@Lollicat: > >! Sometimes it isn't necessary to quote facts and figures about government debt, unemployment and the trade deficit in order to convey how badly America is decaying. The truth is that millions of Americans can watch America rotting right in front of their eyes by stepping out on their front porches. Record numbers of homes have been foreclosed on and in some of the most run down cities as many as a third of all houses have been abandoned. > >! Unemployment remains at depressingly high levels and the number of Americans on food stamps continues to set new records month after month. Due to severe budget cuts, class sizes are exploding and school programs are being eliminated. In some areas of the U.S. schools are even going to four day weeks. With little to no funding available, bridges are crumbling and street lights are being turned off in many communities. > >! In some areas, asphalt roads are actually being ground up and turned back into gravel roads because they are less expensive to maintain. There aren't even as many police available to patrol America's decaying cities because budget problems have forced local communities across the U.S. to lay off tens of thousands of officers. > Once upon a time, the American people worked feverishly to construct beautiful, shining communities from coast to coast. But now we get to watch those communities literally crumble and decay in slow motion. Nothing lasts forever, but for those of us who truly love America it is an incredibly sad thing to witness what is now happening to the great nation that our forefathers built. > >! The following are 18 signs that America is rotting right in front of our eyes…. > >! 1 - Due to extreme budget cuts, school systems across the United States are requiring their students to bring more supplies with them than ever this year. In Moody, Alabama elementary school students are being told to bring paper towels, garbage bags and liquid soap with them to school. At Pauoa Elementary School in Honolulu, Hawaii all students are being required to show up with a four-pack of toilet paper. > >! 2 - According to the American Association of School Administrators, 48 percent of all U.S. school districts are reporting budget cuts of 10 percent or less for the upcoming school year, and 30 percent of all U.S. school districts are reporting cuts of 11 to 25 percent. > >! 3 - In Chicago, drastic budget cuts could result in an average class size of 37 students. > >! 4 - The governor of Hawaii has completely shut down that state's schools on Fridays - moving teachers and students to a four day week. > >! 5 - According to the Federal Highway Administration, approximately a third of America's major roadways are already in substandard condition. > >! 6 - All over the United States, asphalt roads are being ground up and are being replaced with gravel because it is cheaper to maintain. The state of South Dakota has transformed over 100 miles of asphalt road into gravel over the past year, and 38 out of the 83 counties in the state of Michigan have now turned some of their asphalt roads into gravel roads. > >! 7 - According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 25 percent of America's nearly 600,000 bridges need significant repairs or are burdened with more traffic than they were designed to carry. > >! 8 - In a desperate attempt to save money, the city of Colorado Springs turned off a third of its streetlights and put its police helicopters up for auction. > >! 9 - The state of Arizona has eliminated funding for full-day kindergarten and has shut down a number of state parks. > >! 10 - Over the past year, approximately 100 of New York's state parks and historic sites have had to cut services and reduce hours. > >! 11 - In Georgia, the county of Clayton recently eliminated its entire public bus system in order to save 8 million dollars. > >! 12 - Elsewhere in Georgia, 30,000 people recently turned out to pick up only 13,000 applications for government-subsidized housing. A near-riot ensued and 62 people were left injured. The amazing thing is that all of this commotion was just to get on a waiting list. There are no aid vouchers even available at this time. > >! 13- In the city of Philadelphia, rolling fire station "brown outs" recently cost a 12 year old autistic boy named Frank Marasco his life. > >! 14- Oakland, California Police Chief Anthony Batts says that due to severe budget cuts there are a number of crimes that his department will simply not be able to respond to any longer. The crimes that the Oakland police will no longer be responding to include grand theft, burglary, car wrecks, identity theft and vandalism. > >! 15- The sheriff's department in Ashtabula County, Ohio has been slashed from 112 to 49 deputies, and there is now just one vehicle remaining to patrol all 720 square miles of the county. > >! 16 - Of 315 municipalities the New Jersey State Policemen's union recently canvassed, more than half indicated that they were planning to lay off police officers. > >! 17 - Not that the criminals are doing that much better. Things have gotten so bad in Camden, New Jersey that not even the drug dealers are spending their money anymore. > >! 18 - Almost everyone knows someone who has been severely impacted by this economic downturn. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey has found that 81 percent of American adults know someone who is out of work and looking for a job. > > Taken from [here](http://english.pravda.ru/business/finance/18-08-2010/114648-america_rotting-0/). So, opinions? Do you agree or disagree? This should really be titled "18 signs of future economy colapse. all this talk about no money going into this or that. well of course not! dont these people realize were about as strapped for cash, as the lady who lived in the shoe?? and whos suffering… \all of us! You ask me though, the number one problem with America is the high cost of healthcare, and all the money that goes into medical expense. When you examine the overall health of north americans today, on AVERAGE, people are now less healthy, die sooner, get cancer easier, etc... so not only are we paying for health care, but were also paying MORE now than ever before. And does it really bother anyone that most of the food packaged in stores is killing us"? Well of course not, theyre all just really after your money, not your well-being. And so, while at least half (if not more) americans (canada included) sit around dying, were paying for it, and then were paying for it again. On top of all this, governmental systems (those people all the real power and money) are WAY more corrupt than this list portrays. Consider when evidence arose about GMO foods that it would make mice infertile, when one researcher become frustrated that gmo would be distributed as "safe for human consumption" she was told by a colleague, "maybe this is good. the world is over populated anyway." Nevermind thinking that governments and powers that be are all well and good. They are mostly run by a bunch of rich snobs who play kahoots with one another, and probably give eachother blow jobs too. Thhe sooner we all realize, the sooner we can start thinking for ourselves, and not let the fate of North America die in the hands of money-grabbing, power-mongers, whose love for fortune is much greater than love for humanity. That's my two cents.
