I had a retort to Jim's love of his government and all his great work below:
Take a look at this article from Bloomberg.com. In my opinon one of the more interesting priovisions included in the America Recovery and Reinvestmnet Act was the idea of "Buying American". The theory behind it that as our nation recovers from the worst recession in decades, businesses and the like should be using products that are actually made in America.
In theory the idea makes a lot of sense.
In practice, it unfortunately exposes just how much manufacturing the United States does not do. The projects that are ready to roll have to be slowed down because of waiver requests. The waivers are necessary because in certain instances the peice of equipment or part needed is only made in a country outside of the United States.
This of course creates a backlog (temporary as it might be) and of course frustration with our government. I cannot blame folks if they get upset because of these types of delays, for they are ridiculous.
Patience is a true virtue...
Reprinted from: "Cancel Student Loan Debt to Stimulate the Economy" Facebook group by Robert Applebaum"How many times have we heard from our leaders in Washington that education is the key to solving all of our underlying societal problems? The so-called "Silver Bullet." For decades, presidents, senators and members of Congress have touted themselves as champions of education, yet they've done nothing to actually encourage the pursuit of one on an individual level.Some of us have taken advantage of Federal Stafford Loans and other programs, including private loans, to finance higher education, presumably with the understanding that an advanced degree equates with higher earning power in the future. Many of us go into public service after attaining such degrees, something that's also repeatedly proclaimed as something society should encourage. Yet, the debt we've accrued to obtain such degrees has crippled our ability to reap the benefits of our educations, causing many to make the unfortunate choice of leaving public service so as to earn enough money to pay off that debt.Our economy is in the tank. There isn't a reasonable economist alive who doesn't believe that the economy needs stimulating immediately. The only debate now centers on how to go about doing it. While the new stimulus plan contains some worthy provisions, very little of it will have a significant and immediate stimulating effect on the economy. The Obama Administration itself doesn't expect to see an upsurge in the economy until mid-to-late 2010.Instead of funneling billions, if not TRILLIONS of additional dollars to banks, financial institutions, insurance companies and other institutions of greed that are responsible for the current economic crisis, why not allow educated, hardworking, middle-class Americans to get something in return? After all, they're our tax dollars too!Forgiving student loan debt would have an IMMEDIATE stimulating effect on the economy. Responsible people who did nothing other than pursue a higher education would have hundreds, if not thousands of extra dollars per month to spend, fueling the economy NOW. Those extra dollars being pumped into the economy would have a multiplying effect, unlike many of the provisions of the new stimulus package. As a result, tax revenues would go up, the credit markets will unfreeze and jobs will be created. Consumer spending accounts for over two thirds of the entire U.S. economy and in recent months, consumer spending has declined at alarming, unprecedented rates. Therefore, it stands to reason that the fastest way to revive our ailing economy is to do something drastic to get consumers to spend.This proposal would quickly revitalize the housing market, the ailing automobile industry, travel and tourism, durable goods and countless other sectors of the economy because the very people who sustain those sectors will automatically have hundreds or, in some cases, thousands of extra dollars per month to spend. The driving factor in today's economy is fear. Unless and until the middle class feels comfortable enough that they'll have their jobs, health insurance and extra money to spend not only next month, but the month after that, etc., the economy will not, indeed, cannot grow fast enough to stop the hemmorhaging.Let me be clear. This is NOT about a free ride. This is about a new approach to economic stimulus, nothing more. To those who would argue that this proposal would cause the banking system to collapse or make student loans unavailable to future borrowers, please allow me to respond.I am in no way suggesting that the lending institutions who carry such debts on their balance sheets get legislatively shafted by having them wiped from their books. The banks and other financial institutions are going to get their money regardless because, in addition to the $700 TARP bailout, more bailout money is coming their way. This proposal merely suggests that in return for the trillions of dollars that has been and will continue to be handed over to the banks, educated, hardworking Americans who are saddled with student loan debt should get some relief as well, rather than sending those institutions another enormous blank check. Because the banks are being handed Trillions of dollars anyway, there would be no danger of making funds unavailable to future borrowers.To avoid the moral hazard that this