According to the Federal Education Department Mohela the Federal Loan Servicing, a dot com company, forced nearly a million students into default status. With hundreds of thousands more on the verge of default. Many argue that the action is intentional with an eye on generating revenue. Faith-Seeds.org was made aware of a string of reckless violations made by  Mohela. In response notified various agency watch dog groups, who verified multiple policy breaches. Consequently the Education Department announced on Monday that over two millions borrowers were not properly billed this month. October marks the first official billing month after the three-year, Covid-era student loan pause, which ended in August. Forcing over 30 million borrowers back into repayment simultaneously.

How we got here

The US Federal Student loan program has restarted loan collection.  The program had been postponed on two fronts.

1. COVID Pandemic
2.  President Joe Biden’s effort to seek loan forgiveness through the legal channels.
3. Active Student loans holders were sent into default status without being billed.

The COVID Pandemic has ended and the Presidents efforts were not successful. The US Department of Education outsourced the collection of the loans to a “dot com” company “Mohela”. This is where the issue begins.

Faith-Seeds.org kept track of the proposed loan forgiveness by the current administration as it weaved its way through the court systems. Ending at the US Supreme court which ruled against the proposal.

The return to student loan repayment is not going smoothly. The Biden administration revealed massive billing problems this week that are even more widespread than previously known. The Education Department is asserting its oversight by imposing a penalty on a key federal student loan servicer.

The billing problems are just the latest issue in a cascading series of problems borrowers have been facing after the student loan pause ended this summer.

Who is Mohela  and How did they Fail ?

Mohela, a non government commercial contract loan servicer, has been accused of intentionally forcing loanees into a default status.

October of 2023 marks the billing restart. However Mohela failed to mailed billing notices to the loanees.  By law, It is required for all businesses to send a bill showing the account information, payment amount and date due. However Mohela has avoided normal billing process.  This led to Mohela forcing loanees into default status. If you are unaware of the bill; then there is a very high percentage chance that you not pay it. Which will result in default status.

Leveraging Students Loans into default could be seen as strategy used by the dot com Mohela. If true It is unethical, and illegal. In a word, it is wrong.

Mohela has been aware, (as has most of student loan recipients ) for many months prior to the October restart.  Financially Mohela could make millions by forcing default. Students on a payment plan which enters default, loses reduced payment status immediately. Activating the highest possible payment scenario. A loan repayment with monthly installments at $250 could instantly become a $3000 or more while in default. In some cases require payment in full.  The remedy to default is very laborious and should be avoided.

The FEDS Take Action

The Department of Education announced Monday that it is withholding millions of dollars in payment to the student loan servicer Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) over billing statement errors it made.

The department said MOHELA “failed to meet its basic obligation” of getting the statements out in a reasonable time frame, resulting in 2.5 million borrowers getting late statements. Some of the borrowers got their bill days before their payment was due. As a result, more than 800,000 borrowers  transitioned into delinquency status under MOHELA.

The department is withholding $7.2 million in its October payment to MOHELA due to the error and told the student loan servicer to put all borrowers affected by this issue in forbearance until it is resolved. Any borrower on an income-driven repayment plan won’t have the months counted against them.

We took immediate actions to protect borrowers from the fallout of this error and hold the responsible servicers accountable, including “withholding $7.2 million in payment from one servicer,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said.

“The actions we’ve taken send a strong message to all student loan servicers that we will not allow borrowers to suffer the consequences of gross servicing failures. We are committed to fixing our country’s broken student loan system, and that includes strengthening oversight and accountability and taking every step possible to improve outcomes for borrowers,” he added.

Additionally, the department found “a small number of borrowers” received billing statements with incorrect payment amounts, and people on the Borrower Defense program were incorrectly put back on repayments. Those borrowers have also been placed on forbearance until the issue is corrected.

