26 Magazine » Politics & Economy

In Memoriam: Sgt. Robert D. Sanchez

Awesome Rob — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:02:08 +0000

Someone I grew up with in grade school recently hit headlines again in our hometown.

He grew up from the kid who joked around as a goofball to everyone and even had his own share of crude nicknames we all shared for fun, into an Army Sergeant who served five tours of duty, three in Iraq and two in Afghanistan.

On Oct. 1, during combat with insurgents, he was killed by an improvised explosive device.

In a way, it is surreal because as Americans, dealing with news every day for the last eight years about wars overseas, we have become desensitized to the news of our men and women dying.

A death close to home does a lot to bring that back into perspective, especially for all of us who were lucky enough to have known him for any period of time, and unfortunate for all of those who didn’t have the opportunity to meet him but otherwise would have if things played out differently.

Rest in peace Sgt. Robert Sanchez.

He died fighting for a cause and doing his duty.

Anyone, pro-military or anti-war, can respect a person who stands by his or her decision to be part of something more than themselves. We are a society that favors a life lived vicariously through the smoke screen of anonymity or by focusing on those who pay more attention to the lives of cultural icons and celebrities than their own. It is a selfish society where many don’t take any responsibility for themselves or their actions, and instead live on the coattails of others’ generosity, or the hand-outs of a government these individuals neither respect nor know anything about.

Even for those of us who are motivated to participate in society cannot say that we have to deal with the same pressures in our work as a professional soldier. Most of us don’t have to worry about not coming home at the end of the day. Nor will our superiors ever look at us with the same level of respect when the time to part ways arrives.

“Sgt. Sanchez epitomized the spirit and ethos of the Ranger Regiment,” said Col. Michael E. Kurilla, commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment. “He is a hero to our nation, our Army and his family.”

“Sgt. Sanchez was the quintessential Ranger, enthusiastic, smart, loyal to his mission, his country and his friends,” said Col. Brian Mennes, First Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Battalion commander. “He led with distinction and would want us to continue supporting the efforts for which he so humbly and selfishly dedicated his life.”

For all us who grew up with him in English, Science, or Math, to the many that joined his life after high school, we will miss you, Rob. You did what most of us wouldn’t by enlisting, and even fewer by sticking with it.

Democratic Rep. calls American health care system “holocaust”

Brittany — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:54:58 +0000

A “holocaust in America”? Really? Honestly? Truly? Is this for real?

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) thinks so, or should I say, vehemently knows so.

According to Fox News, efforts to get Grayson to shut his lips on how the Republican health care reform was doomed to “die” were akin to those made by Democrats to get Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) to apologize for the “You lie!” incident we all know (and love) so well. But in Congressman Grayson’s case, as it was surely fact for Wilson, was he telling the truth with his shocking statement?

The Republican effort against Grayson’s statement proved futile, as the Democrat refused to apologize. (Shocking? Hah.) Instead, Grayson gave this apology, as reported by Fox: “I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven’t voted sooner to end this holocaust in America.”

Can anyone say, rather, shout MELODRAMATIC? I can, and technically, I think I just did.

I find this all to be extremely interesting. Why? Well, I’ve visited the Holocaust Museum in D.C., I’ve travelled to my local holocaust museum in St. Petersburg, Fla., and I’ve personally written at least ten reports on the horrifying event; however, I see absolutely zero evidence of this “holocaust” Grayson speaks of in the U.S.

So what, exactly, is this man talking about?

I’m sure you can all recall that lovely moment that played to American ignorance or stupidity — whichever shoe fits — on the VMA’s when English comedic idiot Russell Brand compared our health care system to his own back in merry old England. He noted that his version was better because at least in his country, people aren’t dying in the streets.

I wonder how much they paid this moron to fly over the pond and deliver not only a boring — clearly demonstrated in the silence of the audience for almost the entire duration of the show while he was speaking — performance as host, but spew idiotic information to our youth, who likely took it immediately as truth. Of course it has to be true. Russell Brand said it. Duh!

But I digress.

Have you recently witnessed any American citizen die in the street? If you have, please post a comment ASAP and I’ll respond with my personal contact information so we can get together on this.

