Feb 18, 2009
WASHINGTON - One of Donald Trump's many business interests - his casino company in Atlantic City, NJ - is going belly-up. Bankrupt. Out-o-cash. But, he's assured us all during a lengthy segment on the CNN Wolf Blitzer show that he is more than OK. His other business interests have plenty of cash on hand, Trump told Blitzer. Huh?
Blitzer went on to solicit business advice for America from Trump so we all might benefit from Trump's significant business and real estate acumen. Go buy stock and property, Trump said, as Blitzer fell all over himself taking in the advice of the wizard. Wow.
That's sure as hell not what happened to me and my husband when we went broke. In fact, not one person in our lives now would think we knew "shit from Shinola" where anything financial is concerned anymore. You see, bankruptcy and U.S. bankruptcy law treat the rich and the well-lawyered folks much differently than the average American.
For me and for millions of other taxpaying poor dumb slobs of America, getting sick while covered by the defective product otherwise know as "health insurance" has meant the end of any hope for financial prosperity. And everyone from the arrogant, disgusting Donald Trumps of this land to the arrogant, disgusting political folks who protect them fails us all.
You see, if Trump's businesses were held to the same standard as we were when trouble came, he'd have to drain every available source of money, be harassed by creditors, be unable to borrow any more money from anyone in his life - and certainly not a bank - and then he should get garnished. Finally, he should be put out of his home for being such a failure in terms of money management. That would be how Trump would see the world if our laws treated him as it does the rest of us.
We got to keep nothing going into our bankruptcy and even had a hard time pulling together enough to pay the damn bankruptcy attorney - and now those bankruptcy laws have gotten even worse for the average American, but not for the Donald Trumps and the Wolf Blitzers of this land.
Better yet, big boys, how about we fix the healthcare system without pouring money into the broken, life-robbing for-profit health insurance companies? Because if we let the big boys worshiping at the throne of Trump-like financial giants, they'll craft a healthcare system that will leave more of us exposed financially and make them wealthier and wealthier.
How about we make the bankruptcy laws offer some protection for regular citizens who try really hard to follow the rules and then just cannot hang on? How about some justice in this mess of a financial system we built on the labor of good people like my husband while leaches like Donald Trump sucked more wealth from the system than we have ever even imagined?
My life has to be rebuilt, step by hard-working step, since our bankruptcy due to medical crisis. It will take me years to build out of it, and I will never be sought-after or respected for my money-management skills - though I am betting I kept the ship afloat through some pretty rough waters that Trump has never seen.
Justice? In our financial systems? Come on, let's at least stop glorifying people like Trump who have "gamed the system" more than a thousand average Americans ever could or would? And while we're at it, let's build a publicly funded, privately delivered healthcare system that doesn't let anyone go broke because they get sick. No more medical bankruptcy. None. Don't we at least have that much compassion and justice in our national soul?
I believe Congress can do what is right. I also believe President Obama can. We aren't all Donald Trump, but we all do vote and pay taxes and talk to one another about what the truth is and is not. This awful system of bankruptcy law is most certainly a violation of our civil rights when the sick and disabled are forced into many years living in purgatory and Donald Trump is celebrated on CNN. And we want some equal time and some equal justice under the bankruptcy laws of this land.
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Donna Smith
Donna Smith is the former executive director of Progressive Democrats of America and currently a Medicare for All campaign surrogate for Sen. Bernie Sanders.
WASHINGTON - One of Donald Trump's many business interests - his casino company in Atlantic City, NJ - is going belly-up. Bankrupt. Out-o-cash. But, he's assured us all during a lengthy segment on the CNN Wolf Blitzer show that he is more than OK. His other business interests have plenty of cash on hand, Trump told Blitzer. Huh?
Blitzer went on to solicit business advice for America from Trump so we all might benefit from Trump's significant business and real estate acumen. Go buy stock and property, Trump said, as Blitzer fell all over himself taking in the advice of the wizard. Wow.
That's sure as hell not what happened to me and my husband when we went broke. In fact, not one person in our lives now would think we knew "shit from Shinola" where anything financial is concerned anymore. You see, bankruptcy and U.S. bankruptcy law treat the rich and the well-lawyered folks much differently than the average American.
For me and for millions of other taxpaying poor dumb slobs of America, getting sick while covered by the defective product otherwise know as "health insurance" has meant the end of any hope for financial prosperity. And everyone from the arrogant, disgusting Donald Trumps of this land to the arrogant, disgusting political folks who protect them fails us all.
You see, if Trump's businesses were held to the same standard as we were when trouble came, he'd have to drain every available source of money, be harassed by creditors, be unable to borrow any more money from anyone in his life - and certainly not a bank - and then he should get garnished. Finally, he should be put out of his home for being such a failure in terms of money management. That would be how Trump would see the world if our laws treated him as it does the rest of us.
We got to keep nothing going into our bankruptcy and even had a hard time pulling together enough to pay the damn bankruptcy attorney - and now those bankruptcy laws have gotten even worse for the average American, but not for the Donald Trumps and the Wolf Blitzers of this land.