Trade School Training Leads to home ownership

Faith Seeds is pleased to announce the startup and deployment of Stir Your Pot, a web adventure supporting a holistic approach to maintaining health against Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and Obesity. Aligning with the Mission of Faith Seeds, helping those in need SYP has kicked of its web page and reaching out to impact communities.

We recently reach out to Swits Surrender, team leader to get insight into the deployment.

Congratulations on your new web adventure. Seems like a big thing. If I understand it you are focusing on diabetes and related health issues. Will you tell us more about the site?

What is its purpose?

The inception of Stir Your Pot website stemmed from a heartfelt desire to provide invaluable assistance to diabetic individuals globally. With a particular emphasis on aiding those within the Philippines who lack access to healthcare and face financial constraints. The overarching vision for this platform is to establish an unparalleled source of knowledge. Delivering up-to-the-minute information on cost-effective medication options. Guiding diabetic patients towards potential pathways to reverse this chronic condition.

While acknowledging the ambitious nature of such vision, the resounding chorus of success stories from individuals who have effectively reversed their diabetic affliction. Through unwavering discipline and steadfast patience have left an indelible mark. It is with unwavering determination that Stir Your Pot endeavors to present practical steps and insights into the elusive journey of diabetic reversal, Aiming to transform what may appear to be an improbable dream into a tangible reality.

Who is the intended audience?

Targeting a diverse global demographic, Stir Your Pot website caters to an audience of individuals grappling with the challenges of type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Specifically tailored to address the needs of those who face financial barriers hindering their access to crucial monthly diabetic supplies, such as glucometers, lancets, and diabetic medications, this comprehensive platform aims to provide a lifeline of support. Beyond serving as a sanctuary for information and resources, Stir Your Pot also endeavors to foster a vibrant community, inspiring individuals to share their own culinary creations.

By encouraging the exchange of personal recipes believed to possess the potential to aid in the regulation and stabilization of blood sugar levels, this website embodies a captivating fusion of expertise and shared experiences, uniting diabetics worldwide in their journey towards enhanced well-being.

Are you a diabetic? If so tell us a little bit about your diabetic experience.

Yes, I have diabetes, which is genetically inherited in my family. Unfortunately, my mother passed away from diabetes complications in 1999, and I was diagnosed in 2003. My two sisters and niece have also been diagnoised with the ailment.

Being overweight by 20 to 30 pounds I experienced persistent itching on my feet, despite trying different medications. Worried, I discussed this with a doctor, who conducted an examination and blood tests. About a week later, she informed me of my diabetes diagnosed.

Initially, it was hard for me to accept and fully understand my condition. I felt relatively healthy and my doctor didn’t immediately prescribe diabetic medication, I convinced myself that everything was fine. Surprisingly, my doctor didn’t provide explicit guidance on weight loss or exercise. It was 6 months later that she started my diabetes medication. This certainly was not the ideal response to my health query.

What percent of people in the US and worldwide are diabetic.

Here are the 5-year progressions of the percentage of people with diabetes in the US and worldwide:

 United States:

• In 2015, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes was 7.40%^3.

·         In 2019, 11.3% of the US population had diabetes, including 28.7 million diagnosed cases and 8.5 million undiagnosed cases

• As of 2022, the total number of people with diabetes in the US is 37.3 million, which is 11.3% of the population².

Worldwide:

• In 2014, the number of people with diabetes was 422 million¹.
• In 2017, the global prevalence of type 2 diabetes was 6.28% ⁵.
• By 2030, the global prevalence of type 2 diabetes is projected to increase to 7079 individuals per 100,000⁵.

It is important to note that the prevalence of diabetes has been rising over time, and the burden of diabetes is increasing globally.

Cost of Diabetes

• Here is a list of the estimated cost of diabetes from 2017 to 2023:

  ^·          In 2017, the total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes in the US was $327 billion, including $237 billion in direct medical costs and $90 billion in reduced productivity^{1, 2.}

  ·         In 2023, the United States alone is estimated to spend $294.5 billion on patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus^3.

