Grandfather Economic Report - Feedback from Readers

NOTE - If you just want to email the author you can do so to Michael Hodges
- - with your comments and suggestions. If you would like to review representative feedback from others, then read on.

Feedback from Readers
- teachers, economists, parents, students, professionals -
by Michael Hodges - email

- a chapter of the Grandfather Economic Reports -

From winner of the Nobel Prize
To youngsters still in school

See how folks around the world
Find this site a useful tool

The Grandfather Economic Report is a collection of easy-to-understand picture-reports to increase awareness of certain threats to the economic future & freedom of families and their children, compared to the past - - on family income, debt, savings, government spending, education quality, social security, regulations, taxes, inflation, foreign trade, voter turnout, trust, national security, energy, and health care.

The author's In Box overflows with mail from readers. Some feedback samples are included below to help new readers learn from others about the creditability of data and analyses in this series, the wide range of interest in its content from many backgrounds and geographic locations, and to learn that they are not alone with their concerns.

You might be interested in scanning some Feedback samples, from:
Economists, professors, teachers, business - - - Parents & Grandparents - - -
Students - high school & college - - - International

Economists, teachers, professors, professional - - sample feedback

Dr. Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize winner for excellence in economics, said in various letters: "I certainly commend you for the Grandfather Report and for the imaginative way in which you have displayed data highly relevant to very important issues. I am impressed. Your objective is one I fully endorse. Your charts and analyses are excellent. Very well done. I congratulate you and applaud your continuing effort."
In December 2000, Michael Hodges was most surprised to receive a package in the mail from Dr. Friedman, which included a copy of Dr. Friedman's recent book of memoirs, 'Two Lucky People,' which included this endorsement: "For Michael Hodges, whose Grandfather Economic Report is spreading the good word. With respect and admiration." Signed - Milton Friedman and Rose Friedman. Dr. Friedman's work and encouragement have been a motivating force in the creation of the Grandfather Economic Report series. See a Tribute to Milton Friedman.
Gerald Dwyer - Federal Reserve and Clemson U. - "I like your discussion of the "surplus". It's very pointed and quite correct. With a colleague, I've written a paper "The Federal Government's Budget Surplus: Cause for Celebration?" that appeared in the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's Economic Review. I found your site from something called the "Friedman ring". Milton was my thesis advisor at Chicago and I happened on this "ring", went to your site and here I am. As Friedman emphasizes, ultimately it's the level of spending that matters. The choice of taxes versus debt to finance the spending is less important. That's not to say that taxes and debt are unimportant, but the spending represents resources consumed or transferred by the government. The bad thing about the set of Social Security discussions is the fraud in the statements made."
French geologist-geophysicist - 'dear Michael - I want to congratulate you for your site and the numerous papers in the Grandfather Economic Reports. I am a retired oil geologist from France, and I am concerned about the future of my grand children. I write papers on the future of oil and gas production, including in Scientific American, "The end of cheap oil". I am preparing a paper for a lecture in Dubai "Global depletion and the impact on the global economy." So I searched on the web and found yours papers with many graphs and I will use some in my talk. If you need any information on oil and gas, do not hesitate.' best regards, jean laherrere - jean.laherrere@wanadoo.fr - 19 February 2001.
(Dr. Laherrere is a world-respected researcher regarding the future of oil and gas production and exploration, and his offer to assist me soon resulted in the creation of the Energy Report chapter of the Grandfather Economic Report series - presented so anyone can understand future energy challenges facing our nation, compared to the past).
Steven Cox - math teacher. 'Thanks for your page, I learned a lot from reading it! I am a math teacher at Milpitas H.S. and was wondering if I could use some of the material from your page in my Unit?"
Bill James, University of Notre Dame. "Michael - Just got done printing a bunch of stuff from your website. VERY excellent! You've boiled down a lot of the government-speak into easily understood charts and tables. Well done!"
Michael, Your debt reports are priceless. The data is irrefutable. Your analyses are excellent. I put a link to your page on our NDAC web page. Gene - Director, National Debt Awareness Center
Liz Brain, Kids In Science & Technology. "I have been reading your Grandfather pages for the last two hours. I have passed the address on to a list of my friends and associates, mostly all home-schooling families. Very interesting statistics and information you have compiled. You are to be commended for all your work on this."
Mark K Littrell - "I like your Web page and about once or twice per semester I route as many of my students there as possible. Keep up the good work."
Tom Smith - high school math. "Thank you for your wonderful work. It is excellently done. Regarding education quality you have made a great first step in identifying the problem, and highlighting possible solutions. The Teachers Union is in collusion with the Dept of Education. You rub my back, I will rub yours. We need to get the government out of Education, and we have to break the back of the Teachers Union. Until that happens, nothing will change"
'Dear Mr. Hodges: Well done site. I can use a lot of your findings and conclusions for Switzerland. Thank you, Hans Kaufmann, Member of Swiss Parliament'
'Thank you for your research and insights regarding healthcare issues. I visited your website and am impressed with the work you have done. From time to time I have the opportunity to speak on these matters and would like to use some of your material. Thanks for the time and effort you put into this - we need to be aware of the facts and the consequences of our collective decisions. At some point those benefiting from the government spending will reach a critical mass that will make going to a more individually based and self-responsible approach a much tougher problem. Keep up the good work!' Dick Rivera.
'Dear Mr. Hodges, I came across your reports from the Ed Hall Debt Clock page. I am a board member of a free market economics think tank and something of a student of these matters. Your reports are informative, accurate and beautifully done. I will be using them for my own interest and to help others learn what you are teaching so well. I personally thank you for the time and effort that you have clearly put forth on this project. In my view, it was well worth it. Sincerely, Joseph N. Ignat - J. N. Ignat and Associates, 40 W. Littleton Blvd. No. 21066, Littleton, CO
This is to inform you that the website debt.htm has been chosen and designated a Cool Site in the Netscape Open Project, the directory used by top search engines Lycos, Hotbot, Netscape and others, in the Society: Issues: Economic: National Debt. Your site is a great contribution to human knowledge and the Information Revolution. KAZ Vorpal, editor
Mr. Hodges, I applaud your outstanding presentation of the underhanded use of OUR money by the bureaucrats in Washington. I have long wondered how they could say that we have a surplus, but at the same time say that Social Security is going to go broke. I wanted to let you know that I appreciate your hard work and to keep it up. Yours truly, Paul Emory, Systems Administrator II, Mississippi Secretary of State
