Blog Topic:
America is one of the richest nations in the world. Why do you think so many people in our country are suffering economically and what do you think our government needs to do about it?
Donovan Rogers, Age 15
Dear Journey For Change Followers,
A lot of people work very hard but still cannot get ahead. There are a myriad of causes for this phenomenon, the most obvious one is a lack of education. By education, I am not referring only to a high school education, but more importantly a college education that gives one a competitive advantage. Bill Gates, the richest man on Earth did not finish college, but he is undoubtedly one of the most business-educated people in America.
Due to our country’s economy, many people fear layoffs, go through their savings to meet everyday expenses or are unable to find work when laid off. Continuing education provides a path to overcome these recession problems and concerns. During a recession the cost of adult education may seem impossible to afford, nevertheless the cost may not be as great as perceived.
I feel that adults who have quit college should go back. My mom was in college when I was born. Balancing her future responsibilities of raising me and continuing her studies forced my Mom to drop out. One day I hope my Mom goes back to school to achieve her dream of obtaining a college education. Hopefully she will look beyond the assumed price tag of continuing education is important for taking advantage of opportunities to improve career and financial situations. Continuing education increases an employee’s value to a company and for those seeking new jobs, provides increased skills to make finding a new job easier. As with any of life’s difficult situations, continuing education offers many options to consider.
Kids today can’t wait to get out of high school, but I’ll bet that if you ask them what is next in their life plan, two-thirds of them will not have an answer. Education is your ticket to a brighter future; so don’t let it slip away…no matter what the price is!
Sincerely,
Donovan Rogers
Dasia Carr, Age 14
I think so many people are suffering economically in this country because the middle and working class are sometimes forgotten especially those who make a low income or sometimes the person couldn’t afford to finish their education and therefor can’t find a job. The government should get more help available to the those who need it. More programs that help people get an education and better programs that help people with low income.
Latoya Massie, Age 16
America is one of the richest nations in the world. Why do you think so many people in our country are suffering economically and what do you think our government needs to do about it? My ideas simply are that they need to use there money and put it to better things like the needs of there people. But the problems that are aport on my concerns are below with information provided.
Is Unemployment a Big Problem?
Some say there are reasons to think that unemployment in the United States is not a big problem. In June 2005, for example, 33.5 percent of all unemployed people were under the age of twenty-four, and presumably few of them were the main source of income for their families. One out of six of the unemployed are teenagers. Moreover, the average duration of a spell of unemployment is short. In June 2005 it was 16.3 weeks. And the median spell of unemployment is even shorter. In June 2005 it was 7.0 weeks, meaning that half of all spells last 7.0 weeks or less.
On the basis of numbers like the above, many economists have thought that unemployment is not a very large problem. A few weeks of unemployment seems to them like just enough time for people to move from one job to another. Yet these numbers, though accurate, are misleading. Much of the reason why unemployment spells appear short is that many workers drop out of the labor force at least temporarily because they cannot find attractive jobs. Often two short spells of unemployment mean a long spell of joblessness because the person was unemployed for a short time, withdrew from the labor force, and then reentered the labor force.
And even if most unemployment spells are short, most weeks of unemployment are experienced by people who are out of work for a long time. To see why, consider the following example. Suppose that each week, twenty spells of unemployment lasting 1 week begin, and only one begins that lasts 20 weeks. Then the average duration of a completed spell of unemployment would be only 1.05 weeks. But half of all unemployment (half of the total of 40 weeks that the twenty-one people are out of work) would be accounted for by spells lasting 20 weeks.
Something like this example applies in the real world. In June 2005, for example, 42.9 percent of the unemployed had been unemployed for less than five weeks, but 16.9 percent had been unemployed for six or more months.
· recession
The full impact of a recession on employment may not be felt for several quarters. Research in Britain shows that low-skilled, low-educated workers and the young are most vulnerable to unemployment in a downturn. After recessions in Britain in the 1980s and 1990s, it took five years for unemployment to fall back to its original levels.
Business
Productivity tends to fall in the early stages of a recession, then rises again as weaker firms close. The variation in profitability between firms rises sharply. Recessions have also provided opportunities for anti-competitive mergers, with a negative impact on the wider economy: the suspension of competition policy in the United States in the 1930s may have extended the Great Depression.
Social effect
The living standards of people dependent on wages and salaries are more affected by recessions than those who rely on fixed incomes or welfare benefits. The loss of a job is known to have a negative impact on the stability of families, and individuals’ health and well-being.
Global recessions
There is no commonly accepted definition of a global recession, although the IMF regards periods when global growth is less than 3% to be global recessions. The IMF estimates that global recessions seem to occur over a cycle lasting between 8 and 10 years. During what the IMF terms the past three global recessions of the last three decades, global per capita output growth was zero or negative.
Economists at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) state that a global recession would take a slowdown in global growth to three percent or less. By this measure, four periods since 1985 qualify: 1990–1993, 1998, 2001–2002 and 2008–2009.
· hospital closings
Efforts underway to prevent NY hospital closure
NEW YORK — Civil rights lawyers say they plan to go to court to prevent the closing of Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan.
Earlier this month, the board of directors of Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Center voted to close the Greenwich Village hospital’s inpatient services, including acute, rehabilitation and behavioral health care services.
In a statement, lawyers say they plan to file a complaint Tuesday in New York State Supreme Court on behalf of a patient, hospital employees and members of the community.
Saint Vincent’s Hospital, a 160-year-old institution, treated hundreds of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks and was at the forefront of the early response to the AIDS epidemic.
