Home › News › County News
Consumers concerned by growing costs of daily necessities
Belts tightening
Download this story as a podcast!
Multimedia: A Changing Economy
Prices have gone up on many items in the past five years forcing consumer habits to change. See how through an interactive graphic, video and more.
Watch now »
Photo by Rob Varela
Lori Vienna of Ojai, left, holds her son Troy while shopping at Costco in Oxnard with her mother, Sheri Clucas of Orange, and son Dillon. Vienna noted that grocery prices have gone up and said eggs are too expensive to buy.
Money-saving tips
- Switch a credit card to one with a lower interest rate, and monitor changing rates. A good place to start is http://www.bankrate.com, which provides a comparison guide.
- Consider changing your home telephone service to a Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP), a technology that allows you to make voice calls using a broadband Internet connection. You could save hundreds of dollars annually. For information, go to http://www.fcc.gov/voip.
- Shop for your Internet service provider. There are plans that cost less than $6 per month. A possible resource is http://www.theispguide.com.
- Use coupons and discounts. Coupons can be clipped from print advertisements or downloaded at sites such as http://www.shortcuts.com.
- For the best deals, use comparison-shopping Web sites such as Froogle.com, PriceGrabber.com, BizRate.com, Shopzilla.com and NextTag.com. Shopzilla is owned by E.W. Scripps, parent company of The Star.
- Join a warehouse shopping club such as Costco or Sam's Club. Shop in bulk for significant savings. For perishable items, arrange with friends and neighbors to split the cost or contents of giant bags of onions, lemons and chicken legs.
- Save on child care by forming a baby-sitting co-op. Members take turns watching one another's children, without having to pay a sitter.
- Check out public transit programs in your area. The Ventura County Transportation Commission offers information on several programs at http://www.goventura.org/home.
- If you haven't mothballed your car until gas prices drop, check your tire pressure at regular intervals, especially when the temperatures change. Proper inflation means more fuel efficiency. So do clean air filters, tuned engines and the right grade of motor oil. An entertaining resource is http://www.cartalk.com.
- Use the public library instead of book and video stores or Web sites. Many libraries have an array of films and books on tape, all available free. For local locations, go to http://www.vencolibrary.org.
Sources: PinchThePenny.com, Scripps Howard News Service
RELATED STORIES
STORY TOOLS
More from County News
Photo by Rob Varela
Pat McPherson of Ojai reads the paper at Ojai Coffee Roasting Co., which is bumping up its prices this month. A large coffee that was $2.25 will now cost $2.50.
For a family of six, a night at the movies runs about $60, dinners out quickly add up and filling up the minivan costs $75.
Lori Vienna of Ojai knows the figures well from tallying the bills to feed and entertain her family.
She's turned to renting videos for less than $5, limiting dining out to twice a month, walking or riding her bike to save on gasoline and shopping at discount warehouse Costco, where she can buy groceries in bulk.
Still, it's a challenge.
Vienna has noted that dairy and meat prices have gone up significantly. On a recent trip to the store, she skipped the eggs, saying they were too expensive.
As the economy heads south — triggered largely by the housing crash and credit crunch — consumers are being squeezed from many sides by growing inflation.
Not only are they having to find ways to stretch their paychecks but also they're giving up things, such as vacation trips or big-ticket purchases.
In the past five years, prices for 13 of 22 selected staple items have exceeded the personal wage growth of Ventura County residents, according to a Star survey.
While the average individual salary increased 19 percent to $47,864, items such as grade A large eggs climbed 85 percent to $2.18 a dozen; whole milk, 44 percent to $3.87 a gallon; white bread, 23 percent to $1.28 a pound; and regular unleaded gasoline, 74 percent to $3.74 a gallon.
Of three items that fell in price, the biggest decline was a 73 percent plunge for the average plasma TV, from $4,649 to $1,272.
While price fluctuations for certain items are part of the ebb and flow of the marketplace, today's wide-ranging markups are seriously cutting into household budgets. Instead of making little sacrifices, some people are penciling out how to survive.
"Every time I go to the market, something's gone up," said Barbara Ringholz of Simi Valley. "Of course, you don't need to mention gas."
Ringholz said everything is going up, but groceries and gasoline are the most noticeable.