Of course, I know I won’t be receiving any because this simply does not happen in the United States, even with our currently lacking health care system. That’s because people who need medical attention can go to the emergency room and be treated. Sure, they’ll receive a massive bill in the mail that they likely can’t afford, BUT, they don’t die in the streets.

So, Mr. Grayson, if you’d kindly get your facts straight before you go spouting any more stupidity, I’d greatly appreciate it. I might also mention that I’m ashamed to have you as a representative of my own home state, sunny Florida.

American holocaust? What a stupid laugh.

Tens of thousands outraged over “Obamacare”

Brittany — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:48:32 +0000

Not just thousands, but tens of thousands of Americans marched up to the Capitol yesterday to voice their upset over Obama’s “outrageous” health care plan.

Some of the more colorful demonstration pieces showed the president as the Joker, just like the famous — or infamous depending on your political perspective — posters to hit telephone poles and random walls in California last month. Of course, they feature Obama with eyes blacked-out, face chalk white and a bludgeoned, bloody red smile spread across his cheeks. Below the Photoshop likeness came “SOCIALISM” and “FASCISM” on some signs.

Other signs read “One nation under plunder,” “Obamacare makes me sick,” “Go Green Recycle Congress” and “I’m Not Your ATM” — and let’s not forget voices that chanted things like, “Enough, enough” and “We the People,” “You lie, you lie!” and my personal favorite, “Pelosi has to go.”

Thousands protested Obamacare.

According to AOL News, many of the protesters got the push for this movement from the recent tea parties held to discuss similar dissatisfaction, just a more generalized one in how the entire country is being run… Into the ground in my opinion.

Complaints heard were nothing out of the ordinary.

How can we afford this when our country’s more than $11 trillion in debt?

What about the elderly? I heard coverage for them isn’t going to stretch past a certain age. Who’s right is it to put worth on a human life based on age?

Why would I want to put the most important aspect of my life — my health — in the hand’s of someone else? Especially the government’s?

Aren’t there more important items to spend our money on right now? Granted, our current health care system isn’t the greatest, but no one’s dying in the streets because they can’t get health care.

And what about future generations? How will they afford to pay the debt this plan will incur?

All legitimate questions, I believe.

Something positive this protest has accomplished, no matter what side of the political fence you sit, is demonstrate the fact that some Americans do care about what goes on in this country and what policies are being implemented or trying to be implemented.

For a while there I was beginning to believe no one would stand up to this sickeningly sweet idea of butterflies and unicorns, this dream world idea, and a country that can live happily with the government paying for everything for its people. Does that mean we don’t have to work anymore too?

It’s about time people started to stand up for freedom.

Though I could pull some positives out of this event, as it’s always refreshing for me to see the American people exercise their right to free speech, however, I also found some serious flaws.

Being one day after this most serious event, taking into consideration just how many people were there, and allow me to reiterate — tens of thousands — I found it interesting just what type of coverage this massive protest rally received from the liberal news media.

The St. Petersburg Times, one of the largest newspapers in the U.S., gave this event a single string of biased words on the front page, “Angry foes of Obama policies rally in D.C. See page 4.”

Flipping to page four, a long piece details not the rally itself, but stories from real people with health care horror stories, most of which on why they can’t afford health care and all the misery they’ve suffered as a result.

Any tidbit of information about one of the largest rallies on the nation’s Capitol discussed the “anger” demonstrated on Obama’s wonderful health care initiative.

Oh the disgusting bias.

I’ve been in college studying journalism for the past four years of my life. I don’t know if my school’s different than others, but I was taught that the main function of the press was to alert the public in an unbiased manner, the news, the truth, essentially, just as it happened. I don’t even know what to call this. It’s certainly not journalism though and it makes me sad.

Wilson’s outburst a missed luxury in politics

Awesome Rob — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:37:39 +0000

The last few months in politics have revolved around a campaign keystone for Obama: his promise to push through a health care reform bill claiming to help millions of uninsured become insured.

The majority of the news at the start centered around questioning Obama’s statements on how the bill could be afforded and what exactly it would entail. Then, as time went on and people began doing research, many found Obama was blowing smoke up the people’s collective butt, because the numbers failed to verify the possibility that government sponsored health care was possible under the Obama plan.

Wednesday added to Obama’s health plan woes during his speech to the nation, with the now infamous Joe Wilson’s “You Lie!” moment.

