[paraclete]

As is common on this thread, you don't want to answer a simple question or rationally defend your positions, all of which makes it appear that you have no answers. Making baseless accusations is not engaging in thought.

Rather than everyone just getting angry, I'm going to call it quits. I've made my points. People can accept them or reject them. Just make sure your position is well thought out. I'm very comfortable with where I am on this. It's a shame we can't have a simple, non-angry discussion, but it is what it is. Best wishes!

You just don't like the truth as to calling it quits, is this another of your false flag threats

[talaniman]

https://www.bls.gov/cpi/

CPI for all items rises 0.2% in July as shelter index rises

08/10/2018 In July, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 0.2 percent seasonally adjusted; rising 2.9 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in July (SA); up 2.4 percent over the year (NSA).

Consumer prices up 2.9 percent over 12 months ended June 2018

From June 2017 to June 2018, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 2.9 percent, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending February 2012. Over that period, energy prices rose 12.0 percent, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending February 2017. read more » https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2016/article/purchasing-power-using-wage-statistics-with-regional-price-parities-to-create-a-standard-for-comparing-wages-across-us-areas.htm

Redo your math.

[jlisenbe]

By the way the cost of living went up 2.9% the last quarter,

rising 2.9 percent over the last 12 months,

Slight discrepancy in the time frame. A quarter is 3 months, not 12. Happily, there is no need to redo my math.

[paraclete]

https://www.bls.gov/cpi/

CPI for all items rises 0.2% in July as shelter index rises

08/10/2018 In July, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 0.2 percent seasonally adjusted; rising 2.9 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in July (SA); up 2.4 percent over the year (NSA).

Consumer prices up 2.9 percent over 12 months ended June 2018

From June 2017 to June 2018, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 2.9 percent, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending February 2012. Over that period, energy prices rose 12.0 percent, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending February 2017. read more » https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2016/article/purchasing-power-using-wage-statistics-with-regional-price-parities-to-create-a-standard-for-comparing-wages-across-us-areas.htm

Redo your math.

What are you trying to prove? Trump is inflationary, I think that is obvious

[jlisenbe]

Not trying to prove anything. Just saw a mistake in the time frame. 2.9% over the course of a year is very ordinary. 2.9 over a quarter would be very troubling.

[talaniman]

What are you trying to prove? Trump is inflationary, I think that is obvious

So do I.

[talaniman]

Not trying to prove anything. Just saw a mistake in the time frame. 2.9% over the course of a year is very ordinary. 2.9 over a quarter would be very troubling.

Yes it would but I ask you to redo your math because if the trend continues your paycheck, buying power shrinks, despite what you get on your 2019 taxes. Extrapolate that .1, 2 per month, over the next year and you will see you are falling steadily behind, and some adjustment either in increased revenue streams or reduction in personal debt is indicated, as an individual as opposed to a society. So the red flag is unless your wages keep pace with inflation you're screwed if you have any big plans to spend next year.

Did I say if the trend continues? I see no abatement at this time, do you? I have been saying the price of living will go up for sometime now, so I hope you are in that 6% that can weather this inflationary period.

[jlisenbe]

I will not redo my math. It was correct to begin with. Your stat was what needed a redo.

Look, 2.9% inflation is less than the historic average, so for you to bring up the subject of inflation and Trump is grasping for straws. Inflation is common to practically all presidents, including the last one. At least the economy is growing, as opposed to what we experienced for the previous eight years.

But back to the minimum wage. You were correct when you wrote that most of the areas that hiked the mw to 15 did so incrementally, so it is around 10 now and will get up to 15 in next few years. That is so typical of politicians. They want to go around crowing about raising the minimum wage, but put off actually getting to 15 for several years. That way, if the whole thing backfires, it will be someone else's problem. Dems and repubs are all the same in that regard. I would ask them why, if 15 is such a great idea, did they not do it right away?