plan could potentially create, going forward, the way higher education in this country is financed MUST be reformed. Requiring students to amass enormous debt just to receive an education is an untenable approach, as demonstrated by the ever-growing student loan default rates. Having a loan-based system rather than one based on grants and scholarships or, ideally, public funding, has, over time, begun to have the unintended consequence of discouraging people from seeking higher education at all. That is no way for America to reclaim the mantle of the land of opportunity.A well-educated workforce benefits society as a whole, not just the students who receive a higher education. It is often said that an undergraduate degree today is the equivalent of a high school diploma 30 or 40 years ago. Accepting the premise as true that society does, in fact, place the same value on an undergraduate degree today as it did on a HS diploma 30 or 40 years ago, then what is the rationale for cutting off public funding of education after the 12th grade? It seems to me that there is some dissonance in our values that needs to be reconciled. That, however, cannot come to pass until the millions of us already shackled with student loan debt are freed from the enormous economic burdens we're presently carrying.Many of the vocal nay-sayers who have curiously joined this group seem intent on ignoring the fact that Washington IS going to spend TRILLIONS of dollars, likely in the form of handing blank checks over to more and more banks, as a way of getting the economy under control. Normative assessments of how things should be are fine, but they don't reflect reality.Accepting the premise that Washington WILL spend Trillions of dollars in unprecedented ways (a good portion of which will just be trial and error, since we're in uncharted waters), what is the argument against directly helping middle class people who are struggling, rather than focusing solely on the banks and other financial institutions responsible for crisis to begin with?Further accepting that there is an aggregate amount of outstanding student loan debt totaling approximately $550 Billion, (that's Billion with a B, not a T), one is forced to ask again, what is the objection to helping real people with real hardships when all we're talking about is a relative drop in the bucket as compared with what will be spent to dig us out of this hole?In a perfect world, I share these biases towards personal responsibility and having people pay back what they owe and making good on the commitments they've made. But we don't live in a perfect world and the global economy, not just the U.S. economy, is in a downward spiral, the likes of which NOBODY truly knows how to fix.This proposal will immediately free up money for hardworking, educated Americans, giving them more money in their pockets EVERY MONTH, addressing the very real psychological aspects of the recession as much as the financial ones. Is it the only answer? No, of course not. But could it help millions of hardworking people who struggle every month to get by? Absolutely. Given the current economic climate, as well as the plans to spend trillions of additional dollars that are in the works, one must wonder what is so objectionable about giving a real helping hand to real people with real struggles.2009 and the new Obama Administration is supposed to be about change. Nothing in the new economic stimulus package represents a significant departure from the way Washington has always operated - it's merely a different set of priorities on a higher scale, but it's certainly not materially different from any other economic stimulus package passed during the past few decades.Washington cannot simply print and borrow money to get us out of this crisis. We The People, however, can get this economy moving NOW. All we need is relief from debt that was accrued under the now-false promise that higher education equates with higher earnings.Free us of our obligations to repay our out-of-control student loan debt and WE, the hardworking, middle-class Americans who drive this economy will spend those extra dollars NOW."
-Robert Applebaum
Back in March when the home assistance program was announced I contacted my lender about refinancing. They had set up a web site specifically for this. Great! Technology at work. I filled out a short questionaire to see if I qualified. Lower wages? Check. Underwater mortgage? Check. OK I qualify (unfortunatly). Due to some technical snafu's with the web site it takes a while to speak to someone but I finally get an appointment to speak to a "specialist" today, 4/15.
Now remember, over the past month I have many times heard our president urge us to contact our lenders to get the ball rolling so I assume the lenders and the govt. are ready. Well, they are not.
Today, when I spoke to the lender rep. I was told that there's nothing they can do for at least six weeks as the govt. is in the process of reworking the plan and and they, the lender, will not get all the new info and processes until then. The rep. said someone will call me then. In six weeks. The can't do anything for at least six more weeks.
My lender is one of the big ones you hear about in the news and a major part of the political scene so I don't understand what's going on and I think all parties involved (govt. and lenders) are very confused about this process. I know I am.
