Financial Reform Who will Save Us

  Financial Reform is on every one's minds now-a-days. It is on every news station you turn to. Every newspaper you read. It is even a topic I am passionate about.
 Mr. William Daley the White House Chief of Staff and a former executive for JP Morgan Chase said today on Meet The Press "The normal average American is feeling it." Feeling what you might ask? Feeling the higher gas prices. The national average now being $3.50 a gallon. Why? Some might argue that it is the higher demand in the world. Others might say it is because of greed in corporate America. Whatever your position, it is not the only issue that is causing our financial crisis in America today.
  According to A Wall Street Journal Poll 37% of Americans polled "Top Priority For The Government" is job creation and economic growth, while only 22% of Americans polled top priority was the deficit and government spending. And get this, only 12% of those polled top priority was health care. So what does this mean for us? Well It means a lot more confusment, arguments, and politics.
  According to Daley, "Nobody has taken steps to that," speaking about the President and balancing the budget. I am sure I don't necessarily agree completely with this statement. However, when Daley went on to discuss the things that was driving the deficit, he made this statement: "Social Security is not the big driver of the deficit right now. We have to strengthen Social Security for all the recipients of that." I do agree with his position on this subject. I am a disabled American. However, I can not get Social Security Disability because of all this mess. There is just not enough money. Though the Judge would not say so on the record. He did make a statement off the record stating just that. He did, however, state in my written decision that I was a "severely disabled" individual, but could do "sedentary" work. Hence the fact I became a writer.
  Than we have The Tea Party. Folks like Michelle Bachman (R-MN) head of the Tea Party Caucasus and very out spoken on what she refers to as "Obama Care" and refers to the current administration as a "Gangster Government."She said in her interview with David Gregory, "It is shocking the revelations all the money that has been spent. There was a Congressional Research Service Report that was issued in February and we discovered secretly, unbenouced to Congress over 100.5 billion dollars was hidden in the Obama Care legislation to fund the implementation of Obama Care. This was something that wasn't known. The money was broken up and hidden in various parts of the Bills. We have worked hard to discover 61 billion in cuts we could put forward and give to the President, so in effect we have taken one step forward and two steps back. Because we have found 105 billion it has already been implemented or appropriated." Later she added when asked about if she was willing to see or participate in a government shutdown, which I found interesting, funny, and absurd, "Members of Congress didn't know this money was in the Bill because we couldn't read the Bill before it was passed because it wasn't given to us but hours before we had to vote on it."
  OK hold on a minute! Are you telling me that a group of educated grown adults can't speak up and say "wait a minute, we need more time to look over this before we vote on it." Come on! Do you really believe that the American Public is going to buy that excuse?  Are you not Big Boys and Girls? Who were voted into office to be responsible constitutes. In my view that makes you just as responsible for that 100 billion if not more responsible because you were sloppy, and allowed yourselves to be bullied into a vote.
  Michelle Bachman you can't have it both ways, sorry to say. What troubles me most about you and your comments isn't not necessarily your obvious racist remark referring to the Obama administration as "The Gangster Administration." No, it is when you said "the day before the President took office gasoline was $1.83 a gallon. In What state? I would love to have been living there at the time. As I remember it I paid well over $2.30 a gallon in gas during the Bush administration and it didn't go down till Obama took office. It wasn't till recently that it has gone back up. Sorry you can't blame everything on Obama, no matter how hard you try.
  Even Bachman's statements on how President Obama handles the trouble with Gadhafi "is troubling." However, she agrees that we should not only listen to Gates and Petraeus. Excuse me Mrs. Bachman, who do you think the President advisers are on this matter? Seriously? I understand you are concerned like many Americans are about how much we depend on borrowing from other countries, but you really can't make a statement such as "its troubling how the President is responded to the situation in Lybia," and then turn around and agree with what his advisers are telling him he should do.
  Michelle Bachman did say one thing I did agree with when talking about our deficit. "That can have national security implications. We don't serve our American interest well when we put our hands into creditors." She is correct. We are supposed to be the most powerful nation in the world yet we must continually borrow our way out of debt just to create more of a deficit for ourselves.
  I don't know about most of you out there but I am so sick and tired of Politicians!!! I hope Bill Daley is right when he said speaking about the President, "He is not going to play the Washington games. I think we have had enough in the last two years and people are sick and tired of it. They're tired of the partnership and if anyone thinks out of this last election. The American people were voting for more partnership, more saying no. Their going to have a rude awakening in the next election. Thank you Mr. Daley for clearing up what most of us already knew...it will be politics as usual.
  Most Politicians are CEO's and we have to start facing the facts. The also run the Justice System. Most Judges are "elected officials" are they not? I understand William Daley a former Executive for JP Morgan Chase disagrees. After responding to Charles Fergusons' statement (Director and Oscar winner for the documentary for "The Inside Job) "Forgive me. I must start out by pointing out that 3 years after a horrific financial crisis caused by massive fraud, not a single financial executive has went to jail and that is wrong." Daley's response to this was, "The Justice System should take its place. A politician should not be engaged, or say who should be prosecuted and who should not. That's not a responsible thing to do. You've got a number of Justice, Attorney Generals that are moving forward on cases that are legitimate. The President felt very strongly and that's why he fought so hard for financial regulatory reform. That system has to change. Most of the laws that are worked under were enacted were closer to the Civil War than to this Century."
  So who do we turn to? If the Judges are also indeed truly elected officials, hence also politicians, than they to have a stake in whether or not to move forward to prosecute the executives. Most Politicians have worked with big corporations to help raise funds for their campaigns, so they don't want to take them down. And of course, their are the Politicians that are already CEO's or former executives and have special interest in these corporations that are raising prices on the "normal person."
  Let's face it. This problem will not be solved over night. But until we face the truth and the facts nothing will change. Reform by definition is "a campaign aimed to correct abuses or malpractices." All I see here is more abuses and continuing malpractices being allowed to happen. The question is what are we going to do about it? Who will rise up and save us from ourselves?
 
