On Meet the Press last Sunday David Gregory said, "The national conversation is about spending cuts." Really! I thought it was about deficit reduction, and there's two ways to cut the deficit: spending cuts and/or revenue enhancement. The revenue enhancement part of the equation isn't even being discussed. In fact if Obama hadn't compromised on extending the Bush tax cuts for the rich, there would be no need for spending cuts. This society is in a downward spiral precisely because the only consideration is for spending cuts and spending cuts for social services at that. Where is the talk about cutting the bloated military-industrial complex budget which is greater than all the rest of the world's military budgets combined? Where is the talk about cutting the subsidies to the most profitable corporations in world history - the oil companies - and to agribusiness? Where is the talk about fixing the loopholes that let corporations offshore their money and not pay their fair share of taxes. And it goes on and on. Instead, all the talk is about balancing the budget on the backs of the poor and middle class.
And the situation in Wisconsin is all about breaking the backs of the unions which are the largest contributors to Democratic politicians leaving only the big contributors to Republican politicians still active. Republicans are trying to run the table in such a way that the only money in political races will be Republican money. The Democratic party will have been marginalized. Democrats might as well pack their bags and go home if that happens. Republican governors are engaged in a coordinated attack on unions in an attempt to break them. That's why it's so important for Wisconsin workers to stand their ground. Ohio is next. Governor Walker initiated $137. million in tax breaks for business and then declared that their budget was $137. short and they would have to fix it by breaking the unions. What's more the Wisconsin Republicans just passed a measure making it more difficult to raise taxes. So they cut taxes there by creating a financial crisis and use this as a rationale for cutting public services. It's about time that the American middle class woke up and realized what is happening to them at the hands of Republicans whose only goal is to use government to transfer money from the poor and middle class to the wealthy. There is more inequality in America than there is in Egypt for chrissake.
But back to the national budget. Republicans have done everything in their power to insure that no tax breaks for the rich will be rescinded. They voted down Nancy Pelosi's initiative to close the loophole that lets corporations offdhore their money and not pay taxes on it. They voted down inititaives that would let the government negotiate with pharmaceutical companies in order to bring down the cost of drugs. They voted down the initiative that would provide for a public option in the Health Care Bill that would bring down the cost of health care. In fact the problem is not primarily with spending on government programs; it's the fact that Republicans have systematically eroded the tax base for the last 30 years thereby underfunding government and precipitating this downward spiral that they say can only be reversed by busting unions and balancing the budget on the backs of the poor and middle class.
People are resorting to suicide as the only way out. A letter from a 99er who had his unemployment benefits cut off tells the tragic consequences of unemployment:
To the unemployed, sick, disabled and poor:Hello,
I'm unemployed over two years now, a 99er without any benefits for three months. I followed Unemployed Friends almost from its start, never posted until now, but am grateful for my time with you all. I did as asked with calls and e-mails, etc. I've a confession to make to you all. I'm a criminal.
I've obeyed the 10 commandments and all laws except: I'm unemployed and that's now a crime, I'm poor and that's a crime, I'm worthless surplus population and that's a crime, I'm a main street American Citizen born and raised in the USA and that's now a crime, and I'm euthanizing myself as I write this note -- so arrest my corpse. This isn't a call for help, the deed is done, it's not what I wanted. Death is my best available option. It's not just that my bank account is $4, that I've not eaten in a week, not because hunger pangs are agonizing (I'm a wimp), not because I live in physical and mental anguish, not because the landlady is banging on the door non-stop and I face eviction, not that Congress and President have sent a strong message they no longer help the unemployed. It's because I'm a law abiding though worthless, long-term unemployed older man who is surplus population. Had I used my college education to rip people off and steal from the elderly, poor, disabled and main street Americans I would be wearing different shoes now -- a petty king. Hard work, honesty, loving kindness, charity and mercy, and becoming unemployed and destitute unable to pay your bills are all considered foolishness and high crimes in America now. Whereas stealing and lying and cheating and being greedy to excess and destroying the fabric of America is rewarded and protected -- even making such people petty kings and petty queens among us.
Since the end of 2008, when corporate America began enjoying the resumption of growth, profits have swelled from an annualized pace of $995 billion to the current $1.66 trillion as of the end of September 2010. Over the same period, the number of non-farm jobs counted by the Labor Department has slipped from 13.4 million to 13 million -- there is no recovery for the unemployed and main street. We taxpayers have handed trillions of dollars to the same bank and insurance industry that started our economic disaster with its reckless gambling. We bailed out General Motors. We distributed tax cuts to businesses that were supposed to use this lubrication to expand and hire. For our dollars, we have been rewarded with starvation, homelessness and a plague of fear -- a testament to post-national capitalism.
