disgust

I just read in the newspaper that Congress created a coupon program to help bail people out of the economic stress of converting their TVs from analog to digital.

That, in itself, is merely "very sad." But get this:

Did you know that Congress appropriated 1.34 BILLION DOLLARS to hand out to Americans so that they could buy themselves new TV converter boxes???

I don't know that I have EVER been THIS pissed off about a governmental economic policy. Are we serious?!?!! 1.34 BILLION DOLLARS!?

Folks, do we understand this??? I found this fact on the Internet to help wrap your minds around how big 1 billion is:

"To count to one thousand, counting one number every second continuously, it would take 17 minutes. Counting to one million at the same rate, it would take 12 days (counting nonstop, day and night). But counting to one billion would take 32 years! " (http://www.expandyourmind.com/sciencefacts/)

Or think of it this way: there are currently almost 304,000,000 (304 million) people living in the WHOLE United States. That's it. Think of EVERYONE you know and it doesn't even scratch the surface.

And our GOVERNMENT allotted 1.34 BILLION DOLLARS from their budget to pay for its citizens to buy new TVs??? And the worst part is that THOUSANDS of people COMPLAINED when they found out that the coupons expired and they hadn't gotten around to using them yet!!!!

Do you understand how many mouths could be fed with that much money? Do you know how many people are DESPERATE right now for food and RUNNING water and heat and shelter and clothes and medicine???

And what are we spending our money on...??

I am literally so mad right now that I can't even type anymore. I have never been so embarrassed of my country before. I thought about praying "God, have mercy on us!" but I can't even bring myself to say that without feeling like I am spitting in His face.

1.34 billion dollars............I am disgusted.