 

First Amendment v Bad Taste

  For 20 years the congregation of the Westboro Baptist Church picketed military family funerals. They believe that God hates the United States for its tolerance of homosexuality especially in the military. Fred Phelps founder of Westboro Baptist Church and his family full of parishioners traveled to Maryland to picket the funeral of Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder who was killed in a non combat related vehicle accident March 3, 2006 while serving our country in Iraq.The signs this group picketed and displayed for the whole world to see, including Matthews father said things like, "Thank God for Dead Soldiers," "Fags doom Nations, and " America is Doomed."
  Matthews father filed a diversity action against Phelps and the church alleging intentional inflection of emotional distress, intrusion upon seclusion, and civil conspiracy. The lower courts ruled in favor of Snyder and Phelps had to pay punitive damages that was later reduced and challenged than later reversed. The Court stated in this ruling, "Statements were entitled to First Amendment protection because those statements were on matters of public concern, were not provably false, and were expressed solely through hyperbolic meteoric."
  So after a long court battle and taking all arguments into consideration The United States Supreme Court heard and ruled on the case. On March 2, 2011 Chief Justice Roberts delivered the opinion of the Court. He stated, "speech on public issues occupies the highest rung of the hierarchy of First Amendment values, and is entitled to special protection."
  He later went on to say in the opinion of the Court, "the Court is obligated to make an independent examination of the whole record in order to make sure that judgment does not constitute a forbidden intrusion on free expression...." Then went on to say "the content of Westboro's sign's plainly relates to broad issues of interest to society at large, rather than matters of purely private concern."
  Roberts rapped up reading the Courts opinion by saying, " Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and - as it did here - inflict great pain...to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate."
  Justice Alito disagreed saying, " Albert Snyder is not a public figure. He is simply a parent whose son Marine Corporal Matthew Snyder, was killed in Iraq. Mr. Snyder wanted what is surely the right of any parent who experiences such an incalculable loss: to bury his son in peace."
  In my opinion Mr. Albert Snyder and all families military or not should have the right to bury their loved ones in peace. This means without hateful messages or screaming participants. My question is why pick this family? Matthew Snyder was not gay. He served his country proudly. His sister told the Baltimore Sun that the reason he joined the military was because he had a "unwavering sense of responsibility."  Why pick any family? Is this what Christianity is about or coming to? I think not!
  The people of this church or anyone like them should be ashamed of themselves. However if you look back in history they are not alone. The Supreme Court never really put the issue to rest till the 20th Century. Many individuals were killed or jailed speaking out against issues they to believed in. It was not until around the Vietnam Era (United States v. O'Brien 391 U.S. 367 1968) that the court finally took a position on public criticism of the government and changes occurred. The courts opinion stated "Our decision have fashioned the principle that the Constitution guarantees of free speech and free press do not allow a state to forbid or proscribe advocacy of the use of force or law violation except where such advocacy is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or cause such action."
  So folks, what it comes down to is this. The courts are not going to do anything as long as they show no threat to anyone. No matter how hateful they are. I guess we can forget about telling our kids not to bully or watch what they say on facebook. Heck, its freedom of speech right? The can protest all the want as long as they do it from 1000 yards away. But just because you have these rights doesn't make it right.
