[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 11947-11950]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      COLLAPSE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed 
in the Record ``Letters from Vermont and America.''
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                    The Collapse of the Middle Class


                    Letters from Vermont and America

       Dear Friend, As gas and oil prices soared and as the nation 
     slipped into recession, I made a request to Vermonters on my 
     e-mail list. I asked them to tell me what was going on in 
     their lives economically. That was it. Frankly, I expected a 
     few dozen replies. I was amazed, therefore, when my office 
     received over 600 responses from all across the State, as 
     well as some from other states. This small booklet contains a 
     few of those letters.
       It is one thing to read dry economic statistics which 
     describe the collapse of the American middle class. It is 
     another thing to understand, in flesh and blood terms, what 
     that means in the lives of ordinary Americans. Yes, since 
     George W. Bush has been in office 5 million Americans have 
     slipped into poverty, 8 million have lost their health 
     insurance and 3 million have lost their pensions. Yes, in the 
     last 7 years median household income for working-age 
     Americans has declined by $2,500. Yes, our country, for the 
     first time since the Great Depression, now has a zero 
     personal savings rate and, all across the Nation, emergency 
     food shelves are being flooded with working families whose 
     inadequate wages prevent them from feeding their families.
       Statistics are one thing, however, and real life is 
     another. The responses that I received describe the decline 
     of the American middle class from the perspective of those 
     people who are living that decline. They speak about families 
     who, not long ago, thought they were economically secure, but 
     now find themselves sinking into desperation and 
     hopelessness.
       These e-mails tell the stories of working families unable 
     to keep their homes warm in the winter; workers worried about 
     whether they'll be able to fill their gas tank to get to 
     their jobs; and seniors, who spent their entire lives 
     working, now wondering how they'll survive in old age. They 
     describe the pain and disappointments that parents feel as 
     they are unable to save money for their kids' college 
     education, and the dread of people who live without health 
     insurance.
       In order to try and break through the complacency and 
     isolation inside the Washington Beltway, I have read some of 
     these stories on the floor of the Senate. It is imperative 
     that Congress and the corporate media understand the painful 
     reality facing the middle class today so that we can develop 
     the appropriate public policy to address this crisis. We must 
     expand low income home heating assistance, stop oil 
     profiteering and price gouging, and support programs that 
     address the growing crisis of hunger in America. The National 
     Priorities Act (S. 818) that I introduced in this session of 
     Congress is one example of legislation that would address the 
     growing crisis.
       Let me conclude by thanking all of those people who have so 
     kindly shared their lives with me through these letters. I 
     know that for many of you this was not an easy thing to do.
                                                   Bernie Sanders,
     United States Senator.
                                  ____

       Here are letters from two mothers in Vermont. The first is 
     from a woman in rural area; the second is a single mother in 
     a small city.

     We have at times had to choose between baby food and heating 
         fuel.
       My husband and I have lived in Vermont our whole lives. We 
     have two small children (a baby and a toddler) and felt 
     fortunate to own our own house and land but due to the 
     increasing fuel prices we have at times had to choose between 
     baby food/diapers and heating fuel. We've run out of heating 
     fuel three times so far and the baby has ended up in the 
     hospital with pneumonia two of the times. We try to keep the 
     kids warm with an electric space heater on those nights, but 
     that just doesn't do the trick.
       My husband does what he can just to scrape enough money for 
     car fuel each week and we've gone from three vehicles to one 
     just to try and get by without going further into debt. We 
     were going to sell the house and rent, but the rent around 
     here is higher than what we pay for our monthly mortgage and 
     property taxes combined. Please help.
     By February we ran out of wood and I burned my mother's 
         dining room furniture.
