COVID and Thanksgiving

I just came across another survey that, once again, shows the differences between baby boomers and millennials.  In the midst of a pandemic, Lending Tree conducted a survey to find out how much money people, who are planning to host a Thanksgiving dinner, will spend on all the fixins'. Based on the responses, millennials plan to outspend baby boomers by a 3 to 1 margin.

Here were some of the key findings:

On average, Americans will spend around $475 to host Thanksgiving, which is up more than 50 percent from 2019.  Those who are hosting say the additional expenses are being used to make up for holidays that weren't celebrated earlier in the year due to Corona. Millennials expect to spend $556.46 while baby boomers say they will be spending less than $175.  So when you go to your daughter or son's house for Turkey Day this year expect a Happy Thanksgiving, Valentines, Memorial Day, July4th, Birthday celebration! 

41 percent of Americans plan to host Thanksgiving this year, up from 33 percent last year (when there was NO pandemic). 

Hosts say they will spend roughly 8.5 hours preparing for the holiday feast and someone will take off from work to prepare.  (Why, when we're all working from home anyway?)

42 percent of the hosts surveyed say the worry about heated debates that could  break out at the dinner table. (Perhaps everyone should be required to leave any perceived weapons at home because Donald Trump's name is sure to come up!) 

22 percent are nervous about discussing politics.  Only 22 percent? (Having a woman of color as the second in charge of the U.S. should generate some lively discussion or to discover how many family members truly believe the election was stolen from the bully baby in the White House).

15 percent are concerned their guests will argue about the pandemic.  Again, only 15 percent?  My question for the survey would've been: "Will you be requiring ALL guests wear a mask?"

10 percent say they are concerned about "family drama." 

38 percent of the hosts surveyed say they plan to borrow money to cover Thanksgiving costs, including charging a credit card or taking out a holiday loan. (Perhaps Lending Tree will drum up some more business since they do give out personal loans) 

32 percent say they will use coupons and shop around for the best deals.  Or perhaps they can check out the Food Bank in their community and get a free Thanksgiving food basket. 

The Right to Vote After Death in North Carolina

 It's uncertain if baby boomer Anne Ashcroft knew she would be dead on Election Day when she voted by absentee ballot in Brunswick County, North Carolina back in September.  Sadly, however, she did pass away on October 11th.  Her death meant her vote would be thrown out because there is a Law on the books in the State that says voters must be alive on Election Day in order for their absentee OR early-in person vote to count.  Her daughter, who just happened to be the Brunswick County Elections Director, says she was the one to ask the Elections Board to reject her mother's ballot.  She said, "Honestly, when she was voting her ballot, she was under hospice care.  So I knew that she may not be alive on Election Day."

North Carolina is one of 17 states that prohibits counting ballots of someone who dies before election day. Those states include Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan, where 864 ballots were rejected in their Primary earlier this year because voters had died before the election even though they were alive when they filled them out.

My guess is a Law like this was put into effect primarily by Republican led State legislatures as another method of voter suppression.  If a person is eligible to vote, they should be allowed to and their ballot count should they die before Election Day.  We have no control over death but we do have control over our vote when we are alive.

As for 62-year-old Anne Ashcroft, no one knows how she may have voted but Brunswick County, NC is heavily Republican and have voters have cast their ballots for a Republican President in the last five presidential elections.  

 To learn about how North Carolina voted in 2020, click here:  Politico