Topic: Harry Truman | |
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Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 42 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House. The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence Missouri . His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire lives there. When he retired from office in 1952, his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year. After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret Service following them. When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, "You don 't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale.." Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, "I don 't consider that I have don e anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise." As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food. Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale. (sic. Illinois ) Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference! I say dig him up and clone him!! Enjoy life now-it has an expiration date! http://www.snopes.com/quotes/truman/truman.asp |
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Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 42 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House. The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence Missouri . His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire lives there. When he retired from office in 1952, his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year. After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret Service following them. When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, "You don 't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale.." Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, "I don 't consider that I have don e anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise." As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food. Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale. (sic. Illinois ) Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference! I say dig him up and clone him!! Enjoy life now-it has an expiration date! http://www.snopes.com/quotes/truman/truman.asp |
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Yep, this man is a shining example of humbleness. |
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Edited by
Lpdon
on
Mon 02/13/12 10:14 PM
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And he is the only US President to have the guts to drop the bomb on someone.
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And he is the only US President to have the guts to drop the bomb on someone. ![]() For some reason or another that's funny ![]() |
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other interesting facts about 1952
us population: 157.5 million average income: 4500(a year) 2 out of 3 homes didnt have a television fuel was 25 cents a gallon average cost of a new home: 17000 average cost of a new car:1700 average rent: 80 (monthly) bread: 16 cents a loaf milk: 96 cents a gallon min wage: 75 cents per hour in perspective: a car was roughly (not quite) one third of a years salary a home was roughly, 3.75 years salary rent cost roughly one FIFTH of a months wages a gallon of gas would cost you at most one THIRD of an hour of work (at the minimum wage) TODAY population: 310,000,000 average income: 41,609 96.7 percent of american homes have televisions fuel is 4 dollars a gallon average cost of a new home: 250,000 average cost of a new car: 30,000 average rent: 928(month) min wage: 7.25 in perspective: a car is roughly (not quite) 75 percent of a years salary a home is roughly sex years salary rent cost one fourth of a months wages a gallon of gas costs you , at most, half an hour of work (at minimum wage) |
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fuel was 25 cents a gallon
Gas here was 25 cents a gallon until 1977 it shot up to 75 cents literally overnight due to the oil embargo, we didn't learn then and still haven't. |
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