We continually ask ourselves “How much is enough?” as a nation that we call a republic, we are in a rut and the rut is getting deeper and deeper every year, actually it is monthly. Will we get back to stability? We are one of the most unstable countries in the world, we go to bed after work and the needed shopping we took care of, wake up the next morning, gas prices shot up, food prices are up, why? What possible excuse can the producers give us? Yes we know we are a capitalist society! But why constant excuses for this or that? How much is enough? Please tell us why?
Remember when gas prices were 35-39 cents a gallon? I do, and for many years we could drive all over this country for those prices. I remember the early 70s when prices started rising faster: Exxon Oil started building gas stations in Arizona, and charging customers 20 cents over the other stations. Arizona took them to court for price gouging, won their case and for three weeks Exxon had to pay customers back by lowering their prices 20 cents below the other stations. They still were making millions! How much is enough?
Back to our rut, companies raiser their prices, so our employes give us a raise in pay, then stores and companies raise their prices again and we fight for higher wages. This is our rut, never ending! How much will we be paying to exist 5 or 10 years from now? Will we do something about this system, or will we end up like Iceland (destroyed) or Greece, Spain or Portugal? How much is enough?
Marv Begin
Fort Ripley
Comments (24)
Add commentMarv, go back to 1950, take Bob & Mary with you
Was that trip down Memory Lane fun?
For the money hoarders there
For the money hoarders there is no such thing as enough and there never will be. It's out-of-control competition that mainlines steroids. They will never be happy until they have the biggest boats, the biggest houses, the biggest .... and even then they will never be happy and seem willing and able to inflict their misery on all of us.
People like the Koch's who could never possibly spend all of their money spend a huge amount of time and money focused on amassing more and more and more and more wealth. Now with our elections having a price tag they and the other money hoarders stand at the door waiting to take total control of our elections, our economy and our lives.
What they really want is a country to play with because then they think they'll finally be happy but they won't.
If you think prices are high now and living standards declining wait until the corporate raider takes control. We'll see looting that puts the George Bush years to shame and that puts us into a downward spiral like we haven't seen since the Depression.
Today's paper lists top MN CEO pay
as growing by 26%, while wage earners pay went up just 2.8%. Kind of proves your point, fishhead.
Sounds like the economy under Obama is doing great for the CEOs.
And people like Soros...
...and the Rothschilds, and the Rockefellers, and the Daytons. Greed knows know political boundaries, but those of us who are not independently wealthy depend on a healthy job market for our livelihood and we would appreciate it if your cohorts didn't destroy what little we still have with anti-business policies and entitlement spending.
Wonder what tax rate those CEOs pay?
I knew you would be the first to respond to my comment, Meuhl. You are a cheerleader for the right's billionaires and would like to diss their counterparts on the left. Business for all would be better if the profits were more equitably distributed.
I knew this was coming:
" Business for all would be better if the profits were more equitably distributed"
Communist slogans right away on a Monday morning.
No wonder Mondays are hated.
southie
"I knew you would be the first to respond, Meuhl. " You responded before she did.
So you prefer to leave folks
at minimum and low wage jobs so they can't afford to purchase anything? That doesn't help anyone. Ask Henry Ford his philosophy about that.
Sorry, I didn't make that clear, trip. I meant she would be the first to respond to my comment. She likes to challenge lefties. But that is ok. That is the purpose of this exercise, right?
southie, would you rather work for your money or sit on your bum
southie, would you rather work for your money or sit on your bum?
Me, I would rather work for minimum wage than sit at home and have others pay for my food, cellphone, electricity, home, car, gas, cable tv, televisions, beds, clothing.
I would rather be dirt poor and earn what I have than collect welfare. I grew up dirt poor. We never had food stamps. Mom and dad worked for everything we got. And you know whats really funny...I respect my child hood, and learned a great work ethic that made me become successful today because I know you get what you earn, not you get what I earn.
I paid my own way through college. Mom and dad bough me groceries because they couldnt afford anything else. I didnt expect that, but thats what they did and I am grateful for that.
I am 35 years old, 2 kids, not one payment other than a mortgage and earned my college degree PAYING MY OWN WAY.
You can make it on just minimum wage. You may not make it as well as if you are on welfare, but it sure does feel good knowing you earned your money by working, not by just breathing.
