14 degrees seems to have been the normal more than once this week-end, which has been long, stressful and deathly uncomfortable. Not only for myself but all people who are trying to survive without a home.We have snow in the forecast for the next few days but I am praying that it miraculously goes away and a warm spell replaces the frigid cold. Right after sun-up I walked into the horse corral and tried to break the ice in the water trough for the deer, but found that it was 4-5 inches thick.
Follow @DeniseBundyThis was a fairly chaotic day. I had to be in Capitan before driving to Nogal. Jan and I discussed the marketing and promotion for the local horse events up until autumn 2012 ~ and the economy.
I have been absolutely convinced that there is a way to beat this recession and homelessness with a little inventive thinking ~ by building a better mousetrap. Perhaps it's that unbridled eternal optimism that keeps surfacing from the cloud of depression because I have not been able to build a better mousetrap. Still, I keep trying.
As I drove to the shed late afternoon you could feel snow in the air. I so wish we could have another warm spell.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/01/30/a-social-justice-quiz/Question One. The combined pay of the 299 highest paid CEOs in the US is enough to support how many median salary jobs?
45,000? 83,000? 102,325?
Two. The median net worth of black households in the US is $2,200. What is the median net worth of white households in the US?
$4,400? $44,000? $97,000?
Three. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development issues a national survey every year listing fair market rents for every county in the US. HUD also suggests renters should pay no more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs. In how many of the USA’s 3068 counties can someone who works full-time and earns the federal minimum wage pay 30% of their income and find a one-bedroom apartment at the fair market rental amount?
19? 368? 1974?
Four. How much must the typical U.S. worker earn per hour to rent a two-bedroom apartment if that worker dedicates thirty percent of his income, as HUD suggests, to rent and utilities?
$9.39? $14.63? $18.46?
Five. The wealthiest 1 percent of the US has a net worth which is how many times greater than the median or typical household’s net worth?
50? 150? 225?
Six. Which of these countries puts the highest percentage of their people in jails and prisons?
China? Iran? Iraq? Germany? Russia? USA?
Seven. In 2012, the US will pay out about $620 million for old age Social Security benefits to 45 million families. How much is budgeted for military spending by the US in 2012?
$310 billion? $620 billion? $836 billion?
Eight. The US is number one in the world in military spending. How much more does the US spend compared to the top 15 countries in the world in military spending?
More than any 2 other countries combined? More than any 5 other countries combined? More than all the rest of the 15 top military spending countries combined?
Nine. How many people in the world live on less than $1.25 a day?
150 million? 500 million? Over 1 billion?
Ten. How many people in the world live without electricity?
500 million? One billion? One and half billion?
Eleven. The US government donates over $30 billion a year in official development assistance (foreign aid) to poor countries. Where does that rank the US government in percentage of giving among the richest 23 countries?
First? Tenth? Nineteenth?
Twelve. The US government donates over $30 billion a year to poor countries. How much do US consumers spend on pets and pet supplies each year?
$10 billion? $30 billion? $67 billion?
Thirteen. The poverty rate among children in the US is over 20 percent. How does US compare with the rest of the 30 nations surveyed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development?
First? Tenth? Twenty-sixth?
Answers to Social Justice Quiz 2012:
One. The combined pay of the top 299 CEOs is enough to support 102,325 average jobs. Source: Corporate Paywatch.
Two. The median net worth of white households in the US is $97,900. Source: Economic Policy Institute.
Three. Except for eleven counties in Illinois and another eight in Puerto Rico, there is no county in the US where a one bedroom fair market rate apartment is available to a person working full-time at the minimum wage. Source: The National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Four. The typical worker must earn $18.46 an hour to rent a two bedroom apartment. Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Five. In the last numbers reported, the top 1 percent had net worth 225 times greater than the median or typical household’s net worth, the highest ever recorded. Source: Economic Policy Institute.
Six. The rate of incarceration per 100,000 people is: USA 730, Russian 534, Iran 334, China 122, Iraq 101, and Germany 86. Source: International Centre for Prison Studies, University of Essex.
