Traylisha Dearman Dearman p1
May 4, 2010
Eng 101
Prof. Boswell

Is America calling it an “Economic Crisis” yet? With mounting economic debt, the value of the American dollar has plummeted. With the crisis beginning in 2007 with the start of the housing, market crash.
Even though our governments high spending habits are believed to contribute is our Government at fault for our "Crisis", the Housing Market crashing was a major cause to the economic downfall because when the housing market fell so did all economic markets and with Banks and Government Offices loaning on "sub-prime” loans it further sealed the deal. With America’s mounting debts, funding wars, and import of goods when will they stop and look at the big picture? If America is capable of making products, our country needs, and then why not do it? We export billions of dollars to other countries for goods that we can easily make our self. So why not save the money? If we were to begin manufacturing our own goods, we could not only save money but also give more jobs to people in our country. Americans need to realize that the products they buy from other countries imported into America do not put the money back in our own country. We can grow our own produce, and have for many years. Now days it seems we import more and more food to feed our families when we have the ability and know how to grow it our self. If we all Dearman p2
Only purchased items made in America I feel that our economy would begin to improve drastically. When will our government say enough is enough? How many big parties and dinners must they have to make this revelation? Our government officials’ must hold large elaborate dinners to say we are in an “Economic Crisis”. It should be our government official’s responsibility to pay for this event from his or her own pocket books not ours. Instead of all these “Stimulus Packages”, why not take the money to make the changes to improve the economy instead? Why not start more businesses to make more jobs? With more jobs, the housing market would level out and our people will have secure places to reside. I feel our government has held a large role in the fall of the American economy. If we could all come together and realize that we are in trouble and ways we can fix it our economy would prosper. I do not think the drugs are why our country is what it is. I think over the years the government has become to comfortable as pencil pushers, knowing their decisions wont directly effect them. I think it should change. Everyone should be governed with the same rules. Then maybe our government would do more to help the situation rather then hinder it. Before America is nothing but a broken country, let us fix it. We were once a great nation. We need to be their again for our children, the future of America. They do not need to solve our mistakes we need to solve them to make this the real “Land of Opportunity” not convenience.

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I think the government should have to live by the laws and standards they choose to govern us with. I feel they should be losing things they “worked” for right along with the rest of America. Our government treats us unfairly when it comes to our economy. We pay our taxes and still can’t get a break. When they do these “stimulus packages” How much do they get? Why are we putting more money into their pockets? When will our government help us not themselves? If we pay our taxes to fund wars, pay government debt and to support fellow Americans on welfare, what are they paying for? If a state senator makes $174,000 per year, a state Governor makes between $70,000 and $174,000 per year. (statistic’s based on 2009 salaries) The president earns a $400,000 annual salary, along with a $50,000 annual expense account, a $100,000 non-taxable travel account and $19,000 for entertainment. Retired presidents now receive a pension based on the salary of the current administration's cabinet secretaries, which is $191,300 as of 2008
The Former Presidents Act, as amended, also provides former presidents with travel funds and “franking” privileges. Franking privileges are to allow all former presidents and government officials to send mail for free. Now if we add all these salaries up together, each state having 1 governor, 2 senators, and just a generalization and understatement of each one of the above having only 1 secretary each; including the President himself we pay our government $38,155,300 per year. That’s not adding in their healthcare benefits, perks, bonuses, or those big elaborate dinners to discuss dead issues. If we stopped paying them for 4 years,
We could have saved the country $152,621,200. How many fellow Americans could have? Dearman p4

saved their houses? How many businesses would still be here ready for work? How much can our economy change? If a medical doctor has to attend school for 8 years, then 2 years of specialty school, and 2-4 years; depending on specialty, to actually work to make hundreds of dollars an hour. Why do we pay them so much money when they have never worked a real day’s work in their lives? How many of us bust our backs everyday, doing the jobs the government will not do to contribute to our country, and make peanuts for our trouble? How many Americans put their lives in danger each and everyday with no perk package or high salary? None, if we were to stop paying them they would leave office and demand money for their time and for their services. Only the problem is they don’t provide anything significant to this country. How can our government expect to save this country if they cannot even take a cut in their pay to help the people they were sworn to protect? When will our government stop living in a higher realm and be governed and judged by the same rules and regulations we are? When our government realizes that, then our country will prosper, till then we are all being drug down a financial path of destruction by the greedy Politian’s we elect into office every term. If we could all come to an agreement and lower our governments salaries and limit the excessive use of money we will all be good. By doing both making our own goods and reducing frivolous spending and salaries we could say that we are a great nation once more, the way we used to be and should still be.

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Work Cited Page www.wikopedia.com For government officials salaries
For housing market crash details www.federalbudget.com/ www.warresisters.org/piechart.htm