by Jennie S. Bev
Creating a balanced society where the haves and the have-nots live in harmony is always a challenging task. According to UC Berkeley economist Robert Reich, the culprits have been the insufficient earnings and low savings for the poor and insignificant spending –proportionate to income– for the rich causing fewer than optimum level of employment yielded from the multiplying effect of spending.
In the USA, the term “rich” refers to those who are earning significantly starting from a six-figure income to billions in USD annually. The top one percent earn more than $410,000 annually. The top two percent earn more than $260,000 annually. The top five percent earn more than $160,000 annually. The top ten percent earn more than $100,000 annually.
Continue reading "The arduous road to prosperity in USA" »
by Jennie S. Bev
The United States has its fair share of natural disasters and experience in handling emergencies because of them. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), this year alone 78 major disasters were declared. Some made it into the international news, traveling as far as Indonesia, while most of the disasters did not.
In California alone, two major natural disasters were recorded in 2010: A severe winter storm and an earthquake. Smaller-scale disasters like local wildfires are considered minor and rarely make the national news, but remain equally frightening to those who experience them. Hurricane reports in Florida always make national television, occurring at least once every year.
Continue reading "Katrina, Merapi, and humanity" »
