Will the economy crash and we go into recession???

With the economy in turmoil and federal officials debating possible rescue plans, and the housing sector continues to languish... Housing sales and prices are down and foreclosures are up in Will, Grundy and Kendall counties. August home sales and median price data released Wednesday by the Realtors association shows that area housing sales and prices were continuing to decline..

• Will county: August home sales fell 28.1 percent from July and 29.6 percent when compared to August 2008. The median home price fell 4.3 percent from $232,000 in August 2007 to $222,000 last month.


• Grundy county: August home sales fell 17.3 percent from July and 4.4 percent from a year earlier. The median home price fell 22.3 percent from $206,000 in August 2007 to $160,000 last month.


• Kendall county: August home sales fell 20 percent from July and 27.9 percent from a year earlier. The median home price fell 5.2 percent from $234,000 in August 2007 to $221,929 last month.

Statewide, August total home sales were down 4.6 percent in August 2008 compared to July 2008 sales. And they were down 27.2 percent from August 2007 totals of 14,562. Illinois median price in August was $195,000, down 7.1 percent from $210,000 in August 2007...

Our economy is collapsing and the only thing that the government can think of to do is buy all the houses that people have lost.... Now you tell me, how is that supposed to make the economy turn around???

Its not helping those who were making the house payments, its only going to help the banks that funded the house....

A 25-year ban has come to a hult.....

This is a big step in bringing jobs back to the U.S. and a huge step in not relying in other countries on our daily needs....

Finally the House has voted to end a quarter-century ban on oil and natural gas drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts... The bill was approved 370-58 and now goes to the Senate, where it most likely will be approved... The decision to avoid a fight with the White House over offshore drilling marks a major shift by Democrats on energy policy and a reflection that the GOP argument for more domestic energy production had found support among voters.

I think were actually starting to see the light in natural resources and the ability we have to improve the environment....

We have had a few good rains recently and as everybody knows the St. Peter Lutheran Cemetery and the Oakwood Cemetery flood really easily....

So the Herald News finally caught up... I'm so proud of them.... Now this is were It gets weird, in the same paper that they have the article of the cemeteries, and how they need money, they have an article about how the city is going to fund renovations in the Rialto Square Theater and USF.... Now to me that seems a little stupid.... Sorry for being so direct, but the Rialto has all the money it earns from the shows and tours it gives on top of the fact that its part of the historical society.... And the reason that they are finally fixing up these two floors is because (now everybody be ready for a big shocker) the University of St. Francis.....

OK, i know what your thinking, its good that they're expanding, and why is it such a big deal, right???? Well its not the fact that they're expanding, its the fact that the city is always saying "poor us" we have no money to fix anything up, but they sure did find money for this fast...... Both the Rialto and the university have money coming in, the Rialto has the money from the shows, banquets, tours, historical society and probably many more things..... The university has money from taxes, tuition's, casinos, and they also have other money coming in.....

So if the city has no money, why are they funding organizations that do???? And why would they write one article about how we have the oldest cemetery in Joliet, with some of our first founders, not to mention the famous people, that has had flood damages for at least 6 years, and there is no money to fix it, so for now it sits???? The cemetery could use that money for the upkeep of the cemetery, and it would be put to good use.......

The people who made this town what it is today, those who started our history need our help more than two companies that already have money coming in.....

I think we finally won the battle for our parks

The senate has passed two bills restoring money the governor cut from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, a move that could save the 11 state parks and 13 historic sites scheduled to close over the next two months- as long as Gov. Blagojevich signs off.....

They were able to get $221 million from dedicated accounts to restore funds to save the parks and human service programs, including substance abuse programs... The second bill handles the appropriations for the spending.. so that way we have an even amount on the substance programs as well as the parks and historic sites.....

Now for those who haven't been updated on this interesting aspect on dictatorship... Blagojevich announced in August that he would lay off 325 workers as part of the closures. The action was necessary, he said, because he had to cut $1.4 billion from the unbalanced state budget lawmakers sent him. And he also stated that he was going to close 11 state parks and 13 historic sites... If Blagojevich decides to sign the bills that the senate proposed, enough money will be set up to keep the parks and historic sites open and to staff each site evenly. Now lets all hope that he does the right thing and signs the bill, but until then the petition will continue.....

Finally we as the residents of this state have a say in what we want, and people are listening.

a couple more pics of bridges

Here are a couple more pictures of bridges around me.... Look at how they are constructed, and what holds them together....Would you want this bridge to fall on you??? Why aren't they being supported properly?????

Bridges all around us

The bridges in the U.S. are collapsing one at a time....

Pretty much everyone has either gone under or gone over a bridge... Whether it was a train, pedestrian, or regular car bridge, they're all around us and we cant help but to drive on them.... So have you honestly looked at them? I don't mean like oh there's a bridge, but have you looked at the actual structure of the bridge, what holds it up????

If someone were to hit the bridge would it crumble onto whatever hit it or would it stand strong? Does the shaking of a train going over it make pieces of it fall off???? Why aren't the bridges being kept up??? What do they need to be sturdy???? Well i thought i would just put these questions out there..... I know there has been a couple of bridges that have collapsed and i know it wasn't pretty when they did....

