The Weldon Cooper Center economic forecast doesn't bear good tidings. The federal cuts are deeply affecting Northern Virginia, and as NOVA goes, so goes the commonwealth.
By abdicating their responsibilities at every level, from citizen to Congressperson, they own it.
They knew what they were getting.
They had 10 years to see DJT in action, they even published a book detailing how they would destroy the civil liberties, Constitution, and laws of this country. Which they've followed to the letter and without dissent.
This was not some unforeseen disaster.
Let's quit pretending otherwise.
18.2-31 of the Code of Virginia states that someone who hires a murderer to kill is guilty of that felony and can be punished accordingly.
Why are we not holding Republicans accountable for killing our honor, finances, rules of law, and Constitution?
Do those things no longer matter to us? Did they ever, or was that just lip service we gave, without really meaning it? If they do, we might want to start defending them. Loudly, strongly.
I note that most of the construction projects you mention are either to benefit billionaire companies like Amazon and Google, or were started before this current reign of terror, ignorance, and incompetence.
Hardly things that will help the housing crisis in the area, though I guess if enough people leave, lose their jobs, or are deported - then that problem will work itself out. Though not how we'd like.
Yes, the 3rd quarter will be where we begin to more clearly see the economic effects of arbitrary taxes/tariffs which are just now being implemented.
Though supply chain disruptions have already occurred due to their threat. Most economists and business leaders already anticipate a recession. Get ready, it's coming.
Of course, how can you trust the numbers for the 3rd quarter, since Republicans fired the last person to tell them employment was falling, and the replacement has promised to withhold the reports until he can review them?
Hardly inspires confidence or trust.
I suspect you'll more likely see it in your own finances, from the costs of goods, difficulty finding employees, scarcity of materials long before you hear Republicans admit it.
The one thing the party of fraudulent felons can be counted on to provide is self-serving lies.
For everyday builders however, how can they or developers start a project if they cannot count on their funding if it has anything to do with government?
Their plans if it has anything to do with data?
Their workforce when they know (though no one admits) it is dependent upon undocumented workers?
Or their materials - when its cost or presence capriciously changes daily?
Many of these people are betting their entire fortunes on these projects.
Would you do so in such uncertainty?
I wouldn't. I'd keep my money in my pocket if I could and ride it out. Or, like you said, invest it in healthcare since everyone is getting older.
Meanwhile, Republicans not only are openly engaged in new and novel means of gerrymandering and voter suppression; they are opening up prisons in Uganda, occupying our nation's Capitol with the military and secret police without oversight. Unaccountable to anyone.
Just yesterday, the Vice President himself promised to do more of the same in other cities. Stating the only people who would object to that are 90 year old communists.
Is that the only people who would object to living in a complete police state? I'm not so sure.
How about you? Is that what your son signed up for, Martin? The opportunity to aim machine guns at people like me? Where will you be when that happens? Which side?
I fear you, and many others, may soon have to decide. Though I join you in wishing it weren't so, I'll not let my wishes cloud my observations. Again, they are openly stating their intent, and have shown clear willingness to follow up on those intentions. Why not take them at their word on such things?
As they proudly drive the homeless and mentally ill from pillar to post. You know, what Jesus would do, because they are so Godly....
Anecdotally, I've had 4 top end construction supervisors of multi-million dollar projects in the last 3 months come up to me to see if I knew of any openings, as their current projects closed out, and their companies had no new work lined up.
Sadly, I did not, and I suspect it will get worse before it gets better.
Personally, where a year ago I was turning down work, now I'm at 75% capacity and anticipate being at 50% by the years end unless I develop new projects. Which I'm working on, but we'll see.
Regardless, I'll be better off than most, in that I also have a defined benefit pension, am old enough to take SS if it doesn't work out, and specifically have maintained a low overhead business model that allows me to ride out fluctuations - but I pity those trying to run a business who do not have such resources.
Uncertainty is the bane of honest business. As is corruption, lawlessness, fear.
If any of those things give you pause, you need to hold Republicans accountable while you still can. Because they are certainly not doing it themselves.
With the loss of inspectors generals, gutting of consumer and environmental protections, and the military take over of our cities; we have entered a rollback of civil liberties and protections never before seen in our country - though over 70% of the world now lives under totalitarian regimes.
We are close to joining them. In many ways, we already have. Though I never thought we would.
If you're not willing to stand up against that now, then when?
If not for this, then what?
The other day, a passionate young man wrote on here: "This far, and no farther."
I share the sentiment. We need to hold Republicans to account. We need to insist they hold themselves to account.
This is their doing. Let's quit pretending otherwise. I would hope some of them would gather the courage to stand with us, but regardless of if I or we stand alone, I stand for these things.
Rule of law, honesty, integrity, non-violence, Constitutionality, kindness, science, honest capitalism. The things that both parties, and we as a nation used to all believe. But one is now trying actively to destroy. We are no longer two parts of the same bird.
The Preamble to the Constitution states the following:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
They've broken the faith inherent in that document, we need to quit pretending otherwise.
I'm not sure that we'll ever be able to fix the damages they've caused to our values or people.
But I do know from my paramedic days that the first thing you do for someone on fire is to stop the burn. This Republican systemic destruction of our nation needs to stop.
As important as money is to life, there are other things more important. We would do well to remember that.
But know that it is not one man doing this, it is a people. Let's at least admit that. Then both they and we can go from there. We've got some hard choices to make, and they are not just economic nor local.
