ARE YOU INSURED?

You may have auto insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance, health insurance, disability insurance and business insurance. You pay the premiums every month, quarter or year as agreed in your policy. Are you insured? Perhaps, perhaps not.

Did you read your policy that was provided by the insurance company? I mean really read it, not just scan the dollar amount of coverage. Unless you are an attorney experienced in insurance law, you wouldn't understand most of it anyway. The concept of insurance is simple enough: You pay a premium to a company that will pay you in the event of loss.

So if your house is insured against loss by fire and your house burns down and your premiums are up to date, the insurance company will pay you for your loss. But, hold on a minute! What exactly is your loss? You say it is the cost of replacing the house and the belongings lost in the fire. The insurance company will have other ideas. Now the fine print in your policy comes into play. What was the cause of the fire? What does the policy have to say about negligence? What about depreciation of the property and belongings. Your property and belongings will cost you $300,000.00 to replace, and that doesn't take into account the sentimental value of those items that cannot be replaced. The insurance company has offered you $100,000.00. Who decides what you will get? There is an entire industry built around that question. Law firms and lawyers make billions every year arguing who is right.

Insurance companies hire attorneys to draw up their policies to favor insurance companies. When was the last time you hired an attorney to look over your insurance policy when you payed for the insurance? With the high cost of premiums, most people would think that spending another $500.00 is a wasted expense. An honest attorney would tell you that the policy heavily favors the insurance company and that if you ever file a claim, there is a good chance you will never collect ten cents on the dollar. He would tell you that there is a reason insurance companies record record profits every quarter.

This is true of every type of insurance you buy. The insurance companies spend vast fortunes to fight nearly every claim on some level. Yet, they record profits in the billions. Think about it, are you insured?

A DIFFERENT AMERICA

I remember a different America. A place where people never locked their doors because it would be unthinkable that someone would be so bold as to walk in uninvited. A place where people walked about the streets day or night without fear of being accosted. A place where whole families sat down to dinner together, not just on Sundays, but every evening. Amazingly, the family members actually talked with each other. A place where neighbors not only knew each other, but watched out for each other's welfare, as well. A place where anyone who wanted a job could get one and be paid a living wage. A place where doctors not only cared for but cared about their patients and even made house calls. A place where honor, respect for others and high moral values were admirable traits. A place far different than the America we live in today. So, what happened?

IT'S TIME OUR CHILDREN LEARNED TO READ

It is shameful that there are so many illiterate young people that are graduating high school and cannot read or write at a fourth grade level. Who is responsible for this outrage? How is this acceptable? Where are the parents? Don't you want your kids to do well in life? Sure you live busy lives, everybody does. If you do not sit down with your children and make them read every day, you are dooming them to a life of frustration and failure. From that very first report card that shows your child is struggling in reading, you should make it your top priority to spend time talking to the teacher to find out how you can help. What could be more important? You can always find a 30 minute time period to spend with your child reading to you. Get them excited at an early age about reading. What are their favorite things? Get them books about their interests. Show them how being able to read will expand their world. Feed their curiosity about life by showing them how to find out more. You don't need a fancy computer for your child. Abe Lincoln fed his curiosity by reading books by fireplace light. A young generation of imaginative readers will enable this country to remain the great country it is.

America, love it or leave it?

This bumper sticker slogan has been around since the 1960's. It was created by those 'loyal' Americans to counter the anti-war sentiment stirred up by those who saw the futility and/or immorality of the 'conflict' in southeast Asia. But as students of American history can tell you: in America, we love it or change it.

Granted, the changes often take decades or even centuries to come about. At the risk of sounding unpatriotic, I must say we have a long way to go.

In our mighty country, every man, woman and child should be guaranteed a roof over their head, clothes on their back, food in their belly and quality health care. Does this sound like Socialism? Not at all. These things are easily attainable with no threat to the rich or middle class. If we change our income tax system to a less complicated system. Do away with all the exceptions and loopholes, except for non-profit organizations. Those legitamate NON profit organizations shall pay no tax. All other individuals and businesses shall be taxed at the rate of 10% of their income or gross profit. If you crunch the numbers, you'll discover that the tax will be enough to eliminate our national debt in ten years while still supporting the welfare programs necessary to guarantee the aforementioned minimal needs for all Americans.

Power of the people

In case you missed it, gas prices have dropped to below $1.75 a gallon. This is a classic example of 'supply and demand' economics. When the price went up, people started thinking about how to cut down on travel. As the result of this reduction in travel, the oil companies experienced a glut of oil and 'you can't eat oil'.

More importantly, it shows what happens when people display their economic muscle. Without a significant organized 'movement', Consumers let the oil companies feel their might where it matters most.

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