Centrist Democrats or Independent

I live in "Appalachia" (rural western North Carolina) and can tell you things here are bad; they've been bad for years. Last week I read that our area is at 12% unemployment. Industrial plants have been closing their doors at a frightening rate for over a year now. I have seen the same "for sale" signs in front of several houses for over 18 months and driving from my home to "town", there are multiple "for sale--forclosure" signs in front of homes. We're not talking McMansions--we're talking about modest little homes that are listing under 75k.

One thing that did frighten me some last month was taking my son shopping in a neighboring county. It was obvious that the stores were not buying new stock. One store actually removed several aisles from the store! My husband does a lot of the grocery shopping and I have discovered that our local grocery store is selling products that are expired. I mean canned goods and boxed items that the expiration date doesn't mean the product will kill you, but still. I managed to buy a pack of tic tacs from them last week that had expired last November.

In recent years, our county has been #1 in the state for the production of crystal meth. I can see how desperate people might turn to something like that here; there isn't much hope. My son recently began a job at a convenience store in town, working the weekend shift all alone (he's 18). I am so scared one of those desperate people is going to come in and rob them.

Infrastructure? Sure would be nice if the "stimulous" bill would include $$ for the state to repair/replace some of our bridges. We have more crumbling bridges in our county than adequate ones. A community was recently cut off recently when a bridge collapsed under the weight of a single car--haven't heard any plans to fix it yet. We also have one-lane bridges on several roads that are a terrible hazard to drivers unfamiliar with the area.

Another neighboring county ran out of unemployment funds last month. I heard yesterday that the state has asked for a federal loan to pay unemployment claims.

Our communities' economies are very much dependend on the auto industry and textile industry. My husband lost his job in December and hasn't had any luck finding a new one. He's got a degree and over 20 years experience in his field. The textile plants started moving their operations to Mexico and overseas several years ago. The auto-related industries began failing  about 5 years ago and now they're dropping like flies.

Our schools.....well, I must stay it's aggravating to see the "laptop for every child" program that provides technology to children in other countries. Not that I don't think it's a wonderful idea and ALL children deserve a chance at an education. Our schools use out of date text books and are struggling to get the equipment and resources that would provide a 21st century education. My eldest is a senior in high school and in the top 10 in his class. He has been discouraged by seeing the differences between his education and that of others he has been competing with for college. While there are many of us here who have children who appreciate their education and are supportive and involved, we are outnumbered by the children and parents who seem to have no hope and have just "given up". There seems to be the attitude that there is no way out, so why bother trying? 

Even our medical services are going downhill. Late last year, the only obstetrical doctors in our county decided to quit delivering babies at the only hospital in our county. Then, last month, our local health department announced they will no longer be providing prenatal care. I fear for the pregnant mothers and children. I doubt that many of them can afford the trip to neighboring counties for care.  

Our county is what's known as an "electing county" as it relates to public assistance. This means that they can set their own qualifying guidelines for things like welfare and food stamps. The income caps are so low that many who would be getting some help if they lived in another county cannot get it here. It's not surprising to me that the Social Services office here is most often patronized by the cliche' "welfare mother". You can't get help as a married couple with children--no drugs--hit a rough patch and just need a leg up to get you through. We don't qualify for a thing even though our house payment is now 90% of our "income" (unemployment). There was a chance we might qualify for the assistance for heating fuel because I'm medically disabled (but not entitled to benefits because I was 38 when dx'ed and still raising my kids--not enough recent work credits). Anyway, we didn't qualify for the fuel assitance; I'm not sure the $2.38 (yes:  two dollars and thirty eight cents) we would have been given for the entire winter season would have helped much.

I think a lot of us here haven't noticed much of a difference until recently. When the marked took such a huge dive last fall and many were losing thousands in retirement and investments, most of us didn't feel a thing in th pocketbook. Things have been tough here for much longer; we're used to it. Most people here are just looking to survive. Retirement funds and investing are just not on a lot of people's radar.

Why do we live here? There are lots of reasons:  my husband was born and raised here, his family is here, we have a wonderful church family and friends, there are lots of good people here struggling along with us, the cost of living IS much less than elsewhere, we don't want to uproot our children and cause them any more stress than they're already going through, and--warts and all--we LIKE it here. Small town living is just right for us. (I moved here from Metro Denver, CO twenty years ago). Life is a struggle. I'm sure if we lived elsewhere there'd still be plenty of struggling.

I think what you can take from the news program (I hadn't seen any promos about it but will try to watch it) is perhaps a lesson in how to prepare for what Appalachia has been living with for a long time. When I see ABC Good Morning America doing a story on a couple who they call victims of the economic downturn (let's just call it a severe recession, people!) when their now 90k income won't let them get their Starbuck's every morning, pay for their nightly dinners out, or--horror of horrors--can't pay their personal trainer any more, I worry that there are a lot of people out there that are going to be completely  devastated as the economic cancer metastacizes. And, you know what? My cancer center finished renovations several months ago (largely cosmetic, but some new radiation equipment was added) and my cancer hasn't cared a bit. I don't think PORK in the manner of prettying up city halls and greenways is going to matter much to the financial cancer either. Just like cancer, talk of prevention doesn't help much when you've already got it. Knowing the causes is helpful, but CURING it is required. Everybody has an opinion but most of us can agree that putting on a new dress and lipstick isn't going to make our cancer go away just as the same will not cure the country's financial ills.

