US Debt Is Now $23 Trillion And Climbing

[Mac1958]

Ok but aside from the troll reaction and fantasy policy how do you feel about the current rate of growth that’s feeding the debt? All good? Or do you have issues?

The current rate of growth is 1.9%.

and unemployment is at all time lows, the stock market is at record highs, and people are working instead of collecting welfare. GDP growth cannot continue to surge forever, there a limits even in a booming economy.

But Trump said it was good to be 4-5%. Right?!

He was just kidding about that.
.

yeah, like Warren and Sanders are kidding about medicare for all with no middle class tax increases.

Opposite sides of the same coin.

The question is, who's going to fall for it.
.

 

[Mac-7]

I've posted my plan literally hundreds of times, if not thousands. Probably thousands.

But what the hell, I'll do it again.

1. Eliminate all tax expenditures. This alone would save $1.4 trillion a year, providing a surplus. Then we can cut tax rates for everyone and pay down the debt. Once the debt is paid off, we can lower tax rates even more. Added bonus: Entities earning identical incomes would pay identical taxes! Extra added bonus: Special interests would no longer be able to bribe politicians to put tax expenditures in the tax code, thus removing the incentive to bribe them. Instant campaign finance reform.


2. Raise the Social Security and Medicare eligibility age to 70, and index to 9 percent of the population going forward. We are living DECADES longer than our ancestors. We should be working longer. Common sense.


It's very, very simple to balance the budget, lower tax rates, and pay off the debt. But our crooked politicians have the gullible rubes' attention getting all hot and bothered about Mexicans.

You understand that the federal budget rises automatically every year do t you?

if we dont reduce spending you will never raise taxes high enough to balance the budget much less pay down the debt

I bet you thought you had me, didn't you. You thought I didn't have a plan. Too bad for you.

As for deficits, they were DECREASING under Obama, right up until the GOP got the reins of Congress again. Then they started INCREASING.

Then Trump came along and DOUBLED the deficit. Together, the GOP and Deficit Donald more than doubled the deficit.

Trump exacerbated the deficit by increasing spending and cutting taxes without a way to pay for the tax cut.

And the last time the GOP owned Congress and the White House under Bush, they took a balanced budget and blew it all to hell.


You have to be one very special retard to believe the GOP's horseshit about being for balanced budgets and small government.

ACTIONS speak far louder than WORDS, and yet the rube herd STILL hasn't woken up to the fact they are being massively hoaxed.

Lol
When will you realize there is no difference between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to career politicians you silly little fucker

And yet you spend so much time defending Trump with tu quoques, red herring, false dichotmies, straw men and other logical fallacies rather than ever admit he is the worst spender of all time.

What a hack.

We spend no more time defending trump than liberals spend attacking him

 

[Redfish]

It’s hard to believe any can be so full of shit. You act like Dems are great stewards of fiscal responsibility, and Repubs spend money like drunk sailors.

When Dems had the White House and Congress they exploded the deficit every year. When Republicans retook Congress the deficit was slashed down to less than half a trillion each year. You telling us the Republican Congress was trying to continue to spend $1.5 trillion and the Hussein was vetoing those and demanding cuts?

Dems have no record at all of being fiscally responsible. The GOP at least has a half assed record of being semi-responsible.

Is the exploding deficit something Dem candidates are even talking about? No, it’s not. Amazingly it could be the one issue they could “win” on, yet all of them are actually boasting about spending $55 trillion on Medicare for Illegals. This is the absurdity of your argument.

The Dems cut the deficit from over a trillion to $430 billion
Trump has raised it to back over $1 trillion. This was done in a strong economy
You are supposed to pay off debt in a strong economy, that is responsible governing

most of that was to undo the mess that obama left with the military unable to fly its planes or sail its ships.

Are you able to acknowledge that obama added 9 trillion to the debt? over a trillion a year for 8 years?

You do realize that Obama’s military was stronger than the next eight nations combined?
Any cuts to the military were due to sequestration which did not spare the military from a 10 percent cut

I agree Obama added 9 trillion to the debt while trying to recover from the worst recession in 75 years and fighting two wars with Bush tax cuts impacting revenue

What I cant understand is why Trump is running trillion dollar deficits in a strong economy. Wouldn’t you agree that is the time you should be paying down debt?

We would all like to see the debt reduced. But you are wrong about a couple of things. Obama cut military spending more than required by the sequester, Obama continued the Bush tax cuts and they became the obama tax cuts. Under Obama our military was the weakest it had been since WW2, we were becoming vulnerable. Next, there was no major recession in 08, it was a market correction driven by bad democrat mortgage policy, smart investors made a lot of money in 08-09.

Stock market losing half its value, employers laying off 800,000 a month, banks and auto companies on the verge of collapse and five quarters of negative GDP is not a recession?

I know that you want to give Obozo credit for something, but the things you cite as a "recession" were all the result of democrat and obama policies. But even so, it was a short duration market correction not a recession, many suffered for a short time, but it was quickly turned around and today those same people are doing very well.

I have said many times that I am opposed to deficit spending no matter who is president. Today the dems are doing nothing to balance the budget and every dem candidate for president is calling for more government spending and even bigger deficits.

Hypocrite, thy name is democrat.

 

[Redfish]

The current rate of growth is 1.9%.

and unemployment is at all time lows, the stock market is at record highs, and people are working instead of collecting welfare. GDP growth cannot continue to surge forever, there a limits even in a booming economy.

But Trump said it was good to be 4-5%. Right?!

He was just kidding about that.
.

yeah, like Warren and Sanders are kidding about medicare for all with no middle class tax increases.

Opposite sides of the same coin.

The question is, who's going to fall for it.
.

a few on this board already have. Those of us with working brain cells will not.

 

[Redfish]

The Dems cut the deficit from over a trillion to $430 billion
Trump has raised it to back over $1 trillion. This was done in a strong economy
You are supposed to pay off debt in a strong economy, that is responsible governing

most of that was to undo the mess that obama left with the military unable to fly its planes or sail its ships.

Are you able to acknowledge that obama added 9 trillion to the debt? over a trillion a year for 8 years?

You do realize that Obama’s military was stronger than the next eight nations combined?
Any cuts to the military were due to sequestration which did not spare the military from a 10 percent cut

I agree Obama added 9 trillion to the debt while trying to recover from the worst recession in 75 years and fighting two wars with Bush tax cuts impacting revenue

What I cant understand is why Trump is running trillion dollar deficits in a strong economy. Wouldn’t you agree that is the time you should be paying down debt?

We would all like to see the debt reduced. But you are wrong about a couple of things. Obama cut military spending more than required by the sequester, Obama continued the Bush tax cuts and they became the obama tax cuts. Under Obama our military was the weakest it had been since WW2, we were becoming vulnerable. Next, there was no major recession in 08, it was a market correction driven by bad democrat mortgage policy, smart investors made a lot of money in 08-09.

Stock market losing half its value, employers laying off 800,000 a month, banks and auto companies on the verge of collapse and five quarters of negative GDP is not a recession?

Redfish is another one of those folks that makes up their own meanings to words so that they are never wrong.

I lived through the so-called recession and made a lot of money in the market during those two "terrible years". The only people hurt were the banks who were victims of the democrats bad mortgage policies, I have no sympathy for people who do stupid things.

