as does Jim Zabel's daughter and some leaders of local industry. Just pointing it out.

[Blue Gardener]

5. Here is a link to the DM Register article

http://www.dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050417/NEWS09/504170341/1001

[rurallib]

9. It's the gas prices

Seems to be the only thing that gets peoples attention.

[CoffeeCat]

11. Loretta Eue needs to be smacked upside the head...

Loretta from Radcliffe has truly sucked down the Kool-Aid hasn't she?

She's a "homemaker". Ok, so am I. That's no excuse for total ignorance. The woman needs to turn off Fox News.

For starters--"the tax relief that he gave people with children really helped a lot." The tax relief didn't amount to much. What we've paid in increased property taxes (due to Federal cuts in state services) and rising gas prices is pretty much equal to the "tax relief" our family experienced. Bush simply cost shifted.

Yes, there are tons of houses being built. However, most (but not all) people are financing these McMansions with INTEREST ONLY ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGES. If people financed these homes with a conventional 30-year fixed rate, most could not afford them.

You can borrow $400,000 and pay only $800 per month. That's not smart. It's certainly not a sign of a booming economy.

Also Loretta's comment, "and people are buying furnishings for them and spending like wild." YES!! Because they're using their 17 percent Younker's and Visa cards to bankroll their expensive brickabrack. The average American has $20k in credit-card debt. It's false wealth in most cases.

What happens to these people when their interest rates rise on these people carrying ARMs? Suddenly, a $800 payment becomes a $2,000 payment. New rules by credit card companies will increase monthly payments, for some, by several hundred dollars. Many, many people are going to see reality hit them in the face. What will they do when they can't declare bankruptcy? We're looking at the possibility of severe economic pain for many.

Many people in this country, are living on borrowed time (and credit). This is not a sign of prosperity! It's certainly not a sign that Bush is a good president.

Wake up Loretta Eue!