Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Help me to understand

The current Banking  Reform Bill contains a $50Bn fund to help liquidate distressed financial institutions.  It is to be funded by the institutions themselves, not taxpayer money.

Where did this come from and how is it being criticized by those that created it?

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Dodd had this bill.  It didn't contain the bailout fund.  He met with the Republicans and emerged with the fund in the bill.  They put it in there.

Let me be clear on this.  The $50Bn fund was put in the bill by Republicans.

Now, what are the Republicans currently saying about the overall bill?  They don't like it.  All 41 senators in the Republican party each read this independently and each decided that they didn't like the bill.  Why?  It has this $50Bn fund that they say  will create a perpetual bailout mentality and implying that taxpayer money could be better spent. 

They neglected to tell you that is was their idea. 

They neglected to tell you that the fund was not funded with taxpayer money.

Here is the kicker.  They are counting on you to overlook these facts.

Don't.

If you do, shame on us.

By the way, Obama's response was, "I agree with the GOP.  We should take it out of the bill."

Looks like the GOP will have to find something else to be universally pissed about.  Perhaps they should ask Sarah Palin who, a few months ago, said in a conference in Hong Kong that the way to cure the world's banking problem was to increase deregulation - something only the highly (as in high school graduate) educated Glenn Beck could support.  When a Novel Prize winning economist heard Sarah's statement, he laughed out loud during an interview.

But there are muddy waters everywhere.

There are currently 1,500 lobbyists in Washington.  They are not there for the Air and Space museum, although that would be worth the trip.  No, they are there to spend Wall Street money to convince congress not to regulate an industry that did to this country what no foreign army has been able to do.

Wall Street brought us to our knees.

Do not be mistaken.  The money people in this country and the politicians they own are a bigger threat to us than all of the terrorists that have ever existed in the history of the world. 

There are millions unemployed so a few could have nicer cars.   Trillions were lost in the crash and yet bonuses were still paid to money managers whose analytical skills are razor sharp when it comes to figuring out, "How can I make more money for Me?"

Although they supposedly work for you.

Goldman Sachs got caught doing the acceptable.  They put together bad products and then bet that they would fail.  Acceptable if legal = acceptable.  Apparently, everyone was doing it.  Hopefully, everyone will be brought before congress to testify.

The problem with this is that those in congress that will be on the other side of the table have pockets filled from the Goldman Sachs of Wall Street.  The politicians have taken the bribes and now have to come through.  Our eyes will be opened but the punishment will be muted and life will go on.

Help me to understand how we can ignore the GOP's $50Bn gaffe.  Help me to understand how we can expect Wall Street to be regulated by those they own.  Help me to understand how Sarah Palin has more sway than a Nobel laureate.

Help me to understand how we let all of this happen.

Here is what I believe: We let it happen.  We are letting it happen.  We will let it happen again.

I have a plan.  I take this idea from an old Richard Prior movie.  In that movie, he won an election by asking everyone to vote for "None of the Above."  I am going to do it differently.  I am going to VOTE OUT, everyone that is currently in.  Maybe a baby or two will go out with the bath water but no one is irreplaceable.  They need to know we are willing to do it.

So, I have found my road less traveled...

Won't you join me?


http://www.worldgratitudelist.com     Leave a list.  Read a list.  Be happy.

j

3 comments:

  1. Kim Presley SuffeletteApril 20, 2010 at 9:36 AM

    It seems like the Republicans (my party) go overboard with their idea of capitalism and the democrats are looking more and more like socialists. Is capitalism the lesser of the two evils? There's just too much greed and a forsaking of values we once held dearly (such as the belief in God) out there in high places (and in low places too) for it to keep working. I have an acquaintance who's going to run for Congress to see if he can win and get in and make a difference. Let's vote them out, Jim.

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  2. Hi Kim,

    I am an ex-Republican, and soon to be ex-Democrat on my way to being an independent.

    I am well on my way to being a Party of One.
    j

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  3. Republicans and Democrats are obsolete tools that no longer work. Polarization has caused paralyzation. Whatever happened to getting the best man/woman for the job? We are on our way to a diferent order in the future - should be an interesting transition.

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