 

[Redfish]

I think we found an area of agreement. WOW!

so why don't we hold them accountable? could it be that we have all become leeches wanting more FREE shit from the government?

that is part of it.

the other part is we as a nation have been programmed to view the "other side" as evil and the enemy and thus we have to vote for our side out of self preservation. I say the division in this country is not an accident, but a planned thing because a divided populous is far easier to control.

I agree, now, when did the division start? Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, Bush 41 and 43, Obama, Washington, Lincoln?

We have always had political differences, but the hate and anger we see and hear today is something relatively new.

I think you have it right, its the DC establishment that wants us screaming at each other so they can stay in power and control. Those are the people who are fighting Trump the hardest, because he isn't one of them and he is exposing their corruption----and yes, the media is part of it.

The division we see today sort of started with Clinton but went into overdrive with Bush II. He pushed the "with us or against us" theme harder than anyone had. Not that I blame him per say as he was just a puppet doing as he was told. It interested with Obama and now Trump has taken it to whole new levels.

The more we fight ourselves, the more the DC establishment gets away with...Trump is not making that better, he is just dividing us more.

Up through Bush 43, we had a Congress that was still bipartisan. Bush received support from both parties

Once Obama became President, Bipartisanship ended completely. There was no compromise and no middle ground. Boehner and McConnell led the charge

I don’t see any way of going back. Too many bridges have been burnt

and why did it change when obama came into office?

could it be

"we won, we will decide how things are done"
"republicans need to move to the back of the bus"
"if you like your plan you can keep it"
"I was never proud of my country"
"we landed under sniper fire"
"I apologize for america"
the obama care bill being written in secret by dem staffers and then passed with no time to read it, no floor debate, and no amendments allowed.

Obama, Clinton, and the dem congress is responsible for much of the division we see today, add a biased lying media and you have the mess we are dealing with right now.

and I think it can be turned around, the american people are not as dumb as the media thinks they are. They see what is going on and don't like it. Those emotions are why Trump was elected, the people are sick and tired of the corrupt DC establishment and its lies. That establishment hates Trump because he is exposing them and he cannot be controlled by them.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

I lived through the so-called recession and made a lot of money in the market during those two "terrible years". The only people hurt were the banks who were victims of the democrats bad mortgage policies, I have no sympathy for people who do stupid things.

The fact you had the capital to take advantage of the down market does not have any impact on if there was a recession or not. Are you honestly this stupid or is it just an act for the internet?

A lot of people were fucking hurt, home prices plummeted, unemployment went to 10%, foreclosures were at near record levels. Your logic is like someone sitting in Kansas going "well, I did not get any rain so there could not have been a hurricane in Florida"

This is stupid even by your mindless partisan standards.

 

[Rustic]

I lived through the so-called recession and made a lot of money in the market during those two "terrible years". The only people hurt were the banks who were victims of the democrats bad mortgage policies, I have no sympathy for people who do stupid things.

The fact you had the capital to take advantage of the down market does not have any impact on if there was a recession or not. Are you honestly this stupid or is it just an act for the internet?

A lot of people were fucking hurt, home prices plummeted, unemployment went to 10%, foreclosures were at near record levels. Your logic is like someone sitting in Kansas going "well, I did not get any rain so there could not have been a hurricane in Florida"

This is stupid even by your mindless partisan standards.

Lol
The real problem is career politicians and their deep state cronies... Has been since the 40s and 50s.

Redistribution in any form is fucked up but add a overbloated federal government to it now that is beyond fucked up

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Lol
The real problem is career politicians and their deep state cronies... Has been since the 40s and 50s.

Redistribution in any form is fucked up but add a overbloated federal government to it now that is beyond fucked up

You are a one trick pony and that trick is broken.

By the way, are you aware that your state is the 8th most federally dependent state in the nation?

 

[Rustic]

Lol
The real problem is career politicians and their deep state cronies... Has been since the 40s and 50s.

Redistribution in any form is fucked up but add a overbloated federal government to it now that is beyond fucked up

You are a one trick pony and that trick is broken.

By the way, are you aware that your state is the 8th most federally dependent state in the nation?

Lol
You do realize the state is full of Indian reservations it has 9 of them...

 

[rightwinger]

The Dems cut the deficit from over a trillion to $430 billion
Trump has raised it to back over $1 trillion. This was done in a strong economy
You are supposed to pay off debt in a strong economy, that is responsible governing

most of that was to undo the mess that obama left with the military unable to fly its planes or sail its ships.

Are you able to acknowledge that obama added 9 trillion to the debt? over a trillion a year for 8 years?

You do realize that Obama’s military was stronger than the next eight nations combined?
Any cuts to the military were due to sequestration which did not spare the military from a 10 percent cut

I agree Obama added 9 trillion to the debt while trying to recover from the worst recession in 75 years and fighting two wars with Bush tax cuts impacting revenue

What I cant understand is why Trump is running trillion dollar deficits in a strong economy. Wouldn’t you agree that is the time you should be paying down debt?

We would all like to see the debt reduced. But you are wrong about a couple of things. Obama cut military spending more than required by the sequester, Obama continued the Bush tax cuts and they became the obama tax cuts. Under Obama our military was the weakest it had been since WW2, we were becoming vulnerable. Next, there was no major recession in 08, it was a market correction driven by bad democrat mortgage policy, smart investors made a lot of money in 08-09.

Stock market losing half its value, employers laying off 800,000 a month, banks and auto companies on the verge of collapse and five quarters of negative GDP is not a recession?

I know that you want to give Obozo credit for something, but the things you cite as a "recession" were all the result of democrat and obama policies. But even so, it was a short duration market correction not a recession, many suffered for a short time, but it was quickly turned around and today those same people are doing very well.

I have said many times that I am opposed to deficit spending no matter who is president. Today the dems are doing nothing to balance the budget and every dem candidate for president is calling for more government spending and even bigger deficits.

Hypocrite, thy name is democrat.

Wait a minute
You said it was a minor correction

You are correct that it was turned around, thanks to the efforts of the Great Obama

I didn’t hear the Dems screaming for a balanced budget amendment for eight years......why are Republicans silent once they are pulling the strings?

 

[Rustic]

Lol
The real problem is career politicians and their deep state cronies... Has been since the 40s and 50s.

Redistribution in any form is fucked up but add a overbloated federal government to it now that is beyond fucked up

You are a one trick pony and that trick is broken.

By the way, are you aware that your state is the 8th most federally dependent state in the nation?

Here is just one of the Indian reservations in South Dakota the one I I lived my whole adolescence life on, left when I was 17...

Pine Ridge Statistics

STATISTICAL DATA

Despite nearly-insurmountable conditions, few resources, and against unbelievable odds, Indigenous people are struggling hard to overcome decades of neglect, discrimination and forced destruction of their traditional cultures to promote a life of self-respect and self-sufficiency.

BRIEF STATISTICS

* 97% of of the population at Pine Ridge Reservation live below federal poverty line.

* The unemployment rate vacillates from 85% to 95% on the Reservation.

* Death due to Heart Disease: Twice the national average.

* The infant mortality rate is the highest on this continent and is about 300% higher than the U.S. national average.

* Elderly die each winter from hypothermia (freezing).

* Recent reports point out that the median income on the Pine Ridge Reservation is approximately $2,600 to $3,500 per year.

* At least 60% of the homes are severely substandard, without water, electricity, adequate insulation, and sewage systems.

