Crime & Federalism

How bad is the U.S.  economic situation?  It's so bleak that people are having to decide whether or not to continue paying for satellite television.  It's cliche to say, but true: This article reads like something out of The Onion.  Here we go:

For families like the Ferrells, however, who were already just a car repair or an appliance breakdown away from falling behind, even a modest step down can bring hard choices.

The furloughs meant a roughly 9 percent reduction to Mr. Ferrell’s $72,000-a-year salary as an industrial hygienist, in which he evaluates health hazards in the workplace. The couple and their two sets of twins — the older twins are 7 and the younger are 20 months — have had to make do with about $450 less per month.

Should they cut the $315 a month they were spending on ballet lessons for the older twins? What about the $55 a month for the satellite television service they had because they could not get regular cable in their semi-rural home here about 40 miles outside of Sacramento?

Yes, that's how bad things are in America.  Americans spend more in a month on ballet lessons and satellite television than many people in third world countries make in an entire year!

It gets worse.  The family is in danger of starving:

Many of their remaining expenses seemed impossible to reduce by much, like the roughly $360 a month for gas. It quickly became apparent how little the family had left over for necessities like food.

Or not:

Mrs. Ferrell began mapping out family dinners a month in advance on a refrigerator whiteboard. Instead of grocery shopping at regular supermarkets, she began loading up her minivan once a month at WinCo, a giant, no-frills discount grocery chain.

“That way I can control exactly what I buy,” she said. “I make menus so that I don’t over-shop, or don’t impulse-purchase at the store.”

In other words, they have plenty of money for food.  They just have to actually think before they buy stuff.  They buy in bulk rather than run to the 7-11 every time they want a Diet Coke.  Oh, the horror!  The horror!

Even though they have "little ... left over for necessities like food," the kids stayed in ballet:

When the Ferrells told the children’s dance teacher they might have to take a break, she let them attend free for a month. Eventually, the couple decided to continue to pay for lessons, on a reduced schedule, which saved $65 a month.

So they are still paying $250 a month cash for ballet lessons + gas to drive kids + wear-and-tear on car + opportunity cost of driving kids to class. 

Wait, there's more!

The couple decided to keep the satellite television because of the children’s programming.

Riiiiight.  So I can go there on a Saturday and won't see the state worker watching a ball game?  I'll wager anyone here $1,000 that there are lots of adults spending lots of time in front of that satellite television.  Wanna take that bet?  If I lose, I'll even send that check to the impoverished state worker!

If they are so broke, they need to be smarter:

When the family ran short on sliced bread, Mrs. Ferrell hauled out the breadmaker. She takes few pictures of their toddlers now, because of the cost of film and developing. The Dollar Store has become a regular stop.

You can buy a cheap digitial camera for $50.  You never need to develop photos.  Just upload them to your computer.  I'm sure they have one, though the article doesn't mention it.

That the Times considers this article some sort of tragedy illustrates how out of touch East Coast Liberals are.  And how uncosmopolitian they are.  Do you people realize how people in other countries live? 

This family has cars, satellite television, and ballet lessons.  Yet somehow it's a tragedy?!

If the Ferrell's story is the best the Times can do, I won't need to load the bunker up with shot gun shells and canned food.  We have a loooooong way to go before things actually get bad.