"I don't understand how a family with teenage kids feeds them these days," she said, recalling what it took to keep a stocked refrigerator when her children were teens.
Of course, savvy consumers can find all sorts of deals as struggling retailers try to lure them with special discounts or added incentives.
But the growing cost of daily necessities is creating concern, particularly for people on fixed incomes and workers who have seen minimal year-to-year raises that have not kept pace with inflation.
Dolores Mackey, 76, of Newbury Park calls the rising cost of living "ludicrous."
"It's your grocery prices, your gas prices, everything's going up," she said. "In Albertsons everything's doubled, sometimes tripled."
Mackey was a child during the Great Depression, but she is convinced that the current economy is in a similar state.
"We are in a depression," she said, "not just a recession, and it's getting worse, but people are not listening."
Economic pain varies
Consumers are being hit from a variety of directions, said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.
How hard you're hit depends on who you are. Some people are earning higher wages and have little concern for the economic situation, he said.
Others, however, are reeling. Jobs in the real estate industry and mortgage lending have been hurt by the housing downturn, Kyser said. Workers who have jobs that rely on discretionary spending or who compete against foreign companies are in a tough spot.
"It's very nerve-wracking for people," he said.
When people are nervous about the economy they pull back to the basics, he said.
Kyser noted that even though the economy hasn't been labeled as being in a recession, if it feels like one to people, that's what matters.
Lynn Buck of Port Hueneme has learned how to can food, so when she buys in bulk, nothing goes to waste. She also uses coupons to save money.
Also, instead of hitting the store several times a week to buy the freshest produce, she now goes once a week to avoid unnecessary spending. On a recent trip to Costco, she avoided many aisles so she wouldn't be tempted to buy more.
The cost-cutting extends beyond groceries. For example, she hasn't gone to a movie theater for a few years, except for the $3 cinema in Ventura. Buck also has canceled her usual East Coast trips to visit family because airline tickets have shot up.
"I don't know how people with families are doing it," she said, acknowledging that it's been difficult for her and her husband. While they used to put the maximum into their retirement savings, now they're putting in much less, a concern for two people in their 50s. Also, because Buck suffers from multiple sclerosis, she hasn't been able to work for a few years.
"We didn't anticipate things getting this tough," she said.
Various factors boost prices
The growing cost of goods is often blamed on higher gasoline prices. If a company has to pay more for transportation, consumers generally have to pay more at the store.
Gasoline prices are strongly affected by the uncertainty in the oil markets, Kyser said. In addition, gasoline prices are higher in California than in other states because it uses a special summer blend to reduce emissions and it cannot import the fuel from other states.
The U.S. Energy Department says motorists could see $4 a gallon this year for regular unleaded.
Rising gasoline prices can boost the cost of various items, but there are other factors at work as well.
Farming production costs are driven by more than transportation. Fertilizer has doubled in price over the past year. There's also the weather. Crops around the world were damaged this past year by drought and hail. A poor year for wheat means not only is your bread more expensive but also the grain that feeds cattle, which are used to produce milk or are slaughtered for beef.
Then there is the increased emphasis on growing corn for ethanol use. Farmers are subbing out other crops to grow corn, which jumped to a record $6 a bushel early this month. They're also feeding their livestock other grains instead of corn, increasing the demand for those grains as well.
In the coming year, farmers intend to plant a little less corn — though it still will be the dominant crop — and more wheat and soybeans, according to an estimate from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Though that should help boost wheat and soybean supplies, international demand for those crops will keep prices high.
Similar market conditions exist for other crops. The trickledown effect is that merchants are having to pass along increased costs to customers.
For the first time in about five years, Ojai Coffee Roasting Co. is bumping up its prices this month. A large coffee that was $2.25 will now cost $2.50.
"I hate to do it, but I can't absorb it anymore," owner Stacey Jones said.
Last October, the coffeehouse started selling sandwiches and salads to help offset the rising cost of coffee.
"Coffee and muffins weren't going to keep us in business forever, and it was time to do something different," she said.
Consumers change habits
When times are bad, some consumers give up little frills, like trading their lattes for home brewed coffee. They also eat more meals at home. Restaurant meals cost about three times more than dining at home, according to the market research firm NPD Group.
Others change where they eat.