Do not live life from fear, littleones (oh my)To take away your home, they might just tryCertainly the blaming gets nothing doneBut by closing your eyes, they'd steal your Sun They have an army and you are but oneSacrificial lamb bled for the chosenYour own integrity is what you riskWhen their salaries met you fleeced, how briskBeing placed next in the bank's line of whimThis life you never put out on a limbTo fight your way back in two recessionsSomehow Three-Card Monty nets them trillions They never do better when the truth gratesAs if the door to Heaven was Bill GatesThose that have so much they give it awayNot to defame one man for all He gaveUncle Sam, for offering solutionsFall not into freedom's disillusionsThe answers don't lie in your camp of yurtsBest not you lose sight of the equal hurtsBut living in true peace apart from greed Not to enforce your will or kind of creedWhile dangers created by divisionInnocent lives will meet in collisionDon't ever change the side of right for mightAs hunger's appeased, others need your lightFind the little lambs who were chosen tooThe ducks in your row that follow true blue Live in life that power of convictionTell the words of our human conditionWritten 04/04/09 copyright ME Wilson
STOP CALLING MARK SANFORD!
Only two days remain before the deadline for SC Governor Mark Sanford to accept 700 million dollars in Federal Stimulus Funds for South Carolina. Over 150 million of that money would be targeted to a state educational system which has already taken over 300 million dollars in budget cuts resulting in slashed college budgets, fewer course selections in our high schools, larger classes and stripped down administrative supervision and guidance counseling when our students and their families struggle with stress.
The world looks at South Carolina as a place gone so wrong It’s unlikely investment, talent or jobs will be coming here if the global economy recovers. Low wages, once SC’s miserable ace in the hole for recruitment can’t beat China and Mexico.
Governor Sanford, who has earned his money in the sweatless shell games of banking and real estate is deaf to the problems of his state. Never having experienced unemployment, he can’t believe a quarter of a million hard working South Carolinians can’t find a job. His biggest problem is trying to sell a 3.5 million dollar beach house on Sullivan’s Island. Fox News has the governor on speed dial.
Sanford dreams of dancing to the White House with Sarah Palin. He’s received hundreds of thousands of phone calls, emails and letters. 75 protested in Charleston on Tuesday. Over 500 in Columbia rallied at the Statehouse a day later. When it’s too late, there will probably be tens of thousands, including PTA soccer Moms who voted Republican and are now watching years of volunteer work and fundraising being burned to the ground. Sanford isn’t going to listen. He thinks he is going to trade his beach house for the White House. Nothing is going to get through to Sanford.
CALL YOUR LEGISLATOR INSTEAD
Call your State Representatives and Senators and tell them this. Sanford doesn’t have to run for reelection. They do. Republicans dominate SC Government and they’ll be held collectively responsible for what happens here. Obama left a large, experienced campaign machine on the ground in SC. Online communication networks, voter databases, personal relationships, experienced volunteers and access to national fundraising sources are all being carefully tuned and oiled for 2010. We have tens of thousands of friends from out of state eager to help and SC exiles around the world, driven from their state by a lack of opportunity, happy to send checks back home. A new generation of young, ambitious candidates are beginning to appear, smart and strong enough to campaign 18 hours a day, on the sidewalks and online.
If the Republicans commit South Carolina to economic decline by slashing education and alienating the Federal Government, which is in the midst of coordinating a massive national recovery program, they’ll pay for it. They may be able to hold the Republican base in the upstate, but they’ll lose ground in the Lowcountry, Midlands and through the “Corridor of Shame.” All the Democrats need is a galvanizing cause to severely compromise the Republican grip on South Carolina.
The Republicans in the Legislature need to control their Republican Governor. If they can’t, many should prepare for an expensive reelection fight.
CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS AND TELL THEM THAT.
Last week, I blogged about a public forum to be held in Ypsilanti, Michigan to discuss the Stimulus Package, called "Where's All That Stimulus Money Going?" The event, sponsored by the OFA Coalition of Congressional Districts 7 & 15, was held last Sunday and was a big success. Below is our press release from the event.
Chris Savage
chrissavage123@sbcglobal.net
Recovery, bailout, stimulus,alternative
In 2009, we sent a rough draft of a proposal called NERP-which stands for National Economic Recovery Proposal to the White House, Federal Reserve and office and others for their opinions, consideration and response that outlines a new and dynamic approach towards solving our country’s financial crisis.
The proposal-(NERP) calls for the United States government “borrowing” the sum (then $265 trillion) now roughly $400 trillion dollars-against the annual / federal $2 trillion dollar revenue / budget for the purpose of redistributing it-(loan) amongst the public, private and governmental sectors-in the forms of non repayable “economic assistance” for recovery, reparations, infrastructure, reorganization and departmentalization. Efforts intended to bring about stability, self reliance, equality and recompense--in social, cultural and economic areas--within our nation’s public, private and governmental sectors.
