If It Walks Like A Duck? Economy In Trouble

I am one of the most optimistic people you will ever meet. My philosophy is "Treat every day as if it were your last; someday it will be," but please don't try to tell me the economy is fine. Many of us know better.

Gasoline prices hover around $3/gallon now. It was not long ago that gasoline prices rose over 99 cents a gallon, and many of us foolishly believed that no one would ever pay that much for it. Remember gas rationing, with long lines at the pump, limitations to odd/even days for filling up that were based upon the last number of your license plate? I believe that situation was created by the oil companies, in order to get the general population to accept triple digit gas prices. I recall, as a child, when gas and cigarettes only cost 32 cents.

We went out to dinner last night, which cost us $24. That same meal last year cost $16! Everything costs more now than it used to. Postage is rising 1 cent yet again next month, to 42 cents per stamp. That's almost a 3 percent raise!

I don't mind anyone being critical of my opinion. That is your right here in America, and I actually enjoy hearing differing view points, as does Hernando Today. It makes one think. I majored in speech in college (semantics, linguistics, argumentation and debate) and really enjoyed taking philosophy. You are entitled to your opinion, as I am mine. Calling a horse a pig doesn't make it so. We will all do the best we can here in Hernando County, as in the rest of the world, but sticking one's head in the sand and denying that the U.S. dollar buys less now than it used to just isn't true.

I thank you for your feedback; I hope, for all of us, the economy improves soon.

Mike Grab

Spring Hill