I frequently hear from people who have seen my videos or read something that I have written, and they ask about my background. I am Joe Penland, Sr. and I am from Beaumont, Texas. I have been blessed to run my own successful business (which is now in its 50th year), serve on my local school board, sit on bank boards, and donate money to important causes in my community and across the country. Although I have been blessed, I had to deal with adversity early in life like millions of others.
When I was growing up in Frisco, Texas times were hard, and at a young age, I took whatever work I could find to help out our family. That meant working in the fields picking cotton and cutting grass.
When I graduated from high school and entered the workforce full-time in 1968, I was shocked to learn the national debt was $348 billion. It was amazing to me that a country as great as America could owe that much money.
Little did I know at that time that our nation would owe the $32 trillion it is today.
That amount spells absolute catastrophe for our country. If we don’t do anything about it, the only thing we will be able to pass on to our children and grandchildren is debt. I know this is not the legacy we want to leave.
Like many others, I have struggled through rough times; and by the grace of God, I have been blessed to have good times. The promise of America afforded me the chance to reach for a better life and I believe that all Americans, including future generations, should have that opportunity. The only way that can happen is for us to attack this national debt problem.
Unfortunately, too many Americans are in the dark about the debt. That is why I’ve decided to spend my own money to bring light to this growing problem. In my newsletters, I will be providing insights and information that the average American might not know about how much America owes, why it is important, and what we can do to change things.
