Since Trump was elected, the top 10 billionaires’ wealth in the United States increased $698 billion. That is $698,000,000,000.
If these 10 billionaires spent $10,000 a day, it would take them 191,252 years to spend just the money they made last year.
But 21 million people are about to have their health insurance double or triple.
Between 26 million and 27 million Americans have no health insurance.
Recommended for you
Number one cause for bankruptcy is medical debt in United States.
Private equity has broken the middle class, made college unaffordable, has turned housing into another wealth extraction scheme and then come to the rescue with a ton of California legislative bills to “solve” the housing crisis they created. Every city, county and state, and federal government is broke. So we use bonds to fund things like schools or roads so private equity loans us the money and gets half of bond money back in their pocket. Stock buybacks, off-shore tax havens, tax cuts for wealthy, and other laws written for corporations, have America wobbling and close to another crash.
Why do we keep voting for this?
Also it should be noted that the Hillsdale Shopping Center was bought by private equity and is about to be completely torn down for a massive wealth extraction scheme. They get paid and we have to suffer the decades of construction, traffic and infrastructure, and pollution and then tax increases to offset all the problems caused.
Also think about the senseless tearing down of the mall and Trader Joe’s and all the stores and community benefits and jobs all going away so investors can cash out while the community gets washed out.
Thanks for your letter, Mr. Lease, but I’m unsure why you’re picking on billionaires. Billionaires are not the only folks investing in private equity. College endowments, public union, private unions, and other financial companies invest in private equity, which means those in the middle class invest in private equity, and are also able to obtain the benefits should private equity turn a profit.
You’ve conveyed plenty of complaints. So what’s the solution(s)? Would you rather not have private equity in our region? If you’re against what private equity is doing in the area, step up and mount challenges to their proposals and by association, the folks making decisions you don’t agree with. And speaking of health insurance, why aren’t you picking on insurance companies who have reaped $billions in taxpayer money?
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(1) comment
Thanks for your letter, Mr. Lease, but I’m unsure why you’re picking on billionaires. Billionaires are not the only folks investing in private equity. College endowments, public union, private unions, and other financial companies invest in private equity, which means those in the middle class invest in private equity, and are also able to obtain the benefits should private equity turn a profit.
You’ve conveyed plenty of complaints. So what’s the solution(s)? Would you rather not have private equity in our region? If you’re against what private equity is doing in the area, step up and mount challenges to their proposals and by association, the folks making decisions you don’t agree with. And speaking of health insurance, why aren’t you picking on insurance companies who have reaped $billions in taxpayer money?
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.