For those who don’t know what happened, Rep. Joe Wilson yelled out during the president’s speech “You Lie!” after Obama mentioned one of the fairy tale designs in his health plan.

Of course, the reaction from both parties was that Wilson was an embarrassment and he was out of line. Granted, he may have been unprofessional in his outburst, but he’s hardly spoke a false sentiment.

Americans have been falling off the Obama bandwagon like there was a swine flu scare. The Do-No-Wrong period for Obama is seemingly over and we’ve seen exactly what Obama has had to offer the nation so far: very little.

Wilson’s outburst, however, did more than any growing anti-Obama sentiment to set the tone for the future in Washington. It turned Wilson into a political celebrity overnight, thrusting him straight into the public’s eye. Now everyone knows Rep. Joe Wilson is a “champion” for small government and an avid supporter of the military, having four sons serving in the armed forces.

At the very least, it has added to the Republican’s list of potential Obama-dethroners in 2012. If Obama fails to deliver on more campaign promises, Wilson’s name will be one of the more prominent on the list of contenders to win Pennsylvania Avenue back from the liberals.

What Wilson’s words also did was shine hope on all politicians. Perhaps they aren’t all lying bastards dancing around truth and lies, filling the public with riddles behind a wall of smoke and mirrors. No one describes a politician as an honest man, and sadly, there is no way for a politician to be elected to the Office of the President without lying and manipulating the system along the way.

Obama almost immediately broke campaign promises with the pork barrel politics reduction, as well as filling vacancies with members associated with lobbyists and special interest groups. Obama just has the charisma to get away with it.

Wilson is like very few politicians who speak their mind and usually say things contrary to what is “politically correct.” Arnold, AKA The Governator, was the last person I can recall who said anything similar with his comments on immigration and how important it is for immigrants to learn English and assimilate into the American culture if they want to be here.

I can respect a politician who isn’t afraid to speak his or her mind instead of using politically charged rhetoric to further their career.

Obama’s education speech gets A+ in my book

andrea — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:35:39 +0000

The other day I was stuck in traffic behind a huge truck covered in anti-Obama stickers. It had the one of him looking like Heath Ledger’s character from The Dark Knight, the Joker. There was another one claiming something about how Obama is going to ruin our country, and then, my personal favorite, one claiming that President Obama is actually a socialist.

This is always an interesting argument to me because I do not believe that Obama is trying to make America a socialist nation. I simply do not see the logic behind that idea. It’s one of those ideas that you just keep to yourself because you know that it’s… illogical.

This senseless thought has returned to the forefront thanks to President Obama’s televised speech on American education yesterday.

“Every single one of you has something that you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer,” Obama told students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia and to students around the country via CNN.

In this speech, Obama encouraged students to do well in school so that they can prepare for the future. He discussed their importance, hitting on the fact that they are the future of this nation.

Students from kindergarten to seniors in high school were encouraged (and some forced) to watched Obama’s urge for American students to get their priorities in order. I couldn’t help but laugh at some of it. It was like he tapped into what my mother told me years ago.

“At the end of the day, the circumstances of your life: what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home. None of that is an excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude at school…” Obama said. “There is no excuse for not trying.”

BAM!

Of course, people don’t like being told that they control their own destiny. It makes them even more mad when the President of the United States goes on national television and tells their children what they’ve never told them.

“[We need] every single one of you,” he said.

Every. Single. One.

According to USA Today, many schools received complaints about the President’s speech and urged their public schools not to show it. One such parent claimed that his speech to the children was “just wrong.” (This parent lives in Texas.)

What’s “just wrong” is the dropout rate among high-school students in America. What’s also wrong is the amount of graduates who don’t know how to do basic reading, writing and arithmetic.

The last president to address America’s youth was George H.W. Bush in 1991. Many things have changed since then and our depression bound country depends on future generations to follow.

It’s about time that a President showed some concern for America’s youth, and it’s about time that the youth of America knows that they’re being counted on.

I say we make the education speech annual; that is, unless we all go socialist in a few years.

Oxymoron: 60 Plus Association

andrea — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:00:01 +0000

The oxymoron of the week is a conservative nonpartisan organization.

Any organization that claims to have both of these things under its belt clearly doesn’t understand the meaning of conservative and nonpartisan.