[paraclete]

Must be marvellous to never be wrong

[talaniman]

You won't get off with the normal partisan closed mindedness, because we both know that inflation is but a part of the equation and logic should tell you that when inflation grows faster than wages and prices follow, then somebody is losing money. Using your own chart even the most closed minded can see that under conservative repub presidents inflation grows, why, typically tax cuts and rising prices and it would interest you how they dealt with those recessionary forces. Nixon froze prices as he ended the Vietnam war, Reagan cut taxes but raised them when he needed to modestly throughout his years which led to his third term heir BushI to get rejected by repubs and the first thing Clinton did was raise taxes to stave of the recession, and balanced the budget to boot.

Then comes BushII tax cuts and off the books 2 wars, and deficits and the global meltdown, which Obama overcame with a huge bail out with interests, and a modest jobs program, while allowing the Bush tax cut to the rich to expire. Of course you conservatives screamed and hollered as he rescued the freakin' world from rich guys screw ups, and balked at taxing rich guys by a literal nickel tax increase to spur domestic jobs with a low interest deficit neutral infrastructure bill.

So while you held your nose and voted for a guy who is known for bankruptcy, scandals, and weird antics, who inherited a solid economy, you don't get to holler how smart you conservatives are and how dumb liberals are, because history has already shown we have saved your bacon over and over and cleaned up conservative republicans messes.

Keep holding your nose as the stench is very likely to get worse. Save a few bucks for a mask, and ignore my suggestion at your own peril. Keep obsessing over that silly MW argument that peeves you so much, because if you cannot dig deeper into your own data, then I doubt if I could tell you anything that passes as something you can understand. Too bad your own inflexibility has blinded you to the obvious.

I can lead you to water Hoss, but I can't force you to drink it. I ain't got time for that! We both can sit and watch the Dufus deal with his own man made recessionary antics and blast him and his sycophants for it.

You can blame it on the liberals as usual, who cares?

[jlisenbe]

Typical political speech. Liberals are wonderful, and conservatives are terrible. Conservatives, of course, say it the other way around. Obama put us a further 10 tril in debt, gave us a tepid, struggling economy with very little wage growth, and ran an administration strewn with scandal. Liberals, of course, will choose to ignore all of that. Is Trump a shining example of good character? Not even close, but your alternative, HC, was just as bad if not worse, yet you don't mention that. It's all about politics. I could be talked into voting for someone else, but who? Sanders? Warren? Biden? A collective group of incompetent losers. So, for now, I'll appreciate the economic growth and relatively low inflation, be thankful for judicial appointments who believe in the rule of law, admire what Mr. Trump has managed to accomplish in foreign relations, and yes, hold my nose for his many occasions of running his mouth. And also be gloriously happy that HC is not the president.

As for inflation and presidents, you have neglected to mention the most recent inflation king: Jimmy Carter, a democrat!

[talaniman]

I didn't have to hold my nose to vote for a female that's been attacked by the right wing loony noise machine for many decades and that includes that BS Benghazi investigation the loons put on her. Two years and NOTHING!

You keep holding your nose and soon the rest of us may have to, or is that all it takes to abandon your morals.

[jlisenbe]

More of the typical political speech. If you think Benghazi was nothing, then I don't know what to tell you. 4 people dead while Obama and Clinton did nothing. Clinton did nothing for the months leading up to it when they were practically begging for help. Then they both lied like dogs about it, trying to say it was a spontaneous event when they knew that was not true. But the truth would have been inconvenient for Obama's reelection chances, so they lied, lied, and then lied some more. Cold, calculated, wicked lying. Might be BS to you, but it wasn't to the family members of those who died.

This is just typical political nonsense. Obama was wonderful. Clinton was wonderful. Trump is a lying dufus. Truth is, they are all cut from the same bolt of cloth. You are so in love with Obama you don't want to admit it, but it is true.