       I am a single mother with a 9 year old boy. We lived this 
     past winter without any heat at all. Fortunately someone gave 
     me an old wood stove. I had to hook it up to an old/unused 
     chimney we had in the kitchen. I couldn't even afford a 
     chimney liner (the price of liners went up with the price of 
     fuel). To stay warm at night my son and I would pull off all 
     the pillows from the couch and pile them on the kitchen 
     floor. I'd hang a blanket from the kitchen doorway and we'd 
     sleep right there on the floor. By February we ran out of 
     wood and I burned my mother's dining room furniture. I have 
     no oil for hot water. We boil our water on the stove and pour 
     it in the tub. I'd like to order one of your flags and hang 
     it upside down at the capital building...we are certainly a 
     country in distress.

       These two letters describe the pressures faced by 
     Vermonters on family life.
     Not spending those 10 hours at home with my husband and son 
         makes a big difference for all of us . . .
       As a couple with one child, earning about $55,000/year, we 
     have been able to eat out a bit, buy groceries and health 
     insurance, contribute to our retirement funds and live a 
     relatively comfortable life financially. We've never 
     accumulated a lot of savings, but our bills were always paid 
     on time and we never had any interest on our credit card.
       Over the last year, even though we've tightened our belts 
     (not eating out much, watching purchases at the grocery 
     store, not buying ``extras'' like a new TV, repairing the 
     washer instead of buying a new one...), and we find ourselves 
     with over $7,000 of credit card debt and trying to figure out 
     how to pay for braces for our son.
       I work 50 hours per week to help earn extra money to catch 
     up, but that also takes a toll on the family life--not 
     spending those 10 hours at home with my husband and son makes 
     a big difference for all of us. My husband hasn't had a raise 
     in 3 years, and his employer is looking to cut out any extra 
     benefits they can to lower their expenses, which will 
     increase ours.
     I want to drop everything I am doing and go visit him.
       My 90-year-old father in Connecticut has recently become 
     ill and asked me to visit him. I want to drop everything I am 
     doing and go visit him, however, I am finding it hard to save 
     enough money to add to the extra gas I'll need to get there. 
     I am self-employed, with my own commercial cleaning service 
     and money is tight, not only with gas prices, but with 
     everything. I make more than I did a year ago and I don't 
     have enough to pay my property taxes this quarter for the 
     first time in many years. They are due tomorrow.

       These letters speak of retirement. One is from an older 
     Vermont couple who recently stopped working; the second is 
     from a woman in a small town in Vermont who is thinking about 
     the future she and her husband face.
     We also only eat two meals a day to conserve.
       My husband and I are retired and 65. We would have liked to 
     have worked longer but because of injuries caused at work and 
     the closing of our factory to go to Canada, we chose to 
     retire earlier.
       Now with oil prices the way they are we cannot afford to 
     heat our home unless my husband cuts and splits wood, which 
     is a real hardship as he has had his back fused and should 
     not be working most of the day to keep up with the wood. Not 
     only that he has to get up two or three times each night to 
     keep the fire going.
       We also have a 2003 car that we only get to drive to get 
     groceries or go to the doctor or to visit my mother in the 
     nursing home three miles away. It now costs us $80.00 a month 
     to go nowhere. We have 42,000 miles on a 5 year old car.
       I have Medicare but I can't afford prescription coverage 
     unless I take my money out of an annuity, which is supposed 
     to cover the house payment when my husband's pension is gone.
       We also only eat two meals a day to conserve.
     My husband and I are very nervous about what will happen to 
         us when we are old.
       Yesterday I paid for our latest home heating fuel delivery: 
     $1,100. I also paid my $2,000+ credit-card balance, much of 
     which bought gas and groceries for the month.
       My husband and I are very nervous about what will happen to 
     us when we are old. Although we have three jobs between us 
     and participate in 403B retirement plans, we have not saved 
     enough for a realistic post-work life if we survive to our 
     life expectancy. As we approach the traditional retirement 
     age, we are slowly paying off our daughter's college tuition 
     loan and trying to keep our heads above water.
