[shilala]

6% unemployment doesn't sound bad until it's stated as the 2 million people it represents. Add .9 kids to each of those that suffer under the unemployment and a few spouses and it's affecting an incredible number of people directly.

We live in a backwood hick $8.00 an hour economy here.
Gas prices rising to $4.00 a gallon absolutely devastated household incomes. The recent drop has made all the difference in the world. There are twice as many cars buzzing around, stores are full, and there's a line at the ice cream stand again.
It may be hard to imagine something that that's simple, but that's what it's like here.
Most families here take home about $1600 a month.
They drive old junk cars because that's what they can afford. Putting gas in those cars at the rate of 40 bucks a week for two cars is $320. That's 20% of their income.
When gas prices doubled, it immediately took another 20%.
Imagine what would happen if 20% of your income disappeared tomorrow?
That's what happened to roughly 40% of the families in my county. Another 30% lost 10% of their income.
It ain't right.