I hear ya Blue! It seems to be the trickle UP effect as opposed to a domino trickle down effect.....is what's happening. The small "Mom and Pop" outfits, such as the one I work for (a subcontractor of much larger corporations, such as Knoll, International and Steelcase) are getting the bite well before the bigger guys! But, I have been told that Knoll, in this part of the country, is going under and it's production will be done in Mexico...with some of the more better known products going down south. And Knoll has been around here as long as most of my friends can remember. It will put over 2000 people out of work. Hershey (the candy company) was here for a while. It bought out Cherrydale......a company that had been around as long as Knoll....and then, suddenly, the building is empty again. Pillsbury moved it's N.E. company from here....and same thing....it had been around these parts as long as Knoll. Each week we notice something different in these surrounding towns. I wonder if this is how a ghost town becomes one? Wal-Mart had a bid in to build a Super Wal-Mart (exactly what the town needed to boost it's economy) and hubby said it's plans are now scrubbed. His company had won the bid to blast the new site.....so that's another job lost here. Then a Super WaWa ( a convience store that would have been much appreciated) made a bid for the same spot Wal-Mart had.....and suddenly it's plans were scrubbed. No explaination for either disinterest.

As to the spending notion......I agree with it in principal......but if there is nowhere in your local to spend......the drive can make you think twice before putting your pennies forth. The one and only (small time) dept. store within reasonable driving distance to me was an Ames.....which just pulled up stakes. The general joke around here now is......you can't even buy a pair of socks or underwear in this friggin town! And, it's absofrigginlutely true. I drive the distance when I need something.....I have to because I have no choice. But shopping is a bigger chore now than tending the back fourty! I can't be expected to go broke.......while spending all my money on gas....just to get to a store to spend my money....which is now cut back from stock loss and hour cuts! I don't have much of a savings since I bought a home...and it's getting harder and harder to keep from dipping into the proverbial nest-egg. OK....granted, I am not as bad off as some people I know or have heard of....and I know my little part of the world isn't of global consequence........but it's started here....in rural America.........and when "they" finally get it....it will be too late for some........like Blue's parents!

So.........I guess I was wrong......maybe there IS more to see here.......but I thought it was getting too deep......

But, maybe we actually need to talk about it.

I'll let you all be the judge!

__________________
Minds are like parachutes. They only work when they are open.

~Thomas Dewar~