Hardship in the heartland

Thank you for reporting from the Heartland(North Dakota to Texas).  Some people tend to forget that alot of us live in the middle section of the country.  We have the same problems and heartaches.  Same dreams and schemes.

We, recently, traveled to the MidWest where we were married just to see how the area had changed over the years.  It was sad.  We covered territory down the West Coast, to TX - East to OH, and North to MN.  We went to neighborhoods where we had lived, shopped, and played when we were newly weds.  We found deteriorated neighborhoods, house after house for sale or foreclosed, empty strip malls, boarded up businesses, shops, and factories throughout the area.  Areas in OH and IN were probably the most distressed.

The one bright spot was agri-business where large corporate farms with the large ethanol subsidies for corn are doing pretty well - small farmers - less so. We saw large factory farms - especially dairy and hog farms - that were spewing forth high concentrations of air, water, and olfactory pollution. 

Many of the people in these regions, basically, looked depressed - many walking around looking dazed, over-weight, and just struggling to move and stay afloat.  The only activity you see is people going in and out of WalMart and lots of big mega-churches.

Another thing that is distubing is the way farmers are treated.  Everyone wants their food and wants it cheap.  The farmers get blamed for food prices.  A reality check is in order.  Farmers finally have gotten decent prices for their crops.  You should see the expense side that farmers have to deal with and it hasn't been just one year. 

Can I ask what other locations you will be visiting during this series of reports and would you like to speak to any of the following people I know:

A 62 year old personal trainer in Palm Springs (Dem), An African American soldier on a US airbase in Hawaii (GOP), a retired navy officer in Alabama (GOP), a former county chair of the Iowa GOP now studying to be a pastor in Missouri (GOP) and a pensioner in Washington state (Dem)

mara,  i was an airline pilot for 38 years. we also have driven 40,000+ miles annually around this country.I lost my pension(thanks UAL) but can still enjoy life. jobs/opportunity are booming and while some small towns have shown decline,vast majority are thriving. lets quit complaining,eat less pork, that will reduce previously mentioned pollution, then they will lose weight,and be happier,(?)  anyone noticed the monumental amount of activity building wind farms in Ca.,N.M., Tx., Ok.,Ar.,Mo.  etc etc  on and on..  C'mon people, stop painting such gloom and get a job! maybe send some  more scoundrels  who stole our trust and money to jail! oh,just kidding about eating less pork...bar-b-cued pulled pork rules!! 

I know it violates the "if it bleeds, it leads" philosophy of sensationalist journalism, but why don't you highlight those of us who are weathering this economic storm quite nicely.  You may find there are many nmore of us than you (liberals) might hope.

We are the folks who (1) Got an education and applied it (2) Worked hard all our lives and achieved some measure of success in our careers (3) Lived below our means - but lived comfortably (4) Saved our money and invested wisely and are now (5) living quite well and thoroughly enjoying our retirement years. 

Yes, I lost a lot of money in the recent downturn in the market, but since I planned well and did not squander my money when I was living on about half of my income while working, my wife and I are still quite comfortable with no significant financial issues.  We overshot our savings target by quite a bit and have faith that with continued good advice from the professional financial planners we consult, we will still achieve our financial goals.

I know many people who are similarly situated.  Instead of all the "woe is me" crap you publish, why don't you come talk to one of us.  It may give future generations some hope instead of the despair you seem intent on instilling in the populace.

John-in-Denver - Like you, my husband and I have lived frugally, saved and invested wisely, and while we have also seen a substantial drop in our investment balances, recently, we feel very fortunate and continue to live modestly, but comfortably. 

Most haven't been as fortunate as WE have been, maybe didn't have the opportunities that WE have had, maybe had health problems, family issues or some other situation that WE have not had to overcome.

Not all is lost, and it isn't 'woe is me' crap or some 'liberal' plot that is trying to ignore US.  It is that WE are the exceptions! To frame the issue by emphasizing the few like US who have been fortunate, and to ignore the millions who are in a great deal of economic stress in all parts of this country is pure denial.  Sticking our heads in the sand and going on our marry way just won't get it!

Shame on you.  Why did you become a journalist?  This article was written only one month Pryor - More jobs than people.

Mara,

 I want to thank you for your thoughtful reportage from Haiti for NBC in the wake of the hurricane and tropical storms. The footage from Gonaives was unsettling. It helped move me to contribute to singer Wyclef Jean's foundation, Yele.

Keep up the good work, and it's good to see you here on the Vine.

Dear Greengal : 

Just to set the record straight.....I started my first job in a strange town in 1967 with $20 in my pocket and talked my way into a rooming house until I could get a few paydays under my belt and look for something more permanent.  I was drafted and went to in the service where I managed to keep from getting killed.  I saved a pile of money initially there because there wasn't really anywhere to spend it unless you wanted to catch some strange diseases --- you know what I mean.  But it started me on my way to financial independence.

Fast forward 40+ years and a thousand nights and weekends working away from family.  I took time out only to have cancer and heart disease, but survived both.  Although it meant some hardships, I stayed in the service for many years.  I then started over in a brand new career.  And finally left that a few years ago.

In short, I made my own breaks and rolled with the punches life threw me.  What little family I had has been gone for years and they could not have helped me anyway.  So when you talk about opportunities and being fortunate, I bristle up a little.  Has all this made me a little cynical?  Probably.  But it has made me strong and resilient and not dependent on anyone to take care of me or my family.  Not the government, not you, and certainly not my friends and neighbors.

So, to all the woe is me crowd I say "Buck up and make things work out."  And to you, Greengal, count your blessings, babe.