Roughly these monies would be utilized in the following manner:
$206 trillion dollars in non-repayable / economic assistance and reparations to more than 170 million minority and non-minority / working, unemployed, young, adult, elderly and or retired Americans.
Allocating $18 trillion dollars for education; targeting approximately 97,000 elementary and secondary / public schools for operations, employment, learning and developmental space / expansion.
$18 trillion dollars for improving healthcare-including new / social services and programs; including the construction of 1,500 / new / medical campuses nationwide.
$10 trillion dollars for disaster / relief to victims since 2005.
$10 trillion dollars for natural / environmental conservation; research and development into recycling and energy alternatives.
$27 trillion in federal operations, departmentalization, reorganization and restructuring efforts. And
$47.7 trillion in preliminary and post developmental NERP operations; including governmental transition and oversight.
$62.3 trillion for miscellaneous purpose in connection with, and in lieu of, any unforeseen events, occurrences and or activities as result of, or in connection to, the actions arisen from the NERP proposal / initiative.
An earlier version of NERP was posted to this website-( ) that estimated the US recovery at $265 trillion dollars. The proposal is far from complete; but will be posted in its entirety once we have completed it. For now, we would like to hear your comments.
Committee Meeting
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Call To Order: Order
First order of business, nomination for Secretary
Susan Smith volunteers.
Nomination for President: Kyle Bussey
Vote to adopt Mission Statement. From fax sent to Senator Wyden
Ss: yes
KB: yes
Selection of Lane County Oregon as pilot county to focus on.
KB: moves to send e-mail to Faye Stewart requesting affiliations and committee information. What stimulus money he expects to be handling?
Ss: moves to send e-mail to Bill Dwyer requesting affiliations and committee information. What stimulus money he expects to be handling?
Report on Initial Contacts by KB
We have sent a fax outlining our proposal to Senator Wyden in his DC office care of Jacquelyn Elder.
Attention Jacquelyn Elder
Kyle Bussey
47822 HWY 101
Bandon, Oregon 97411
541 347-3509
Iris@theEYElady.org
Friday, March 20, 2009 I spoke with the DC office about Accountability to the citizens of the United States of America for how the Stimulus funds are being spent. I want to speak with you about the Citizen Oversight Committee system outlined below.
Sen. Ron Wyden (DEM)
District: 0S2 United States Senate 230 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-0001 Phone: (202) 224-5244
Fax: (202) 228-2717
Accountability to the Citizens of the United States of America for how the Stimulus funds are being spent.
The citizens of The United States of America wish to exercise their right to know how the people’s money is being spent. To this end, we request that strict detailed accounting measures be put in place so that we, as a nation, can track and account how the Trillions of the people’s money in the Stimulus Funds of 2008-2009 are being dispersed and ultimately spent. We wish to be able to track and account for the funds as it goes from the Federal Treasury to the States to the County level, to the city level and down through the “Not for Profit”, NGO, Contractor level. The detail of accounting information should include the prices for materials, wage\hour, fees, and be detailed enough to provide a complete break down on every project, how the recipients were chosen, complete access to board/committee correspondence and meeting notes in which the peoples business is being conducted, who had influence in the selection process and what prior business they have had with the granting agencies. This accounting information and grantee database information should be made available and stored in a standardized easily usable format so that any citizen could access and scrutinize the databases from any public library or home computer. I propose the setting up of citizen monitoring committees, which would be organized at the county level, with full access to the data. Saturday, March 20, 2009 my wife and I are having a public meeting to start the process in Bandon, Oregon. (http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gptq7y )
Kyle Bussey & Susan Smith
Watch the new obama movie by clicking here and PLEASE DON'T COMMENT UNTILL YOU'VE WATCHED THE WHOLE MOVIE. Be mature and open minded. Thank you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaQNACwaLw
BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE
How Loyal is the Loyal Opposition?
From this point on I pledge to stop using the terms "conservative" and "Republican" interchangeably. I'm beginning to realize there's a big difference between the two. Conservatives are loyal and well-meaning Americans of good faith who just happen not to share my opinion of what's in the best interest of America. On the other hand, it has become clear that the Republican Party has crossed the line between the loyal opposition, and subversion.