Just my 2 cents (or should that be adjusted to .00875 cents? LOL!)

(((HUGS)))
Diane

Well Laura just demostrated to us once again that it is always easy to criticize but what do you do if your guy is in power and things are falling apart ? You continue bashing previous administration trying to distract form the current problems. The so called positive Obama thread is filling up with anti-Bush posts as they are running out of postive things to say about Obama administration that still does not have a full cabinet .

Obama is creating doom and gloom instead of trying to inspire Americans with hopeful messages, This is a pure political play of making people so afraid and miserable that any improvement would be considered as a miracle.

here is an intersting article which argues that this recession is not any worse that 70s and 80s and that one of the major differences is our "President talking the economy down"

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Why-This-Recession-Seems-cnbc-14354968.html

 Can I say something positive about Obama here

We are not going to Afghanistan to "fix" their country , we are going there to make sure that Tailban and Al Quieda are not coming back. I would rather have a war on the foreign soil then in our cities. Let's face forit  all his faults Bush has one indisputable accomplishment: no terrorist strikes on US soil since 9/11. I am hoping and praying that Obama will be able to maintain this.

Actually, I thought Obama stated all along that he planned to pull out of Iraq and send the troops to Afghanistan.  That is what he said during the campaign.  Afghanistan is not considered part of the middle east. Or do I need to go back to school.....

Laura, you do come over and read posts.  What two favorite sister's posts do you read AND respect.  Surely not mine.  You told me to take Vivre and Rosemary advice and stay away from your thread.  So, I know you are reading the Respectfully Republican thread.

Have a good day.

Jader, don't know how much I can participate in this thread.  I cannot say anything nice about Obama right now except that he has a pretty smile.   I do not trust him.  He has lied over and over and he's only been in office less than a month.  When he says that a bill will be posted for 5 days so we can read it FIRST he just plain lied.  He can say this is an emergency all he wants, but he's lying.  And not giving anyone time to read this bill and demanded they most vote is absolutely ridiculolus.  He's a lawyer.  Doesn't he know that you're supposed to read legal documents before your sign it?  And now HE'S going to sign it without reading it.  But he can trust his friends to do things right...SPEND SPEND SPEND....the Spending Bull.

Shirley

Shirley, if you really want to read the reconciled version of the stimulus bill (the House and the Senate combined), it's viewable on the White House website:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/arra_public_review/

You can leave comments at the site too.  Earlier versions have been available for review for a while now.

I posted over on the REP thread that I had seen that show, too.  It showed us that Bobby Kennedy had been there talking about the problems with the area and the value of these Americans.  There was a reporter with him? Or maybe he was in gov't as well, not sure .. Anyway, the young man with Bobby is now the mayor and he showed that things have changed (didn't say they are perfect but better) down in the city. He said it's up in the mountains that things are still the same. 

 http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=6845926

There's a link on how to help ...... but you're right Jader, I don't think I saw that on tv about how to help.  Even so, they can give you the link or tell you, but why not say, They need that bus to get people down the hill to jobs or to school ... America Help, we'll donate the 1st $50,000 to get it started??!!

Gals,

About the banks and so forth, I saw an interview with a financial expert (LOL) who said the problem is the banks got too big. He said it's basically an anti-trust problem. "If a bank is too big to fail, it's too big to exist." That's the quote. I think it's so true! My Mom was warning about de-regulating the banks at the time, because the regs were put there after the Depression to prevent this very thing from happening. So I roll my eyes whenever I hear them say our banking regulations are "antiquated." They're not, we need to go back to the old regs we had until they changed them to allow this risk taking and greed.

I watched the show last night. Things are not much different where I am for a lot of people. We--although our income would be considered modest  and perhaps not even middle class in most places--used to be doing quite well here. When I was volunteering for an early childhood intervention program, I would see situations much like the ones on the program. The thing is, even if the programs/money would roll in...places like this have no one to administer the funds. Along with that, there is so much corruption here. I have discovered through my geneaological research of my husband's family that the same 10-15 families have been in power in this area for at least 200 years. It seems to me that when the "haves" are looking to stay that way, educating and assisting the "have nots" is not in their best interest. It is truly a sad situation for so many.

I remember seeing Paula Abdul do something on Idol Gives Back last year or perhaps even the year before. I remember seeing footage of her visiting some families in Kentucky. Perhaps you could google it if you're interested in helping? 

Something that is very exciting and is a prospect for many in this situation is BEREA COLLEGE just outside of Louisville, KY.  Students can attend there 4 years tuition free. They admit about 75% in-state and the remainder is out-of-state focusing on other areas of the Appalachains. So sad about the boy on the program who  was the first to graduate high school in his family and had the football scholarship; it was so disappointing to hear that he dropped out of college!

Ok...so what do you all know about this Hughes woman in Florida? I'm not sure what I believe, but I'm starting to feel like the president is looking at his job as one big photo op. Although I didn't vote for him, I sat with tears in my eyes and pride in my heart the day he was inaugerated. I am proud to live in a country that has progressed enough to finally elect an african american man to be president; I just don't think this particular man is the right one.  I sure hope the madness stops and he gets some things done that most of us can agree are good things.

(((HUGS)))

Diane