  ^·          Diabetes is now the most expensive chronic condition in the United States, with one in every four US health care costs spent on caring for people with diabetes.

  ^·          The cost of insulin, a critical medication for people with diabetes, has been a major concern. As of January 1, 2023, Medicare beneficiaries will pay no more than $35 a month for insulin.

  It is important to note that the cost of diabetes has been increasing over time, and it is a significant burden on patients and the healthcare system. Efforts are being made to address the issue of insulin affordability, but more work is needed to ensure that everyone with diabetes can access the care and medications they need.

Is your outlook for the future of diabetics Positive? Negative? Please explain.

Based on the on my research and by following diabetic groups, it is possible for some people with type 2 diabetes to reverse the condition to a point where they do not need medication to manage it and their body does not suffer ill effects from having blood sugar levels that are too high. However, I am aware that there is no cure for type 2 diabetes. It is important to note that the term “cure” has not been applied to T2D, as there does exist the potential for re-occurrence, which has been well documented in the literature.

 Making positive lifestyle changes such as eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting down to a healthy weight (and maintaining it) are the key to possibly reversing or managing type 2 diabetes. Other lifestyle changes may also help, including not smoking, getting enough sleep, limiting alcohol, and managing stress.  However, for some people, this is still not enough, and medication is needed to manage the condition. It is important to note that even if someone is in remission, which means they aren’t taking medication and their blood sugar levels stay in a healthy range, there’s always a chance that symptoms will return.

In the United States, 244,000 children and adolescents younger than age 20 years have diagnosed diabetes, including type 1 diabetes. Among adults aged 20 years or older, 1.6 million adults reported both having type 1 diabetes and using insulin. There is no cure for type 1 diabetes, but it can be managed with insulin therapy, blood sugar monitoring, and lifestyle changes. Although survival and patient health have improved considerably, particularly in the past 25 years, a cure for type 1 diabetes remains elusive.

Food for thought

Embracing a self-sustaining lifestyle, including raising chickens and pigs, practicing homesteading, and adopting low-carb or keto diets, along with intermittent fasting and regular exercise, can greatly impact the well-being of diabetics and potentially lead to an extended lifespan.

It is important to note that every individual’s experience with diabetes is unique, and the effectiveness of these approaches may vary. Seeking regular checkups and guidance from healthcare professionals remains crucial for managing diabetes and making informed decisions about treatment plans.

With the right combination of personalized care, lifestyle modifications, and medical advancements, the future holds promise for a better quality of life for diabetics.

Seeking solutions for mental health

The US always prided itself on being financially powerful. Able to sufficiently care for and sustain its citizenry in medical mental, and social environments. It is what foreign countries envied and citizens took pride in. It was a time when it was expected of politicians to be for the people and by the people. However, there are opposing voices as to to what caring for the Mentally unstable. is And the consequences of those polar views have left many uncared. Consequently life has deteriorated for both the mentally ill and the American society.

In addition to committing mass shootings and bazaar acts, a high percentage of many mentally disturbed people are homeless. Further complicating  solutions  many go undiagnosed. Still others self medicate using drugs like Marijuana, Opioids and Hallucinogenics. Sending the problem to more extreme levels. While drug use may provide sedation, and in some cases relaxation, It is not a cure but rather an anesthetization of the anguish.

Yet other conditions once considered “Mentally ill” were declassified as such designations to relieve communities of the financial burden of caring for them.

How did we get here

1965 The U.S. Congress establishes Medicaid and Medicare. Mentally disabled people living in the community are eligible for benefits but those in psychiatric hospitals are excluded. By encouraging patients to be discharged, state legislators could shift the cost of care for mentally ill patients to the federal government.

Coinciding with a movement during the 1970s for rehabilitation of people with severe mental illnesses, the Mental Health Systems Act supported and financed community mental health support systems, which coordinated general health care, mental health care, and social support services.[2] The law followed the 1978 Report of the President’s Commission on Mental Health, which made recommendations for improving mental health care in the United States. While some concerns existed about the methodology followed by the President’s Committee, the report served as the foundation for the MHSA, which in turn was seen as landmark legislation in U.S. mental health policy.

