How's that stimulus working out for you?

So you've lost your job. You struggle to find another job, resisting signing up for government assistance because your a little too proud. But, finally, to make ends meet, you bite the bullet and sign up. After standing in long lines, dealing with filling out forms in triplicate, you finally start to receive your benefits. Now, you're still struggling month to month, but with the help from unemployment and food stamps that you yourself have spent most of your life paying into, you finally can almost make ends meet.

Then along comes the stimulus package. Not read in entirety by anyone, passed in a matter of hours, and full of enough pork to feed everyone in the US BBQ, you now loose part of your benefits. Sound extreme? Read this and decide for yourself.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g9pNvSzDPSHoozyfN-vY-YbnPItgD98QVC100

So, the stimulus package that was supposed to help is now hurting unemployed individuals. It's now limiting the amount of government assistance that they receive because a small provision stating that the stimulus should not be used in calculating unemployment benefits was not included. Along the same lines as the fact that the tax code has not been adjusted to account for the additional $13/week that we all now "get" from the federal government. So why isn't this at the top of the list to put into law and adjust the tax code before the end of the year? My guess is that it doesn't matter near as much as the shoddy health care plan that POTUS wants to get passed. Health care....Do we really need the government to intervene in that area as well. Let's look at the government run services.

Post Office- Currently running with a major deficit ($2B lost during the last fiscal year) and discussing cutting back on delivery days and service. By the way, FedEx still runs six days a week.

DMV- Do I really need to state the obvious.

Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid- Each are on the verge of extinction and very few people younger than 40 believe that any of these programs will be around to help them when they retire.

Welfare- Let's see, a program that provides people with the means to not work, have kids, and receive a check. And we wonder why the level of work ethic within the US drops considerably year after year.

And the last point to keep in mind. Unemployment and food stamps are constantly evaluated by the government, but housing is only evaluated when the lease is renewed. Just wonder how many individuals are going to be kicked out of low income housing because they are no longer eligible.

Please support your local Humane Society

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/dog-alerts-local-family-to-fire-dies-in-blaze-159051.html

There are some that are going to blame the family for the passing of the dog, but I know from personal experience, there is no way that they would willingly allow the dog to head back into the house. In a state of chaos, sometimes is it not possible to control the situation that is happening right in front of you. A friend, (I say that based on the role that my dogs play in my life), that is willing to save you and then make sure that everyone is safe by going back into the house should not be mocked and disgraced because someone wants to talk about smoke alarms and leashes (please read the comments). Dogs have unconditional love. Why else would a dog that has been mistreated, starved, and beaten still be the reason why a family is alive today? Dogs don't hold grudges. Dogs don't know hate. Dogs provide love even when love isn't provided in return. Humans could learn a lot from paying a little more attention to our four legged friends.

Rest in Peace Jeter and God, family, and community be with the family and support them through this hardship. If only a few members of what we call humanity could learn from the level of sacrifice that an "animal" is willing to provide to his family, maybe some of the family issues that are becoming more and more common would start to slow and help us to build a more respectful, responsible society.



Moss family, please take care and know that our prayers are with you.

Poker, Bad. No money for you!

So the Government is now going through your bank accounts and freezing any funds that are received from playing online poker. There is currently no legislation on the books stating that playing online poker is illegal. A company cannot exist in the US and cannot operate, but it is not illegal to play.

But, now it has been decided that if you play poker you are taking part in money laundering. The government says that these funds "are subject to seizure and forfeiture 'because they constitute property involved in money laundering transactions and illegal gambling offenses'". And they are using their newest acquisitions, the banking industry, and the fear that fell with saying no to the government to make this happen.

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=7808131

So next it's anything that you win in Vegas, Shreveport, or any casino because it's bad for you. After that......

It appears that even some in Hollywood are getting fed-up.

Stimulus Money for MT going to CA??

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/06/09/news/state/21-stimproject.txt

So what we have here is a redirection of funds that penalizes local businesses that could help the local economy and provides benefits to a company that is based in the most socialist state within the union. Sound fair? Well life isn't fair. According to BHO, it should be though.

You have to check these out.

It's a great blog that has some great creations.

http://leevandenbrink.blogspot.com/


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Bitter Much?

Don't try and tell me that she is not a bitter woman. I'm married and I know that look. I'm in trouble if I get that look. And she is giving it to the first woman of France in public. Can't even fake it through the D-Day speeches? Don't even remember seeing pictures of Jackie O looking at Marilyn that way.