Customer traffic is up at Presto Pasta, where a pasta combo meal sells for $6.79. The economy may be nudging people to "trade down" from fine dining establishments to family-style eateries, said Jeff Schuberg, one of the owners of the small chain in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
Wheat prices have tripled over the past 12 months, driving up the restaurants' food costs 5 percent, Schuberg said. Last month, the owners raised prices 4 percent for the first time in two years.
"People still eat out," Schuberg said. "Price increases are more dramatic at the grocery store. We can still buy in volume."
Clothing is another item that's costing consumers more.
During the past six months apparel prices have been pushed up nationwide, which hasn't happened in nine years, according to Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates Inc., a national retail consulting and investment banking firm in New York.
Davidowitz said there are two reasons: the collapse of the dollar against foreign currencies and China's move to pay its workers more as that country tries to mold a middle class.
In Ventura County and the Greater Los Angeles area, the price of clothing has increased for two consecutive months, most recently 4.9 percent from January to February, according to the latest Consumer Price Index. But clothing is down 1.6 percent year over year.
Consumer prices for all goods in the metropolitan region were up 3.1 percent in February from the same month last year.
Generally speaking, Davidowitz said, inflation is becoming so burdensome it feels like a tax increase.
"The consumers can't pay their student loans, can't pay their car loans, can't repay their debt, they're walking away from homes," he said. "The consumer is bombarded from every angle."
If that's not enough, stock market volatility has taken a toll on many people's investments, including Madeleine Giberson's retirement fund. The 69-year-old and her husband live in Westlake Village, an affluent community bordering Ventura County, but they've cut back on their spending. If their income continues to decline, they plan to make further cuts.
"I shop less for clothes mainly, and I don't buy things," she said. "I try and drive less, and we carpool more." Her husband rides his bike to the store, she said, "both for the physical exercise and to save the gas."
Cost cutting may be the new norm for average consumers. Kyser said people are being deluged with advice on how to get through tough economic times. They're making concessions, such as whether to buy a new car or have their old cars repaired, or opting for a trip to San Diego instead of Europe.
Jeff Brown of Simi Valley said his family decided not to take a trip he and his wife had been planning to the Grand Canyon and Texas because it is too expensive, especially because of rising gasoline prices. He rides his bike more often and finds inexpensive pastimes, such as taking his 4-year-old son, Josiah, to the park to watch the ducks and geese.
At the store, the Browns seek bargains more and avoid expensive items. "Mostly, it's my wife telling me we can't spend," he said.
Tina Trahon of Camarillo said she noticed that she's spending a lot less by making adjustments. If her children want a certain cereal, she won't buy it unless it's on sale. She estimates her family of six now spends $400 on groceries and $200 on gasoline every month. "You just have to watch spending more," Trahon said. "Everything seems more expensive."
— abruce@VenturaCountyStar.com, shoops@Ventura CountyStar.com, jmintz@VenturaCountyStar.com
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Posted by cassandra on April 13, 2008 at 8:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It would have been nice at this point in human history for the most powerful nation to have an administration less devoted to corporate welfare and less bent of ecocide. But too many of those with insight had little power and too many with power had little conscience. And here we are.
The gross failure to regulate the financial industry resulting in its impending collapse is only the overture to a symphony of catastrophes, what the potty mouthed james Kunstler calls the perfect (bleep) storm. Industrial agriculture, global warming, globalization, peak oil, overpopulation, depleting aquifers, loss of biodiversity--the list goes on. Already there are food riots in Egypt, Haiti, around the world. There are already thousands of climate change refugees leaving lands no longer capable of supporting them. And where will they go?
This is no temporary downturn that can be cured by running out and buying something, as this newspaper so often advises. It is the beginning of what the aforementioned Mr. Kunstler call the Long Emergency.
While high_society's advice is spot on, it is incomplete. No one can weather this alone. It takes community. In the end, we will only be able to come close to dealing with this locally.
I advise anyone who can make it to check out the Earth Day events around town. The United Methodists in Oxnard are putting on a particularly apt program on the 26th about food security and sharing-- Food, Faith, Farming from 2 to 5:30 P.M.
There is also a good vibe group of youngish people starting gardens for people with land, the Grow Food Party Crew. They can be reached through www.abundanceinbalance.org .