       We have always lived frugally. We buy used cars and store 
     brand groceries, recycle everything, walk or carpool when 
     possible and plastic our windows each fall. Even so, if/when 
     our son decides to attend college, we will be in deep debt at 
     age 65.
       P.S. Please don't use my name. I live in a small town, and 
     this is so embarrassing.
       These letters speak about the emotional consequences of the 
     current economic situation and are from a man who lives in a 
     small town near the New Hampshire border, and from a woman 
     who lives in central Vermont.

[[Page 11948]]


     The pennies have all but dried up . . . Today I am sad, 
         broken, and very discouraged.
       I, too, have been struggling to overcome the increasing 
     costs of gas, heating oil, food, taxes, etc. I have to say 
     that this is the toughest year, financially, that I have ever 
     experienced in my 41 years on this earth. I have what used to 
     be considered a decent job, I work hard, pinch my pennies, 
     but the pennies have all but dried up. I am thankful that my 
     employer understands that many of us cannot afford to drive 
     to work 5 days a week. Instead, I work three 15-hour days. I 
     have taken odd jobs to try to make ends meet.
       This winter, after keeping the heat just high enough to 
     keep my pipes from bursting (the bedrooms are not heated and 
     never got above 30 degrees) I began selling off my 
     woodworking tools, snowblower, (pennies on the dollar) and 
     furniture that had been handed down in my family from the 
     early 1800s, just to keep the heat on.
       Today I am sad, broken, and very discouraged. I am thankful 
     that the winter cold is behind us for a while, but now gas 
     prices are rising yet again. I just can't keep up.
     I don't go to church many Sundays, because the gasoline is 
         too expensive to drive there.
       As a single parent, I am struggling everyday to put food on 
     the table. Our clothes all come from thrift stores. I have a 
     5-year-old car that needs work. My son is gifted and 
     talented. I tried to sell my house to enroll him in a school 
     that had curriculum available for his special needs. After 2 
     years on the market, my house never sold. The property taxes 
     have nearly doubled in 10 years and the oil to heat it is 
     prohibitive. To meet the needs of my son, I have left the 
     house sit and moved into an apartment near his high school. I 
     don't go to church many Sundays, because the gasoline is too 
     expensive to drive there. Every thought of an activity is 
     dependent on the cost. I can only purchase food from dented 
     can stores . . . I am stretched to the breaking point with no 
     help in sight.
       More descriptions of what it feels like to be caught in the 
     American economy of the early years of the 21st century. 
     These letters are from a man in north central Vermont and 
     from a man in rural Pennsylvania.
     At the rate we are going we will be destitute in just a few 
         years.
       Due to illness my ability to work has been severely 
     limited. I am making $10 an hour and if I am lucky I get 35 
     hours a week of work. At this time I am only getting 20 hours 
     as it is ``off season'' in Stowe. It does not take a 
     mathematician to do the figures. How are my wife and I 
     supposed to live on a monthly take-home income of less than 
     $800? We do it by spending our hard earned retirement 
     savings. I am 50 and my wife is 49. At the rate we are going 
     we will be destitute in just a few years. The situation is so 
     dire that it is all I can think about.
       Soon I will have to start walking to work, an 8-mile round 
     trip because the price of energy is so high it is that or go 
     without heat.
       As bad as our situation is, I know many in worse shape. We 
     try to donate food when we do our weekly shopping but now we 
     are not able to even afford to help our neighbors eat. What 
     has this country come to?
     I am just tired . . . I work 12 to 14 hours daily and it just 
         doesn't help.
       I am 55 years old and worse off than my adult children. I 
     have worked since age 16. I don't live from paycheck to 
     paycheck, I live day to day. I can only afford to fill my gas 
     tank on my payday thereafter, I put $5, $10 whatever that I 
     can. I cannot afford to buy the food items that I would. I am 
     riding around daily to and from work with a quarter of a tank 
     of gas. This is very scary as I can see myself working until 
     the day that I die. I do not have a savings, no credit cards 
     and my only resources are thru my employment. I have to drive 
     to work as there are no buses from my residence to work. I 
     don't know how much longer I can do this. . . . I am 
     concerned as gas prices climb daily. I am just tired, the 
     harder that I work the harder it gets, I work 12 to 14 hours 
     daily and it just doesn't help.
