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i get so discouraged and heartbroken over the current and future state of this country, when all the time now i hear stories of people being ordered to take down their flags, and lemonade stands and girl scouts being chased off and closed down, or fined. and seriously it makes me think what the hell has happened to this country? even people who do the right thing are being punished. like the guy who gave back derrick jeter the ball from his 3000's hit. this guy could've kept and auctioned it off for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but he didn't. he gave it back, and as a sign of appreciation jeter gave him some season tickets. so what does he get? the fed comes after him, saying he owes them all this money on taxes for them seats. it's just so so sad. what the hell have we become? this isn't the country i grew up in. this sort of thing didn't used to happen. so what changed? it really bothers me. i mean i hear all the time about this kind of thing, particularly with the flags, and lemonade stands, and the bake sales.

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I think a large portion of the American public are self centered idiots who are fine throwing society under the bus to get a cheap buck or because they don't know how to think outside of a strict official policy (targeted at both the public and some government employees *HR*).

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Originally Posted by Bryant Platt:
I think a large portion of the American public are self centered idiots who are fine throwing society under the bus to get a cheap buck or because they don't know how to think outside of a strict official policy (targeted at both the public and some government employees *HR*).

i think that in a sense, you are right. i mean we see this kind of thing with zero tolerance policies, so people don't have to make a common sense decision. like i said, this sort of thing just really bothers me, and scares me for our society.

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Why would lemonade stands be closed down?

This country is changing because nothing last forever. One thing that's obvious is This is the most prosperous country country in the world not in the top five of happy countries. The coolest nations on Earth such as the US, UK Canada Australia etc are the ones with the most progressive liberals. That's what happens when someone is spoiled and not set foot outside the country. People here have no idea how easy the have it.

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Originally Posted by Douglas Shireman:
Why would lemonade stands be closed down?

Think this is the one he's talking about:

Midway Police Shut Down Girls' Lemonade Stand for not having a Business License

Midway police bust none other than a lemonade stand, because the three girls running it didn't have a business license.  The three girls thought if they sold enough lemonade, they could make money to go to the water park Splash in the Boro.  Well they thought wrong.  Midway police say, they're breaking city law and have to go.
“It’s kind of crazy that we couldn’t sell lemonade.  It was fun, but we had to listen to the cops and shut it down,” 14-year-old Casity Dixon said.

The girls had only been opened for one day before Midway’s police chief and another officer cruised by and saw the stand.

“They told us to shut it down,” 10-year-old Skylar Roberts said.

“We had told them, we understand you guys are young, but still, you’re breaking the law, and we can’t let you do it anymore.  The law is the law, and we have to be consistent with how we enforce the laws,” Midway Police Chief Kelly Morningstar said.

By a city ordinance, the girls must have a business license, peddler’s permit, and food permit to set up shop, even on residential property.  The permits cost $50 a day and a total of $180 per year.  City officials said it’s their job to keep everyone safe and healthy, and there can be no exceptions to the rules.

“We were not aware of how the lemonade was made, who made the lemonade, of what the lemonade was made with, so we acted accordingly by city ordinance,” Chief Morningstar said.

“It’s almost like they don’t have anything better to do.  I’m going to let it go.  I’m trying to cheat them good.  I don’t think if I keep on, it’ll teach them a good thing,” Amy Roberts said.

So the law wins, and what started out as three girls’ dream of a fun summer business is now just a piece of plywood.

Since the lemonade stand was shut down, the girls have been doing extra chores and yard work to make money for the water park.

http://www.gadailynews.com/news/savannah/70020-midway-police-shut-down-girls-lemonade-stand-for-not-having-a-business-license.html

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yep, mr. big bad police chief rode by and had to enforce the law. what a hero. pin a medal on him. and basically this ordinance means no lemonade stands period. i don't know of too many lemonade stands that will not only sell $50 worth of lemonade a day, but then sale enough to make a little profit off the top. and this is far from the first time this kind of story has made the news. i recall at least dozens of such cases, and those are just the ones who's parents were mad enough to call the local media, which in turn was picked up by the national media.

i mean, honestly, this sort of thing just flabbergasts me. this sort of thing probably bothers me more than any political matters, as far as the deterioration of our society goes.

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Originally Posted by Dødherre Mørktre:
yep, mr.[ms] big bad police chief rode by and had to enforce the law. what a hero. pin a medal on him[her]. and basically this ordinance means no lemonade stands period... i recall at least dozens of such cases, and those are just the ones who's parents were mad enough to call the local media, which in turn was picked up by the national media.

Lemonade stands, people selling food at garage sales, bake sales and yep, even potluck dinners have always been against food codes.  The main difference over time is that the people that enforce those codes were usually very aware that the people that hired them were politically elected officials and could be out of a job pretty quickly.  Now, being fired over following the law and not playing political favors, would cause a whole set of different problems.
So where do we draw the lines for these politically inept enforcers.  Pre-teens and under selling non-alcoholic beverages just outside of their residence...no age limit...lemonade only...cookies...pies...sandwiches...the corner has more traffic...hmm, a busier street might cause more traffic problems...a neighborhood park...thrown together table...elaborately built stand...Lucy's psychology stand...

