Hey ma, are we there yet?

June 5th 2009

Are we there yet ma??

The past few months have seen more and more decline for western civilization. Jobs have been slipping away. The unemployment has rising faster and to a deeper level than we have seen in 25 years. Homes are flooding the market as owners who could make the payments and were not part of the "toxic" or bad loans that started this whole melt down, now are faced with a grim option of paying the mortgage or feeding the kids with the meager money being made available to them through the unemployment insurance and savings that few have left to tap.

I have not been writing here for a few weeks now. I have had my own personal battle raging with the working world. The company I work for has been forced to downsize after having spent several years growing and expanding. We have gone from a work force of 50+ to now just 7. From several fabrication and office facilities to now just one office and a small fabrication facility, and that will not be the end of our compression. We are going to be merging the offices with the fabrication division shortly in an effort to stay open for business. Sadly, I don't see this plan working.

I started this blog to cover the full scope of President Obama and his administration. The impact that they would or could have on our country. I lost the drive to cover just clean facts and figures as they were represented and have now decided to give my perspective in addition to that of the Democrats, Republicans and others that I had first envisioned.

In the beginning I was going to cover just the news and refrain from voicing opinion. I don't think I can do that any longer. I still want others opinions voiced here though and, even if they differ from my own view and take I will request that you share your thoughts and ideas here.

With that said let me see if we can bring this blog back to life as the country we all love continues to gasp for air.

As I said earlier on the unemployment rate is surging ahead. The current unemployment rate for May 2009 is at 9.4%. That is up from April's 8.9% but the rate of new claims seems to be slowing some what. But does that mean we are nearing the end of our down turn?

I have been hearing economists saying that they expect the recession to be at an end before 2009 comes to a close but how long and how steep of a climb will it be at the end for us as Americans to get back to a profitable situation and return to market where we can afford to live again? Will that market return? In a few months when the employment market stops shedding jobs and starts trying to bring the unemployed back to the national workforce, what will those salaries and pay packages look like? Where will our benefits be?

Who will be left holding the bag?

We are now in an America that has several of the institutions we know as American staples falling out of our control.

Chrysler is now owned by Fiat. Though I look forward to the opportunity to purchase a Fiat here in the states, I don't like the reason that I will be able to do so.

I have never been a big fan of Chrysler or the products that they present to the market. They have a bloated and plastic feel to them while attempting to have a rugged and aggressive appearance on the outside. They have always reminded me of the school yard bully. Attempting to look tough and cool while all the time being nothing more than a uneducated wimp who is more afraid of getting into competition and confronting fears than projecting a tough persona. You know, no substance.

Fiat on the other hand is a company that has high fuel economy vehicles that are quick and agile. They may not look tough or rugged or even edgy but they get the job done and at a value price.

I don't know what this "New" company will bring forth in America, but I am interested to see how it shapes up.