How far are you willing to go to fix our economy?

Hello Everyone:
This is one of my first posts here on ATS so please overlook any mistakes I may make. First of all, I want to acknowledge there will be many people who read this will rightfully think this is not our responsibility to correct as private citizens. I agree 100% with that. But, I'm a PROUD AMERICAN and rather enjoy the rest of the world looking up to us. I'm ashamed of the current situation our government has put us in in regards to our economic status. When I think about it, I almost wanna throw up. Now, to my idea. How much money would it take us to get out of our current economic nightmare? If everyone in a financial position to contribute $20, or less depending on your own situation, to a fund specifically aimed at fixing the economy, would you think about it? I would envision a small "board" of a very organized group overseeing this, with NO politicians. The board would be responsible for managing the money throughout this "fund drive" and held accountable for all the money. We could maybe even have the government reimburse the contributors over an extended time frame so as to not hit them all at once for the reimbursements. Obviously, there would be many details to work out.

I don't have any easy answers for our current dilemma, but I'm still an AMERICAN and not going down without a fight. (Even when I know I'm gonna get knocked out in the first round!)
Thanks for your time,
Chris

reply to post by CBS01


It might take more than 20 dollars

I could be wrong on this , but i think if you take all the debt in America , divide it by number of citizens

Each citizen owes about 98000 dollars

I wouldn't pay more than that of a Starbucks drink.
I've given up way more money than I usually spend in the past year+ so, not more than maybe $10.

Spending more money is not the answer - and even if we wanted too the vast majority of American people are incapable of spending anymore money.

Fifty percent are one paycheck from not being able to pay their bills. The average household has 18000 dollars in debt not counting mortgages. 43% spend more than they make in a year. The reason we are in this mess is that we as citizens - and our government have spent way too much.

As the previous poster pointed out there are about 150 million tax payers - that means for every trillion we are in debt each tax payer owes over $6500. When you realize there is no money for social security or medicare saved and we are close to not being able to borrow as a nation anymore - the best thing you can do is save money for your own survival - you are very likely to need it the way things are going.

If you really want to try and make a difference it has to be done through political means. Even though it is too late to avoid the current crisis we have entered into, hopefully things can be improved so it does not happen again.

Originally posted by CBS01
Now, to my idea. How much money would it take us to get out of our current economic nightmare? If everyone in a financial position to contribute $20, or less depending on your own situation, to a fund specifically aimed at fixing the economy, would you think about it?

As far as i can gather Chris, every man woman and child will be paying off tens of thousands of dollars each .... into the not so distance future , you won`t be physically handing it over .... they`ll just help themselves.

Pardon my crude over-simplification.

Keep you 20$ in your pocket .
---------------------------------------------------------------

All the guilt regarding the "mess" we where going to leave the next generation ..... has imploded with the realisation ..... It is us that will have to pay the piper .

The music is about to stop .....and many of us will be left without a chair.

Forcing the people to inject money into the Economy and encouraging them to spend - is probably the Policy and approach they are going to take/have been taking (Sorry been out of the Economics loop for a few months)

Spend.
Spend.
Spend.

The thing is - it is NOT your problem to fix - and you should keep your damn money. The politicians are too corrupt to be trusted with your $20. They'll take it from you, and you will not see the benefits.

I'm not saying you should save your money either, because at that rate, if little money (term used loosely) is circulating, you know what happens? Print more Money. Know what that does? Inflation. Equals? You're saved money is devaluing by the day.

Honestly, I don't know what the answer is for the US Economy - all I know - is it's going to hit us up in Canada soon....

I hope China doesn't lose faith in the American Dollar... How many of your T-bills do they own? I really hope that your government stops tempting them... I really really really hope that.


- Carrot

If everyone chipped in and paid the 20 dollars, that would create a fund of about 6 billion dollars. Perhaps I am being short sighted here but I don't see how 6 billion is going to even scratch the surface of our economic problems.

I don't think that more money into the abyss is going to fix the problem. The system is broken and any more money thrown at it is just more money wasted. Not that it matters though, they will take all of our money before all is said and done.

i think if you are "really" honest than you know that all the lies are comming to an end. just debt everywhere violence poverty bonuses billoins going in every direction and bills comming to you police freaking out, millions in the street protesting world wide goverments fall,politics faile, more rules and MUST DO things come to live,.. (h.r 1388)

look deep inside.feel your gut..

now ask yourself... can it all be saved?? even if you forget history.

i saw this from einstein,

"i do not know with what weapons WWIII will be fought, but WWIV will be fought with sticks and stones."

if he is right...ALL (information) will be lost ,

Hey people, thanks for pointing out my miscalculations and misunderstanding of how bad things really are. (I guess I was thinking our population was more in line with China's and the money contributed would be more significant!) Forget it, my approach now is gonna be to just look out for myself and my dog. Oh yeah, and my wife too, can't forget about her as she actually makes more money than I do, (I love her so much.) Anyway, good luck to everyone out there, seriously.