Welcome once more to another edition of "Signs the economy is bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. Usually I do not post this series as often as I have done this month, but the stories just keep piling in, and I do my best to find the ones that may actually be interesting and give you those oh so subtle hints the economy is bad. Yes, there is a pandemic going on wreaking havoc. That is a given. It's the things not many think about that can be a real problem like the stories I got for you this week. Read on.
Education News
- This story really caught my eye. As grade schools are gearing back up to reopen in various places for the fall, here is a Magnificent Question: who is going to drive the school buses? Story via Hechinger Report. This we need to think about a bit. Keep in mind that many school drivers are often senior citizens. For many of them, the bus gig is work they do after they retire from whatever job they had, a way to supplement late in life income. Whether they do it as a supplement or because they need the job, the fact is seniors do fall into the vulnerable population, and bus drivers spend a lot of contact time with snot nosed kids, including sick kids that parents send to school anyhow when they should not be sending them. Now, if a good number of those senior citizens decide, for their own health, to not return to their jobs, we are back who is going to drive the school buses? And that is just the first of various questions this article asks. Oh well, "the wheels on the bus go round and round. . . ."
- On the other hand, what would happen if schools closed down for good? Hechinger Report asks that question, but they do point out that kind of scenario has happened before. When? In many urban neighborhoods where minority communities lost their community schools. The difference now is that due to the virus a bunch of White people are going to be more than inconvenienced when they need to get back to work, and they can't send their kids to school. See, when it was just in the urban areas of people of color, not many outside those communities gave a fuck. Now that the virus reveals the possibility that schools in other more privileged areas may close for good (or at least for a very long term), well, guess what? It may get some attention. Because heaven forbid parents who need to work can't send their little hellions out of the house to school.
- A new study finds that COVID-19 has really hurt college students. Story via Inside Higher Ed, and it is one of those stories that honestly makes me wonder that we needed a study to state what is pretty obvious.
Rural News
- By the way, that story about schools that may not be opening after all, could make things worse in rural areas? Why? Because rural areas are often child care deserts which means it is more difficult to find good child care there. Story via The Rural Blog. Plus if that was not bad enough, many child care facilities have been closing down, some permanently, due to the virus.
- In addition, if you live in a rural area, and you get a stroke, your survival rate is going to be low. Story via The Rural Blog. "The researchers found that the more rural the hospital, the higher the mortality rate, with 27 percent of patients in the most rural areas dying. They also found that more rural patients were less likely to get either of two advanced stroke treatments." In addition, rural hospitals often fail to realize what the fuck is going on, or if they do, can't or won't transfer patients to larger, more advanced hospitals where these patients could get the care they need that the rural hospital lacks.
Government News
- Because the U.S, in the middle of an effing pandemic, is still arguing with the Europeans over aircraft subsidies over there, the U.S. government is considering raising tariffs on European products like gin, vodka, and other spirits. . . again. Story via The Spirits Business. The problem with that, or a problem close to home, is that the Europeans then do retaliate, which means they impose their own tariffs on things like Bourbon and American whiskey. That is bad news for many American distillers, especially small ones that do depend a lot on exporting their product abroad.
The Bad Economy Around the World
- In Chile, the virus is certainly wreaking havoc. However, one business is booming: mass producing caskets. Story via Latino Rebels. I honestly wonder how long before we start hearing in the U.S. that casket production is ramping up. Knowing Americans, they'll probably import them from some "Third World" country. Well, after making that joke, I decided to look a bit into where do people get caskets from in the United States. According to this story from 2015, "90 percent of burials in the US are in coffins made in America. " Story via PRI. The story also points out that sellers have attempted to sell caskets made in China, which would be a lot cheaper, but so far, when it comes to their caskets, Americans still do want "Made in the USA." Now, having said, given the Bad Economy, and now made worse by the virus, I do wonder if that resistance will loosen up in favor of cheaper casket (or burial in general) alternatives. We shall see.
In Other News of the Bad Economy
- Things are so bad women are rethinking whether they should have children or not. Story via NPR. That is always a bad sign in the economy when fertility drops.
- While I always try to advocate good health as much as possible, this came across a bit more as First World Problem, the kind of thing concern trolls worry about. It seems diet critics are oh so worried now that people stuck inside in a pandemic may be snacking a bit too much. Story via VICE. While there may be some truth to that, two things. One: we are in a damn pandemic. Let people eat their chips and ice cream in peace, fuck off. Two, and this is the important point that the critics all conveniently forget: ". . .largely ignores one of the biggest motivators behind buying processed foods over 'whole ingredients': Processed food is cheap, and we are in an economic crisis." So unless you critics are ready to actually do something (and I mean something substantial in terms of policy, structure, etc, other than bitch and moan) about issues like cheap processed food, expensive as fuck basic ingredients, and food deserts, y'all need to just shut the fuck up and let people graze in peace. Now excuse me while I go get a can of sour cream and onion flavored Pringles to munch on while I keep typing this post.
Hustlin' in the Bad Economy
- Finally, for this week, many businesses are gradually reopening. Given the virus, some of them have to get a bit more creative to maintain things like social distancing. One of the businesses that is having to get creative is strip clubs. Story via VICE. What do the dancers do when they make a lot of money on lap dances and suddenly you can't be doing that anymore? In addition, some of them are choosing to have outdoor seating much like restaurants are doing in many places. It's going to take some ingenuity and hustlin' to make it work, but make it work they will.
1 comment:
Very nnice post
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