Like most of our readers, we have we have been unwilling participants in a financial dance of titanic proportions over the last few weeks. We have seen businesses that we thought were the strength and core of our country's financial security, collapse right before our very eyes.
We have seen the very people who have run these corporations walk away with benefit packages of millions of dollars, and as they have settled into new life of comfortable living, we have seen members of our families, our friends and even ourselves suffer financial losses that in some cases will not be made up in a lifetime.
If all of this was not bad enough, we have a federal government that is thought of by a majority of the citizens of this country with utter distrust and disdain.
There are senators and representatives like Dodd of Connecticut and Franks of Massachusetts who have taken large amounts of cash and have been in bed with institutions like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for years. These folks are now shrilly blaming everyone for this financial fiasco except themselves.
This same group is now in charge of repairing the mess they created. In reality it's more like the foxes have taken over the chicken coop.
Thomas Jefferson once wrote something to the effect of in a free society we should have a revolution every few years. Although the thought has crossed our minds a few times during the last few weeks, we don't espouse that.
We do have a suggestion for a solution for those of us living in Newton County and the surrounding communities.
Newton County was created in 1821. From the very beginning, its citizens banded together to help each other survive famines, disease, war and the weather among other things. Over the years, because of easy money and improved transportation, our citizens have traveled to other counties to shop, to seek medical care and to enjoy recreational facilities.
Our suggestion is to harken back to the strength and courage and wisdom of our forefathers here in Newton County.
Let's support our neighbors now. We can buy our food here, we can buy cars here, we can have our medical ills addressed here. There are more than enough mom-and-pop establishments around to buy our essentials from.
It just might cost each of us a few more pennies to shop here, but those pennies are insignificant compared to the thousands and thousands of pennies that will stay in our community. Those few pennies will turn into schools and parks and law enforcement and will enable our government not to increase taxes in order for us to enjoy the things we want.
This suggestion is two-edged when we ask our citizens to spend their money here; we need the mom-and-pop store owners to spend theirs here too.
Together with a little bit of that pioneer spirit that helped create this county 187 years ago, we will all make it through this crisis and our community will be the stronger for it.
We have seen the very people who have run these corporations walk away with benefit packages of millions of dollars, and as they have settled into new life of comfortable living, we have seen members of our families, our friends and even ourselves suffer financial losses that in some cases will not be made up in a lifetime.
If all of this was not bad enough, we have a federal government that is thought of by a majority of the citizens of this country with utter distrust and disdain.
There are senators and representatives like Dodd of Connecticut and Franks of Massachusetts who have taken large amounts of cash and have been in bed with institutions like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for years. These folks are now shrilly blaming everyone for this financial fiasco except themselves.
This same group is now in charge of repairing the mess they created. In reality it's more like the foxes have taken over the chicken coop.
Thomas Jefferson once wrote something to the effect of in a free society we should have a revolution every few years. Although the thought has crossed our minds a few times during the last few weeks, we don't espouse that.
We do have a suggestion for a solution for those of us living in Newton County and the surrounding communities.
Newton County was created in 1821. From the very beginning, its citizens banded together to help each other survive famines, disease, war and the weather among other things. Over the years, because of easy money and improved transportation, our citizens have traveled to other counties to shop, to seek medical care and to enjoy recreational facilities.
Our suggestion is to harken back to the strength and courage and wisdom of our forefathers here in Newton County.
Let's support our neighbors now. We can buy our food here, we can buy cars here, we can have our medical ills addressed here. There are more than enough mom-and-pop establishments around to buy our essentials from.
It just might cost each of us a few more pennies to shop here, but those pennies are insignificant compared to the thousands and thousands of pennies that will stay in our community. Those few pennies will turn into schools and parks and law enforcement and will enable our government not to increase taxes in order for us to enjoy the things we want.
This suggestion is two-edged when we ask our citizens to spend their money here; we need the mom-and-pop store owners to spend theirs here too.
Together with a little bit of that pioneer spirit that helped create this county 187 years ago, we will all make it through this crisis and our community will be the stronger for it.
