Walking Dead? Or another day in Los Angeles?

Hello Financial Healers,

Here’s a guest post from my son, Cory. Enjoy!

Hello Everyone,

I’ve so enjoyed working with my dad on this newsletter. I’ve learned a ton about debt, inflation, and the crazy banking system we live under today. Some days it feels like we’re in the last stages of the American empire. I hope we’ve got a ways to go, but for my family’s sake, I’m working hard to be informed and financially powerful.

If you like this post, please share it with friends on social media. 👇

As I’m sure you know, I grew up with my dad’s ministry. Yes, I had all the right answers. But I still made terrible decisions with money. It wasn’t until my son was born that I realized something needed to change.

Fast forward to April 2023, and my credit card debt is down to $7,000. I own both my cars, and have no other major debts. Praise God! It’s taken me awhile to get here, but sometimes you have to learn the hard way.

Anyway, here’s an interesting story…

Last week my wife and I visited Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. It’s rated the #1 children’s hospital on the West Coast.

Photo credit: CHLA.org

The hospital itself is very clean. (It better be for the money we paid! ) But the parking is terrible. The garage was so crammed I had to drop my wife and son off and park several blocks away. For forty minutes I waited for a space, and finally secured one when I reentered the garage on a whim. I made it just in time to hear the doctor’s prognosis.

What shocked me during my time outside the hospital was how filthy the area was. CHLA is in the heart of Los Angeles on sunset boulevard. It’s an area notorious for being unclean and unsafe.

(We’ve all heard lurid tales about San Francisco. There’s even a high profile story about the tech entrepreneur who was murdered. His story, though, seems more personal than crime related.)

Back to CHLA…

I was shocked to learn that certain employees of CHLA have to be shuttled from a separate parking lot because the area is so dangerous. Can you imagine being a nurse in the ER walking to your car each night? No way! It’s suicide.

Which reminds me…

When I was in the recovery room waiting for my son to wake up from anesthesia, the nurse was on her computer applying for other jobs. Even the employees seemed depressed, like they knew they were in a sketchy area.

How did we get this far? What happened to Los Angeles? California is called the Golden State, but for me, it’s getting harder to live here.

(There are still pockets of paradise, though! My wife and I were just in Oceanside and, man, it was a breath of salty air.)

In the forty minutes outside of CHLA, I witnessed: a homeless camp (10 plus tents set up along a nearby sidewalk), a drugged-up vagabond screaming obscenities outside a Del Taco, and the dirtiest bathroom I’ve ever seen (and I’ve traveled to many countries).

No wonder so many people are leaving California!

Experiencing all this, I wondered, How is this acceptable?

Here’s my point.

We hear all the time that the US is a first world country. That we’re a superpower, a shining beacon of hope for the world.

Los Angeles has always had issues, but this was something new. How can the #1 hospital on the West Coast, in one of the most powerful countries, be a few sidewalks down from the worst poverty I’ve ever seen?

After everything I witnessed, I wonder…

… is the US a third world country?

Blessings,
Cory De Silva

P.S: even if the economy is bad, you can still protect your family. Use this time to build up your savings, increase net worth, and kill debt. When the economy turns around, and it will, you’ll be far ahead of everyone else. Schedule a meeting with my dad and straighten out your finances. 👇

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About the Author: Cory is a screenwriter based in Pasadena. When he's not writing thrillers, he's helping families get out of debt, so they can pursue their dreams full-time and not be beholden to the banks or government. You can reach Cory at cory.dustin.desilva@gmail.com