N000334
Friday, December 21, 2001 6:55 AM
Comment aboutthe Interim Final Rule
I believe everyone working as hard as they can since the September 11th
tragedy should be commended. I think President Bush is doing the best job he
can right now and the best job he knows how to do, despite what he has
already been through in attaining the position he now holds. Believe me, I
would not want his job for anything in the world.
HOWEVER, what I do want and what I want the United States Government to know,
realize, and understand is that there a lot more people suffering in this
country than those who are the actual victims or related to those who became
victims of this tragedy. Due to the severity of the situation and the
already crumbling economy, this country almost came to a screeching halt,
economically speaking, in the days and weeks following this event. I live in
a mid sized city (about 38,000 people) on the Wisconsin side of the WI/IL
border. This community has been know to many of the residents living here
for any length of time as a welfare town. About half of the residents living
in this community live at or below the poverty level. I have lived there,
and I know how difficult it can be on a good day. However in the 2 years
prior to the attacks in New York, we have lost most of the major businesses
in this city to bankruptcies and business decisions to move, that we almost
have nothing going for this town if one is out of a job and needing one.
There are, of course, the minimum wage jobs, and only a select number of
those, but one cannot support himself, much less and dependents on what that
brings home. That, and once one has earned above a certain wage, no one
paying that low will hire that person for fear of him leaving if he were
offered another position for more money. I have more than once been told I
was over qualified because of how much I have made in the past. Since the
attacks, companies all around this area and around the country are downsizing
due to lack of work and to try to save capital expenses, which leaves those
workers to try to find something else in our already impoverished country.
Not only are the wages no longer there, but neither are the insurance
premiums, which all families need, and some more than others. If one has the
opportunity to be a stay-at-home parents, then they do not even qualify for
Medicare. (I would be glad to discuss this with someone of they would care
to get in touch with me.) So now, not only are there direct victims of this
tragedy, which they all obviously are in need during this time of crisis, but
so are the rest of the country, whose taxes are going to be raised to help
support the funds needed to help those more obviously in need than
themselves.
Good luck to the President and may God give him the wisdom to make the right
choices. Good luck for the rest of the government branches, and may God give
them the wisdom to work together with everyone to come up with a way to
wisely see us all through this together.
Individual Comment