I was just thinking about everything I buy that has increased in price because of taxation. Everything from eggs and milk to clothes and vehicles. What kills me is the government says there is no cost of living increase. Really? That's odd because I know 7 years ago I rented a place for $900 a month now that very same rental property goes for $1300 a month.
I could go to the grocery store just 2 years ago once a week, spend $100 and my family of 4 could eat 3 healthy meals a day for a full week. Now I go grocery shopping once every two weeks and spend $200-$250 to get us thru lunches on the weekends, dinner every night, and maybe a weeks worth of snacks for the two kids.
I paid around $25 every 3 months for my W&S now I am paying $210, for poor quality water that I don't even trust to drink! Which adds to the expenses at the grocery store since I have to buy bottled water.
I could afford to fill up the gas tank in both my vehicle and my husbands for about $65 a week. Now it costs over $50 just to fill his, I have cut way back on my traveling so now my ability to put gas in my tank dictates where I can go in between pay checks.
I also find myself having to pick and chose which bills to pay since the electric bill is now over half of what my mortgage payment is. I recall getting car insurance based on my driving record, not on my credit score. I have been driving for 13 years, never had an accident never had a ticket and my husband is a truck driver with a spotless record yet every renewal our insurance creeps a little higher.
I remember a time I could afford to take my children out to eat, bowling, or to a movie. The last time they attended a movie it was a free summer flick at Center of Salisbury theater. The last paid movie was "Cars".
Just 4 or maybe 5 years ago I could walk into a store and see a variety of jeans I could buy for less than $15 now I have to wait until those jeans are on final clearance and hope like hell they have a pair..any pair.. left in my size to get a pair at that price.
I used to be able to buy shoes for my children for $15-$30, now I cannot touch a pair of shoes constructed well enough to withstand the wear and tear of little ones for less than $40 unless they are on clearance.
I am not saying the whole world is out to get us, I think the government needs to conduct an experiment. I want to see if they can live for 3 months on what us every day blue collar workers are making. We may not be high class or drive a Mercedes but damn it we work. We work hard to provide for our children. We educate our kids and teach them the importance of caring about others. We don't sit in the welfare office every month with applications on our laps, even though we would qualify if we applied. We don't do that because we are trying to make it on our own. I don't want to live off any one or anything other than our own hard work and dedication. The sad part is people just like us go to work every day, raise our children up right, and do everything in our power to make life enjoyable and affordable but we always get over looked. How is that right? So I wasn't born with a talent to make millions. So I have enough pride to not beg someone else to bare my burdens. Why can't all of us in this class be appreciated because we are what makes this country operate. The government needs to see if they keep making us, and those like us, feel like we will never be able to climb out of the hole and continue to step on our foreheads as we try, we will at some point give up. Then what happens? What happens when we have had enough and stop trying so hard to just live?
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
22 comments:
The "Hidden" taxes are everywhere, but you are not counting the cost of regulation. Every time the Dumbocrats in Washington decide a new regulation needs to be enacted the businesses affected will state that is will raise the cost of their goods and services. It just keeps adding up.
Businesses either pass the cost on to the customer or go out of business.
How much of you electricity bill is money that is subsidizing wind farms and solar panels?
How much of teh cost of a car is the reduculous regulations that they must meet.
Wait until 2011 when all diesels will require DEF or Diesel Exhaust Fluid.
It just never ends!
One word "Revolt"
very well said
Core Inflation, which does not include the price of oil and food in it's calculation, is a scam meant to make people feel better about the economy. It's not a realistic measure of real life.
Just ask yourself - other than mortgage what bigger expenses do you have than food and fuel? Not much.
There is speculation that the Chinese Yuan is going to appreciate soon. When that happens, everything made in China will get more expensive. The fact that they sell us stuff so cheap was a big reason why "official" inflation numbers seemed so low. Given that they make everything we consume, inflation is going to go through the roof if this happens.
Hopefully we'll be able to reclaim some jobs that we have lost overseas, but I am not optimistic about it.
Then lets look at groceries. Everything is getting smaller in size yet the price either remains the same or increases. Tuna is now a $1 or more a can and the can is now 5 oz of water and tuna instead of 6 oz. Ice Cream used to come in half gallons or 2 quarts for those that don't know how much is in a half gallon. Breyers is now 1.5 quarts for the same half gallon price of $5. Everybody gets a little more for providing a lot less...except us little working guys.
Check out Goodwill. I'm a very well dressed financial professional, and the effectively new, or near new, clothing deals on top quality brands you can find there with some searching are quite remarkable. You have to check items carefully for hidden tears or defects (which might be wny some items are donated), but it's well worth the effort.
It's astounding what people donate after wearing it once of twice. Other than underwear and socks almost all my clothing comes from Goodwill.
Adding to what 11:06 said, wait 'til you're FORCED to buy health insurance (for all family members) or pay a fine. Talk about a slap in the face -- and the wallet!
