Recession

[CTZonEdit]

Why doesnt the government and president call it what it is.

We are clearly in a recession. Pussy-footin' around the issue is rediculous.

We have been and are imbedded right now in a full fledged recession.

People cannot afford to continue to pay $4.00 a gallon now for gasoline.

[CoreIssue]

Agree.

A number of people, including economists, say we are in stagflation. Have not seen that since the 70s and it is miserable.

[kay-gee]

especially when the public insists on driving Sherman tanks with 25 gallon gas tanks.

all the best...

[InTheWind]

especially when the public insists on driving Sherman tanks with 25 gallon gas tanks.

all the best...

Does anyone believe there is a shortage of oil, or are we getting ripped off by the oil companies. I believe the later.

[CoreIssue]

especially when the public insists on driving Sherman tanks with 25 gallon gas tanks.

all the best...
Well, a Canadian Minister was just on TV and stated Canada has lost 300,000 in the wood industry alone due to NAFTA and China. The Canadian economy is suffering as well, according to him.

So, don't get cocky about it all. ;)

[CoreIssue]

especially when the public insists on driving Sherman tanks with 25 gallon gas tanks.

all the best...

Does anyone believe there is a shortage of oil, or are we getting ripped off by the oil companies. I believe the later.
Neither. The futures speculators are artificially driving the price through the ceiling to make big bucks for themselves.

[CTZonEdit]

There is no shortage of oil. There is a shortage of refineries that convert oil into gasoline. They cant refine it fast enough to keep up with demand and thats the way they like it.

So yes they are artificially increasing the pricing for us folks.

[Jessie]

almost 3.40 here for gas and nope kg people dont drive those big gas hogs either.

cant afford the gas if it keeps going up.
cost us $5. a day to go to work for each of us.

[CTZonEdit]

And yet this is not at the top of any of the presidential candidates task list?

Is it not obvious just how much of an impact this causes? Everything runs on or depends on services that use gasoline. Everything keeps going up in price because of this. Yet we are more concerned with health care and immigration. These things can go to the back burner for now. Get to the root cause...gas prices!

And it bothers me that the government seems to placate these middle eastern nations that control most of the oil supply. They know full well the way to cripple us and the world is to pull this tactic and slowly gouge us to economic ruin. They dont need bombs or terrorists any more. Yet the U.S.A. does nothing.

[Chrystalwuzhere]

I agree CTZ. We can sanction these nations all we want, but all they have to do is threaten to shut off the oil and you'll see how fast America will bow... or bomb them. In which case, we'll go even further in the hole to pay for it. :tsk:

I am a country girl, and the gas prices are $3.23 here. Not as bad as some places, but still pretty steep for the country. Thankfully, I live close to work, so it doesn't drain me dry to drive there every day, but it still costs more than I'm comfortable with.

I can't believe this hasn't been an issue in these elections either, come to think of it! I wish one person would step up to the microphone in a televised question and answer session with Hillary, Obama, and McCain and say, "What will you do to lower gas prices?" Or, better yet, I wish it was a question in the national debates. Come on! The gas prices are draining us faster than anything else right now. I want to know what they're planning to do about it.

[CoreIssue]

Problem is they will do nothing to stop the speculators from buying and holding crude and refined off the market and it takes years and years to build a new refinery.

Many of the old shut down refineries cannot be restarted. Retooling and other issues make building new a requirement.

We are really in deep.

[kay-gee]

That's peanuts to pay. 3.40 US gallon works out to only .85 per litre. In canada been paying over dollar per litre for about 2 years now. In Bahamas, US gallon cost just under 5.00. Sounds to me like the PNW is getting a bargain. Wonder why that is.

all the best...

[Jessie]

kg its not gonna work.

not out here. the economy is really really bad

maybe peanuts to other countries but its not a bargain.

[CoreIssue]

That's peanuts to pay. 3.40 US gallon works out to only .85 per litre. In canada been paying over dollar per litre for about 2 years now. In Bahamas, US gallon cost just under 5.00. Sounds to me like the PNW is getting a bargain. Wonder why that is.

all the best...
Because those 'free' social bennies are not free. You are paying for them with VAT and other taxes.

[a.baker]

We pay $20 a day for gas. The economy is super bad!!! You should see all the foreclosed homes and how many are unemployed!!! I keep hearing talk about recession. This week we spent $30 for my family of 3 for groceries! Can barely afford that... we are not the only ones.. it is becoming more and more common. Gas here is $3.45. 70 cents up from last year at this same time.

[Jessie]

good to see you!

it just keeps going up a couple cents a day....

[CTZonEdit]

Its all fuel related it seems. Price of food is going up because the price of grain is going up because lobbyists have made us think that ethanol is going to rescue us.

No it isnt. Turning grain into fuel is a waste of a food resource. The economic and environmental cost of ramping up production of ethanol is squeezing our pockets dry.

Now the corn and grain futures are becoming like oil futures. You'd have to be a complete idiot not to see what effect this is going to have on our food supply.

I saw where the common mom and pop pizza joint is now struggling because the price of cheese (cows eat alot of grain) and flour (is a grain) is now being priced out of reach for them. So they have to raise their prices. Cant even compete unless you are a big pizza chain. So again the middle class getting shafted because someone fails to think things thru properly.

[kay-gee]

and as per usual...the farmers get zilch!

all the best...

[CoreIssue]

and as per usual...the farmers get zilch!

all the best...
Bingo!

[CTZonEdit]

All I see is things just spiraling out of control reaching a critical mass.

Nothing is being done about gas prices.
Nothing is being done about immigration.
Nothing is being done about health care.
Nothing is being done about social security.

And frankly none of the candidates impress or even qualify in my mind to even begin to tackle these issues. Platitudes and grand ideas from politicians sickens me and I'm tired of it. I really doubt I will even participate in this election at all at this point.

[Jessie]

right with you CTZ.

out here they just keep building houses on our farm land.
we have lost a lot of land out here to houses.
the only thing that slowed that down was the housing collapse.

too, we had cannerys, and many shut down.
the ones left cant handle the overload of product either.

this has been going on since at least the 80's.

one area here, used to be all farmland....used to be.
now its all city...literally.

[CoreIssue]

Same problem here. Build and add to the empty retail and other spaces created by less spending and lost jobs to out of country.

Stupid and senseless.

Last election many people all over GA were elected to stop the growth for growths sake. But the old boys want to keep building to get those fees charged on new construction.

Problem is they have to keep building to keep getting fees. Old ways are not working. We need new ways but it requires pushing the old way people out of office.

[kay-gee]

I myself have felt that same frustration in my own land so I know how you feel!

all the best...

[CoreIssue]

I myself have felt that same frustration in my own land so I know how you feel!

all the best...
I believe it.