* Recent reports state the average life expectancy is 45 years old while others state that it is 48 years old for men and 52 years old for women. With either set of figures, that's the shortest life expectancy for any community in the Western Hemisphere outside Haiti, according to The Wall Street Journal.

INTRODUCTORY

Hidden away, dotted throughout the landscape of America, are the Reservations of the Indigenous People of our land. Mostly unknown or forgotten by the mainstream culture of the dominant U.S. society, the average United States resident knows little or nothing about these people other than what romanticized versions they see in movies and television or else in their nearest Reservation casino. Most assume that whatever poverty exists on a reservation is most certainly comparable to that which they might experience themselves.

And definitely, mainstream Americans are accustomed to being exposed to poverty. It has become nearly invisible due to its overwhelming presence everywhere. We drive through our cities now with a blind eye, numb to the suffering around us. Even more, we watch the televised reports of Third World countries, shake our heads and turn away, rightfully assuming that our government and our charities will help those in need all over the globe.

But the question begs: What about the foreign nations on America's own soil, within this country, a part and yet apart from mainstream society? What about the Native American Nations on America's reservations? Few mainstream Americans know anything about the people that live on these reservations and fewer still know or comprehend the unconscionable conditions present on many of them.

What many do not know is that a staggering number of residents on Native American reservations live in abject conditions rivaling, or even surpassing, that of many Third World countries.

This report chronicles just one Nation, the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Nation of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Yet the name and only a few details could easily be changed to describe a host of others; Dineh (Navajo), Ute Mountain Ute, Tohono O'odham, Pima, Yaqui, Ojibwa, Chippewa, the list is long.

But despite nearly-insurmountable conditions, few resources, and against unbelievable odds, Nation after Nation of Indigenous leaders and their people are working hard to counteract decades of oppression and forced destruction of their cultures to bring their citizens back to a life of self-respect and self-sufficiency in today's world.



Below are further in depth statistics of Pine Ridge

IN DEPTH STATISTICS

* The Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Indian Reservation sits in Bennett, Jackson, and Shannon Counties and is located in the southwest corner of South Dakota, fifty miles east of the Wyoming border.

* The 11,000-square mile (over 2 million acres) Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation is the second-largest Native American Reservation within the United States. It is roughly the size of the State of Connecticut.

* The Reservation is divided into eight districts: Eagle Nest, Pass Creek, Wakpamni, LaCreek, Pine Ridge, White Clay, Medicine Root, Porcupine, and Wounded Knee.

* The topography of the Pine Ridge Reservation includes badlands, rolling grassland hills, dryland prairie, and areas dotted with pine trees.

* According to the 1998 Bureau of Indian Affairs Census, the Pine Ridge Reservation is home to approximately 40,000 persons, 35% of which are under the age of 16. Approximately half the residents of the Reservation are registered tribal members of the Oglala Lakota Nation.

* The population is steadily rising, despite the severe conditions on the Reservation, as more and more Oglala Lakota return home from far-away cities in order to live within their societal values, be with their families, and assist with the revitalization of their culture and their Nation.

* Recent reports point out that the median income on the Pine Ridge Reservation is approximately $2,600 per year.

* The unemployment rate vacillates from 85% to 95% on the Reservation.

* There is no industry, technology, or commercial infrastructure on the Reservation to provide employment.

* The nearest town of size (which provides some jobs for those few persons able to travel the distance) is Rapid City, South Dakota with approximately 57,000 residents. It is located approximately 120 miles from the Reservation. The nearest large city to Pine Ridge is Denver, Colorado located about 350 miles away.

* Some figures state that the life expectancy on the Reservation is 48 years old for men and 52 for women. Other reports state that the average life expectancy on the Reservation is 45 years old. With either set of figures, that's the shortest life expectancy for a community anywhere in the Western Hemisphere outside Haiti, according to The Wall Street Journal.

* Teenage suicide rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is 150% higher than the U.S. national average for this age group.

* The infant mortality rate is the highest on this continent and is about 300% higher than the U.S. national average.

* More than half the Reservation's adults battle addiction and disease. Alcoholism, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and malnutrition are rampant.


* The rate of diabetes on the Reservation is reported to be 800% higher than the U.S. national average.

* Recent reports indicate that almost 50% of the adults on the Reservation over the age of 40 have diabetes. Over 37% of population is diabetic.

* As a result of the high rate of diabetes on the Reservation, diabetic-related blindness, amputations, and kidney failure are common.

* The tuberculosis rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is approximately 800% higher than the U.S. national average.

* Cervical cancer is 500% higher than the U.S. national average.

* Each winter, Reservation Elders are found dead from hypothermia (freezing).

* It is reported that at least 60% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation are infested with Black Mold, Stachybotrys. This infestation causes an often-fatal condition with infants, children, elderly, those with damaged immune systems, and those with lung and pulmonary conditions at the highest risk. Exposure to this mold can cause hemorrhaging of the lungs and brain as well as cancer.

* Many Reservation residents live without health care due to vast travel distances involved in accessing that care. Additional factors include under-funded, under-staffed medical facilities and outdated or non-existent medical equipment. There is little hope for increased funding for Indian health care.

* Preventive healthcare programs are rare.

* In most of the treaties between the U.S. Government and Indian Nations, the U.S. government agreed to provide adequate medical care for Indians in return for vast quantities of land. The Indian Health Services (IHS) was set up to administer the health care for Indians under these treaties and receives an appropriation each year to fund Indian health care. Unfortunately, the appropriation is very small compared to the need. The IHS is understaffed and ill-equipped and can't possibly address the needs of Indian communities. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

* School drop-out rate is over 70%.

* According to a Bureau of Indian Affairs report, the Pine Ridge Reservation schools are in the bottom 10% of school funding by U.S. Department of Education and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

* Teacher turnover is 800% that of the U.S. national average

* The small Tribal Housing Authority homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation are so overcrowded and scarce that many homeless families often use tents or cars for shelter. Many families live in shacks, old trailers, or dilapidated mobile homes.

* There is a large homeless population on the Reservation, but most families never turn away a relative no matter how distant the blood relation. Consequently, many homes have large numbers of people living in them.

* There is an estimated average of 17 people living in each family home (a home which may only have two to three rooms). Some homes, built for 6 to 8 people, have up to 30 people living in them.

* 60% of Reservation families have no telephone.

* Over 33% of the Reservation homes lack basic water and sewage systems as well as electricity.

* Many residents must carry (often contaminated) water from the local rivers daily for their personal needs.

* 39% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation have no electricity.

* 59% of the Reservation homes are substandard.

* It is reported that at least 60% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation need to be burned to the ground and replaced with new housing due to infestation of the potentially-fatal Black Mold, Stachybotrys. There is no insurance or government program to assist families in replacing their homes.

* Some Reservation families are forced to sleep on dirt floors.

* Many Reservation homes lack adequate insulation. Even more homes lack central heating.

* Without basic insulation or central heating in their homes, many residents on the Pine Ridge Reservation use their ovens to heat their homes.

* Many Reservation homes lack stoves, refrigerators, beds, and/or basic furniture.

* Most Reservation families live in rural and often isolated areas.

* The largest town on the Reservation is the town of Pine Ridge which has a population of approximately 5,720 people and is the administrative center for the Reservation.

* There are few improved roads on the Reservation and many of the homes are inaccessible during times of heavy snow or rain.

