Bankruptcy

New US bankruptcy laws could add to the woes of Hurricane Katrina victims as they struggle to rebuild their lives, a politician has warned.

Bankruptcy Code changes which make it harder for Americans to wipe out their debts take effect in a month's time. Democratic Senator Russ Feingold says people driven to bankruptcy by hurricane damage should not be "test cases" for the new code. He is proposing a bill that would give them another year under the old law.

However, it faces opposition from senior Republicans who say the bankruptcy changes will not affect people who have been completely ruined financially.

Ehhhhxcellent. We just can't stop screwing these people.

We need to understand all of these issues BEFORE they arise and better push our government toward responsible stewardship through their careers. In March, the great folks at dKos compiled all sorts of data on this bankruptcy bill and how it would screw Americans while it was being turned into law. And here we are: in a hugely devastating crisis that has struck the already poor and indebted, these people will be broken down for YEARS to come.

We MUST be prescient, aware, predictave; we most demonstrate to our population that the government's actions have HUGE consequences. And that, in these circumstances, the people they will screw the most will invariably be the poorer Americans. Unreal.

We must translate all of this good work into serious action and awareness. This is yet another serious issue that the federal government has caused great strife for their own gain.