America Today
by Roberta B. Turner

America Today

This article is not to be considered political. It is an article that shows many Americans’ concerns. It is not about Democrats or Republicans, it is about the facts of what our country is experiencing today. So please keep this in its proper context.

We no longer live in the country we grew up in. People were kind and friendly, the government appeared to be pro-America and pro-Americans. We had actual news that was factual and delivered honestly, and not the current bias opinions of what the media decides to deliver in the news today. I can’t understand how everything has become so divided and so corrupt. Government continues to permit enormous spending get out of control and they are spending it with hard earned taxpayers’ money. You also have to wonder who the money lenders are and at what cost to our freedom.

Let’s start with what is happening with our open borders. It is not new, but it continues to be very real. It is estimated that 10 million illegal immigrants have entered the country during Biden’s presidency. Many people believe the numbers are far greater because there is no accurate method of tracking them and the southern border is 1,954 miles wide.

If some 10 million immigrants have crossed the border in the three years since Biden became president on Jan. 20, 2021, if reelected, we could be looking at 15 million to 20 million more by the time he leaves office on Jan. 20, 2029.

The vast majority of illegal immigrants don’t have government-provided work permits, and it could take years before they get them. Yet their expenses start immediately. They need food, shelter, transportation, clothing and many will need healthcare, all of which costs a lot of money, as the sanctuary cities and various mayors now realize.

The government is once again borrowing more money at the cost of the taxpayers to foot these bills. We are providing all of this at the expense of benefits that should be paid to our veterans, many of whom are living in very poor conditions.

In addition to the veterans, there are so many American seniors that rely on their Medicare payment to live and the increase in cost of everything from housing to food continues to skyrocket and, as a result, they can barely make ends meet. This should be a government priority to protect these seniors who have worked their entire lives contributing to the American way of life and now have to worry about how to maintain it.

America Today
America Today
America Today
America Today

Other concerns are the amount of farmland that has been sold to the Chinese government.  If they control the food and the land that is needed to grow or harvest it, how vulnerable are we?

According to a 2021 report by the Department of Agriculture, China owns 384,000 acres of American agricultural land; ownership which jumped by 30% from 2019 to 2020. This statistic was released on July 26, 2023.

Almost 10 years ago, the Department of Agriculture gave Chinese processing plants the greenlight to process raw poultry from the U.S. and export cooked products such as canned chicken noodle soup and chicken nuggets back to America. In 2022, the U.S. sold $1.1 billion of chicken to China. So are the chicken products U.S. or are they really from China?

According to USA Today’s July 2022 article, some social media posts are claiming that
China is about to deliver processed U.S. chickens to America for the first time. Does any of this make sense, to raise chickens in the U.S. and send them to China for processing and then ship them back to the States?

There are so many more examples but as I wrote this article I was alarmed to read that ICE is unable to control the number of drug distributors and child abusers that are being released from our sanctuary cities. More concerns for Americans.

The recent murder of a New York Police Officer who was killed by a man that had 21 previous police arrests is another shocking concern. Why are so many criminals on the loose?

As I start to finalize this article, the “Icing On The Cake” for me about our country was Easter Sunday’s proclamation from the White House that Easter, the most religious Christian holiday in the world, was now “Transgender Visibility Day.”

This is not the America that promotes hope, prosperity, and the American Dream. I am in shock just about every day at what I see and don’t see in the news. It is devastating that we “as the people” seem to have lost our voice or ability to make a difference.

This is nothing short of tragic for future generations. The state of our country and what our government and elected officials are allowing, and in some cases promoting, is horrible.

Regardless of your religion, we can only hope that God helps us.

ROOSEVELT HOTEL
AN EXAMPLE OF AMERICA TODAY

America Today - Roosevelt Hotel

The Roosevelt Hotel has been a landmark on the Manhattan skyline since it opened on September 22, 1924. Through historic elections, prohibition, war times and famous performers, The Roosevelt has a New York City story to tell.  Named in honor of the beloved 26th President of the United States, President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, the architects of the hotel designed the style and architecture in honor of him.

Renowned for its opulence, the hotel was once a defining feature of New York’s social life, hosting everyone from politicians to celebrities to artists. Synonymous with this rich history, Guy Lombardo and his Orchestra performed their first show at the Roosevelt Grill and continued to play there for the next 30 years. It was at the Grill that Lombardo first broadcast what would become a famous New Year’s Eve tradition – the singing of “Auld Lang Syne.”

The Roosevelt Hotel NYC was famous for its excellent location, beautiful architecture and interior details. The 19-story building has over 1015 rooms all with guest bathrooms. Each floor opens from the elevator to a spacious lobby. There were ballrooms, restaurants, kitchens, bars and lounges, in addition to the lobby area.

The Roosevelt Hotel will remain memorialized forever in films and television shows. Scenes from movies such as Wall Street, French Connection, and Maid in Manhattan, as well as popular TV show Mad Men, were shot at the hotel.

WHO OWNS THE ROOSEVELT HOTEL

The Pakistan government-run PIA (The Pakistan International Airlines) entered the picture in 1978 when American real estate mogul Paul Milstein bought the hotel. He then leased the hotel to PIA’s investment arm, PIA Investments Ltd., as per the Indian Express report.

Pakistan’s flag carrier had joined hands with Saudi Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to bag the roughly $35 million deal. After the lease expired in 20 years, they had the option to buy the hotel for $36.5 million, the report added.

The New York Post said that New York City is paying an estimated $225 million over three years to the owners to house immigrants.  There are no other statistics provided for maintenance, clean-up, housekeeping, etc.