* Weather is extreme on the Reservation. Severe winds are always a factor. Traditionally, summer temperatures reach well over 110*F and winters bring bitter cold with temperatures that can reach -50*F below zero or worse. Flooding, tornados, or wildfires are always a risk.

* Many of the wells and much of the water and land on the Reservation is contaminated with pesticides and other poisons from farming, mining, open dumps, and commercial and governmental mining operations outside the Reservation. A further source of contamination is buried ordnance and hazardous materials from closed U.S. military bombing ranges on the Reservation.

* The Pine Ridge Reservation still has no banks, motels, discount stores, or movie theaters. It has only one grocery store of any moderate size and it is located in the town of Pine Ridge on the Reservation.

* Several of the banks and lending institutions nearest to the Reservation were recently targeted for investigation of fraudulent or predatory lending practices, with the citizens of the Pine Ridge Reservation as their victims.

* There are no public libraries except one at the Oglala Lakota College of the reservation.

* There is no public transportation available on the Reservation.

* Ownership of operable automobiles by residents of the Reservation is highly limited.

* Predominate form of travel for all ages on the Reservation is walking or hitchhiking.

* There is one very small airport on the Reservation servicing both the Pine Ridge Reservation and Shannon County. It's longest, paved runway extends 4,969 feet. There are no commercial flights available.

* There is one radio station on the Pine Ridge Reservation. KILI 90.1FM is located near the town of Porcupine on the Reservation.

* Alcoholism affects eight out of ten families on the Reservation.

* The death rate from alcohol-related problems on the Reservation is 300% higher than the remaining US population.

* The Oglala Lakota Nation has prohibited the sale and possession of alcohol on the Pine Ridge Reservation since the early 1970's. However, the town of Whiteclay, Nebraska (which sits 400 yards off the Reservation border in a contested "buffer" zone) has approximately 14 residents and four liquor stores which sell over 4.1 million cans of beer each year resulting in a $3million annual trade. Unlike other Nebraska communities, Whiteclay exists only to sell liquor and make money. It has no schools, no churches, no civic organizations, no parks, no benches, no public bathrooms, no fire service and no law enforcement. Tribal officials have repeatedly pleaded with the State of Nebraska to close these liquor stores or enforce the State laws regulating liquor stores but have been consistently refused.

* Scientific studies show that the High Plains/Oglala Aquifer which begins underneath the Pine Ridge Reservation is predicted to run dry within the next thirty years, possibly as early as the year 2005, due to commercial interest use and dryland farming in numerous states south of the Reservation. This critical North American underground water resource is not renewable at anything near the present consumption rate. The recent years of drought have simply accelerated the problem.

* Scientific studies show that much of the High Plains/Oglala Aquifer has been contaminated with farming pesticides and commercial, factory, mining, and industrial contaminants in the States of South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

* The Tribal nations are considered to have sovereign governmental status and have a government to government relationship with the United States. The Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribal government operates under a constitution consistent with the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 and approved by the Tribal membership and Tribal Council of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe. The Tribe is governed by an elected body consisting of a 5 member Executive Committee and an 18 member Tribal Council, all of whom serve a four year term.

 

[rightwinger]

I think we found an area of agreement. WOW!

so why don't we hold them accountable? could it be that we have all become leeches wanting more FREE shit from the government?

that is part of it.

the other part is we as a nation have been programmed to view the "other side" as evil and the enemy and thus we have to vote for our side out of self preservation. I say the division in this country is not an accident, but a planned thing because a divided populous is far easier to control.

I agree, now, when did the division start? Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, Bush 41 and 43, Obama, Washington, Lincoln?

We have always had political differences, but the hate and anger we see and hear today is something relatively new.

I think you have it right, its the DC establishment that wants us screaming at each other so they can stay in power and control. Those are the people who are fighting Trump the hardest, because he isn't one of them and he is exposing their corruption----and yes, the media is part of it.

The division we see today sort of started with Clinton but went into overdrive with Bush II. He pushed the "with us or against us" theme harder than anyone had. Not that I blame him per say as he was just a puppet doing as he was told. It interested with Obama and now Trump has taken it to whole new levels.

The more we fight ourselves, the more the DC establishment gets away with...Trump is not making that better, he is just dividing us more.

Up through Bush 43, we had a Congress that was still bipartisan. Bush received support from both parties

Once Obama became President, Bipartisanship ended completely. There was no compromise and no middle ground. Boehner and McConnell led the charge

I don’t see any way of going back. Too many bridges have been burnt

and why did it change when obama came into office?

could it be

"we won, we will decide how things are done"
"republicans need to move to the back of the bus"
"if you like your plan you can keep it"
"I was never proud of my country"
"we landed under sniper fire"
"I apologize for america"
the obama care bill being written in secret by dem staffers and then passed with no time to read it, no floor debate, and no amendments allowed.

Obama, Clinton, and the dem congress is responsible for much of the division we see today, add a biased lying media and you have the mess we are dealing with right now.

and I think it can be turned around, the american people are not as dumb as the media thinks they are. They see what is going on and don't like it. Those emotions are why Trump was elected, the people are sick and tired of the corrupt DC establishment and its lies. That establishment hates Trump because he is exposing them and he cannot be controlled by them.

Obama brought Republicans to the table to plan the Stimulus......they refused
Obama brought Republicans to the table to plan healthcare.....they refused

Democrats supported Bush programs throughout his presidency.....Medicare Part D, No Child Left Behind, Patriot Act, Homeland Security, Afghanistan, Iraq, TARP

Can you point to a single Obama initiative that Republicans supported?
Just one?

 

[Redfish]

I lived through the so-called recession and made a lot of money in the market during those two "terrible years". The only people hurt were the banks who were victims of the democrats bad mortgage policies, I have no sympathy for people who do stupid things.

The fact you had the capital to take advantage of the down market does not have any impact on if there was a recession or not. Are you honestly this stupid or is it just an act for the internet?

A lot of people were fucking hurt, home prices plummeted, unemployment went to 10%, foreclosures were at near record levels. Your logic is like someone sitting in Kansas going "well, I did not get any rain so there could not have been a hurricane in Florida"

This is stupid even by your mindless partisan standards.

the media and democrat claim of a "great recession" in 08 has been overstated at best. That claim was made for partisan reasons to make Obama look better than his record. If you are unable to comprehend that then there is nothing more to be said.

people are hurt in this economy every day, its called life.

 

[Redfish]

that is part of it.

the other part is we as a nation have been programmed to view the "other side" as evil and the enemy and thus we have to vote for our side out of self preservation. I say the division in this country is not an accident, but a planned thing because a divided populous is far easier to control.

I agree, now, when did the division start? Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, Bush 41 and 43, Obama, Washington, Lincoln?

We have always had political differences, but the hate and anger we see and hear today is something relatively new.

I think you have it right, its the DC establishment that wants us screaming at each other so they can stay in power and control. Those are the people who are fighting Trump the hardest, because he isn't one of them and he is exposing their corruption----and yes, the media is part of it.

The division we see today sort of started with Clinton but went into overdrive with Bush II. He pushed the "with us or against us" theme harder than anyone had. Not that I blame him per say as he was just a puppet doing as he was told. It interested with Obama and now Trump has taken it to whole new levels.

The more we fight ourselves, the more the DC establishment gets away with...Trump is not making that better, he is just dividing us more.

