Are you better off than you were 4 years ago? We seek the answer

It is a question that continues to come up on the political front: Are we better off than we were 4 years ago? 

 

Political spin aside, because both Democrats and Republicans have their answer to that question, I wanted to find the personal answer to that question.

 

At the beach I found Dharmesh Patel with his kids. For Dharmesh, things just haven't changed a great deal. 

 

Dharmesh works a local hospital and although he has noticed business has slowed a bit, it's not that bad. 

 

He says the only thing that he really notices that affects him are gas prices. 

 

"Gas prices were a lot less so it was a lot better. So I was saving a lot more money at the time. Now, it's up to 4 dollars a gallon so you are spending a lot more on gas."

 

At a park in South Tampa, I ran into David Zalich and his wife Stephanie and their two-year-old son Cayden. 

 

David would mention the price of gas and groceries as to why things are much worse for his family, but it would run much deeper than that. 

 

David told me within the space of two weeks two years ago both he and Stephanie lost their jobs. David has since found another but Stephanie is still only working part time. 

 

"It's just really tough right now," David said. "Trying to save our education money for Cayden, and looking at growing our family and having another child."

 

Ruth Daley was sitting out just off the Causeway with a friend enjoying the day. She would say things are better for her than they were 4 years ago. 

 

Ruth, who is a teacher, spent time furthering her education in order to help her make the move from the classroom to education management. 

 

They are 3 very real answers to a question used to further a political agenda on both sides. But it is a question most of us will likely ask and then answer when we vote in November.