Issues of health, crime and politics are on the minds of metro-area residents as 2012 begins, but more than those worries, this Jan. 1 caused some Mississippians to hope for solutions to their financial woes.
As Earnest Brown, 62, of Brandon, put it, "Strengthening the economy is priority No. 1."
Whether a teen planning for the strains of college, a young mother hoping for her small business to thrive or a retiree enduring the stress of a life savings in jeopardy, Mississippians say they hope things will be easier in a new year.
"You work and can barely make ends meet," Teresa Davis, 42, of Vaiden said. "Bills are there, but the money's not."
Davis said she's unhappy with how the federal government has handled the public's dollars.
"We have to quit borrowing so much money - robbing Peter to pay Paul," she said. "And we have to stop spending so much unnecessary money."
Also criticizing Congress' spending, Loid Allen, 57, of Byram said he wants less of Americans' money to go to foreign aid and more of it to stay at home.
Allen, who is retired, said the economic downturn caused some worry for him: "The stock market's up one day and down the next," he said. "If you're counting on it, you're sweating every day."
Mark McKenzie, the owner of Southern Contractors of Jackson, said business has been down while costs - such as the price of diesel fuel - have been up. He said it would take major changes in the country to improve Americans' economic status, but he looks to the upcoming election with hope.
"The right president would help things," McKenzie, 34, of Florence, said. "If everybody (in other countries) sees a stable government, that might stimulate things.
"But it's not going to happen in one year," he said.
Taylor Sargent of north Jackson is looking to the government for a solution, as well. The manager of a flooring company, Sargent, 30, expressed hope Congress might design tax breaks for small business owners so they may hire more workers.
But working professionals and retirees aren't the only ones with concerns for their financial future.
Deron Thornton, 16, works part time at Majestic Burger to help his family while also attending school.
"I can't go to many places because of the (cost of) gas, and I'm working longer hours because of the price of groceries," the north Jackson teen said.
He said he's worried, too, about seeing peers drop out of school or turn to crime to get by.
Also 16, Olivia McNeal of Jackson has her sights set on college.
She's hoping for a scholarship to Tuskegee University in Alabama or Howard University in Washington, D.C., so she can enroll in a biochemical engineering program. But if she can't secure the funding, she said, she may have to stay closer to home.
"It kind of hurts because I worked so hard in high school, and I want to be able to follow my dreams," the Murrah High School junior said.
Her mother, Ifeoma McNeal, 32, said she employs the same philosophy regarding her daughter's educational costs as she did her own.
"We just make it happen," the mother said. "We just try not to worry about it in hopes that when you finish, you'll have more earning power."
Also hopeful is Sylvia Nutt, who owns Southern Classics Real Estate Inc. in Raymond. Nutt suffered not only a loss in business last year but also the loss of her husband.
While the business downturn created stress, Nutt said it also allowed her to spend precious time with him before his death.
She said her faith helps her to believe 2012 will bring fewer challenges and more successes.
"God is in control, so it's going to be better," she said with tears in her eyes. "It's going to turn around."
To comment on this story, call Jessica Bakeman at (601) 961-7075.
No comments:
Post a Comment