Free is Fair...

Has the Housing Market hit bottom?  Will unemployment go up?  Will our taxes go up?

The powers that be have numerous tools in their box to deal with these problems.  Problem is, some of the current powers refuse to acknowledge what really works, in favor of hope that change will come from things that have never worked.

On top of that, some tools have been taken off the table.  We can't print more money because we have recently done too much of that (I hope they understand that one), we can't lower interest rates - because less than zero doesn't work...even too close to zero doesn't work for 30 year loans!

So what happens, when prices rise?  Call it the domino effect, snowballing, whatever - once inflation starts, it is hard to get it under control in today's global economy.

If you know little to nothing about economics, know this - freedom works.


Dry cleaning costs to rise as U.S. taxes foreign production of wire hangers

"Vietnam is a major producer of wire hangers, exporting $32 million worth to America last year. But the Commerce Deparment will charge duties as high as 21 percent on the hangers, CNN Money reported. The penalties follow the discovery that foreign governments have been subsidizing production — allowing the country to unfairly undercut the competition."

"Money concerns are very real in an industry that experienced a 20 percent decline in volume since the recession."

"Prices of cleaning solvents have increased substantially in recent years."

"A similar measure against China several years ago had an immediate effect. Wholesale costs nearly doubled overnight, causing local cleaners to either raise prices or absorb the difference."

Expect barbecues to cost more; prices of meat, cheese, flour rising

"Consumers in New Jersey and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region are paying as much as 22 percent more now for some popular food items than a year ago, according to the Consumer Price Index."

"Grocery prices in southern New Jersey are up about 4 percent over last year while restaurant prices are up about 2 percent, according to federal statistics."

"Consumer flour prices are up 9 percent from last year, federal numbers show."

"When commodities go up, everything else does, too. These animals have to be fed, the commodities have to be shipped. The more expensive fuel is the more expensive meat is.”