Photo: Woods Pierce
The economy is the most talked about topic of this election. It should be. I grew up in Michigan right next to a GM plant and graduated from a high school across the street from another. By the time I graduated from college both of those plants were closed. The 7.8 percent unemployment rate is not a statistic for most of us, it is part of our daily existence.
“Economy,” comes from ancient Greek and literally means “management of the home.” The root word “oikos” is a broad definition of home, including our family, house, our household goods, and our entire private life. In its purest form an economy is how we manage our daily existence and meet our needs for food, shelter, love, and comfort.
The economy does not mean “how do I make more money?” but “how do I live?” To me that is a question that is far more interesting and useful. During this recession many of the people in our community are having trouble meeting basic needs and I don’t think we have to wait until the outcome of this election to start solving this problem.