Shake Rattle and Roll

With a shaky economy and high gas prices, household budgets are strained. The cost of food — already high and expected to climb, some analysts predict — is adding another burden on the American public. Now it’s time for voters to shake, rattle and roll in order to get the Presidential candidates talking about one of working families true concerns.

Over the last year, the average cost of food, beverage, and gas in the country has risen by nearly 5 percent and greater — more than in the previous 25 years, by some calculations. Some items, such as milk, have risen dramatically, while gasoline prices have hovered in the high $2.00 a gallon range for far longer than we care to remember.

The underlying reasons for the skyrocketing prices are complicated. People are struggling. Things have gotten really expensive. Farmers have to shell out more to fuel their tractors and machinery; distributors and stores spend more on trucking food from one destination to the next. The cost of fertilizer, linked to high energy costs, has gone through the roof in the last three years.

What does this all mean for the working poor? For many, it means some type of relief has to come soon. The stress on workers, combined with the impact of the decline in money, has forced numerous families into poverty or near poverty level lifestyles.

As more and more working families fall farther and farther down the economic scale, we as voters need to be asking our Presidential candidates “Exactly how will your economic stimulus plan benefit working families, and stabilize the economy.”?