Saturday, March 12, 2016

Lowering Household Expenses

At the end of 2015, the US population was 321,773,631 with 124.6 million US households. In 2014, the US population was reported at 318,857,056 with 134.0 million US households.

The average US household income was $53,657, down from $58,000 in 2000.  There are about 100 million working-age US citizens with no job.

US consumers spend $11.2 trillion a year. The question is: Can we increase US jobs, by changing our consumer choices ?  The US trade deficit is about $450 billion a year.

Taxing imports from China to offset their currency and patent violations makes the most sense. We would see electronics manufacturing work return to the US. When oil prices return to the $50 bbl., level we should see our trade deficit fall quite a bit as we increase oil and natural gas exports.

We supply our own water. We import about 20% of our food. That includes coffee, tropical fruit, sugar, chocolate and other foods grown overseas, but it also includes some meat and fish.

Our cellphone, internet and cable TV expenses are up. Lots of households don’t have a land line phone. Consumer erosion is keeping these prices in check as consumers just cancel these services to save money.

We need to reduce our household debt as much as possible by going to 15 year home mortgages.

Our electric and natural gas bills are up, particularly where our utility companies have wasted money on solar and wind. There is no reason to shut down our coal fired power plants. Carbon capture is a scam and we shouldn’t put up with it.

Our interest rates are down and will remain low until the US government pays down its debt. Wages will also stay low until this debt is brought back to under $10 trillion. We should be able to supply a lot of our own needs if we get government out of the way and reduce job-killing regulations and risks.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader


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