       Two women, the first from the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, 
     the second from a small city in Vermont, write about their 
     situation and their fears.
     Now we find that instead of a feeling of comfort, we have a 
         feeling of dread.
       I live in the beautiful Northeast Kingdom. There are only a 
     handful of decent jobs available, and the wages everywhere 
     else are not very good. My husband and I have done what we 
     had to in order to survive and to make a decent life for our 
     two children, aged 7 and 4. He has worked steadily at a local 
     plant for 15 years, and I have worked part-time in order to 
     pay the bills without having to rely on daycare. We live a 
     modest life and do not live beyond our means. We have no 
     flat-screen TV, no cell phones, no iPods, and have only one 
     vehicle payment. We thought that finally, maybe, we would be 
     able to get ahead.
       Now we find that instead of a feeling of comfort, we have a 
     feeling of dread. It seems like every time we do the right 
     thing and try to move ahead for our family, something out of 
     our control happens in order to slap us back down. I have 
     always been a big pusher of ``if you can do something to 
     change your situation, do it.'' Now, even though we are doing 
     everything right, my husband and I find ourselves extremely 
     worried about this winter. I have no answers as to how to 
     make the oil prices lower.
       My husband and I have tried, again, to do the right things 
     by limiting our driving and by setting the heat at 68 degrees 
     all winter. We even had our home made as energy efficient as 
     possible, yet we now find ourselves unsure if we will be able 
     to pay for both the mortgage and our oil next winter.
     Some nights we eat cereal and toast for dinner because that's 
         all I have.
       I am a working mother of two young children. I currently 
     pay on average around $80.00 a week for gas so that I can go 
     to work. I see the effects of the gas increase at the grocery 
     stores and at the department stores. On average I spend 
     around $150.00 per week at the grocery store and trust me 
     when I say I don't buy prime rib--I buy just enough to get us 
     through the week and I can't afford to make sure we have 
     seven wholesome meals to eat every night of the week--some 
     nights we eat cereal and toast for dinner because that's all 
     I have. My family has had to cancel our annual trip to the 
     zoo, and we make less trips to see our families in another 
     town due to the increase of gas. The price of gas has created 
     a hardship for most average Americans. We have less money to 
     pay to living expenses which have also increased. It seems as 
     if it's just a rippling effect. I am really scared of what 
     the future holds for me and my kids because I just simply 
     cannot afford to live from day to day. I am getting further 
     and further in credit card debt just trying to stay afloat.
       Some letters are from people who work in health care and 
     report on what is happening in their towns. The first of 
     these is from a small town in north-central Vermont; the 
     second is from a small town in the state of Washington.
     Insurance costs continue to rise causing some to forgo 
         insurance to pay for gasoline, heating fuel and 
         groceries.
       As the chief of a small ambulance service, I have seen the 
     impact of rising costs.
       As a service made up of primarily volunteers, we have seen 
     our numbers decline. When soliciting for volunteers from the 
     community, we have been told that they are unable to put the 
     time in due to the need to work more just to pay their bills.
       Our costs associated with running an ambulance have also 
     risen in the last few years. When discussing with our 
     suppliers, fuel prices play a large part in the increase--
     both to manufacture and to transport.
       We are hearing from more and more Vermonters that insurance 
     costs continue to rise causing some to forgo insurance to pay 
     for gasoline, heating fuel and groceries.
       In speaking with other ambulance services both volunteer 
     and paid, most including ours, are delaying purchases on 
     major equipment such as ambulance replacements, due to 
     limited funding. This means we have older equipment, and 
     higher maintenance costs.