  I think most of us out here are smart enough to figure out that this church is full of ignorant souls. And we are also smart enough to know there are more out there just like them. My fear is that the next round of people will start bringing guns to these demonstrations because well that is one of their rights too. The Right To Bear Arms. Who are we kidding. This bad taste in our mouths have to stop. I'm not suggesting we take away the rights of anyone. I am suggesting we use a little more common since.
  I would also like everyone to reach out and help Albert Snyder (Matthew Snyder's father) with the court cost he will have to pay toward the Westboro Church and Phelps attorneys. I do not usually do this and will not do it often, however, this loving father was fighting for the rights of all Americans to have peaceful burials for their fallen. I think the least we can do is help him to pay the attorney fee's of the ignorant people who started this mess to begin with. Go to www.matthewsnyder.org for more info.

Acceptable Parenting?

  After reading my local paper today I became very infuriated while reading the "Dear Annie" section. A loving single father had written in about his not so understanding family. Apparently they took issue that he and his son shared a bathroom while getting ready at the same time. This made this the 16 year old son so uncomfortable that he no longer wanted to spend time with his extended family members. Can you blame him? One family member had went as far as telling the boy "this type of behavior would turn him gay." What? Would sharing a locker room with his male classmates turn him gay too?
  How far are we going to go people? It was nothing for us to go into the bathroom as girls, with our mother while she was showering or even using the bathroom. We were all girls. We all had to get ready. It is no different than getting ready at school in the girls locker room. In most schools by middle school you are required to shower after gym. This didn't make anyone gay. Last I knew you weren't made gay, you were born that way.
  I understand everyone has a different parenting style. But some people seem to be taking what is "acceptable to them" to far. We need to remember this is America. We all come from different backgrounds, have different cultural beliefs, and have different ways of parenting. Not all kids are the same. We are all individuals and lets not forget that. Each child is an individual and should be parented that way. However, it is not the place of extended family members, friends, or anyone else to say if you should be in the bathroom with your child at the same time or not.
  Now there are some exceptions. For instance, if you have had a history of being a pedophile. Then you shouldn't be around children in the first place. If you have had a history of abusing a child physically than maybe you should be supervised. But these are truly up to a court and a counselor. Of course a family should be alert to these situations, but obviously this was not the case with this loving father and his son.
  Lets face it, America has become to sensitive to child abuse issues. You can't discipline your child in public. You can't spank your children without someone screaming child abuse or calling CPS. You can't even ground your children because god forbid you are keeping them against their will. And people wonder why we are raising entitled children.
  Time outs...ha! They don't work on all children. I spanked my children and I raised 8. They didn't like them, but they weren't supposed to. I also stood them on the wall. I also made them do chores. I wasn't a perfect parent but who is. We all make our mistakes. But I never allowed my friends or family dictate to me how I would raise my children. As a result I have very well behaved, well rounded, and some what successful grown children. Two of these children now have children of their own. They raise their children very much like I raised them. As a result, I have some wonderfully behaved and respectful grandchildren. And yes, they sometimes share a bathroom.
  So America, lets get over ourselves and check ourselves at the door. Think before we speak. Think before you alienate your family over words that are so irresponsible.

