I wonder why no one is talking about another way that many Americans are losing their homes--medical bills and cuts to Medicaid. My mother had an accident and, sadly, has been hospitalized for over a year and, most likely, will remain so for the rest of her life. So she must apply for Medicaid, and, we're told, the government will try to take her house, all of the money in her bank accounts--everything! In addition, we were told that we need to report all of my mother's savings for the past five years because if my mother had given money to anyone as a gift, the government will demand that person pay that money back toward my mother's medical bills! In other words, if my mother had given one of her children money for college tuition three years ago, the government would try to get us to pay that amount toward my mother's medical bills before she could collect Medicaid benefits!

It's truly appalling, considering that my parents were working class, earning less than $30,000 per year--four of us lived on that! The house is a small house, not worth much money, but has long since paid for because my grandfather, a plumber, had bought it decades ago. He'd signed the house over to my mother but, of course, my mother hadn't signed the house over to her children. So now the government wants to take it. What's sad is that we're living in poverty right now. My sibling is collecting disability and I earn less than $10,000 per year! My father and grandfather were both veterans who had fought for this country and this is how they're being paid back.

But what really shocks me is that the US government can take your house, your car, your bank accounts--everything you own--if you apply for assistance. The idea is that you can't own anything of value and apply for govt assistance. But long-term hospitalization can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars! There is no way that anyone who is poor or middle class can afford to pay for that. To suggest that people who own homes that are worth only $50,000 should lose their homes because they have health problems requiring years of medical care is just appalling to me. The suggestion that my parents were somehow "rich" because they owned a home when my father's income was below the middle-class average is insulting, to say the least.

How ironic that the Republicans claim to worry so much about communism and socialism yet they grant the government these draconian powers that essentially rob us of the ability to participate in both democracy and capitalism. They are, in fact, killing capitalism and destroying patriotism in many of us.

Apparently, the Americans who voted for these draconian policies haven't stopped to think that while their taxes might theoretically be lowered by taking people's homes when they apply for Medicaid, their taxes will actually increase when they end up supporting those of us who end up homeless as a result. There are several abandoned homes in my neighborhood right now. Many of the former owners lost those homes because of this--not because of unpaid mortgages but because of elderly or disabled homeowners who collected Medicaid and when they died or ended up hospitalized, their remaining family members were kicked out of the house when the govt came along to confiscate it. No inheritance for you!

But perhaps it's just as well that I can't inherit the house (even though I'm currently living in poverty) because I owe thousands of dollars myself for my college education. If I owned the house, the govt would still take it away from me to get its money back for funding my education. That's right, student loans were a part of my so-called "financial assistance" package. If it's one thing I've learned about being an American it's that the US govt doesn't really provide poor people with assistance without finding some way to punish us for applying for assistance.

I've come to the conclusion, after many years of thought on this situation, that this country is just unliveable. The only people who can thrive in the U.S. are white males who come from upper middle class or wealthy families. The rest of us can just go to...

My dreams shattered, I've discovered a new dream: to get out of this country and live in a part of the world that is more humane--if there is such a place. (Sorry, but I don't have a patriotic bone left in my tired, financially-overextended body.)

And I predict that in the near future, those of us who struggle and can't afford to pay our bills (and who are stupid enough to remain in this country) will either be put to death or imprisoned, or both, in an effort to save money while continuing to cut taxes for the rich. Mark my words. An article in the Mpls Star Trib last year stated that many Americans are secretly being jailed for being unable to pay their debts.

(Lol! Below this comment box is an option to "disable rich-text." My text is far from "rich." But I wish I could disable the uber-rich...)

Nelson Mandela's quotes!

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/367338.Nelson_Mandela

I think the Walker attack on Unions has the same goal as Peter Kings to disrupt organized democracy and civil engagement. Even the NPR attack 'forced' the CEO to resign dispite not accepting the fake offer of money. But NPR has a diverse amount of funding from union's, people, coprorations, which leads what is called liberal news. However, that is actually middle America! look at any poll - Cenk Uyger nailed it a few days ago on his MSNBC show (6 pm EST). I suggest watching his sometime.

But breaking down the Planned Parenthood, NPR, and other public services which have NO natural political affiliation find themselves stuck on the left (Democratic party) because the right keeps moving right. The government intervention forces NPR to not find bias. But Private Fox "news" is completely right wing. We need real legislation reform. The shock jock journalism got 2 people to leave NPR based on quotes of suspected racism in the right - however, Walker says he is not being a voice of the people and that he thought about bringing in 'trouble makers' to a fake Koch. Not one person is moved off the chess board. Instead, Walker is doing a rat like move to strip out anything 'financial' out of his 'financial reform' bill. He is trying to manipulate WI like he is a dictator. He had also said to the Koch pranker that he has people looking into the laws of the state... Why doesn't he know them? There is a serious educational and ethical gap in people running government and humanities intellectual connection these days.

Don't let be discouraged from your community. Take a note from some fellow American's:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/09/study-says-civic-engageme_n_833756.html#

In Austrailia you have to vote whether you want to or not because it is against the law to not vote. That would account for a 98% turnout. There's always that 1 or 2 % that will go against the grain of anything along with those who are medically relieved from the law.

