A Jubilee for the Gulf Coast
Roasted Tomatoes celebrated the deliverance of Israelite and Mormon refugees by flocks of quails that supplemented their meager diets. That reminded me of the sad state of affairs at the Gulf coast where many people are still living in tents.
I am concerned that poor, working, and even middle class Americans at the Gulf coast are getting screwed. While corporations such as Halliburton capture multi-billion dollar no-bid contracts, people cannot meet their obligations to their creditors. That means that they will loose their properties to mortgage banks.
According to All Things Considered many Gulf coast victims have resigned themselves that they will not be able to recover. They lost their homes and their jobs.
In Biloxi, apparently, the casinos are not even preserving seniority for rehired staff. How is a fifty year old woman going to make ends meet with entry level wages after a year of unemployment?
In this day and age where information empowers us to be everyone's neighbor, we shouldn't rely on God or happenstance to make things right. We can make it right for people who are down. The American people have already donated unprecedented amounts to emergency relief. Now we need to demand rules and conditions that allow our Gulf coast neighbors to get back on their feet.
Here is an idea: lets have a jubilee or a Sabbath year for the Gulf coast. Zero interest on mortgages for one year for everyone devastated by the hurricanes. No payments on the principle for one year and debt forgiveness for the working poor.
The people at the Gulf coast deserve a new start. We can give them that. No reason to wait for divine intervention.
I am concerned that poor, working, and even middle class Americans at the Gulf coast are getting screwed. While corporations such as Halliburton capture multi-billion dollar no-bid contracts, people cannot meet their obligations to their creditors. That means that they will loose their properties to mortgage banks.
According to All Things Considered many Gulf coast victims have resigned themselves that they will not be able to recover. They lost their homes and their jobs.
In Biloxi, apparently, the casinos are not even preserving seniority for rehired staff. How is a fifty year old woman going to make ends meet with entry level wages after a year of unemployment?
In this day and age where information empowers us to be everyone's neighbor, we shouldn't rely on God or happenstance to make things right. We can make it right for people who are down. The American people have already donated unprecedented amounts to emergency relief. Now we need to demand rules and conditions that allow our Gulf coast neighbors to get back on their feet.
Here is an idea: lets have a jubilee or a Sabbath year for the Gulf coast. Zero interest on mortgages for one year for everyone devastated by the hurricanes. No payments on the principle for one year and debt forgiveness for the working poor.
The people at the Gulf coast deserve a new start. We can give them that. No reason to wait for divine intervention.
posted by Hellmut at 09:33
1 Comments:
I fully agree, Hellmut.
That's why I have donated money to several charities, opened my home to refugees, and spent many many hours of hard labor actually in New Orleans working with my own two hands to do what some of the most desperate people (the old, poor, and handicapped) could not afford to have done for themselves.
I am mormon, but the people I assisted through donations and hard work were not. Not one.
The way I see it, you can sit on your ass and bitch on your blog about how the poor people are getting screwed, and you would be right about that.
Or you could still be right, get off your ass and actually DO something to help them, something besides promulgating idealistic social reforms that, while good ideas, would never be passed by either of the self-serving parties in this country, neither of which GIVE A SHIT for the poor.
But both feign plenty of concern and make plenty of big promises, just like you do here on your blog. It sure sounds nice, Hellmut.
But unfortunately, your pontificating won't help these people. So quit bitching about it, quit thinking that people in this country (except a select few) actually really care about these people, and GET OFF YOUR ASS TO HELP!!!
After all, no reason to wait for divine intervention. You and I have two perfectly good hands. I've blistered mine. You?
Post a Comment
<< Home