Donny, I love ya man, but you are living in a dream land. Everyone is getting hit, and hit HARD by this crisis. I am loosing over $100 per month alone ... just by driving.
If you thing people are not going to be affected or not change some of their habits, you are in for a big surprise.
We're all paying increases ... at the punp, at the food store ... ther eis no end in sight for how much this will affect our lifestyle. The simple truth for me is this:
I cannot afford a payCUT at someone elses whim, so I will take matters into my own hands and make up the difference. My time is worth money, and my music requires time to get it to the client ... so, if inflation hits me, then I must pass it along, or else I sell myself short.

The reality is that most people will have to cut costs, prioritise better, and work a bit harder. Just a simple truth. It is too easy to price yourself out of a job if one is not careful.

Oh and that goes for 90% of small business.

Jerry

That's America in a nutshell!

But of course, it has to be SOMEBODY. Now if only we could figure out how to make it that EVERYBODY takes a hit when things get bad, and everybody gets a boost as things get better (rather than just tax breaks for the wealthy while standards slip for the rest) and we could get back to being a great nation and model for the world.

But if you haven't figured out that service employees (that what we are - we provide a service, albeit a non-essential one ) are the FIRST to take the bullet, you've been living on Prozac too long...

People are living above their means ....simple as that....now when times get hard they want to cry....I'm sorry but you should of thought of that before you got into a heavy debt life style way above your means.....now its gonna hurt. We all make choices.......credit has ruined many lives financially...its up to you to manage it properly.
I hope these people make it through & adjust to whats happening asap...the time to prepare for this was past due.
All of our situations are different & only you can make the changes hopefully for the better.

If we just pay the outrageous prices at the pumps, we are no more than sheep. It's time to modify our lifestyles, cut back on needless trips and economize more.
I am not going to take this lightly. I will fight with every resource I have to gain back what is being taken from me.
There. The glove has been thrown down! Grrr

(Now for the BIG question .... who am I challenging? No Bush haters,ultra Left dreamers, or non US residents need apply, please)
I'm serious ... I want some normalcy back, and I want it now.

Sorry Dave, Haven't you heard?
We are all in for a ten year slow-down, yes, ten years!
When I say all, the finance boys are saying it in Europe and mainly because we are also injured by the American economy.

Bottom line is....we have to "cut our coats according to the cloth" which means as has already been said, we have had it so good for the last ten years, now comes the payback.Throw away your credit cards.

BTW, Beakybird, where did you hear that about free medical in Europe? In UK, the working population has to pay $15 dollars for every item on a doctor's prescription!

cheers
Eddie

------------------
Eddie from Rotherham
Skype:eddiefromrotherham
www.yamahakeyboards.info

$15... you are kidding us aren't you?!

Have you any idea how much the average American has to pay? Let's talk about $1000 deductibles (and that's a GOOD plan), and little relief for prescription...

I'm from England originally. Trust me guys. Envy about our health care system should be reserved for the ultra-rich (if you can afford it, it's great. If you can't, it's terrible!)...

Here is a great graph from 2003 of per capita medical spending and life expectancy among countries. It is an eye opener!!!
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2008/01/odd-chart-of-th.html

The USA is #27 in life expectancy (just beating out Cuba) but by far #1 in per capita medical spending: $4500 per person in 2003 beating Switzerland by $2000 yearly per capita. I'm sure that the statistics are worse for Americans now in 2008 as medical inflation is almost as bad as petroleum inflation.

So many of us have a double gripe. My self-employed insurance deductible is $2500 per family member. I don't have $2500 in savings (except for retirement), so we just pray that we don't get sick.

My insurance costs $2400 a year for two people, and I cannot begin to list all of the exclusions which include all psychological ailments, drug dependency, carpal tunnel, and TMJ.

Beakybird

[This message has been edited by Beakybird (edited 06-11-2008).]

Dave ....calm down.....set up the Bose Poolside mix-up a batch Pina Coladas, put on some Tower of Power & invite Fran & me over for a nice afternoon asap we'll discuss life's problems

Don't quite understand what you're saying there Diki.
What I said was that if you get a diagnosis from a doctor that you need certain pills or tablets for your problem, you go to the chemist (pharmacy) and pay £7.40 (=$15 or 16) for each packet of pills.
If you are advised two or three different medicines, then you have to pay 2 or 3 times $15!!!for your packet.
What usually happens is that patients do not go to the pharmacies because they cannot afford to pay for the medicine....with obvious results.
As for the so-called "free health service" , we paid for that treatment by subscription throughout our working life.
cheers

------------------
Eddie from Rotherham
Skype:eddiefromrotherham
www.yamahakeyboards.info



[This message has been edited by eddiefromrotherham (edited 06-11-2008).]