Indications things are not getting better……

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Regardless of what the mainstream media may portray – I am seeing indications for myself that things are NOT getting better.

What am I seeing? As I have brought up before – food prices continue to go up. I am not going to ramble on as I have before – but I see it and I have gotten plenty reports from you all that I am not alone in my observations. Watching the prices I see them going up and also see package sizes dropping (although the price may stay the same).

I ran into a guy I used to coach football with and asked him how he was doing. He is a plumber and several months ago he had told me that the company he works for was laying off quite a few people- business was slow. He said right now things remain slow and that everyone was cut back to 32 hours per week. He has had to drop his wife off of his health insurance due to the cost increasing. He has 2 kids to provide for as well.

My work insurance has changed in benefits and cost – and not for the good. I have not gotten the final word of the increase I will have to pay – but from what I have heard it will at least double. That’s not all of it. My deductibles are also increasing 50% – wonderful. Over? Nope. I have also found out that some of the prescriptions that my family have are being moved to a “non-approved” list meaning they will increase in price as well.

So – to summarize:

The cost of food as well as many other consumables are increasing. Fuel has been rising. My health costs have risen dramatically. My paycheck remains the same.

Time to make some adjustments……..

Rourke

Tags: economic collapse, medical

economic collapse | Rourke January 22, 2011

17 Comments to “Indications things are not getting better……”

By Badvoodoodaddy, January 22, 2011 @ 10:22 am

I have been hearing this from a lot of people I know. Food cost rising, gas is going up, insurance cost on the rise. Many of the people I know are unemployed or under employed. The best part is that our politicians are coming on television and telling us that things are getting better! Where in Russia?? Things are not getting better in the United States. These guys are so out of touch with the real world. Things must be getting better in politics because it sure is not happening on Main Street USA. The big boys in Washington need to get out of the office more and actually talk to their constitutes. They are in for a big surprise. Excellent post Rourke.
By Lorie, January 22, 2011 @ 11:43 am

You said at the beginning that you see things are getting better? Then you tell how they’re not? I’m confused, unless you were being sarcastic. I’m seeing things get rapidly worse and so many people are still so blind to the fact. I can’t believe how many people have blinders on and even if they see the truth, they choose to keep the blinders on….maybe that’s their way of coping? To pretend not to see all the red flags popping up daily? Love your articles! keep up the great work!
By Lorie, January 22, 2011 @ 11:45 am

AHA! Just reread it and sounds like you were quoting someone….I think the Pres. said that at the GE meeting?
By Rourke, January 22, 2011 @ 12:05 pm

Hi Lorie –

I screwed up – missed the word “NOT”.

Had a reader email me. Should’ve proofed it better.

Sorry –

Rourke
By Grill Sgt., January 22, 2011 @ 2:09 pm

The pols aren’t out of touch…they’re corrupt! They believe, if they repeat a lie often enough, the people will believe it as if it were truth. But…they didn’t take into consideration people who think for themselves!
By rodney, January 22, 2011 @ 2:49 pm

You in America are going to loose your world reserve bank status, someone has printed off far too much money and have borrowed to much money in the sum of 50 gigatrillion dollars including the intrest. The facts you could not even pay the intrest even if you tried, perhaps why there printing money to cover it.
When they announce there going to devalue the dollar, that is when the fun will start.
By carl, January 22, 2011 @ 2:55 pm

The guy from GE is just another government stooge. GE has taken baleout TARP money and participates in so many govmt handouts it is obsurd. What a joke. Even Paul Volker who debased the US dollar is fleeing the sinking ship.

Being retired( therefore OLD) we don’t leave our property too much during the winter, I was amazed to see gas up to $3.14 a gallon here in Central Rural Wisconsin yesterday.

I have a friend who sells time shares for a major resorter. He is on part time now. He was clearing 6 figures a couple of years ago.

My neighbor works for a major chicken processor, His health insurance is going up 10% ( from what you say that is not so bad) But he has been working 32 or so hours a week for quite a while.

My son is being asked to leave the Navy in the spring along with many other Senior and Master Chiefs who have been in for 25 years or more. It looks to me like they are getting rid of very experienced high priced personel. I can tell you from personal experience that this is a very bad idea from a viability position. When I worked in the corporate world, IBM offered early retirement for allot of folks accross the board. The smart ones retired and IBM ended up keeping alot of people who were a drag on the company. It took them years to recover from that little boon doogle. They lost what they should have kept and kept what they should have
lost.
By SuperDave, January 22, 2011 @ 6:47 pm

I’m laid off again….I’m in the IBEW and can’t find work. for the 4 months previous to me being out of work, they worked me 4 hrs a month short of being eligible for insurance. They said it was a coincidence,,,MY BUTT. I’m not that stupid. Things are really bad here in Oregon.
By Texas Cigar, January 22, 2011 @ 6:56 pm

Keep up the good work. Nice blog.
By Rourke, January 22, 2011 @ 7:29 pm

Texas Cigar –

Thanks…..liking what you are doing as well over at your site.

Rourke
By Rourke, January 22, 2011 @ 7:31 pm

SuperDave –

Sorry to hear that – probably not making you feel any better that you are one of many.

Keep in touch….

Rourke
By rodney, January 22, 2011 @ 9:05 pm

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/103583/20110121/donald-trump-china-state-dinner-hu-jintao-tax-imports.htm
The Chinese are not friends, but enemies, and that they do not “understand niceness,” Trump said in CNN’s Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.

China is also contending to elimate the US as the world bank reserve to form a new world bank reserve composed of countries with strong dollar values like them, why else did they add the red dragon to there flag
so either the unitedstates falls to ruins which will be 10x worse than it is now, or they pick a fight with the red dragon
you people need to decide which battle and whch side your fighting on
By DC Josh, January 22, 2011 @ 9:57 pm

Rourke,
I really am saddened to hear about your health insurance; may no one in your family get sick. All the best.

-DC Josh
http://www.metro-survival.blogspot.com
By Rourke, January 22, 2011 @ 11:28 pm

Thanks Josh –

Rourke
By john, January 23, 2011 @ 10:34 am

you need a job come to north dakota we have lots of job do to a major oil boom in western north dakota amount of oil that is recoverable is 20.5 billion barrels in 5 years north dakota will pumping more oil than alaska and just behind texas so many jobs and good paying to only problem here is they can’t build houses fast enough to meat demand so come with travel trailer or rv if you have one the oil companies are setting many man camps for worker but they can’t put them up fast enough to for the demand not just oil jobs needed fast food worker starting wage 15hr so if need a job check out williston,nd which the middle of oil country up here.
By Ty, January 23, 2011 @ 8:27 pm

Just saw at the grocery store today that 24-pack cases of name brand soda have been downsized to 20, and the price appears to have increased (I don’t normally buy those big ones, so I’m not as familiar with the price there). I’m told wal-mart still carries the 24′s, but I wonder how long it will be before they follow suit. I also remember when the 24 oz soda bottles went down to 18 oz. Kinda wish I still had some of the old ones just to see the difference.

Now if I could just break my soda habit I wouldn’t have to worry about the new price to volume ratios as much in that department. It would be a few more dollars for something else anyways.
By Joe, January 24, 2011 @ 12:08 am

Getting better? See for yourself in this animated time lapsed graph of unemployment numbers across the country:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI7iel2Ypyc