NOVEMBER 14, 2025 GOVERNMENT GROUNDCOVER NEWS The U.S. government shutdown and the conditions low-income Americans face During the first several months of Donald J. Trump’s presidency, the U.S government deployed the National Guard to five U.S cities: Los Angeles, Chicago, Memphis, Portland, and Washington D.C. The Trump Administration wants to proceed with paying military members but not paying the roughly 700,000 federal workers who have been furloughed or working without pay. Things the National Guard has done to regular civilians are devastating, like launching tear gas at protesters and asking for identification cards as if military troops were the modern day slave patrol gathering unidentified slaves with no freedom papers. Oregon accused Donald Trump of violating the Constitution by federalizing the Portland National Guard. I believe the Trump administration is using the National Guard to mistreat anti-ICE protesters with intimidating tactics. Senate Democrats effectively filibustered Congressional Republicans who still prefer the government shutdown to keeping health insurance subsidies at or near current levels, even after Trump has called to end it — which makes it a stalemate. Trump says it is now time for the Republicans to make their move, to further weaken the filibuster, in what is called the “nuclear option.” The Republicans couldn't get their heads together and come up with a sound solution, so it made it a draw. Also, the Trump Administration has proposed to cut rental assistance after two years, which would put roughly three million recipients in danger of being homeless. This means a lot of and warehouse operators, and 14,000 were management. Amazon laid off around 30,000 and Target also laid off 1,000 workers. In addition, this month the governBAKARI BOMANI Groundcover vendor No. 685 families with children and individuals with disabilities would be out in the street. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at this time does not have the authority to set budget levels or appropriate money without Congressional consent. So the administration doesn’t just get to do what it wants, it has to go through Congress. Then we have Walmart CEO Doug McMillons who just froze hiring for the company’s headcount at 2.1 million employees for the next 3 years. Mr. ‘McMillions’ says AI is set to hit every job across the corporation. Not to cause panic or fear, but it’s a possibility AI will gradually take the place of most individuals’ jobs. Just imagine that instead of competing with other human beings, your competition would be robots who are highly intelligent, don't get tired, don't complain or need vacation time off, need a promotion or draw a paycheck. I believe the robots will keep their jobs. The United Postal Service recently cut 48,000 jobs; 34,000 were drivers ment threatened not to pay out on a government food assistance program, which would have affected the lives of millions of dependents receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. But federal judges ruled it unconstitutional not to use emergency funds for SNAP, and it was reinstated. Then the Supreme Court ordered a stay on the order to resume payments and all SNAP payments were stopped again. Approximately 42 million people in the country and 1.4 million in Michigan are affected. This is an unbearable position to be in at this time of year. In my opinion, this is a call for Americans to come together in these uncertain times, pull our resources together and build a better society. We should look at each other as brothers and sisters instead of as upper class and lower class; as a collection of God-fearing Americans instead of as Christians vs. Muslims vs. Buddhists vs. whatever. We have differences like skin complexion and different cultures and traditions, but when it all boils down, we are all the children of the Creator. We need to stop focusing on our petty differences and start to work together in solidarity. In the words of the divine teacher Jesus, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2) Editor's note: The government shutdown ended on Thursday, November 13, after 42 days. This was the longest shutdown in the United States' history. 7 $10M treatment to the local homeless dilemna If I were given $10 million, presumably from the government or a philanthropic organization, to address homelessness in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, I think I could make a serious difference for a lot of good people. Many of the homeless people you might see every day could benefit immensely from that kind of money. I’d start by taking an office building and staffing it with University of Michigan students — they’re gonna be here and they’re always looking for jobs anyway — to purchase and distribute vouchers, arrange transportation and purchase land, splitting the money between building new homes and housing the currently homeless while providing such things as furniDAVID PUTMAN Groundcover vendor No. 679 transport homeless people to quality homes in the community. Organizations like The Delonis Center, Community Mental Health, local churches and landlords could provide locations and manpower to house many people who are for a number of reasons looking for another chance. Co-ops and Group Homes would allow people with connections surviving on the streets to collectively cohabitate ture, water, heat and utilities. Money left over could go for clean, warm clothes, temporary sleeping bags and tents, free smart phones, bus tokens and organizing people to under the same roof, continuing to forge connections they established surviving together on the streets. Ideally, with $10 million to contribute to the homeless debacle, there would also be money to contribute to the health and healing of people who may be facing homelessness in part for medical reasons or other things covered by insurance. Whether it’s mental illness, high medical bills, addiction, job scarcity, criminal backgrounds or military affiliation, I don’t believe that anyone should have to be homeless. Our society has the resources and programs to find a decent place to live for all our fellow human beings. Job training and public education make for meaningful gainful activities and constantly extend an opportunity to learn, grow, work, expand your mind, body, spirit and soul. We all can always do more for each other, every day. God Bless.
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