| |||
| |
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Fw: Fwd: Stimulus money at work
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
IN SUPPORT OF THE TEA PARTY CONCEPT
I would like to enlighten POTUS, all politicians and especially, the Democratic (as well as any or all of those who consider the “tea party” insurgents or terrorists) about what is going on in the real world of the American people. Certainly, some of us are more acutely aware than others of what has been created, developed or permitted to evolve in this country. But, please take it from a real life senior citizen it is a mess out there!
I am not a member of the tea party (whatever membership in that organization involves) but I certainly subscribe to the validity of their complaints and support their motives. We all need to be on the street pointing out to all who can see and listen how truly “mismanaged” (the F word should have replaced truly but that might offend someone)we really are. It seems to me that an over educated group of mass ignorance is running our country. Did someone put something in the water that turned the masses into whimpering, blubbering idiots? Is it terrorism under the guise of intellectual superiority?
I am not sure whether our problems are a result of the “dumbing down” of our society or whether everyone is simply incompetent, over regulated or educated beyond their intelligence. Whatever the reason, it has become next to impossible to get anything done in any format that is, in any way, intimidated by the political scene. It is time that our elected officials wise up and listen to the voices of the tea party and others who are “mad as hell and not gonna take it any more”. We must confront the dreadful disease of incompetent malaise that is overcoming every facet of our daily lives. Contrary to what the Democratic Party (and those elected to office with similar views that I choose to call dirty liberal Republicans) would have us believe, the tea party is not the problem. Our elected officials (President, Congress and the political thought process that conceived them) are the problem.
My husband and I are 80 and 78 years old respectively. We have a home loan that we would like to repay but to do so, would create another tax burden as a 401K disbursement. In an apparent effort to be good stewards of our personal finances, we decided to take advantage of better loan rates that were offered to us by a home loan mortgage broker who offered us a desirable lower interest rate. Our existing company said they could give us the same rate with only an update of financial information provided to them just one year ago. Nothing of significance had changed since then so we elected to go with our existing company. We were not concerned, our credit rating is pristine. What problem could we have?
That was in June. In the ensuing months, we have had to provide documentation that we have never had to provide before in connection with any loan application and we have had many. They required details from my pension fund, a life insurance annuity in lifetime payout, pension data and term, proof and reason for every bank transfer, every financial transaction that we have entered into over the year, from whom it came, what it was for and why it was made) and the list goes on and on. For every delay, updates of previously submitted documents had to be provided until we have been inundated with paperwork and related costs and still the simple renewal has not closed.
We have become so disenchanted with the bank and what we have been through that we are considering canceling our loan and, once a new loan has been negotiated, we will move all of our business to another bank.
I understand the need for checks and balances. Certainly, if we had ever engaged in illegal activities or had a history of defrauding our business associates their concerns would be relevant. However, it is apparently not politically correct to check one person more thoroughly than another – so everyone must be treated as criminals?
We are told the increased scrutiny is as a result of new finance regulations. We understand that the new regulations were implemented because people did not do their job in the past. However, instead of enforcing the laws that existed or tightening the enforcement process, more rules and regulations were enacted to assure protection from the people who didn’t violate the previous laws. Really makes a lot of sense, don’t you think?
I personally feel that we are over regulated and micro managed to the point that we are left feeling like crooks. In the past only those with questionable credit and background were subjected to endless scrutiny into their personal affairs. During that process those people learned how to “beat the system”. Now, everyone is a crook until proven otherwise. Is this the change that we can believe in? Rather than enforce laws already on the books, our politicians want to micro manage with more laws, regulations and oversight. As a consequence nothing gets done and our country remains stagnant and without heart. People lose confidence, become depressed and we have a “Catch 22” syndrome. Let’s face it – laws are written to assure that the most jobs that can be created will be created to support the reason for more dysfunctional government. And in the process, dysfunction will kill the goose that lays the golden eggs just as unions and government regulations have contributed to companies removing their manufacturing overseas in order to be competitive Sort of makes you feel all warm and fuzzy about our future doesn't it?
It seems to me that the real terrorists are those we elected to serve as our representatives. It is time for all of us to take a good look at just who we are selecting to serve us both on the local, State and Federal level. We have earned our current mess but isn’t it time that we paid them back with what they deserve – defeat???
I know that I am old and that I tend to live in the past, but I remember when you went to your local banker who knew you, knew your family and knew first hand your personal business strengths and weakness. He could tell you face to face what he could and couldn’t do. He didn’t have to worry that you might sue him for one of the innumerable counts of “protectionism” that has been put on the books to curtail business and manage our affairs. In those days,my parents and perhaps, yours, stood on their own record and that was sufficient. No endless paperwork, no large staff of accountants, no team of lawyers and no review board to determine whether you were worthy of a companies trust. With our laws and the endless efforts by incompetent politician’s to help us avoid malfeasance, we no longer have a free society. We have a “free loading” society.
