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Rancher Gary Wollert feeds hay to his cattle near Eads, Colo., Aug. 23, 2012. Like many ranchers who's grasslands have dried up due to the drought, Wollert has to supplement his cattle's diet with hay, now at record prices, to keep them alive.
John Moore / Getty Images — The nation's severe drought has been especially hard on cattlemen, made worse when Congress recessed for five weeks without passing disaster relief legislation. Most of the high plains areas of eastern Colorado and virtually all of Nebraska and Kansas are still in extreme or exceptional drought, despite recent lower temperatures, according to the University of Nebraska's Drought Monitor. The record-breaking drought, which has affected more than half of the continental U.S., is expected to drive up food prices by 2013 due to lower crop harvests and the adverse effect on the nation's cattle industry.
Rancher Gary Wollert inspects a dead cow on dry grasslands near Eads, Colo., Aug. 22. Many cattle in the area have contracted respiratory infections due to the wide temperature swings in this summer's heat wave and drought. While most cases have been cured, some have been fatal.
Cattle buyers wait to bid during a livestock auction at the Burlington Livestock Exchange in Burlington, Colo., Aug. 23.
A message is written on a restaurant sign in Burlington, Colo., Aug. 23. The ongoing drought has devastated the area's agricultural economy, but also affected a broad spectrum of businesses across the plains.
Drought conditions plague much of the United States after a summer of scorching temperatures and a lack of rain. The dryness is affecting America's farmland, threatening crops like soybean and corn.
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doesn't bother me about the red meat, only eat red meat once every two weeks or so.
sharriannie must not use any of these products - all derived from cattles fats and proteins:
Candles
Ceramics
Crayons
Cosmetics
Deodorants
Detergents
Floor Wax
Insecticides
Insulation
Linoleum
Mouthwash
Paints
Paper
Perfume
Plastic
Photographic film
Shaving Cream
Soaps
Synthetic Rubber
Textiles
Toothpaste
Blood factors (for treating hemophilia, killing viruses and making anti-rejection drugs).
Chymotrypsin (promotes healing of burns and wounds).
Collagen (used in plastic surgery and to make non-stick bandages).
Cortisol (anti-inflammatory).
Glucagon (treats hypoglycemia or low blood sugar).
Heparin (anticoagulant used to treat blood clots).
Insulin (for treating diabetes or high blood sugar).
Pancreatin (aids in digestion of food).
Thrombin (coagulant which helps blood clot).
Vasopressin (controls intestinal and renal functions).
Vitamin B-12 (prevention of B-Complex deficiencies).
Antifreeze contains glycerol derived from fat.
Asphalt contains a binding agent from beef fat.
Beef fats and proteins are used to make auto and jet lubricants, outboard engine oil, high performance greases, and brake fluid.
Glue from beef protein is used in automobile bodies.
Tires have stearic acid, which makes rubber hold its shape
nope
liar
sharriannie must be a liberal, alll they think about is them self.... how sad :(
If you have a deep freeze, now is the time to buy beef. Prices will soar over the winter due to no hay and expensive feed costs. Even the chicken ranchers are selling due to the extreme heat.
She's either from another country or another planet if she doesn't use any of those products.
I would assume she doesn't consume any food or products that contain wheat, barley, oats, corn, soy, canola oil, sugar or potatoes to name a few. Crops that most ranchers, who are also farmer; grow. Ungrateful hypocrite. Move to China & get your food. Oh, that's right, they import most of it from American ranchers & farmers.
I suppose her & her 10 cats eat only Soylent Green.
Sharianne is typical liberal. No compassion, always about me, me, me and not enough intelligence to understand consequences. Everything is connected, one thing happens and lots of other things happen as a result. You're going to see food go out of sight next year. If it is imported then the price of gasoline will cause the price to go up, along with scarcity of available food products. There are global food shortages happening right now. In the past the US had enough to cover that but we will do good to feed ourselves.
