Do you think that the 1% rise in unemployment and the rise in food stamp issues are because of the gas prices?

Question

Are people finally saying "I make 7 bucks an hour and i pay taxes, social security, medicare, medicaid and 12 dollars a day for gas to get to work, so I basically make 2-3 bucks an hour and its not worth wasting my time"???

Answer 1

Yes.  The rise the price of gasoline is a systemic problem and it affects the price of everything else, because of the way products are marketed here.  If any of the consumer goods that we use here in this country were locally sourced they would cost much much less than what they do.

Answer 2

Keith has it right on.

Answer 3

The gas prices have contributed greatly to our problems.

Answer 4

In a few commute cases, yes.  No one else has the right to bear this excuse.  There are always alternative means of transportation when covering short distances.  Americans need to start thinking about them.

Answer 5

I think that those issues may be a factor, but the problems are more complex than something that can be attributed to one single cause.

Answer 6

Not just gas prices, also the decline in new construction.

Answer 7

No, I think they are the direct result of America letting the wool be pulled over their eyes in the 2006 elections.  We voted in the Congress that was going to solve all our problems and has created even more.

Answer 8

no, it is just a cycle in the economy

Answer 9

That and the sub prime mortgage disaster.