Hi I don't come on very often but read most of all the threads. One thread is from Chasing Hawk. Read it a couple of times as she makes the most sense of it all. The middle class was not suppose to get hit. What a laugh. The small shops cannot compete with the larger ones. The problem high gas prices, taxes on payroll rent and expenses on store. And again the big manufactures of material same problem plus the price on the gas for the big trucks to deliver. They also employ many people so their cost is also high. Chasing Hawk ECONOMY is correct. By the way anyone notice food prices going up and packaging getting smaller. I guess we have to get used to the idea. Our beloved country is going down the drain.