Your Grandfather Economic Report web site is fantastic!! I've added your site to my list of experts at http://my.voyager.net/~tutor/issues.htm. There's so much to see at your site! It's incredible. Lisa Leppin, Wisconsin Education Consumers Association, Mukwonago, WI 53149
Mr. Michael Hodges, Thank you for the most compelling presentation. Unfortunately almost none of the serfs out there will see this information and if they did, they would not have the time between ball games to understand what the meaning, as it relates to them, might be.
There are those of us who wish to rise above serfdom, those of us who choose to be involved in our state legislative process and those of us who understand the value of the lessons of history. We are few in today's world, who not unlike yourself, understand where we are headed and have some insight into the reasons for our current station. The twistoligists of today have the stage but regardless of their song and dance, history will be repeated by those ignorant of history. Oh, but for a Washington or a Jefferson among us.
Thank you sir, for the knowledge that you have set before us. You are a source of liberty if we out here are smart enough to put it to use. Mike from Montana - 2/18/01 - immgold@uswest.net
World energy expert - 'Mr. Hodges - I downloaded and printed your Energy Report chapter. I thought it was an excellent presentation. My comments are really only minor issues. CONGRATULATIONS : IT IS SPLENDID THAT YOU SHOULD DO THIS.' Colin Campbell. 24 April 2001. (Dr. Campbell, Ph.D. from Oxford, England, is a world-respected expert regarding oil & gas exploration, reserves and depletion. colincampbell@eircom.net).
I am making a presentation and needed some charts of government spending over the years, did a GOOGLE search, and it brought me to your site with exactly what I needed. Thanks for doing the work to put this together. Much appreciated. Richard Friesen, Chairman & Founder - ePIT Inc. - San Francisco.
Hi Michael, Thanks very much for your joint effort with Jean Laherrere on the Grandfather Economics Energy Report. I've followed the oil story closely for a dozen years or so, and the natural gas story closely for the last year. Based on what I've learned to date, you folks appear to be very much on target. I just wanted you to know that I appreciate the effort to educate folks here. I've done a little of the same with my colleague Randy Udall. Your effort is much more impressive and comprehensive. Please keep it up. Steve Andrews, Denver, CO. sbandrews@worldnet.att.net
Your Grandfather Economic Report is so interesting! I am a retired Canadian Economic Professor and I certainly commend you for such outstanding work to educate the public! Thank you and congratulations for the good work. Dan Ton-That, Ph.D <dantonthat@rogers.com>
Your web site is incredible. I found you by accident but now that I have I will read everything you write. This morning much like everyday for the past 4-5 years I was considering almost every issue you mention. I am 35 years old and blame my generation for many of the problems we are facing. We don't vote, we take what politicians and the news media say as fact if we even bother to listen. I have printed several sections from your site and would like to share them. George Devlin, Active Machinery Sales, Inc.
Congratulations on a great web site. It will contribute greatly to my understanding of the forces shaping our economy, our nation, and our future. I own a large financial planning firm in Atlanta, Ga. and I am embarrassed to say I have allowed myself to be lulled to sleep like 99.99% of our population. I have sensed a deep rooted economic turmoil in our country, but I have been too busy or too lazy to do the research necessary to pull back the veil that shields us from the truth. You have helped me my friend. I will do my best to enlighten my employees and all those we are privileged to serve. Many will choose not to believe the truth. I pray we will have the courage and conviction to tell the truth as we understand it, and challenge people to take the actions they must. Leonard Taylor CLU, ChFC
I do a weekly radio broadcast, so I will be talking about your wonderful work. I can't begin to tell you how blessed I am to have found your supremely helpful analyses, with factual data to back them and wonder of wonders!! so beautifully easy to understand. You sir, are a guardian angel and greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for considering us lay people. Your service is greatly needed and a joy. Angie Carlson
Your website is awesome! (and that's an understatement). I'm working for a financial advisory firm in charge of investments. I am equally concerned about financial unsustainability. I really appreciate your efforts in educating the public. James T.S. Tu, Director of Investment Management & Research, Gerstein, Fisher & Associates, Inc.
Your Government Regulatory Compliance Cost Report chapter is truly an eye opener. I am a security/compliance officer for a credit union. My job was non-existent several years ago. We are so highly regulated, that it is a full-time job just to keep up with the myriad of regulations the local, state and federal governments have placed on us. Everything from paperwork, procedures and even what we can say is mandated by regulation. If we don't comply, we are threatened with fines and or jail time. Your report was right on. I don't think the average person has any clue how all of these regulations affects them financially. Thanks for an eye-opening piece, that pulled all of this into perspective. Pam Troxell
I am a professor of economics at Concordia University (New Orleans Campus) and have read and assigned readings from your site for several classes. Dale L. Piret
'Over the years, Jim Puplava and Financial Sense Online have been indebted to Mr. Hodges for his untiring research and inspired graphics which visually tell the story of the downward spiral of our economy and our nation's great wealth. We invite you to read all chapters of Michael Hodges' Grandfather Economic Report, which include picture presentations on serious issues facing our nation. Once you do, you're hooked.' See FSO page.
I am impressed by your website. Your pages are worth passing on to teachers and professors for discussion. With appreciation, Lyelle Palmer, Ph.D. Special Education Professor Emeritus, Winona State University.
Michael, I teach economics at Bryan College in Dayton, TN. I always take my students to your website and tell them that if they take nothing else from my class but simply awareness of your website and an enquiring mind, they will have succeeded. Thank you for an excellent job—may you and your website live and prosper! William M. Lay, Jr., Chair, Department of Business.
Dear Mr. Hodges. Thank you for your informative website. This is to notify you that Donald J. Reaves, Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer at the University of Chicago, cited the Grandfather Economic Report in a talk given on campus August 2004 - titled "Regulatory Compliance in Higher Education." Sincerely, Judith Friedberg. Executive Assistant to the VP for Administration and CFO, The University of Chicago. jfriedbe@uchicago.edu (see Grandfather Government Regulatory Compliance Cost Report).
Dear Michael Hodges, I am writing to convey U.S. Congressman Bartlett's appreciation of your excellent web-site, including your discussion of US and world oil reserves. This has been a long-standing concern of the Congressman and he recently delivered a speech on the subject on the floor of the House. Congressman Bartlett would greatly appreciate it if you would permit us to post the graph. John H. Darnell, Energy & Environment. Office of Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (Maryland's 6th district). March 2005. John.Darnell@mail.house.gov - http://www.bartlett.house.gov/

