Here's another "trick" that many either ignore or are ignorant of. Immigrants(legal and illegal) cramming several families into one house and then using multiple rental property addresses to collect food stamps and unemployment, while all their income is reported under one address(and sent back"home")...
The result? Thousands of taxpayers dollars being handed to several individuals that have jobs, but report the income under one address. I've witnessed balances on food direction cards in excess of $1,000, only to watch the holder get into new SUV's and/or high priced cars. It is sickening. Those of us that are hardworking and honest need to speak up and have our officials get their heads out their _ _ _ es and pay attention to what has been happening for years right under our noses.

Here's an idea. How about going back to the old food stamp plan? You know, when you couldn't buy soda, frozen dinners, candy, etc... I remember government cheese - -what happened to the cheese? Food stamps should be good for meats, vegetables, dairy, and other staple food items. Then prepare the food in a manner that it feeds a family a healthy meal with leftovers. I've seen too many people using food stamps/ debit cards for shrimp, lean cuisines, porter house steaks and other high priced foods. It is not meant to splurge with, it is meant to make sure you don't starve. We need to stop the abuse.

We've had "free" health care for years. Every ER I've ever been in has signs posted that you can't be refused treatment. How can anyone argue that we don't have free health care? Well, at least it's free unless you have insurance. Then, you get to pay premiums, co-pays, etc.... to cover all the "free" coverage that is available.

I'm going to jump in with a small thing all of us can do. If you are hiring or have hired a contractor to do work on your home or business make sure they are legal citizens and are paying their taxes. It is amazing how many of us hire based on price only and take the lowest bid without researching why the bid is lowest. What it does is force honest, tax paying Americans out of work. This happens all the time in all industries. Granted, on the flip side, there are many tax paying contractors trying to "milk" other Americans simply for the thrill of the sale. But those businesses will soon find that we are demanding they be fair. Always get at least three bids on any job you are going to contract out. Check the company history, BBB, Angie's list, and verify referrals. By doing so you will ensure that you get the best value, stop illegals from taking our jobs, and help the rest of us by making sure we are treating each other fairly.
It is time to get our heads out of the sand and pay attention. I have seen too many friends and neighbors be taken advantage of.
If you are a contractor or business owner and have had to compete against these odds then you understand the problem even better than the average customer. If you know for a fact that a competitor is slashing prices by not paying taxes, not carrying proper insurance, underpaying workers, or simply being dishonest, then you need to let the customer know. Stop being the "nice" guy that doesn't want to criticize the other guy. The time for defending your morals and character is now. Inform the customer that like them, you too play by the rules and therefore may need to charge a little more to be fair to your employees. We need to stop tip-toeing around this. Wouldn't you rather have your employees or the employees of your "fair" competition get the work? Think about it. Would you really be upset if another company with the same integrity as yours won a contract as long as the unethical ones didn't? Soon you/we will be able to weed out the "weak" and regain the business based on honesty and integrity - not greed, slight-of-hand or blatant dishonesty. Now is the time!!!

Thanks for the reply.  Keep up the god fight!

I'm going to jump in with a small thing all of us can do. If you are hiring or have hired a contractor to do work on your home or business make sure they are legal citizens and are paying their taxes. It is amazing how many of us hire based on price only and take the lowest bid without researching why the bid is lowest. What it does is force honest, tax paying Americans out of work. This happens all the time in all industries. Granted, on the flip side, there are many tax paying contractors trying to "milk" other Americans simply for the thrill of the sale. But those businesses will soon find that we are demanding they be fair. Always get at least three bids on any job you are going to contract out. Check the company history, BBB, Angie's list, and verify referrals. By doing so you will ensure that you get the best value, stop illegals from taking our jobs, and help the rest of us by making sure we are treating each other fairly.
It is time to get our heads out of the sand and pay attention. I have seen too many friends and neighbors be taken advantage of.
If you are a contractor or business owner and have had to compete against these odds then you understand the problem even better than the average customer. If you know for a fact that a competitor is slashing prices by not paying taxes, not carrying proper insurance, underpaying workers, or simply being dishonest, then you need to let the customer know. Stop being the "nice" guy that doesn't want to criticize the other guy. The time for defending your morals and character is now. Inform the customer that like them, you too play by the rules and therefore may need to charge a little more to be fair to your employees. We need to stop tip-toeing around this. Wouldn't you rather have your employees or the employees of your "fair" competition get the work? Think about it. Would you really be upset if another company with the same integrity as yours won a contract as long as the unethical ones didn't? Soon you/we will be able to weed out the "weak" and regain the business based on honesty and integrity - not greed, slight-of-hand or blatant dishonesty. Now is the time!!!

When will the multitudes "get it"?
Over the past forty years I have had the opportunity to make my share of good and bad choices. In no way do I consider myself a financial genius. Hindsight proves that several decisions have had dramatic impacts on my life. However, the state that our country is in may prevent my children from having the opportunity to make the choices I made - right or wrong.
Growing up the looming fear of nuclear destruction was ever-present. The bombs kept getting bigger. I remember many conversations with friends in elementary school that revolved around how far away from ground zero does the destruction spread. Are we far enough away? This was after the days of bomb shelters and air raid drills. This was the 70's and 80's. We "knew" that if Russia attacked the end would likely be instant. Fortunately, it never happened. Was it simply rhetoric? Was it fear mongering? At the time we were too young to tell. Now, I still don't know if the threat was as real as it seemed. However, it's a fear that I hoped my kids would never have to worry about.

Then 9/11 happened. My oldest was old enough to comprehend the impact of the day, yet not really understand it. Then, as if in a dream the world moved on and it is 2009. The threat of today is perhaps more threatening than a nuclear attack. We are witnessing the country decaying from within and no one in charge seems to know how to stop it. The old threat of thermo-nuclear destruction was something tangible. You saw the missiles. You knew the destruction they could wreak. Today, the destruction is hiding in plain sight. "Closed" signs, Out-of-Business signs, sky-rocketing unemployment, and foreclosures on nearly every street.

Unlike the obvious threats that surrounded us growing up, today's threat is going to sneak-up and smack our kids in the face. Why? Because government is trying to hide it and keep it in the back room - it really isn't that bad. What?!?!
They have a sick pit bull (the economy) that they are nursing without success. It's getting sicker and meaner. The longer you keep it locked up the more dangerous it is going to get. Let it loose now and let the masses deal with it. Yes, those that have grown this animal and contributed to it's current condition may find it seeking vengeance. Those responsible (private and public) may not survive -- sorry. Once it settles the score with those that have wronged it, the masses will be able to regain control of it.

Do it now so that it doesn't chase our children and their children for generatios. An out-of-control economy will bring us to our knees faster and for a longer period than any attack on our soil.

America can and will recover - if we allow it!!
Posted by mijensattic at 8:22 PM
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