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Most nights in Calaveras County, people are not arguing about the Federal Reserve or international institutions. They are worrying about rent or mortgage payments, gas to get to work, grocery bills, and whether their kids’ schools will have enough staff next year. Yet if you sit through a Board of Supervisors meeting, a school board session, or a city council meeting in our small towns, you hear the same refrain again and again: “We don’t have the money.” It can feel like a p

This Blog is called "The Machine". This series is designed to unmask the forces of the invisible system shaping our policies, economy, and every day lives.

Post 2 – How Money Rules the Neighborhood If you sit through a city council or school board meeting long enough, you will hear the same refrain: “We don’t have the money.” Teachers need raises, but the budget is tight. Roads and water lines need repair, but there’s no room this year. Police want new equipment; the library wants to avoid cutting hours; the homeless shelter needs a grant just to keep the doors open. Somehow, in one of the richest countries on earth, every local