Dear Mr. Hodges: Your website, data analysis, relevant quotations, and projections are a godsend! My students will greatly benefit from the cogent analysis of America’s fiscal problems. I teach, among other things, graduate public budgeting and finance. I try always to provide the students with a true perspective on our current malaise. Your pages provide a valued independent confirmation of what I teach them. They are a great supplement to their texts. Now, more than ever, we all need public-spirited, informed, and lucid commentary like yours. Thanks. I will refer to your pages often. Yours truly, Bob - Robert S. Kravchuk, Professor and Chair Department of Political Science, University of North Carolina-Charlotte - Nov. 19, 2008 - rkravchu@uncc.edu

Mr. Hodges, I came across the Grandfather Economic Report series today (4 January 2008) and just wanted to thank you for putting the time and effort into your website. As a young teacher, I am constantly in search of new sources of information to use in class and I plan to direct students to your site as an extra resource. In addition, I would appreciate your permission to distribute portions of the information on the website for in-class use only. Thank you! Sincerely, Matt Engelhardt, Social Sciences Teacher, Oswego East High School mengelhardt1128@oswego308.org

Parents and grandparents - feedback samples:

Mr. Hodges, I just came across your web site while trying to show my youngest son some of the statistics that exist on the national debt and international debt I read through much of the material there with great interest.

I have been telling family, friends, and anyone willing to listen many of the things that you present on your site. I believe that this information should be required reading for anyone going into the voting booth. It is a real eye-opener.

