Don't forget that the federal debt per person is now around $51,000. (For a family of four, that's $204,000 added to your mortgage). Four years ago, it was around $34,000. (You had an added $136,000 mortgage four years ago).

So before you answer the question if you are better off now that four years ago, take something you have that's worth $17,000 - maybe like a relatively late model car - and destroy it. For each family member, destroy another $17,000 object you own. If you don't have anything worth $17,000, destroy your neighbors property but make sure he doesn't count it as one of the things he needs to destroy, (If you don't want to think about destroy these things, pretend that you're sending them to China).

And if you believe that the town of North Andover has a $118 million in unfunded liabilities, thats about $4,000 each of us owes ($16,000 for a family of four). I'm not sure what this figure was four years ago.

The country didn't bottom out right when Obama took office. That was later. The damaging affects of W's economy were still in place. Since then Obama's policies have led us to where we are today, booming stock market, job growth, low inflation, etc. Not back fully yet but we are on the right track.

No chance. This is one abysmal economy with few middle and upper middle class jobs being created.

Massachusetts unemployment numbers are deceiving. 6.3% Unemployment, but not included is a 15% underemployment rate. Lots of bartender and waitress jobs, not many 50-250K jobs being created.

One other note. The Stock market hasn't had anything to do with the US since the early 2000's when Wall Street and Main Street divorced.

Obama's economy is like dropping into a 1000 foot hole under Bush, then for four years bumping along at the bottom of it

It's mostly based on the International business economy/Emerging Markets. We're passe.

i think we are getting better since Obama as president and when he is back in for another four years we will be better off. he was poor himself so he knows what is like. the rich doesn't what poor and middle class is about ok. from, pam

Obama knows what it's like to be poor, then become rich working for the government.
Is this the experience we need from him to get our economy moving, if re-elected?
Using his getting rich as a government employee experience to help the country?

Poverty rate at 30 year high, record number of people on food stamps, below 2% GDP growth, record deficits, 4 yrs above 8% unemployment..real unemployment rate is 15%. Labor force participation is also at a 30 yr low, under 58%. And, many of the people leaving the labor force are being shoved onto SSI. Healthcare costs still climbing above inflation. Yup..a great four years. Worst recovery ever.

I know, Bush's fault....got it. Every President inherits a mess in some way, but only Obama has made a career out of making excuses. Imaging if GWB spent eight years blaming Clinton for not killing Bin Ladin when he had a chance. Recall, he took a pass when he was consumed with his impeachment trial for lying about cheating on his wife in the oval office with an intern.

The truth is, whoever becomes president has got to bite the bullet and make a lot of cuts to programs we all cherish and would like to hold onto, but, balancing a budget doesn't work that way. When you go to vote in November, which candidate is willing to use his experience in balancing budgets to get us back on track in the future, and which one would rather spend us into debt that will eventually sink us all. Any jobs that have been created are mediocre, and don't pay enough to pay the bills. We need both quality and quantity--not jobs that don't even pay for the groceries.

We are much better off today than we were 4 years ago. Economy is better and the housing market is a lot better.

Romney:

Hard worker, good family man, God fearing, gives a ton to charity, smart business man, turns around failing companies, saved the Olympics after an unbelievable scandal and once shut down his whole company and moved to NY to help a colleague find his missing daughter (they found her).

Oh and he once strapped a dog in a cage to his station wagon.

Obama:

Don't know much about his upbringing and college years because he won't tell us, never had a real job, got ahead in life by his brains and affirmative action, was head of the Harvard law review without ever publishing an article, a mediocre senator with no major legislative achievement, consorts with knows anarchists and goes to a church that professes to "God-damn America".

Oh and he once ate a dog

ask obama for his birth certificate not his certificate of birth . two different pieces of paper and where was he born? kenya perhaps?

Let's see 4 years ago we were losing 750,000 private sector jobs a month and today were are gaining about 150,000 private sector jobs per month, the stock market was around 6500 today its over 13000, corporate profits for 2 quarters of the last fiscal year set new records, Osama bin Laden is dead and GM is alive, and we are getting out of the 2 wars that the last Republican president got us into. Yes I would say we are better off!!!

Gail go get a job and pay some taxes will you please. You need to take your head out of. It may bring you around to reality. I can not belive you and your comments. Where have you been the last three pus years. Certianly not in this country. OMG!

LIBERALS ARE DESTROYING OUR NATION. OBAMA HAS NO QUALIFICATIONS TO BE PRESIDENT. WHEN THE COUNTRY VOTED FOR THIS NITWIT INSTEAD OF A USA WAR HERO LIKE JOHN MCAIN, THATS WHEN THE COUNTRY HEADED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED ON CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPALS. VOTE ROMNEY.

