Gas Prices

Oh the joys of shopping on an island...One roll of Bounty paper towels, 2 pints of milk (sterilized unrefrigerated, in cartons), and one pint of juice (brand, unknown to me)...Total: 19 Antillean guilders ($11 U.S.

WHAT? "Ya mon" the cashier said, "gas prices you know. Even in where driving is not really an issue or gas concern, gas prices are filtering into everything...food prices, cost of electricity, tuition. My electric bill doubled from June to July and used less electricity (never have I seen that before) so I can only imagine what the school bill was. The A/C is on 24 hours a day for the study halls. And yes, tuition is going up in January so we hear to cover that expense, among others. But $11 for three containers of drink, and paper towels? C'mon!

I am lucky and very grateful for the luxury of having money to spend for essentials, but I cannot imagine how many on this island, and other islands, survive it all. No wonder many have to make choices when they have to pay for medical care. For many, and the island isn't unique, it is a matter of healthcare or eating. The medically indigent (those who work, don't have healthcare insurance or coverage, and who don't qualify for Medicare or Medicaid) are one of the fastest growing populations in the US. At least Statia has the answer...free medical care for residents.

I think it is high time the U.S. consider strongly making it's socialized medical system (what do you think Champus /Tricare, Medicaid, Medicare, etc are?) a real socialized system and stop the half-baked measures. Where insurance and cash is present there will always be opportunities for private practice, but lets get the foundation in order and begin to serve the almost 50 million uninsured. We are doing it anyway.

Back to savoring my $1 per oz juice. If I save some of it, maybe I can trade it for tuition next term?