I am bitter - gas at $3.25, groceries way up

[rurallib]

scared to think what heat will be next year, health care kind of a dream anymore.

[CornField]

1. I'll be bitter with you

And I'll up your fuel/heating costs and grocery bills with the ever-rising costs of higher education for my three children. (One only two years from high school graduation.)

If you look back in my family tree, I think there is only one generation that did not have/provide better opportunities for its offspring. That would be my grandfather's generation, the generation that had my father coming of age in the midst of the Great Depression.

Although I don't like to dwell on such things, the truth is that I'm seriously worried that my children won't have the same opportunities that I've had. But, I guess as long as they are protected from the evils of same-sex marriage, brown people hopping the border in search of prosperity, and equal wages, they will bow down and praise God when the next bridge collapses from disrepair or the next preemptive war begins.

[Hardrada]

2. I was doing some calculating and my alma mater (in Iowa)

a church college, has had its tuition double since the Sixties taking inflation INTO account. What's that all about?

[rurallib]

4. Ah - school

talk about a short term gain for the privatizers that will be a major long term loss for our country.
Our kids will be saddled with huge debt to get an education and then hope that there will be something in their field when they graduate. And they will pay that debt for decades. At the same time every other industrialized country educates their children as an investment in the future of their country.
And while our kids will be saddled with debt their chances of good employment will be diminishing as more and more work is done in countries where the citizenry is educated and health care is not an added burden.

[progressoid]

3. I bought grapefruit for 66 cents and it felt like I won the %&@#ing lottery.

I used to be seen as a "frugal" shopper. Now everybody does it. I see people with new cars shopping at Goodwill. The times, they are a-changin.

A guy from Edward Jones came to my door a few days ago trying to drum up business. When he asked about my retirement plans, I tried not to laugh sarcastically. The way things are going, I don't expect to retire.

[rurallib]

5. The thing I am most bitter about is the lost opportunity

Cornfield alluded to it in her post. The thing that makes me maddest is the opportunities that we as a country and as individuals have had to let pass by for fear --- fear of losing health care, fear of losing income, fear of our own government, etc. We have in 8 years gone from a people who welcomed challenge to a people who fear their own shadow.
And our government has instilled that fear and played on it. This could have been a time of huge change for the better in the environment and in the daily lives of people. We could be riding a great wave of economic growth as we move off our oil dependency. Yet our leadership has quashed growth at every turn in order to line the pockets of their buddies and their sponsors. This really pisses me off.

[HuskiesHowls]

14. And the move to what WON'T work

Here, I'm talking about energy independence. The government is pushing "Fuel Cells" in cars as the great new thing....what about electric?? GM had their electric cars years ago in California...and crushed them all because they were too good. Check out the Tesla Motors site for information on efficiency of electric cars:
http://www.teslamotors.com/efficiency/well_to_wheel.php
And then consider how do we get hydrogen for our "fuel cell cars"...and try NOT to think of the Hindenburg while you're at it!!

What about paying for research into cellulosic ethanol? The government can't afford for THAT to come to market, because that may just upset Big Oil. And "No Child Left Behind" has all but ruined the educational field in this country. We can't have kids that know how to think, now can we?? (They MAY grow up to be (god forbid) LIBERALS!!)

Yeah, I'm bitter about things the way they are. And I'm very concerned about what my kids, and grandkids will face. It is scary!!

[4dsc]

17. Energy independence? Are you kidding?

Anyone who believe this country can some be energy independent knows little about how much oil it takes to run this country and how little so called alternatives will ever replace it..

We use over 7 billion barrels of oil each year.. That's 25% of the oil produced on a yearly basis worldwide..

Cellulose research has been ongoing for the past 30 YEARS so its nothing new on the fuel side.. They can make it work in the lab but cannot make it work on a large production scale basis.. The government is investing $100 of million into research too..

Hydrogen is a hoax.. Its not an ENERGY SOURCE to begin with but rather an energy carrier.

So you should be concerned for your children and grandchildren IMHO because we have squandered the opportunity to get our shit together back in the late 1970's..