IDWD
I paid for my college too. Today, that's impossible because our universities are loaded with highly paid professors who do nothing but sit on their rear-ends and use taxpayer monies for research to promote their leftist causes. Today universities are big business (and did I mention athletics?).
Of course, snowda, fish and southie conveniently ignore that part of the equation. Greed is greed only if it involves the evil corporation. Nor is it greed when someone takes advantage of all the freebies the gov't offers. That's only personal so, apparently, it can't be greed.
BTW, I just put up my first frozen beans today. I guess I'm just too stupid to take advantage of the food stamps available.
tripwire, I will disagree sorta
My nephew is paying his own way right now. He is working the weekend working 36 hours, getting paid for 40 thing. He is making it. It is possible.
You are right about the high paid professors who really dont teach anymore, they just are a lump on the log while their assistants teach.
As for your beans, you stink! Mine are just starting to bud after having to replant twice because of the rain earlier.
Work is a four letter word to liberals!
While Marv is right about what gas use to costs, he forgets what people were getting paid back then. I remember my first job, at minium wage, being $3.35/hour. I could do alot more with my money back then, but that being said, I make much more now and would not want to go back to that wage. So Mr. Begin, you point out a problem, what's the solution?
Gee Pd thanks
Here I thought you where older than me. I have to back to $2.20 an hr.
I bet it was around $1.00 per day for F&B & Hein1 though!!
1st job was
50 cents a night on weekends.
After a year
I got a raise to 50 cents an hour. I thought I was rich until Mom made me buy my own clothes.
IDWD
So it is possible. That's good news. I wish your nephew the best. That might be a good thing for a prospective employer to ask. Not, what was your degree in, but how much did you pay off while in school?
Funny thing about the beans. I had to replant too (once). I picked up a couple packages of seeds from Menards and expected bush beans. The majority turned out to be pole beans so I had to quickly erect some make-shift poles (try doing that when they are planted in rows).
Pole beans are typically 15 days later than bush beans so I'm only processing the bush beans.
I've noticed another thing. I have offered free vegetables to many folks but I find no takers. The last time I tried it, I offered some produce to a friend and she sent me her address. I guess they're only free if I deliver them.
trip, take them to your church and ask members
to leave a cash donation. That works well.
Our cash donations received from home grown produce go to the area food shelves who have greater buying power as they buy in bulk.
southie
Good idea. Thanks.
What?
First off the United States in not one of the most unstable countries in the world, that what a totally false and ignorant statement. This country has it's issues, don't get me wrong but I go to bed each night thanking God that I was plopped down in the heartland of this great nation. I have traveled to many places in this world, have envied some nations for their history, culture and beauty but I have never wanted to be anywhere else, nor have I ever imagined that my life could be better in another place. My wife and I have both always worked, she in healthcare and myself as a business owner, and while we have been comfortable we have never been long on funds. We have sent two children through college, lived in the same house for twenty-five years and can safely say we are happy. I have never and will never hold it against those who have more than me or had breaks go their way that have allowed them to make more money. I have a number of friends who have been blessed that way and worked hard for it to happen.....this is what America is all about. A person can grow up on a small rock farm south of Pillager and go off to college, work hard and have a successful career, it might not be easy, it might not be the lottery, but it happens. The umbrella of freedom that we live under is a spectaculiar thing, the system that makes it go is not perfect but many of the alternatives are something none of us would want, so I for one will keep plugging along with the American dream and I'll go to bed tonight feeling pretty fortunate.
I dehydrate as much food as
I dehydrate as much food as possible. It preserves nutrients better and longer and if the power goes out no problem.
The inequality of wealth in this nation is only going to get worse and so will the resentment. The real dollars of the working class is shrinking. Virtually everything is going up in price at a far faster pace than our raises if you even get one. Now with the climate change affecting crops over large parts of the US the price of food is going to raise even faster.
If you don't know how to garden I'd advise learning how and learning fast. With our unstable summer weather now it's a challenge but you just have to do what you can.
Highly paid professors????
Highly paid professors???? Let's gettem!!!! Take away their benefits! Cut their pay!!! Yeah!
But don't pay any attention to the billionaire who made $4,000,000,000 (BILLION) last year and paid 15% tax because it was capital gains. And don't pay any attention to the money they are shoveling into the election to buy special favors that will transfer even more of the nations wealth into their tax shelters and out of the economy.