Posted by crawgator (anonymous) on January 23, 2009 at 6:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

For the CEO's of the BIG 3 and the others who have gotten BILLIONS in handout;s it's still a pretty good economy. For the rest of us it plain SUX!

Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on January 23, 2009 at 9:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Yes, I have. With what I make, I can only afford what I need now.

Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on January 23, 2009 at 9:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I hadn't cut back until I went to the grocery store yesterday. Prices seemed to have jumped 25% in a few days. Gas is going up again too, and I don't think it's going to stop at $4.

Posted by Natchezbear (anonymous) on January 23, 2009 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)

When the money coming in the front door dwindles, so does the money going out the back door! Its a good thing I like Mc Donalds dollar menu and Ramen Noodles.

Posted by Kaintuck (anonymous) on January 23, 2009 at 3:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

At this time, unless you are a bonus recipient of the first $350 billion dollar taxpayer-funded Bush/Wall Street Bailout Package, you should probably be careful with money...

Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on January 23, 2009 at 3:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I notice Obama didn't ask for that 350 billion dollars back Kaintuck; to the contrary he is going to give them some more. The Bush administration is over, it's time to start calling it the Obama/Wall St. bailout. Start now and you will be ahead of the herd who join in later this year.

Posted by Kaintuck (anonymous) on January 23, 2009 at 5:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Marty - It will take some time to get "ahead of the game". George "W" Bush added more than 5 trillion dollars to my childrens' tax bill - more than any president in American history. In fact, more than the combined total left by every American President (all 42) from George Washington to "Slick Willie". Think about that... The debt W left us is slightly more than the other 42 U.S. Presidents combined; so it may take awhile for Barack to match that record. I guess it's just good that "W" was a fiscal conservative: can you imagine if he wasn't?

Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on January 23, 2009 at 5:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

not only did "W" spend more than any other President in history

but he also endured and brought our country through more catastrophe than any other President in history

I would rather he spent more in money and soldiers blood to reconstruct disasters of nature and terrorists than NOT and spend more blood of innocents in our homeland and delay reconstruction.

It's not fair to blame "W" when he did nothing without the FULL CONSENT of both parties of CONGRESS. Congress controls the money and makes the laws, the President only makes suggestions and then enforces those laws. YOU voted in your Congressman. (although I believe our Republican Congressmen have fought and voted against the bailouts)

Only two days in office and Obama has already planned to outspend Bush, plus ship the WORST of the WORST terrorists from a safe place in Guantanamo Bay to right in our midst, which just gives them an opportunity of escape and terrorist action here. We might have some of those terrorists housed in the new prison out on 94/98, have you thought of that? Or are you in agreement with Congressman Murtha who WANTS them in his state, even in minimum security, WHAT A FOOL HE IS!!! I feel sorry for Pennsylvanians.

Posted by Kaintuck (anonymous) on January 23, 2009 at 6:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"W", under advice from Hank Paulson and Ben Bernanke, demanded on a Friday afternoon in September, that our Congress pass a $700 billion dollar Wall Street Bailout package without reviewing it - by Monday. I did not want it then because I didn't think it would work, and placed a huge financial burden on our kids, paying for it. Apparently, the vast majority of tax-paying American voters did not want it either - but we got it. So now we get to watch the recipients spend that money on golf tour junkets, new office furnishings, and million dollar bonuses.

The day after 9/11, W rounded-up all of Osama Bin Laden's relatives here in the United States, and flew them home to Saudi Arabia - you remember, the country where most of the 9/11 hijackers came from... So to get back at Osama, and Saudi Arabia which funds Islamic extremists, we attacked Iraq?

After spending untold billions on the creation of a Homeland Security Department to monitor people in this country illegally, we got a first-hand view of millions of illegal aliens swarming into the United States - while W and Homeland Security agents turned a blind-eye to them entering this country across our southern border with Mexico. Forget those decent foreign folks who fill out legal immigration paperwork; W along with John McCain wanted to give 20 million here illegally amnesty. That sends a good message that we are a nation of laws, doesn't it?

The United States has not won an actual war since 1945. If we are going to war, risking America's blood and treasure, spending prodigious sums of money, we should do it wisely. In my opinion, sadly, the past administration did a very poor job. Apparently, I was not the only one who felt that way. I did not leave the Republican Party - the Republican Party left me.

Posted by crawgator (anonymous) on January 23, 2009 at 8:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Bring back the "McArthur Plan"

Posted by crackbaby (anonymous) on January 23, 2009 at 9:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The only thing that effects most of us locally, economy wise, is the price of gas. The local stores raise their prices when gas goes up, but some how forget to drop them when gas prices go down. Bend over my friends.

Posted by UpNorth (anonymous) on January 24, 2009 at 12:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It is not hard to do the math here. The biggest oil companys in the world has reported never before seen quarterly earnings for the last three quarters last year when oil was $150 a barrel and gas prices was killing us. Now oil has been in a slump for about 4 months and they are cutting back alot even layoffs is happening. Where is these companys billions of dollars they made last year surely they are not broke in 4 months. I work offshore and know the drilling contractors make a killing off the big companys with dayrates from $100,000 to $600,000 for the bigger advanced rigs. This is just a drop in the bucket for these companys. The funny thing is while they lay off these people when things pick back up they may already have new jobs then these big companys will have to hire a bunch of green hands pay for training,meals,lodgeing and even a paycheck to attend training schools. I just don't understand this crap these big chiefs that make over 1million in salary and bonuses don't give a hoot about the little man there check is made and they are on the golfcourse in the big mansions driving luxury cars while the little man sits at home struggleing to feed his family. Come on people wake up it is time to put an end to this. These big companys are pulling our legs saying they are broke.

Posted by mike8427 (anonymous) on January 24, 2009 at 8:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Elgoodo - According to the former Pres, we were mission complete back when he landed on the carrier, then we had the surge, now we can't cut and run till we are finished. If that is the most confussing thing you have ever heard, then welcome to the Bush administration.

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on January 24, 2009 at 9:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Dang the bailouts!!!! Nobody is going to bailout small businesses that are failing faster than a kindergarden student in calculus class.......

If they really wanted to bailout America, and not all the CEO's and CFO's they would send that $200k per taxpayer to the taxpayer...and we will decide who gets bailed out by the services and products we would purchases we make....

I am not a Democrat or republican, I am not liberal at all..I am a person that is tired of seeing billions being spent by idiots in government to pacify special interest......

Wake up people!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on January 24, 2009 at 10:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Wake up and do what? When you have real answers,I think we would all like to do the right thing. Unfortunately ,we(not me) voted our answer into office. Now we wait and see.

Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on January 24, 2009 at 11:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I,as crazy as it is,have more faith in President Obamas' ability to do something about our economy than protecting us from our enemies. There are wars going on and even though it's too late, I would have preferred McCain as our protector. I don't feel safe with Obama. All the money in the world is not going to keep us safe. We need leadership with know how. Prayer is our only answer.