The drought affects not only ranchers but farmers, and all the suppliers tied to their products and those products are FOOD. Perhaps Sharianne is anorexic? Perhaps Sharianne thinks that food magically appears in the supermarket, perhaps Sharianne lives in an alternate reality universe?
Nope, just an airhead, that's all.
she doesnt use soap or toothpaste? yikes,classy broad.
sharriannie - pretty callous - this is how these people make their livelihood.
Very sad, for the animals who are suffering & the cattlemen too! God bless us everyone!
sharriannie, good thing its not all about you then. What a short sighted, small minded comment. You should be ashamed.
screw you, not ashamed at all.
let me guess, sharrianne is a liberal. Why should she worry about anything as long as she gets her welfare check.
She may be a rich azz republican and not worried about the farmers, ranchers, and the rest ot we Americans!!!
Hey Floyd I am a democrat and I don't feel the way she does. I have pitty for the people and for those poor animals. I work full time and struggle to make ends meet! Not all liberals, democrats or what ever feel the same. I agree she is inconsiderate of other people but, that is her opinion!
Sharriannie doesn't have a clue! Not only are these cattle peoples' livelyhoods, but this will definitely affect she and everyone else in the supermarket (doesn't even matter if you eat meat). Being brought up in cattle ranching as a youngster, and now owning a farm, I can tell you right now that farmers will be voting for Romney, not Obama........
I noticed that there were no more comments from Sharriannie after somebody pointed out that she was probably on Welfare.
She must be a welfare byotch! Haha! Like she doesn't use ANY of those above mentioned products! What a friggin' liar! Or she's a trollett!
Dont you people realize only normal americans get there meat from ranch cattle......
urban liberals get there meat from supermarkets.....thats where all food comes from. :)
That's right Azrancher, same goes for any of those products they buy in the grocery store made with wheat, barley, oats, corn, soy, canola oil, sugar(sugar beets), potatoes, etc....ALL grown by ranchers who are also farmers. Also dairy products: milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, etc.
Most of the citiots have NO appreciation or gratitude of WHERE their food is produced
what a freaking dolt she is!
Yeah sharriannie, you suck a big un girl. Looks like you opened up a can o whoopass with that snide remark.
So, liberals care only about themselves? Let's see.... universal sufferage was a liberal idea. So, all of you ladies who vote need to thank a liberal. Abolishing slavery was a very liberal idea, back when Republicans were the party of the people. Too bad that changed! The idea that Nebraska farmers should have to give up their land for the Keystone Pipeline....ooops, Nope. Reactionary Republican idea. Lets hurry and get that pipeline through and take away breadbasket land from production so that Canada can sell more oil to China faster. Hey, there's a winning idea! Oh, and DrIll, Baby, Drill? That's going to help the economy, right? Of course, the fact that Obamarama has given out the same number of drilling permits as Dubbya, and opened more than 4 million acres of public land to oil and gas exploration, with no improvement in our situation has not seemed to register with the whining "conservatives" as they sit at the feet of the Koch brothers and dare to propose continuing the US Taxpayers Subsidies for Big Oil. Even now when the oil companies are making more money than ever, and refusing to spend any of it on upgrading and expanding refineries. And, why should they when our oil is owned by foreign companies like BP and Shell and etc. Mr Conservateive Republican Koch is spending 100s of millions to get Romney elected so that thos ripoff can continue. And we don't even question it, do we voters? Liberal and consevative are virtually meaningless labels these days. What we really should be saying is those who make inquiries into what is actually happening, and those that just follow their parties BS line. Repub or Dem. Same level of blind ignoring of facts.
Tags: Middle | Class | Living | Standard
Pew Report: Middle Class Has Suffered 'Worst Decade in Modern History'
Wednesday, 22 Aug 2012 01:31 PM
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The U.S. middle class has shrunk drastically over the last 10 years as Americans' net worth has plunged, wages declined and standards of living slipped away, according to a report released on Wednesday.
