Newest Freebies+History of Consumerism

“Considering who makes our laws, is it any wonder we cannot legislate greed or morality?” --Bruce David


Gov Arnold Wants to Begin Reducing Pensions to State Workers – You Know the Dems will blast that move in CA!

The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College found that while 43 percent of private employers offered some type of retirement plan in 2006, they tended not to be as generous as public employee packages. Private-sector workers also rarely receive retiree health care coverage, meaning most have to work until they can start drawing Social Security and Medicare at age 65. Workers born after 1960 will not be eligible to retire until 67.

Byron King says…
“This job-stagnation is a recipe for all sorts of bad things at the local, state and national levels. Government budgets won’t balance, so I guess we can plan on more ‘cost saving’ measures such as releasing prisoners early and closing schools. Yep, that’s how to build a great nation… More criminals and fewer well-educated citizens.”

Government workers and their union representatives often say the more generous pensions offset lower pay.

But the latest U.S. Census survey, from 2007, shows the average annual salary of California state government employees was $53,958, compared with $40,991 for the average private-sector worker.

"The pension benefits for public employees in California are extravagant and they are going to bankrupt cities and counties, along with the state," said Keith Richman, a former state assemblyman who said he plans to launch an initiative campaign to change state employee pension benefits.

Note: Our elected reps in Washington DC are even more generous to themselves– we should all be so lucky as to get a Congressional health package!
In the final analysis, Congressional pension benefits are 2-3 times more generous than what a similarly-salaried executive could expect to receive upon retiring from the private sector.

Meanwhile, despite signs of “improvement” in the economy, Pres. Obama finally has acknowledged what I’ve been telling him for over a year…
"We won't have a recovery as long as we keep losing jobs," President Barack Obama acknowledged Friday.

As important as savings is, many economists wish that consumers would save less and spend more right now to help propel the recovery.
"I'm praying, 'God, please don't encourage American households to save a lot more just yet,'" said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at IHS Global Insight…which brings me to my next story.

People all over the country are revamping their lifestyles and getting back to basics. Gone are the days of decadence and debt.

Health Plan Chaos?

Plenty of controversy regarding any kind of new health plan…
Although the AARP has signed on, many seniors have not, as it is becoming pretty clear that Medicare benefits will be greatly reduced as a way to subsidize coverage for folks who can’t, or won’t, buy health insurance.

No matter what your opinion, pro or con, now is the time to let your Senators and congress people know how you feel. You can contact your Senator on house members at this link: http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml.

More ‘health related’ news…
"The connection between rising rates of obesity and rising medical spending is undeniable," the authors of the Health Affairs study cited by the CDC conclude. "Without a strong and sustained reduction in obesity prevalence, obesity will continue to impose major costs on the health system for the foreseeable future."
In a December report, the Congressional Budget Office likewise warned that "any savings to the federal government" from discouraging unhealthy habits such as overeating or smoking "could be at least partially offset by additional expenditures as healthier individuals live longer." For example, "Medicare costs could rise for the treatment of other diseases and conditions during those extra years of life, and expenditures for programs that are not directly related to health (such as Social Security) could also increase as life spans are extended."

Overeating, like smoking, seems to be one of those risky habits that saves taxpayers money. If reducing demands on the public treasury is the aim, such habits should be encouraged.

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Things Look Bleak for the Gov’t No Matter Where You Look
By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – The recession is starving the government of tax revenue, just as the president and Congress are piling a major expansion of health care and other programs on the nation's plate and struggling to find money to pay the tab.
The numbers could hardly be more stark: Tax receipts are on pace to drop 18 percent this year, the biggest single-year decline since the Great Depression, while the federal deficit balloons to a record $1.8 trillion.
Other figures in an Associated Press analysis underscore the recession's impact: Individual income tax receipts are down 22 percent from a year ago. Corporate income taxes are down 57 percent. Social Security tax receipts could drop for only the second time since 1940, and Medicare taxes are on pace to drop for only the third time ever.