     Dentistry is expensive and people are opting not to come to 
         the dentist.
       I live in Washington. I drive about 10 miles to work every 
     day. I drive an eight-year-old car that gets about 25 miles 
     per gallon. My husband is a contractor and drives a small 
     pickup truck that gets very poor mileage. Together I have 
     estimated that we spend about $300 a month on gas. This has a 
     tremendous effect on our budget. We are watching every penny 
     we spend.
       I work in a dental clinic that is also seeing a slowdown. 
     Dentistry is expensive and people are opting not to come to 
     the dentist or not getting the optimal dentistry they need. I 
     spoke to the medical doctor across the hall from our office. 
     He was telling us that they too have seen a slowdown in their 
     practice. People are forgoing a trip to the doctor to save 
     money. One of my patients told me a story yesterday about a 
     food bank in town that is finding it difficult to keep its 
     shelves full. They had a realtor who was a regular 
     contributor. Now she was coming to get food for herself. The 
     cost of food is rising at a tremendous rate.
       Rising gas prices have an effect on medical care as well, 
     as this letter from an oncology social worker in a Vermont 
     city reveals.
     I cannot describe how devastating it has been for these folks 
         who need to travel great distances to get to/from their 
         cancer treatment.
       My story involves my capacity as an oncology social worker 
     working with cancer patients in an outpatient clinic. I also 
     run an emergency fund through the Cancer Patient Support 
     Program which provides funds to cancer patients in need 
     during their cancer journey, including initial diagnosis, 
     surgery, and treatment period in which they experience a 
     significant decrease in income during a medical leave.
       I cannot describe how devastating it has been for these 
     folks who need to travel great distances to get to/from their 
     cancer treatment and followup care with the way gas prices 
     have been!
       Many of these folks need to travel on a daily basis to 
     radiation therapy for several weeks while others come from 
     surrounding counties every one to two weeks for chemotherapy. 
     It [the high price of gas] has had a tremendous impact on our 
     ability to provide the financial assistance through our 
     emergency fund to all those in need.

[[Page 11949]]

       Someone with cancer who has to get treatment has no choice 
     in how many times they need to travel great distances. They 
     have to have reliable transportation, and thus need access to 
     gas for their cars, or another family member's car, to get to 
     their treatment and followup care.
       This is becoming increasingly difficult as gas prices 
     continue to rise and our emergency fund cannot meet all the 
     financial needs of these patients.
       This is the story of a woman who lives in a suburban 
     community near Burlington, Vermont. Following it is a short 
     letter from a senior citizen in a very small town in the 
     mountains of central Vermont.
     I feel as though I am between a rock and a hard place no 
         matter how hard I try to adjust my budget for the month.
       First of all, I am a single mother of a 16 year old 
     daughter. I own a condominium. I have worked at the hospital 
     for 16 years and make a very good salary, in the high $40,000 
     range.
       I own a 2005 Honda Civic. I filled up my gas tank 
     yesterday, April 1, and it cost me almost $43. That was at 
     $3.22 per gallon. If prices stay at that level, it will cost 
     me $160 per month to fill up my gas tank. A year ago it cost 
     me under $20 to fill up my tank. Which would have amounted to 
     approximately $80 per month. I now have to decide what 
     errands I really need to run and what things I can do over 
     the phone or on the Internet. But the other issue is if I use 
     my cell phone too much during the month my bill will increase 
     and that will cost me more money.
       I feel as though I am between a rock and a hard place no 
     matter how hard I try to adjust my budget for the month. I am 
     watching my purchases in the grocery store and department 
     stores more closely because of increased prices. I am not 
     sure that I can afford to take a summer vacation this year. I 
     usually take a day off during my daughter's spring vacation 
     so we can go shopping in New Hampshire somewhere. I have 
     already cancelled those plans for this year. I am hoping that 
     I can take a few days off this summer to go to Maine. We will 
     see how the gas prices are this summer but I hear it is going 
     to get worse. Not much hope for someone on a tight budget.