The world does not end at the Stafford County line.
Nope, nope, nope.
This is not DJT's economy.
This is the Republican Party's economy.
By abdicating their responsibilities at every level, from citizen to Congressperson, they own it.
They knew what they were getting.
They had 10 years to see DJT in action, they even published a book detailing how they would destroy the civil liberties, Constitution, and laws of this country. Which they've followed to the letter and without dissent.
This was not some unforeseen disaster.
Let's quit pretending otherwise.
18.2-31 of the Code of Virginia states that someone who hires a murderer to kill is guilty of that felony and can be punished accordingly.
Why are we not holding Republicans accountable for killing our honor, finances, rules of law, and Constitution?
Do those things no longer matter to us? Did they ever, or was that just lip service we gave, without really meaning it? If they do, we might want to start defending them. Loudly, strongly.
I note that most of the construction projects you mention are either to benefit billionaire companies like Amazon and Google, or were started before this current reign of terror, ignorance, and incompetence.
Hardly things that will help the housing crisis in the area, though I guess if enough people leave, lose their jobs, or are deported - then that problem will work itself out. Though not how we'd like.
Yes, the 3rd quarter will be where we begin to more clearly see the economic effects of arbitrary taxes/tariffs which are just now being implemented.
Though supply chain disruptions have already occurred due to their threat. Most economists and business leaders already anticipate a recession. Get ready, it's coming.
Of course, how can you trust the numbers for the 3rd quarter, since Republicans fired the last person to tell them employment was falling, and the replacement has promised to withhold the reports until he can review them?
Hardly inspires confidence or trust.
I suspect you'll more likely see it in your own finances, from the costs of goods, difficulty finding employees, scarcity of materials long before you hear Republicans admit it.
The one thing the party of fraudulent felons can be counted on to provide is self-serving lies.
For everyday builders however, how can they or developers start a project if they cannot count on their funding if it has anything to do with government?
Their plans if it has anything to do with data?
Their workforce when they know (though no one admits) it is dependent upon undocumented workers?
Or their materials - when its cost or presence capriciously changes daily?
Many of these people are betting their entire fortunes on these projects.
Would you do so in such uncertainty?
I wouldn't. I'd keep my money in my pocket if I could and ride it out. Or, like you said, invest it in healthcare since everyone is getting older.
Meanwhile, Republicans not only are openly engaged in new and novel means of gerrymandering and voter suppression; they are opening up prisons in Uganda, occupying our nation's Capitol with the military and secret police without oversight. Unaccountable to anyone.
Just yesterday, the Vice President himself promised to do more of the same in other cities. Stating the only people who would object to that are 90 year old communists.
Is that the only people who would object to living in a complete police state? I'm not so sure.
How about you? Is that what your son signed up for, Martin? The opportunity to aim machine guns at people like me? Where will you be when that happens? Which side?
I fear you, and many others, may soon have to decide. Though I join you in wishing it weren't so, I'll not let my wishes cloud my observations. Again, they are openly stating their intent, and have shown clear willingness to follow up on those intentions. Why not take them at their word on such things?
As they proudly drive the homeless and mentally ill from pillar to post. You know, what Jesus would do, because they are so Godly....
Anecdotally, I've had 4 top end construction supervisors of multi-million dollar projects in the last 3 months come up to me to see if I knew of any openings, as their current projects closed out, and their companies had no new work lined up.
Sadly, I did not, and I suspect it will get worse before it gets better.
Personally, where a year ago I was turning down work, now I'm at 75% capacity and anticipate being at 50% by the years end unless I develop new projects. Which I'm working on, but we'll see.
Regardless, I'll be better off than most, in that I also have a defined benefit pension, am old enough to take SS if it doesn't work out, and specifically have maintained a low overhead business model that allows me to ride out fluctuations - but I pity those trying to run a business who do not have such resources.
Uncertainty is the bane of honest business. As is corruption, lawlessness, fear.
If any of those things give you pause, you need to hold Republicans accountable while you still can. Because they are certainly not doing it themselves.
With the loss of inspectors generals, gutting of consumer and environmental protections, and the military take over of our cities; we have entered a rollback of civil liberties and protections never before seen in our country - though over 70% of the world now lives under totalitarian regimes.
We are close to joining them. In many ways, we already have. Though I never thought we would.
If you're not willing to stand up against that now, then when?
If not for this, then what?
The other day, a passionate young man wrote on here: "This far, and no farther."
I share the sentiment. We need to hold Republicans to account. We need to insist they hold themselves to account.
This is their doing. Let's quit pretending otherwise. I would hope some of them would gather the courage to stand with us, but regardless of if I or we stand alone, I stand for these things.
Rule of law, honesty, integrity, non-violence, Constitutionality, kindness, science, honest capitalism. The things that both parties, and we as a nation used to all believe. But one is now trying actively to destroy. We are no longer two parts of the same bird.
The Preamble to the Constitution states the following:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
They've broken the faith inherent in that document, we need to quit pretending otherwise.
I'm not sure that we'll ever be able to fix the damages they've caused to our values or people.
But I do know from my paramedic days that the first thing you do for someone on fire is to stop the burn. This Republican systemic destruction of our nation needs to stop.
As important as money is to life, there are other things more important. We would do well to remember that.
But know that it is not one man doing this, it is a people. Let's at least admit that. Then both they and we can go from there. We've got some hard choices to make, and they are not just economic nor local.
The world does not end at the Stafford County line.