My Economic Vent...

Alright, it's my time to vent about the economy now. First off, in my opinion, the main reason why I think things have gone so downhill over the past few months, was the fact that the U.S. government allowed fuel companies to hike up the price of fuel for the past few years to record high's, and didn't do a thing about it to help the citizens. The rise and extreme price in fuel costs, caused people to choose between heating the house or buying groceries, paying utility bills or fueling up the car to go to work. The oil companies excuse to the government was "it's a supply and demand" resource, and they had nothing to do with the high prices(even though oil company executives were raking in the bonuses for record profits, which increased every quarter).

Then the banking crisis hit! OF COURSE all the high risk loans and mortgages are going to go into default, because people had to make decisions on what to provide their families every pay period. So the banks and Wall Street ask the U.S. Government for a huge blank check to bail them out, so they don't have to struggle, and find a job after getting laid off like the rest of citizens! Of course people are mad now that bailout got passed, because many people still haven't been helped yet with saving their homes. Miraculously, during the Presidential Debate, the bailout package, and while everyone started to freak out about the economy possibly being in a recession or depression, apparently the "supply and demand" of petroleum products suddenly decreased enough to drop the gas price below $2.00! Now that's the lowest I can remember since the turn of the century. What seems like many, many, many years ago, when people were shocked at the price of gasoline being $2.50 a gallon.

And now the "Big Three" car manufacturers are asking for part of the bailout??!! I'm sorry, but did you see the head honchos flying into Washington, D.C. in their private jets, then drive to the Congressional meeting in each of their company's brand new "hybrid", "alternative fuel", and "electric" cars to try and prove a point? My thoughts, make the "Big Three" car producers reduce their brands, and have the executives take huge pay cuts, to where they won't make more than a teacher or doctor. For example, Chevy and GMC are the same type of cars, just higher prices for GMC. Dodge and Chrysler are the same cars, just higher prices for Chrysler. Pontiac and Buick are the same cars, etc., etc., etc. Get rid of the GMC's and just make Chevy's, make Dodge's and get rid of Chrysler's, etc.

So make the "Big Three", honestly become the big three, and consolidate their companies, pay cuts for the executives, and lower prices for their products, and maybe I'd think about giving them some of the bail out package. I'd much rather see the bailout package go to the people and citizens in need of financial help, rather than these Fortune 500 companies who pay their executives with end of the year bonuses in the hundreds of thousands, paid vacations, and stock options, while their employees struggle to keep their homes, put food on the table, and keep the lights and heat on for their families. Well, at least they can now afford to fill up the gas tank to drive back and forth to work!!! Seriously....