     I have been forced to go back to work.
       I am a 71 year old man and have been retired since 2000. 
     With the price of fuel oil I have been forced to go back to 
     work just to heat my home and pay my property taxes.
       These two women who live in small towns in central Vermont 
     write about their sense that their families are sinking, 
     economically.
     We would like to not have to worry about where our next meal 
         will come from.
       I am a registered school nurse in Vermont, and my husband 
     is a self-employed bread baker. We are in our mid 30's and 
     have two young children. We always thought that if we went to 
     college, earned 4-year degrees, and worked hard, that we 
     would be able to live a decent life. We have no desire to be 
     wealthy, but would like to not have to worry about where our 
     next meal will come from.
       As you know, wheat prices are soaring. Over the last year, 
     he has seen his price per 50-pound bag of flour increase 
     about $10 or more (last week alone, price per bag went up 
     $2.75). We are feeling distraught that we may never ``get 
     ahead'' but will always be pedaling to just keep up . . . 
     Employed in Vermont since 1997, I will be paying back my 
     nursing loans for a long time--longer now that we just can't 
     keep up with the rising costs of oil and wheat.
       My husband and I both work very, very hard to provide 
     needed services to our Vermont communities. Yet we scratch 
     our heads when trying to budget our income. How can it be 
     that two college-educated individuals with respectable 
     careers are in such a financial bind?
     My husband and I followed all the rules . . . Slowly, though, 
         we have sunk back to the `poor' days.
       My husband and I followed all the rules. He grew up in 
     urban projects and went into the military with Vietnam 
     service so he could get GI Bill benefits and go to college. I 
     grew up picking strawberries as a migrant worker, but had a 
     mother who so pressed education that I was able to go to 
     college on scholarship and by working full time nights in a 
     mental hospital. My husband and I worked hard to buy a home, 
     maintain good credit, even taking government jobs because we 
     truly wanted to help others. I became disabled and unable to 
     work, but we managed to live a middle-class life on one 
     salary.
       Slowly, though, we have sunk back to the `poor' days. Our 
     heating oil bill, gas prices, food prices--well, you know the 
     story. Even a pizza is a splurge now. The interest on our 
     meager savings doesn't seem worth keeping the money in the 
     bank. We're so much more fortunate than many others, since we 
     can still meet our bills, but we're scared that we'll drop 
     beneath that level soon. It doesn't seem right that after 
     working hard and following all the rules for our lives, now, 
     at 60, we're tumbling down.
       These two letters, one from a man in a Chicago suburb, and 
     one from a teacher in Vermont's Connecticut River Valley, 
     also speak of the sense of falling behind in the 21st century 
     American economy.
     It costs me so much money in gas that my wife and I live on 
         $6 per day to eat.
       My job was transferred to China 8 years ago. No jobs were 
     available in my field. I tried to do everything I possibly 
     could do in finding another job outside of my field but 
     failed. My unemployment ran out. I lost everything: House, 
     cars and the will to live. My wife and I moved into my in-
     law's basement after this catastrophe. I regained my never-
     give-up outlook on life. I went back to school. I spent 
     $13,000 on my education to become a residential home 
     inspector. That market is in turmoil, and I can't make any 
     money in it these days. I am still self-employed now 
     performing various inspections on the commercial side within 
     the northern half of Illinois. I drive on average 250 miles 
     per day. It costs me so much money in gas that my wife and I 
     live on $6 per day to eat. I can't afford health insurance 
     for my wife and I because that money is in the gas tank every 
     week. The irony of it is my wife is a nurse. She's expecting 
     the doctor she works with to close his office any day now 
     because he's behind in his malpractice insurance. His 
     premiums are too high and he's 120 days past due on his 
     office lease payments because he's trying to keep the 
     malpractice insurance in effect. He stopped offering health 
     insurance to his employees 2 years ago with his increasing 
     costs. I still live in a basement. Do you need any more 
     evidence that our country and our leaders have failed me?
