Nobody Asked, Just My Opinion!

<BODY TEXT=#000000 LINK=#0000FF VLINK=#FF0000 BGCOLOR=#FFFFE6 > <BASE TARGET="_top"> <DIV ALIGN=center class=s0 style='text-align: center;'> <A NAME="an0"></A> </DIV> <DIV ALIGN=center class=s0 style='text-align: center;'> <TABLE style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" WIDTH="100%" BORDER="3" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="2" > <TR> <TD WIDTH=100% VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#004040> <DIV ALIGN=center class=s1 style='text-align: center;'> <FONT style='color:#FFFFFF;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-size:50pt;'><B>NORTHCOUNTRY NEWS </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=center class=s1 style='text-align: center;'> <FONT style='color:#FFFFFF;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-size:50pt;'><B></B></FONT><FONT style='color:#FFFFFF;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-size:40pt;'><B><I>~ Nobody Asked, Just My Opinion! ~ </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=center class=s1 style='text-align: center;'> <FONT style='color:#FFFFFF;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-size:40pt;'><B><I></I></B></FONT><FONT style='color:#FFFFFF;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-size:30pt;'><B><I>by Bryan Flagg </I></B></FONT></DIV> </TD></TR></TABLE></I></B></DIV> <DIV class=s0>  </DIV> <DIV class=s0> <TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="2" > <TR> <TD WIDTH=100% VALIGN=TOP > <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I></I></B><B><I>Well, I guess the rising price of fuel seemingly has no end in sight. The average price of regular gasoline in NH is edging towards $3.50 per gallon according to daily reports. At the time of this writing the average is at $3.38, but it changes daily if not hourly! </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I>The trickle down affect of the fuel prices are far reaching. Every business in every corner of the United States. </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I>Many restaurants have seen a $10 per case increase in the vegetables they use daily. Items such as lettuce, tomatoes, asparagus and others. The $10 per case increase covers the fuel increase the farmers have seen and on top of that increase there is also a 7% surcharge to cover the cost of fuel to deliver it. One restaurant owner on the local news recently stated she had to have some menus laminated. When she did, the price had doubled. The price of those nice little rolls or loaves of bread that restaurants usually give you with your meal in some cases has gone from about .50¢ to a cost of about $1.00. Now that’s just the restaurant business! </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I>How about the building industry! Metal roofing has seen dramatic increases, but not just that - a case of nails or screws has almost doubled within the past several months. In the building industry - there is seemingly no end to the increases and the fuel surcharges being passed along nation wide. </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I>Wheat, flour, milk, bread, etc.., etc... is also seeing dramatic increases. The trickle down affect is hitting many folks very hard. </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I>Not only are people being hit with huge increases in oil, gas, propane and diesel, but also in food costs as well. </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I>Where and when does it all end? Will the folks who are supposed to be looking out for our best welfare, our government, step in and do anything about it or will they continue to allow the fuel companies to  name their price and anything goes.  </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I>But you can bet your bottom dollar that if it were a company that they had interests in, such as Bear Stearns- they’d be Johnny on the spot. So I guess what this entire deal tells me, is that government has no interests in helping out the average folk like you or I. </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I>Yet, if you might have made a bad financial decision and overextended yourself in the mortgage crisis and can no longer afford your home - they’ll be there to bail you out! So where does that leave the average, everyday folks that work hard for a living, have a home, are honestly trying to make ends meet, are trying to survive paying the higher food and fuel costs and  are seeing their profits from the week and their savings dwindle down as time goes on? Your guess is as good as mine! Does the government know or realize that there is such an average folk out here anymore? </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I>What about the seniors who are trying their best to live on a fixed income. They have seen an increase in everything except their social security. Ultimately, for them, it’s a choice between medication, food or heat. </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I>As everything keeps going up at record pace- we might ask ourselves where we are headed and what we are headed for. </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I>I say regulate fuel costs as other countries do and stop giving the oil companies tax breaks! They are already making billions in profit. Why is it the big money makers always get the tax breaks? Seems backwards to me. </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I>The politicians are worried about the economy. Well so aren’t we all. You want to fix the economy? Then decrease the damn fuel prices by $1 per gallon and the economy would come back to life and prices and surcharges would drop again- and then maybe the small business owner and the average person may have a chance to survive. </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I>But don’t you worry, you can  rest assured knowing that the folks in the White House, the Congress and the Senate will insure that all the perks they receive will be there for years to come...... the rest of us be damned!!! </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I></I></B><B><I>Nobody Asked, Just My Opinion! What’s yours? </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I> </I></B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=justify class=s1 style='text-align: justify;'> <FONT style='color:#800000;font-size:12pt;'><B><I>Want to share your opinion on this matter? Email us by hitting the "Contact Us" button below </I></B><B><I>or send us a note to: PO Box 10, Warren, NH 03279. </I></B></FONT></DIV> </TD></TR></TABLE></I></B></DIV> <DIV class=s0>  </DIV> <DIV ALIGN=center class=s0 style='text-align: center;'> <IMG SRC="web_pages_i00004d.gif" BORDER=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE WIDTH=500 HEIGHT=20 > </DIV> <DIV class=s0>  </DIV> <DIV ALIGN=center class=s0 style='text-align: center;'> <TABLE style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" WIDTH="100%" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="2" > <TR> <TD WIDTH=100% VALIGN=TOP > <DIV ALIGN=center class=s1 style='text-align: center;'> <FONT style='color:#008080;font-size:12pt;'><B>Don't Agree? </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=center class=s1 style='text-align: center;'> <FONT style='color:#008080;font-size:12pt;'><B>Different Opinion? </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=center class=s1 style='text-align: center;'> <FONT style='color:#008080;font-size:12pt;'><B>Want To Add Something? </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=center class=s1 style='text-align: center;'> <FONT style='color:#008080;font-size:12pt;'><B>Click On The Button And Let Us Know</B><B>! </B></FONT></DIV> </TD></TR></TABLE></B></DIV> <DIV class=s0> <TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="2" > <TR> <TD WIDTH=100% VALIGN=TOP > <DIV ALIGN=center class=s1 style='text-align: center;'>   </DIV> </TD></TR></TABLE></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=center class=s0 style='text-align: center;'> <A class=s0 HREF="mailto:northcountrynews@wildblue.net"><IMG SRC="web_pages_i000011.gif" BORDER=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE WIDTH=122 HEIGHT=33 ></A> </DIV> <DIV class=s0> <TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="2" > <TR> <TD WIDTH=100% VALIGN=TOP > <DIV ALIGN=center class=s1 style='text-align: center;'> <FONT style='color:#0000FF;font-size:11pt;'><B><A class=s1 HREF="#an0" TARGET=_self>BACK TO TOP</A> </B></FONT></DIV> </TD></TR></TABLE></B></DIV> <DIV class=s0> <TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="2" > <TR> <TD WIDTH=100% VALIGN=TOP > <DIV ALIGN=center class=s1 style='text-align: center;'> <FONT style='font-family:"Times New Roman";'><B>© The Northcountry News </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=center class=s1 style='text-align: center;'> <FONT style='font-family:"Times New Roman";'><B>PO Box 10, Warren, NH 03279 </B></FONT></DIV> <DIV ALIGN=center class=s1 style='text-align: center;'> <FONT style='font-family:"Times New Roman";'><B>603-764-5807 </B></FONT></DIV> </TD></TR></TABLE></B></DIV>  </B></DIV>