1 in 8 on Food stamps in Michigan; 1 in 10 in Ohio.

[gateley]

Just heard it on the radio - the guy said it was coming out in the NYT tomorrow. :(

EDIT TO ADD: This guy just said he thinks if we go into Iran, oil will jump to $200 a barrel.

[dkf]

1. I always thought going into Iran was crazy for that reason.

If we think its bad now...

re: the foodstamps. That is depressing indeed. I will have to check the article out.

[gateley]

2. If I see it I'll post it.

Biden has warned that "if this guy starts dropping bombs on Iran" the oil prices would skyrocket beyond anything we could have imagined.

[Biscottiii]

3. Here's the NYT article itself

http://tinyurl.com/394v3d
Food Stamp Use at Record Pace as Jobs Vanish

Published: March 31, 2008

"Driven by a painful mix of layoffs and rising food and fuel prices, the number of Americans receiving food stamps is projected to reach 28 million in the coming year, the highest level since the aid program began in the 1960s.

The number of recipients, who must have near-poverty incomes to qualify for benefits averaging $100 a month per family member, has fluctuated over the years along with economic conditions, eligibility rules, enlistment drives and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, which led to a spike in the South.

But recent rises in many states appear to be resulting mainly from the economic slowdown, officials and experts say, as well as inflation in prices of basic goods that leave more families feeling pinched. Citing expected growth in unemployment, the Congressional Budget Office this month projected a continued increase in the monthly number of recipients in the next fiscal year, starting Oct. 1 — to 28 million, up from 27.8 million in 2008, and 26.5 million in 2007." <snipped>

[Juche]

4. Chavez said the same thing

http://moderate.wordpress.com/2007/11/18/chavez-200-oil-if-us-attacks-iran/

Our economy will collapse when gas is $6/gallon. Truckers can barely survive as it is.

"Hey Cheney. People are starving because truckers can't deliver foods and riots are breaking out in food banks. The infrastructure is falling apart and we lost 400k jobs last month."

"So?"

God we are screwed.

[dkf]

5. It doesn't help when we use so much of our corn for ethanol.

I wonder how much of the rising food costs is due to this misuse of corn.

[gateley]

7. I'm hoping/thinking

"they" have realized the shortcomings involved with corn ethanol and will cease and desist.

[Juche]

10. There are numerous reasons

Growing global demand, higher fuel prices, the collapse of the dollar, weather problems & crackdowns on migrant workers who used to work on farms have all affected food prices.

Corn based ethanol is a mistake, but biofuels from waste products is a good idea, and with new biotech can produce a gallon for less than a dollar.

I'm more concerned with what'll happen in developing nations. In the US we can always live off of grains, rice and water if the going gets really, really bad. But in Africa or Asia people may face famine.

[gateley]

6. "God we are screwed"

For quite some time I've been worried that I'd become one of those people who was just full of doom and gloom and that I was becoming over-alarmed in my mind about where this country is going. I don't have that worry any longer. I think it's going to get to a place that I can't actually fathom -- it'll be so far removed from life as we know it.

[dkf]

8. That is why we need someone really really smart and really pragmatic

to fix this mess.

Forget all the old methods. Its going to be bad enough that we just need help. So please, no more stupid partisan fighting. All our members of congress better get their butts in gear or the house of cards is gonna collapse.

[physioex]

9. There is only one way to get them to do that....

And that is to get the special interests out of K Street. We need public financing or more people like us have to finanance the politicians and their campaigns.

[Juche]

11. Its depressing to see

The idea that 10 years ago we'd have a criminal president and VP who literally could care less about the welfare of the people of this country was unthinkable. But here we are.

I am depressed in the short/medium term because our only choices are criminal republicans and spineless democrats and alot of it is our fault as citizens for falling asleep at the wheel. But I think over a 10+ year projection we'll emerge a better country. But for the next few election cycles criminally sociopathic GOP and spineless, unprincipled dems will be the only choices. It'll take a while to rebuild politics on the grassroots level but you can see that happening in both parties right now.