[pstans]

6. I hear ya

:kick:

[4dsc]

7. So take steps to CONSERVE!!

I don't know what all the whining is about here because you should have know this was coming unless you live in a cave.. Higher oil and gas prices didn't start yesterday they started a long time ago.. And inasmuch as you may just now have noticed that little fact, there are many things to you can do to save time, energy and money..

I have reduced my utility bills by almost 30% over last year and this winter was colder.. I drive alot LESS and thus save money there too..

My biggest saving's comes at the food stores.. I have stopped shopping at my local HyVee because their prices are amungst the highest in town.. I do my grocery shopping at Target and save about 30% over HyVee.. I also buy mostly greens, chicken and pork as stay away from the process foods.. Amazing how much money you can save there and eat healthy..

Do you eat out?? I almost never eat out and cannot tell you the last time I've been in a fast food place.. I bring my lunch to work which probably saves my a couple of $1000 every year too..

There are many things everyone can be doing to save money or make you dollar go farther as prices rise.. But please realize that the days of cheap oil and food are probably OVER!!!

Oh and did I mention I have a garden.. I'll be plowing it up today and look forward to eating some veggies in throughout the year..

[cyberswede]

8. bully for you

Your post is fairly condescending...you might consider "more flies with honey" and all that...

That said, rurallib is not the type to waste resources - he even has a corn burner and rarely uses natural gas heat (not to mention the inline water heater that also saves gas). He also drives 55 mph to conserve gasoline - I know this, because I've been stuck behind him in traffic. :)

It's perfectly valid to complain about rising costs. There are many factors affecting rising prices, and not everything can be solved by conserving - how is the Iraq war affecting the price of oil, for example? Further, until automotive companies face the notion of peak oil, we're stuck driving internal combustion vehicles, so many people are hosed by increased cost no matter what - conservation can only go so far. For instance, my commute to work is 25 miles a day - each way. Short of quitting my job, no room for conservation there.

I'm happy for you that you've been able to cut costs, but you have to realize that not everyone is in a position to do that - they're already at bare bones.

[4dsc]

9. One person will not make a difference

While conservation will not save the day, I am always looking to do more to save costs.. But no amount of whining is going to change that fact that high energy and foods costs are going to become a way of life..

I did not imply that rurallib wasted resources, although I believe we all waste resource to some degree, I am trying to imply that there may still be ways to cut costs and make your dollar go farther..

One way I found to cut my utility bill is to lower my thermostat when I leave home in the morning to about 60 degrees or lower depending on the outside temperature.. Now inasmuch as this seems to be working for me, I would encourage others to try it.. I come home and yes the temperature inside is only about 60, but something tells me that I am saving money my not keeping my house warmer during the day..

And actually, peak oil is my passion right now and its not just the automobile companies that needs to come the realization that peak oil is upon us, but its the rest of the masses that need to realize the parties over concerning oil.

We are a nation of waste. I wonder if you have anyone you could carpool with on your daily travels to work..

[cyberswede]

10. small steps

We have a programmable thermostat, so we lower the temp when we're not home (or raise it in the summer, but then I think the A/C has to work harder to cool back down, so I'm not sure how effective that is). We also have new energy-efficient HVAC units (replacing units that were 20-40 years old, and energy hogs). Next plan: in-line water heater (why heat 40 gallons of water all day long, when we only need the hot water in the morning and evening?). It's hard to save up for one when we're spending all our $ on gas 7 food, though. }(

Rambis and I used to drive separately to work, and now we drive together, so we are carpooling, sort of. :)

I realize "whining" about rising costs won't change anything, but sometimes it's cathartic to vent (as I believe rurallib was doing) and commiserate with others about it.

[Debi]

11. It's habit for the poster - easier for me to read, roll eyes, and move on

:hi:

Our family already car-pools to work (and really can't ride bicycles w/Debi, Jr. in tow), do what we can to keep heating/cooling costs to a minimum. Will probably grow produce this summer and freeze it up for winter in preparation for the rise in food costs. (But I draw the line at owning a cow so we don't have to purchase store-bought milk!)

[4dsc]

16. Its good to be smug isn't it..

So tell us Debi, what do you believe is the future of Iowa? Do you believe there will be less oil to use and if so how will that effect your life and that of little Debi?? If you were told that anyone under the age of 21 will witness the end of the age of oil, would you change??