Up through Bush 43, we had a Congress that was still bipartisan. Bush received support from both parties

Once Obama became President, Bipartisanship ended completely. There was no compromise and no middle ground. Boehner and McConnell led the charge

I don’t see any way of going back. Too many bridges have been burnt

and why did it change when obama came into office?

could it be

"we won, we will decide how things are done"
"republicans need to move to the back of the bus"
"if you like your plan you can keep it"
"I was never proud of my country"
"we landed under sniper fire"
"I apologize for america"
the obama care bill being written in secret by dem staffers and then passed with no time to read it, no floor debate, and no amendments allowed.

Obama, Clinton, and the dem congress is responsible for much of the division we see today, add a biased lying media and you have the mess we are dealing with right now.

and I think it can be turned around, the american people are not as dumb as the media thinks they are. They see what is going on and don't like it. Those emotions are why Trump was elected, the people are sick and tired of the corrupt DC establishment and its lies. That establishment hates Trump because he is exposing them and he cannot be controlled by them.

Obama brought Republicans to the table to plan the Stimulus......they refused
Obama brought Republicans to the table to plan healthcare.....they refused

Democrats supported Bush programs throughout his presidency.....Medicare Part D, No Child Left Behind, Patriot Act, Homeland Security, Afghanistan, Iraq, TARP

Can you point to a single Obama initiative that Republicans supported?
Just one?

the obama agenda was not supported by anyone with the common sense of a frog. But on the topic of working with a president, what have the democrats done for the last 3 years? NOTHING BUT TRY TO OVERTURN THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE IN 2016.

I wish that congress would get back to doing their jobs instead of all the partisan bullshit. Clinton and Newt did it, Reagan and O'Neill did it. Who in the dem party is able/willing to work with Trump to get things done for US?

 

[Redfish]

most of that was to undo the mess that obama left with the military unable to fly its planes or sail its ships.

Are you able to acknowledge that obama added 9 trillion to the debt? over a trillion a year for 8 years?

You do realize that Obama’s military was stronger than the next eight nations combined?
Any cuts to the military were due to sequestration which did not spare the military from a 10 percent cut

I agree Obama added 9 trillion to the debt while trying to recover from the worst recession in 75 years and fighting two wars with Bush tax cuts impacting revenue

What I cant understand is why Trump is running trillion dollar deficits in a strong economy. Wouldn’t you agree that is the time you should be paying down debt?

We would all like to see the debt reduced. But you are wrong about a couple of things. Obama cut military spending more than required by the sequester, Obama continued the Bush tax cuts and they became the obama tax cuts. Under Obama our military was the weakest it had been since WW2, we were becoming vulnerable. Next, there was no major recession in 08, it was a market correction driven by bad democrat mortgage policy, smart investors made a lot of money in 08-09.

Stock market losing half its value, employers laying off 800,000 a month, banks and auto companies on the verge of collapse and five quarters of negative GDP is not a recession?

I know that you want to give Obozo credit for something, but the things you cite as a "recession" were all the result of democrat and obama policies. But even so, it was a short duration market correction not a recession, many suffered for a short time, but it was quickly turned around and today those same people are doing very well.

I have said many times that I am opposed to deficit spending no matter who is president. Today the dems are doing nothing to balance the budget and every dem candidate for president is calling for more government spending and even bigger deficits.

Hypocrite, thy name is democrat.

Wait a minute
You said it was a minor correction

You are correct that it was turned around, thanks to the efforts of the Great Obama

I didn’t hear the Dems screaming for a balanced budget amendment for eight years......why are Republicans silent once they are pulling the strings?

anyone who uses the word "great" with obama has left our another important word "failure".

It was a minor short lived market correction, driven by bad democrat mortgage policy that stupidly claimed the "everyone is entitled to buy a house and the banks must finance them". That stupid policy caused the slowdown that you miss label as a recession.

but to your question: the dems control the house, where is a balance budget bill from them? in fact, where is anything from them?

 

[Harpy Eagle]

I lived through the so-called recession and made a lot of money in the market during those two "terrible years". The only people hurt were the banks who were victims of the democrats bad mortgage policies, I have no sympathy for people who do stupid things.

The fact you had the capital to take advantage of the down market does not have any impact on if there was a recession or not. Are you honestly this stupid or is it just an act for the internet?

A lot of people were fucking hurt, home prices plummeted, unemployment went to 10%, foreclosures were at near record levels. Your logic is like someone sitting in Kansas going "well, I did not get any rain so there could not have been a hurricane in Florida"

This is stupid even by your mindless partisan standards.

the media and democrat claim of a "great recession" in 08 has been overstated at best. That claim was made for partisan reasons to make Obama look better than his record. If you are unable to comprehend that then there is nothing more to be said.

people are hurt in this economy every day, its called life.

So now it is just the "great" part that is wrong....your story seems to be changing.

 

[Redfish]

Lol
The real problem is career politicians and their deep state cronies... Has been since the 40s and 50s.

Redistribution in any form is fucked up but add a overbloated federal government to it now that is beyond fucked up

You are a one trick pony and that trick is broken.

By the way, are you aware that your state is the 8th most federally dependent state in the nation?

Here is just one of the Indian reservations in South Dakota the one I I lived my whole adolescence life on, left when I was 17...

Pine Ridge Statistics

STATISTICAL DATA

Despite nearly-insurmountable conditions, few resources, and against unbelievable odds, Indigenous people are struggling hard to overcome decades of neglect, discrimination and forced destruction of their traditional cultures to promote a life of self-respect and self-sufficiency.

BRIEF STATISTICS

* 97% of of the population at Pine Ridge Reservation live below federal poverty line.

* The unemployment rate vacillates from 85% to 95% on the Reservation.

* Death due to Heart Disease: Twice the national average.

* The infant mortality rate is the highest on this continent and is about 300% higher than the U.S. national average.

* Elderly die each winter from hypothermia (freezing).

* Recent reports point out that the median income on the Pine Ridge Reservation is approximately $2,600 to $3,500 per year.

* At least 60% of the homes are severely substandard, without water, electricity, adequate insulation, and sewage systems.

* Recent reports state the average life expectancy is 45 years old while others state that it is 48 years old for men and 52 years old for women. With either set of figures, that's the shortest life expectancy for any community in the Western Hemisphere outside Haiti, according to The Wall Street Journal.

INTRODUCTORY

Hidden away, dotted throughout the landscape of America, are the Reservations of the Indigenous People of our land. Mostly unknown or forgotten by the mainstream culture of the dominant U.S. society, the average United States resident knows little or nothing about these people other than what romanticized versions they see in movies and television or else in their nearest Reservation casino. Most assume that whatever poverty exists on a reservation is most certainly comparable to that which they might experience themselves.

And definitely, mainstream Americans are accustomed to being exposed to poverty. It has become nearly invisible due to its overwhelming presence everywhere. We drive through our cities now with a blind eye, numb to the suffering around us. Even more, we watch the televised reports of Third World countries, shake our heads and turn away, rightfully assuming that our government and our charities will help those in need all over the globe.

But the question begs: What about the foreign nations on America's own soil, within this country, a part and yet apart from mainstream society? What about the Native American Nations on America's reservations? Few mainstream Americans know anything about the people that live on these reservations and fewer still know or comprehend the unconscionable conditions present on many of them.

What many do not know is that a staggering number of residents on Native American reservations live in abject conditions rivaling, or even surpassing, that of many Third World countries.

