JAGStorm Reports City Issues

I love visiting the city but could never live there. Here’s my observations from the weekend holiday in the city, Chicago that is!

So many issues that are at a breaking point.
Firstly, YES I did see migrants. I have a great photo and will load it when I have a moment.
One thing seems clear, They were LIED to and only came here to find WORK. They didn’t come here to freeload.
They all look healthy, young, and eager to work. They have been bamboozled by some group (far left, far right, something else) I don’t know, but using these humans as pawns is absolutely disgusting.
I am also not an expert in Venezuela’s heritage but found it easy to distinguish them from Mexican as I feel they look and speak very differently.
I also didn’t assume all beggars were Venezuelan, but a lot of them had it on their signs! “From Venezuela” etc..

This weekend was chilly, 30s but by no means as brutal as it gets in Chicago. Lots of homeless and mentally ill roaming around. Many laying on the streets, in tents and little cracks and crevices all over the place. It’s a sight that will break the hardest heart. Of course all cities have this but this time it seemed like soo much more. More tents, more people just laying around..

Protests, Big Loud protests. Lots of police everywhere. Again, I have lots of pics but will post later.
Some of the higher end stores had such a police presence it was humorous.

I was out for just a tiny bit for Black Friday, lots and lots of people, very little shopping happening!
I think retailers are going to sober up when the tallies are totaled.. perhaps no longer Black Friday but Red Friday?

a reply to: JAGStorm

You went to Chicago for a vacation? On a holiday!?

Sorry, couldn’t resist. 🥂

originally posted by: KKLOCO
a reply to: JAGStorm

You went to Chicago for a vacation? On a holiday!?

Sorry, couldn’t resist. 🥂

Even though we don’t live there anymore we have deep roots there.

a reply to: JAGStorm

A friend of mine took his wife away for a short break a few months ago and they were appalled at what they witnessed there , they booked into a travel lodge hotel and the place was over run with illegal migrants who gave them nothing but grief and dirty looks forcing him to check out and go stay with his brother and that is the same story you will hear right across the UK .

There is not enough housing, schools , hospitals ,jobs for the locals to go around so how can they hope to integrate the 95 % males that have arrived here , As what happened in Ireland a few nights ago you can expect a lot more of that to happen soon

a reply to: JAGStorm

Was it a lot of the pro-Palestine protests?

According to analysts black friday sales are expected to out pace last years spending and set new records. Online spending has already been tallied to have topped 7% over last year.

Seems like Black Friday sales were a success for retailers, and Americans are spending despite the gray clouds over the economy... makes sense when your consumer base is addicted to spending on credit, even in gloomy times, you can still charge those Christmas presents and pay the minimum later.


link

originally posted by: EndTime
a reply to: JAGStorm

Was it a lot of the pro-Palestine protests?

Yes at least near the Mag Mile.

originally posted by: Dandandat3
According to analysts black friday sales are expected to out pace last years spending and set new records. Online spending has already been tallied to have topped 7% over last year.

Seems like Black Friday sales were a success for retailers, and Americans are spending despite the gray clouds over the economy... makes sense when your consumer base is addicted to spending on credit, even in gloomy times, you can still charge those Christmas presents and pay the minimum later.


link

I can’t open that link but every story I read about Black Friday records have one little word…..online sales broke records. Not in person sales. So we’ll see maybe it is still a record overall for retailers, maybe this is fancy wordsmithing.

originally posted by: JAGStorm

originally posted by: Dandandat3
According to analysts black friday sales are expected to out pace last years spending and set new records. Online spending has already been tallied to have topped 7% over last year.

Seems like Black Friday sales were a success for retailers, and Americans are spending despite the gray clouds over the economy... makes sense when your consumer base is addicted to spending on credit, even in gloomy times, you can still charge those Christmas presents and pay the minimum later.


link

I can’t open that link but every story I read about Black Friday records have one little word…..online sales broke records. Not in person sales. So we’ll see maybe it is still a record overall for retailers, maybe this is fancy wordsmithing.

Sorry for the broken link.

Black Friday Sales Could Reach $9.6 Billion, Adobe Predicts—As Holiday Shopping May Hit New Record This Year

Black Friday sales could reach $9.6 billion this year—adding to the $76.7 billion in holiday spending already since Nov. 1 as of Thursday, according to analysis from Adobe.