I read this article : Rescuers save 2,000.......

• hundreds of people wrapped around a high school in Galveston, some with pets, overstuffed duffel bags and medicine as they waited to board a bus to a shelter. "I have nowhere to go," said Ldyyan Jonjocque, 61, waiting for a bus while holding the leashes of her four Australian Shepard dogs. She said she had to leave two dogs behind in her home. She wept as she told the officers rescuing her in a dump truck.

OK, so honestly the hurricanes are never going to stop happening. If anything they're going to get worse as the climate and environment changes. So why do we as humans continue to put our families and ourselves through this?

Now i understand that insurance companies pay for the damages and losses, but what happens when the banks run out of money, or even worse what happens if the companies crash? Our economy isn't the best right now to be relying on. You'll be stuck with a house that that is ruined and unlivable, with all your personal belongings ruined or missing, and no money to start over again..... No pictures, documents, or family heirlooms....

Its not like the government is actually trying to fix things so the water wont flood anymore. They're just letting everything stand the way it is as if there was nothing they could do to fix it... the flood walls aren't being raised, they're just being repaired and left at the same height for the next flood to tear down... its like they're standing there and saying "poor us", but not willing to start helping....

There's a saying : "you cant help someone who isn't helping themselves."

why put your family through it over again??

Why are people going back to the areas that have flooded once before?

Obviously as seen by Huricane Ike, what floods once will flood again.... When Hurricane Katrina and Rita hit hundreds of thousands lost their homes, families, jobs, and even pets. And yet they insist on oving back to the same spot... It's not like they raisedthe towns, or found a way to control the water from overflowing onto the land. Nope everybody just moved back and started to clean up, the mess that devastated thousands.

Now dont get me wrong i understand being attached to a place that you have lived in for so long, but knowingly going back to a location where its known not to be safe. Its rediculous... Honestly your putting your family in jepordy over a piece of land..

What would happen if there was a storm or Hurricane, and your child/children are at school? How would you get to them? Will their school protect them enough? When will you be re-united with them? How will you know where they went or if theyre ok? Youll have no way to get to the school, because most of the roads are blocked and you cant go back you can only go towards the exit.... Does their school have an exscape plan, a meeting place for parents and children to unite again???? What about your spouse, will you have a meeting place for you two to meet??? What happens when you and your spouse are separated when a storm hits??? how do you know if the other is ok???? Will you ever see eachother again??

So im still stuck asking myself the same question again and again... Why would you go back to the place that once devastated the whole country and separated millions????

St. Peters Lutheran Cemetery

This is St. Peters Lutheran Cemetery.

Can you tell me whats wrong? That's right, you guessed it, its under water. And two top it off its been doing this for years. Right now the cemetery has no money, so to fix this it'll be a little hard. It has no owner/caretaker, so for right now its relying on the god hearts of those who can spare a minute. Were trying to get a little help, so if you could recommend some ideas of what to do, I would appreciate it.

more about the closings on the state parks...

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will close 11 state parks on Nov. 1. Three of the parks are in our immediate area: Channahon Parkway State Park in Channahon, Gebhard Woods State Park in Morris and Illinois State Park in Marseilles.

The Grundy County Housing Authority recognizes the importance of state parks to the educational, cultural and recreational opportunities of our families of today.

With the economy the way it is with home values are falling, gas prices are rising and prices are rising all across the U.S.

State parks represent one of the places where all of us are still able to stand together, play together and it doesn't matter how much money someone makes or where they live... Its a place to have fun and to put your worries behind you for a while to enjoy live the natural way....State parks are a invaluable source of learning, exercise, and connection to the rest of the community...

State parks also create an outlet for freedom, and creativity... You can pretend your anywhere, while your just sitting at the park listening to the noises of peaceful elements.....

I encourage all of you who read this whether you live in Illinois or not to stand up and voice your opinion.... What if this was a park that you went to???? Would you want the government to take it away?????

If you wish to contact Gov. Blagojevich and tell him to keep our parks open, you can send a letter to him at: Office of the Governor

207 State House

Springfield, IL 62706

You can also call the governor's office in Springfield at (217)-782-0244

or in Chicago at (312)-814-2121

Thank you for all your support

Our state parks are coming to an end....

Governor Blagojevich is trying to cut the budget.... He wants to close our state parks, and nature centers.... Our nature center is being used to teach our young generations about nature and the effects that the cities have on the land... Why is he trying to take away a teaching method that everyone uses??? We have schools that take field trips there, boy scouts and girl scouts that earn their badges there, and many more organizations that use our state parks as a way of bringing nature back into their lives......

this is a web site that has an online petition to stop Governor Blagojevich from taking away an educational tool that helps many..... www.gopetition.com/online/21603.html

please go and voice your opinion before its to late....

Do your children chew on their toys?

Is chemical in plastics a problem for kids?

Alomost 99% of children toys are made of or contain plastic in them. So why are we not using the best testing methonds to ensure that the kids dont get sick from their toys? Kids and babies chew on their toys all the time... What if the toys their chewing on could make them sick, disabled, or even kill them?

