worried

this whole fire thing in Cali has me very worried. I have family and friends out there (as well as my boss) in the San Diego area and haven't heard anything about how they're doing. Plus i know it's gonna be one more huge blow to our economy and it's already so bad. I don't EVER remember our economy being this bad. not even during the Carter years. It's insane that we let things get to this point. Here in Michigan it's REALLY bad. It's scary. And now the southern part of California is on fire!!!! dang. the more i read about it the more depressed i get. i hope it gets under control soon!!!

Jay, Everything is cyclical and history has a way of repeating it's self. When I lived in the Bay area between 1993 to 1996 some of the news worthy events were: 1. The death of Richard Nixon 2. Flooding in the Valley areas (Sacramento, Stockton, etc.) 3. Oakland Fires 4. Malibu Mud Slides 5. Earthquakes in LA 6. OJ Simpson (Maybe I digress here) Not trying to minimize the current fires as the relocation of 500,000 people plus from their homes is devastating. As a manager with national coverage responsibilities I have employees based out of LA and San Diego and I am concerned for them. As for the economy what we are seeing is a continued transition from manufacturing to a service related mix. A lot of the manufacturing jobs are going to other countries where the costs are far less than the work can be performed state side. Currently 70% of all work performed in the US is service related. Manufacturing work has always been the mainstay of many of our entry levels jobs and historically pays better with higher opportunities for promotion. Areas like Michigan are being hit extremely hard due to the competitive factors of the automobile industry where foreign imports are constantly taking market share from the US auto makers and jobs from Americans. Now that being stated, these are not new themes. The government had to come to the aid of the airlines industry and there has been a rebound to a certain degree in that economic segment. The country had to endure Katrina 3 years back and New Orleans and it's people are coming back. Hurricane Hugo devastated parts of Florida and they have come back. Natural disasters do seem to be on the rise but so far America has been spared some of the horrific events seen in other parts of the world. Tsunami(s), Earthquakes, etc. No, these are some pretty tough times but if history has anything to teach, it is that we have always risen to help those in need and will again. Hopefully your Boss and others are safe and secure. Ron

some of these themes ARE in fact new. and history teaches us that EVERY civilization crumbles. sorry to be cynical but i'm also a realist. we're in deep doo doo. our leaders blow.

The "our leaders blow" consideration is another topic all together and no doubt one that would factor a whole other element to the conversation. However one doesn't have to go back all that far to discover tough times in this country, Vietnam in the 60s and Recession in the 80s where unemployment rates were extremely high. The 80s were especially unkind to many in my family who had to go out and find new work. Fiscal policies are very important right now and with the departure of Greenspan there are many in academic circles that are watching the moves of one Mr. Ben Bernanke. No doubt, there are times when everyone feels like a pawn in the game of life. I know of people *****fuse to watch the news, first because they believe it is slanted and secondly because they do not want to get depressed or receive an out of control sensation. One might say there is no middle class anymore. Only the have(s) and the have not(s).

actually as far as i'm concerned that is the topic as it's where the fear is based... on their ineptitude (i.e. katrina) to deal with this type of disaster while they still play their silly, deadly and unbelievably costly war game in Iraq. The issue was fear but since you question the validity behind my fear i'll respond to your points. Vietnam while not nearly as costly in real dollars as the Iraq war and was not going on at the same time as the recessions or period of unemployment to which you point. During Nam we didn't put ALL our resources towards the war while secretly (but now exposed) greenlighting Israeli raids into Syria to destroy nuclear reactors built with parts supplied by North Korea and endorsed by Iran. While claiming that Syria is a non threat and making diplomatic overtures towards them. While increasing the number of troops in Iraq past our breaking point causing shortages not to mention dwindling morale in our military ranks. We weren't facing the kind of climate crisis we're dealing with now which led to Katrina and contributes to the fires in Southern California. We didn't have an ENTIRE city destroyed by a natural disaster and the ignored to rot as shown by the horrid conditions there still today. And as you say there is no longer a middle class. During the Vietnam war you could hardly make that claim. no these are unchartered waters and our leaders have clearly demonstrated apathy, ineptitude and corruption when dealing with our welfare. and i personally lay the blame at the apologists who try to make it out to be no big deal and ignore what's going on and lay down the groundwork for a continuance of this corrupt leadership. It's a damn shame and it's frightening to watch us wash our country down the toilet while claiming it's all going to be okay if we have faith!