Porches to Sidewalks, as published in the Moultrie News
read and comment at www.moultrienews.com
Mt. Pleasant, SC, USA- Transit progresses East of the Cooper as a changing economy and new Federal policies recognize the twilight of the car.
The automobile continues as our community’s the core symbolic possession. Our area is caricatured as a place small women drive vehicles the size of tanks. You can drive to our High School or Mt. Pleasant Town Hall, but the sidewalks don’t go all the way there. Like voting Republican, driving large vehicles long distances defines life here. Both activities have approximately the same relationship with the future for exactly the same reasons.
February auto sales were down 53 percent at General Motors, 48 percent at Ford Motors, 44 percent at Chrysler, 40 percent at Toyota and 38 percent at Honda compared with February 2008. The total number of vehicles on American roads will decline this year for the first time since WWII, falling by over a million.
Miles driven by Americans has fallen as well, continuing a trend started in 2005. December was the 14th straight month of declining highway travel, a total of 115 billion fewer miles driven since November 2007. For 2008 the number of miles driven dropped 3.6%, almost 108 billion miles less than in 2007, according to the US department of Transportation.
At the same time, Public Transit is booming. That surge didn’t end when gas prices plunged. “More than 2.8 billion trips were taken on public transportation in the third quarter of 2008 -- an increase of 6.5 percent over the third quarter of 2007. This is the largest quarterly increase in public transportation ridership in 25 years” The American Public Transportation Association.
Locally, CARTA had its best year ever, with over 4 million riders, a 20% increase. East Cooper’s fixed routes are booming. Ridership on the #40 increased from 10,569 in January 2008 to 11,883, in January 2009. Express Bus ridership grew from 10,593 to 12,623 in the same period. CARTA system farebox revenue was up 29% last year.
Increasing East Cooper CARTA Ridership brings us to the verge of new possibilities. By adding a third bus to the #40 route, service could be extended to Wando High School and the new Roper Hospital. The extension of Wingo Way through the new waterfront park might allow this route to serve hotels near the bridge more efficiently as well. Many people now believe a fixed route serving the Old Village, Rifle Range Road, the Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island is needed, at least in warm weather, replacing the current Flex Bus on demand service which is at capacity.
Decisions about new routes, stops and changes like this are driven by ridership data. East Cooper’s routes are currently outperforming routes in North Charleston and West Ashley. If we act aggressively through our municipal governments and CARTA board representatives, East Cooper can pull underutilized capacity into our area where full buses prove East Cooper will ride.
Soon GPS linked buses will further improve performance and ridership data collection. It may even be possible to dial your bus stop’s number on your cell phone and see when the next bus is expected. Not merely when it is scheduled, but an ETA generated in real time based on the current location of the bus, its speed and historic route data.
Federal Stimulus funding will allow CARTA to install new bus stop shelters and benches throughout its service area. Now is the time for East Cooper residents to lobby for shelters on their routes.
Federal stimulus funding will enable CARTA to replace part of its aging fleet, purchased after the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Low fuel efficiency and increasing maintenance costs suggest moving these units to the parked reserve fleet would save costs. Last Fall CARTA bought a dozen used buses for about 5 Thousand Dollars each from California which had an average of 250 thousand miles on them. These were put on the road after being refurbished for about 25 thousand dollars each. Several of those units are already running on the East Cooper Express Route, providing extra buses for rush hour when those routes had standing passengers.
New hybrid electric transit buses are often much lower to the ground that CARTA’s legacy fleet of standard diesels. The American made Fisher Coachworks' lightweight hybrid operates with over twice the efficiency of CARTA’s current fleet, while providing a desirable shorter climb on to the bus. However, don’t expect CARTA’s veteran diesels to completely disappear since they’re the only type of bus which can wade through downtown Charleston’s flooded streets while keeping the floor dry.
CARTA has requested that funding previously set aside for the never constructed Futrex monorail system be reallocated for the North Area’s Passenger Intermodal Transportation Center. This shovel ready project in North Charleston would bring together a new Amtrak Station, Greyhound intercity bus service, a regional bus transit hub for CARTA and rural bus transit systems, park and ride facilities and taxi service. This center would also have some service retail such as a pharmacy, convenience store, quick serve restaurants, and dry cleaning. A short, direct bus ride from locations East of the Cooper would bring residents to the intermodal center, connecting them with ground transportation options for the entire region. The proposed commuter rail system linking Charleston and Summerville could also stop there.
