The state of the economy (where I live)

[DainBramaged]

You feelin rich today? A LOT of people aren't This past weekend was the Sussex County /New jersey State Fair.
http://www.newjerseystatefair.org/


It was ALWAYS lots of fun. I couldn't go this weekend, I was a bit ill (actually way under the weather) but that's not the point. One of the local fireman works with me. He said the fair's attendance was down over 40,000 this year, first time in a decade it was down. It wasn't the $4 a slice pizza, or the $10 adult admission or the $17 pay one price daily rides ticket.

it was simply because money is tight. The weather was perfect, same weekend every year. The local newspapers said nothing about the decline, but the people who worked there knew. Empty rides on Sunday (usually the biggest day) revealed the state of the economy.

When the Bush autocracy ends, the world will be a better place.

[ramapo]

1. Or everybody went to the beach

I'm in Bergen County. The place is almost deserted. No rush hour traffic.

The world will have a better chance when the Bush autocracy ends. Hope it isn't replaced by a new autocracy.

[DainBramaged]

2. Same here so far it's looking up to be last gasp of Summer

There was no rush hour last night either.

2nd week of September, BEST week to go down the shore. Water in the Eighties, kids gone, even us old people can walk the beach looking for sea glass.
:hi:

[Gormy Cuss]

3. Interesting.

My in-laws are big fans of the fair and I'll have to ask them about it.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. In Arkansas

the only places that are crowded are the thrift stores and salvage groceries and the farmer's market. Business is dead, and I'm starting to worry about my job. My husband cannot work, and I'm our sole support.

[KharmaTrain]

5. The High Cost Of Travel

Higher oil prices have rippled across this economy in many devestating ways. Some could make a case that the current housing mess is related as increased gasoline, fuel oil or natural gas and other energy related expenses have taken money away from the money those people would have spent on their mortgage or paying other bills that led to either revolving or late payments that triggered higher rates (thanks Bankruptcy bill) that pushed the market over the edge.

All of us have been affected by this prices...and unless you're Mittens Romney, you think twice about where you go and how important it is to go when you've just thrown $40 in your gas tank...or paid an extra $50 that month in heating/cooling expenses.

[LibDemAlways]

6. Last year I took my daughter and her friend to

our county fair. By the time I got skinned for overpriced parking, admission, rides, and food, I was out over $100.00. Never again.

[Laughing Mirror]

7. Same thing at county fair in Prince William County VA, outside of DC

Fair officials are counting on Lionel Ward, an Elvis impersonator, to bring in the crowds.

http://potomacnews.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WPN/MGArticle/WPN_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352366710&path=

Attendance was down about 5,000 on the opening three nights of the fair. About 22,000 people came through the gates on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as compared to 27,000 last year. The top turnout was Saturday when 10,000 came -- still 3,000 less than the same day in 2006. Sunday's crowd to watch the Dave Martin Rodeo was about 7,500.

[Tsiyu]

8. They did a story on Chattanooga local "news' last night

about how the whitewater rafting companies on the Ocoee are all basically dead right now, that the season ended far earlier than expected.

Of course, the Chattanooga "news" folks are all Bushasslickers, so they blamed it on "kids going back to school earlier," "losing college guides who go back to school," "the lack of rainfall," "the heat."

The poor news turds just can't report the truth:

MORE AND MORE FAMILIES DON'T HAVE MONEY FOR FUN IN AMERICA. They are too busy trying to pay bills and eat. But this truth is just too inconvenient for them to report. And they honestly think their viewers BUY their freaking excuses and lies.

[DainBramaged]

9. Maybe if we started making toys here, safe quality toys

a few jobs would come back. Poor toy companies, they bet the farm on cheap Chinese imports now no one will trust them again.

Unless they start making toys in America again.

[Tsiyu]

11. People DO make toys here

but the American philosophy is "More is better" even if you are trading less good stuff for more crap.

See this link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1582906&mesg_id=1584167

[blues90]

10. Look at ebay

I used to sell almost everything I put up for the price I wanted , in thr last year many items just get no bids or people asking me later to sell the item at a lower cost or provide free shipping so i gave up on the entire thing .

It shows how bad the economy is .