The Mental Health Systems Act of 1980 (MHSA) was United States legislation signed by President Jimmy Carter which provided grants to community mental health centers. In 1981 President Ronald Reagan, who had made major efforts during his Governorship to reduce funding and enlistment for California mental institutions, pushed a political effort through the U.S. Congress to repeal most of MHSA.[1] The MHSA was considered landmark legislation in mental health care policy.

Where are we now

2015 In the San Francisco Homeless Count, 55 percent of people experiencing chronic homelessness report they have emotional or psychiatric conditions.

A severe shortage of inpatient care for people with mental illness is amounting to a public health crisis, as the number of individuals struggling with a range of psychiatric problems continues to rise.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 6.3 percent of the population suffers from severe mental illness [2], defined as longstanding mental illnesses, typically psychosis, that cause moderate-to-severe disability of prolonged duration [3]. Given that the number of adults 18 and over in the United States in 2010 was estimated to be roughly 234,564,000 [4], approximately 14.8 million people have severe mental illness. Experts polled by the Treatment Advocacy Center estimated that about 50 beds per 100,000 people would meet needs for acute and long-term care, but in some states the number of available beds is as low as 5 per 100,000 people [5]. Thus, many who need residential treatment cannot obtain it.

The changes that led to this lack of space, as well as changes to the institutionalization process, have made it impossible for people with severe mental illness to find appropriate care and shelter, resulting in homelessness or “housing” in the criminal justice system’s jails and prisons [6]. The percentage of people with severe mental illness in prisons and jails is generally estimated to be 16 percent of the total population [6]. Given that the population in U.S. prisons and jails totaled 2,361,123 in 2010 [7], it would appear that nearly 378,000 incarcerated persons have severe mental illness [7].

How do we fix this

State hospitals must return to their traditional role of the hospital of last resort. They must function as entry points to the mental health system for most people with severe mental illness who otherwise will wind up in a jail or prison. State hospitals are also necessary for involuntary commitment. As a nation, we are working through a series of tragedies involving weapons in the hands of people with severe mental illness—in Colorado, where James Holmes killed or wounded 70 people, Arizona, where Jared Loughner killed or wounded 19 people, and Connecticut, where Adam Lanza killed 28 including children as young as 6 years old

. All are thought to have had severe mental illness at the time of their crimes.

After we finish the debate about the availability of guns, particularly to those with mental illness, we will certainly have to address the mental health system and lack of services, especially for those in need of treatment but unwilling or unable to seek it. With proper services, including involuntary commitment, many who have the potential for violence can be treated. Just where will those services be initiated, and what will be needed?

Affirmative Action for the Wealthy

WASHINGTON — Three large tax preparation firms sent “extraordinarily sensitive” information on tens of millions of taxpayers to Facebook parent company Meta over the course of at least two years, a group of congressional Democrats reported on Wednesday.

They say some of that data was then used by Meta to create targeted advertising to its own users, other companies, and to train Meta’s algorithms.

The report urges federal agencies to investigate and potentially go to court over the wealth of information that H&R Block, TaxAct and TaxSlayer shared with the social media giant.

In a letter to the heads of the IRS, the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and the IRS watchdog, seven lawmakers say their findings “reveal a shocking breach of taxpayer privacy by tax prep companies and by Big Tech firms.”

Their report said highly personal and financial information about sources of taxpayers’ income, tax deductions and exemptions were made accessible to Meta as taxpayers used the tax software to prepare their taxes.

How we got Here

That data came to Meta through its Pixel code, which the tax firms installed on their websites to gather information on how to improve their own marketing campaigns. In exchange, Meta was able to access the data to write targeted algorithms for its own users.

