@slydr68 I admit I do not know a lot about food stamps but have seen a lot of problems with food banks. If you have to be a citizen or legal immigrant who has been here 5 years why is there so much anger at tRump pulling the program from immigrants legal or illegal? BTW, my late partner was an immigrant with 3 kids and a husband who became trapped in this country due to the Iranian revolution. She worked to hard get their citizenship and never used food stamps.

I disagree there is plenty of money to take care of the needy. With all our tax cuts issues like mental health and homlessness are becoming rampant. The fact that our population continues to grow and the tax revenue continues to shrink the problem will only get worse. We can't seem to afford a decent national health care program. I think the issue of $400 hammers is overblown as I worked for the government and still volunteer for the BLM. Money is watched very tightly. The biggest problem are the people who are looking for way and finding them to play the system and rob all of us (medicare has a big problem with scammers).

@ToolGuy We are running out of all important resources, clean water, air, farmland, our infrastructure is crashing (given a D+), healthcare is failing, the climate is crashing just to name a very few. Watch any environmental program (like "Our Planet" with David Attenborough [imdb.com]. Everything we have and need to live is a resource. We are in the age of the sixth Great species extinction and the era has been dubbed the anthropocene. I refuse to be of the Smile and Denial ilk. By every measure things are very serious and only getting worse.

@slydr68 I agree on all but when the government gets so involved in purchasing there will be all kinds of graft. It's almost a foregone conclusion and even applies for corporations. So what's the solution for milking the taxpayer - tax cuts. I think this is a problem everywhere and could even be worse in developing countries. Careful what you say about Israel - some people might be upset and start calling names (not me).

Absolutely, resources are scarce and it is only getting worse. I also agree with the medicare issue and problem with a national healthcare plan. It's been this way for a long time and our 'diversity' doesn't make it easier.

@slydr68 We should not be subsidizing businesses especially large corporations but we do (in the name of 'jobs'. Fact is sustainable growth is an oxymoron. We need to get off the growth mantra and stabilize our population. Cornucopian economists have failed to see the fruit basket is empty. Yes, we need to do a lot of things but we are not and may not until the whole system crashes.

It's clear that you just don't know much - period.

@ToolGuy We do not eat or clothe ourselves or warm/cool our homes or any myriad of things that 'money' is used for (some money is a resource in that it takes natural materials to make). Without the basic resources to live money is just a word. Yes, Growth is the problem. It is not in any way sustainable, sustainable growth is an oxymoron. Unfortunately, too many cornucopian economist think the planet will keep on providing for an exponentially expanding population forever.

@ToolGuy There is only so much usable water in the world. Report after report show how much of it is being polluted or simply, in places scarce. Fresh, drinkable water access has been a problem for ages and with 7.6+ billion people all needing it the supply is dwindling fast. The Ogallala Aquifer is shrinking fast and soon will not be able to supply water for irrigation to a large part of the US. [waterencyclopedia.com]. "The Ogallala Aquifer is being both depleted and polluted. Irrigation withdraws much groundwater, yet little of it is replaced by recharge. Since large-scale irrigation began in the 1940s, water levels have declined more than 30 meters (100 feet) in parts of Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. In the 1980s and 1990s, the rate of groundwater mining , or overdraft, lessened, but still averaged approximately 82 centimeters (2.7 feet) per year." Even here, on my island, water is becoming short. Lopez has the best recharge rate and it is only 9%. With so many new residents saltwater is intruding in the wells along the shore. Some have to resort to converting seawater or, as I, rain harvesting. More and more technology is needed to sto supply this simple necessity.

I am not the type of person who will let politics decide what I believe. I have spent a large portion of my life studying our life support system and am dedicated to this issue which should be the top priority for all of us. Thousands of scientists with more than ample proof have clearly shown we are crashing. No single person or group can convince me otherwise.