Middle-income earners, long seen as the solid center of the country, are pessimistic and place the blame squarely on U.S. lawmakers, banks and big business, the findings by the Pew Research Center showed.
"America's middle class has endured its worst decade in modern history," researchers wrote.
Editor's Note: Startling Proof of the End of America’s Middle Class. Details in the Video
Since 2001, median household income has fallen from $72,956 to $69,487 in 2010, the report said.
The median household net worth, which is the value of assets minus debt, dropped from $129,582 to $93,150 over the same 10-year period, according to Pew, which analyzed U.S. data along with its own survey of nearly 1,300 adults who consider themselves middle class.
The nonpartisan research group's snapshot comes in the midst of a close presidential campaign that has become in part a referendum on whether President Barack Obama's policies over the last few years have helped Americans as the nation struggles to recover from deep economic woes.
His Republican rival Mitt Romney, a multi-millionaire former private equity executive who is one of the richest men ever to run for president, has based his campaign on his pledge to build jobs and boost the economy.
Pew's survey found more of the middle class support Obama's policies than Romney's.
More than half (52 percent) of those polled said Obama's policies would help the middle class in a second term, while 39 percent say they would not. Forty-two percent said Romney would benefit middle income Americans if elected, while 40 percent say his policies would not help, the survey showed.
OBAMA IN BETTER POSITION
Researchers said they found that "neither candidate has sealed the deal with them, but that President Obama is in somewhat better shape than his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney."
Polls have shown Obama with a growing lead over Romney.
The plight of the middle class has become a bellwether of the U.S. economy in the wake of the recent Great Recession that officially ran from December 2007 to June 2009, ending just six months into Obama's first term.
According to the poll, 62 percent of respondents said Congress deserved "a lot" of the blame for the nation's economic troubles over the past decade, while 29 percent blamed lawmakers "a little." Banks and financial institutions as well as large corporations were also largely at fault, respondents told Pew.
Various surveys have shown Americans -- particularly women, minorities, children and young adults -- are still struggling amid the slowest economic recovery since the 1980-81 period.
Pew's analysis is based on data from the Census Bureau as well as the Federal Reserve Bank and is broadly in line with separate reports from the two government entities that were released in June.
According to the Census Bureau, household wealth declined by 35 percent to $66,740 between 2005 and 2010 as home values and share prices plummeted. The Fed report showed median family net worth plunged to $77,300 in 2010 from $126,400 in 2007.
For its report, Pew defined middle class as households with incomes from $39,000 to $118,000, a range that is between two-thirds and double the national median.
Its survey is based on telephone interviews from July 16 to July 26 with 1,287 U.S. adults who identified as middle class and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 2.8 percentage points.
Read more: Pew Report: Middle Class Has Suffered 'Worst Decade in Modern History'
Yeah, I can't wait until the $hit hits the fan and we all start killing each other. Can you? When it starts I'm going for the throats of the rich and the politicians.
This is all part of the Obama plan to downsize America.
Dreams of my father...
People didn't know who they were voting for in 2008.
Hope and change, here it is.
Do you want it to continue?
Actually they were voting for a silver tongued devil. Hell, he could actually turn out to be the anti Christ for all we know.........Yet.
That's okay when the veggie prices go sky high and she has to pay 5.00 for a head of lettuce she might catch a clue. The useless ethonol that the government insist on makeing is going to drive up food prices on everything. ceral, can goods, dog food, cat food....you name it corn is in it somewhere. The EPA refuses to halt production so that will double what has already doubled. Have fun sharriannie, my guess is you live in a city and would not know how to grow your own garden or snap a bean. Bet you are a liberal too.
GOD is angry and showing no mercy.
Angry at republican/teabaggers
Riiiiiiggghhhhttt........they are the ones trying to remove GOD's name from everything from schools to courthouses and standing up for homo's, that must be why he is mad at them huh??????
You forgot the murder of unborn children Azrancher, he's major pissed about that too, and look who also condones that. You dems are bringing the wrath of God down on us all. You SOB's ought to all be shot.