The program collected information on taxpayers’ filing status, income, refund amounts, names of dependents, approximate federal tax owed, which buttons were clicked on the tax preparers’ websites and the names of text entry forms that the taxpayer navigated, the report states.

Taxpayer data was also shared with Google, through its own tracking tools — though the firm told lawmakers that it never used the information to track users on the internet, according to the report.

Action Items

The letter to federal agencies was signed by Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden, Richard Blumenthal, Tammy Duckworth, Bernie Sanders, Sheldon Whitehouse and Rep. Katie Porter. The lawmakers called for the agencies to “immediately open an investigation into this incident.”  To fully investigate this matter and prosecute any company or individuals who violated the law.

They ask the agencies to investigate “and prosecute any company or individuals who violated the law,” saying it could result in billions of dollars in criminal liability to the firms.

The Markup, a nonprofit journalism outlet focusing on technology, initially reported on the data-sharing between tax firms and Meta in November. TaxAct told The Markup noted that it takes the privacy of its customers’ data “very seriously” and “endeavors to comply” with all IRS regulations.” TaxSlayer said  that its customers’ privacy is “of utmost importance” and that it had removed the Pixel to evaluate its use.

H&R Block said on Wednesday that it takes protecting client privacy very seriously and has taken steps to prevent the sharing of information through the Pixel coding.

Meta said that it has been clear in its policies that advertisers “should not send sensitive information about people through our Business Tools.”“Doing so is against our policies and we educate advertisers on properly setting up Business tools to prevent this from occurring,” the company said in an emailed statement. “Our system is designed to filter out potentially sensitive data it is able to detect.” However it must be duly noted that Facebook has been found responsible on multiple occasion of abusing privacy laws.

Next Steps

Representatives from the IRS, the Justice Department, the FTC and the IRS watchdog also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sharing such taxpayer information without their consent is a “breach of taxpayer privacy by tax prep companies and by Big Tech firms that appeared to violate taxpayers’ rights and may have violated taxpayer privacy law,” the lawmakers added.

High Rate Of Decline for Student Enrollment

75% of homes on the market are too expensive for middle-income buyers

As market watching goes, that dream may be more difficult to reach with each passing year.  A pulse check of the housing market shows some shadowing signs that cast doubt on whether this current season of generational change will be able to buy in.

The US housing market is so unaffordable, over 75% of homes on the market are too expensive for middle class buyers, according to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors and Realtor.com.

That’s largely due to the shortage of housing supply, which has hit middle income buyers the hardest. Thanks to elevated mortgage rates, the housing market is missing around 320,000 homes priced at or below $256,000 – the maximum price a middle-income buyer earning up to $75,000 can afford.

Of the 1.1 million listings on the market in April, middle-income buyers could only afford 23% of them, the report said. That’s less than half of what the group could afford five years ago, when around 50% of all listings on the market were considered affordable for that group.

Economists say housing inflation will soon fall

“Ongoing high housing costs and the scarcity of available homes continues to present budget challenges for many prospective buyers, and it’s likely keeping some buyers in the rental market or on the sidelines and delaying their purchase until conditions improve,” said Realtor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale. “Those who are able to overcome affordability constraints may be increasingly drawn to newly constructed homes or to the suburbs and beyond, both of which may offer buyers more realistic opportunities for homeownership in the near term.”

With that said it is important to note that the “scarcity” of homes is exacerbated by the competing forces of corporate ownership.

Big business is buying up homes and rates unparalleled in US history. Institutional investors became major players in the rental market. They promised to return profits to their investors and convenience to their tenants. In fact, a significant part of the few new homes that are being built in this economy is being built with the express intention of being rental property and not for sale.

It worked. Between 2011 and 2017, some of the world’s largest private-equity groups and hedge funds, as well as other large investors, spent a combined $36 billion on more than 200,000 homes in ailing markets across the country. In one Atlanta zip code, they bought almost 90 percent of the 7,500 homes sold between January 2011 and June 2012; today, institutional investors own at least one in five single-family rentals in some parts of the metro area, according to Dan Immergluck, a professor at the Urban Studies Institute at Georgia State University. Some of the nation’s hardest-hit housing markets were finally stabilized.

