I am a 51 year female who has been in the work force since I was 15 years old. I've worked in several industries retail clerks union for 9 years, food broker for 9 years and now in Idaho I work with no benefits for $14.00 an hour in the title loan business. I'm finishing my degree in Social Work while working and supporting my 21 year old son though school, so he will have a chance and not have to join the ranks of the educated poor who owe thousands of dollars for their educations, during an economic climate that holds little for the future. I continue in my education so I can stay viable in the work-force as I continue to age and feel the insecurity of not having a 401-k or health insurance. My employer just took away our health insurance because he feels he is paying us above market value. However, this does not preclude him from paying for his living expenses and vacations with company funds which reduce his tax liability. As his expenses have gone up he is looking to cut overhead rather than increase advertising to stay competitive or to reduce the size of the automobile he drives. So this leaves me with a great deal of insecurity for my future retirement, which will not happen until I am 80 if I can stay in the job market. I pay $217.00 a month for a health insurance plan with a $1000.00 deductible, which is mainly catastrophic. My co-worker who has portal vein thrombosis - a blood clot in the liver was denied from plans when the company dropped her. She to only has catastrophic but needs her blood drawn every week and her income is $11.00 an hour. These hourly rates may sound good but when you're paying for medical insurance (not regulated), huge prices in gas and utilities (deregulated) and high cost of food (subsidies) it isn't a lot. I am fortunate I live in a home my son's father inherited, however, most people do not have that benefit and the reason I'm able to support my son through school. So what is right and ethical for an employer- to devalue his workers so he can maintain his current spending patterns and spend more? I would love to save for my retirement and I did when I had a 401-K but I put it into stocks and my $7000.00 became, now, $2000.00. I had a stock broker who when I told him to cash out and put it into money market told me to hold, the year President Bush was elected.