It has been happening for some time.  The US Dollar has been slowly declining for several years.  Even in the real estate boom, the stability of the dollar was being questioned.  Now that the real estate bubble has popped and we have no real platform to base consumer confidence on, things look bleaker, still.

Things are looking so bleak, in fact, that Iran - the second largest representative of OPEC - has turned its back on the US Dollar and will no longer trade oil using the currency.  To Iran, the dollar is a "worthless piece of paper".

Now that the US Dollar has dropped to such a low value level, I would like to hear what you think.  What is the future of the US Dollar?  Will the currency be replaced with some other currency?  If so, which currency?  Will the replacement be an existing currency, or will a new currency be developed?

Your opinions would be very interesting to hear...

+ruined

I received my Letter Of Intent To Hire from the bank job in Connecticut.  This is good news, as the state of Michigan has a grant program that assists newly employed people to help them with moving costs, security deposits, first month of rent, or any other moving-related expense that may arrive.  So, I submitted my Letter of Intent and all other paperwork needed to apply for this grant.

The reception to this paperwork was disappointing, if not completely sickening.

The lady who is responsible for accepting this paperwork met me with extreme doubt, an attitude appropriate for a 4-year-old - not a State Employee - and extended her lack of professionalism to my new employer.  She bombarded my new employer with demands for added information.  She went as far as calling Connecticut information to get phone numbers for the business involved.  This may sound like typical research, but the "research" was so extensive that my employer contacted me... ANNOYED.  It appeared as if he was getting slightly annoyed at me for having the State of Michigan calling him every 5 minutes to ask him to verify information.

I received another e-mail from my new employer... this time saying that there is now a demand for all of the information already obtained... this time on company letterhead.  In response, I sent the State Employee the following letter:

Hey everybody... it's been awhile.

To get back in the swing of things, I'd like to point out a serious problem.  This is a problem that has affected me for nearly a year, now.  That problem is unemployment.

Unemployment is one of the many sad symptoms of a sick economy.  People aren't spending money, which means jobs are being cut.  Those jobs that were cut means less people spending THEIR money... which means more jobs being cut.  It's a very, very vicious circle.

President Bush went public, today, laying the blame on Congress.  The Republicans are pointing their finger at the Democrats.  The Democrats, in turn, pointing their fingers at the Republicans.  All the while, all of us unemployed people are watching the tennis match wondering, "Do you politicians remember us?  Or are you even in touch with the country you are leading?"

Instead of playing the blame game, how about actually coming up with a plan... a REAL plan - not a bandaid in the form of an "economic stimulus package" that is bound to not do much good... let's figure out a REAL plan. 

Some ideas I have...

• Give companies a REAL reason to keep jobs on shore, rather than outsourcing to cheaper, less skilled labor.
• Hold oil companies accountable.  There is no reason for us to pay $4.00 for gas and through the nose for other oil-based products while the oil companies are raking in BILLIONS of dollars in profit.  There is something wrong there... find the problem and FIX it!
• Grow corn for food... not feul.  The corn that is going for fuel is creating a food shortage, driving prices through the roof.  Since we have no money left after we fill our tanks, how do you expect us to be able to afford the rapidly rising cost of food?

If the government will take a time out from playing Point The Finger and wake up to the real causes of these issues, maybe then we can get somewhere in fixing these issues.  People will gain confidence and start spending dollars, again.  This will create jobs.  Maybe even one that I can get hired to do.

+ruined