Michael, I really appreciate people like yourself who take the time and energy to put together this incredible amount of material. You are a true patriot and obviously do care very much about your grandchildren. I wish that all grandparents and parents could get copies of this. If we all paid as much attention to this type of detail as you do, then perhaps government really would shrink. It would be the voters who would send a loud message.

My hat's off to you. I will pass the URL to your site to as many people as possible. I just hope that your server can handle all the traffic that should be coming your way. Many thanks for making this a truly enjoyable evening here at my house. May God Bless you and your family. Sincerely, Dick Burton - not a grandparent yet, but a very concerned parent none the less.

Just found your web site. I was beginning to believe I was the only one concerned about the real truth about education. Please keep up the good work. I plan on spending a lot of time reading every thing on your site. I have already sent the web address to my friends. ROGER

Dear Mr. Hodges:
There are not enough words in the vast English language for me to express how delighted I was with your "Grandfather Economics Reports". I was more than impressed to find another individual who seems to hold a similar passion for the truth where our Government is concerned, without falling into the category of a radical fanatic. The very fact that you deal with facts is what impressed me the most. Tracey Huffman, 333 16th Place North, Estherville, IA

'WOW! I stumbled to your page while doing research on Milton Friedman for an Economics class I am taking. I have hated this class until today - you and Dr Friedman have given me the motivation I needed to finish this course and learn something! But I have also found your work fascinating and beneficial on a more personal level as well, Thank you.
I am a working mother of three young boys and I am constantly faced with the challenge of making sure they know to take responsibility for their actions but God only knows the rest of world is looking for scapegoat - in the government, companies, whatever. Well I support your work and would be happy to join the crusade in anyway I can. Thank you for your contribution - very valuable. PS- I will also be sharing it with my parents, who like you care about the future for the grandchildren. Best Wishes for much success.' Louann Tracy

Dear Mr. Hodges,
Thank You!!! I am a 50 year old father of three (7, 11, 14). I had been vaguely aware of the shortcomings of the social security, Medicare systems, and expanding local government for some time now, but your detailed explanations shocked and appalled me.
I immediately sent off copies and links to friends and family who I know will be interested. I have only had a net connection for two years. In that time, the information I have absorbed has led me to abandon a lifelong record of voting as a liberal democrat. I now consider myself to be a libertarian, and have been campaigning for candidates for the party that goes by that designation. Thank you again for the incredible amount of work you must have put into your site. I will make every effort of which I am capable to spread this information to all whom I can persuade to listen. God Bless You !! Gratefully, Thomas R Dennis

Dear Mr. Hodges, I, as an 85-year old grandpa who, for some 30 years have been trying to wake up my apathetic neighbors to the decaying America around them. Now, in my "dotage", I finally prevailed on the editor of the local paper to give me a voice -- with a column I had hoped to call 'A Letter from the Old Man on the Mountain". Ben Franklin said: "Freedom of the press belongs to those who own the presses." I ain't got no presses, just the use of a photocopy machine at five cents a shot. Thank God you now have the internet but -- will people listen? I fear it's too late -- much too late. Most Americans, buried under an avalanche of sports, soap operas, sensationalism, violence, mindless sex and other trivia -- are so brainwashed, they simply have no ability to think -- especially to think ahead for their kids and grandchildren.
Grandpa Hodges, wherever you are, God bless you. I hope you (we) can still make a dent in the abysmal apathy of the inhabitants of this blessed land. I am weary from years of struggle. I have been insulted, maligned, laughed at and ignored. The idiots who have no concept of history and its unfortunate habit of repeating itself are so obsessed with their trivial lives and trivial pursuits that I frankly don't have much hope. We are not the first civilization that will have rotted from the inside.

Thank you for giving me a little ray of hope in an increasingly cavernous darkness. I am so tired. . . I hope you are a young Grandpa and keep up this one-sided battle against apathy, ignorance and plain stupidity -- and live long enough to see some real change. Boy, would I love to have you real close as a neighbor and friend. I live in a small rural town, Greenville, near Port Jervis, N.Y. With great admiration. HARRY GORMAN - Eightyplus@webtv.net - (later I found Harry was an economic-poet of insight & concern - - here's the one on the Energy Crisis).

