The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

To The Eagle:

Welcome 2024!

Everyone has their thoughts on how last year went; I hope everyone found some good while hoping for better. Personally, we are doing very well. We have little income, but enough to cover bills and feed us. It seems that, for many, the biggest expense is a roof over their heads, which keeps taking money from groceries.

One thing that, in my opinion, keeps costs high, is the huge cost to even start a home or apartment. Permits, hook-ups and inspections are terribly costly. Can we get our local, state and federal restrictions eased? I think we must!

Corporate profits, the greed from the mega companies, is also a problem. Profits went down a bit in the second half of the year. Shell and Chevron saw their profits rise about 5% year-on-year to $9.6 billion and $6.6 billion, respectively. Big international energy and food firms have an outsized influence on the wider economy.

On the good side of 2023, unemployment continues to be low, with many job opportunities, where wage increases finally caught inflation, which came down. Unions strengthened in many areas. Stocks hit an all-time high, for 401K holders. US Producing 13.5 million barrels a day, and we're heading towards 14 million barrels a day. That is more oil than any country in the world. That is a record for the United States, despite renewable progress.

Happy New Year to all!

Poul Toftemark

Rosburg