Free Shelter: Book 2, A Long Days Night by Ira Tabankin

failed theories work, which is impossible since they’ve always failed in the past. He’s blinded by his obtuse socialist philosophy, he doesn’t have the strength to change and try anything new. He’s been President for seven years, he’s overseen the longest period of zero job growth in our history. We had fewer jobs just before the meltdown than we had when he assumed office. He might be the last President of a United States. I’m not sure the country will ever fully recover from this mess. I think the country is going to break up into smaller countries.”
     
    Tony sits down in one of our two folding chairs, “Fred, you sure know how to pour ice water on someone, don’t you? As much as I don’t like to admit it, I have to agree with you. There’s very little he can do. I’m hoping that just his speech will help. I’m hoping that his speech will at least do something about the lawlessness, rioting, and looting. I worry and yet I also hope to hear him say he’s sending the military to patrol our streets.”
     
    Lacy shakes her head, “Tony, you want him to use the military to patrol the streets?”
     
    “Yes, because I think they may be the only ones who have a chance of returning some law and order.”
     
    Lacy continues, “He caused this mess. What can he do? It’s going to take a massive change in almost all of the government’s policies to change the current situation. As far as the rioting and looting, did his speeches have a positive effect on Ferguson or Baltimore? Tony, do you trust the military to put the lawlessness to an end without also turning us into a police state? Do you want to see tanks sitting on our street corners? I don’t. Knowing the President’s history, his answer to the violence will be to call for the repeal of the second amendment, or he’ll just declare martial law and issue an executive order banning all guns. He doesn’t understand that banning guns only takes them out of the hands of those who follow the law. All he does is lie. Do you remember his lie that we can keep our health plan? Or he wasn’t going to have any lobbyists in his administration? Or how about the banks are too big to fail and they’ve all failed?”
     
    We didn’t know Ricky was standing outside our door, listening to our discussions. Note to self, next time I design a shelter, make the rooms soundproof. Ricky stuck his head in, “Mind if I butt in?”
     
    The four of us shake our heads no, I know I really wanted to say yes, we mind, go elsewhere, but it wouldn’t have been nice. Ricky stepped into our room. “I think the President can do a lot to change the current situation. I think it would solve most of the country’s financial problems if he promised every family a minimum livable income. Think about it, no one would be poor anymore. Everyone would be middle class. Every family would have an income of at least $50,000. People would have money to spend which would enable other people to go back to work, the economy will instantly pick up. Within a couple of weeks, we would be in a much better position. People will be happy, everyone will be able to afford to have enough to eat. This could be the best thing that ever happened to the country. Every other country will be envious of us. While they sink deeper into the world wide depression, we’ll be pulling ourselves up and out of ours. The cure to the problem of violence is to ban all guns. Without guns, there wouldn’t be the violence that forced us to live underground.”
     
    Lacy looks at Ricky, “Where is the money going to come from to pay everyone $50,000 a year?”
     
    Ricky looks proud of himself, he crosses his arms across his chest, “Duh! You even have to ask? It’s obvious, the 1% will pay for it. Call it their fair share, your fair share.  No one needs millions. Jay, you and Lacy don’t need $20 million, it’s more than you can spend in your lifetimes. If you paid the government $19 million of your $20 million, you