I don't want to start a mess here but what in the &%% is going on , are we going to be able to pull out of this mess...I know that a lot of people have been devastated with the economy . Every news cast i see are depicting a sorry Christmas season and i have to admit that i'm sitting a little shorter in my seat because my wallet is flatter. prices going up and money getting tighter.
Looks like the horses are going to get a work out this spring. bigger gardens. i plan to enlarge my garden by half and put my son to work. he sold over 400.00 to the local Veggie Stand this past year.
I listen to the news about plant closings,5.000.000 out of work, banks failing, and wonder how some families are going to pull through this mess. This is the worse i have ever seen in my lifetime..

How is the economy in your sections of the country?

I believe our area is doing fair.

My wife's work relies on the military primarily.

The problem is very complicated and I cannot
give you the reasons because they would be
political in nature.

You can also attribute that jobs that would normally
be more available here have been shipped overseas
and certain illegal elements have taken over many
other jobs here.

My area is in the dumpers, has been since long before it made the national news.

My current job is less than secure, as well as less that being a true livable wage. If it disappears, I'll have a few months of survival, after that, I'd have to seriously consider a move to a different part of the country, though even that has new complications. Not to mention with the country overall falling on hard times, moving might still leave me jobless.

As for the rest, well, ditto on what Mike ended with. LOL

Well I guess I have also now fallen to a victim of unemployment. Life is really going to SUCK Now for sure!!! Who knows maybe having a fire sale soon!!
NOT GOOD Burly

Burly..... I am so sorry.

I would like for you to come and check out the Mishawaka/South Bend/Elkhart Indiana area. Construction is going big time here. Lots of concrete work both private and for the state.

Dale...you should look into this area too. Lots of truck driving jobs.

i don't know if this will help anyone out there but if anyone knows or has any expierence in the natural gas field, hauling, drilling, or what ever there are a lot of openings around here.
about 2 years ago they found the largest natural gas deposit in the US in the Fayetville Shale Deposit. runs from the NW corner of AR down thru the state to the SE corner. that has helped the usually depressed area, but now it is booming.

I live on a fixed income, retired and my pay is gonna stay the same and has for the past years, the only thing is the *&)) prices keep going up..

John... that sucks man. Hopefully you're in good standing and have enough seniority at the Local that this will be short lived.

on the lighter side

Well I was laid off from my IT job at BEHR Paint two weeks ago. People aren't buying/selling houses so they aren't doing any painting. The company had its first round of layoffs in its history and after six years I was one of the "chosen". There were a handful released from my department and there was only one person with less time than me.

Living in southern California I can tell you first hand about the "false" economy built up on hyper inflated housing prices. My opinion is that human greed drove it up and it is adjusting. I am conservative fiscally so my family will get by. But there are people all over this nation that are really hurting.

So say some prayers for those in need, pray that our leaders get their heads out of their a**es and everyone be positive.

This is a great country because of ALL the great PEOPLE that live here. It is very easy to point your finger at the "other guys". It is always hard to remember that no matter how the "other guys" think we are all here because we love the United States of America.

My two cents.

Pacific....

Are there many wheel horses in southern California?

Well after six months of putting it off, I am now one of the ones on the bubble of wether or not we'll have runs.. I have some thru thanksgiving but who knows after that... Just keeps sliding down hill..

My plant is closing as well. Dad retired from there after 36 years. My mom retired from there after 30 yrs.

I will have 21 years senority by the time it closes. We were 3,200 strong back in 1993-2000. Now we are a mere 700.

It's been a good ride, but I'm over it. I'll miss the money but that place has always had me feeling like I was living in a prison that let me go home to sleep, and that the awesome money that we make there was just a trap to keep you there. I only have to work 9 days the rest of the year, but heck unemployment is $400 a week....I'll stay home for that. Of course I'll get a fat severence check, schooling etc. Just show me the door.

It's tight everywhere...usually I read the classifieds every Sunday (have for many years --just to keep the options open)
Used to be 10-12 pages...now three, if that many. Local retailer Circuit City--going down the tubes, along w/ cutback s @ Altria headquarters here (owner of Phillip Morris)....building, especially residential has slowed way down. I asked some friends a year ago-- "Why are they still building office complex's--when ones already sitting here are empty/for lease"??

Money was easy to get back then--everybody wanted to have a building....wanted to be a big operator.....

Caaugt up w/ us, now, IMHO--in a big way....

Luckily I still have a job, and a couple part-time gigs I do, but w/ new owners from out of state--I really despise going to work anymore...

That's more than I make working!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know what you mean about a prison that let's you go home to sleep, that was my last job, only it didn't have all that great a pay either......

Guys-Nothern Indiana has been the RV capital of the world for a very long time. When Fuel prices went Sky High , the age of big chassis and large, heavy towables was over. In my job I talk to people all over Michigan, Indiana, every day. Many families , Husb, and Wife both worked in the RV industry. Now they have lost their jobs and many RV factories has closed their doors forever. Not long after the big Factories closed-all of the smaller supplier plants went under. Then because of these 1000's of worker's being out of work, Resturants, movie theaters, dept. stores, appliance stores ,etc. went under. School Free lunch programs were inundated with requests, charities could not keep up with requests for food and warm clothing for children.
In michigan, Whirlpool anounced a great number of layoffs. Many jobs had been shipped over seas or to mexico. Not to mention the Auto Industry.
Then when the economy tanked, financial firms and industries started laying off. Supposedly White collar workers were losing their jobs. Tech firms went under.
I've been around for quite a few years, my parents experienced the "Great Depression" first hand, and told me stories of the soup lines, etc.
The difference in that Depression and the one we are sliding into was the Scope of it. This is World Wide. In the 1930's we had our own energy reserves, we grew all of our own food, and we had a hungry world ready for our products. We could work our way out of it. Not this time. We have a congress that is spending money that we don't have,Billions, and our country is in debt, big time, to several other countries of the world.
Enough of the plight of the worker-My retirement ,401k, etc has shrunken by 40% since the market tanked. Many other retired people are devasted.
This one-will be the worst one ever. I pray to God that we can make it as a country and as free people,God fearing and Gun toting. -AL

Well That was about the shor-*test*-('") layoff I have ever had!!! Let me see that's about a 48hr layoff! I guess I can't complain about that!! I am now back amongst the working people once again!! Burly