Mara:

I read above that you are only visiting 5 cities that are close together for this series but due to the crisis facing this nation, you may find that your viewers are "thirsty" for more and if so, I would love to invite you to visit our facility in Newark, Delaware.

You hear so much about plant closings and jobs being sent overseas but we are one small business struggling to keep manufacturing strong in America.  I sympathize with the farmers but what about us manufacturers who are trying to provide those jobs you keep hearing the politicians talking about that they will bring back to America?  There is no need for them to create new facilities - We are HERE already established with the infrastructure in place!  Send the work, help, and employees our way and we will give them the jobs that the politicians are promising!

We did not get in this business to close the doors, put people out of work, and ship the jobs overseas.  We are here for the LONG haul but we need help too so that we can keep our employees and economy strong! 

Again I invite you to share our story and hope for the future...

I am a 27 year old mother of 2 living a responsible life in a small midwest town. My fiance and I purchased our house 5 years ago when we found our we were having our first child. Every month the first payment we make is our house payment. It is the most important bill we pay so we make sure it's taken care of. We have two old used cars which means we have no car payments and low insurance premiums. We do not go out to dinner unless it is a very special occasion and we do not take vacations. Luckily we have a family member who is retired in a larger city who thrift store shops for all of our children's clothes. We go grocery shopping two times a month for staples. I scour the internet looking for cheap and healthy meals to feed my family. We both work full time for small businesses near our home to keep our gas bills as low as we can. We both contribute to 401K plans. WE DO NOT HAVE OR USE CREDIT CARDS EVER. My fiance has no debt and I have only medical bills as debt due to the fact my children went without insurance for a year and we had two emergency room visits. I do not have medical insurance. I have not had medical insurance since my daughter was born 3+years ago. I have attended some college and have returned to college to work towards an accounting degree. (Because I did research to find out the fastest growing and highest paid careers before I chose a path). The only thing in our lives that we spend a little more than we should on is daycare for our children. It is a very good pre-school center that we believe will give our children the best start possible to the rest of their lives. The extra money is worth it to give them that opportunity. It makes me so angry to hear people talk about how they took the correct path in life and if only the "woe is me" group would have made better decisions... There are so many of us out there who lead honest, responsible, hard working lives and are being told we're suffering because of something we did, a wrong choice we made.  I doubt every move that I make because somehow, with all of the decisions I've made with the best interest of my family at heart, I am getting nowhere. Our lives are not getting better. We have both gotten raises at work during the past five years and I thought that our finances would improve as we move up at work. Not so. We are in fact worse off now than we were making less money 5 years ago. I refuse to believe that I have done it all wrong and I deserve these circumstances.

I am the inventor of the Tibbe-Line, a device that can be used on an existing clothesline and can be made into a portable clothesline. (Hangers are used instead of clothespins. The Tibbe-Line is also multi-functional in that it can be used to transport clothing in a vehicle, as a space saver in a closet and for people in wheelchairs can access their own clothes.  I have cut my laundry time by more than half, my electricity consumption has gone down and my electricity bill has gone down as well.  I have made doing laundry faster, easier and more economic.  Please go to to see how the Tibbe-Line works. If you have a questions or need more information please feel free to email me at rose@tibbeline.com

Certainly the time has come for the people all over America to reclaim power from Washington DC!

The Federal Government has failed us in so many ways, leaving future generations with not only the highest recorded deficit ever, but with an America no longer seen as leader of the free World.

We have to get back to basics: a free nation based on free people taking personal responsibility for ourselves led by small, efficient Governments on a State level close to the people, and a Federal Government taking care of our National Defense and Environment.

If you are in doubt, I challenge you to read http://www.lp.org/platform, and once again find the common road our Founding Fathers so foresightedly created with the Constitution - the only thing that truly makes us Americans.

I wonder how many farmers won't be able to get loans to plant crops, or how many will plant far fewer acres because it just isn't worth it.  When I grew up in the 60's and 70's, times were such that if you couldn't get a good paying job, that was your fault... these last few years it doesn't matter what you have going for you, you can't find a job... period.  Yet Washington allowed the Chinese to fix their currency to the dollar and refused to budge.  Now, all the manufacturing has moved there.  Our economy was led by manufacturing. It's Washington's fault... it's all their fault.  Eight years of Bush and the republicrats and demogogs throwing our children's future into a f*^$ing rat hole.  I have already told my children that I would not blame them for leaving this future 3rd world country... its the only way.   Pledge allegiance to the flag my ass!  Not to the new amerika.  Best thing that could happen now... a military coup.

The heartland  people being effected most are the ones who were ignorant enough to vote this idiot president  not once but twice into office.  Justice is arriving folks, next ellection look at the intelligence of who you vote into office and don't blindly follow a bunch of threats and promisses purposed by some moron politican. You red states got exactly what you wanted for 8 years now enjoy!

All you red state heartland people voted a moron into office Not once but Twice. Next election you might look at the intelligence of whom you elect as president. Now reap what you sow and stop complaining. Enjoy your tuff times as this is what you apparently wanted and voted for.  Even now  I can see most of you will continue to support this party that has brought shame and financial ruin to this country. Wake up and think!

Farmers need not forget the blow deal to them by the great Ronald Regan.
Please remember when you hear the term "spread the wealth" being used negatively that this is the same party that has no problem saddling the middleclass with "DEBT" to bailout the wealthies americans who have profited from wall streets drunk party, they will conceal it by saying that we have bought stock instead and that we will end up making money...LIES!!!
Vote out all incumbents and do the same in 2012 to take back our country.