Food Prices on the Rise

The article came as no surprise today after having just filled my gas tank at the local SaveLow station where I paid $3.60 a gallon for regular unleaded (yikes!), the least expensive price in town. When oil prices go up, so go up food prices…up goes everything. As long as Big Oil runs the Govt we will find ourselves held hostage. At a time when americans can least afford it, when more and more americans find themselves jobless, homeless, without health insurance, without savings, with one or a combination of these factors, there seems no relief in sight. Nothing but more of the same coming our way in the next years. I try to remain optimistic, to believe this too shall pass, that everything goes in cycles, right??? But we seem to have been hit by the Perfect Storm and this ship is taking on water big time!

The news this past week has brought to our attention the mass demonstrations in Wisconsin regarding Governor Walkers Bill to take away most of the State Employees Union’s powers to collective bargaining, this Bill actually passed today, and I wonder is this the beginning of a nationwide effort to take away all workers rights. Opponents say it will lower wages and hurt workers, and Indiana AFL-CIO President, Nancy Guyott claims the bill is “a big political payoff to wealthy campaign donors“.

Polls indicate the country is more or less equally divided when it comes to the existence of Labor Unions, with the west coast, New England and northern midwest states favoring Unions, while the southern and central Midwestern states are more anti-Union, “right to work” States. Governor Walker in Wisconsin insists removing the power of the Unions is fiscally responsible, in order to cut the States deficits. Proponents of Walkers Bill tell us such a move will attract business to their States. Sounds to me like the Reagonomics myth … the “trickle down” theory which, for all intents and purposes, turned out to be “trickle up”economic …the rich getting richer, the poor, poorer, and the middle class fighting for its very existence.

Personally from what I’ve read this battle in Wisconsin seems more politically and personally motivated, and in time all will be revealed. I am not swayed by the “right to work arguments“ and we’ve all seen abuse on both sides of the issue. Still, it seems a no-brainer we stand to lose more than we gain if we lose our collective right to bargain for better wages and working conditions. In Wisconsin the Unions capitulated to all of Governor Walkers demands, everything except giving up collective bargaining. The fact Walker refused any compromise that would allow collective bargaining to remain in place (as well as his comments in the “fake Koch” phone conversation) has convinced me this was more about the Republican party’s interest in the destruction of the labor unions which clearly benefits Corporate America, and a case of quid pro quo for Walker. I find it impossible to trust any of our Government officials anymore, to believe that very many of them honestly have the good of the country at heart with the actions we are seeing.

Strange, and dangerous times.

Each time history repeats itself, the price goes up. ~Author Unknown