This is scaring me...

This may be one of my first real posts about politics. Honestly, its not really about politics though. Its about life.

I just had to stop for gas on the way to taking the girls to school the other day. We always keep our eye out for the cheapest gas in our area, which today was $3.65 per gallon. And Southern NJ falls into the least expensive category in the country. Check this map to see how your state/county compares. The average price of gas in the USA right now is about $3.90/gallon. Some places are well over $4.00! Now I'm going to sound like your mom when I say this, but I totally remember when I first started driving, gas prices were around $1.15/gallon. What has changed? Truly, thats not a rhetorical question. I know we are in a war right now, which dont even get me started on that. But even so, does that account for $3/gal hike in gas prices? According to msnbc, analysts and the Energy Dept are expecting prices to climb even higher this summer. WHAT?!!? We went to PA yesterday and every gas station we passed was $3.99!!

This all leads to less spending by Americans. Which equals lost jobs and higher unemployment. I dont know that we will be able to afford to take our boat out this year. Why? Because of the price of fuel. There is no room for luxuries like that right now.

The economy in general is scaring the hell out of me. First of all, the housing market. I feel bad for those that chose being a realtor as their profession. According to CNN, the rate of foreclosures is skyrocketing. The hardest hit states in this country are California and Florida. The number of foreclosures was up 60% this February compared to last year. Thats insane. And the overall rate for 2007 increased 75% over the year prior. Do we see a trend here?

People arent purchasing big-ticket items right now, which includes homes, cars, boats, etc. And how many homeowners are losing their homes, its astronomical.
And vacations - I have talked to so many people who are foregoing their vacation this year because of money. The airline industry is hurting (also because of the fuel costs).

Groceries...even the price of eggs has been affected. Our average grocery bill is close to $1,000 per month. So there are times now that we cannot get things like fresh fruit or meats because we need the essentials first.

Unfortunately, I do not have a suggested resolution. I wish I did. But one thing I do know is that this November, we are all going to make a MAJOR decision that will definitely affect the future of this country. Possibly more than we realize. Please consider strongly who you are going to vote for - dont take this decision lightly. And whatever you do - vote for what you believe in.

OK, now I will step down off my soap box! :)