Today's Hoovervilles

Apparently we can afford to spend $1 trillion on bailing out the financial markets.

And yet, there are modern-day Hoovervilles popping up across the United States.

These tent cities are popping up in cities across the country in increasing numbers due to the foreclosure crisis and the rise in unemployment.

The AP is reporting that "homeless advocacy groups and city agencies are reporting the most visible rise in homeless encampments in a generation."

And yet, official government statistics shown that homelessness has decreased by 12%. How can that be?

Because the government has redefined homelessness. Now, if you lose your home, and you are lucky enough to have friends that are willing to allow you to stay temporarily with them, you are not homeless. If you live in a motel for more than a week, you are not homeless. If you live in a RV, you are not homeless. If you live in a campground for more than a week, you are not homeless. According to the government.

It is immoral for the government to use taxpayers' money to bail out institutions that are "too big to fail" but leave citizens in dusty tent cities. It is immoral for the government to use taxpayers money to buy up bad debt from banks and other financial institutions, but leave bad debt weighing on the shoulders of its citizens.

And please - don't give me that tired old line about how the government is benefiting us all with this bailout. Some people are actually going to argue that "Well, this will protect retirement savings in 401ks, etc. for citizens."

Do you really think the people in those tent cities have 401ks? Do you think the people that are one missed paycheck away from a tent city have 401ks? What about the people that used to contribute to 401ks, but they have now had to stop those contributions (or even cash out their 401ks) to cover increasing costs from increasing regressive property taxes, higher gas prices, higher food prices, and higher prices in general for the cost of necessary goods?

This is what 8 years of the Bush Administration has given us. Tent cities, while the government assures us homelessness is decreasing. Wealth transfers from the middle class and from the taxpayers of the future to the wealthy of today.

This is sick. This is wrong. And this is what we will get more of with a McCain Administration.