Jay, I agree with most of your points. I just hate to see you worrying. My replies were not intended as rebuttles but simply some feedback to reflect we usually do come through difficult times. I have had the privledge to speak to my Grandmothers regarding their recollections of life as children. It is an interesting discussion every time as they both remember in vivid detail living through the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Times in our history that impacted everyone. However there is no way that I can relate like they can because they lived it. The same could be said for minorities that have to endure prejudices, past and present in this country. Not trying to have an "apologetic" attitude but rather a balanced view. I can assure you that on a nightly basis Cathy and I reflect on ugly situations and just shake our heads in disbelief on what is happening in the world. Just hate to see you in a "worried" state of mind. Ron Signing off from UTA, better get my homework completed.

thanks Ron, the sentiment is appreciated. and i didn't actually mean you by the apologetic stuff, i was referring to those *****elected our supreme idiot in command. it scares the hell out of me. i hope things never get as bad as they were during the depression and dust bowl. especially since we no longer have the ways out that they did then, we need to find new ways.

The fires are devastating. Looking at the pictures blows me away. Hopefully things will get better, all around. Hugs, Jen

The devestation from the fires IS horrible and to think that some f***s might actually have started some of them on purpose is beyond my comprehension... I genuinely hope your friends and family members are ok. I have family who've had to leave their home (though they believe so far their house is ok) and others who've lost homes in the Arrowhead fire (luckily those were just vacation homes and didn't house irreplacable mementos, etc) but even with all that, I remember times that seemed worse (at least we don't have to wait for odd/even days to fill up our gast tanks). So far, the government has been better at handling things than it did with Katrina. With Katrina, the government failed on four different levels. First the parish let the people down by allowing them to be SO dependent on them that they couldn't even figure a way out of town. Then, of course the city and state and feds screwed things up very badly as well. (Though I have to say with the exception of the military who went in as soon as they were given the ok to do so) From what I can tell with the fires, the local firefighters at city and county levels were all over these blazes, coordinating efforts -- not just amongst themselves but with other counties and states -- to borrow personnel and equipment. The federal gov't also hopped in quickly, lending use of military equipment. Plus (and I don't actually neccessarily agree that such a thing should happen, but that's neither here nor there), both the state and nation declared states of emergencies so there would be aid for those who've lost their homes (yes, I may sound like a cold hearted you know what, but I can't see how the constitution allows for national tax dollars to help rebuild an individual's home -- especially when they are going to rebuild in the same darn place that burns every couple of years - or floods or gets by hurricanes/tornados/etc repeatedly ---again, just my opinion as an aside and not really part of the discussion at hand...). So you don't take this the wrong way, Jay, I'm not trying to pick fights or anything, just seeing a little bit of hope through this that hopefully can be shared and help you feel at least a little better. I'll keep good thoughts for your friends and family in San Diego.

first i just wanna say i don't look at ANY disagreement as an attempt to pick fights. I have the utmost respect for Ron and i believe that like, i, and you, he enjoys sharing opinions with others whether or not they agree. And i do see the hope in what you say although i'm hesitant and fearful just because i've learned that only time will tell how this plays out. there are a lot of displaced people and a lot of damage to be repaired. first the fires need to be stopped. now, as for the arguing, lol, hey i gotta be me... while we did have gas rationing on odd/even days which i remember well, the fact is that gas prices (in real dollars adjusted for inflation) are far higher today. the energy crisis is far worse today. we are just far more apathetic. when i see the statistics comparing it to the first gas crisis in the 70's is when i get really scared. because no one is talking about conserving energy the way we did then. i seem to be the only person i know who still turns out lights when i leave the room, turns down the heat, worries more about gas mileage than the status of an SUV etc. It scares the heck out of me. to the part about the rebuilding all i can say is that we're a nation of people tha****ch out for each other and help each other through times of tragedy whether the people in need of help are idiots or not. those idiots pay taxes too. geeez, i read what i'm writing and i feel bad that i'm coming off so fearful. maybe scared and fear isn't the right word. apprehensive and concerned is probably a better way to put it.