Mr. Hodges - As a Generation Y member, I would like to thank you for your insightful comments and facts on your web site. My father passed away when I was 16 years old and 6 of the 7 kids in our family were able to scrap our way through college. We needed government assistance when we were kids and got it, but were also embarrassed that we had to receive it. The shame my father carried with him his last few years of life was something that I've vowed to honor by fighting big government. Today I'm 39 years old and have 2 children of my own. The irony is that they are adopted from Russia and Romania, two bastions of failed socialism that provide an economics laboratory for us to teach them about government run amok. You've done your generation proud by compiling this information and I wanted to take the time to thank you.
God Bless and Good Luck, eric raymond - chanhassen, minnesota

Hi Michael, I thank you for all the time you've spent developing your web site! It's the single most important site on the web, in my opinion! A pretty amazing contribution to the world, that you've made! I recommend it to everyone I know. A lot of people aren't smart enough to care, but a lot of people do care! Best wishes and regards, Sheri

I am still engrossed by the depth and detail you incorporated into your work and I thank you. I am now a much better informed citizen with a firmer understanding of why and how politicians report data to the public to garner votes and approval. Such a shame it is when telling untruths is the prevalent political icon for holding office. I shall endeavor to get others to read your web page. And I will write letters to the editor using your material, if you don't mind. Its the least I can do after your time-consuming, wonderful contribution. Sincerely, Edward R.Hutchinson,Sr.- Big Stone Gap,Va.,24219

Thanks for your work. I use it as a reference frequently. Too often those of us who know the truth about what "government" is doing to us come up short when trying to explain our views to others. Thanks to people like you, we can take our views out of the realm of conjecture and actually support our position with real data. J&K Black <herestill@centurytel.net>

I ran across your site through a link when I was looking up something on the national debt. I wrote a letter to the editor of the Tulsa World but doubt they will print it. I, like you, feel the federal government is stealing the future of our children, but I don't know if there is an elected official who will confront the issue and tell the Great Unwashed the truth. It's a great site and should be required reading. Thanks for the information--I will be emailing my Congressman and both Senators and everyone else I know. Jerry Vandagriff - Bixby, Ok.

I think your reports should be required reading for everyone, in order to get a drivers license. Your sites should also be used as the basis for college level courses in civics, history and economics. Americans seem to be very content to being woefully uninformed, and complacent as rationale to casually let things evolve to the point of calamity. Then they will be able to say "how did this happen, the government was supposed to take care of these things. We had no earthly idea....etc." It's more commonly known as "putting our heads in the sand", collectively. I wish I could provide more answers and could be more help in raising the public consciousness.
However, I have sent your site to as many people as I could think of, and then some. In the end, it will not be able to be said that ol' Michael Hodges sat around and did nothing. Now you must know how Jeremiah and Ezekiel must have felt. I equate our situation to the historical reference of "Nero fiddling while Rome Burned", and to the Biblical reference of "you reap what you sow." Like you, I am concerned for the next generations. Thanks for your efforts.

Such an absolute pleasure to see your website. I am an Independent Candidate who is running for Congress and I would like to add your website to my links. If your website was required reading in high schools and colleges, our country would not be in it's current position. Rob Bollinger

Mr. Hodges, I would like to thank you for a truly wonderful report on indebtedness in this country. Although I am many years younger than yourself, we share many of the same concerns. Love that report. Unfortunately, the people that need to be made aware of it, never will be, and even if shown, will most probably ignore it. This country is full of stupid people. Want proof? 50% of Americans believe alien abductions have occurred. Keep up the great work. Please don't stop what you are doing. We need you. Troy V. Pratt

Hi Grandfather Hodges.........Fabulous research. I sent your Web Site to many. Thank you. Citizen & Voter

I sincerely appreciate your Web page. I refer to it from time to time (usually for hours at a time) and it is one of only a few pages that remain continually on my book marks. I also pass on the address to friends and co-workers. Please keep up the great work. Don't go away. You provide a valuable source of information. Thanks again. D.C. Benson

Dear Mr. Hodges; I applaud your work. The more I read, the more I like it. There is no comparable to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
You said: "The federal government should treat trust funds the same as a son should treat his mother's retirement account - - keep their hands out of cookie jars that do not belong to them. The general government should cut spending to generate its own surplus, and then start paying back the trust funds for all that cash it has siphoned off. That's my view. What's yours?"
I wish I had said it as well. I certainly do agree, in spades. I encourage all to look at your Web site. It's fantastic, and should be required reading in all schools. Sincerely, Jim (Grandpa) Lorenz

Are we dooming our children and grandchildren back into bondage? I can see history repeating itself, and I'm no mental giant! We had all better pray for our children's and grandchildren's forgiveness! There are none so blind than those that "will not" see! When the thirteen colonies were still a part of England, Professor Alexander Tyler wrote about the fall of the Athenian republic over two thousand years previous to that time:

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasure. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage. Alexander Tyler "Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other." - John Adams. Thank you, Charles W. Lauble Jr. clauble@bboard.com

Thank you for your website. Very few people understand what is really going on in our government! Its great to see a web site that states the truth! It contains the greatest wealth of knowledge I have ever seen on government spending. Keep up the good work. James Wilson <James.Wilson@tais.toshiba.com>

Mr. Hodges, Thank you for the Grandfather Economic Reports. I am spreading the word about your web site to anyone who will listen!!! Carl W. Brul - Clifton, TX