I have post article's on the Iowa forum before about peak oil yet noone was capable of an intelligent exchange of ideas, you included.. I would be interested in knowing what you believed about the subject..

[CornField]

12. Oh, this is not whining

This is unadulterated and seething anger -- which your condescending post, unfortunately, just brought to a head.

There's much to be said about the will-power and fortitude of Americans. We are historically the folks who have always picked ourselves up by our own boot straps and made our own way. But what we are facing now -- thanks to ill-fitted and flawed international and domestic policies -- is something that won't be dented by driving less, planting a "victory" garden or changing a fucking light bulb.

How long will your victory garden last when your neighbors can no longer feed their children?

How much will the rolling black-outs save on your electricity bill?

How early will you need to leave for work when the cost of the fuel to drive there is more than the wages you bring home?

How long will the money we're all saving by conserving resources last when each and every year health care costs, even for those with insurance, spiral to infinity? (You know as of March 1 our plan through James' employer now has both a prescription deductible and co-pay?)

How will our children ever dig themselves out of this hole when they already have a tremendous national debt to carry and our own government working to prevent them from securing a higher education?

Most importantly, how in the hell can we expect Americans to pull themselves up by their boot straps when they can no longer afford the boots to begin with?

By the sounds of your post, you obviously suffer from the delusion that you are an island unto yourself. The truth is that this is not just affecting you -- or me. This is affecting nearly every individual and family in our nation. Despite the ways we each work to protect ourselves and the people we love, the problems we face will never be solved by looking inward. To make the ignorant accusation that people can somehow save themselves without changing government policy is an utter disservice.

Still, feel free to bury your head in the sand in between trips to your local farmers market. In the interim, there'll be some of us doing more than just looking out for our own asses and leaving the Conservative talking points behind. We'll be out there working to change the priorities of a nation currently lost. We'll be out there looking for alternatives, forging new policies and demanding accountability from our lawmakers.

[4dsc]

15. There's no alternative to oil...

You appear to be a very "bitter" individual and apparently only read what you wanted to read with my post..

So you can demand change and accountability all you want but that won't change that little fact that peak oil is upon us and the era of cheap oil is over.. I have taken successful steps to help alleviate the pain of higher gas price so it wont' effect my bottom line as much..

But that sad little fact is that its been estimated that as soon as 2020(that's just arond the corner isn't it) that the world's oil production will be cut by about 30-40% over today's production numbers and the bigger story not being covered by the press is that exports are dropping to as these countries develope..

Unfortunately, we have no leadership in this party or the other that want's us to wake up and smell the coffee.. Instead we are all on the train headed for the cliff..

And we all should see how BIOFUELS are not making any difference what's so ever.. They only offer FALSE PROMISES...

No amount of will-power and fortitude is going to change the little fact that this country and Iowa are going to have to live on less oil, much less oil in the future..

[rurallib]

13. My posts were less to do with what is current and more about

what the future holds for our kids. What angers me most is how Junior has mortgaged our children's future and hamstrung much of what can be done to fix it with his party's ideological straight jacket.
What we do to conserve is going to do little to change the insane policies that Bushco has created. And as I may have said before the cost of lost opportunity is what bathers me most.
We do conserve BTW. If you have extra corn, can I have it to heat with this fall?

[haroldgiowa]

18. Long story short

We are competing against our need for an energy source at the sake of food and short term goals. People are taking to the streets in a hungry world and our solution is to feed our cars our food.
Just think about that fellow democrats with democratic values.

I do think I offered some solutions, but maybe I just thought I did. I do have some thoughts on what I think we should be investing in as a country in the area of conservation. It may be the right time, but this is not the right place for that discussion.

I sit back and do a lot of reading and very little posting. I have formed my opinions of all the regular posters and am polite enough to keep them to myself. I will add this thought. There is more then one dirty side in this mud fight.

[4dsc]

19. Glad to see you're thinking about the future

Yes we are competing against the world for what's becoming limited resources and the outcome isn't going to be pretty for anyone..

Instead of saving for a rainy day, we as a nation, appear to trying to use the last drop of oil as fast as we can and not think about what we should leave our children and grandchildren.. Future generations are not going to have it so lucky as this generation..