The median price of an American house has increased by 28 percent over the last two years, as pandemic-driven demand and long-term demographic changes send buyers into crazed bidding wars.

Might the fact that corporate investors snapped up 15 percent of U.S. homes for sale in the first quarter of this year have something to do with it? The Wall Street Journal reported in April 2021 that an investment firm won a bidding war to purchase an entire neighborhood worth of single-family homes in Conroe, Texas.

Part of a cycle of stories drumming up panic over Wall Street’s increasing stake in residential real estate. Then came the backlash, as cool-headed analysts reassured us that big investors like BlackRock remain insignificant players in the housing market compared with regular old American families.

 Blackstone is not the only player in the corporate housing rental market.

You’ll find Invitation Homes and Rich investors like Warren Buffett (left) and B.W. Hughes are buying up many of the single-family homes that have long sustained the US middle class. They along with Blackstone buy up high percentages of properties in America. Investment firms aren’t buying all the houses. But they are buying the most important ones.

The real danger here is not just a decline in the middle class but a removal of the middle class. Could it be that America of the not to distant future will be a place where the average worker will never own a place to call your own nor have generational wealth to pass down?

Yes, That is correct. A growing trend in real estate investing is to allow investors with little capital to invest in ranges as low as $100.- $500.  While iBuyers like Zillow and Opendoor took  chances in buying and selling existing real estate, investors like Jeff Bezos are staking grown in brand new rental properties.

A startup backed by Jeff Bezos and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is the latest venture capitalist team working to expand real estate investing to the masses.

Arrived Homes launched its latest batch of new offerings yesterday: six rental properties that retail investors can buy into with as little as $100. The offerings went live on the platform at 11:00 AM EDT on April 5, 2022, and all properties were fully funded in less than 12 hours.

The first two properties sold out in under two hours. The first was a five-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom home in the Columbia, SC market named The Bedford. The property was acquired by Arrived Homes for $280,000 and investors purchased the 12,317 available shares at $10 each.

The second property to sell out was a four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home in the Nashville, TN market, named The Jack. Arrived Homes acquired the property for $414,755 and investors purchased all 18,359 available shares at $10 per share.

Shares of the remaining properties sold out throughout the day to a total of 750 retail investors. The total amount funded was about $800,000 with combined property values totaling approximately $1.7 million.

Arrived Homes has experienced tremendous growth since its launch just a little over a year ago. The platform funded 51 homes during the last eight months of 202,1 with approximately $18.5 million in property value. So far in 2022, Arrived Homes has already funded approximately $17 million worth of properties.

Arrived Homes is not the only investor in the space, as their portfolio is now being matched by Fundrise, a 5 star investment company.

Fundrise recently secured a $300 million credit facility from Goldman Sachs to finance new construction on investable single-family homes and has outbid institutional investors trying to acquire new rentals. In December, it outbid larger firms with $1 billion bid and acquired a new rental development in Texas.

According to Bloomberg News, Fundrise has acquired or is under contract for about 2,000 homes and plans to buy more than 25,000 over the next few years, magnitudes greater than Arrived Homes’ haul.

Investor builder Giant D.R. Horton is also staking claim in the space.

A bidding war broke out this winter at a new subdivision north of Houston. However, this time the price was the entire subdivision, not just a single suburban house, illustrating the rise of big investors as a potent new force in the U.S. housing market.

D.R. Horton Inc. built 124 houses in Conroe, Texas, rented them out and then put the whole community, Amber Pines at Fosters Ridge, on the block. A Who’s Who of investors and home-rental firms flocked to the December sale. The winning $32 million bid came from an online property-investing platform, Fundrise LLC, which manages more than $1 billion on behalf of about 150,000 individuals.

So it seems the bottom line is not whether this investing in rental real estate will take off but rather that it already has. The question is, how far will it go?

