With 50 million people living in poverty in this country, that implies that these people don't even have a minimum wage job working full-time because that would be over $14,000 a year. The poverty level is around $10,200 to $10,400 for an individual. So they're not working. They're on retirement, general relief. It seems like that's one in every six people in this country. If we get all those people back to work or a good portion of them, look at how that would extend Social Security and the Medicaid and Medicare program, too.
The city has historic preservation opportunities and grants. But what about the country people, historic preservation for them? Log cabins and old farm houses? What about the old barns that they used to build that have such quaint architecture? Those need to be preserved, too, and some brought back. We need to rebuild some of that old architecture. That would be good for barn storming. Barn storming that was in the past where theater groups would travel around and put on shows at farms for people. That could be done today. We need tourism in this state.
I recently participated in a walk to raise awareness and funds for people affected by Alzheimer's. The event was well attended including the mayor of Cape Girardeau. I saw no media coverage including this newspaper. This is a most devastating disease and it affects the entire family with the number of affected people growing by leaps and bounds. I just don't understand how other walks can be covered when one so important as this one was not.
I've heard news reports today that the Pope made an appearance on a balcony of the U.S. Capitol building, the second-floor balcony. I don't know which balcony he was on because I haven't seen pictures of it, but one of those balconies is right next to a Christian chapel in the second floor of the U.S. Capitol building. It's kept under lock and key so that no visitors can get in the chapel. They wouldn't want anyone to know they have a Christian chapel in the U.S. Capitol. But they do. I've seen it, I've been in there and the Pope may have been right next to it when he was on the balcony.
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