Buddy, Can You Spare $4635?

If you are a working American, the folks at Blogging Stocks have calculated your share of the bailout plan at $4635. Not too bad, huh? After all, it's a small price to pay to keep Wall St afloat, isn't it?

At the bottom of their post on the subject, the question "So which would you prefer, a recession or a bailout?" is asked. I'm tired of my tax dollars being used to bailout multi-millionaires. Bring on the recession, I'll make my own way through it.

America's Second Harvest

With the economy being what it is today, many folks are having a harder time making ends meet. Gas prices are way up, food prices are up, utilities are up. For many of us, it is inconvenient to pay more for these necessities. But for many others, it is more than inconvenient, it is impossible. In tight economic times like this, it is usually those than can least afford it that feel it the most. Folks who are having to strech their food budget in order to put enough gas in their car to get back & forth to work. I have heard stories of parents not eating so there is food for their children and gas in the car.

We can help. A small donation to America's Second Harvest will help those who find themselves with "too much month at the end of the money." According to this by Charity Navigator, ASH gets 4 stars and does an excellent job of running their organization effienctly.

Please consider making a donation to ASH today.

Something to Consider

I get a lot of email. At various times I also get the usual "boycott this", "buy that" chain emails. Those are deleted without being sent on. However, this one caught my eye. It addresses two items that are dear to me.

#1) Buy American when possible.

#2) Don't buy Chinese if at all possible.

It is already past June 4th, but I am going to pass it on for your perusal. (Some formatting may be changed in teh cut & paste ... sorry)

Are we Americans as dumb as we appear or is itthat we just do not think? While the Chinese,knowingly and intentionally, export inferior products and dangerous toys and goods to be sold in American markets, the media wrings its hands and criticizes the Bush Administration for perceived errors. Yet 70% of Americans believe that the trading privileges afforded to the Chinese should be suspended. Well, duh..why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges? DO IT YOURSELF!! Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says 'Made in China ' or 'PRC' (and that now includes Hong Kong ), simply choose another product or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products, however you will be equally amazed at what you can do without.Who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter? If you must have eggs, use real ones and benefit some American farmer. Easter is just an example, the point is.. do not wait for the government to act. Just go ahead and assume control on your own.

If 200 million Americans refuse to buy just $20 each of Chinese goods, that's a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor...fast!! (Jeff's note: I come up with $4 Billion so I don't know how they are figuring) The downside? Some American businesses will feel a temporary pinch from having foreign stockpiles of inventory. ** Downside ?? The solution ? Let's give them fair warning and send our ownmessage. We will not implement this UNTIL June 4,and we will only continue it until July 4. That is only one month of trading losses, but it will hitthe Chinese for 1/12th of the total, or 8%, of their American exports. Then they will at least have to ask themselves if the benefits of their arroganceand lawlessness were worth it. Remember, June 4 to July 4.Send this to everybody you know. Show them we are Americans and NOBODY can take us for granted.

If we can't live without cheap Chinese goods for one month out of our lives,WE DESERVE WHAT WE GET!Pass it on America !!!

Fed Says "Recession Possible"

According to this article in Yahoo! Finance:

"For the first time, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke acknowledged the U.S. could reel into recession from the powerful punches of housing, credit and financial crises."

Possible? I think if you ask many of the thousands who have lost their job, who have seen their home values drop, who are choosing between food or gas, who have seen the buying power of their dollars drop, that maybe those folks would opine that a recession has already begun.

Granted, not everyone is out of work, not everyone has a home who has dramatically lost value. In some areas, home prices are still increasing, just not at the astronomical rates of the past few years.

But for those who have lost jobs, lost equity and are having a tough time making ends meet, I think they would say the recession is here.