According to Suzannah Cavanaugh of Bloomberg, other startups such as Roofstock allow more wealthy investors to own rental shares. NestEgg, another venture-capital-backed startup, is building a more direct investment base. CEO Eachan Fletcher hopes to create a million millionaires in the next five years by allowing individual owners to acquire more buildings through property management and financing software.

Great Money Making Ideas 2023

U.S. Black farmers lost $326B worth of land in 20th century

Black farmers in the United States lost roughly $326 billion worth of acreage during the 20th century, according to the first study to quantify the present-day value of that loss.

“Wealth and land is one way in this country that you’re able to grow opportunity for your family,” said Dr. Dania Francis, professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.

“When huge groups of African Americans were denied that opportunity, it speaks to the inter-generational wealth gap that opened up in part due to this type of land loss,” Francis added.

The land loss was due to discriminatory USDA lending policies and forced sales of co-owned land called heirs’ property, among other factors, the study said.

The study calculated the compounded value of declining acreage owned by African Americans between 1920 and 1997 in the 17 states where almost all Black-owned farms were documented, using data from the USDA Census of Agriculture. – This article was first published by Reuters.

Inflation Adjustment Act Tweaks Black Farmer Aid

According to the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, federal programs that treat people differently based on race must clear a high bar.

Such programs must be carefully targeted in response to specific episodes of intentional discrimination by the government. Democrats based the loan forgiveness on statistics that merely showed disparate outcomes, which do not suffice in court.

The Inflation Reduction Act responds by swapping the loan forgiveness for financial assistance to farmers determined to have experienced discrimination before 2021 in USDA lending programs.

At $2.2 billion, the program is cheaper than the loan forgiveness, and payments are capped at $500,000 per recipient.

Though the new program may have better legal grounding than its predecessors, the episode has frustrated farmers who briefly thought they would have their loans paid off.

“That’s a broken promise and a broken contract between the U.S. government and Black farmers,” John Boyd Jr., president of the National Black Farmers Association, told CBS MoneyWatch.

American Dream Reachable ?

There was a time when the virtues of American Life showed forth its beacon of hope and charity and prosperity. That light crossed many borders and spanned great oceans. The beauty of life in the US was highly sought out. Today it is still sought out by some who would like nothing better than to be called an American.

Its  easy to forget there is a working immigration system in the United States of America. And its easy to forget that people come here because they love America. In the face of illegal immigration, yearly over a million applications are processed. And  granted the opportunity to become sworn members and full citizens of the United States.

Faith Seeds had the opportunity to speak with new found citizen in Ruena Long.

” The United States was my first and only choice because I learned that I had family relations whose lives became better after immigrating to the land of economic opportunity.

Our education was primarily based on Western education—student-oriented, developing such qualities as critical thinking, problem-solving, and generating new ideas. We read American magazines, studied American books, listened to and sang American music, and watched American movies and television series.  I also look forward to receiving stuff that were made in USA which my aunties send us because I know it has quality. “

What is it that attracted me to come to America?

When I was 5 years old, my father bought these 4 sets of Fantasy land, The Wonderful Worlds of Walt Disney books.  Since I do not know how to read and understand English yet, I always want my father to read me the stories about Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, Peter Pan, etc. and translate it in Tagalog my native language.  I used to look at the beautiful pictures thinking this is what America is.

Ruena positive view of America is what she embraces. However her view is not shared by all who come to America. Ironically many that come here illegal don’t necessarily share that view. Of those that migrate here the Philippines ethnics are among the fewest in numbers.   Mexico has the highest number of immigrants to the US and also the highest number of illegal immigrants. And has held that highest position for years. With an estimated 23 million illegal immigrants from Latin America.

There seems to be politics and debate about illegal immigration and legal immigration. One argument is that the immigration system does not work. It did work for Ruena and realization of a life long dream.  She recalls vividly her Naturalization Ceremony.

