“Times are tough.” You are probably a little sick of hearing that day after day. So what does that really mean? Tough for who? History shows that it is usually toughest for those who have the least, those who just scrape by when things are going smoothly. Smoothly…so what does that mean? Most of us have a job that pays the bills; almost everyone can buy the basics and maybe a bit more.
When people spend money the state collects taxes and redistributes that wealth for the greater good. But now times are tough. People are losing jobs and not spending money, so state supported groups that benefit the greater good are forced to “tighten their budgets.” This means that benefits, like protecting the health and well-being of children, old people and people with disabilities, maintaining roads and funding for police and fire departments must be reduced. As a result, the number of teachers, healthcare providers, police and fire workers is being reduced. As more and more people lose jobs and less and less people spend money, the cycle starts all over again.
We share the wealth and we share the poverty, I guess.
I look around, however, and see that more the 90% of us still have jobs and incomes and can still spend the money we need to spend. But what we are finding is that those still fortunate enough to be working are digging deeply into their pockets and sharing their – sometimes small – wealth. It is truly amazing! There were not many deep pockets of wealth at our recent fundraising luncheon, but people gave from their heart and their pocket books. And when the final tally was over they had given more than $21,000!
Thank you all for blessing us with your attendance, caring and gifts.