Seven. $836 billion. Over $713 billion on military programs and another $123 for veterans affairs. Source: US Office of Management and Budget, Fiscal Year 2012.
Eight. The US spends $100 billion more on our military than the next highest 15 countries combined. More than China, UK, France, Russia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Germany, India, Italy, Brazil, South Korea, Australia, Canada and Turkey combined. Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 2011 Yearbook.
Nine. 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day. Source: United National Development Program, Human Development Report 2010.
Ten. One and half billion people, more than one of every five people in the world, live without electricity. Source: United Nations Development Program, Human Development Report 2011.
Eleven. US government ranks 19th out of 23 countries in assistance to poor nations, giving about two-tenths of one percent of US gross national income to poor countries. Source: Global Issues: Foreign Aid for Development Assistance.
Twelve. US consumers spend $67 billion each year on pets, pet products and services. Source: US Census Bureau 2012 Statistical Abstract.
Thirteen. The US poverty rate among children ranks the US 26th among 30 nations in the rate of poverty among children. Source: Poverty among children. OECD.
Bill Quigley teaches law at Loyola University New Orleans and works with the Center for Constitutional Rights. You can reach Bill at quigley77@gmmail.com
Sam Schmitt is a law student at University of Montana School of Law. A version of this with full sources is available.
There has to be someone related to Robert &Sylve Huckins must have some means to reach them, if it be Michael Huckins, Dr.Kenneth Ogilvie ( Diana Huckins? Dominic Huckins? Malcolm Huckins? ) or Patricia Ogilvie-Huckins and get them to return ALL of the money they stole from us so that I can buy a home and get our lives back. I am begging anyone in this family for help.I don't believe I have EVER witnessed any none violent crime that can be as devastating as stealing someone's home. I am walking in Dorothy McKeevers footsteps, day by day, month by month, year by year.
Liam Griffin, I sat in your law office with two witnesses as you gave me your promise, your guarantee, that our money would be returned before harm came to us.
Patricia Ogilvie-Huckins you were present the day I signed contract with your son. You walked out of the kitchen with Sylve Huckins and your son introduced me to you. He told you that I was the British horse trainer he had told you about, the one he was going to build the home and barn for. Why didn't you say something? There may be a rational and reasonable explanation but I have spent over 3 years, homeless, not understanding it. I understand it even less knowing that though I was a total stranger, both Dorothy McKeever and Sally Canning you KNEW, and you knew what your son had done to them and others.
Dr. Kenneth Ogilvie, I contacted you and simply asked for a reference, not knowing that Robert Huckins was your cousin. Robert Huckins had just stolen over $30,000 from the domestic violence shelter, HEAL, yet everyone was trying to hide it. There was a history of stealing large amounts of money. $65,000 PLUS from Nancy Canning. $89,000 PLUS from Dorothy McKeever, $45,000 from Francis McKinney. The list just goes on and on and on.
Because of Robert Huckins I ended up paying $140,000 to be homeless.. sat in the cold, emotionally, physically and financially broke. In the middle of a recession, with no way to recover the stolen funds.
Today Robert Huckins has his own home...
He also has OUR home.....
He also has a lot of people's money...
And his freedom.
Women are not banks or loan institutions. Women should not be the source of a retirement fund for people who don't want to do an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. Holding women hostage while playing with the judicial system, a horrendous game of cat and mouse extending YEARS, with the victims whose very homes, families and stability are in jeopardy is cruelty, as cruel as a physical beating. It is financial and emotional RAPE. Homelessness is not justice. It is a slow, painful death.
Please, I beg with everything I have within me, please convince Robert Huckins to stop this torture and return the building fund he stole from us so we too, can have a home.
Relevant pages:
http://roberthuckinsvictim.
http://roberthuckinsvictim.
http://roberthuckinsvictim.blogspot.com/2011/12/white-nothing-but-white.html
When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this - you haven't ~Edison
