The Price of Corruption

My fellow Americans………when we hear these words, we immediately think of rousing speeches from American Presidents past. Some good and some bad, when faced with these words we knew we needed to listen, that our elected National leader had a message of great importance to his public. Lately we cast a blind eye or deaf ear in the general direction of the tube, but do we really even want to hear any more of what these leaders have to say?

Are we, as a society, numb to the point of blatant disregard for what comes from Capitol Hill? Have we become so used to lies and deception from the top levels of government that we know to not take it at face value, or to even give it credence?

This week as the price of fuel reaches record highs on every passing day, a lame duck administration does absolutely nothing to ensure that our working poor have the basic means to be productive members of society. What happens to the service industry when the workers can no longer afford to travel to work? What happens when the working have to choose between food and fuel, or fuel and rent, or eating or paying the electricity bill?

Are we really just going to continue to let the lower classes of society become so much more overwhelmed in debt and despair that they feel they cannot afford to go to work? Are we really to let young mothers and fathers feel like they have to take second jobs and leave their children behind to educate, teach, and protect themselves because our jobs don’t pay enough to make it from week to week?

I actually read a column that a so called financial expert thought the right thing to do would be for the government to increase taxes on fuel to maintain a price point. That way the cost would stabilize at the point where Americans made cutbacks and the coffers of the treasury would fill rather than those of the oil barons. Nice theory, except for the reality part of it all. In reality, many of us are right now making the cuts that cannot be sustained for more than a few weeks. The mid and long term damage of the current economic issue is frightening to many of us at best and destructive at this very level NOW! I personally know several people who will be losing what they have in the near term because they cannot afford the inflation. It’s taking the working poor to the poor house, destitution, and in quick fashion. So, this “expert” makes minimum wage? I really doubt that.

Anyone that does not realize we are in depression already apparently does not shop for groceries. Between the inflated cost increases at the pump, on the utility bill and on groceries, we are in the middle of double digit inflation, with no relief in sight. Costs have risen 20% or more on many items, and 11% overall in just a few months.

It’s time for immediate action, for now and the future…
..more tomorrow!