Also one might car pool to UCSB on the 26th to hear Vendana Shiva speak on the effects of global policy on India. In particular, she will likely address the depredations of our local robber barons--Monsanto (Seminis) as she has in the past.
Posted by res1q7et on April 13, 2008 at 8:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank you President Bush for putting so much energy into war while neglecting the problems we have at home.
Posted by res1q7et on April 13, 2008 at 9:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Cassandra--I always enjoy your comments. The link for Abundance in Balance doesn't work. Do you have a correction? Thanks!
Posted by cassandra on April 13, 2008 at 9:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks for calling my attention to this. It's of course .com
www.abundanceinbalance.com
The chap in charge of the site is permaculture designer Devin Slavin. I don't feel okay about putting out his e mail address but contact for the crew can be arranged through contacting him from the site.
Posted by THX1138 on April 13, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It would be interesting to see what has happened to the profit margins of Supermarkets. With no regulation the climate is ripe for exploiting product pricing! And, I bet many have jacked-up prices because no one will question them. Even TJ's is catching up with the Grocery Store prices.
IMO basic products such as food should have some regulation on profit margin or limitation on annual price increases. We can do without luxury items, but not without food.
@Dems; I find it interesting how the congress, senate and numerous lobbiest aren't mentioned when pointing fingers[?!]. Bush is not the sole decision maker...
Posted by jeff93024 on April 13, 2008 at 10:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This whole mess is not an accident; it's the well-orchestrated and thoroughly intentional run-up to one of the largest shifts in money and power ever to take place on the face of the Earth, which is exactly what the Great Depression was in its day.
During the Depression, however, the people in charge of the manufactured collapse destroyed the system they were trying to scam. This time, they're trying not to completely wipe us out, since doing that would increase public clamor for a government bailout of the lower and middle classes, a la the Republicans' worst enemy, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
It's not going to work, though -- we're going down. We can't spend money we don't have, and the masses are running out of money. The rebates? Gimme a break. It was my money to begin with, and if I'd had it I'd have already spent it just trying to make ends meet.
Posted by Face on April 13, 2008 at 10:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Everything was fine until we elected democrats to take over the entire U.S. legislature. I guess this is the "Change" we were promised then?
Posted by jeff93024 on April 13, 2008 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Everything was fine until we elected democrats to take over the entire U.S. legislature. I guess this is the "Change" we were promised then?"
No, the problem was that we didn't elect enough of them -- enough to have a 2/3 voting majority and enough to override Bush's vetos. We'll take care of that problem next time around.
Posted by Face on April 13, 2008 at 11:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What were the big legal packages that would have rescued us that Bush vetoed? None? Show me the stimulus package or legislation/taxation that Bush vetoed that would have prevented this. If there is none, then the democrats are responsible.
Posted by iseepeeple on April 13, 2008 at 12:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"For a family of six, a night at the movies runs about $60"
What movie theater was this person talkin' about? I wanna know! Just took my daughter to a matinee and it cost me 40 bucks! Of course she had to have popcorn and an icee...but hey!
All we can do at this point is pray that the next person to sit on the throne (not the bathroom one) will do a GOOD JOB of getting us out of this big black hole (the bathroom one).
I am not holding my breath on that..but I do own a snorkel. UGGH...
Posted by Comments on April 13, 2008 at 12:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Lots of interesting comments. I agree that something needs to seriously change in this country or else we're going to look back and think that this was a boon time, compared to how bad it will be. We have become far too reliant on other countries for our basic needs. We need an energy plan that is self reliant. We need to stop relying on China for the majority of our goods. And, we do have to be willing to pay a bit more for goods and services that are produced here.
On the other hand, we all need to take a stand and boycott those companies who are price gouging and taking advantage of the decline in the economy. The woman who was quoted as saying that Albertson's prices are two to three times what they were was greatly exaggerating. I do see higher prices in some things - namely imported produce as well as dairy. However, even then the prices aren't triple what I'm used to paying. I do understand why some prices have to be increased. After all it is costing those companies a heck of a lot more money to get the goods to us. However, I do not at all think that companies should tack on some extra while they're at it to even further increase their profits. That's just scummy.
