I got this in an email today and after much thought I decided to go ahead and place it here on my blog.
“Someone please tell me what the HELL’s wrong with all the people that run this country!!!!!!
We’re “broke” & can’t help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, Homeless etc.,??????????? In the last months we have provided aid to Haiti, Chile, and Turkey. And now Pakistan…..home of bin Laden. Literally, BILLIONS of DOLLARS!!! Our retired seniors living on a ‘fixed income’ receive no aid nor do they get any breaks while our government and religious organizations pour Hundreds of Billions of $$$$$$’s and Tons of Food to Foreign Countries!
We have hundreds of adoptable children who are shoved aside to make room for the adoption of foreign orphans.
AMERICA: a country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed hungry, elderly going without ‘needed’ meds, and mentally ill without treatment -etc, etc.
YET…………………
They have a ‘Benefit’ for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations, ships and planes lining up with food, water, tents clothes, bedding, doctors and medical supplies.
Imagine if the *GOVERNMENT* gave ‘US’ the same support they give to other countries.”
In all fairness, it is NOT the government that is holding “benefits”, it is charities. Charities and private citizens are coming forward to help the people of Haiti.
Yes, the government is helping also, but the government does not hold “benefits” they just use taxpayer money that has been earmarked for disaster relief. This taxpayer money came from federal income tax coffers that are earmarked for this kind of thing.
Our seniors are living on the Social Security benefits that came from the Social Security and Medicare tax coffers. Two different “lock boxes” as it were. And the Social Security benefits the senior citizens collect are based on how much money they earned and paid taxes on. The more money they earned, the more taxes they paid and the more money they get back. Like a savings account.
In order to change this, we need to contact our state leaders and tell them that we need our Social Security taxes increased and our federal income taxes decreased.