This report chronicles just one Nation, the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Nation of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Yet the name and only a few details could easily be changed to describe a host of others; Dineh (Navajo), Ute Mountain Ute, Tohono O'odham, Pima, Yaqui, Ojibwa, Chippewa, the list is long.

But despite nearly-insurmountable conditions, few resources, and against unbelievable odds, Nation after Nation of Indigenous leaders and their people are working hard to counteract decades of oppression and forced destruction of their cultures to bring their citizens back to a life of self-respect and self-sufficiency in today's world.



Below are further in depth statistics of Pine Ridge

IN DEPTH STATISTICS

* The Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Indian Reservation sits in Bennett, Jackson, and Shannon Counties and is located in the southwest corner of South Dakota, fifty miles east of the Wyoming border.

* The 11,000-square mile (over 2 million acres) Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation is the second-largest Native American Reservation within the United States. It is roughly the size of the State of Connecticut.

* The Reservation is divided into eight districts: Eagle Nest, Pass Creek, Wakpamni, LaCreek, Pine Ridge, White Clay, Medicine Root, Porcupine, and Wounded Knee.

* The topography of the Pine Ridge Reservation includes badlands, rolling grassland hills, dryland prairie, and areas dotted with pine trees.

* According to the 1998 Bureau of Indian Affairs Census, the Pine Ridge Reservation is home to approximately 40,000 persons, 35% of which are under the age of 16. Approximately half the residents of the Reservation are registered tribal members of the Oglala Lakota Nation.

* The population is steadily rising, despite the severe conditions on the Reservation, as more and more Oglala Lakota return home from far-away cities in order to live within their societal values, be with their families, and assist with the revitalization of their culture and their Nation.

* Recent reports point out that the median income on the Pine Ridge Reservation is approximately $2,600 per year.

* The unemployment rate vacillates from 85% to 95% on the Reservation.

* There is no industry, technology, or commercial infrastructure on the Reservation to provide employment.

* The nearest town of size (which provides some jobs for those few persons able to travel the distance) is Rapid City, South Dakota with approximately 57,000 residents. It is located approximately 120 miles from the Reservation. The nearest large city to Pine Ridge is Denver, Colorado located about 350 miles away.

* Some figures state that the life expectancy on the Reservation is 48 years old for men and 52 for women. Other reports state that the average life expectancy on the Reservation is 45 years old. With either set of figures, that's the shortest life expectancy for a community anywhere in the Western Hemisphere outside Haiti, according to The Wall Street Journal.

* Teenage suicide rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is 150% higher than the U.S. national average for this age group.

* The infant mortality rate is the highest on this continent and is about 300% higher than the U.S. national average.

* More than half the Reservation's adults battle addiction and disease. Alcoholism, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and malnutrition are rampant.


* The rate of diabetes on the Reservation is reported to be 800% higher than the U.S. national average.

* Recent reports indicate that almost 50% of the adults on the Reservation over the age of 40 have diabetes. Over 37% of population is diabetic.

* As a result of the high rate of diabetes on the Reservation, diabetic-related blindness, amputations, and kidney failure are common.

* The tuberculosis rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is approximately 800% higher than the U.S. national average.

* Cervical cancer is 500% higher than the U.S. national average.

* Each winter, Reservation Elders are found dead from hypothermia (freezing).

* It is reported that at least 60% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation are infested with Black Mold, Stachybotrys. This infestation causes an often-fatal condition with infants, children, elderly, those with damaged immune systems, and those with lung and pulmonary conditions at the highest risk. Exposure to this mold can cause hemorrhaging of the lungs and brain as well as cancer.

* Many Reservation residents live without health care due to vast travel distances involved in accessing that care. Additional factors include under-funded, under-staffed medical facilities and outdated or non-existent medical equipment. There is little hope for increased funding for Indian health care.

* Preventive healthcare programs are rare.

* In most of the treaties between the U.S. Government and Indian Nations, the U.S. government agreed to provide adequate medical care for Indians in return for vast quantities of land. The Indian Health Services (IHS) was set up to administer the health care for Indians under these treaties and receives an appropriation each year to fund Indian health care. Unfortunately, the appropriation is very small compared to the need. The IHS is understaffed and ill-equipped and can't possibly address the needs of Indian communities. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

* School drop-out rate is over 70%.

* According to a Bureau of Indian Affairs report, the Pine Ridge Reservation schools are in the bottom 10% of school funding by U.S. Department of Education and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

* Teacher turnover is 800% that of the U.S. national average

* The small Tribal Housing Authority homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation are so overcrowded and scarce that many homeless families often use tents or cars for shelter. Many families live in shacks, old trailers, or dilapidated mobile homes.

* There is a large homeless population on the Reservation, but most families never turn away a relative no matter how distant the blood relation. Consequently, many homes have large numbers of people living in them.

* There is an estimated average of 17 people living in each family home (a home which may only have two to three rooms). Some homes, built for 6 to 8 people, have up to 30 people living in them.

* 60% of Reservation families have no telephone.

* Over 33% of the Reservation homes lack basic water and sewage systems as well as electricity.

* Many residents must carry (often contaminated) water from the local rivers daily for their personal needs.

* 39% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation have no electricity.

* 59% of the Reservation homes are substandard.

* It is reported that at least 60% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation need to be burned to the ground and replaced with new housing due to infestation of the potentially-fatal Black Mold, Stachybotrys. There is no insurance or government program to assist families in replacing their homes.

* Some Reservation families are forced to sleep on dirt floors.

* Many Reservation homes lack adequate insulation. Even more homes lack central heating.

* Without basic insulation or central heating in their homes, many residents on the Pine Ridge Reservation use their ovens to heat their homes.

* Many Reservation homes lack stoves, refrigerators, beds, and/or basic furniture.

* Most Reservation families live in rural and often isolated areas.

* The largest town on the Reservation is the town of Pine Ridge which has a population of approximately 5,720 people and is the administrative center for the Reservation.

* There are few improved roads on the Reservation and many of the homes are inaccessible during times of heavy snow or rain.

* Weather is extreme on the Reservation. Severe winds are always a factor. Traditionally, summer temperatures reach well over 110*F and winters bring bitter cold with temperatures that can reach -50*F below zero or worse. Flooding, tornados, or wildfires are always a risk.

* Many of the wells and much of the water and land on the Reservation is contaminated with pesticides and other poisons from farming, mining, open dumps, and commercial and governmental mining operations outside the Reservation. A further source of contamination is buried ordnance and hazardous materials from closed U.S. military bombing ranges on the Reservation.

* The Pine Ridge Reservation still has no banks, motels, discount stores, or movie theaters. It has only one grocery store of any moderate size and it is located in the town of Pine Ridge on the Reservation.

* Several of the banks and lending institutions nearest to the Reservation were recently targeted for investigation of fraudulent or predatory lending practices, with the citizens of the Pine Ridge Reservation as their victims.

* There are no public libraries except one at the Oglala Lakota College of the reservation.

* There is no public transportation available on the Reservation.

* Ownership of operable automobiles by residents of the Reservation is highly limited.

* Predominate form of travel for all ages on the Reservation is walking or hitchhiking.

* There is one very small airport on the Reservation servicing both the Pine Ridge Reservation and Shannon County. It's longest, paved runway extends 4,969 feet. There are no commercial flights available.

* There is one radio station on the Pine Ridge Reservation. KILI 90.1FM is located near the town of Porcupine on the Reservation.

