Voting issues

[thinkerlady[$]]

This article says that the high cost of gasoline is the voter's number one concern. Is it? I know I have many issues that are tied for my number one concern. What do you all think?



Gas prices top consumer economic concerns - Sep. 12, 2008

[magenta321]

I'm not sure how I'd vote given these choices:

A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll found that 35% said price of gasoline was their highest concern. That was followed by availability of good jobs (28%), high taxes (18%) and mortgages or home values (18%).

For me personally, I'm not as worried about the availability of good jobs right now. I am concerned about mortgages and home values, but those are cyclical, so hopefully I "get by" and make my payments, and all will go ok. High taxes is a huge concern, because paying my taxes last year almost made me unable to pay my mortgage, which is a huge deal. High gas prices have a direct effect on being able to pay for food and shelter, so that's a huge concern too.

My biggest concern right now is how I'll survive this month, and the next month, and the next month... gas prices have a lot to do with that.

I just was hired for a third job. If I can't make ends meet with three jobs, and a boyfriend with two jobs, what will be next? I'm really scared.

[anderclayton]

magenta321 said

For me personally, I'm not as worried about the availability of good jobs right now.

Ohhhh gosh. In concept that would be my biggest concern (been job hunting for a bit now and really haven't had luck with getting into the job market for a few years) and in reality it is my own number one concern.

On the other hand, neither candidate's political stance really facilitates things for me in that respect except Obama's really tends to put a bit more of a wringer on it. When I was working in Washington on min wage it was a pain in the butt to get full time hours because employers have to give benefits to their full time employees (State laws). So I ended up bouncing around 32 hours. It wasn't too fun really but I'm good at saving money. With the health care idea it generally makes it tougher for small businesses because it increases their per employee cost (which big businesses can spread around).

Is the gas thing a big issue for me? Well... In a slightly roundabout way sure it is. Higher gas prices increase costs on basic necessities across the board (because most of us don't live next to a farm). It is also one of those fairly large costs for the base level (filling my car rose from 20 dollars to 32 dollars lately) but the big thing is the food cost increase resulting from it. The basic basic loaf of bread just rose from 79 cents standard to 1.19 standard in the last year or so (maybe a year and a half). Something like a 50% increase in the price. The sale price increased from two for a dollar to 99 cents. Meaning the reasonably standard sale price there.

Now. Is this something that I expect or want the government to help out with or interfere with? Not really. Like I said, I'd kinda like less laws rather than more laws.
On the other hand, I'd kinda like the government to keep the illegal alien problem a bit more in check because they do compete for jobs and keep wages artificially low.

Ander

[anderclayton]

The mortgage thing... Gick. Again, I'd prefer the government to stay out of it. House prices have quickly gone way out of my possible price range and the government bailing out people that have gotten bad loans solidifies those prices at a level way out of my range. Instead of the bank being penalized for giving bad loans, they essentially have no real reason not to do it. Instead of people being penalized for taking those bad loans or being forced to sell the homes at lower prices to pay for them (reducing house prices overall), their initial high priced sale is bolstered by the government, therefore keeping house prices up. The market isn't being allowed to adjust on its own and therefore the price of houses will remain (artificially) high and essentially out of a lower income household's price range.

Ander

[frazzledspice]

With our three cars (none of them SUV's, fortunately) we are probably paying $200 a week on gas at the moment (we drive quite a bit, too.)

We're fortunate to have good incomes, and $200 a week is manageable.

As a matter of fact, it's probably about the same amount of money as we spend on health care (aargh!) since my hubby's share of health insurance is about $6000 a year and we have to put $4000 a year in flexible spending.

We've thought of changing my insurance to my job, but the difference he'd have to pay between a "2 person family" and a "3 person family" isn't that great, so we don't think we'd benefit.

What's the difference between the 10K we pay for gasoline and the 10K we pay for health care?

At our ages, not having health insurance is life-threatening (as it could be for people of any age.) We could economize on gasoline--cut out discretionary driving, carpool, combine trips--but there's no way we can get around the health insurance monster.

But by far, the biggest "hit" our finances, as "pre-retirees," has taken has been the decline in the stock market, and the weakness of the dollar due to the tripling of the national debt in eight years has made our economy very vulnerable.

[lynnzop[$]]

A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll found that 35% said price of gasoline was their highest concern. That was followed by availability of good jobs (28%), high taxes (18%) and mortgages or home values (18%).

These are all things related to the economy. ONE of my biggest concerns, but not the only one.

And $200/week in gas, Maryanne? Holy crap. I'm horrified at spending that in a month, and I live 15 miles from the closest grocery/department store. Maybe you need to look at some conservation efforts.

[magenta321]

Lynne, that's three people's worth of driving. I spend $60/week on gas, and I'm just one person. If you multiply that by three, I'm driving about as much as Maryann's family. I'm already using google maps on a routine basis to group my trips into the shortest trip possible, trying to shop locally only, and using cruise control whenever it's not bumper to bumper traffic, or a construction zone. Maybe you have some other conservation ideas?

