2008 Woodie Awards
The time for change has come without much time to spare
By: Sean Lutzmann
Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: Forum
A poll taken last week by The New York Times suggested that 81 percent of Americans believe that the U.S. is on the wrong track.
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said on the Senate floor Monday that he was "shocked" to see such a statistic. I was also shocked, but only because I couldn't figure out who the 19 percent are who think we're on the right track.
I knew the Bush family was big, but I didn't think it was almost a quarter of the population.
A lot of this statistic has to do with our country's economy. After seven years of Bushonomics (really just Reaganomics only a lot more corporate welfare and oodles more incompetence) it has finally declined into an all-but-certain recession.
There are many problems, from the housing market to oil prices, a weak dollar, a trade deficit growing out of control (something a weak dollar is supposed to be fixing, but don't hold your breath), cost of food increases and, of course, the massive gang war in Iraq.
Not to mention the thousands of families dealing with either deployed, deceased or wounded service members from across the nation.
It's a little eerie to look at a couple of the similarities between our current predicament and the challenge we faced during the Great Depression.
Now I'm not saying we're at the point of breadlines or anything like that - although the Congressional Budget Office expects 28 million Americans to go on food stamps this year, the most in the program's history (and most of the recent increases are coming from states not impacted by Hurricane Katrina).
But if you look at one of the core reasons behind the economic slump - the mortgage crisis - you get a strange feeling of déjà vu.
That's why it's good to see the two Democratic candidates taking a proactive stance.
They've promised to have better regulations on lenders and set up programs to assist those whose houses are now worth less than their debts avoid foreclosure.
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said on the Senate floor Monday that he was "shocked" to see such a statistic. I was also shocked, but only because I couldn't figure out who the 19 percent are who think we're on the right track.
I knew the Bush family was big, but I didn't think it was almost a quarter of the population.
A lot of this statistic has to do with our country's economy. After seven years of Bushonomics (really just Reaganomics only a lot more corporate welfare and oodles more incompetence) it has finally declined into an all-but-certain recession.
There are many problems, from the housing market to oil prices, a weak dollar, a trade deficit growing out of control (something a weak dollar is supposed to be fixing, but don't hold your breath), cost of food increases and, of course, the massive gang war in Iraq.
Not to mention the thousands of families dealing with either deployed, deceased or wounded service members from across the nation.
It's a little eerie to look at a couple of the similarities between our current predicament and the challenge we faced during the Great Depression.
Now I'm not saying we're at the point of breadlines or anything like that - although the Congressional Budget Office expects 28 million Americans to go on food stamps this year, the most in the program's history (and most of the recent increases are coming from states not impacted by Hurricane Katrina).
But if you look at one of the core reasons behind the economic slump - the mortgage crisis - you get a strange feeling of déjà vu.
That's why it's good to see the two Democratic candidates taking a proactive stance.
They've promised to have better regulations on lenders and set up programs to assist those whose houses are now worth less than their debts avoid foreclosure.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
jeff martin
posted 4/09/08 @ 4:36 PM EST
Sean, people's houses aren't being foreclosed because of declining value. They are failing to make the payments. Either because they borrowed too much money or have lost their source of income. (Continued…)
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