     How much more of a hit can people take? The future looks 
         extremely bleak to me.
       Bernie, I am so frightened for next year, as I struggle 
     daily this year. I drive past the gas stations and see the 
     price go up. Those prices are going up even 10 cents a gallon 
     in one day.
       What about heating fuel next year? I spent this winter with 
     my heat turned down to 53 degrees, varying it only for a few 
     hours after I returned home from work. I have my master's 
     degree and am a teacher. I am struggling so hard in my new 
     home. It's a double wide and I've waited 50 years to get my 
     own home. Now, I am worried I won't be able to keep it as 
     everything else is going up, except my salary, which next 
     year will only go up slightly more than 1 percent.
       The middle class is no longer the middle class . . . I've 
     slipped into the lower class after a winter of double heating 
     costs and now these new economic hits. How much more of a hit 
     can people take? The future looks extremely bleak to me. I 
     worry constantly about how I am going to pay my bills.
       The first letter is from a young person in a small, rural, 
     college town in Vermont. The second was written by a woman 
     who lives in a city on the Gulf Coast of Florida.
     I am now living out of my car.
       As a student and a part time employee working for just 
     above minimum wage I have found it more and more difficult to 
     survive under these conditions. The drive to school and work 
     require me to use roughly 30 percent of my paycheck just to 
     go where I need to, to make it through my day.
       When school is in session I am lucky to get about 170 
     dollars a week and with gas prices at their current all time 
     high I am continually finding myself under hardships because 
     of it. Recently I had to vacate my apartment because I could 
     not afford to pay rent and I am now living out of my car. 
     This too seems like it may not be able to last that much 
     longer because I am encountering difficulties in making my 
     car payment.
       I can remember when gas prices were a little over a dollar 
     and I dream about life taking that turn once more. Because of 
     the gas prices I have found nothing but an extremely low 
     budget for food, I was forced out of my home and now I might 
     lose the one thing that is allowing me to continue my 
     schooling and keep going to work--my car.
       I am struggling to understand why prices continue to rise 
     and I see no end in sight.
     Our life style has drastically changed in the past 12 months.
       I travel over 30 miles one way (60 miles roundtrip). My car 
     requires high test which is now $3.95/gal. I have approached 
     my company about doing a survey of its employees to see how 
     many co-workers travel over 20 miles one way, and suggested 
     that we start to work on a commuter policy. I suggested four 
     10-hour work days, telecommuting, setting up car pools, 
     setting up incentives for car poolers. I was turned down. I 
     was able to find another person who was interested in car 
     pooling & we have started to do that. I take breakfast, 
     coffee, lunch, and snacks to work daily. I do not go to the 
     hair dresser or nail salon as I used to. We stopped taking 
     weekend trips and plan to see our children in NJ only once 
     this year. Between the 30 percent credit card interest rates, 
     fuel cost, and food increases our life style has drastically 
     changed in the past 12 months.
       Two women from Vermont write about what the economy is 
     doing to them and their families.
     My mortgage is behind, we are at risk for foreclosure, and I 
         can't keep up with my car payments.
       I am a 31 year old wife, mother of two. How has this 
     affected me? My husband drives 35 miles to work, that is a 
     one-way trip. He is putting an average of $80 a week into his 
     gas

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     tank. No, he doesn't drive an SUV or a half-ton work truck. 
     It's a small pickup truck that he needs as he builds houses. 
     The kicker is that he never puts more than half a tank in, 
     because we can't afford to fill it. I drive 15 miles one way, 
     and put about $40 a week into my 30-miles-to-the-gallon car. 
     Again, I never fill the tank--ever. We have even contemplated 
     having my husband quit his job because he isn't making much 
     more money weekly than he spends on gas. We could move to an 
     area that is closer to our jobs, but because of the market, 
     we cannot sell our house fast enough, or for a fair price.
