[ComfortEagle]

I don't know how people can say things are so bad right now. Everywhere you go, people are spending money like there is no tomorrow. Yeah, the banking situation is bad, but go to any city and you will see people spending money. Where is it coming from? Go to UK football games, and see more people partying than ever. Go to New York, Chicago, any large city, and explain how things are so bad. But yeah, people might be better off, when the checks start rolling in.

I know people who want to go to college but cannot because they cannot get a student loan, they are working in the meantime, trying to save up what they can and hoping for some more financial aid to open up. But at the same time I know of people whose parents can afford to send them to college (and pay for it) but those same students are also obtaining financial aid from the government. Since their parents are footing the bill, what do those students use the financial aid on? Here are some things I have overheard: big screen TVs, car payments on a new car, new designer handbags, alcohol, massive kegger parties, and shopping sprees.

Also, there are a lot of people being laid off right now. The place I work has cut back on my hours. A guy I used to work with (worked in the same building, not for the same company) was laid off because they could no longer afford him. He was a car detailer for a Chevy dealership. He has been laid off, a customer service manager has been laid off, and 3 mechanics have been laid off. One of my friends has had 3 jobs in the past 6 months. One place was paying her minimum wage. Then she got a new job at a restaurant in Lexington. She quit that job because her paychecks were bad, the bank couldn't cash them. This place could not even afford to pay their employees for time they had worked. I know of radio station employees that have been laid off because of salary, and others who are still there that are not receiving any benefits such as health insurance. They are just working there so they can have a job in uncertain times.

I will agree that it is not horribly bad. People still drive cars, people still spend money on things they don't need like sports tickets, etc. but it's definitely worse than it was even a year ago. Retail stores are not hiring many, if any at all, holiday help. Kohl's in Richmond is not hiring holiday help because they cannot afford to pay extra people. They are giving all regular employees anywhere from 10-20 hours per week, supervisors at least get a guaranteed 40 hours per week.

It could be a lot worse, but it could also be a lot better.