Many Americans Unable To Save For Retirement

Above, our senior group cut back on restaurant gatherings from five days to two due to rising prices.

It is getting harder and harder to save money for retirement.

Thanks to inflation, it costs more to buy food, pay for rent, buy a house, healthcare and just everyday living expenses.

CBS News reports that more people are living paycheck-to-paycheck these days and finding it nearly impossible to save for retirement.

They begin with:

Many Americans are eager to put money away for retirement, but that goal is increasingly out of reach because more workers are living paycheck to paycheck, a new Goldman Sachs study finds.

Roughly 42% of younger working Americans — spanning Gen Z, millennials and Gen X — report having no spare savings after covering their basic living expenses, according to the analysis, which surveyed about 3,600 workers and 1,500 retirees. Among those just getting by, about three-quarters said they are struggling to save for retirement, the survey found. 

The share of U.S. workers in this precarious financial position has grown significantly since 1997, when 31% lived paycheck to paycheck, according to Goldman. The investment bank projects that figure could climb to well over half of Americans by 2033 as essentials like housing and health care continue to rise in cost.

To read more, go here.

Newsom Abolishes Single-Family Zoning In California

One of the reasons (of several) why I decided to move out of Commiefornia was that I knew Gavin Newsom would become the next governor and he would be a total disaster.

Hardly a month goes by (sometimes even just days) when some action by Newsom and the Democrats in control of both houses of the legislature have proven me right in my decision.

Here we go again. 

From the Mercury News:

In one of his first actions after surviving an election seeking to oust him from office, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday essentially abolished single-family zoning in California — and green-lighted a series of bills intended to bolster the state’s housing production.

By signing Senate Bill 9 into law, Newsom opened the door for the development of up to four residential units on single-family lots across California. The move follows a growing push by local governments to allow multi-family dwellings in more residential neighborhoods. Berkeley voted to eliminate single-family zoning by Dec. 2022, and San Jose is set to consider the issue next month.

While opponents fear such a sweeping change will destroy the character of residential neighborhoods, supporters hail it as a necessary way to combat the state’s persistent housing crisis and correct city zoning laws that have contributed to racial segregation.

Don't be surprised if this move makes more people to get the hell out of Commiefornia. This is what happens when a radical socialist party has a stranglehold on the state's government. California is a one-party state. 

To read more, go here. 

Democrat Proposes Taxpayer Funded Dorms For Congressional Members

After she was elected by New York lunatic voters, socialist loon Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY complained that she couldn't find affordable housing in Washington, D.C. as she wasn't drawing a salary as yet.

My response at the time was, "You should have thought of that before you ran for congress!"

Well, another Democrat wants us taxpayers to fund housing for members of congress.

According to American Lookout:

Democrat Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi wants taxpayers to fund housing in Washington, DC for members of Congress. Talk about being out of touch with the American people. Most taxpayers would laugh at hearing such a suggestion. 

The Washington Free Beacon reports: 

Democrat Congressman Wants ‘Taxpayer-Funded Dorms’ 

Democratic members of Congress want taxpayers to subsidize their housing, signing onto legislation that would allow them to deduct living expenses for members of the House of Representatives.

What's next? Will they expect the voters to pay for valets to wipe the asses, too?

To read more, go here. 

Exodus Out of California

When a NBC-related channel reports on a problem with a state that's a bastion of liberalism, it tells you that there is a major problem.

People are fleeing the People's Republic of California (or, as I like to refer to it, Commiefornia) due to high taxes and the high cost of living.

CNBC reported:

Californians may still love the beautiful weather and beaches, but more and more they are fed up with the high housing costs and taxes and deciding to flee to lower-cost states such as Nevada, Arizona and Texas. 

"There's nowhere in the United States that you can find better weather than here," said Dave Senser, who lives on a fixed income near San Luis Obispo, California, and now plans to move to Las Vegas. "Rents here are crazy, if you can find a place, and they're going to tax us to death. That's what it feels like. At least in Nevada they don't have a state income tax. And every little bit helps." 

Senser, 65, who previously lived in the east San Francisco Bay region, said housing costs and gas prices are "significantly lower in Las Vegas. The government in the state of California isn't helping people like myself. That's why people are running out of this state now." 

Based on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data, "lower income Californians are the ones who are leaving, not higher income," said Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of research and consulting firm Beacon Economics in Los Angeles. 

He said housing is the chief reason people are leaving California, pointing out there are frequently bidding wars for what limited inventory of homes is available. 

A USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times Poll of Californians last fall found that the high cost of living, including housing, was the most important issue facing the state. It also found more than half of Californians wanted to repeal the state's new gas tax, which raised fees by 40 percent. 

"The rate at which California has been losing people to other states has accelerated in the past couple of years, in part because of rising housing costs," said Jed Kolko, chief economist with employment website Indeed.com.

This hardly sounds like a "workers' paradise", does it? We can thank the Democrat Party who runs California for all of this. This is what happens when you have a one-party state with no viable opposition party.

To read more, go here. 

RV Parking Shortage On The West Coast

Above, The Beast at the Marin RV Park last June. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There appears to be a shortage of parking areas for RVs along the West Coast that includes California, Oregon and Washington. 

Personally, I hadn't noticed this since I usually make reservations beforehand when heading out to a RV park or campground. And, I don't generally stay in a city in the RV.

RV Life reported:

If you’ve gone RVing in California, Oregon, or Washington lately, you may have noticed some changes over the last few years. The West Coast’s lack of affordable housing is at epic proportions and if you roam near larger cities, your travel plans will be affected. 

America’s housing shortage is in crisis mode throughout the west. According to the 13th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey: 2017, three west coast cities made it into the Top Ten least affordable cities in the world. People who can’t afford to buy or even pay astronomical rents in those areas are calling RV parks home. 

Visit any RV park that was once empty except for a few retired seniors, and you’ll find a bustling temporary community with kids, pets, and commuters. Spontaneously pull into any urban West Coast RV park and odds are good that you won’t be able to stay very long. As overnighters with reservations compete with casual RVers, campsite battles are heating up. Here’s how to make the best of the West Coast RV parking shortages if you find yourself in the region.

 To read more, go here.