"you sobs ought to be shot"didnt jesus say that same thing? way to represent.
Congress takes vacation without passing relief legislation, perfect and telling. Of course they know that this is not our countries food source. After all beef comes from the store, not the farm, right? The ramifications of this drought will reach far and wide. The farmers and ranchers are only the tip of the iceberg. If they handle this in their usual reactive v. proactive manner US citizens will suffer far more than necessary. If the farmers and ranchers fail we all fail. If you think it is difficult to live on limited oil, try living on limited or no food.
Would it not seem highly likely that failure is exactly what our beloved leaders have in mind for us all. I mean afterall, just look at the piss poor track record they have left in their wake in the past few decades. It's almost like the total destruction of this once great and prosperous nation is exactly whats up their sleeves. That MUST be accomplished before THEIR beloved owners, the elites, can usher in their much longed for one world government. Am I right or wrong?
Sharriannie, I can see your point, but even if you don't eat red meat, the drought will affect you. It's going to drive up food prices in general because much of the corn, wheat, and other grains produced largely in the Midwest have also been hit hard by the drought. Some producers won't even have a crop this year, which means less feed for the livestock and less grain to be sold to food producers. So not only will the price of meat go up, but also the cost of a box of Cheerios and the milk to put on it.
I realize that you may not be concerned by all of this, but the other commenters are right. This is many people's livelihood at stake here, and it's not an easy life but it's what we choose. And if we don't produce the food, then who will? It has to come from somewhere.
Sharriannie doesn't eat the food us hard working underpaid farmers produce, her food comes from the supermarket. LMAO.
she's not even smart enough to understand how the entire food chain affects everyone. Meat eaters and non meat eaters alike. And don't forget folks, as unaware as she is, her vote counts as much as your does and she's allowed to procriate.
GOD is angry and showing no mercy.
God is angry at repubs/teabaggers cause the states hit the worst are RED states!!!!
Don, you are not a cattleman for years. Just by your post, anyone would know what a drought can do. I ranched in an area with glaciers and they too have been hit with a drought. Cattle died. Sorry idiot, cattle need water and if no water, they die. Can't truck it in for large herd as the cost would be too prohibitive, IF you can find water within your state. Feed is important if your hay fields die without water and that, feed will disappear eventually without water. I don't know where you are cattle ranching but you are not very smart when it comes to your income!!!!
Since you're speaking for God, dem, I believe you misunderstood him. The "Dem/liberal/citiots" are the ones that will be hit the worst because they buy their food at the store. Farmers/Ranchers PRODUCE the food at the store. We ranchers are self-sufficient & will get by just fine
horselover: I was just thinking the same thing. We can grow enough food to take care of ourselves, will Dem and the others be capable of doing so? Rather doubt it, no wonder they want Obama, he's the welfare president, he will feed them. Wonder if he can do the loaves and fishes thing?
If only that stimulus that "may" happen, could actually go to helping the farmers and ranchers!!! That will help the high prices of food and products that is also supposed to happen (which won't help the economy recover). Instead corporations will get it, so that the executives can buy a second home or add a theater room to their house.
Being a cattleman for many years, I CANNOT see any reason for these cattle to die just because of a drought ? Cattle are bringing RECORD prices like no other time in history. And to let an animal starve instead of rounding them up and taking them to the sales barn is absolutely ridiculous ? There is no reason at all for any cattleman to need government disaster payments with the record prices they are receiving ! Assinine is a good word for any cattleman that lets his cattle perish due to a drought ?
Hey Don, that was LAST YEAR. Check the cattle markets, it has dropped considerably & the price of hay has tripled
What are you Don, an armchair wannabe cattleman/cowboy or something? You sound way too ignorant of what you speak of to be the real McCoy.