As far as Obama is concerned, he did say, "Yes We Can," and I say, "the only one who went AWOL was Obama who decided to shoulder the "Bush Tax Breaks" decision with a couple of Republicans who played a couple of cards against his weakness and won the whole pie." However, I will say that we would have been way worse off with an idiot like McCain in the Presidency.

"Notice how gas prices and food prices are both in the rise? You can thank these same banksters for that too."

Uh, no. You can thank a Federal Reserve policy of a weak dollar, printing massive amounts of paper money, flooding the world with dollars, silly low interest rates, crazy deficits and the entitlement mentality. Devalue the dollar and real assets like precious metals, commodities are going much higher. Holding that paper money is a suckers play. Once again, the federal government messes up. The market is never wrong. It always reacts to government policy.

It is high time apathy lose it's place in our way of thinking or lack thereof. I am just an ordinary middleclass citzien who fears our apathy and naivety of the republican party and it's manipulative conservative views and agenda has cast a very dark cloud over our country. I see the power and unapologetic character of this breed of conservatives to be very destuctive and lacking any concern of the harm they have caused and continue to cause to the backbone of America, which is none as the middleclass. Every day the news brings to us things the Republicans are doing and have designs on doing to undermine basic fundamental of our way of life. After the mid-term elections that gave them a bit of renewed power, has allowed them to flaunt their influence in every way imaginable, even down to state and local governments. Money and power must guide their sanity. We are now, in our local communities are having to deal with Republican governors trying to dismantle one of the basic rights of working class people to protect their collective barganing rights as municipal workers. What else should we be concerned about coming from this party. If there was ever a time for us to wake up and smell the coffee, now would be it. Our progressive agenda should be screaming just as loud as that of the conservatives. Getting reasonably involved and becoming more informed with politics in our local, state and national govermental affairs, will go a long way in holding our elected officials accountable for doing the work of the people and at the same time force us to elect the people to office who would have the whole of us best interest at heart. It is my hope that the entrenched money and power of the conservatives is not so strong, that it causes our country to become a shadow of it's greatness.

I agree. I had a lot of hope when Obama became President, but he has proven a great disappointment.

Only in Amercia , The land of opportunity .Its Money that talks and nobody walks. Who said that? A few today have so much money on their hands it just gets all of us into trouble. (Rise the tax on billionaires ) Imagine if you can buy anything you want 10 times over. We the workers cannot., It shows you just how important we are to money grip right? Just think, With out their subjects, that is ~ Us, what would they do? Who could they push around? Perhaps each other? How long would that last? Money must be shared in life. Anyway, "So what do they do with their money ! They take it and Move it someplace else in the world along with business too. Out of sight ! After all, " What have we done for them? So America thought the Banksters were being kind to them when they were lending them all that money to buy a piece of the American dream Um, just So they feast and drool. What will they dream up next! "Ah Its the Walker's rights! Does this mean the one is so much more important then the many? Or should one reflect ?

I've tried and tried to get a plan underqay to assist homeowners, especially those underwater/upside down. As we know many loans were sold at discounted prices. Lehman Bros. sold thier loans for 22 cents/dollar; New Century 35cemnts/dollar. Countywide sold their loans to Bank of America and got a $50 billion tax credit for it. Let the homeowner (not investors) buy thier loans back at 10 cents more to allow for the extraction out of the bundle and small refund to original investor. The homeowner will have to get another mortgage to pay off the old one at a discount. Whoever makes that loan will have a more secure debt. the homeowner has a reduced payment and more spending money and the original investor gets a little back (pensions, etc.) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are just starting to figure out they're paying off on the original amount and they (we as taxpayers) are getting screwed and the "too big to fail banks" are making another killing. I've operated a government housing program for 20+ years and critteria can be established help those who can help themselves.

I read about NPR's Ron Schiller's comments about the tea party in my local paper this a.m.,and when I turned on the radio, I was really surprised to hear your discussion about his comments being controversial. His description of the tea party movement as older, white, fundamentalist Christians who like to carry guns, and hate scary brown people and homosexuals seems pretty spot on. It is certainly in line with the coverage of the movement that I've seen on TV and in print. There have been plenty of photos of folks with guns and racist signs at tea party rallys, and lots of angry rhetoric about Sharia Law and the sanctity of marriage.

Tea party people should be aware that Ron Schiller's remarks are commonly held opinion, based on media coverage of their fringe movement.

There is an old expression that comes to mind: If you don't want to be called a lynch mob, stop acting like a lynch mob.

@Gerald, I have no problem getting Senator Bernie's newsletter. However, I did email him and actually got a response to a question I had asked, whether he wrote it or a staffer did. I have also emailed Boehner and Ryan. No response from them at all. Admittedly, I am waiting for a reply to my last email to Senator Bernie. But I also understand that he is in no obligation to reply to me. I have also emailed those in my own state ... took Feinstein over a month. Boehner and Ryan want me to subscribe to their newsletters "so I can stay informed." They were elected by those in their states and they are making decisions that affect others NOT in their states and can't be bothered?

The people working for Bernie might not be seeing the same thing on their screens as you are attempting to describe, might not be that computer literate. Or might not understand what you are trying to do. If there is a messaging system here, I will attempt to help you. No promises.