Article by Magyck Sysop

Imagine about a country where general public safety is at great risk due to law enforcement layoffs, where states are forced to release criminals from jail because they cannot afford to maintain county jails and state prisons and where funding cuts for basic public education jeopardizes the future leaders of business and government?

It gets worse… this country can no longer afford to secure its borders and drug cartels from neighboring countries are able to come and go as they please, poor and impoverished immigrants (and even more criminals) infiltrate this country without any documentation allowing even more burden on an already financially broken land.

In desperate measures, this country begins to again increase an already crushing deficit by taking “loans” from other world leaders whom do not share “The Dream” of which this country was founded upon. Unable to repay foreign debt and before too long, not only is their “Dream” crushed, but her people will soon become citizens of a third world country.

Unfortunately this is the current financial status our very own United States and if we do not make some changes in our mindset… this is our future.

But do not write off the future of America just yet. Fortunately there are a few state governors think it it’s time to look at other forms of revenue and their eyes are on legalized internet gambling. After all, the house always wins and the taxation of all those participating within the internet gambling community will pay their dues by way of good old fashioned American income tax.

New Jersey was actually the front line of the online gambling revolution by passing a state bill allowing land based casino operators to offer New Jersey residents a safe and secure way to gamble online. However as of yesterday, Gov. Chris Christie vetoed the bill which would have legalized local online gambling Atlantic City casinos to set up gambling websites for residents of the Garden State.

This is a devistating economic blow as it was estimated that intrastate online gambling in New Jersey would produce at least 0 million in revenue, of which about million would be paid to the state in the form of taxes and although that may not be enough to solve their state’s failing budget, it is an annually recurring form of cash flow to keep the state out of the red.

Although there was the question of whether online gambling would cut into the revenue of the land based casinos in Atlantic City, one independent study claims that it would probably reduce Atlantic City revenues by 5% at the most and if individual casinos also operate the gambling websites, the Atlantic City casino revenue would simply be taken from one pocket and put into another.

Online gambling has been officially outlawed in the United States since 2006 (UIGEA / Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act), as when Congress forbid banks and credit card companies from processing online gambling transactions within the United States.

However, while Congress can pass laws governing a national commerce, by definition: “The United States” cannot dictate what individual states do or do not allow within their states…. although legal challenges on a national level would no doubt be plenty.

In the past, the U.S. Justice Department has declared over and over again that just about all forms of online gambling are illegal, although it has not specifically addressed online/interstate gaming issues such as state lotteries and horse racing which is widely accepted in states like Kentucky.

Opposition from Indian tribes will be likely, as they realistically have a monopoly on land based casinos in many states (other than Nevada and New Jersey) as well as offshore Internet gambling sites and at least some online casino operations.

Of course, there are those who argue that government can never successfully prohibit anything. Witness such blatantly ignored laws as traffic regulations, drug laws and prohibitions against tax chiseling. Supporters of this view would say that gambling will happen and the government might as well take its cut.

Supporting this view is the experience of offshore sites like Poker Stars and Full Tilt Poker. Although it’s illegal for Americans to gamble on these sites, it’s illegal for the sites to allow it and it’s illegal for financial institutions to transfer the money, an estimates 10 million Americans play regularly. In other words, governments that let the revenue from gambling elude them may wind up behind the 8 ball.

Many people are finding themselves with an overwhelming amount of debt. If you are in this situation, you may be wondering if do it yourself debt negotiation will be a good debt relief option for you. If you have debt, you should always be thinking about the best way to quickly pay your debt off.

When you have debt, the interest payments you are making each month is money you are throwing away by not paying your balance in full each month. With this tough economy, it is understandable that it is not always going to be possible to pay your balance in full every month, but this should be your goal.

One of the more widely used debt relief methods today is debt settlement. This can be done through a service company you can put together a do it yourself debt negotiation plan. If you do not have at least $10,000 in unsecured debt, settling your debts on you own will most likely be your only debt elimination option.

Even if you have over $10K in debt, this may be the way to go. It will save you the fees that are charged by a debt settlement organization, not to mention that many large credit institutions are beginning to resort to taking legal action against account holders that have unpaid debt. Debt negotiation companies are becoming increasingly unpopular with lenders.

You can begin the process by talking to your lender about making a settlement or you can also send them a debt settlement letter. This is the first step. Some of the sample debt elimination letters I have seen on the internet seem a little unrealistic. Many of these letters request that all negative history be removed from you credit record as well as your account be reported as paid in full instead of settled for a lesser amount.

I cannot see a lender reporting a settled account the same as an account that has an on-time payment history. I guess it is worth a try and the worst thing your lender can do is say no. I would not let these terms not being honored prevent you from making the settlement. In these volatile times, there is nothing that will prevent your creditors from taking legal action.

Cheap car insurance is important in today’s economy. With money being tight, many people are looking for ways to cut back on spending, and with insurance that is a bit cheaper, it does offer you the chance to save. For some, a cheap deal on their insurance seems elusive, but if you know what to look for, you can save some money on your vehicle insurance. Here is a look at how you can get great coverage while still cutting back on the money you spend on your car insurance.

Don’t Pay the Big Bucks

If you are looking for cheap car insurance, one thing you need to remember is that you do not need to pay the big bucks to a big brand name insurance company to get the quality car insurance that you need. Many people have the idea that they have to go with a large company for good coverage. This is not the case. Often you can go with a smaller company and save some money, still getting the quality coverage that you are going to need and even the minimum insurance required by most state laws. While you will want to look at the top companies and what they can over, do not overlook some of the smaller insurance companies that may be able to give you a great deal.

Compare Appropriately

Of course if you are going to compare quotes to try to find good car insurance for a great deal, it is so important that you compare appropriately. Some people make the mistake of comparing different types of coverage. This is not an accurate comparison and will not really help you find the best deal. When you compare companies and their quotes, ensure that the coverage and deductibles are the same on what you are comparing. This will give you a good comparison so you can find the best coverage and best deal for you.

Shop Around from Time to Time

Even if you have a good deal on your car insurance already, it is important that you shop around from time to time. If you haven’t shopped for cheap car insurance for a couple years, take the time to shop around to see how your rates compare to other rates available today. Over time, the rates you are paying may no longer be the cheapest option. Check with other companies and make sure that you do have the best rates possible. If you do not, then you may want to start looking for some better deals on car insurance so you can save. As competition amongst insurance companies continues to increase so they can gain market share, many are starting to offer promotions and specials that will lock in rates today that will continue through the term of the policy, which can mean huge savings for you.

There has never been a time when it was more important to save money where you can. Money is tight, but this doesn’t mean you can’t have great car insurance. Finding cheap car insurance is possible and with the right insurance, you can pocket some extra money each year.