AltWeeklies Wire
Inflation's Bad, But it Could Be Worsenew
Although consumer inflation is at a 17-year high, historically high oil prices are not necessarily to blame. In fact, high oil prices, the economic slowdown and the Chinese work in tandem to keep inflation from becoming even worse.
Shepherd Express |
Ken Reibel |
08-22-2008 |
Economy
Could You Survive on the New Minimum Wage?new
How a single parent with two children in the Triangle could survive -- or not -- on the bare minimum.
Recessionomics: Why Did My Mortgage Payments Go Up So Much?new
If you are like many people, you have a fixed-rate mortgage, which means that your principal and interest totals don't change from year to year. Then why did your mortgage payments seem to jump $300-$500 more in 2008? Blame our friend Mr. Escrow, and his pesky pals Mr. Rising Homeowners Insurance and Mrs. Out-of-Control Property Taxes.
Creative Loafing (Tampa) |
Wayne Garcia |
08-14-2008 |
Economy
Living on Scrap: How Two Men Found Their Calling in the Garbagenew
The skyrocketing market for metal is turning into a boom for scrappers, guys who roam the streets searching for metal they can pile into their truck haul to the scrap yard for cold hard cash. Despite having led hard lives and having checkered pasts, Greg and Ron are now making an honest go of it as scrappers.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Isaiah Thompson |
08-05-2008 |
Economy
Is It Open Season on the 401(k)?new
In yet another troubling sign for the U.S. economy, more Americans are borrowing against their 401(k) retirement plans to make ends meet. What's more, some banks are making it easier by offering people debit cards that tap into their retirement funds.
Shepherd Express |
Ken Reibel |
08-01-2008 |
Economy
Floyd Gessner, the 5 Million Mile Mannew
At 76 and with more than 40 years at the same company, Floyd has no plans to retire. He speculates that he's driven between 4 and 5 million miles. To put that in perspective: Earth's circumference at the equator is 24,902 miles. Floyd has effectively driven around the world at least 180 times.
Colorado Springs Independent |
Matthew Schniper |
08-01-2008 |
Economy
Goldman Sachs Paints Picture of Changing World Ordernew
You have to hand it to the economics team at Goldman Sachs. It came up with the concept of the "BRICs": the four big economies, in Brazil, Russia, India, and China, which were going to catch up with and then overtake the big economies of the developed world. More recently, they added the "Next Eleven": middle-sized developing countries like Turkey, Indonesia, and Mexico that will also grow fast enough to overtake their old-rich counterparts in the next generation.
The Georgia Straight |
Gwynne Dyer |
07-31-2008 |
Economy
As We Enter Year 8 of Recession, Will Anyone Act to Prevent a Depression?
Forget the experts. They think telling the grisly truth about the state of the U.S. economy could make things even worse -- and they're probably right. But Americans know the truth.
Does Anyone Know Why Our Gas Prices are So High?new
Greg Brenzel finally left the gas business in October, 35 years after his family opened its first Chevron station in Louisville. It wasn't so much his choice, he says, as Chevron's: The supplier priced Brenzel out of business.
LEO Weekly |
Stephen George |
07-14-2008 |
Economy
Mom-and-pop Stores Duke It Out with Giant Chains and Recessionnew
The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce is considering launching a "Buy Local" campaign in the fall to encourage people to spend money with Pasadena businesses, particularly in the crucial and rapidly approaching holiday season.
Pasadena Weekly |
Carl Kozlowski |
07-14-2008 |
Economy
Activist Hits the Seats at the Rose Bowl to Raise Funds for Outward Boundnew
Starting from the nosebleed section and spiraling down to the most highly coveted seats at the Rose Bowl, 56-year-old activist Jim "Mouth" Purol will not stop sitting and standing until his sweaty backside has touched all 92,542 seats.
Pasadena Weekly |
Liz Hedrick |
07-14-2008 |
Economy
Rampant Foreclosures Have Torn the Very Fabric of Northeast Ohionew
In this young century, we've focused our collective attention elsewhere while market forces battered the vulnerable like a hurricane. And the subprime mortgage explosion was the economic Katrina; Northeast Ohio the Gulf Coast.
Cleveland Free Times |
Dan Harkins |
07-09-2008 |
Economy
Think the Housing Crisis Was Bad? You Ain't Seen Nothing Yetnew
While many eyes are focusing on the housing meltdown and its hugely negative effect on an economy clearly moving into recession, few are paying attention to the next bubble expected to burst: credit cards.
Los Angeles CityBeat |
Danny Schechter |
06-27-2008 |
Economy
A Real Cure for High Gas and Food Prices
Other countries have low gas and food prices fixed by the government. Maybe they're on to something.
The Real Solutions to Our Energy Crisis are Off the Tablenew
After a marathon special session that lasted into the early hours last week, the State Legislature proudly proclaimed that it had acted to address soaring gas prices. Too bad it focused on supply-side issues, and didn't look at the demand side of the equation.
New Haven Advocate |
Jim Motavalli |
06-24-2008 |
Economy