Your work is brilliant. I sent your link to my whole address book, from my friends who are making family incomes of 100 grand plus but don't feel especially rich to delivery guys and meter readers who feel kind of economically alienated. I think Americans have an inflated sense of our personal prosperity. I'm thinking that this present downturn is really the beginning of a very serious national conversation about what kind of people we want to be. Can I contribute a few bucks to your work? Cary Costner <haegak@pacbell.net>

As I am a 45 year old father of two girls (15 & 10), Managing partner of our family business, and Independent politically, I suppose I have reached a point in my life where my desire to become involved in the future of my children beyond that as a parent, has taken hold. Your site is an excellent example, and you are to be commended! I have had the time to go through the entire contents of your presentation. You get my vote for "Best Site Discovered"!!! Keep up the fantastic work. Cordially Yours, Tony Jackson - JustinTimeATL@aol.com

Michael Hodges: Just discovered your informative web site this afternoon. At a meeting of about 70 people, Don Gimpel (Dgimpel@adelphia.net) told us to log on to your website and learn about the dire state of our country. I always knew it was in bad shape, but you really make it perfectly clear. If only the rest of the people in this country could be made aware of these facts....America is skating on very thin ice! It's time for the U.S. to awake up. What are all the politicians in Washington thinking?? Do they realize what is going on in this country or are they clueless? It would be nice if the Senate or House of Representatives would invite you to testify before the committee to wake up America. But that's probably never going to happen.You should be awarded a Nobel Prize for all the research and study you have done concerning the broken state of our Nation. Thank you. Ken Biggs kbiggs9000@msn.com - April 7, 2007

April 8, 2007. Mr. Hodges - Just a short note just to say THANK YOU!!! for the Grandfather Economic Report. Although I am not a grandfather (I do have two young adult sons), I wanted to take a moment to commend you on your project. Your site provides what I believe to be the clarion call for all Americans regarding our continuing viability as “the” last best hope for Western society. Sounds a little overly dramatic, however I believe the basic tenets of our form of government are truly at risk. The content of your site, particularly the sections relating to national security, fiscal performance, education and historical trends, is truly stunning. The sourcing and presentation are outstanding. My politics are simple, pragmatic and derived wholly from an understanding of our Constitution. The content on your site provides a realistic, albeit unsettling, picture of the current situation in our nation. We are losing the good fight because our political leaders, citizens, public and private institutions have lost sight of the fundamental tenets of the Constitution.
The content on your site is truly a point of verification and validation for any concerned citizen. Interestingly enough, as I have suggested your site to many others, their wholesale ambivalence goes directly to the root cause and source of the problem. A dis-enfranchised citizenry will focus primarily on near term gains (remember the 70s) and not give a hoot about the coming decades of diminished well being. Anyway, thanks again for your remarkable collection of solid information and keep it up. Best Regards, Bob Tippett, Captain, USAF (Retired) bobtippett@cox.net

University and high school students - feedback samples:

