Effects of the current economy

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

I found this link on another blog and thought some might be interested in discussing it. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) says:

I made a request to Vermonters on my e-mail list. I asked them to tell me what was going on in their lives economically. That was it. Frankly, I expected a few dozen replies. I was amazed, therefore, when my office received over 600 responses from all across the state, as well as some from other states. This small booklet contains a few of those letters.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders

If you scroll to the bottom, you can download a booklet with some of the emails about how the current economy has affected some citizens.

[Dan.Linehan]

This is unbelievably sad. The full length letters were about enough to make me cry..

We have always lived frugally. We buy used cars and store brand groceries, recycle
everything, walk or carpool when possible and plastic our windows each fall. Even so,
if/when our son decides to attend college, we will be in deep debt at age 65.

P.S. Please don't use my name. I live in a small town, and this is so embarrassing

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

I did cry...a lot.

I am so fortunate.

[Dan.Linehan]

The credit card debts people are incurring are listed as assets on the balance sheets of the banks. Then derivatives and futures are calculated based on those assets (level two and three assets).

Short answer, this makes me worried about the banking system. I wonder if people realize that only $100k of their money is FDIC insured if their bank collapses. I also wonder if people realize how easily the system can be manipulated when it is already teetering on the edge, as it is now.

I don't see these economic woes improving any time soon. People are going to have some interesting decisions to make.

[schola]

Unfortunately Bernie and his colleagues don't have a clue how to fix the situation, and are in fact responsible for it.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

It just seems to me that we should take care of our struggling neighbors rather than spend billions (more?) on a war. It seems we should make it a priority to become independent of oil. I was reading a thread elsewhere the other day and there was a debate about the offshore drilling issue. Many people outlined why it wouldn't really make a difference and what we could do instead that would.

At least this has inspired me to open my eyes and try to do something to help the people who are struggling around me. I am pretty insulated from this economic crisis.

[schola]

I believe action and organization on the local level will be most effective. The communities that get their acts together and grow closer instead of isolating themselves will survive much better in the new world that is coming.

Here is an article I just read today about the subject: The Economic Tables Have Turned

The people who sit around waiting for the government to fix everything instead of taking action themselves won't fair too well I'm afraid.

[Dan.Linehan]

Originally Posted by {aspiring_to_clarity}

It just seems to me that we should take care of our struggling neighbors rather than spend billions (more?) on a war.

We need more self-sustaining infrastructure. To take care of our neighbors we need to stop fleecing them first.

I'd love to build a series of large laundromats powered by solar in the large cities. If they were sustainable enough they could be free. Greywater could be filtered and reused.

It's really time to challenge the idea that nothing good in life is ever free.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by schola

The people who sit around waiting for the government to fix everything instead of taking action themselves won't fair too well I'm afraid.

True. At this point I don't think the governement is all too concerned about the plights of the common person. At least it doesn't seem so.

I personally know people who are really affected by what's going on, so I help them. But what can we do past that, locally, to ensure that we all get through this together? There are some folks who don't have many options as far as taking actions for themselves (single parents of small children, elderly).

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Dan.Linehan

We need more self-sustaining infrastructure. To take care of our neighbors we need to stop fleecing them first.

I'd love to build a series of large laundromats powered by solar in the large cities. Doing the laundry could be free and greywater could be filtered and reused. It's way past due to challenge the idea that nothing good in life is ever free.

I agree and that is a cool idea. However, how does something like that get implemented when the people in power are more concerned with making more money? As in, what could the average citizen do to get projects like this going (average to me meaning they don't really have the money to finance it themselves -- like me).

[Dan.Linehan]

Originally Posted by {aspiring_to_clarity}

However, how does something like that get implemented when the people in power are more concerned with making more money?

There are always federal grants.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Dan.Linehan

There are always federal grants.

Good idea. Thanks. Definitely something to look into.

[Brutha]

As in, what could the average citizen do to get projects like this going (average to me meaning they don't really have the money to finance it themselves -- like me).

If you have a great vision and can articulate it there a lot of grand money and philantropic money flooting around.

There are also webbased project that are infrastructure. Wikipedia is infrastrucutre build out of very cheap servers.
Citizendium is a project that tries to be a better wikipedia that could produce huge free returns.

Change Congress — Home would be a good web based project that can need some helping hands.