Melinda,
I felt that I had to respond to your post.
This country is going to hell in a hand basket, much of the industry is being (or has already been) shipped out of this country, including abstracting.
This country is already in a depression, the only thing holding this country together right now is the war, as unpleasant as it is to say this, its the truth.
And nothing is being done by our government to change this condition.

I am not a religious person, however I met Loretta this year by phone and have been in touch with her periodically over the last 6 months or so. I believe that she is a responsible, ethical human being, and I also know that she understands what CHRISTmas is about. And she didn't mean that she was upset about not being able to buy Christmas presents. Right now I believe I can say she is worried about being able to pay her monthly nut and put food on the table.

I have lost about 50K (from non paying clients) since I started my company, and I was fortunate enough not to go under because most of this was money during the busy times in 02,03 and 2004, it was a small dent in the amount of income my company was making in those years. Now I watch my recievables like a hawk, and I am very lucky that I have no non paying clients. I am also a single person and my company is my sole income.

Loretta was out looking for a job some months back while her husband handles the abstracting. If you think about it, it would be quite disheartening to have to quit doing something you love to do and all because people you trusted decided they couldn't pay you, and now you have to worry about how to pay your mortgage and utility bills.

I think a little compassion goes a long way, and I think in the years to come we are all going to need compassion, unless some miracle occurs and the economy of the U.S.A. turns around. Abstracting is not the only industry that has been hard hit in America. Look at Detroit, its practically a Ghost Town now.

A great man once said "On the day we can fully trust each other, there will be peace on earth." and I say Amen to that.