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I think all of you are right on this.     I tellya something else that goes on but flies just under the radar.

Long term care for the elderly will break your bank account...even if you have normal health insurance.  If you need a nursing home now and didnt have the foresight to purchase long term insurance, the govt will take it out of your account and put a lean against your estate until it is all gone.  Only THEN will they step in and maybe help you.  Even if you have Blue Cross (some of the best healthcare in the nation).  And if you are a Veteran it can take years before you are accepted into the VA nursing home system.  Until then, you must pay out of your own bank account.

This happened to my dad.  He spent his life working his butt off (AT the VA Hospital), trying to build up his account to plan for a rainy day.  Managed to save enough to buy a small farm.  built a small house on it and had money in his account and in mutual funds.  Had insurance too!  Plus my mom was a teacher and had blue cross.

Then dad got Alzheimer's and we learned that the nursing homes would take every penny of his money (leaving mom with nothing)..even the house and farm.  Thats why I quit my own job and moved in to take care of my dad for the last 4 years of his life.  If I didnt, he'd have lost everything!

Mom has a friend who is a veteran and her husband is a vet as well.  Her husband is now in a nursing home because the VA cant take him yet.  they had insurance too.  But its taking every penny she has left to pay the nursing home.

I can understand the nursing home needs to make a living.  But its just not right they can take every penny you have and wipe out your estate and leave the wife with absolutely nothing.

While I dont support Obama's plan for health care, we still need to change the system so that these people dont fall through the cracks.  Not everyone can afford extra long term care insurance.  To me, health insurance should cover long term care too.

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Originally Posted by Dennis Young:
I think all of you are right on this.     I tellya something else that goes on but flies just under the radar.

Long term care for the elderly will break your bank account...even if you have normal health insurance.  If you need a nursing home now and didnt have the foresight to purchase long term insurance, the govt will take it out of your account and put a lean against your estate until it is all gone.  Only THEN will they step in and maybe help you.  Even if you have Blue Cross (some of the best healthcare in the nation).  And if you are a Veteran it can take years before you are accepted into the VA nursing home system.  Until then, you must pay out of your own bank account.

This happened to my dad.  He spent his life working his butt off (AT the VA Hospital), trying to build up his account to plan for a rainy day.  Managed to save enough to buy a small farm.  built a small house on it and had money in his account and in mutual funds.  Had insurance too!  Plus my mom was a teacher and had blue cross.

Then dad got Alzheimer's and we learned that the nursing homes would take every penny of his money (leaving mom with nothing)..even the house and farm.  Thats why I quit my own job and moved in to take care of my dad for the last 4 years of his life.  If I didnt, he'd have lost everything!

Mom has a friend who is a veteran and her husband is a vet as well.  Her husband is now in a nursing home because the VA cant take him yet.  they had insurance too.  But its taking every penny she has left to pay the nursing home.

I can understand the nursing home needs to make a living.  But its just not right they can take every penny you have and wipe out your estate and leave the wife with absolutely nothing.

While I dont support Obama's plan for health care, we still need to change the system so that these people dont fall through the cracks.  Not everyone can afford extra long term care insurance.  To me, health insurance should cover long term care too.

  


Well for one, that is why I don't really give a rat's ass about tUSA's lagging life expectancy.

And for two, why would you want to send your parents to a nursing home??? My parents took care of me, so it is natural that when the time comes, I can take care of them. That's the way it used to be. That's what we did for my wife's father.

That is just a little part of Dod's question. What the hell is wrong with this country??? For one thing we don't care about each other any more. We don't have time for each other any more. Instead of taking care of our own family we would rather pay someone, whom we hope like hell does care (but we really know they don't), to take care of them for us.

We always get what we deserve.

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What about this?

A Special Education Worker Talks About Empty Paychecks, Organizing
In a country where jobs are at a premium, having one in a public school that allows you to buy into a medical benefit package is a pretty good deal, right? Sure, if you overlook that paying for the benefits and taxes on the salary may leave you with a net of zero take home pay.

It’s an all-too-common story and it’s the one facing Kathy Meltsakos, a special education paraprofessional working in northeast Massachusetts, hard by the Atlantic. She lives on the same street she grew up on and has worked the schools she attended years ago, bringing a deep knowledge of the generations of people living in and around her town into that work.

Education support professionals like Meltsakos and the rest of America’s workers are doing their best to weather today’s economy. But consider the numbers.

Initially earning $13.74 for a 35-hour week with the Pentucket schools, Meltsakos paid 20 percent of her insurance, which was manageable, and she did that for 10 years until laid off in June 2010. While looking for work she received unemployment benefits. She was later rehired at a lower pay rate, with five less hours, and with a higher contribution for her healthcare.