Yes, we are better off than 4 years ago. My wife and I started a new business in early 2010 which has been successful. Are things perfect? No, but I'll take Obama over any of the Republicans any day. We will also vote for Elizabeth Warren over Brown.

$120,792,954,000,000 is the total amount of the United States unfunded liabilities. It is going up fast as I write this comment.

Who is going to pay this when it comes due?

Gail and Buzz will pay it when it is due.

Holy crap...there are morons still on the birther BS?? Unbelievable. Most of the general public is too stupid to even insult.

Hahahahaha...John Buba, that was great. Completely full of nonsense and stuff you either made up or regurgitated from Fox News, but my favorite part was "god fearing", as if that's a positive trait. The man is a deeply entrenched member of one of the country's most dangerous cults. And his "gives a ton to charity" is called "tithing". His cult requires it. He's a savvy investor, nothing more. He has no spine, no values, nothing that anyone can stand behind. He's dangerous because he's such a wild card. So easily manipulated.

Wow you guys really are all nuts haha. John mcain? Omg, seriously, running our country? I am not particularly fond of obamas run so far but I did vote for him, he was

Wikipedia Definition: TROLL: In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as a forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.

A lot of TROLLS seem to be out and about on this comment section. So far, only two commenters have answered one of the three simple questions that were asked.

My answers: 1)Yes - 2) It's actually better - 3) At this point in time: The administration.

Yes I am better off. But I am always better off because I take repsonsibility for myself. I will always be better off no matter who is in office. I don't vote for what a candidate promises to give me or help me with. I vote for the person he will be best for the country as a whole and that person is not obama.

The only way you could be better off than 4 years ago is if you own either a gun store or a liquor store. This President is an unmitigated disaster. Putting him in the Oval Office was comparable to taking the guy out of the mailroom and, with no training, making him CEO. Beyond his incompetence though is a far darker reality and that is that this President has utter disdain for America, Americans, the Constitution, in short, everything this country has ever stood for. November cannot come too soon so we can rid the country of this cancer.

Wow, pretty troubling to read such vitriol and personal attacks from members of my community.

I'd bet that if the media and our leaders were to re-frame the debate, that there would be alot more places where we all agree than where we disagree.

I think we all want many of the same things (e.g. politicians should represent constituents over special interests, a strong economy, fairness in tax policy, clean air and water, strong schools, no wars). But while we're all busy attacking each other, we're not working to fix the real problems.

It would be nice to have those discussions instead of these.

BABY HUEY/MR.MAGOO 2012

Invoice to: GAIL

Your Share of National Debt

Amount: $51,094

Assessments:

Democrat $5,000

Total amount due $56,094

My life is a lot better now! I got a really good job last year and I love it! People stop hating on Obama so much!

Gail,
What percentage of income is that for you? Do you eat meals to pay your share of taxes for the town you live in? $1500 is only $15 for your town, eat up, that's what North Andover is calling us for, so they can waste money putting our kids in a weight room that they "DON'T NEED" and school superintendent in a rented room for more than four years at a cost of $100K per year. The Town leaves a building empty for years and can't figure out what to do.
Town assessor, 60 homes built, they don't know that mine, like the others has a basement and wanted to raise my taxes 10%.
Oh, meals tax plus an increase in tax rate.

My job, chemist, down 30% income - gas up 100% from $2 to $4

Imagine, if a student drives to school and needs $60 per week in gas, and makes only $8 per hour how does that compare with 1985, 1990, 1995 etc. - it is bad all they way around.

It doesn't help that they are spending needlessly. Why pay the meals tax? Donate your money, that's right, instead of $15 pay them the $1500 and don't eat out!
The schools need you. Donate your $1500 to families paying an increase in bus fees -
Pay Gail, keep paying more and you will get less services. You are not supporting needed services your paying for mistakes and misspending. Cut the taxes, no meals tax, no trash taxes, give us back the $1.7 million in an override that they are not spending properly.

Gail what do you think the town needs: Telephone budget of $100K, police building and school building not functional for years - keep paying, glad your on board with paying!!

Invoice to: Gail
Dated: 9/29/12

Your Share of Massachusetts Debt

Amount: $15,687

Assessments:

Democrat $2,313

Total amount due $18,000

I eat in other towns because needs are spread throughout the nation.
I eat out because I want to eat out. I don't like paying a tax that I can't control how it is spent.

Property tax is bad enough - again, if property values go up your taxes are up and despite proposition 2.5, a section of town can pay way more in property tax. Check yours then check mine tell me if I should pay more.

What is a good number Gail - what percentage of income should you pay in taxes?

All taxes: Property, income, social security, local meals, fees?

$100K salary, if health insurance for a family of 4 is $550/ month your down to $93000; gas at $130/week down to $86000; have a mortgage? Do you buy food?
Life insurance?
Oh cut that salary in half and some of the numbers stay the same - is that better?
Bus fee up 10%? Taxes Gail
What percentage total: Property tax on $300000 is $4600 or nearly 5% on salary of 100k or 10% tax on $50K

What number looks good to you? To support what again?