The last time the government's revenues were this bleak, the year was 1932 in the midst of the Depression.
The numbers for 2009 are striking, head-snapping. But what really matters is what happens next," he said. "If it's just one year, then it's a remarkable thing, but it's totally manageable. If the economy doesn't recover soon, it doesn't matter what your social, economic and political agenda is. There's not going to be any revenue to pay for it."
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"The entire world economy rests on the consumer;
if he ever stops spending money he doesn't have
on things he doesn't need -- we're done for."
--Bill Bonner

How Consumerism Started-With a Little Help from GM
It’s your patriotic duty to spend was the battle cry of our government during the post WWII years; whereas during the war, it was our duty not to spend (goods were rationed during the war). How GM helped us to become a nation of consumers plus a brief history of consumerism in the USA.
Fragmentation and self-interest (greed) has cursed the self-indulgent consumption of America…
Read the full story here:
http://poormansurvival.com/UsableInformation.aspx


Freebies to Review
A clinical trial is a health-related research study in which patients are assigned an experimental treatment and their outcomes are then measured. Many such trials are completely free to the patient.

Check out the registry at ClinicalTrials.gov — there are currently more than 60,000 clinical trials across the country listed.

Simply visit JustFreeStuff.com and TheFreeSite.com and look for links to your favorite sample giveaways.

Nero 9 Free Version
Nero has released a free version of their popular disc burning software. The software is still an effective way to write or copy data from CDs and DVDs and functions on most Windows versions.
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My friends and I started a free online project called shareyourdiscount.com. Our aim is to create an online community where buyers, individual sellers, and store owners connect for all of their shopping needs. (Brad is a new subscriber)
Thank you,
Brad, co-founder
shareyourdiscount.com

Barter for Free Services
Trade for lawn service, painting, hair cuts, etc. with this free service
www.FavorPals.com

Easy to make solar oven plans
Cost of materials, about $5 and about an hour to construct. Get complete instructions:
www.re-energy.ca/pdf/solaroven.pdf

You’ll also find dozens of other easy build projects at our site: www.poormansurvival.com/DIYLinks

Launch a Store Gadget in Google Labs
Google Labs has launched an interesting new gadget that allows users to create a Google Checkout store in gadget form to use on their blog or web site. According to Google the process is as simple as three easy steps:
1. Sign up for a Google Checkout account

2. Fill out a Google Docs Spreadsheet

3. Set up and insert you gadget
Sounds easy enough. Easily create an online store using a Google Docs spreadsheet. Interesting indeed. "No complicated coding or technical tasks are required," says Google on the gadget's homepage. "You can get your first online store up-and-running in under five minutes."
http://code.google.com/apis/checkout/developer/Google_Checkout_Store_Gadget_Tutorial.html
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Ever wanted to create your own information product (& make some $$) – it’s a free course!
http://www.partnersinsuccess.net/plr/product-creation/squeeze.htm
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FREE for my readers…No Job-No Worries. A 40-page PDF by Jim Daniels
If you’re interested, drop me an email with “NoWorry” in the subject line & I’ll send.
You must be a current subscriber!


Also check out TotallyFreeStuff.com, where you can find thousands of listings across a wide variety of categories from hundreds of different companies. (For example, you can find dozens of restaurants where kids can eat free.)

Visit GetGroceriesFree.com, a web site started by a penny-pinching mother of three. She scours the papers and the Internet for special deals, and then lists them on her site along with tutorials and actual shopping trip purchases.

Unclaimed funds, such as forgotten utility deposits, stock dividends and insurance payments, are held in the rightful owner's name for up to three to five years.
It's easy to find out if you are entitled to this "missing" money. Simply go to www.unclaimed.org and start searching.

Every state in the nation has a health insurance program available to children in working families, from infants to teens. For little or zero cost, doctor visits, prescription medicines, hospitalizations and more are covered. For more information, visit InsureKidsNow.gov.

Uncle Sam has BILLIONS of dollars to give away for free... if you know where to look.

A website has been established at http://www.govbenefits.gov/, which is designed to help you negotiate through all the programs. Fill out a short questionnaire, and you'll be provided with a list of benefits that may apply to you, as well as a full description and links to the resources.
You can learn more about Matthew Lesko's goldmine of free government resources at www.governmentmoneyclub.com.

TIP For the Unemployed!
If you’ve ever received unemployment benefits, you know that the compensation is included in your gross income, subject to taxes. But the new law excludes up to $2,400 of this compensation from your gross income for 2009.

Sure seems like a lot of Americans get caught…
Wandering US tourists have been detained in N Korea, Iran and other countries, and of course, they’re all “spies.” I know stupidity is a major disease in this country, but you must wonder about these folks who play around so close to enemy territories?!

Your until next week,
Bruce “The Poor Man”