Mr. Hodges, May I first say that during the course of writing a research paper on the Federal Government Debt and inflation that I came across your report, and WOW! I do believe that my opinion on the debt has taken a full 180...I'm writing to ask permission to take properly quoted material from report so that I may present them in my paper...All due credit will be given and in fact I will guide my instructor personally to your site as I believe she is one of our many citizens lulled to "sleep" by the false numbers being thrown about by Washington. Anyway Mr. Hodges I'm sure you're very busy so I will leave you now...Once again great work...Regards, Michael Heit
I found your page while searching for some sites to use in an argument supporting the Laffer curve and the increased tax revenues following Reagan's tax cuts and now I'm in borderline depression. Sat up for about 5 hours reading the entire thing. Great job...Should be required reading for all 535 members of Congress and every fiscally liberal American. Thank you! J.G.
I would like to say thank you for taking the time to do this web page. I am researching voter turnout trends for a paper I am writing and your page was a great help. I would also like to say that it is refreshing to see other people out there who do not close their eyes to the basic problems we face today, especially with the government. Thank you again, SrA Bonnie McKinley
Dear Mr. Hodges, We are Annie Sunukjian and Laura Barnard. We are high school policy debaters and currently studying the 16th amendment and income taxation. Your website had some wonderful information that would be a great help to us during our debates. We're debating at a very important tournament on Friday and are hoping to use some of the information at the tournament. Thank you very much for your time, Sincerely, Laura B. and Annie S.
9^th grader - I am doing a project in world history where we have to debate a topic we feel strongly about...and I think the U.S needs to do something about this national debt and checked out your website and it was very helpful.... Thank You , **~Megan~**
Dear Mr. Hodges, My name is David Baker and I am presenting a persuasive debate on the advantages of vouchers and their effect on the public school system. Using a search engine, I came to your website and found some very interesting information. Thank you very much. Sincerely, David Baker
Dear Michael, I really enjoyed your site, it is a wealth of information! I am a student at Southern Oregon University and currently taking a course in microeconomics. I see that you have granted permission for use of all or part of your site for reproduction and I would like to use parts of your information (specifically on the family and how the family now has to have a two-earner income to survive) for a term paper that I am writing regarding the effects that the two-earner family has on our children. Thanks, Lisa Kling
53 year old student - 'I am a fifty-three year old man who just finished writing a paper for an economics class based entirely on you site. I have saved it to my bookmarks and will revisit it on a regular basis to try to digest everything there. I have been very upset with our government and it's spending habits for years. I'm glad that I am not alone. Keep up the good work. My class is made up almost entirely of younger people. I hope my paper will draw just a little attention to this mess and to your site. Thank You. Dennis Greeley
Mr. Hodges, I am sure you do not need another thank you, but thank you nonetheless. Your work is inspiring. Troy Worman
Hi. I am a 12th grader in Texas. You cannot imagine how thankful I am for your website. I have been interested in education for the past three years and this is the best website on education that I have come across. Moreover, I am interested in improving educational opportunities for Asian Americans and I would like to one day be involved with the reform of the educational system in E. Asia. Unfortunately, I think that this is the only way that Asians can garner the respect of Whites around the world especially here in the United States. DomGi@msn.com
Hi, My name is Joseph A. Milesko II and I am writing to you to let you know how much your site has been a help to me. I am a junior in college and I had to do a mid-term paper for my Economics class but had no clue where to even start. Luckily I found your page and was able to get the wheels turning. I found your web site very educational and loaded with facts that I did not know before. Just expressing my thanks. 2/28/01 joecoolii@hotmail.com
I am a senior Political Science (American Government) major at UCLA. I wanted to thank you for your absolutely wonderful web presentation. I do not know how to articulate just how much I appreciated it, and how helpful it was. I am currently writing a paper in which I am to devise short and long term economic policies that will reverse the many things you have discussed, and found your website very interesting and enlightening. Thank you for your time and concern. Sincerely, David 3/15/01 PressuredUCLA@aol.com
I am a graduate student at Wilmington College in Georgetown, Delaware. I am taking a course entitled Economic & Financial Environment of Business. The reason I am writing to you is this: I am working on a group project for which we need to project the status of society in approximately the year 2040 through the year 2067 (when most of us will be retiring). In our travels we found your website. It is most interesting and informative. Your page has given us much material to work with. I have become so much more aware of the bleak possibilities that could be realized if Americans don't become more informed, educated, and involved. I am glad people like you are getting involved and with this sort of information. I will spread your word to my friends and family. Thank you. Sincerely, Crystal Robinette - Easton, MD - 4-18-01 - robinette@goeaston.net

International - feedback samples:

France - - French geologist-geophysicist - 'dear Michael - I want to congratulate you for your site and the numerous papers in the Grandfather Economic Reports. I am a retired oil geologist from France, and I am concerned about the future of my grand children. I write papers on the future of oil and gas production, including in Scientific American, "The end of cheap oil". I am preparing a paper for a lecture in Dubai "Global depletion and the impact on the global economy." So I searched on the web and found yours papers with many graphs and I will use some in my talk. If you need any information on oil and gas, do not hesitate.' best regards, jean laherrere - jean.laherrere@wanadoo.fr (I took him up on his offer and he became the co-author of a new chapter called the Energy Report, aimed to help more people better understand the energy challenge)

Switzerland - - 'Dear Mr. Hodges: Well done site. I can use a lot of your findings and conclusions for Switzerland. Thank you, Hans Kaufmann, Member of Swiss Parliament'

Norway - - Dear Michael Hodges ! Thank you for the nice pages and great statistics !!! Best wishes! Vennlig hilsen! Arno Arno Mong Daastøl Co-ordinator, Norsk Sportaxi a.s. P.O. Box 4, N-1413 Tårnåsen, Norway

England - - World energy expert - 'Mr. Hodges - I downloaded and printed your Energy Report chapter. I thought it was an excellent presentation. My comments are really only minor issues. CONGRATULATIONS : IT IS SPLENDID THAT YOU SHOULD DO THIS.' Colin Campbell. 24 April 2001. colincampbell@eircom.net (Dr. Campbell, Ph.D. from Oxford, England, is a world-respected expert regarding oil & gas exploration, reserves and depletion. )

Norway - - Hi! I am a boy from Norway, who is working with a project about public sector in USA. I have used your "Grandfather spending reports", and I have found a lot of useful information there. Thank you a lot for all the great information on your sites! Andreas Erichsen, Trondheim, Norway

Germany - - Hi Michael, I am editor at SPIEGEL ONLINE (www.spiegel.de), the online edition of Germany's biggest newsmagazine DER SPIEGEL. I am writing an article on the U.S. debt and would like to talk to you. Thanks, Carsten Volkery