Why would any of us criticize the good citizens who are members of the tea party? They are exercising that in which they believe. If we don’t act now and change the way things are done, a mid-east spring may be in our future and it may be led by senior citizens like me who are simply fed up. We have a mess. Our laws are so confused, complicated and inept that we need to wipe the slate clean and start over with only the constitution as our guide.
Whatever is happening in our government today isn’t working. More power to the tea party, less power to our elected officials and perhaps, YOU need to remind them of just how fed up YOU are. Write your Senator, Congressman or woman, the President and every news bureau and let them know that you are FED UP AND NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE.
I am not a member of the tea party (whatever membership in that organization involves) but I certainly subscribe to the validity of their complaints and support their motives. We all need to be on the street pointing out to all who can see and listen how truly “mismanaged” (the F word should have replaced truly but that might offend someone)we really are. It seems to me that an over educated group of mass ignorance is running our country. Did someone put something in the water that turned the masses into whimpering, blubbering idiots? Is it terrorism under the guise of intellectual superiority?
I am not sure whether our problems are a result of the “dumbing down” of our society or whether everyone is simply incompetent, over regulated or educated beyond their intelligence. Whatever the reason, it has become next to impossible to get anything done in any format that is, in any way, intimidated by the political scene. It is time that our elected officials wise up and listen to the voices of the tea party and others who are “mad as hell and not gonna take it any more”. We must confront the dreadful disease of incompetent malaise that is overcoming every facet of our daily lives. Contrary to what the Democratic Party (and those elected to office with similar views that I choose to call dirty liberal Republicans) would have us believe, the tea party is not the problem. Our elected officials (President, Congress and the political thought process that conceived them) are the problem.
My husband and I are 80 and 78 years old respectively. We have a home loan that we would like to repay but to do so, would create another tax burden as a 401K disbursement. In an apparent effort to be good stewards of our personal finances, we decided to take advantage of better loan rates that were offered to us by a home loan mortgage broker who offered us a desirable lower interest rate. Our existing company said they could give us the same rate with only an update of financial information provided to them just one year ago. Nothing of significance had changed since then so we elected to go with our existing company. We were not concerned, our credit rating is pristine. What problem could we have?
That was in June. In the ensuing months, we have had to provide documentation that we have never had to provide before in connection with any loan application and we have had many. They required details from my pension fund, a life insurance annuity in lifetime payout, pension data and term, proof and reason for every bank transfer, every financial transaction that we have entered into over the year, from whom it came, what it was for and why it was made) and the list goes on and on. For every delay, updates of previously submitted documents had to be provided until we have been inundated with paperwork and related costs and still the simple renewal has not closed.
We have become so disenchanted with the bank and what we have been through that we are considering canceling our loan and, once a new loan has been negotiated, we will move all of our business to another bank.
I understand the need for checks and balances. Certainly, if we had ever engaged in illegal activities or had a history of defrauding our business associates their concerns would be relevant. However, it is apparently not politically correct to check one person more thoroughly than another – so everyone must be treated as criminals?
We are told the increased scrutiny is as a result of new finance regulations. We understand that the new regulations were implemented because people did not do their job in the past. However, instead of enforcing the laws that existed or tightening the enforcement process, more rules and regulations were enacted to assure protection from the people who didn’t violate the previous laws. Really makes a lot of sense, don’t you think?
I personally feel that we are over regulated and micro managed to the point that we are left feeling like crooks. In the past only those with questionable credit and background were subjected to endless scrutiny into their personal affairs. During that process those people learned how to “beat the system”. Now, everyone is a crook until proven otherwise. Is this the change that we can believe in? Rather than enforce laws already on the books, our politicians want to micro manage with more laws, regulations and oversight. As a consequence nothing gets done and our country remains stagnant and without heart. People lose confidence, become depressed and we have a “Catch 22” syndrome. Let’s face it – laws are written to assure that the most jobs that can be created will be created to support the reason for more dysfunctional government. And in the process, dysfunction will kill the goose that lays the golden eggs just as unions and government regulations have contributed to companies removing their manufacturing overseas in order to be competitive Sort of makes you feel all warm and fuzzy about our future doesn't it?
It seems to me that the real terrorists are those we elected to serve as our representatives. It is time for all of us to take a good look at just who we are selecting to serve us both on the local, State and Federal level. We have earned our current mess but isn’t it time that we paid them back with what they deserve – defeat???
I know that I am old and that I tend to live in the past, but I remember when you went to your local banker who knew you, knew your family and knew first hand your personal business strengths and weakness. He could tell you face to face what he could and couldn’t do. He didn’t have to worry that you might sue him for one of the innumerable counts of “protectionism” that has been put on the books to curtail business and manage our affairs. In those days,my parents and perhaps, yours, stood on their own record and that was sufficient. No endless paperwork, no large staff of accountants, no team of lawyers and no review board to determine whether you were worthy of a companies trust. With our laws and the endless efforts by incompetent politician’s to help us avoid malfeasance, we no longer have a free society. We have a “free loading” society.