Collective Bargaining or Politics as Usual

  Howard Finman said it right when he wrote in his article for the Huffington Post "The Real Political Math in Wisconsin, isn't about the state budget or the collective-bargaining rights of public employees there. It is about which party controls governorships and, with them, the balance of power on the ground in the 2012 elections."
  Fineman later went on to write in his article about a conversation that happened at a Washington dinner that proved his point and later mine. "We are never going to win most of these states until we can do something about those unions," one key operative said at a Washington dinner in November. "They have so much incentive to work hard politically because they are, in effect, electing their own bosses - the Democrats who are going to pay them better and give them more benefits. And the Democrats have the incentives to be generous."
  When will enough be enough for politicians? How much power do they really want? And When will the American people come before re-elections? These are the questions I am posing today.
  According to Gov. Haley Babour (R-MS) "Half the states in the country do not allow collective bargaining." He went on to say on Meet The Press, "People act like this is some right. Like there is some collective bargaining rights. There is no collective bargaining rights under the Constitution." He does not stand alone in his way of thinking.
  Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-IN), my home state, nearly eliminated collective bargaining six years ago when he took office. He said during an interview on PBS News Hour "By far the most powerful special interest are the government unions." Governor Daniels may one minute withdraw his support to save his popularity, and the next continue to keep pressure on unions in Washington while attending  the National Governors Meeting,  but he isn't fooling anyone. You might believe "the best was treated no different from the worst" when people were losing their jobs and/or benefits. Maybe that's because you were sitting in your nice warm mansion with your class of expensive champagne.
  Lets look at the facts. According to in.gov.org in 2009 the National average yearly salary for jobs (OES) for Education, Training, and Library Occupations was only 49,530. Post Secondary Teachers could make anywhere on average from 70-80,000 a year. While Kindergarten and Middle School Teachers made around 50-53,000. That's average. Under all other teachers the income was more believable, since I have many friends who are teachers. That figure was 41,110. Now of course if you are a lawyer or judge this figure goes up. And so does the life time benefits for the Judges. There are no life time benefits for most public employees.
  Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) also wants to eliminate collective bargaining. Not only that, raise health care premiums to 12.6% and pension benefits by 5.8%. Even though this past week the Unions agreed to his terms Governor Walker decided that wasn't good enough. "Actions speak louder than words," he stated on Meet The Press. He went on to say "Their actions in the last two weeks show that." When asked by moderator David Gregory about his inconsistencies and if the governor thought firemen and/or police were more important than teachers the governor responded. "This is not a value judgment about employees, but ultimately about preserving public safety. Two weeks ago teachers walked off the job for three days and it was an inconvenience for parents. A disturbance like that I can't afford....It ultimately comes down to public safety." He says he is willing to share in the sacrifice but at the same time he doesn't deny wanting to change the course of history. As he stated he has given us the problem, the solution, and how he acted on it.
  When asked about how he had acted on it, he admitted to discussing planting trouble makers in the crowd but the governor said, "we rejected that...we look at everything that is out there. We are not going to allow anyone outside to come in and disrupt this debate. They can come in and inform it, but we are not going to let them disrupt the debate and take the focus off the real issue here. The real issue here is that 14 state Senators need to come home so we can wrap up the debate." Really? Wrap up the debate Governors? I think you do not want to debate at all. I think you want what you want, when you want it. And you want it now.
  Richard Trumka had a good point when he said, "No person should have to face the loss of their job or the loss of their rights."His colleague Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) also echoed his sentiment when he stated, "When the Governor says come back home he's not saying lets negotiate, he is saying let me do what I want to do with the unions." Bravo! I say bravo!
  Frankly, I think the voters need to take a stand once and for all in 2012! This is still America. We as Americans need to stop for a minute and look past all the campaign promises, the long speeches, and the money that is being spent. If we took even half the money being spent on campaign contributions and promises we could probably either put a million people to work or create jobs to do so. We could use the other half to help balance the budget.
ights away from the people is not a way to get popular nor voted back into office. It is our right to speak out against things we don't agree with. I do believe it is our First Amendment Right. Our constitution may not spell out every little right we may or may not have. However, this does not give any Governor or elected official the right to dictate what our collective bargaining rights should or should not be. Just think for a moment. Now it is the unions. Next it will be the collective bargaining rights of the stores we shop in or what we wear. This is not a dictatorship no matter how much money you put behind it.
 