Margaret, who also doesn't have an SUV

[frazzledspice]

lynnzop said

These are all things related to the economy. ONE of my biggest concerns, but not the only one.

And $200/week in gas, Maryanne? Holy crap. I'm horrified at spending that in a month, and I live 15 miles from the closest grocery/department store. Maybe you need to look at some conservation efforts.

My daugter is commuting to a college that's 30 miles away--that's 300 miles a week right there. After she was so sick last year with her mono and walking pneumonia, etc. we thought it was better she commute this year. Luckily it is mostly country roads with little traffic.

[lynnzop[$]]

magenta321 said

Maybe you have some other conservation ideas?

Carpooling for work and/or school. Even for errand running.

Ride a bike or walk.

Adjust schedules (even college schedules can be coordinated) to not drive one day a week. During the summer, I would leave the car in the garage for entire weekends by planning ahead during the week or coordinating rides with other folks.

Schedule appointments before or after work/school instead of making an extra trip or over your lunch hour. If possible, pick locations that are on your route or just slightly off-route.

Eat lunch "in" at work or school - don't take the car out of the parking lot once you get there. Do errands on the way to/from work instead of over lunch.

Telecommute. Again, you can even try to do this with college courses.

Combine trips or do without. I never run out for "just one thing" any more...can't remember the last time I did.

Of course, use economical vehicles. Dan bought a scooter this fall and he spends about $6/week in gas. I drive about 200 miles a week to and from work, drive the kid about 100 miles a week to and from karate. My SUV-lite isn't great on mileage, but it gets around 25 mpg. On average I use one tank of gas ($60) a week.

I know these ideas won't work for everyone, but maybe they will provide food for thought. We've made some major adjustments to our lifestyle to save on gas prices, but still are very busy and socially active.

And lest anyone think I'm dissing lifestyles for gas consumption, I'm not. I just am astounded at the thought of shelling out $200+ in gas a week.

[rmthunter]

anderclayton said

On the other hand, I'd kinda like the government to keep the illegal alien problem a bit more in check because they do compete for jobs and keep wages artificially low.

Ander

Actually, that's not the case. I'll see if I can find the link, but Dave Neiwert at Orcinus some while ago published some figures that blow that whole idea out of the water.

[rmthunter]

The economy in general, I think -- jobs, prices, mortgages, etc. are all tied into that, and in spite of reassurances from the government, it is not strong. The dollar is a mess, which only drives prices up (and check next time you're at the grocery store to see how much is imported, especially vegetables and fruit), and higher gas prices only do the same for domestic products. I would love for the job market to open up, but we've never recovered the 3.5 million jobs we lost in 2001-2003.

And social/civil issues are important to me -- not only gay rights, but poverty, health care, the war on some people who use drugs, the fact that the US has more people behind bars than any other country (does that tell you something's wrong with the system?), the erosion of our basic rights under the Bush regime (with the willing connivance of Congress), the aggrandizement of presidential power without any checks -- these all matter to me. Making ends meet is just the most immediate. (I just lost my health coverage a week before being hospitalized with pneumonia -- this is going to be fun.)

[drmomentum[$]]

rmthunter said

The economy in general, I think -- jobs, prices, mortgages, etc. are all tied into that, and in spite of reassurances from the government, it is not strong.

Alan Greenspan, this morning, said he'd never seen the situation so bad in his career.

Political Radar: Greenspan to Stephanopoulos: This is 'By Far' the Worst Economic Crisis He's Seen in His Career

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

rmthunter said

(I just lost my health coverage a week before being hospitalized with pneumonia -- this is going to be fun.)

hope you're feeling better!

[rmthunter]

Thanks. At that impossible stage where I feel too good to stay put, but I'm not well enough to run around.

Interestingly enough, the hospital I was at actually retains a firm to put through DHS applications for public aid for those without insurance -- they send a representative to your room to fill out the forms with you. Seems like some in the health industry are thinking about things in practical terms.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Or thinking of getting paid faster than leaving you to your own devices

[theworm[$]]

Sorry to hear that you were so sick, Bob! I hope the firm will actually help YOU with this!

[drmomentum[$]]

rmthunter said

(I just lost my health coverage a week before being hospitalized with pneumonia -- this is going to be fun.)

It took a lot of rest for me to recover when I had pneumonia. I was lucky not to need hospitalization; I'd just barely crossed over from bronchitis. You take care of yourself, even if you're feeling better!

-JP

[rmthunter]

mjfrombuffalo said

Or thinking of getting paid faster than leaving you to your own devices

Thinking of getting paid, period. I have no objection to that, and if they're willing to take the necessary steps to make the means available to me, so much the better.

[rmthunter]

Thanks, all -- it was pretty scary.

I've had pneumonia before, but never this bad. And actually, I'm probably better off having been in the hospital pumped full of antibiotics with oxygen tubes up my nose.

As for the firm helping -- the firm's the reason I no longer have insurance. But that's another thread.

[rmthunter]

rmthunter said

Actually, that's not the case. I'll see if I can find the link, but Dave Neiwert at Orcinus some while ago published some figures that blow that whole idea out of the water.

Found the article by Neiwert, which is here.