I have three priorities: 1. Foster a healthy economy. 2. Appoint judges who don't legislate from the bench. 3. Eliminate deficit spending. He is 2 for 3 so far. Obama was 0 for 3, so I'm sticking with Trump for now. But if the repubs don't get spending under control and whack the budget deficit, then I'll be looking for a third party. For unlike you sometimes seem to be, I don't regard the president as being practically my best, best friend. He is an employee of the American people and nothing more. If he can't get the job done, then he can move on and we'll replace him.

[jlisenbe]

All quiet on the western front.

[talaniman]

Hello JL. In no way do I trivialize the loss of life at Benghazi. It's just I question your facts and SPIN. I mean is it not the facts that it was investigated by the congress and those facts and recommendations part of the public record? I could call the GOP House hearings partisan witch hunts, but the more important fact is they yielded nothing new. Did anybody jump on Bush after 911? No, as a nation we came together to heal recover and get the perpetrators. Benghazi was but another investigation and partisan smear job you righties jumped on, no difference that any other the right wing has used for decades.

So NO, I don't trivialize any loss of life. But you wingers in the GOP, should be held accountable for politicizing the loss of life, and the more disgusting act of justifying holding your nose and giving us the DUFUS just for your political agenda. That you were willing to "hold your nose " speaks volumes of that agenda. The good news though, The Dufus in the White House not only exposes that agenda, and shows how low you would go to further it, but the best thing is we have been spared more intense loony attacks had Hillary won. If the fear of Clinton had your head exploding for decades, imagine the spectacle of running in circles hollering the end of the world if she was in the WH. Yeah, we had a preview of that noise with Obama.

Actually since you guys have crawled from under the rock and have the spotlight, I think we all can examine the FACTS and debate how we want to move forward. I'm more convinced than ever that your agenda is nothing but a ruse to mainstream bad racist behavior and foist YOUR holier than thou agendas on the rest of us. I think my theory that you are the true minority with that kind of thinking and governance will again move to the more inclusive value that all men were created equal... be they slave or MASSA, burger flipper or CEO. Left leaning bleeding heart or right wing loony.

My only hope for you my friend is you stop being a sycophant for a morally corrupt human being. At least acknowledge that Obama came in during a raging fire that threatened the world, and put it out... and started the rebuilding process.

[jlisenbe]

I was remembering this morning how many of us were ready to get up the morning after the election and say to the republican party, "This is what happens when you nominate a poor candidate." Now as it turns out, Mr. Trump won. So instead I say it to the democrats. "This is what happens when you nominate a poor candidate." She never accomplished anything worth mentioning and was as scandal plagued as Mr. Obama was.

I'm fine with people criticizing our president. I do it myself. What bothers me is that most dems are not equal opportunity criticizers. Anything a person wants to condemn Trump about is equally true of Obama and even more so with HC. After all, it was her ineptitude that cost people's lives. But you have a right to your opinion. We simply don't agree.

My ambition in life is to tell others about the saving power of Jesus Christ. Truth is, our nation is rotting from the inside out. We need look no further than ourselves to see where most of our problems reside.

[tomder55]

The Dems appear to be doubling down on wacky .
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/20/u...-midterms.html


Bold prediction . Since the Manafort trial was about tax evasion even though throughout the years the IRS never went after him... exoneration ….maybe even jury nullification .

[jlisenbe]

That's what SHOULD happen.

Bold prediction . Since the Manafort trial was about tax evasion even though throughout the years the IRS never went after him... exoneration ….maybe even jury nullification .

[paraclete]

My ambition in life is to tell others about the saving power of Jesus Christ. .

Good luck with that objective. You won't get it done on a website like this

[talaniman]

You know you're LOONY when you think a Russian double agent should go free when it's well documented that he evaded paying taxes by filing false documents to defraud the government and US banks while working for The Dufus, and his partner in crime admits it.

You know you're LOONY when you make the bad guys some misunderstood heroes, and want him free.

I guess you'll have to defend Dufus Jr. too, pretty soon. Hope your noses don't fall off your faces from pinching them to hard. Or maybe that's why Trump sycophants sound so funny because they have to breathe through their mouths all the time.