Why would any of us criticize the good citizens who are members of the tea party? They are exercising that in which they believe. If we don’t act now and change the way things are done, a mid-east spring may be in our future and it may be led by senior citizens like me who are simply fed up. We have a mess. Our laws are so confused, complicated and inept that we need to wipe the slate clean and start over with only the constitution as our guide.
Whatever is happening in our government today isn’t working. More power to the tea party, less power to our elected officials and perhaps, YOU need to remind them of just how fed up YOU are. Write your Senator, Congressman or woman, the President and every news bureau and let them know that you are FED UP AND NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE.
Friday, February 18, 2011
ROCKING CHAIR COMMENTARY
Perhaps the people who are protesting in Wisconsin should be introduced to the old fashioned paddle that my teacher used when I was a kid?
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
RIGHT OF DISSENT
During President George W. Bush's administration, the attacks on his
policies were never ending. It was alleged that President Bush was lacking
in IQ. (We learned after the Kerry-Bush campaign that Bush' college grades
equaled or exceeded John Kerry's, but the negative point had been made.).
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/benedetto/2005-06-10-benedetto_x.htm
August 10, 2005, Richard Benedeto wrote While the general impression during the 2004 presidential campaign was that Democrat John Kerry was the intellectual superior to President Bush, it turns out that their grades
while undergraduate students at Yale were remarkably similar. In fact, Bush's were a tad higher. His four-year average was 77; Kerry's 76. Both were C students. Kerry graduated from Yale in 1966;Bush in 1968President Bush was criticized for being a liar because no weapons of mass
destruction were found in Iraq, ridiculed for his lack of communication
skills and every mispronounced word was headlined. As a person who supported
the Bush presidency, I accepted these outbursts of dissatisfaction as
necessary to credibility. Dissent promotes an examination of truth.
policies were never ending. It was alleged that President Bush was lacking
in IQ. (We learned after the Kerry-Bush campaign that Bush' college grades
equaled or exceeded John Kerry's, but the negative point had been made.).
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/benedetto/2005-06-10-benedetto_x.htm
August 10, 2005, Richard Benedeto wrote While the general impression during the 2004 presidential campaign was that Democrat John Kerry was the intellectual superior to President Bush, it turns out that their grades
while undergraduate students at Yale were remarkably similar. In fact, Bush's were a tad higher. His four-year average was 77; Kerry's 76. Both were C students. Kerry graduated from Yale in 1966;Bush in 1968President Bush was criticized for being a liar because no weapons of mass
destruction were found in Iraq, ridiculed for his lack of communication
skills and every mispronounced word was headlined. As a person who supported
the Bush presidency, I accepted these outbursts of dissatisfaction as
necessary to credibility. Dissent promotes an examination of truth.
Today, disagreements with the administration incites verbal attacks that
accuses those who dissent of flawed thoughts and inferior IQ. Dissent abuse
has become particularly loud against Sarah Palin and the tea party movement.
Intimidation of those who disagree with the preconceived ideas of elitist
is practiced freely. Both the verbal left and right seem to believe
that free speech should be limited to their speech. Personally, I am
offended by those who would attack dissenting views. My disdain is not
limited to those who may disagree with me. We do not have to agree with the
view of others, but good manners requires that we respect them. Dissent is
a two way street and should be equally cherished and protected by all.
Many of my friends do not share my political philosophy or my personal
values. They are not flawed. They see the world through a different prism.
They judge with a different yardstick. Because I know these people to be
good, well intentioned, compassionate and caring people, Irespect their concerns, ideas and beliefs. I may even agree with some of their concerns but I want to hear their reasons, their logic and explore their motives.Although I may disagree with them, they need to hear themselves make their own case. I have found that our positions can best be understood when we personally communicate them.
Sometimes the mere exchange of ideas causes us to glimpse the vulnerability
of our position. We need the insight that debate provides but that debate
needs to be logical, reasoned and spoke in a spirit of learning. I do not
want to be intimidated into accepting truth where truth does not exist.
The media should be asking the questions, probing the positions and
enlightening our understanding, but it does not. Thus, we must rely on
people who have the courage to ask the questions, suggest alternatives and explore
the possibilities. Free speech is key to survival for our way of life.
My mother who had only an elementary education had a favorite cliché that
she often shared with me. "THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SKIN A CAT". Today her simple cliché would undoubtedly raise an outcry from PETA (mind you, I do not recommend skinning a cat) but the phrase suggests there may be
alternatives. That, it seems to me, is an application for American
ingenuity. Those who think they have answers should welcome and
encourage debate and welcome authentication of their ideas. The debate of
ideas should be recognized as a combined exercise of free speech and a
search for wisdom. The Obama administration and its supporters should
welcome discussion and questions of their positions. In fact, shouldn't the
questions raised by those who site the dissenters as educationally
challenged take precedence for analysis and, thus, reveal the value of the concept and the soundness of its premise?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)