 
 

The Bad Behavior of the Entitled Elite Should Be No More

  Woods, Gibson, Edwards, Ensign, Craig, Lohan, Palin, and now Sheen. They are in a group like so many others. Addiction. Addiction comes in many forms: Drugs, Alcohol, Sex, or Money. The thing is, they just believe they are to clever and to powerful. They believe they can beat it or anyone. There are the Elitist. We live with them everyday no matter what your station in life is. Look around you. It is in the newspapers, on your TV, even on the web. We are talking about it now. There are many types of people out there that think they are better than everyone else. What causes this you ask? Addiction.
  I hate to say I told you so, but I said over a year ago that people should boycott "Two and a Half Men." The man is out of his mind and needed help. Chuck Lorre, I don't know what you were thinking or doing with aiding your number one star who you paid almost $2 million a week to. Really? Come on!
  This does not in anyway excuse Sheen from ranting during interviews calling out Lorre. Seriously? Come on Charlie, are we two? Look around you. Your cast mates are fed up, your hanging out with prostitutes, porn stars, and models with your ex-wife, and worst of all your not even given one thought about your kids. This is the public perception of you. Face reality.
  You said to Chuck Lorre, "you mistook this rock star for your own exit strategy." Let me tell you one thing. Men like Chuck Lorre may need to be more empathetic. However, he made you buddy and paid your bills. If it were not you, it would have been someone else. That is the way the world works. That is reality.
  We are giving these individuals a pass. Look at former Senator John Edwards. One minute he is in the running for President, the next is, he is not only lying about having an affair, but now he is under investigation by the Federal Grand Jury to see if he has broken any Campaign Finance Laws. On top of that we find out the truth...Not only has he had an affair, made a sex tape, lied to the American public, he has also fathered a child who he refused to claim. All the while his poor sick wife lay dying of cancer.
  Mel Gibson. He once said, "Hollywood is a factory. You have to realize that you are working in a factory and you're part of the mechanism. If you breakdown, you'll be replaced. Once one of our greatest leading men, now he to has fallen from greatness.
  2006 on a beach road in Malibu, California Mel Gibson went to far. His addiction finally got the better of him and the downward spiral began, he called life. Gibson was stopped and arrested for drunk driving. During this taped arrest he spewed the most implorable racist, and anti-Semitic rants. Of course, by the next day we all knew about it. Almost instantly it ended his career. But Gibson still felt his money, his time in the business should have meant something. He should be able to say whatever he wanted and didn't care who was listening. He could heal himself. At the church he built on his estate.  Now he too is facing even more trouble with the law, civil suits, and baby momma drama. Why? Addiction. Where are all the people who made millions on him?
  Then we have Lindsay Lohan. She made 1 good movie, "Mean Girls?" She is a idol for our kids? Really, she is a beautiful girl, who has great potential, but enough is enough already. I can't even keep track of all her antics and crimes. I too wonder, were people trying to make money off of her, or did they really even care about her well being.
  If I had Lindsay in a corner I would have to tell her, its time to start growing up. I digress. I would have to probably start telling that to all of the Elitist world. Palin gets to leave office before her term was up after promising a state she would do her job and stay the course. Greed got in her way.
  Greed is a funny thing. It is as addicting as any drug, sport, or hobby their is. Greed is the root cause of addiction. You always want what you cant have. You want it now. You will do anything to get it and more of it. Greed plus drive leads you down a path of success. Success leads to making money. The questions you have to ask yourself is, can you handle it?
  It is obvious that the stars and politicians mentioned above clearly can't. They desperately need help. They have just shown us they are like many other Americans. Addiction knows no color, boundaries, or lines. And we as Americans put up with it!
  If we act ignorant on our jobs we get warned or better yet fired. If we do drugs or cheat on our taxes we go to jail. We are the American public. We should start saying enough is enough. No more. When 217 member of Congress in 1999 "escaped tickets and or arrest from a variety of driving offenses ranging from speeding to DUI's due to Congressional immunity" (wiki.answers.com) it made me think. The bad behavior of the entitled elite should be no more. When are we going to look around us and say enough is enough?
  Living vicariously thru movie stars, TV stars, politicians, is over. Crazy has become so normal we forgot that we are messing with people's lives. Yes they may become willing participants, however if bad behavior is allowed to continue, and it will... it will escalate. It will escalate to the point that the individuals who really do have the talent, the ability, and lack the addiction will be left in the dark, while the Elite continue to rule and destroy. They will rule and destroy what we all have come to know and love...our culture...our America.
 