“I was placed at the bottom of the scale at $10.74 an hour for a 30-hour week. After taxes, I paid 60 percent of my medical insurance. My pay stubs from February to June 24 (the end of the school year) show no net take home pay since February. Oh – and the insurance rates went up in May.”

By April she was frustrated with no take home pay and knew she had to get a second job. “My husband is doing everything he can but we have kids in college and of course the regular bills to pay. I tried a pizza shop, then found work with a discount store, twenty hours a week during school, and a few more now that school is out. They pay a little more per hour but no benefits.” For the summer she landed a job with special ed kids for 20 hours a week at $14 an hour.

“I’m not the only ESP worker in the position of working two or three jobs to try to make ends meet,” Meltsakos said. “We are not looking for a free ride. But we have to question a system that forces workers in any profession to stitch together several pay streams to make ends meet. It can get debilitating. I check my life at the school door and am upbeat and positive because some days, I’m the only happy face those kids see. What is that worth to society?”

Meltsakos is not shy discussing economic facts, having been a local Massachusetts Teacher Association leader for 11 years. She served on her local bargaining team three times and currently serves as an MTA board member representing ESPs and teachers at the state level. She is also a graduate of the 2011 NEA ESP Leaders for Tomorrow program.

These days she works with students in the lower grades. She has worked with high school age students with special needs and would go back to them if a position opened in her district.

“This work is my career,” she says with pride.  “I know what I’m doing and am good at what I do. Don’t get me wrong, I learn every day.” When asked about the economics of the job, she doesn’t beat around the bush. “Yes. It should pay better. We have a ways to go on that score. A lot of educating and organizing and bargaining is going to have to get done before any fair salary changes happen.”

Meltsakos has come to the conclusion that she, and ESPs and other education employees, must talk more with neighbors, lawmakers and others about the economics of work and home, living wages and what public school workers do at work.

“My thinking is that we need to speak more about family, community and business priorities, the work that we do and its worth to society. I think our neighbors should know what we are getting paid to educate and care for their children. I think they should know just about every penny gets plowed back into the community in the form of taxes, house payments and rent, buying food and clothes and all the rest. Just like the rest of the community. I want to see all of us succeed.”

Warming to the subject on her mind, Meltsakos said, “We’re taught from an early age not to talk a whole lot about earnings and comparing our salaries. It’s not ‘polite’. Well, we’ve had about thirty years of being polite about work and paychecks and look where that has got us.”

Meltsakos admits, “These are big issues. They can get complicated. But putting these kinds of conversations off and keeping our noses to the grindstone isn’t getting us out of this hole our state and our country finds itself in.”

“I think we have to start talking to a lot more people. Educating. Organizing. It won’t be easy, but it is better than doing the same thing over and over and getting the same result. Let’s start talking. Then we can make plans and take action.”

Meanwhile, Meltsakos will return to that job in September with a 55-cent an hour increase – and an increase in the cost of her medical benefits.

http://www.educationvotes.nea.org/2011/07/20/a-special-education-worker-talks-candidly-about-empty-paychecks-organizing/

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Originally Posted by Mark Simmons:


And for two, why would you want to send your parents to a nursing home??? My parents took care of me, so it is natural that when the time comes, I can take care of them. That's the way it used to be. That's what we did for my wife's father.

Well, thats it exactly.  I would never have wanted to send dad to a nursing home!    But then you have people like myself who are either widowers or never married and there is no one to care for them.  Otoh, after caring for dad for 3 or 4 years, Dad got to the point he was so feeble (due to cancer we didnt realize he had until right before he died) that I was having a lot of trouble holding him up to clean him.  He was having trouble standing and it was next to impossible to hold him up and bath him or clean him by myself. And i had no help whatsoever.  So I was reluctantly beginning to think a nursing home might be necessary.

Also you have some people who may have commitments (like the military) and just cant get away to care for their parents.  Or perhaps they have to work and pay the bills for their own family and kids and cannot afford to quit and take care of their parents.  There are all sorts of reasons why long term care is necessary.

Originally Posted by Mark Simmons:
That is just a little part of Dod's question. What the hell is wrong with this country??? For one thing we don't care about each other any more. We don't have time for each other any more. Instead of taking care of our own family we would rather pay someone, whom we hope like hell does care (but we really know they don't), to take care of them for us.

We always get what we deserve.

Amen to that.  

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Something else.

Caring for my dad gave me a greater appreciation for caregivers.  I find that these people do extremely difficult, back-breaking work and make very little money at all.  (I did it for free).  The thing that hurts was watching the man I looked up to all my likfe, slowly descend into madness, regressing to that of a 4 year old right before my very eyes.  You cant take your eye off him for a moment.  19+ hour days, 7 days a week...no contact with friends or family...for years.  I remember running out to the mailbox when the mail person would deliver our mail...just so I'd have someone else to talk to for a few moment.  Coz dad could no longer talk.