The author of this article has obviously not almost gone bankrupt renting a few houses to people on Section 8 and other forms of welfare. We bought four houses about seven years ago, fixed them up nicely, and rented them to low-income families. That was the biggest mistake we have ever made. We were able to get out from under two of the houses and break even on them, but we lost thousands on the last two, especially the one where someone broke into the house after we evicted the tenant and stole all of the water pipes, resulting in almost $2000 in water bills and more than $20,000 in damages.

Welfare tenants have no respect for other people's property. They do things like write phone messages in permanent marker on walls and doors, kick doors open instead of turning door knobs, and destroy appliances and fixtures. When they are relocated because the conditions in the home are suddenly "substandard" and not up to welfare agency requirements, the landlord is stuck making thousands of dollars worth of repairs while the tenants move on to mess up some other landlord's life. My husband and I are not rich. We are middle-class people who thought we could make a living and provide decent living conditions to the poor by renting houses. We were very wrong.

If I had my way, the perpetual welfare cases would have to surrender their children to authorities until they could prove that they could take care of themselves. I don't have a problem with subsidizing day care so that someone can survive on a minimum wage job, but I do have a problem with giving people handouts. People don't appreciate things that they don't have to work for. Quit giving handouts to lazy people and make them do something--anything!--to earn what they are given. Even picking up cigarette butts on the streets would be something.

Great Job LA

I'm afraid the US will have to go through the total destruction that took place in Europe in the 1940's to rebuild the kind of compastionate system that we see in Europe today. The total greed seen in the health care industry in this country is deplorable. Then there is Wall Street and the Banking Business. Their greed has created problems that they now expect government to bail them out (talk about welfare). Men like Dr Evil and the other Republican powers that be try to keep the statis quo by instilling fear in the ignorant masses. The only reason there is any welfare of any kind in this country is because if you let men starve they would more than likely revolt like the French Revolution and that would be bad for the powers that be.

I say we vote out every emcumbant in office and start with a clean slate and throw the lobbyist out of Washington, as long as our government is working for the special interests they will never do what is right for the people and America. We have the power as voters if we would only go to the poles and vote them all out. It's time to take America back from the special interest cronies running this country into the ground. I'm afraid that if we don't do it soon there will be no America as we know it left to save. GET OUT AND VOTE ALL ENCUMBANTS OUT OF OFFICE!!!!!

Right on LA . Americans can not handle the truth . When I moved to europe I believe all that US propaganda of them being socialist . Now I would never return to the US which I now consider worse then a prison. Many Americans are brainwashed by corporate propaganda. I feel sorry for my fellow Americans who live in an economic prison but don't know it. The US is a horrible place to live. Many of you Americans are to stupid and brainwashed to know the truth.

First thing we need to do is impose term limits on Congress. Two terms, then get out. Force them to live in a dorm with armed guards, so that they can't be hanging out and going to Aspen with lobbyists. This will help get rid of the life-long congress-people, and limit their corruptability.

Second, we need to rid ourselves of income tax, across the board. Instead, we raise sales tax to a higher percentage on consumer goods (15%-20%?). This would actually stimulate the economy, create more jobs, and rid us of the big government. To me, people would be more willing to spend more money if they had more in their pockets at the start. ( That was the idea behind the stimulus plan, no?) Let the states and fed divide the sales tax among themselves. It would make people feel that we are GIVING you our tax dollars rather than you TAKING it from us.

After spending 30 years in human services, this is exactly where we are! I am a single parent, cancer survivor, and worked very hard my entire life. When I have worked so hard to pay off my entire mortage, pay my way through graduate school twice, why am I paying for other people's mortages. We are now living in an era void of accountabilty.

Johanna

It is interesting that everyone says the "rich" pay 90 percent of taxes.  What they are taking about is only Federal income taxes.  Federal income tax is  not the only taxes the average american family pays.  What about the  15.3 percent Social security taxes, sales taxes, state taxes, property taxes, license taxes ect.  It is simply a big lie that the rich pay all the taxes.   What is the percentage of taxes paid as a percentate of total income that the lets say top 2 percent pay.    It can also be stated that the rich do live bigger and  enjoy a larger potion of the benifits of living in America.  dont be brianwashed.

And what about the Enrons, Quest's. Ted Bridge to Nowhere, Olmert, etc,etc--thousands put out of work, pensions wiped out after 10/20.30 years of excellent work, insiders selling off "at the High" and 4-1K employees loosing at least 20% in six months???? You whiners!!!!! Get up and go to work!!!! Quit smoking, Quip buying lottery tickets-----Save that money instead= give up something that does'nt pay you back=====

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Addressing the Banking Welfare State and the economic support from the Federal Reserve.

Todd Harrison,

In terms of the Fed executing the right monetary policy in times of crisis is key to the world's most dominant and intergral economy.  Think of the psychologic effect if the mighty US had a run on the financial system because some idiot planted a false rumour that exacerbated peoples' feeling of well being.  

Well, cooler heads prevailed and certain US officials made a few correct moves that helped stabilize markets.  Markets generally lead peoples' expectations of the future, however at times misinterpretation clouds the judgement of some of our best investors, traders and market technicians.

Markets also function much better with less friction, lower taxes, reasonable regulatory requirements and better information.  Improving the above policies would provide a more vibrant marketplace which in turn creates a healthier more prosperous nation.

Wayne Dolly

P.S. Does your family have any relation to the late President Harrison?  I went to High School with a Darlene Harrison from Streetsville which is part of the City of Mississauga, Ontario in Canada.

Extremely well written! Succint yet a complete description of why America is returning to the Gilded Age with a long stop over in the Great Depression. But then again, what can one expect when the population listens to, a elects practicioners of, Republican socialism for 35 years?

Excellent. well thought article. Run away laissez faire capitalisim. the utter contempt of  the rich for the poor, and blatant corporate socialisim. Forget the ever shrinking middle class, all they do is "whine" - (Lindsay Graham).

I am a member of the endangered middle class. I no longer believe my government; I certainly don't trust the President or the Justice department, with all those politically agreeable hirings, and the constant propaganda of deceit and misdirection. I sure don't trust any corporations either. As a matter of fact, I have been screwed so often by my government, that I will vote AGAINST any Republican, just for that reason.

My fellow Americans, it is time to embrace real issues, not that distracting bull about  homosexuals getting married. Let's bring back a little bit of compassion and fairness to our government. Give some help to the poor middle class. Feed the poor. Provide some kind of Health Protection so a mother does not have to choose between critical medical care or food. The "safety net' doesn't work. It's time to get America back on track.