On March 10, I had surgery.
I was released from the hospital on March 12.
Around March 13 or so, the United States started shutting down due to COVID-19.
Jobs have been lost. Companies are closing. There are over 30 million people out of work.
But rent didn't stop.
Neither did bills.
Neither did the food cost. If anything, for a lot of people, that went up.
I can't speak for the rest of the US, but in Florida, the unemployment website has been busted. It's hard to apply, they are severely backlogged.
At the end of March, The Orange One passed the CARES Act and would promise us at least $1,200 per adult...with contingencies. Some people got theirs, some are still waiting. There is a place on the IRS website where a person could look it up to see when you were getting it. But it is being said that if a person tracks it (or attempts to), the site crashes or has issues.
There are people who have already used their stimulus money and paid their bills. Yet here we are, halfway through May and, while states are slowly starting to open up, people are still out of work and bills still aren't getting paid and it doesn't seem like there is any hurry to help those people.
Recently, House Democrats submitted a proposal for something called the HEROES Act, which would cost around $3 trillion dollars but it would provide more money to the American people. Republicans and The Orange One have said this bill would be "dead on arrival".
That's annoying.
My solution?
Stop submitting all these proposals and bills that are cluttered with additional items that are your hill to die upon. Give them a good cleaning and only include what is absolutely necessary. Save the rest for a time when American's aren't drowning.
OR, better yet, take The Orange One's CARES Act and simply propose EXTENDING those payments.
In my opinion, whether people agree or not, we NEED more stimulus payments. As I said above, there are over 30 million people out of work, companies are closing left and right, putting even MORE folks out of work. Even if we fully opened states tomorrow, there simply aren't enough jobs to go around. We need something to help us in between that time. I propose they issue monthly payments of about $3,000 for about 6 months to a year. This will give people a chance to get caught up on their bills, maybe pay some ahead, start a little nest egg and stimulate our economy. But SOMETHING needs to do be done, otherwise we are going to drown and increase the homeless population.
It's hard to say Namaste and find a calm in all of this. I'M SCARED. Especially as they don't seem to be in any hurry to get help to people that need it.
Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.
My words were "tracks ~ cleaning ~ promise ~ cluttered ~ annoying ~ Namaste" and it was submitted by the fabulous Tamara from Part-time Working Hockey Mom.
See what my friends have for you below!
I agree with getting the payments out and doing it quickly. If the government did that, as well as vote on ONE item at a time, we wouldn't have to be rushed into opening up the country without any more answers than we had when this first began. Sending you love.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, we need to stay closed until we can open in increments and safely. In the meantime, the federal government which, at this point is just where the maniacal orange one feeds his ego and projects his delusions at the expense of us all, needs to do their damn job.
ReplyDeleteThat is what Canada did and it sure helped all of us! Got money into the hands of families and those who most need it. Our PM just announced that they were extending the benefit as well. Once again, so glad I live where I live!
ReplyDeleteHoping and praying for everyone everywhere that they will get the help they need!
And stay healthy!
I believe that the first stimulus was a political stunt. Nothing is going to change until we get Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham out of the senate. They are the puppeteers just pulling the ugly, orange one's strings.
ReplyDeleteYay, you got my words, and you put them to work!
ReplyDeleteEven though your country is being "guided" by the Orange One and you call him, I have confidence in America as such. So many creative and innovative business-oriented people live there and will find ways.
I agree, though, in the meantime, people need some bridge financing. Take some money out of the Defence budget?