The Oscars have gone to the Designers

I'm all for fashion and looking beautiful. Anyone who knows me would tell you I'm a sucker for a great pair of shoes and a beautiful dress, but this is getting kinda ridiculous. Isn't the Oscars supposed to be about the arts...you know the acting, directing, screenplays, the scores,etc? When did we all get so shallow we forgot what was important? The real work!
I understand that most individuals who do not work in Hollywood must live vicariously through the starlets and handsome leading men who grace our big screens every year in order to give us a couple hours of enjoyment a week. But Really? Come on. Every channel I turn on now a days is equivalent to a political campaign. It starts at the beginning of each year and is never ending. Who is wearing what. Who is dating whom. Who is putting their foot in their mouth or going to court for a infraction. Not much different than politics really.
Every day I turn on the TV or read the newspapers and hear complaining about our children and the roles they are playing in today's world. How they are becoming the "ME" generation! Lets take a good look around us for a minute and ask ourselves a question....Haven't we caused that by all the things we have put out there on TV for them to see. I am not saying Hollywood is the cause of the breakdown no just the opposite. I am saying our need to get closer into the lives of these leading lady's n men have become such an obsession and need for the public that the demand has out-weighed what should be reality. Reality for adults and reality especially for our children.
I grew up for a few years in the Hollywood scene and let me tell you it isn't as glamours as one might think. Their lives are not much different than the average person(s). Sure they have a little bit more money and can probably afford a bit more than the average American household, but when the lights and cameras are off they are just like you and me. They have the same problems, the same concerns, the same stresses. They too worry whether or not they are making their children entitled. They too worry whether or not we have gone to far.

My first Post

Hello all. Today is my first post and the first time I have blogged. So I thought it would be nice if I explained what you would be hearing from me.
First, we will be discussing todays political and social issues. This is a place to come to share up to date information and views on those issues. These issues could range anywhere from whats going on in Washington D.C. to whats going on in Hollywood. Your view is your view! Please just dont be disrespectful of other indivdual views. It is alright to disagree. This America after all. However I would like this to be entertaining, educational, and fun.
Hope everyone enjoys their experience here and has a great time.