One small point, I don't know what car insurance company the writer is using but let me say: We've been with Progressive for about 6 or 7 years and our premium just went down -- AGAIN! The policy covers me, my husband and our 25-year-old son. It might help this person to shop around for new auto insurance.
You have a spouse and a family that love you, you already won. Perspective can be on your side.
If you think this is all due to taxation, you are simply wrong. Do you think your landlord's taxes were in creased $400 a month? Milk is subsidized by the government, or else it would be much more expensive. I don't believe you when you say that a family of four spent $25 quarterly on water. Maybe you living alone--maybe. So rather than exaggerating and claiming this is all due to taxes, you might look at good ol' American greed.
Well, your Legislature just passed the bill raising the minimum auto insurance coverage you must carry at the request of the trial lawyers. All it needs is O'Malley's signature and your premiums will go up too.
November is coming folks!
1:35
Do you know why "Progressive" insurance is named progressive?
Because the founders and current management are progressive liberals!
You are hurting yourself by doing business with that company!
Don't believe me? Look it up!
Wow, this is so true! I lost my job and have had to live off of unemployment. The maximum amount is $380 a week and after taxes come out, I get a whopping $315 a week. I am trying hard to find a job but have had no luck so far. I would love it if our politicians would try to live off that for 6 months. Wouldn't that make a great reality show?
The whole issue is that the middle class is doomed. The separation between the rich and poor is the largest ever... the richest 1% have the highest percent of wealth since before the great depression. Watch the movie Capitalism and you will gain a better understanding. This is an entire system failure -- the capitalistic society which the USA was founded on has eroded into what it is today -- large corporations running and destroying America. Support your local businesses. Walmart is the enemy!!
1:03, you are right you can get good deals for clothing at Goodwill. However the point is why should the working people be forced to shop second hand while the criminals (both rich and poor) are buying $150 pants without a second thought?
1:49, If I still have an old water bill in my files I am more than happy to send it to Joe so he can publish it! Why in the world would I have a reason to lie about something as stupid as a water bill? That's just simple! I lived in AACo, in 2003 I was paying anywhere from $19-30 every three months for my water.
Part of the things I covered may be due to greed, but break it down 1:49: You purchase a house for $125k, you plan to rent the house for $900. However during the course of, let's say, 10 yrs your cost of living increases due to insurance premiums, repair costs on your own home and the rental property goes up, the cost of fuel increases... Are you going to still rent that house out at the rate of $900 a month and eat the extra expenses or are you going to hike the rent in order to cover your own butt? You are going to raise the rent, or you are not a good business person. Another factor is the houses on either side of your rental property sell for $275k. Both houses are going to be rental properties at $1600 a month. Now you know you you don't want to raise the cost that high but you also know if your rental is too much lower than the house on either side of yours, your rental will attract less than ideal tenants. So in order to avoid possible discrimination issues you raise the rent to compete while not being vulnerable.
If you own a company and the cost of purchase increases, your prices are going to increase so you can maintain a profit margin. Once again that is a business. Without profit it becomes charity, people do not invest money to open a business just to discover they are not going to profit from it. That's just common sense.
at last people are realizing we do in fact live in a CLASSIST society and as much as people would like to believe they are above certain societal ills they often exist in the same class its just another ploy to keep everyone divided
I also want to comment on automobile prices. It is getting pretty bad when car dealers want to sell you used vehicles with 80,000 miles on them for practically the same price as a new vehicle. The new vehicle prices are almost out of reach for the working middle class. Then these big wigs that run General Motors etc., wonder why they keep losing money. Stop building some of this junk they call state of art vehicles and go back making real ones at a decent price. You know the kind that you can change your own plugs, oil etc. All this electrical junk does not hold up. It is nothing but junk!
amen
You realize the bottled water you are buying is tested and regulated far less than the tap water you don't trust?
11:52, the water that comes from my towns supply is often orange, apple juice color, and even pink some times. Also at least 2-3 days a week it smells of chlorine so strong it actually takes my breath away.
It also leaves our white clothes with dark stains after washing.... I will continue to take my chances with the bottled water.
Oh yes and let me not forget the "mayor" and commissioner have bottle water delivered to their homes, so apparently although it is good for the citizens, they do not feel it is acceptable for them. Hey it's kind of like the Obamacare!
The cpi rate that the federal Reserve and most Government economists and spokesmen quote is the so called "core rate"....it excludes items such as food and energy costs because,in the view of the Feds, these items are "too volatile" and "confuse" trend analysis.....I saw BUNK....those costs and others that are conveniently excluded from the Fed measurement are the ones that kill the average household budget. It's quite intentional and it is a scam used by both major parties.
If you want a better measure of the true inflation rate look up the Headline rate of inflation or headline cpi...it is a much truer measurement.
shoes at marshalls, old navy and ross are 9.99 - 20.00
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