The hospital’s outpatient services will continue as the organization seeks solutions to keep them running.
Albert Brunn, Age 14
I think that many people that are having financial problems did not expect a sudden change in the economy of The United States of America. Some people may have noticed that the economy was changing little by little before it got out of hand. For those that didn’t notice a heavy weight came down on their shoulders. Many people lost their jobs. I feel the government is spending too much money on the war in the Middle East. Why not use the money that is being spent on war to protect our law abiding citizens from crime?
I don’t think the U.S. should spend large amounts of money to protect another nation. The United States was so used to being the big shot of all nations that we didn’t recognize what was happening. Each year the number of both legal and illegal immigrants increases each year. That is because people outside of America feel that America is where they can make it in life. As America’s population keeps increasing our money will have less value. Either America has to really search for illegal immigrants of print more money. This will bring the value of the dollar back up.
Zuliana Burnett, Age 15
I think that the reason why people are suffering economically is because people were spending so much money and going overboard with the money. I think the government needs to make a plan and come up with a strategy.
Joshua Hall, Age 17
Although America is one of the richest nations in the world, so many U.S. citizens suffer economically.I believe this is so because of the issue of greed. Some people who have all they need want even more and will do whatever it takes to get what they want, even if it means threatening the financial status of others. I believe another reason is because of the limited supply of gas. For motor vehicles especially, gas is very expensive and valuable. The United States consumes about 20 million barrels of oil products per day, according to the Department of Energy . Of that, almost half is used for motor gasoline.With the amoint of gasoline decreasing daily, the value and price of it increases. To solve this problem i belive that everyone should do more giving and helping and less hurting and receiving. From a technological standpoint, I believe that as of now hybrid cars are our best bet in saving gasoline, as well as, finding other means of fuel.
Queen Clyde, Age 14
I think so many people in this country are suffuring economicly because of the stock markets. A country like ours needs money consistantly flowing through the stock market to be successful. Also people need to start supporting the small buisnesses more. Our economys back bone are the small buissnesses. All people worry about these days are the big name brand buisnesses whic is wy the economy is going bad.
Vandesha Walker, Age 15
I think so many people in our country are suffering economically because of the war fund. America put all of their money into the war and now money is getting low. I also believe that it has something to do with cigarettes. It has been said that cigarettes kill, yet cigarette companies are still allowed to sell them. I think that all cigarette companies should be shutdown and war should end. I think that there is no point of having a war and it is a sin to kill
Sydney Smart, Age 14
America is one of the most powerful and wealthiest countries on this planet. in america life is based on upper-class, middle class (which now days is undefined) and lower class of money goods. People have different opinions in priorities. one might think that their gucci outfit wear is much more important than their student loan payment. Or a milled dog is more important than underprivileged child in africa or a child living in the other 4 contents. Some people were guided from their child hood to save money so when their in a crisis they would be prepared. Others might think that their fine and money shouldn’t be a idol. From school experience you do witness alot of changes families undergo to pay private school tuition. Many times my friends debate on how well the Obama administration is governing america, and if their ballot plans are worth it. I always catch everyone blaming the next person, but not many who accounts themselves that it was their fault. so the reason i think people are suffering is preparedness, priorities, and whose fault it is. When truthfully mabey people should put away money and not focus on it too, much that they turn ill and go through depression.
Shaquille Cadougan, Age 16
Yes it is true that america is one of the richest countries in the world. to tell you the truth i really dont know. i think it is because of debts that are needed to be payed. the government should find a way to help people with their finances.
Sayris Pallares, Age 15
America is one of the richest nations in the world. Why do you think so many people in our country are suffering economically and what do you think our government needs to do about it?
I think that so many people are suffering economically because they a lot of bills to pay. Also sometimes people waste money on unnecessary things that isn’t important. The government needs to step up and help those who don’t have jobs and give sum money away to those who need it. That’s the government should do about those who are suffering economically.
Jordan Ratley, Age 14
America is the most powerful nation in the world. Around this wonderful nation are some americans who have nowhere to go nothing to do and nothing is being done about it. These people are considered poor. Ever since the recession had begun more and more people started losing their homes and some sold prized pocessions in order to keep their homes. The prices on almost everything in America has gone up. In order to stop this, I think the government should tell ushow we can try to change our spending habits.We should reuse anything that is reusable or recycable. I think that’s all that needs to be done.
Benjamin Goode, Age 13
I think that the reason people are suffering economically is because a lot of people try to be like the next man or women and out due each other. From this they are wasting their money and not realizing it. Before they know it they don’t hav anymore money. Which now makes it hard for them to pay rent, to eat and even to live.I think that government should lowwer th prices on certain things like gas, food, clothes, etc. This would make the people spend less money on the thing that they buy.
Jenee Lawson, Age 16
It is indeed true that America is one of the richest countries in the world, but so many people in America are suffering economically because of the government. Another reason is that we are in a recession so i think it’s not really so much that the government can do at once. It can be done in time. They need to provide more shelters and soup kitchens for the poor people. Also try to find some way that they can give them money to buy food or clothes for themselves or children, but as of now it is hard to get money nowadays so it is not going to be a fast process, it should grow within time.
To read about the first mission trip to South Africa in 2008, please go to: http://angelrockproject.com/arp/projects/journey_for_change.asp
Journey for Change: Empowering Youth Through Global Service uplifts the lives of inner-city youth through global travel, volunteerism and advocacy work. More information on the program can be found at www.angelrockproject.com.