Twelve years ago, I lost the last of my family. Ten years ago, I lost the love of my life, couldn't even visit him in the hospital because gays have no rights. I fought through and grieved and went on as best I could. Seven years ago, I was diagnosed with Diabetes and Stage 2 high blood pressure with various complications including kidney problems, mild heart failure, Diabetic Retinopathy. These conditions are debilitating and painful. I am on over eight prescribed medications, which is very difficult without insurance and income. But I struggled on and my primary caregiver was very pleased with my effort overtime with my A1C at seven. Still these physical disabilities have progressively worsened, and I have had a harder and harder time functioning in basic ways. All the while, I give thanks to God because I know there are many more worse off than me -- and I tried to help by giving money to charities and smiling at people who looked down and sharing what little I had.
I am college educated and worked 35 years in management, receiving written references and praise from every boss for whom I worked. Yet, after thousands of resumes, applications, e-mails, phone calls, and drop ins, I've failed to get a job even at McDonalds. I've discovered there are three strikes against me -- most 99ers will understand. Strike one -- businesses are not hiring long-term unemployed -- in fact many job ads now underline "the unemployed need not apply." Strike two -- I am almost 60 years old. Employers prefer hiring younger workers who demand less and are better pack mules. Strike three -- for every job opening I've applied, there are over 300 applicants according to each business who allow a follow up call. With the U3 unemployment holding steady at 9.6 percent and U6 at 17 percent for the past 18 months, the chances of me or any 99er landing a job is less than winning the Mega Million Jackpot. On top of that, even the most conservative economists admit unemployment will not start to fall before 2012 and most predict up to seven years of this crap.
I believe the Congress and President have no intention of really aiding the unemployed -- due to various political reasons and their total removal from the suffering of most Americans, their cold-hearted, self-serving natures. Had they really wanted to help us, they could have used unspent stimulus monies or cut foolish costs like the failed wars or foreign aid, and farm subsidies. The unspent stimulus money alone could have taken care of ALL unemployed persons for five years or until the unemployment rate reached 7 percent if Congress and the President really wanted to help us -- and not string us all along with a meager safety net that fails every few months. In any case, if I were to survive homelessness (would be like winning the mega-millions) and with those three strikes against me, in seven more years, I'll be near 70 with the new retirement age at 70 -- now who will hire an old homeless guy out of work for nine years with just a few years until retirement?
So, here I am. Long term unemployed, older man, with chronic health problems, now totally broke, hungry, facing eviction. My landlady should really be an advocate for the unemployed -- she bangs on my door demanding I take action. A phone call and a "please" are not enough for her -- she is angry. She is right to be angry with me, I am unemployed -- as apparently everyone is now angry with us unemployed.
Two hundred and eleven social services cannot help single men. Food banks and other charities are unable to help any more folks -- they are overwhelmed with the poor in this nation. So I have the "freedom" to be homeless and destitute and "pursue happiness" in garbage cans and then die -- yay for America huh? It's the end of November and cold. A diabetic homeless older person will experience amputations in the winter months. So I will be raiding garbage cans for food, as my body literally falls apart, a foot here, a finger there. I have experienced and even worked with pain from my diseases -- hardship I can face. I just cannot muster the courage to slowly die in agony and humiliation in the gutter.
I have no family, I have no friends. For the past two years, I've had nobody to talk with as people who knew me react to the "unemployed" label as if it were leprosy and contagious. I am not a bad person, in fact people really like me. But everyone seems to be on a tight budget these days and living in incredible fear. It is hopeless since we all are hearing more and more that we unemployed are to blame for unemployment, that we are just lazy, that we are no good, that we are sinners, that we are druggies, yet we are the victims who suffer and are punished while the robber baron banksters and tycoons become senators, congress, presidents and petty kings. So the only option left for me is merciful self euthanasia.
It is with a heavy heart that I have set my death in motion, but what I am facing is not living. So off I go, I have made peace with God and placed my burden on Jesus and He forgives me. This nation has become evil to the core, with cold-hearted politicians and tycoons squeezing what little Main Street Americans have left. It is not the America into which I was born -- the land of the free and the home of the brave with kind folks who help neighbors -- it is now land of the Tycoon-haves and the rest of us have-nots who march into hopelessness and despair.