The National Retail Federation estimates total holiday spending throughout November and December will total between $957.3 billion and $966.6 billion.

That would be a 3-4% increase over 2022 and an all-time record.

However, despite being an all-time high, spending is growing at a slower pace than years prior—2022’s holiday spending exceeded 2021’s by 5.4%, 2021 exceeded 2020 by 12.7% and 2020 exceeded 2019 by 9.1%, according to the NRF.

Forbes

a reply to: Dandandat3

The jump in spending isn't as much as the jump in inflation. Those figures are flawed. Not only do people pay more, so do the stores for the products they sell. Online spending increased more than inflation, but it seems that the store's sales do not meet the inflation increase....Also, there is way less good black friday sales this year than there used to be in the past.

The wife and I were not at all impressed with the prices in ads this year. So we didn't even go shopping. Usually we give beef for Christmas, so we only get little things to complement the present and now we give the grandkids money in a card instead of buying presents. They have too much junk already that they pile in the attic or in their room and never use. We give things they can use, not something they will use for two weeks then toss aside. I am sick of consumerism commercializing everything. I should change my name to scrooge, after seeing how people prioritizing spending on wants over needs, I can understand why personal debt has grown so much.

a reply to: JAGStorm

"JAGStorm Reports"

Sounds like an idea for a podcast!

Cheers

originally posted by: F2d5thCavv2
a reply to: JAGStorm

"JAGStorm Reports"

Sounds like an idea for a podcast!

Cheers

I have been invited to speak on a podcast, totally unrelated to things on here.
I’ve considered doing one because I think it is such a male dominated sphere especially when it comes to
Conspiracy, paranormal, and a lot of the topics we discuss on here.

originally posted by: F2d5thCavv2
a reply to: JAGStorm

"JAGStorm Reports"

Sounds like an idea for a podcast!

Cheers

Sounds more like a reason to hit the back button.
Bleeding heart liberals only.

originally posted by: glen200376

originally posted by: F2d5thCavv2
a reply to: JAGStorm

"JAGStorm Reports"

Sounds like an idea for a podcast!

Cheers

Sounds more like a reason to hit the back button.
Bleeding heart liberals only.

I’m a true independent.
I’m very socially liberal and very, very fiscally conservative.
How does that translate?

Be and do whatever you want, but not on my tax dime.

originally posted by: JAGStorm

a reply to: JAGStormBe and do whatever you want, but not on my tax dime.

My 20th post.

If the US invested in spending the aid the money some Latin American nations asked for to help police their borders, it might end up saving money in the long run.

When someone leaves, it's probably a net savings for them because they didn't need the labor bad enough to pay a reasonable wage, and they no longer have to provide social services.

Asking them to spend more money to keep net debits from crossing their borders isn't working.

a reply to: Solvedit2

If the US invested in spending the aid the money some Latin American nations asked for to help police their borders, it might end up saving money in the long run.

I understand your point, but it is not our place to invest in other countries. I also agree that we shouldn’t meddle in their countries either (cough cough Venezuela)
Again, that doesn’t mean this is reality.

I think we could easily stop people from coming here by severely punishing corporation, businesses that hire illegals.
Real punishment, jail time, not fines.

originally posted by: JAGStormI think we could easily stop people from coming here by severely punishing corporation, businesses that hire illegals.
Real punishment, jail time, not fines.

The key to making that happen was making enough people care. They may have done that by shipping them to Sanctuary Cities. It looks like increased border enforcement is being considered.

originally posted by: JAGStormI understand your point, but it is not our place to invest in other countries. I also agree that we shouldn’t meddle in their countries either (cough cough Venezuela)
Again, that doesn’t mean this is reality.

The US is the reason thousands of migrants are flooding through Mexico and Central America. We could help the countries by offsetting the cost of emforcing their borders.

I think we could easily stop people from coming here by severely punishing corporation, businesses that hire illegals.
Real punishment, jail time, not fines.

They should tax the corporations to offset the cost of the extra services the migrants will need.

Rather than cutting off corporations from hiring the help they need, it would prevent them from hiring migrants just to save money when there are American workers available. If the economy needs more workers, it's the corporations who say they need the workers who should pay their full cost instead of passing it on to states and cities.

It would be more fair to taxpayers.

It would make sure the services weren't being stretched too thin.