Turkey - - Dear Michael Hodges. I'm an economics student in Middle East Technical University in Turkey. I have encountered your page on web while I was looking for Mr. Milton Friedman. I was shocked when I saw your page because I haven't encountered any information page like yours. Thank you very much for all informations. If one day you come to Turkey, I really want to meet with you. Have great accomplishments in your future enterpreneurs. Sincerely Yours, Cagri Seymen - METU Economics

Taiwan - - Dear Grandfather Michael, Hi, thank you very much for providing such compact data to illustrate very convincing trends! If there is anything I can help please let me know. I am a senior at National Taiwan University, and I will be attending MIT as a graduate student. Thank you very much for your help and time! Sincerely yours, Dah-Yoh Lim - - b5703108@ms.cc.ntu.edu.tw

Norway - - Dear Michael Hodges ! Thank you for the nice pages and great statistics !!!. I am monitoring a small list with superb bank scholars (half of them retired) on reorientation of the financial world: www.egroups.com/group/gang8/. Best wishes! Vennlig hilsen! Arno - Arno Mong Daastøl - Tårnåsen, Norway - amd@sportaxi.com

New Zealand - - Michael, Thanks for your great website, well reserached and all. Regards, Peter Scott - Auckland New Zealand

Denmark - - HI, I read your eye-opener and about debt. They are very good, and they tell something that must be known to much more people. The European integration will mess up again so shall our collapsed common monetary system. The Keynesian After War thoughts have been much more deep-rooted in Europe, and EU inspired by international bankers will collapse in instability or subsidy-socialism. This is not question about politics but of pure built-in logic in the EURO-construction. Denmark is totally socialistic, I have to say, but they have not told us this fact. Thank you so much for your brilliant thoughts. I shall today mail your urls to my contacts. But be prepared many of them are afraid of showing their imperfect English. Complexes is one of the biggest problems of the Danish and the Scandinavian minds. Hope we remain in contact. Kind Regards, Joern E. Vig, Denmark

Canada - Your Grandfather Economic Report is so interesting! I am a retired Canadian Economic Professor and I certainly commend you for such outstanding work to educate the public! Thank you and congratulations for the good work. Dan Ton-That, Ph.D <dantonthat@rogers.com>

Germany - I'm a private investor in Germany and I'm very interested in the state of the economy. I want to thank you for the lots of work you do on your Grandfather Economic Reports. It really helped me. Kindest Regards, Franz-Xaver Huber

Japan - - I love your web-site. I am an English teacher in Tokyo. For many years I have been concerned about the erosion of the U.S industrial base. I study capital inflows to the U.S. stock market and government from Asia. Thank you, Ron Liebermann

Pakistan - - Dear Mr. Michael, Congratulations From Pakistan. I have an interest in studying present debt situation in the world, in my pursuit I have came across to you, GrandFather's Economic Report, I was surprised to learn the amount of hard work put into this report, the beautiful fact and figures provided, this is a great service to American people and humanity in general. Please accept my congratulation, you are also entitled to highest of tribute for this excellent work done. Thanks & regards, Qamar Usman

South Africa - - I am a qualified chartered accountant and president of a personal financial planning firm in South Africa. Thank you for you excellent information.We respectfully request permission to reprint extracts of your "America’s Total Debt Report" in our Advisory Report, which will be published in two of South Africa’s official languages, English and Afrikaans. We will ensure accurate translation into Afrikaans. Christo Fourie, President, SA Consult Group (Pty) Ltd

Finland - - Thank you. Your Grandfather Econmic report was very interesting to read, and I'm planning to write an article for a major paper here in Finland using some of the data here as a source. You help show some of the fundamental differences between the thinking on our two continents. I have many questions which I seek your thought. Verneri Anttila, Helsinki School of Economics

Austria - - Mr. Hodges! I have read most of your "Grandfather Report" articles. They are really great, monumental work. Unfortunately, here in Europe we don't get such information. Probably, people and intellectuals here think still "more socialist" than in the USA and take a bloated, welfare oriented goverments as "more natural". We have similiar ailments in our societies, especially bloated goverments. There are two things in the US where we shake our heads about: a) the high number of lawyers taking over the whole society and literally keeping it at ransom. b) the excessive debt culture in America. Especially in Austria where I live, nobody would think about "taking out equity" from their homes for consumption. Please continue your great work. Best Regards, Walter K. Eichelburg,Vienna, Austria

Germany - - 6 January 2008. Mr. Hodges. May I kindly ask you for permission to use up to five charts from your web-page for the book I am currently writing. Of course you will be named as source with any of the charts used. The book will be published probably in April 2008 by the German Finanzbuchverlag. The title will be "Endlich Klartext", which means in English "Ultimately outspoken". It is a critical approach on our financial system. So far only a version in German is planned. I am Chief Analyst of Bremer Landesbank and I do have TV appearances on a regular basis in Germany. Kind regards, Folker Hellmeyer, Bremen, Germany.

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