Every unemployed person I have met over these past two years has been saintly. Sharing what little they have, and being charitable -- being kind and patient and supportive. Isn't it amazing that we Americans who suffer so much, have not taken to the streets in violence, riots or gotten out the guillotines and marched on tycoons and Washington in revolt as would happen in most other nations? But rather we plead with deaf politicians to please help us. We don't demand huge sums -- just 300 bucks a week, barely enough to cover housing for most. Most of all we say, please help us get a job, please allow us dignity.
I can't help but juxtapose our plight to the tycoons and politicians. They are never satisfied with their enormous wealth, and always want more millions no matter whom it hurts. They STEAL from pension funds, banks, the people and government, and little Wall Street investors. Then rather than face punishment, they become petty kings in this world. They are disloyal to America, unpatriotic, and serve their own foreign UN-American greedy causes and demand more and more and more. I feel that this is not the nation into which I was born. I was born in America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. America, where people give as much as they receive. America, where all people work for the common good, and try to leave a better and more prosperous nation for the next generation. America, where people help their neighbors and show charity and mercy. This new America is alien to me -- it is an America of greed and corruption and avarice and mean spirited selfishness and hatred of the common good -- it is an America of savage beasts roaring and tearing at the weak, and bullying the humble and peacemakers and poor and those without means to defend themselves. I am not welcome here anymore. I don't belong here anymore. It's as if some evil beast controls government, the economy, and our lives now.
I must go now, my home is someplace else. Goodbye and God bless you all. God bless the unemployed and poor and elderly and disabled. God bless America and the American people except the tycoons and politicians -- may God retain the sins of tycoons and politicians and phony preachers and send them to the Devil.
Mark
Mark is at peace now having chosen death as the best option available to him. Sick, old - but not old enough to collect social security - and destitute, it seems that death is preferable to a homeless life digging through garbage cans.
A favorite subject of attack for the right wing is social security. There is no crisis in social security. All they have to do is to lift the cap - the amount of income on which social security is taxed - and social security would be in the black forever. All this would mean is that the rich would be taxed a little more. Naturally, the Republicans don't want to do it. You have to follow the money in politics. Republicans don't want to extend unemployment for the unfortunate, and they don't want to do anything that would result in the rich paying more taxes. In addition social security payouts could be means tested. Those with ample pensions and wealth shouldn't receive it at all. Naturally, Republicans don't want to take this route either. Finally, the social security trust fund contains $2.5 trillion. That represents Treasury bonds backed by the full faith and credit of the US government. But you'll never hear Republicans mention this either. The only thing they will talk about is that social security payouts will add $45 billion to the deficit this year. That's because the money coming in is less than the money going out. As long as the reverse was true, Republicans were only too glad to pay for their tax breaks for the rich on the backs of the regressive, overcharged social security taxes. Now that the government needs to draw on that $2.5 trillion in the social security trust fund and float more Treasury bonds to refinance it, Republicans are all worried. Give me a break.
The Health Care Act needs to be amended in such a way as to deal with the rising costs of Medicare, but Republicans won't do that either. Democrats tried with the original version. It all depends on whose ox is gored and the Republican ox is the private health insurance companies that are driving up the cost of health insurance and Medicare. A rational system would contain costs as every other country has done. In Germany, by the way, unemployment insurance never ends, and there is free health care during unemployment. Most advanced countries will bend over backwards with assistance in helping the unemployed find a job. After all it's in their best interests to do so since it lowers unemployment payouts and increases incoming taxes. But the logic of this strategy seems to have fallen on deaf ears in the US. US to the unemployed: fend for yourselves.
The military-industrial complex needs to be scaled back to a reasonable level. Hundreds of billions could be potentially saved there. Republicans don't want to consider this either. Finally, the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy need to be ended if Republicans are serious about debt reduction. The downward spiral the US finds itself in is caused primarily by historically low levels of taxation on the wealthy. The country was in much better fiscal shape under Eisenhauer, Nixon and Clinton when taxes on the wealthy were much higher. I don't think the wealthy were suffering then and the economy in general was much more robust.
The continuation on this current path of cutting taxes and then curtailing government programs is resulting in a downward spiral that will turn the US into a third rate nation within a generation or two.