There are plenty of people East of the Cooper who have no interest in transit. The Town of Mt. Pleasant’s 30 million dollar request for federal stimulus money focused exclusively on their weary quest for more and wider asphalt to reach the Never Never Land of suburban sprawl development in Awendaw which eagerly awaits the improbable simultaneous return of cheap credit and cheap gas. Perhaps during the next Town election, in November 2009, the rising number of East Cooper Transit Riders will be heard at the polls to reshape our Town Government’s priorities.
CARTA board meeting dates can be found at www.ridecarta.com. East Cooper should act to obtain service, stop infrastructure and connections which will make it competitive using the resources being distributed now.
The Districts 7 & 15 Organizing for America (OFA) Coalition is sponsoring a public forum, this Sunday, March 22nd. Come help us fill the room for our Coalition's first Ypsi/Ann Arbor Community Forum: "Where's All That Stimulus Money Going?"
This is a community forum on on how we can make the Reinvestment Act work for Michigan and our communities! Amid frightening economic times, the Obama Administration's economic recovery plan is beginning to pump large amounts of much-needed investment into our state and region. Help us start making sure it gets spent quickly and well!
Community Forum: "Where's All That Stimulus Money Going?" Sunday evening, March 22nd, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.First Congregational United Church of Christ, 218 N. Adams St, Ypsilanti
There will be presentations on creating jobs, making college affordable and improving schools, reducing foreclosures, real improvements in public transportation, green energy and jobs, and good healthcare for everyone.State Representatives Alma Wheeler Smith and Rebekah Warren will answer questions about how Lansing can help us monitor the dollars. Let's keep the momentum going! For more information and to RSVP HERE. You may also call Tad Wysor at 734-883-3225
Chris Savagechrissavage123@sbcglobal.net
Stimulus Package
First I want to apologize for not knowing my politics. This article is written by a mother of two, the last of the baby boomers era, with the income of the working class poor. I really can not make sense out of this stimulus nonsense. From what I understand, the government wants to give big money to rich people and large corporations and nickel and dime the elderly, disabled, poor and middle class people.
Being one of the American citizens bobbing above poverty, I can tell you from experience that although the $600 dollar check was nice, it really did not change the big picture in any way. I really can't see how the billions, if not trillion, of dollars that the government is handing out is going to do the trick either. By the time it trickles down to a $7.50 increase in my paycheck, I may be able to treat myself to a Starbucks coffee, but it certainly won't cover my health care costs.
I have said from the beginning of the economic downturn, (about five years before the rich even caught on), what we need to do is put price caps and profit margins on everything that should be considered a basic need like food, clothes, housing, health care, transportation, and higher education.
The money mongrels in insurance companies, banks, pharmaceuticals, fuel supplies and universities, are zapping it to the general public in taxes, insurance premiums, deductibles, interest rates and overall profits. Things like pleasure vehicles, vacations, additional homes, fine dining and clothing that are obviously designer fashion items should be the ones taxed, because the people buying them can afford it. Why tax the poor? It only costs the government more in the long run, while increasing profits in pharmaceuticals.
By mandating decreased profit margins, and corporate paychecks, we would not need government handouts to cover the expenses (the term hand outs is loose because the working people will pay in the long run).The only reason we are in this mess in the first place is that the top elitists are too greedy. When human beings can accept $600,000+ bonus checks on top of their exorbitant paychecks, while watching hard working folks loose their homes, going hungry, and dying from lack of medical attention, it is obvious that something is very wrong.
When a billionaire looses millions in the stock mark it is not as devastating as a working class American who looses a year's income from his or her retirement account. It doesn't even come close to the devastation felt when one looses a job, health insurance, a home, transportation and that is after s/he is forced to spend what is left of his or her retirement savings after penalties and taxes just to survive.
Even after we look at the money situation, it is even more unspeakable that human beings can lack values and beliefs, which are for the good of the people, as a whole. We all know that the people who lost their homes are not sleeping well in shelters or on the streets. It is my wish that those people, sitting high on the hog, reaping all the rewards, without an ounce of altruism, never get another good night sleep either.
If you want to know how to stretch a dollar ask a poor person, if want to know how waste or horde your money, ask a rich person.