What I've noticed more is that some local restaurants have exorbitantly increased their prices without any justification. Yes, their costs have risen, but their menu increases are far greater then their cost increases. One local restaurant that comes to mind is Viva la Pasta. This very mediocre Italian restaurant used to have quite reasonable prices making the food more palatable. Their prices are now so high though that it no longer makes sense for our family to eat there. If I'm going to spend those prices then I'd rather go to a higher end Italian place where the food is great. So, while I understand that some businesses need to increase their rates to survive, I'd caution them to be careful not to price themselves out of business. After all, as bad as it's getting in some places there are always alternatives and lots of competition.
And, there are still some very reasonable places to shop. For folks in or near Simi there's Valley Produce, which sells produce at such low prices I often wonder how they get can do so. I can leave there with a cart full of groceries for $40. Costco is an alternative, but only for things I will really use if I buy in bulk (i.e. paper goods).
Posted by Accipe_hoc on April 13, 2008 at 12:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Everything is always the Government's fault, blah, blah, blah... I was in Fry's last weekend and the line was so long that it took me almost 20 minutes to get to a register. Yup....you guessed it, the store was full of people spending their hard earned money on the "necessities". Things like i-pods, huge expensive televisons and entertainment systems, video games, DVD's, CD's, cell phones that can launch missles, etc..etc..etc..
I was in line at the gas station the other day, and the place was full of huge SUV's that can be fueled up with just pennies. No wonder gas prices have gone sky high, the market research done by oil companies have probably shown that more people own SUV's now than at any other time in recent history.
People...this is not a situation that has occurred because George Bush is the President. This is a situation that has been in the making since the 1960's...We live in a culture fueled by consumerism. Shopping has become a recreational activity and stores have become a place to spend family time with our children.
You can't afford to buy groceries...then get rid of your HD cable or satellite TV. Can't afford your house payment, then trade in your $800 a month SUV and buy something cheaper. Can't pay your bills, then get rid of your credit cards...and stop buying more stuff!
A little common sense can go a long way, but of course people would rather continue to be irresponsible and rely on the Government to rescue them.
Posted by beachgurl on April 13, 2008 at 1:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank you accipe_hoc. Finally someone with some sense! Our "necessities" have changed so much since I was a kid. We didn't have ipods and cell phones, cars when we turned 16 and new clothes every other day...change your priorities and simplify and see how much money you can save.
Posted by kingkong on April 13, 2008 at 3:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think the retarded chimp is really the editor of this rag.
Posted by jeff93024 on April 13, 2008 at 4:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"What were the big legal packages that would have rescued us that Bush vetoed? None? Show me the stimulus package or legislation/taxation that Bush vetoed that would have prevented this. If there is none, then the democrats are responsible."
And what did the Republicans do besides get us into this mess over the past 8 years? We had a 7 trillion dollar surplus when Bill Clinton left office. For how many billions are we in the hole now after 8 years of Republican rule?
Posted by Face on April 13, 2008 at 5:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
jeff93024, what 8 years of Republican rule? We have lived the last 4 in Democrat rule with democrat voted national budgets. Please clarify. With a democratically controlled House AND Senate, we are still at war in Iraq, nothing has been done about health insurance, the poor are getting poorer, the last 4 years have all been huge budget busters under the democratic controlled legislatures and Finance committees. Every economic committees in both houses are run by Democrat elites. What has Pelosi done anyway?
Posted by Face on April 13, 2008 at 5:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's all Bush's fault. LOL I certainly do not like him. But I know that he is President and not King. The war and all ensuing problems were voted on by almost every democrat in the legislature. I am sure you understand the word COMPLICIT. And don't try to tell me Democrats were kept in the dark, in the day and age when the President's sexual habits are known, I do not buy that. I remember when Newt Gingrich took the House back for the first time in over 40 years, and with a Clinton as President.. they enacted and passed everything in their Contract with America right away. What happened to Pelosi's 100 hour promise? Still waiting. So, it can be done son.
Posted by jbh50 on April 14, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Dems, do you smell "change" in the air? My bad, its just the same old crap being sprayed on the strawberry fields in Oxnard!
Posted by VCNative on April 14, 2008 at 12:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks Accipe_hoc. I think your comments hit the spot. Americans have become spoiled and self centered. Take their vehicles for instance, people drive SUV and then complain gas is too expensive. The vast majority of folks who drive SUVs don't need them, they don't tow any trailers, don't haul 2000 lbs of payload, and never go 4x4ing etc etc. A mini van would serve them just fine. But of course they need to look good when they drive down the street! And some families have 2 SUVs in the drive way. Typical American greed.