I have decided to outline its meanings. I hope you’re listening 60 Plus Association. I’m talking to you.

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, nonpartisan means “free from party affiliation, bias or designation.” According to anyone who can count higher than their fingers and toes, a nonpartisan organization and a conservative organization is not the same thing.

The 60 Plus Association calls itself just that.

On the group’s Web site, 60 Plus brags that it’s the conservative counterpart of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). This self-promoted “nonpartisan” organization has made it its mission to end the federal estate tax and save Social Security for the young. The association’s latest attempt to do this is by a television ad showing their strict opposition to President Obama’s health care reform.

Thanks to a sweet little thing called the First Amendment, organizations (and people too) like 60 Plus Association are free to market their ideas…just as long as they’re not encouraging people to go against the government. That’s basically the only requirement. Obviously, nothing libelous is allowed; that’s common sense kind of stuff. Still, everyone is free to vocalize their ideas even if they’re wild.

Ah, the joys of the marketplace of ideas.

This brings us to back to the TV ad placed by 60 Plus. This minute-long commercial is, like the organization itself, full of misconceptions and contradictions.

According to Factcheck.org, the ad itself is false. One claim is that Congress will cut more than $500 billion in Medicare when in actuality it will be about $220 billion from the “projected growth of Medicare spending over the next 10 years.” The numbers and statements in this advertisement are exaggerated, yet presented as fact.

What is especially amusing about these exaggerated assertions is that the AARP disputed the claims directly in a “Myths v. Facts” rundown saying, “Fact: None of the health care reform proposals being considered by Congress would cut Medicare benefits or increase your out-of-pocket costs for Medicare services.”

Factcheck.org also claims to have contacted 60 Plus for confirmation concerning the validity of the claim that seniors will use their doctors. They never heard back.

The narrator says, “It’s a cruel joke.” I think he’s trying to say that the possible overhaul is a joke. What he meant to mean is that what they’re trying to get across is that advertisement is a cruel joke.

It just isn’t true.

Pros and Cons: Free public health care

andrea — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:00:04 +0000

One of President Obama’s main platforms was a reform on U.S. health care. It’s difficult to deny that our healthcare system isn’t as good as it could be. Millions of Americans have no insurance and can’t afford to get the necessary medical help they need. Between people’s benefits being cut and unemployment at an all-time high, the idea of nationwide health care seems like a great idea.

As the Obama administration tries to figure out a healthcare deal, all we can do is wait. On Tuesday, it was announced that a decision will probably not be made before Congress comes back from its recess next Friday.

According to Reuters, some current ideas being thrown around include creating a competition between non-profit cooperatives and private insurers in hopes of lowering costs and taxing high-cost insurance policies. Obama’s idea for an overhaul hasn’t been met positively probably because of the $1 trillion price tag.

“I understand people being scared that this is going to be way too costly,” President Obama said. “It’s not too costly if we start making changes right now.”

There will be a vote on Friday, but the chances of a decision being made are slim. While we’re waiting for a decision, let’s look at some pros and cons.

Here are a few PROS of free public health care:
1) According to Balanced Politics, there are about 45 million Americans who are uninsured. This means there are many people who could benefit from something like this, especially if our economy isn’t expected to get better quickly.
2) If people know they can afford to go to the doctor, they might be more likely to take preventative measures. This could also help people catch serious problems before they get even more serious.
3) People couldn’t get turned away due to preexisting conditions.
4) A centralized database could be created that would help minimize additional paperwork and help doctors better diagnose patients.

Here are a few CONS of free public health care:
1) It wouldn’t exactly be free, as everyone will be taxed on it.
2) Patients wouldn’t be able to be as flexible with their scheduling. (People who have ever lived in other countries know what this means.) With everyone having the same rank to get a specific surgery, the wait will be much longer and you’ll take what you can get when you can get it.
3) Those who are healthy, and rarely use the healthcare system will have to pay for everyone else who uses it often.
4) The transition wouldn’t be easy. Many people in the insurance agency could lose their jobs and many businesses would close.
5) The government may feel more likely to put high taxes on foods or activities that could lead to health issues.

Realistically, the pros and cons lists could go on and on. Keep checking back here at 26Magazine and we’ll keep you updated as the plot thickens and the news continues to develop.