This is all no doubt a disaster that will effect everyone in some way shape or form. Aside from the real price increases that will occur due to direct results of this years drought there will be thousands of others in areas that this did not occur as drastically, bandwagoning price increases just to turn another buck. The big beef companies have congress in their pocket and can do pretty much what ever they want. I would be willing to be that anyone that watches close enough you will not see the live cattle market move much at all but the end product prices will probably double by the end of october and this will all tie into election promises to "get food costs in control" just like all the other hot button issues fuel prices, abortion, and lately gun control. I think congressmen should have to wear a jacket like NASCAR drivers with large patches all over them with the company logos so you know who owns them before they get in the race.
Can't you tell by Shariannie's made up name that she's black? She probably figures that it doesn't matter about the drought because welfare and food stamps will pay for her next meal. She just has to join Darius and Jayms and Sheniqua in line to get her benefits. She doesn't feel a bit bad about people losing their businesses and their land and animals starving and dying of thirst. She's probably got six kids by six different fathers and never worked a day in her life. If she had, she would care.
what does your statement have to do with the problem at hand?
He's still hung up on giving sharriannie hell for her snide remark at the beginning of the discussion, that's all.
We're all missing the point of Congress taking their break BEFORE making any decisions. I'm growing tired of their self entitlement, stay till the 11th hour! I bet if we caught up to most of them, they're enjoying a nice vacation without a care in the world.
You know it girlfriend, those SOB's are kicked back enjoying their worthless selves to the max, and at our expense as well, if they can possibly swing it.
Actually, I think it's Biblical and even the Mayans said that God AND aliens hate liberal democrats. Hey, don't yell at me, I just report the news, I don't make it..
Will someone please share with me how a drought that is killing cattle and devastating U.S. Farmers is a political issue? Really? You can't get your head out of the "movement" long enough to see that this has nothing to do with who is or isn't President? Crikey! No wonder we're such a mess.
Yep, only the ones with lots of stocks in commodities and gasoline (aka, the rich/corporations ) will benefit from high prices and any stimulus coming!! - Lets see which congressmen net worth goes way up in these disasters!!
I'd say a good chunk of the sorry SOB's. All I know is that they better spend some of their ill gotten gains on a good hidey hole with tons of security, cause when the $hit hits the fan there's gonna be millions of pissed and starving people searching them out.
Lets cut political pension completely and welfare benefits by 70 percent and see how well our federal budget balances out. After that lets see how many politicians stay around to do thier duty for thier country I am willing to bet NONE!!!
You got that right. They are in it for nothing other than serving themselves, that's an obvious fact. Karma is a beotch though, what goes around comes around.
Well, I can say this will be the equivalent of the dustbowl of the thirties in the memories of those who live through it. I just hope that congress keeps the snap program going for those who at=re on it so volatile food prices don't become the very thing which could lead to a famine in the US. For those who don't have any idea what could be next...a real famine and those wouldn't be cattle laying there. I am worried. My parents warned me how when they were in Minnesota back during the great depression they ate what they could grow and how lucky we were not to live in the big city. I am not so lucky. Many more people these days are just that much further then ever from living off the land then ever before. I hope and pray there will be some rain straight ahead. This is the hottest summer, I can remember in Nevada since I have lived here in 1976. Imagine a seven year drought? Makes me shudder!
I used to worry about cattle prices, drought, business overhead and expenses.......but no more,
not since the boy genius odumbo explained that "I did not build my business",
so I have nothing to worry about now.
