Haven’t been to a fast food restaurant for weeks.

With the covid-19. As a small business owner the trump tax cuts were a boon. That does not mean I need to vote for trump in 2020!

But that will not keep me from voting a straight Democratic ticket in the fall.

My being better off has to do with things specific to me and to my financial situation, all of which I'm very cognizant of.

And I could go into places, like stores, without worrying if I was covered safely enough and needing to know the protocol for each individual store.

Monetarily, yes, I'm somewhat better off...but psychologically, no way! I can well remember the feeling of visceral revulsion and nausea upon hearing of Trump's election. Every day since, he has walked us deeper into a national nightmare, cheered on by his frightening base...

are "better off" in terms of having more money. However, the psychological cost is offsetting that. The desire to live in a society that values all members is important to so many of us.

The be all, end all in my life. I care more about the future of my family, my Country. The safety of them is much more importatant.

The destruction of our Government by a mob boss and his gang of thieves matter more to me than a few extra dollars in my pocket!

Thanks to Democratic programs I am fine, but for my family voting for any Trump Republican is lunacy!

Financially the same.

The Humanitarian center in my brain though, cries for the loss of innocence, the loss of common trust, the paranoia, the white hot hatred for Common Sense and Science the virus and Trump have generated over the recent past.

But it’s not about me. The world does not revolve around me.

If the question applies only to money, many will grudgingly say yes, they are.

The trouble is, many of those who are financially better off realize that they might be a minority, and are at any rate not proud of the reason for their well-being. No one with a conscience feels good about that if more people are worse off.

I think I'm about the same, but I don't check on it daily as an obsession.

If I have to come up with an obsession, it's defeating Trump and McTurtle.

The daughter of some friends of ours (born in 1985) once told me that the worst thing about Hitler to her was that he robbed her of her right to feel proud to be a German. Trump is robbing us of our right to feel proud to be Americans. As an American living in another country, that is a bitter pill to swallow.

I honestly don't see how anyone can feel they are better off today than four years ago. In 2016, I could hug my elderly parents, travel, didn't have to follow my news feed so closely, and didn't have to deal with persistent anxiety.

I have more take home pay today than I did four years ago, but I'd gladly take a significant pay cut to hug my parents, travel, feel safe ignoring the news for a week, and not be anxious every waking moment of the day.

The financial recovery allowed me to retire comfortably. Days are now spent fishing, boating, camping, and generally enjoying life.

The whole covid thing has been a pain in the ass, since it limits travel. That really has been my only downside since retiring.

Trump coasted on that for nearly 4 years.

BTW, who is Randi Rhodes backing this time? Stein again?

The hot economy prior to covid did two beneficial things for me.
1. My employer expanded and offered an early buyout to those of us near retirement.
2. The hot stock market allowed me to take profits and nicely plump up my retirement fund.

These are facts that. You may not like that I call them a recovery, but they did recover all of the previous losses after the 08 recession plus more.

But according to the actuarial tables, it's about 30 years away. Plan on enjoying life in the meantime.