I've had the TV on too much the last few days - something I wasn't going to do. Whatever need I had by my voyeurism into the entertainment world's coverage of Michael Jackson's death has been filled apparently as I am tuned back to the real world. Or is it? I have heard a few vague reports that California is bankrupt and the government will be absorbing that burden in addition to the badly run financial institutions and auto makers mistakes. My understanding is that the U.S. government is broke - borrowing and/or printing money to continue functioning. So how do we bail out California, an economy which I recently read is equivalent to 1/7 of the WORLD's economy?
I mean, if I were a conspiracy theorist, I would almost think that Michael Jackson had been killed to cover up the disaster of the California situation and subsequent moves of government to straighten them out. To keep us shut up - we will start howling if we truly could see how serious a mess our country is in. How crazy would that sound - yet, we sit in front of the TV - at least I do trying to analyze the Jackson family dynamics while California symbolically slips into the Pacific.
There are dire predictions for America stating that the economic ramifications of California's mess will hit us this month. Unofficial unemployment counts are up to 13%! Our health care bill - well who has heard the details? I for one would like to know what I'm looking at! But I can't find any specifics, only conjectures and proposals and statements that the "details" will be worked out later. One reference I looked at stated that Americans could be looking at as much as $600 billion more dollars in taxes. So those who are lucky enough to still have jobs when this is passed will shoulder the costs? Why can't we vote on the bill when completed complete with details - what's the hurry? There are so many questions and so few answers.
The war, at least one of them is ending, so what are we going to do with our soldiers coming home to 13% unemployment? Many will have incredible medical needs - our health care system (which is evolving into something where only the very wealthy can afford good care) is tumbling like a twin tower. The injuries from this war are worse than any before, can we properly take care of returning soldiers? Where's the news on that?
As we go into the "4th" to celebrate our country's independence, we are looking at a country that has evolved into an entity far from what our forefathers envisioned, and fought for and died for. We no longer get any "real news" from the press. Truthfully Michael Jackson's death, Farrah Fawcett's death, and 90% of everything soaking up the airwaves is not going to affect my quality of life, not really, but what is not being reported on the matters I wonder about will most likely affect my quality of life.
I agree the medical system needs overhauled, but when we have huge greed driven mega corporations, including and especially the pharmaceutical companies I don't see the outcomes being much different - we keep shouldering heavier tax burdens as ordinary citizens, while services and goods become more substandard, where our retirement savings can be and has been stolen and we're just supposed to keep smiling. We accept thousands of immigrants with open arms (if unofficially) and our own citizens' homeless and jobless status increases. The number of people who beg in our streets in our town has exploded.
And it's not one man's fault as people who can't remember the last few decades of U.S. history complain about "the mess Obama has got us in." This kind of stuff doesn't happen overnight.
Feeding my family, keeping a roof over my head, adequate medical care when I need it, power to get to the store and doctors, a job if I can work - these things I need. I can live without the TV, our house has enough books to read for the next 50 years at which time it won't matter anyway. These things affect my life.
I wonder, is this a wake up call to Americans on this fourth of July? A wakeup to a country that has lost its identity or will we just keep sliding away into a dream of what once was? What will happen to our children and grandchildren?
If the prediction of $600 billion in new taxes and double taxing those of us who do have health care come true, then we can truly know that politicians will say anything to get into office and we can't believe a word!
We go into this independence holiday with way too many questions unanswered.
In the meantime, if I had a grill, I would grill some hotdogs. OD'ing on hot dogs sounds like a good short term solution to the part of my mind that is still messed up. I can make a chocolate cake with orange frosting and potatoe salad. But what would I do with it? Naw I would just eat it all. "H" will be working - I will be alone. Maybe I will just clean up the house and go to the beach and try not to worry....today is only Friday and I've tried to "do business" but "business" is closed down for tomorrow's holiday. I forget not being in the 9-5 world anymore.
3 comments:
I find it so ironic that the state of Calif. is handing out IOUs when it is the residence of some of the wealthiest people in the world and home to one of the biggest money-making industries in the world. WTF?
I wonder if being #1 for having the most illegal immigrants of any state has anything to do with it. (2000 census) That's a lot of services needed!
This website has some statistics they quoted from the LA Times.
http://theuniversalseduction.com/articles/why-is-california-broke
If you lived in california, you would know that it spends approximatley 5 billion dollars a year on ilegals. We used to be swamped in the e.r. with them. People in this country think you can't get health care well guess what? all hospitals have the obligation to take care of peole in the emergancy room if it is life threatening.we also did indigent care, this is in an area right outside of santa ana, ca. home to the largest poplulation of spanish speaking people outside of mexico city. you have no idea how many people come up from mexico and use their relatives' medi-cal cards...no one asks for proof, no one cares and the taxpayers are now paying 9.25% sales tax.trauma centers are closing by the dozens because of this, no wonder they are broke. well that's only one reason of many bad, bad decisions that are made there and moron voters keep voting the same old tax and spend fools into office. the only good thing they ever did was impeach gray davis and throw him out. people should do that a lot more often. rantrantrant :o)
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