LOL, Azrancher. I remember after Obummer's speech about that, I was thinking: Hmmm, I don't recall ANYONE ELSE helping me & my husband "build our business" by helping to pull some of those calves being born in Feb., in -20 degrees!! :P
I am appauled at the "liberal" labels being thrown around on this site. Drought is not a political act but by working TOGETHER, they could help these ranchers and farmers! The farm monies are going to corporations, not the farmer. The republicans are thrilled not to do something besides vacation because their big business' will make big money off our food come winter! Being a liberal has always meant helping your neighbor, not go vacation while your neighbor fries from drought and is wiped out for a lifetime of income! Being a meat eater or vegan or vegitarian has nothing to do with political beliefs either. Being on welfare doesn't mean you belong to one party and not the other because the facts are, red states collect more welfare and food stamps than blue states, because we liberals are willing to help our neighbors!!!! The subject is DROUGHT. The subject is LOSS OF INCOME. The subject is FOOD SHORTAGES AND HIGHER PRICES. The subject is CONGRESS WENT ON VACATION WHILE THE COUNTRY BURNS UP. Now, get off the labels, the pious judgements and address the problem. Can we do anything as individuals, I doubt it. But if Congress got off their ass's and assured that they could supply water and feed to these people, it would help ALL PEOPLE in the end. They need to make a plan to grow in areas that can be used or watered to suppliment the fruits and vegetable that have died from lack of water. We are talking FOOD AND WATER, not oil and gas. We are talking LIFE AND DEATH, not profit and corporations. Can ya all take a time out and really really think about the problems we are going to face come winter and spring!
Do you truly have any belief whatsoever that the government of this country actually gives a hoot in hell about this country or it's citizens? Really?
QUOTE: Like many ranchers who's grasslands have dried up due to the drought, Wollert has to supplement his cattle's diet with hay, now at record prices, to keep them alive.
OMG Really? I’m starting to really tear up about this.
I feel it's time for a little pain from these cattle ranchers for a change. I don't think there should be ANY relief funds sent their way, and I will tell you why.
Most don’t realize that cattle ranchers have driven almost all the wild mustang off lands throughout the entire USA in order to graze their cattle for Free. Yes, I said FREE. Then they are sent to slaughter in which the rancher has made huge profits from, with no monies out of the pocket, not even for shelters. Ask yourself this, have you as a consumer ever seen any decent consistent price breaks on beef due to this free grazing? I haven’t!
So why should anyone be concerned by this, haven’t they profited enough, including destroying the mustang population just for greed of the ole mighty dollar? I feel it’s time for cattle ranchers to step up and start caring for their cattle properly, not relying on free forage to profit on by the billions.
OMG, another tree hugging, cry baby, bleeding heart, liberal diatribe. PUT IT WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE!!!!
@time4pain: Horses were brought here by the Spainards only a few hundred years ago. I love horses but the non-native feral horses don't have rights to public grazing lands that I pay taxes for. They are really no different than stray dogs or cats, sorry.
About that FREE and I said FREE grazing on our public lands: PLEASE and I said PLEASE let me know WHERE that is, because I (and every rancher I know) pay a lot of $$$ for our state & federal leases(again, on land I pay taxes for), and I would be VERY interested in some!
Sure is funny how I've never heard of such a thing & neither has anyone else I know
QUOTE: Like many ranchers who's grasslands have dried up due to the drought, Wollert has to supplement his cattle's diet with hay, now at record prices, to keep them alive.
OMG Really? I’m starting to really tear up about this.
I feel it's time for a little pain from these cattle ranchers for a change. I don't think there should be ANY relief funds sent their way, and I will tell you why.
Most don’t realize that cattle ranchers have driven almost all the wild mustang off lands throughout the entire USA in order to graze their cattle for Free. Yes, I said FREE. Then they are sent to slaughter in which the rancher has made huge profits from, with no monies out of the pocket, not even for shelters. Ask yourself this, have you as a consumer ever seen any decent consistent price breaks on beef due to this free grazing? I haven’t!
So why should anyone be concerned by this, haven’t they profited enough, including destroying the mustang population just for greed of the ole mighty dollar? I feel it’s time for cattle ranchers to step up and start caring for their cattle properly, not relying on free forage to profit on by the billions.
NOT AGAIN!!! OMG, another tree hugging, cry baby, bleeding heart, liberal diatribe. PUT IT WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE!!!!
What makes you think God is angry. He didn't bring, this weather. There is more to it than to blame it on God.
And God is not interested in man's politics as a whole. That's why we need God's kingdom to come. Humans
though they could do it without God and that's why this world is a mess.