       Meanwhile, my mortgage is behind, we are at risk for 
     foreclosure, and I can't keep up with my car payments. My 
     parents, both in their 60's, are back to work so that they 
     can make ends meet, and struggle to come up with enough gas 
     money so they can get to doctor's appointments. They are 
     opting to close their house up for the winter, and stay with 
     my uncle so they don't have to put oil in their furnace. I 
     can't tell you how many times we had to fill our little gas 
     tanks with kerosene or diesel because we ran out of oil and 
     couldn't afford the $380 it would cost us to put a mere 100 
     gallons in. Needless to say, we are way behind on all of our 
     bills, we are still playing catch up with our winter 
     expenses. People that I know that have never struggled with 
     money, are now frequenting our local food shelf so they can 
     feed their families staple foods. Please listen to our pleas 
     and put ethics first.
     We are barely staying afloat.
       My family has been hit so hard by this economy, we are 
     barely staying afloat. We have remortgaged the house 4 times 
     in the last three years to pay credit card debt. Now we are 
     trying to tap into our annuity to pay more credit card debt. 
     The debts on the credit cards are all for bills. Mostly 
     grocery, oil and the mere cost of living.
       My husband is a union carpenter and they just changed our 
     fantastic insurance plan to a terrible one with barely any 
     coverage. I have none of my doctors on it and I suffer from 
     painful nerve damage. I am not eligible for social security 
     disability and I am unable to work.
       We had a dream to own our own home, and that dream came 
     true seven years ago. I am afraid our dream is slipping 
     through our fingers and it won't be long before we lose our 
     home, the way things are going.
       A young couple in Burlington, Vermont writes of their 
     situation and their concerns.
     I wonder some times if we should try to follow our dreams--
         decide to have children?
       Even after we bought our house, there was a time when I 
     could save a little here and there and feel secure and 
     hopeful for the future.
       Recently, I have been trying to stretch out time between 
     grocery trips and have chosen to postpone necessary repairs 
     to our house simply because we just don't have the money to 
     do so.
       We are frugal people with simple spending habits, mainly 
     food and our house expenses. We ride bicycles, buy bulk foods 
     and used clothing, repair and mend before buying new, and we 
     love this life.
       But if we can't fix our roof, or become malnourished from 
     food choices on a family income of $50,000 yr, then what does 
     the future hold for the next generation?
       I wonder some times if we should try to follow our dreams--
     decide to have children? Try to buy a farm? All of these 
     thoughts lead me to another emotion--sadness.
       These letters, the first from a single mother in Vermont, 
     the second from a retired couple also in Vermont, ask 
     questions that we as a Nation should listen to.
     People say, `Cut back.'
       I am a single mother, owning a home, preparing to send a 
     son to college, and working two jobs most of the time. While 
     I am managing to keep my house (I think I'm upside down given 
     the slump in market value), I am falling behind on my bills 
     and have to use my credit card more often for necessities.
       People say, `Cut back.'
       When I look at my bank and credit card statements, I see; 
     gas, groceries, gas, fuel oil, gas, groceries, school-related 
     activities, car maintenance, gas, electricity. Cut back on 
     what? The occasional pizza between jobs and athletic events? 
     The trip to college to seek financial aid? Clothes for work 
     and school?
     Does anybody have a solution? Does anybody in Washington 
         care?
       Thanks for your invitation to talk with you. We are 
     retired, 70 and 65 and living on Social Security and some 
     savings.
       Like most Vermonters we use wood to offset the price of 
     being warm. Our last oil fill up was nearly $700. How can we 
     continue to make ends meet? My gasoline cost $239 last month. 
     Food and everything else we buy is going up every week 
     because of gouging from oil companies. We are worried about 
     the national debt and the trade deficit. What can be done to 
     bring them down? Does anybody have a solution? Does anybody 
     in Washington care?

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