“All oath-takers had to fall in line again, waited our turn to receive our appointment letters and our Naturalization Certificates to review and check the accuracy and completeness of the information therein.   They also gave us our application for U.S. Passports and more information materials about becoming an American Citizen.  After that, the immigration officer gave details of the program of activities and told us to wait for the judge. During the judge’s speech, she told us that she and her family were also immigrants from another country.

She then instructed everyone to stand to be recognized as she called on all the countries represented.  I look around when the Philippines was called and found out that I was the only Filipino in that batch.  Our Oath-Taking followed after her speech.  It was very solemn.

I felt like finally, I’ve fulfilled my dream of becoming a U.S. citizen. When the Oath-Taking was over, it was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag.  After that, we had a picture-taking with the Judge.  Fortunately, there is one Chinese lady who was very kind when she saw that I was alone, she offered to take my picture with the Judge.”

Ruena also lost her America husband while working through naturalization process. ” During my Oath taking I was very teary eyed and missed my husband Gary even more.  I know this is what he also wanted for me. I am proud and blessed to be an American Citizen.  I am no longer afraid of anything especially now that Gary is gone. “

Faith Seeds joins in the Celebration of Hope and Faith.

There are some commonality among American School Shooters. Looking at the similarities may help to identify the germination of  causes and possible solutions.

High drug use

Drug use is very overwhelming among America’s you. Prior to the 80s the most common use of drugs were Marijuana, and Quaalude. Both offered a temporary escape from the 9 to 5 reality of working class people.  But after 1980 and the onset of the “Crack Rock” epidemic, “Freebasing” became the drug method of choice among many of those in the big cities. The profitability made it a sought after black market business. A business which grew towards a billion dollar industry for black marketers. Lost in the profit making was the damaged family unit and community, perpetuating the social conditions which were and are still so strongly associated with substance abuse. Addiction overwhelmed users with psychotic behavior such as delusion and extreme paranoia.  Users became dysfunctional in society and isolated to subculture. There was also a racial component to prosecution of drug use that further divided America.

Profitable Drug Marketing

With the profitable markets from the Crack Rock Era, zealous white collar business men began to exploit pharmaceutical drugs. Opioids, legal painkillers with addictive powers flooded the market. Une

thical medical practitioners addicted many for the sake of money. Never caring about the effect it has on society, the family and the community.

Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.

Opioids, unlike most other meds people take, can be highly addictive. And that can lead to potential misuse or even overdose, says the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Loneliness and Psychotic

Drug use, its mental and psychotic effects bare a very high impact on the thinking logic of youth today. Drug use and death is embedded in subculture and music. Music Icons like Michael Jackson, Prince and Tom Petty succumbed to high drug use. Of the common issue of use among celebrities is the feeling of isolation. They cant have a “normal life”. There is no going out in public without being swarmed by fans and media.

Drugs are used as a way of escape or coping with isolation. Common among school  and mass shooters is this same feeling of isolation. The teenage gunman who killed a student and a teacher at a St. Louis high school left a note in his car.

“I don’t have any friends, I don’t have any family. I never had a girlfriend. I never had a social life. I’ve been an isolated loner my entire life. This was the perfect storm for a mass shooter.”

The rise in synthetic drug use, the premature death of innocence, and the hypocritical American Society are not the only contributors. They are prevalent. Other impacts such as having toddlers and adolescents expose to adult sexual activities are also innocent destroyers.  One must understand that young people do not have a fully developed mind at an early age.  Their reactions may be much more dramatic. When Isolated and lonely students they become prey for radical agenda groups. Many of the shooters espouse some type of ideologue.

While it is clear that the rise in drug use parallels the rise in both mass shootings and school shootings. It is also clear that America has not taken decisive measures to stop the import of drugs coming in at the US border. Every effort to close the border and classify the Drug Cartels as terrorist organizations is cast aside. Most recently the state of Texas has taken this step of classifying Cartels as terrorist.

No question America failed its children.