How About Those Rising Food Prices

First it was gasoline and pharmaceutical prices that the general public was up in arms about, now it's food prices which are on the top of every one's hit list. I suppose it should come as no surprise to anyone, that with the increase in oil and gas prices, packaging, and transportation costs have risen sharply. As a result those increases are being passed along to us consumers, and there isn't much we can do to prevent it. Sure we can use coupons, or shop at grocery warehouses like Costco, and Sam's Club and stock on those items like staples. However, it is unlikely that the price increases won't eventually effect even those membership clubs prices, and make even shopping there no real bargain unless you need large quantities of certain products.

The middle class American is being squeezed on all sides now, housing, food, transportation, taxes, you name it. In my opinion the middle class in this country will soon no longer exist. We will become a nation of haves and have-nots. Perhaps the time has come for us to rebel, and I don't mean that in a bad way. I'm not perpetuating the idea of overthrowing the government, or any thing even remotely like that, but instead send a harsh word to our leaders and representatives, that we aren't going to keep taking it on the chin and asking for another. It is time that all Americans took back their legal right to have a say in what the government does and spends our tax dollars on. We ship oil from the Alaska pipeline overseas, mainly to China and Japan, and have untapped oil reserves in this country, yet we allow ourselves to be blackmailed by OPEC nations into paying ridiculous prices for crude oil.

Our costs keep increasing, yet our salaries don't even come close to keeping up. We have companies that would rather outsource jobs to foreign nations for less money, then pay employees here at home a living wage. We spend billions of tax dollars overseas fighting battles we can't win, losing American lives in the process, and help rebuild nations that just want to be left to their own vices. I have compassion for those nations less fortunate then ours where children are starving and have no health care through no fault of their own, however, we too have people starving, living on the streets, and with no affordable health care. When do we reset our priorities and begin working towards helping those less fortunate here at home? Again it comes down to the people demanding accountability from those we elected to represent our needs and desires in Congress. We can place blame on whoever is in the White House, and believe me I am no big fan of our present administration, but really, it's Congress who passes the laws and financial programs that run this country, not the President.

The Democrats took over control of Congress in 2006, and I think that a lot of people were expecting big changes in how the government conducts business, but as usual that hasn't happened. Until we get special interest groups, lobbyists and big business out of politics, nothing will change. I think the time has passed for seeing any big changes until that happens. If they continue to fill politicians pockets and finance their campaigns, there will be no major changes in our political system. The average American has little say who gets elected anymore, and until the system is completely overhauled and revamped, I don't see any real changes in the near future. That is why I believe we need a revolution in this country, not a military one, but one of reasoning and common sense. Let the American people really have a voice in Congress, and allow our politicians to do their jobs without any outside interference from special interest groups and businesses who have their own agenda. Elect politicians who really listen to their constituency, and have an honest feel for what their constituency needs, and has a true belief for what is needed to help to make this country as great as it once was, with well paying jobs, affordable housing and health care for all Americans.

If we cannot control the rise in prices of commodities that we need and purchase everyday in this country, then let's at least give people the tools they need to keep up with the increases. I don't enjoy living from paycheck to paycheck, and never having enough money to even purchase enough food every month to feed my family. I don't like the idea that I cannot afford health insurance because it costs too much for me to obtain. I don't like having to work at a job close to home, which pays less than a comparable job in Las Vegas, some 65 miles away, because I would spend the difference in transportation costs just getting to and from work everyday. I cannot comprehend how anyone could allow this type of situation to spiral out of control, and not hold our representatives in government responsible.

There are those out there who would say we have allowed this to happen and have no one to blame but ourselves. I would agree with them to a point, but as I stated before, we have not had control of our government for some time now, and until we make the necessary changes to do so, little is going to change in my opinion. It really makes no difference as to who we place the blame with, the only thing that matters is whether or not we do anything constructive to change things. In the past, most parents wanted their children to have things better than they did. Nowadays, I think we just want our children to be able to survive from day to day, and not have to worry about expenses outdistancing their income.