The Robert Reich and Elizabeth Warren videos are great. Thank you for including them. The Robert Reich piece in particular is infuriating. I have been complaining about this to friends for months. Do you have any recommendations on what we little people can do about this? I feel increasingly lame in our current political climate. After years of writing postcards and routinely calling my senators during the last administration, and seeing nothing change, I’ve kind of given up hope.
I have been considering a rewards perk card, particularly one that awards airline miles, because hey, I might as well get in on some of those perks. But on the other hand, when I read the New York Times article, I feel like the only control I have in the situation is to boycott that card and not participate. (interestingly, amazingly, despite my incredibly high outstanding graduate school loans, I have a very high credit score.) Meanwhile, I opened one of those zero interest for 14 months cards last fall in order to get my car fixed and some other things. The meager amount I’ve been able to pay on it every month, however, has been wiped out by the recent necessity of a new computer. (Mine simply was no longer working right after eight years. And to keep the cost down I bought a refurbished but in the end it was still a $1300 charge.) it all feels like an endless loop. And at credit card interest rates reaching as high as 26% these days, how does one ever pay them off? The problem is just as bad as school loans. :/
Interesting thoughts, as always, Jan. As a little person myself (and I'm short, too!), my thoughts about how to make change happen...is complicated. As far as I know, I have made change happen only for myself via working with a like-minded elected official. You can do this by writing to them directly, meeting them at house parties or other types of meet-ups, and calling a very specific problem to their attention that might have broader implications for their constituents. I did an "end around" a major bank by meeting with a U.S. representative at a house party and she wrote a letter to the U.S. Comptroller about the bank's refusal to accept federal funds on my behalf to save my house. It worked! What I hope to do with this newsletter is to call out specific issues of inequity to a broad audience, then connect with a local newspaper about a specific issues the paper might be willing to explore and then from there get the attention of the governor. I have at least two in mind! Let me know what you think when you have a chance...
Yes, representatives are often very good at responding to constituents. Individual problems. I think there might even be someone in senators offices that does this as well. But these broader issues such as Robert Reich raises... heck they’re people protesting now in Nashville, and in DC regarding stricter gun laws and honestly nothing is changing. It’s frustrating, infuriating, and downright depressing. 😩
I appreciate you keeping these issues front and center.
Yes, same goes for U. S. Senators. I hope that if the protests get big enough and loud enough, something will be done...but with some of the super MAGA people in power, that might not be possible. They are there to simply obstruct, it seems.
The Robert Reich and Elizabeth Warren videos are great. Thank you for including them. The Robert Reich piece in particular is infuriating. I have been complaining about this to friends for months. Do you have any recommendations on what we little people can do about this? I feel increasingly lame in our current political climate. After years of writing postcards and routinely calling my senators during the last administration, and seeing nothing change, I’ve kind of given up hope.
I have been considering a rewards perk card, particularly one that awards airline miles, because hey, I might as well get in on some of those perks. But on the other hand, when I read the New York Times article, I feel like the only control I have in the situation is to boycott that card and not participate. (interestingly, amazingly, despite my incredibly high outstanding graduate school loans, I have a very high credit score.) Meanwhile, I opened one of those zero interest for 14 months cards last fall in order to get my car fixed and some other things. The meager amount I’ve been able to pay on it every month, however, has been wiped out by the recent necessity of a new computer. (Mine simply was no longer working right after eight years. And to keep the cost down I bought a refurbished but in the end it was still a $1300 charge.) it all feels like an endless loop. And at credit card interest rates reaching as high as 26% these days, how does one ever pay them off? The problem is just as bad as school loans. :/
Interesting thoughts, as always, Jan. As a little person myself (and I'm short, too!), my thoughts about how to make change happen...is complicated. As far as I know, I have made change happen only for myself via working with a like-minded elected official. You can do this by writing to them directly, meeting them at house parties or other types of meet-ups, and calling a very specific problem to their attention that might have broader implications for their constituents. I did an "end around" a major bank by meeting with a U.S. representative at a house party and she wrote a letter to the U.S. Comptroller about the bank's refusal to accept federal funds on my behalf to save my house. It worked! What I hope to do with this newsletter is to call out specific issues of inequity to a broad audience, then connect with a local newspaper about a specific issues the paper might be willing to explore and then from there get the attention of the governor. I have at least two in mind! Let me know what you think when you have a chance...
Yes, representatives are often very good at responding to constituents. Individual problems. I think there might even be someone in senators offices that does this as well. But these broader issues such as Robert Reich raises... heck they’re people protesting now in Nashville, and in DC regarding stricter gun laws and honestly nothing is changing. It’s frustrating, infuriating, and downright depressing. 😩
I appreciate you keeping these issues front and center.
Yes, same goes for U. S. Senators. I hope that if the protests get big enough and loud enough, something will be done...but with some of the super MAGA people in power, that might not be possible. They are there to simply obstruct, it seems.