Posted by hotwildflower on April 14, 2008 at 12:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have been hitting the farmers markets to get my fruits and veggies to try to cut costs as well as keeping the money in our local economy rather than sending it off to Chili or where ever else they import the stuff.
You have to be a pretty smart shopper with this though, there are some items that are less at the grocery store, you really need to be aware of what you are spending.
As much as I would love to keep all the money here locally, I still have to do what makes most sense financially.
It is getting to the point where you really have to be creative with meats to get the food to go farther and in a day and age of living in excess...it's really a tough lesson to learn and pass on.
Posted by leahb78_1999 on April 14, 2008 at 12:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think it should also be pointed out that the cost of living in California is much higher than the rest of the nation. Is that Bush's fault? Or is this because the state legislators have practiced the same fiscal practices that Bush and Congress have.
California has gone out of its way to encourage businesses and the highest earners to leave this state, depriving it of much-needed tax revenue.
And as for wanting MORE regulation from the government, what the heck are you all talking about? It is government irresponsibility that is causing all but one of our economic difficulties right now. More regulation will simply make things worse. The housing market is fixing itself right now without the help of government, and is the perfect example as to the free market actually working - Those who borrowed or loaned money irresponsibly are suffering the consequences. Wake up people!
Posted by surfmedic91 on April 14, 2008 at 2:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Join the military, shop at the commissaries, save $$ on gas, and get paid to fight for freedom all over the world.
Posted by ridgewalker101 on April 14, 2008 at 4:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Accipe_hoc is right on on this.
I also notice that the same groups that want government "out of their lives" always wants to be bailed out.
Posted by Now on April 14, 2008 at 5:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I completely agree with what Accipe_hoc wrote. We as a society need to reevaluate our values and get a grip on out-of-control consumer spending. Become debt free, take action, live smart and simplify your life!
Posted by theclass on April 14, 2008 at 5:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If you would like to learn how to use coupons at the grocery store to the fullest ability, be sure and sign up for the Clip 'N Save class when your "Kaleidoscope" magazine comes out soon from the Ventura College Community classes. Clipping & using coupons at the grocery store is your biggest Tax-free benefit when it comes to stretching your dollar!!
Posted by marc800 on April 14, 2008 at 6:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I was just at Wal-Mart Supercenter where I live, and a gallon of cooking oil (corn) is now $12.50--for cooking oil. Even the Canola oil and soybean oil are $10 to $11 a gallon.
I know they are saying because of Ethanol production corn prices are up, but they aren't using the stuff for canola oil or soybean oil in Ethanol production. And is it worth saving 10 cents a gallon buying Ethanol over gas, to make the cost of a gallon of cooking oil shoot up $5 to $7 a gallon?
Posted by Face on April 15, 2008 at 5:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The cost of fuel - transportation and the weak dollar are the cause, not ethanol. Ethanol production has not changed much in the last few years. It has been added to your gas for years now. The rest of the world wants the U.S. to crash and burn, but not at the expense of their food evidently. The Ethanol talking point originated with Castro, and is now being taken up by all anti-American forces in the world. The rest of the world deems our food to be theirs. This is something they must unlearn.
Posted by Face on April 15, 2008 at 5:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Another way to look at it is this. Say the dollar in your hand has lost half of its buying power, so how much do you think a world market good will cost you now? Yes, twice as much, that's right. Fuel on the other hand is expensive everywhere. Now we have to use our monopoly money to buy fuel to transport and process your goods. So while most things would be On Sale for foreigners buying American goods, even with their American monopoly money, they cannot erase the effects of fuel costs. BTW your lowered home value is valued in monopoly money... chew on that for awhile. The Trade Wars have started, but we have that which is most precious. We must be wary of foreign influences whether sought or unsought. We need to put the American Label on our food and use it for the greater benefit of this nation.
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
- Posts that degrade others on the basis of gender, race, class, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability.
- Disparaging remarks, abusive language or obscene comments.
- Threats, whether obvious or veiled.
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.
There are 28 comments to this article.
Comments are found beneath the Yahoo! ad below.