I have stayed out of this forum for a while.  I am disgusted by what I see going on, not only in DC, but on the state and local levels as well.  I don't know anyone who can say they are better off today than they were 2, 3 or 4 years ago.  I know several who can say they are worse off.   If the public doesn't wake up and vote the bums out of office that we currently have, I don't know that we will recover.  Even our more "liberal" friends on the board will agree (or at least I believe) that we are sinking fast at the way the gov't is spending money that we don't have and creating an entitlement mentality.