School committee and town manager care? For more than 4 years after override and still spending needlessly $100K per year in rent and telephones at $100k per year
What else is wrong?
Is your property tax bill correct - check against your neighbors.

Gail -How about the bags of s*it on welfare.I suppose you support them too.

Gene-not all but most.

The embarrassment of a Vice President, Joe Biden, contributed a fraction of a percent of his income to charity. Mitt contributed $4,000,000. So now you're going to tell me that democrats care more about people? I don't think so! Joe likes to spend everyone else's money, not his own.

Cindt

If the town can rent space then the town budget isn't hit hard enough.
Cut the taxes.
During the trash tax moment a neighbor of mine graduated NA high school and went to Dartmouth - so much for how bad things were - some kids are smart some are average - no amount of money will fix that.

Leave my community - the meals tax is every where now but the town of north andover called me? 29000 population spending $1500 on meals (prepared food) generates $435000. Guess they can keep renting space for the "need" and raise bus fees because people (average person) doesn't need their 1% spent on food or the money spent for the bus. Is that right?

Romney will allow for investors to support companies that I work for - research to product, like pharmaceuticals, material science, green chemistry - it takes people with little money, big ideas and people with more money to create jobs.

Not taxes for renting buildings for superintendents to spend inefficiently and town budgets to be blown on empty buildings for years.

You know in a small company I have seen presidents of the company sitting at used desks, poor office spaces, working with the people they employ. No cell phones or latest Windows products. We work with Windows 2003 does the Town do that?

Gail,

Your community is not the town in which you live - you should not be against other towns - that is a political ploy developed by democrats - Meals tax was Deval Patrick
Pitting one town against another instead of opting for a 7% meals tax statewide.

To increase traffic here in North Andover - take away meals tax, take away CPA tax - be different not the same and sell it!

Dumbocrats really are.

Gail, As a republican I do believe in helping folks who are struggling and sincerely need a little help. However,I do resent my tax dollars going to people who have no intention of working. We've created a permanent underclass with generation after generation of families who've never worked. (If you want to increase something, just subsidize it). Democrats are in effect buying their votes.

They used the CPA tax for a church - that is not right and for costly gutters at Stevens Estate.
Town Tax is all they need. CPA protected the watershed, which is now complete. End the program, the state cut back on its matching.
CPA needs to be cut also because the town makes more money on new growth.
Let Stevens Estate go, it is a money pit not a money maker.
CPA for things we need - yeah then use it, fix brad street school and put superintendent in it. Fix old police station cheaply and use that or better yet:

Eliminate weight room at high school and that part of physical education and use that space.

Get spec Ed in town no transport out. Send message to state and fed by not supporting tax increases to stop mandates that cannot be funded.

Stop town pensions of all kinds, I don't get one, why should they.

Keep town trash pickup, restore bussing service immediately.
Assessor doesn't have his act together eliminate that and privatize it.

What projects for CPA? Name all programs at the school and lets eliminate the ones that we don't "need". You list them - I'll take the ones out and will see if we agree.
Lets make the discussion real.

The answer is "NO". Savings interest rates are down, taxes are up, people who are selling houses are losong, etc, etc.

The liberals want me to be more concerned with what Mitt does with his money than Obama does with mine. One of the reason why MA has a lower unemployment rate is due to the increase in people employed as civil servants, municipal employees, or government agencies. Also, Baystate Politicians are in bed with Obama to just name a few. Liberals, crawl back into you holes from which you came and take Obama with you.

Yes definately better off despite many financial hurdles. Everything is going up & my income is going down but I am a fighter & always find a way. Sometimes u have to push a little harder in tough times to achieve the same results. All this energy spent complaining & blaming eachother could be put into making life better for youself. Life is tough but ultimately we are responsible for where we are in life, not the president. I'm sure 4 years from now ill feel the same

I agree Jason, but at the same time we don't people taking our hard earned money away needlessly. Imagine in North Andover we voted down a trash tax and guess what, the town was fine without it. Now people forget the $1.7 million in an override that we are paying but you know if the town gave it back - the town would be fine and probably better off.

Energy must be spent to force the spenders for justification of the spend not just its ok to ask for a meals tax and spend $100K for rent needlessly.

Yes! Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!
Visit www,NahantDems.com/jobs-jobs-jobs

refverf

I don't know, this girl believes so,

http://youtu.be/6JB7fhN5-RI

Wow sad to read all these posts. 47 percent of Americans are on some type of Federal program for handouts. We are headed to a 3rd world country. OB just keeps spending and spending and this will get us in trouble. It is to bad the main stream media can herd all the folks like cattle.

No