• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, November 14, 2005

According to a recent BIGresearch survey which asked people for a verbatim response to "issues that are on their minds," consumers definitely have a lot to say.

Joe Pilotta, VP of Research at BIGresearch, noted that "A general uncertainty seems to be growing among the majority of consumers who are attempting to come to grips with a multitude of uncontrollable events ranging from terrorist's threats, the war in Iraq, natural disasters, the direction of the country, job losses, the rising cost of products, energy, and interest rates."

Over 8,900 consumer responses were clustered into similar content and summarized in the report. This is the general concensus of "what's on my mind."

Some of the key responses are:

• I don t know how people on fixed income or living paycheck-to-paycheck are going to keep their heads above water.
• What will happen to all these people with adjustable rate mortgages that can not afford for their payment to go up?
• We cannot continue to be the world police and leave our own people to suffer.
• There is too much financial instability right now with the effects of these major hurricanes on the U.S. economy.
• Tired of the political bashing. Everything from the economy to natural disasters. People are placing blame depending on the political party they are associated with.
• The price of housing is excluding young families and seniors from owning homes and beginning to concentrate home ownership in the hands of landlords and the wealthy. The American Dream is in grave danger.
• When is the country going to act like a country that is at war?
• Our judges are trying to change what our constitution says by using their power to change laws. Which is not their job.
• With the economy the way it is, gas prices out the roof and grocery prices outrageous, it's getting very hard to get by!
• The world wide oil reserves are about to peak and we have no viable alternatives.
• The ready willingness of the media to present everything as if it is either the fault of the United States or the fault of our President.
• I am very concerned with the state of world affairs and the high number of natural disasters in recent months.
• Terrorist threats being made and carried out in the US. And the upcoming possible outbreak of Avian Flu world wide.
• Gas prices, homeland security, and lack of morality in our country and the world.
• Border security and our nations security... taking care of the US citizens needs instead of taking care of the world.
• All the recent tragedies that have been occurring world wide.

"Uncertainty about the future in this holiday climate of giving creates a paradox of self sacrifice; consumers told us in this survey that they will be spending less for themselves and co-workers while spending more on family and friends." said Pilotta.

For more on this study, go to BIGresearch.