What's Missing?

No picture today. I thought I would make one point without any distractions:

Have you noticed that gas costs have skyrocketed, unemployment is up substantially, costs for normal people are going through the roof and our stock market looks like a carnival ride?

Have you noticed that $600 to to families so they could buy more garbage at Walmart from China hasn't worked?

The point I am making is that GW Bush and crew and 8 years of Republican rule got us here. Not the Democrats, not Senator Clinton or Senator Obama but Republicans. And now we're getting precious little from them except finger pointing at Democrats.

Essentially the lies and skewing of reality has stopped because we're spending too much and not building enough as a country. My point is over. Now the question is what can we do about our economic mess?

Marc

PS The only one's (as far as I can tell) that are uncorking the champagne bottles are oil companies, Saudis and some hedge funds. I wonder if the rest of us have to go "eat cake"?

GM FINALLY Sees The Light!

According to Yahoo News, General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner has announced that the company will shut four plants that build gas guzzlers and shift production to more fuel efficient cars:

Wagoner announced the moves in response to slumping sales of pickups and SUVs brought on by
high oil prices. He said a market shift to smaller vehicles is permanent.
GM
shares rose 43 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $17.87 in midday trading.

Imagine that: the US stock market actually rewards GM for being years late to realize the need for more fuel efficient cars! I realized it four years ago when we sold our big SUV and bought a fuel efficient, 4 cylinder, manual transmission Saturn. Actually, I realized 35 years ago during the first gas shortages and the first "energy crisis."

IT'S ABOUT TIME.

Jim

Photo: A detail of the really old stained glass at Leon.

Gasoline Will Be $5.00 A Gallon Next Year

So says economic Guru "Mad Money" Jim Cramer on the Today Show this morning. I think he might be too conservative in his estimate. I've heard other anslysts say that gasoline could reach double digits per gallon in a few years. Yes, that's $10.00 a gallon or more! Americans are in for a major shock and awakening. Cramer said that many businesses will fail because of the gas price increase. That's an understatement. What will happen to the domestic auto industry when sales of gas guzzlers fizzle because people will finally do what Europeans have been doing for years: start driving small, energy efficient cars. There will be so many Hummers, giant pickup trucks, and SUV sitting idle that there will not be enough junk and scrap yards to handle them all. Also, just think about the effect on food prices as the trucking industry passes on the increased fuel prices to American consumers. Maybe rising fuel prices will kill off trucking and force this country back to mass transit and railroads. We can hope, but there is going to be a lot of pain along the way.

PHOTO: The fixed-up Fire Island Pines Pizza And Bistro

Jim

America's Obscene Love Affair With Big Cars

Rationing rice? And, food prices skyrocketing because, we're told, grain is being used to make ethanol. Meanwhile, Detroit continues to make gas guzzlers and Americans continue to buy them and pay ever increasing prices at the pump. There is something radically wrong here. Gas at any and all costs to fuel America's love of big cars and trucks, even if it means we may starve others or ourselves. It's obscene, there is no other word for it.

Jim

PHOTO: New construction in the Fire Island Pines - sprucing up the entrance to "Sip 'N Twirl"

Train Travel: A Luxury

PHOTO: The ticket counter at AMTRAK's 30th Street Station decorated for the holidays.

Amtrak tickets are so expensive these days. It's to bad that this country has de-emphasized rail travel; and we continue to build and drive gas guzzling automobiles. Maybe if the price of gasoline increases dramatically in the Spring, as is forecast, this will finally begin to break the obsession that Americans have with their large, inefficient automobiles. We'll have to see.

Jim