Better yet, big boys, how about we fix the healthcare system without pouring money into the broken, life-robbing for-profit health insurance companies? Because if we let the big boys worshiping at the throne of Trump-like financial giants, they'll craft a healthcare system that will leave more of us exposed financially and make them wealthier and wealthier.
How about we make the bankruptcy laws offer some protection for regular citizens who try really hard to follow the rules and then just cannot hang on? How about some justice in this mess of a financial system we built on the labor of good people like my husband while leaches like Donald Trump sucked more wealth from the system than we have ever even imagined?
My life has to be rebuilt, step by hard-working step, since our bankruptcy due to medical crisis. It will take me years to build out of it, and I will never be sought-after or respected for my money-management skills - though I am betting I kept the ship afloat through some pretty rough waters that Trump has never seen.
Justice? In our financial systems? Come on, let's at least stop glorifying people like Trump who have "gamed the system" more than a thousand average Americans ever could or would? And while we're at it, let's build a publicly funded, privately delivered healthcare system that doesn't let anyone go broke because they get sick. No more medical bankruptcy. None. Don't we at least have that much compassion and justice in our national soul?
I believe Congress can do what is right. I also believe President Obama can. We aren't all Donald Trump, but we all do vote and pay taxes and talk to one another about what the truth is and is not. This awful system of bankruptcy law is most certainly a violation of our civil rights when the sick and disabled are forced into many years living in purgatory and Donald Trump is celebrated on CNN. And we want some equal time and some equal justice under the bankruptcy laws of this land.
Donna Smith
Donna Smith is the former executive director of Progressive Democrats of America and currently a Medicare for All campaign surrogate for Sen. Bernie Sanders.
WASHINGTON - One of Donald Trump's many business interests - his casino company in Atlantic City, NJ - is going belly-up. Bankrupt. Out-o-cash. But, he's assured us all during a lengthy segment on the CNN Wolf Blitzer show that he is more than OK. His other business interests have plenty of cash on hand, Trump told Blitzer. Huh?
Blitzer went on to solicit business advice for America from Trump so we all might benefit from Trump's significant business and real estate acumen. Go buy stock and property, Trump said, as Blitzer fell all over himself taking in the advice of the wizard. Wow.
That's sure as hell not what happened to me and my husband when we went broke. In fact, not one person in our lives now would think we knew "shit from Shinola" where anything financial is concerned anymore. You see, bankruptcy and U.S. bankruptcy law treat the rich and the well-lawyered folks much differently than the average American.
For me and for millions of other taxpaying poor dumb slobs of America, getting sick while covered by the defective product otherwise know as "health insurance" has meant the end of any hope for financial prosperity. And everyone from the arrogant, disgusting Donald Trumps of this land to the arrogant, disgusting political folks who protect them fails us all.
You see, if Trump's businesses were held to the same standard as we were when trouble came, he'd have to drain every available source of money, be harassed by creditors, be unable to borrow any more money from anyone in his life - and certainly not a bank - and then he should get garnished. Finally, he should be put out of his home for being such a failure in terms of money management. That would be how Trump would see the world if our laws treated him as it does the rest of us.
We got to keep nothing going into our bankruptcy and even had a hard time pulling together enough to pay the damn bankruptcy attorney - and now those bankruptcy laws have gotten even worse for the average American, but not for the Donald Trumps and the Wolf Blitzers of this land.
Better yet, big boys, how about we fix the healthcare system without pouring money into the broken, life-robbing for-profit health insurance companies? Because if we let the big boys worshiping at the throne of Trump-like financial giants, they'll craft a healthcare system that will leave more of us exposed financially and make them wealthier and wealthier.
How about we make the bankruptcy laws offer some protection for regular citizens who try really hard to follow the rules and then just cannot hang on? How about some justice in this mess of a financial system we built on the labor of good people like my husband while leaches like Donald Trump sucked more wealth from the system than we have ever even imagined?
My life has to be rebuilt, step by hard-working step, since our bankruptcy due to medical crisis. It will take me years to build out of it, and I will never be sought-after or respected for my money-management skills - though I am betting I kept the ship afloat through some pretty rough waters that Trump has never seen.
Justice? In our financial systems? Come on, let's at least stop glorifying people like Trump who have "gamed the system" more than a thousand average Americans ever could or would? And while we're at it, let's build a publicly funded, privately delivered healthcare system that doesn't let anyone go broke because they get sick. No more medical bankruptcy. None. Don't we at least have that much compassion and justice in our national soul?
I believe Congress can do what is right. I also believe President Obama can. We aren't all Donald Trump, but we all do vote and pay taxes and talk to one another about what the truth is and is not. This awful system of bankruptcy law is most certainly a violation of our civil rights when the sick and disabled are forced into many years living in purgatory and Donald Trump is celebrated on CNN. And we want some equal time and some equal justice under the bankruptcy laws of this land.
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