Blog #1 (Sept. 3)

This blog is intended to cover the economic issues that people are facing not only here in the United States but also those across the border as well. After seeing news reports about the struggling economy on television, newspapers and the internet, I became interested in looking deeper into this topic and its effects on the lives of people on both sides of the border.

Over the weekend I read a story which can be found here, [www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/255569.php] that talks about Mexicans sending money back home at much lower rate. Many stories about the struggling economy deal with people living on a smaller budget due to gas prices, food prices, education costs, home payments, health care, etc. But how is it affecting people locally here in Arizona and across the border? Are businesses having to close? If so, is it happening at a pace faster than ever before? Are migrants contemplating the possibility of returning to their home country because of the current state of the economy? Is poverty rising in cities both large and small due to the economy? Are migrant workers struggling to survive with less money so more can be sent back home to their families? These are just some of the questions I have as of right now but there is no doubt that each new day, week and month more questions will continue to arise.

My hope is that this blog looks at issues other than what we are all seeing on a daily basis in the media today. I understand there are broad ranging topics associated with the economy but I am looking to see how individuals, families, businesses and neighboring countries are dealing with the struggles of the economy in the U.S.