Saturday, September 27, 2008

The Bailout

One wonders how many of you feel the way we do? Isn't this proposed bailout simply rewarding CEO's who took outrageous salaries and were inept stewards of the ships they were sailing? Who were greedy beyond words, who were all friends and contributors to our fiscally irresponsible President. Who protected these men as their billion dollar companies were going under? How about many of our congressmen and senators.

Would you reward your child for misbehaving? How about if your child stole money from you...would you then reward him/her with a "get out of jail free card". What if you were in business for yourself? If your company had to declare bankruptcy, you would have to turn all of your assets over to a receiver. Do you think your government would have any hand in "bailing you out"? Not so much!

How about Angelo Mozillo the former CEO Of Countrywide Financial. This was the one of the 1st of the mortgage houses that fell. They were also one of the greediest, charging exorbitant closing costs that were added on to the mortgage of people who truly did not qualify for the house they bought. Through spiffy negotiations with mortgage brokers they bought their dream house. They bought the "american dream", even though they didn't truly have the means to pay back their debt.

Mr. Mozillo was CEO of Countrywide Financial (the nation's largest independent mortgage lender) for 10 years. As CEO his average salary for 6 years was $66.4 Million. Not a bad piece of change to take home...however, Mr. Mozillo drove Countrywide Financial into the ground. The Company, when it was ready to go belly up, was bought by Bank of America for $4 Billion. "The rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say...when Bank of America bought the bankrupt company, Mr. Mozillo made over $100 Million.

I would say that was a very good payday for Mr. Mozillo! Pity Mr. and Mrs. America got the shaft...but, oh well, he's living high on the hog. If we ran our business that way we'd just go broke, there wouldn't be anyone to step in and help us. Remember, the only time a bank will lend you money is when you don't need it.

We could go on and name all the greedy CEO's that got us into this mess, as well as those in Congress that knew what was happening, but kept quiet because they were paid to keep quiet. All in all, this is incredibly sad and once again the American taxpayer...Mr. and Mrs. America, their children, their grandchildren and probably their great-grandchildren are going to get stuck with bill and we won't even get a kiss.

NO BAILOUT,
Neelie

Love Is Never Wasted

I can remember my 1st love, that 1st kiss, as if it were yesterday. It makes you tingle all the way to your toes. Then there is the lost love or the love that should have been but you either weren't ready or you just didn't have the staying power. For those of us damaged folk, generally, the ones we chose were for all the wrong reasons.

However, somewhere in your heart is the one love! The one love that all you have to do is think about and your toes curl. You know the one I'm talking about...we've all had a love like that. That one person you can never forget, that in your darkest moment you conjure up and you're right back there...that day or night...and you remember their touch, the way their lips felt on yours, the way you melted into each other. That's the feeling that we all wish we had every day.

Alas, that kind of love doesn't always last. It's usually to hot to not burn out...but the memories are electrifying. There is also another kind of love...the one you didn't meet until it was too late! Either one or both of you were in a relationship and you are not the kind that strays. Those are the "if only" loves.

If only we had met at a different time, if only my situation weren't what it is, if only...Do you believe in Kismet? I do, it's just that sometimes Kismet (destiny) is too late and the one you should have been with, came along at the wrong time. The right person, the wrong time. What's amazing though, is even though the timing isn't right, just hearing their voice feels like a touch. Hearing their voice takes you to a different place...one of "what might have beens".

This kind of love that reminds us who we are. That we are each unique and special and that perhaps SOMEDAY will come.

Waiting for someday,
Neelie

Friday, September 05, 2008

Political Junkie

I admit it, I'm a political junkie. I have always loved politics. Not so much anymore. What a country we live in. It seems as if the race for the presidency has been going on for the last 4 years...okay it's only been 18 months. It just seems like 4 years! In spite of the fact that we have been watching these candidates for what feels like a lifetime, we know so little about them. Since I have not been in another country for an election, I don't know if their political ads are as negative as ours.

Is it only me or do you wish the ads would tell us who the candidate is, not what we should dislike about the other guy/gal! I, for one, would love to know who the real Barack Obama is and who the real John McCain is. We don't know. Like children we are spoon fed by their campaigns re: their positions, what they've done, who they are. Quite frankly, they all scare me.

We watched the John Adams mini-series and it seems this type of rhetoric and mud slinging went on even then. Pity! One would have thought they were above this type of campaigning. I guess the adage "what's old is new again" truly applies. We the people don't ask for anything better, so we don't get anything better.

I heard last night that this campaign for President has cost the candidates over $1 Billion. Let's see, the President earns $400,000.00 per year. It appears the perks must make it worth spending that kind of money to get elected. How sad! Of course our congressional representatives also spend a fortune to get elected or in most cases re-elected. We know they have the best health care in the country. Apparently, that alone is worth the millions our senators and congress spend on campaigns.

However, there is another reason they want to be in Washington. Trust me, it's not to represent "We the people". It is to line their pockets. Lobbyists woo them to make certain their agenda is passed. Big business is in the vest pocket of most of our Senators and Congressmen/women. What the founding fathers saw as serving the country for a term or two, has become a lifetime career.

When they retire, they receive their salaries as a pension for the rest of their lives. They don't have to try to live on Social Security or worry about health care. Pretty good job and they only work 4 days a week as long as they are in session. Which isn't often. Even now, in the midst of this extraordinary financial crisis, they want to get it resolved before they recess.

How many people out there know that Secretary Paulson was CEO of Goldman, Sachs and a HUGE contributor to the Bush campaign? I bet, not many. Yet, our President wants to allow Paulson, alone, to determine that we the people should bail out these companies like Lehman Bros. to the tune of $700 Billion with no safeguards. Personally, the greed on Wall Street should not be rewarded by bailing these people out.

If Paulson has his way not only will your children be paying for this bailout, but your great grandchildren and possibly your great, great grandchildren! The mortgage bankers were no better. The reason there are so many foreclosures is the greed of the mortgage companies. Anyone could buy a house. It didn't matter if they could afford to repay the mortgage. All they had to do was come up with the huge closing costs which, of course, were added on to the mortgage. I know 1 person who's closing costs were over $30,000.00. It is shameful and we the people will be paying for their greed for years to come.

My belief is that money and success are a person's right. We all have the right to be rich but not at the expense of someone else! When one earns their living by preying on the naive, they do not deserve a golden parachute when the government bails them out. I've always heard that the conservative Republicans are fiscally responsible...not so much!!!

We have a do nothing congress and a lame duck president who continues to get what he wants from our do nothing congress. Personally, I think it's time for a new "Boston Tea Party". Remember your history...no taxation without representation. Do you believe you are truly represented in Congress?

Truly disgusted,
Neelie