Taxing the plastic, surgery that is

Brittany — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:18:56 +0000

It seems the King of Plastic Surgery, ahem, the King of Pop, may have gotten away just in time. The Senate Finance Committee has discussed the possibility of a 10 percent excise tax on cosmetic surgery; essentially any procedure intended to “improve” your looks vs. improve your health.

Of course (why else?), the idea behind this is to bring in extra revenue, but would it?

The law defines cosmetic surgery as “any procedure which is directed at improving the patient’s appearance and does not meaningfully promote the proper function of the body or prevent or treat illness or disease.”

The IRS would allow deductions for procedures such as reconstructive surgery due to cancer or laser eye surgery.

In the past, many states have added this tax, only to realize it hardly brought in enough money to pay for the time, paper and ink it took for their governor to sign the bill into law. According to Congress Daily, the only state that currently has a law like this on the books is New Jersey. Congress Daily also reported that the tax has only brought in 25 percent of its anticipated revenue since it was enacted back in 2004.

You may also recall the 1990 deficit-reduction law, which prohibited taxpayers from writing off cosmetic procedures “unless the surgery or procedure is necessary to ameliorate a deformity arising from, or directly related to, a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or a disfiguring disease.”

This is essentially what the new law would entail. If you’re going in to transform those boobies from a sad, pancake of an A-cup to a plump and perky C or D-cup, well, you’re out of luck with this new tax. But if you’re going in for reconstructive surgery on your face because your girlfriend, Chyna, beat you up — again — last night after things got a little rough while playing Wii Fit, well, you’re covered in the tax department.

What will the porn industry do if this passes? Let alone how Pammy Anderson will be able to cope with life if she has to pay extra every time she gets a new boob job.

And as far as the King of Nose Jobs goes, it almost seems too perfect. Maybe M.J. planned this one out. He had to have saw this coming. The man has to have the world record for most plastic surgery jobs, and at the very least, most nose jobs. Michael Jackson and Jocelyn Wildenstein, also known as the Cat Woman — her face has become so distorted after innumerable plastic surgery operations to warrant a nickname — have to be way up on that list.

Moving away from celebrities and porn stars for the moment, let’s go back to high school and have a little Economics 101 refresher.

Taxes with broad bases and low rates are usually the best avenue to take because they minimize economic distortion. On the flip side, taxes like this proposed plastic surgery tax are bad because they discriminate against particular types of economic activity, essentially promoting unstable revenues.

Lesson: just because this tax may seem to be a fast way of boosting revenues — cosmetic surgery prices, as we all know, are through the roof and a 6 percent tax would mean some decent dough — it doesn’t mean it’s going to work in the long term, which, with excise taxes on such products as cigarettes and cell phones, proves not to work out as planned, or should I say wished.

And let’s not forget another important side to this proposed law. Eighty-six percent of cosmetic surgery patients are female. So women would be supporting the bulk of this tax. Again, this only reinforces the discriminatory nature of this tax.

What it sounds like to me is that Congress is scrambling to come up with taxes on anything and everything in order to try and dig its way out of our $11 trillion plus debt, though that whole idea is laughable because with the current state of the economy, that’s not going to happen any time soon; maybe not even in our grandchildren’s futures. Not to mention, we already can’t afford some of the basic necessities of life these days. Has Congress forgotten about the death of the stock market? We’re all scrounging for money!

Then again, perhaps a tax like this would dissuade some from getting procedures that are truly unnecessary. Let’s just go back to M.J. and Jocelyn, epitomes of bad cosmetic surgery.

Overall and in light of this, I think Congress could use a little plastic surgery…in the brain department.

Legal system, politics make a terrible couple

Awesome Rob — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:00:56 +0000

When we turn on the TV and watch Law and Order, or any of its other spin-offs, we are all treated to this display of legal action where they always seem to be aiming to get the guy and somehow get the job done most of the time by grasping at straws until everything makes sense. It’s a win for the good guys, and in the rare cases where an innocent person is prosecuted, things seem to work out so that everyone ends up happy.

The fiction in the show does well to describe what hardships exist in our legal system, but it does an even better job at attempting to display how our legal system should work. It should make every attempt to get the bad guy and make sure justice is served. It should make every attempt at uncovering the whole truth before presenting the case before the judge. It should make the attempt at discerning whether the defendant is actually guilty, or if he or she is innocent.