* Alcoholism affects eight out of ten families on the Reservation.

* The death rate from alcohol-related problems on the Reservation is 300% higher than the remaining US population.

* The Oglala Lakota Nation has prohibited the sale and possession of alcohol on the Pine Ridge Reservation since the early 1970's. However, the town of Whiteclay, Nebraska (which sits 400 yards off the Reservation border in a contested "buffer" zone) has approximately 14 residents and four liquor stores which sell over 4.1 million cans of beer each year resulting in a $3million annual trade. Unlike other Nebraska communities, Whiteclay exists only to sell liquor and make money. It has no schools, no churches, no civic organizations, no parks, no benches, no public bathrooms, no fire service and no law enforcement. Tribal officials have repeatedly pleaded with the State of Nebraska to close these liquor stores or enforce the State laws regulating liquor stores but have been consistently refused.

* Scientific studies show that the High Plains/Oglala Aquifer which begins underneath the Pine Ridge Reservation is predicted to run dry within the next thirty years, possibly as early as the year 2005, due to commercial interest use and dryland farming in numerous states south of the Reservation. This critical North American underground water resource is not renewable at anything near the present consumption rate. The recent years of drought have simply accelerated the problem.

* Scientific studies show that much of the High Plains/Oglala Aquifer has been contaminated with farming pesticides and commercial, factory, mining, and industrial contaminants in the States of South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

* The Tribal nations are considered to have sovereign governmental status and have a government to government relationship with the United States. The Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribal government operates under a constitution consistent with the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 and approved by the Tribal membership and Tribal Council of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe. The Tribe is governed by an elected body consisting of a 5 member Executive Committee and an 18 member Tribal Council, all of whom serve a four year term.

discrimination against native americans in the west was and is much worse than discrimination today in the south.

 

[Redfish]

I lived through the so-called recession and made a lot of money in the market during those two "terrible years". The only people hurt were the banks who were victims of the democrats bad mortgage policies, I have no sympathy for people who do stupid things.

The fact you had the capital to take advantage of the down market does not have any impact on if there was a recession or not. Are you honestly this stupid or is it just an act for the internet?

A lot of people were fucking hurt, home prices plummeted, unemployment went to 10%, foreclosures were at near record levels. Your logic is like someone sitting in Kansas going "well, I did not get any rain so there could not have been a hurricane in Florida"

This is stupid even by your mindless partisan standards.

the media and democrat claim of a "great recession" in 08 has been overstated at best. That claim was made for partisan reasons to make Obama look better than his record. If you are unable to comprehend that then there is nothing more to be said.

people are hurt in this economy every day, its called life.

So now it is just the "great" part that is wrong....your story seems to be changing.

call it whatever makes you happy, I really don't care since I know what it really was.

 

[Rustic]

Lol
The real problem is career politicians and their deep state cronies... Has been since the 40s and 50s.

Redistribution in any form is fucked up but add a overbloated federal government to it now that is beyond fucked up

You are a one trick pony and that trick is broken.

By the way, are you aware that your state is the 8th most federally dependent state in the nation?

Here is just one of the Indian reservations in South Dakota the one I I lived my whole adolescence life on, left when I was 17...

Pine Ridge Statistics

STATISTICAL DATA

Despite nearly-insurmountable conditions, few resources, and against unbelievable odds, Indigenous people are struggling hard to overcome decades of neglect, discrimination and forced destruction of their traditional cultures to promote a life of self-respect and self-sufficiency.

BRIEF STATISTICS

* 97% of of the population at Pine Ridge Reservation live below federal poverty line.

* The unemployment rate vacillates from 85% to 95% on the Reservation.

* Death due to Heart Disease: Twice the national average.

* The infant mortality rate is the highest on this continent and is about 300% higher than the U.S. national average.

* Elderly die each winter from hypothermia (freezing).

* Recent reports point out that the median income on the Pine Ridge Reservation is approximately $2,600 to $3,500 per year.

* At least 60% of the homes are severely substandard, without water, electricity, adequate insulation, and sewage systems.

* Recent reports state the average life expectancy is 45 years old while others state that it is 48 years old for men and 52 years old for women. With either set of figures, that's the shortest life expectancy for any community in the Western Hemisphere outside Haiti, according to The Wall Street Journal.

INTRODUCTORY

Hidden away, dotted throughout the landscape of America, are the Reservations of the Indigenous People of our land. Mostly unknown or forgotten by the mainstream culture of the dominant U.S. society, the average United States resident knows little or nothing about these people other than what romanticized versions they see in movies and television or else in their nearest Reservation casino. Most assume that whatever poverty exists on a reservation is most certainly comparable to that which they might experience themselves.

And definitely, mainstream Americans are accustomed to being exposed to poverty. It has become nearly invisible due to its overwhelming presence everywhere. We drive through our cities now with a blind eye, numb to the suffering around us. Even more, we watch the televised reports of Third World countries, shake our heads and turn away, rightfully assuming that our government and our charities will help those in need all over the globe.

But the question begs: What about the foreign nations on America's own soil, within this country, a part and yet apart from mainstream society? What about the Native American Nations on America's reservations? Few mainstream Americans know anything about the people that live on these reservations and fewer still know or comprehend the unconscionable conditions present on many of them.

What many do not know is that a staggering number of residents on Native American reservations live in abject conditions rivaling, or even surpassing, that of many Third World countries.

This report chronicles just one Nation, the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Nation of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Yet the name and only a few details could easily be changed to describe a host of others; Dineh (Navajo), Ute Mountain Ute, Tohono O'odham, Pima, Yaqui, Ojibwa, Chippewa, the list is long.

But despite nearly-insurmountable conditions, few resources, and against unbelievable odds, Nation after Nation of Indigenous leaders and their people are working hard to counteract decades of oppression and forced destruction of their cultures to bring their citizens back to a life of self-respect and self-sufficiency in today's world.



Below are further in depth statistics of Pine Ridge

IN DEPTH STATISTICS

* The Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Indian Reservation sits in Bennett, Jackson, and Shannon Counties and is located in the southwest corner of South Dakota, fifty miles east of the Wyoming border.

* The 11,000-square mile (over 2 million acres) Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation is the second-largest Native American Reservation within the United States. It is roughly the size of the State of Connecticut.

* The Reservation is divided into eight districts: Eagle Nest, Pass Creek, Wakpamni, LaCreek, Pine Ridge, White Clay, Medicine Root, Porcupine, and Wounded Knee.

* The topography of the Pine Ridge Reservation includes badlands, rolling grassland hills, dryland prairie, and areas dotted with pine trees.

* According to the 1998 Bureau of Indian Affairs Census, the Pine Ridge Reservation is home to approximately 40,000 persons, 35% of which are under the age of 16. Approximately half the residents of the Reservation are registered tribal members of the Oglala Lakota Nation.

* The population is steadily rising, despite the severe conditions on the Reservation, as more and more Oglala Lakota return home from far-away cities in order to live within their societal values, be with their families, and assist with the revitalization of their culture and their Nation.

* Recent reports point out that the median income on the Pine Ridge Reservation is approximately $2,600 per year.

* The unemployment rate vacillates from 85% to 95% on the Reservation.

* There is no industry, technology, or commercial infrastructure on the Reservation to provide employment.

