Wake Up Time

Before It's Too Late

Are we becoming passive in our older years?  I am referring to what’s going on in the world around us, and the fact that the majority of the population is just watching it go by.  Have you noticed that every time the government regulates or deregulates an industry (example: telephone service Ma Bell) we are sold on it as being better for us or saving us money.  Yet without exception the cost associated with that industry goes sky high in price.

I know that there has been a lot of progress made in all the industries in our country and the world for that matter.  My question however, begs an answer, do we all need to pay for the same level of service?  Many senior citizens don’t need 400 or 600 channels on cable.  I consider myself “with it,” and I have maybe 7 favorite channels that I always go to.  It would be nice if we could pay for only the channels we want to watch (a la carte).  The cable providers prefer to sell you bundles that include channels that no one would buy otherwise.

Back in the early 90s my cable bill was $7.95 per month I had more channels than I could view.  Today my cable bill is more than 30 times higher, but it does include internet, and landline (phone service) which I can do without, and a couple of DVRs.  In the old days we used to buy our own VCR.  Here is another irritating fact.  You can go to the Red Box video rental and rent a movie (DVD) for 24 hours for just $1.29.  But if you go to your cable provider and rent pay per view movie (streaming) no DVD involved, you pay between $5.99 and $9.99 what is wrong with this picture?  Of course as usual we can control the market by making our own informed decisions, and opt out.

It would be nice if we could come together to influence the market.  I once again opt out of things that are not a necessity in my life.  As an example because of changes in the airline industry, I travel a very small percentage of what I used to travel prior to 2001, and beside the challenges of security screening here is why:

·       Airline passengers now arrive at the airport prepared to be nickeled and dimed all the way to their destination by add-on fees — a moneymaking tool no longer used only by low-cost carriers but by nearly every type of airline, a new study reveals.

·       Total airline revenue generated by these extra fees, called ancillary fees, skyrocketed from $2.45 billion in 2007 to $27.1 billion in 2012. United Airlines topped the list of total ancillary-revenue leaders, generating more than $5.3 billion in fees last year. ~ By Kristen Leigh Painter-The Denver Post

I remember a time when the consumers would unite and boycott a business or product, and reverse a decision or action that was made against the consumer.  Today we lack resolve and cohesiveness, at a time when communications are so much improved, and yet it is being used against us.  This statement applies to: government, politics, social media, consumerism, education, etc., etc.  We are losing ground at all levels and on all fronts.  I believe it’s time to take our society and lives back, before we reach the point of no return.  The best is yet to come…….