How often those actions are omitted.

We are treated to the spectacle of ‘law’ in this country similar to public hearings during the Salem Witch Trials, only without the dunking booth and a bit less fervor. There have been a few noteworthy cases that clearly show certain DA’s office’s prosecution playing political games and playing the crowd, while looking at their moral and ethical fiber and stuffing them into a dark drawer while they go out and attempt to bring ‘justice’ to the offender.

The boys from Duke’s lacrosse team were all harmed by the actions of one such prosecutor. The team had a season canceled, and many had their lives put on hold while the case played out. Then came information that the prosecution willingly omitted evidence that would have weakened their case by showing the innocence of players, as well as withholding information that must be shared with the defendants. All because the DA was elected on the basis of fighting for civil rights and equal prosecution in the courts.

So instead of equally trying to prosecute the whites and blacks that were caught in the act and guilty, the judge singled out a group of affluent white boys to try and make a statement, and guilt be damned.

Then, there again, is the Kobe Bryant fiasco in Colorado, with his accuser being well known for her feminine wiles and getting a taste of the town at a dinner table made of pillows and sheets. She was an up and up gold digger looking to cash in on her score with basketball’s hottest closer. Even when DNA evidence in her rape kit showed her not only to have slept with Bryant, but another man hours later, or when she changed her story about as often as a traffic light switches colors, the prosecution scrambled to ‘protect this victim’ by not taking a look at the evidence in hand and saying they didn’t have a case.

The only reason these cases went as far as they did was because the targets of both were either public figures or represented a political goal. Politics and law should never, ever be mixed together. Sheriff’s, DA’s, and other elected officials within the legal system should not be allowed to cater to a crowd and play the games politicians do, because often those political aspirations go far beyond any commitment to do what is right.

Unemployment figures: Half truths wrapped in bacon

Awesome Rob — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:00:19 +0000

Since the recession started, unemployment has been a closely watched figure, and every time it increases, the stock market seems to take a tumble. As people lose their spending cushion and lock down their finances for future hardships, the recoil sent back into various industries forces further contraction. Where spending makes up the entirety of our economic success, when we fail to spend, we also will fail to grow.

When companies start to follow the same path as individual consumers, unemployment figures begin to change. This has generally increased over the last year, with a few brief spurts of life, but generally the numbers inspire uncertainty and fear into those with jobs and those looking for work who have been laid off.

Eight to 9 percent, or even 10 percent of our total population (350,000,000) is 35,000,000. That isn’t necessarily a bad figure when you take into consideration all those who file for benefits with no intention of ever getting employment again and are content with living off of the government’s paycheck and free handouts for their miserable existences brought on by massive amounts of underachieving and lack of motivation.

The real problem is far greater than a small number like 8 to 9 percent.

Functional unemployment is more like 16 to 20 percent of the population. This number, unlike the unemployment figure released, doesn’t focus on people who are filing for benefits. Given that a functional unemployment assessment has no way to be 100 percent exact, the margin of error is much larger, but the number itself is a culmination of statistics and facts to find out how much of this population simply cannot pay the bills.

Functional unemployment essentially groups those filing for benefits as well as those who work part time, students, and those who have given up finding work until the economy rights itself on the troubled seas.

When you begin to think about 1 in 5 people being unemployed, the impact that has is tremendous compared to a small 1 in 12.

Up to 20 percent of the population can’t afford rent or utilities. More people are living at home with their parents, unable to find work or even secure these “readily available” student loans that don’t exist, making ambitions of attending school further out of grasp for those who don’t come from a wealthy background.

The American workforce has seen monthly hour cuts for part-time employees in various companies, with some losing 25 to 50 percent of part-time clerical hours available in certain stores, bringing people from 30 hours a week to 15 or fewer, depending on staff.

Even though some of these companies have made profits throughout the recessed economy, the maneuvers to scale back on spending have caused many who have just gotten by desperate for another job or resorting to racking up massive amounts of debt in hopes to repay the sum off when work becomes available again.

Unemployment released by the government is nothing more than a positive light to shed on a very dark situation that far too many people overlook. In a lot of ways, those who try to make ends meet by working two jobs are worse off than those living on welfare.

That is an entirely different problem.