No wonder consumers are so confused about the safety of chemicals in plastic.

Even federal government agencies dont agree about the hazards posed by Bisphenol A, or BPA, an estrogen-like chemical used in plastic thats been detected in the bodies of 93% of americans tested.

Two weeks ago, the National Toxicology Program said it has "some concern" that BPA alters development of the brain and prostate gland in children and babies, both before and after birth.

Yet the Food and Drug Administration says childrens current exposure levels to BPA are safe. Though the FDA considered only exposures from food packaging such as caplastic bottles and the linings of metal formula cans, BPA is used in many products from water pipes to compact discs.

Many people wonder why the two agencies- both part of the Department of Health and Human Services- have drawn such different conclusions. The differences stem partly from the controversial way that the FDA judges scientific papers.

In its draft report, the FDA says its safety decision on three experiments that followed "good laboratory practices" to ensure sound results. Those studies- all funded by industry groups that make BPA- found the chemical is safe at current exposure levels. But critics say the FDA's standard is biased and outdated, leading the agency to discount a dozen key studies that the toxicology program used to conclude that BPA may pose a threat.

Though the FDA's laboratory guidelines aim to prevent fraud by requiring detailed notes, they don't necessarily ensure good science. Independent academic researchers are performing far more sophisticated tests than the ones upon which the FDA based its decision.

Now for me this is just a start to what problems might accore... not only do our children have risks but so do our pets, and possibly even our selves....

how do you like those gas prices???

The gas prices were droping, and now are higher than ever.. And as we all know after the elections the prices are going to go up anyways, but we werent expecting the storms to increase the prices......

Pump prices jumped above $5 per gallon in some parts of the country Sunday as Hurricane Ike left refinries and pipelines idled and destroyed at least 10 offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

Far beyond ares struck directly by high winds and flooding, Ike left behind it a bizarre pattern of prices at gas pumps, with disparities of more than $1 a gallon in some states, and even on some blocks.

Average prices exceeded $4 per gallon in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, South Carolina, Hawaii, and Alaska, according to aut club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express.

Whatever pain is being felt at u.s. gas pumps will likely be a vary brief phenomenon, analysts say.

Why the environment is messed up

The world is basically coming to an end, and yet we are pretty much doing nothing to prevent it.

The arctics are melting, the rivers and oceans are rising and we are still going on our merry little lives as if nothing is wrong. The summers are hotter and longer, we are receiving more rain, and the winters are colder than ever. Our whole environment is changing, our climates all over the place, and there is so much we can be doing to help straighten things out. We need to put up wind mill farms in our open fields. If England can do it then why cant we? Are we honestly that far behind? There are so many acres of land that isn't used for any other use, so why cant we use the open land to benefit us? We have 8 million (not literally) rivers, creeks, and streams and yet were not using the water to our advantage. We could use water wheels to produce extra electricity when the water runs. We should put solar panels on the top of buildings to produce solar power to use. There are also water filtration systems that we can put on the top of our roofs and use them at roof gardens to filter rain water so we can reuse it. It would be a better use for the rain water then letting it run down our gutters and into the sewer system which cant handle all the water anyway.

there is one thing i don't understand. Why do people insist on complaining about our global warming and the effects it has on our environment, but almost no one is willing to step up and say

"I'm going to make a difference."?

PLEASE GO TO WWW.PEAKENERGY.BLOGSPOT.COM

TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ON GLOBAL WARMING, AND HELPING OUR ENVIRONMENT...

update on cemetary

I dont know if you remeber, but a while ago i wrote a blog about a cemetary...... it was about how they were treating the head stones and mistreating the graves... well i did a lot more research, and talked to some people.. i found out that the head stones that were in the piles mostly came from the woods.... most of them had been left there from other cemetaries that didnt need/want them anymore.... its still wrong, and who ever did it should be responsible for finding the families of these head stones and give them back.... heres a thought... your dead and in a cemetary.... for whatever reason you have to be moved.... what happens if they loose your head stone???? will they get you a new one???? or will you be lost forever???? will people even know that your lost, and with no name?????

well thats it for now... have fun...

Clipping from the news paper

Stop eminent domain bill...

Illinois Senate Bill 2063 passed the senate and is now in the house Rules Committee.... Section 6-15(d) of this bill gives politicians the power to take your house and property by eminent domain proceedings any time they deem fair.... Which means that if they want your house or property they can just pay you what they want and take it....

You only have 120 days to get off of your property, that you bought with your money, that you worked so hard to get.... It is called "quick take" -and this , my friends, is communism...

More than 500,000 GIs died or were wounded and billians of your dollars were spent to try to stop communism in Korea and Vietnam.... Now it is sneaking in our back door...

Tell your friends about the bill and watch the papers for the final public hearings on it. It could pass in the November veto session.

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete, and in the House by state Rep. Lisa Dugan, D-Bradley. It is also supported by Will County Executive Larry Walsh and the Will County Board....

Remember, young people who can't vote will suffer from this law...

We can stop this form happening..... Write or call your legislator now...