‘Tis The Season?
The Census Bureau has confirmed the reality of life in the US, i.e. that half of the country is either in or on the verge of poverty. That is reflected by the fact that 47% of the country doesn’t make enough money to owe income taxes.
In a related note the National Association of Realtors is going to be restating their home sales figures for the last couple of years, because the data they were using was ‘fudged’, like everything else associated with the housing market. If half the country is poor, who was responsible for all of the homes sales that they have been reporting?
The number of new claims for unemployment was down this week, but then there are fewer people who have full time jobs and are eligible for unemployment.
In another of his infrequent snark posts, Dr. Cole says that US Congress Abruptly Passes Resolution Against Dogs, and posts a video about a cat in Italy who just inherited €10 million [$16 million US].
Elayne came up with a gift for the hard to please on your list based on the reviews. 😈
Personally, I think Congress is missing an opportunity to help balance the budget. Given their abysmal approval ratings, I think people would pay for an official “Contempt of Congress” citation to hang on their wall, but it must be official and appear in the Congressional Record, not just something outsourced to Asian children and prisoners. They could charge more if you wanted the names of individual Congresscritters included in the citation. They don’t seem to be doing any actual work, so this would be a revenue generator when they were hiding on the floor of their Chamber to avoid the angry constituents in their offices.
2 comments
Fact: I am unemployed, and have been unemployed for about three years. Fact: I am ineligible for unemployment insurance, because for 20 years starting 23 years ago, I was self-employed. Fact: I get hungry just like everyone else.
I am not poor… yet. I have some savings, and I’m living somewhat more modestly now. But I could easily outlive those savings. Easily.
Despite all right-wing claims, poverty is not a relative matter. If you’re poor in the United States, you are either hungry or homeless or both, and believe me, to the hungry and to the homeless, it does not matter that there are even poorer people in other parts of the world. Don’t tell me that poverty in the US is a relative matter, or I might be inclined to impoverish your mouth of teeth.
The fact that America’s government has allowed this situation to come about is utterly deplorable. Over the past 30 years since Saint Reagan was elected, Republican presidents (especially) and Democratic presidents (to a lesser extent, until Obama) have allowed or even caused this decline to take place.
Members of Congress of both parties share responsibility: I noticed today that congressional Democrats retracted their proposal to place a surtax on millionaires, who received the Mother of All Tax Breaks in the Bush Junior presidency. And Ron Wyden (DINO-OR) threw in with Paul Ryan to advocate vouchers for Medicare. So those of us who are young, old, poor or female, and are not wealthy, no longer have any help in Washington.
Fuck ’em all, I say. And I’m not offering to do the job.
You have to spend money to make money – that’s as true today as it has always been. We know what worked before, and it was the polar opposite of what they are doing in Washington.
When they got into ‘trouble’ the Greek debt was 115% of GDP. After several rounds of austerity it is 165% of GDP because the austerity is tanking the economy. That is what it always does – austerity reduces the economy. It is a great way to control inflation, but makes a recession worse.
Economics based on the delusion of a semi-religious cult of austerity is driving us toward the Greater Depression.