* The nearest town of size (which provides some jobs for those few persons able to travel the distance) is Rapid City, South Dakota with approximately 57,000 residents. It is located approximately 120 miles from the Reservation. The nearest large city to Pine Ridge is Denver, Colorado located about 350 miles away.

* Some figures state that the life expectancy on the Reservation is 48 years old for men and 52 for women. Other reports state that the average life expectancy on the Reservation is 45 years old. With either set of figures, that's the shortest life expectancy for a community anywhere in the Western Hemisphere outside Haiti, according to The Wall Street Journal.

* Teenage suicide rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is 150% higher than the U.S. national average for this age group.

* The infant mortality rate is the highest on this continent and is about 300% higher than the U.S. national average.

* More than half the Reservation's adults battle addiction and disease. Alcoholism, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and malnutrition are rampant.


* The rate of diabetes on the Reservation is reported to be 800% higher than the U.S. national average.

* Recent reports indicate that almost 50% of the adults on the Reservation over the age of 40 have diabetes. Over 37% of population is diabetic.

* As a result of the high rate of diabetes on the Reservation, diabetic-related blindness, amputations, and kidney failure are common.

* The tuberculosis rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is approximately 800% higher than the U.S. national average.

* Cervical cancer is 500% higher than the U.S. national average.

* Each winter, Reservation Elders are found dead from hypothermia (freezing).

* It is reported that at least 60% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation are infested with Black Mold, Stachybotrys. This infestation causes an often-fatal condition with infants, children, elderly, those with damaged immune systems, and those with lung and pulmonary conditions at the highest risk. Exposure to this mold can cause hemorrhaging of the lungs and brain as well as cancer.

* Many Reservation residents live without health care due to vast travel distances involved in accessing that care. Additional factors include under-funded, under-staffed medical facilities and outdated or non-existent medical equipment. There is little hope for increased funding for Indian health care.

* Preventive healthcare programs are rare.

* In most of the treaties between the U.S. Government and Indian Nations, the U.S. government agreed to provide adequate medical care for Indians in return for vast quantities of land. The Indian Health Services (IHS) was set up to administer the health care for Indians under these treaties and receives an appropriation each year to fund Indian health care. Unfortunately, the appropriation is very small compared to the need. The IHS is understaffed and ill-equipped and can't possibly address the needs of Indian communities. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

* School drop-out rate is over 70%.

* According to a Bureau of Indian Affairs report, the Pine Ridge Reservation schools are in the bottom 10% of school funding by U.S. Department of Education and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

* Teacher turnover is 800% that of the U.S. national average

* The small Tribal Housing Authority homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation are so overcrowded and scarce that many homeless families often use tents or cars for shelter. Many families live in shacks, old trailers, or dilapidated mobile homes.

* There is a large homeless population on the Reservation, but most families never turn away a relative no matter how distant the blood relation. Consequently, many homes have large numbers of people living in them.

* There is an estimated average of 17 people living in each family home (a home which may only have two to three rooms). Some homes, built for 6 to 8 people, have up to 30 people living in them.

* 60% of Reservation families have no telephone.

* Over 33% of the Reservation homes lack basic water and sewage systems as well as electricity.

* Many residents must carry (often contaminated) water from the local rivers daily for their personal needs.

* 39% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation have no electricity.

* 59% of the Reservation homes are substandard.

* It is reported that at least 60% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation need to be burned to the ground and replaced with new housing due to infestation of the potentially-fatal Black Mold, Stachybotrys. There is no insurance or government program to assist families in replacing their homes.

* Some Reservation families are forced to sleep on dirt floors.

* Many Reservation homes lack adequate insulation. Even more homes lack central heating.

* Without basic insulation or central heating in their homes, many residents on the Pine Ridge Reservation use their ovens to heat their homes.

* Many Reservation homes lack stoves, refrigerators, beds, and/or basic furniture.

* Most Reservation families live in rural and often isolated areas.

* The largest town on the Reservation is the town of Pine Ridge which has a population of approximately 5,720 people and is the administrative center for the Reservation.

* There are few improved roads on the Reservation and many of the homes are inaccessible during times of heavy snow or rain.

* Weather is extreme on the Reservation. Severe winds are always a factor. Traditionally, summer temperatures reach well over 110*F and winters bring bitter cold with temperatures that can reach -50*F below zero or worse. Flooding, tornados, or wildfires are always a risk.

* Many of the wells and much of the water and land on the Reservation is contaminated with pesticides and other poisons from farming, mining, open dumps, and commercial and governmental mining operations outside the Reservation. A further source of contamination is buried ordnance and hazardous materials from closed U.S. military bombing ranges on the Reservation.

* The Pine Ridge Reservation still has no banks, motels, discount stores, or movie theaters. It has only one grocery store of any moderate size and it is located in the town of Pine Ridge on the Reservation.

* Several of the banks and lending institutions nearest to the Reservation were recently targeted for investigation of fraudulent or predatory lending practices, with the citizens of the Pine Ridge Reservation as their victims.

* There are no public libraries except one at the Oglala Lakota College of the reservation.

* There is no public transportation available on the Reservation.

* Ownership of operable automobiles by residents of the Reservation is highly limited.

* Predominate form of travel for all ages on the Reservation is walking or hitchhiking.

* There is one very small airport on the Reservation servicing both the Pine Ridge Reservation and Shannon County. It's longest, paved runway extends 4,969 feet. There are no commercial flights available.

* There is one radio station on the Pine Ridge Reservation. KILI 90.1FM is located near the town of Porcupine on the Reservation.

* Alcoholism affects eight out of ten families on the Reservation.

* The death rate from alcohol-related problems on the Reservation is 300% higher than the remaining US population.

* The Oglala Lakota Nation has prohibited the sale and possession of alcohol on the Pine Ridge Reservation since the early 1970's. However, the town of Whiteclay, Nebraska (which sits 400 yards off the Reservation border in a contested "buffer" zone) has approximately 14 residents and four liquor stores which sell over 4.1 million cans of beer each year resulting in a $3million annual trade. Unlike other Nebraska communities, Whiteclay exists only to sell liquor and make money. It has no schools, no churches, no civic organizations, no parks, no benches, no public bathrooms, no fire service and no law enforcement. Tribal officials have repeatedly pleaded with the State of Nebraska to close these liquor stores or enforce the State laws regulating liquor stores but have been consistently refused.

* Scientific studies show that the High Plains/Oglala Aquifer which begins underneath the Pine Ridge Reservation is predicted to run dry within the next thirty years, possibly as early as the year 2005, due to commercial interest use and dryland farming in numerous states south of the Reservation. This critical North American underground water resource is not renewable at anything near the present consumption rate. The recent years of drought have simply accelerated the problem.

* Scientific studies show that much of the High Plains/Oglala Aquifer has been contaminated with farming pesticides and commercial, factory, mining, and industrial contaminants in the States of South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

* The Tribal nations are considered to have sovereign governmental status and have a government to government relationship with the United States. The Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribal government operates under a constitution consistent with the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 and approved by the Tribal membership and Tribal Council of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe. The Tribe is governed by an elected body consisting of a 5 member Executive Committee and an 18 member Tribal Council, all of whom serve a four year term.

discrimination against native americans in the west was and is much worse than discrimination today in the south.

Progressive pretend they care about anybody but themselves, they see everything as a steppingstone to controlling everybody they disagree with. Fact

BTW... “Native American” is the white man’s term... political correctness makes people fucking retarded. Lol