Believe me, while I have rested my keyboard-weary fingers for a few months, my mind has been going full-speed-ahead.  I have watched my stock portfolio take a hit that is reminiscent of 2008 (I cringed when I got my statement today), Congress has proven yet again their unworthiness to govern and President Obama  has demonstrated to all sensible  Americans that he is  as American born and Christian (he professes) as the next  who only attends church on Easter and for funerals.  The economy is souring with unemployment still (20 months into this recession) the #1 problem.

But wait, there is more.  Iraq is no longer a combat zone for Americans (pity the Iraqi’s though), Afghanistan is ballooning into a Vietnam and a Korea all balled up into one awful nightmare, and the Mid-East situation is no better at all (despite the opening of Obama’s direct talks with Palestinians and Israelis) as the threat of Iranian nukes hovers ominously.

Hold on!  If you keep on reading you will get even more from CapitalistMarks in the coming days.  Health care reform is proving to be the opposite of the wonderful promises made  (Regence Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Utah has cancelled my policy and forced me to take another with significantly less coverage/benefits coupled with added costs that could easily be in the tens of thousands of $$ each year).  I am told there are a bunch more like me out there that won’t be helped at all until at least 2014 when the new Obamacare/Democratcare plan kicks in.  But will I (others) live that long with reduced coverage and costs that exceed average American family incomes?

Bailout spending?  Sure a few big banks have survived and some large Corps.  too . . . but only to the benefit of the CEOs and a few of their croonies . . . surely not you and I . . . the ‘head-shaking’ shareholders or the stunned taxpayers.

Stimulus?  Cost billions more than we were told originally and now Obama and his minions are talking about adding a few dozen more billions.  And, the Federal Reserve is out of arrows with interest rates at about zero (of course they have quantitative easing left . . . but by the Fed buying up government notes all they do is add to the already enormous deficit).

Fiscal Policy?  Don’t look for any help there in an election year.  Everyone in the country knows that the tax system needs to be reinvented.  But, don’t expect any politicians to offer  any credible solution.

Remember the old sage who said (roughly) ‘when 51% of the poor decide they want to live off the honest earnings of the other 49% then democracy will fail’ . . . and Obama’s democratic solutions of socialism at it’s worst are beginning to make that a possibility.  Wouldn’t it be something if he really is a Muslim or Communist ’sleeper’ who ends America’s greatness by destroying our economic/political system with old fashioned Marxist policies?  NOTE:  I am not saying that is true but Geeze Louise . . .

China?  Passed Germany as the #2 economy in the world and is only 30 or so more years of double digit GDP growth from passing the U.S.  Oh, yeah, don’t forget their military is growing faster and more aggressively than any other in the world, nor their efforts to grab natural resources from the rest of the world for their own good (sounds pretty capitalist to me).  Note that the ‘rare earth’ minerals used in so many high-tech products are produced primarily in China’s two mining centers, and that the costs of these crucial minerals have gone up over 1000% (yep, one thousand) in the last 10 years or so.

Iran?  I can’t even bear to talk about it.  Ahmadinejad is nuts!

Venezuela?  Run by a lunatic dictator.

Housing?  Millions of homes in foreclosure and the banks aren’t bending over to help anyone despite new federal laws requiring them to do so  (wait until those writeoffs hit the books!).

Unemployment?  Some estimated put actual #’s as high as 20+% when underemployed and work-force abandoners are included but regardless there are at least 25 million Americans who want full-time jobs.

Global warming?  Only the HOTTEST summer in history for our northern hemisphere.

I could go on but my moist, warm tears are clouding my eyes so much as I return.

All I can say is it behooves you to stay tuned to this channel.

I will tell it like it is–give my answers to tough questions–offer solutions where needed.  I will be right-on most of the time and never wavering in pursuit of truth and justice.

But,remember this always:  the single biggest problem America has today is professional politicians.  They call D.C. home and they love living there and partaking of their unAmerican perks.  The new byword is ‘if you don’t like thier perks, get rid of the jerks.’

Do NOT vote for incumbents . . . we need citizen leaders who leave their real lives to serve for 4-8 years and then go back to those same lives.  Guys like you and I who can listen to both sides consider the alternatives and decide what is really best for our country.   Our founding fathers depended on it.  We really have to now.  Oh, and eliminate the golden retirements and benefits for congress and government employees.  Make them live like the rest of us ./ . . they won’t want to stick around more than they are welcome if we can push that through.

I hope you will join me at the polls in November to oust these greedy, self-serving ‘pros’ and vote in our neighbors and friends (particularly those who promise to go home after one or two terms).

I will post when impressed to do so and not just in order to get another word in.  You can count on that.  Also, due to some lingering and worsening health issues, I may not post as regularly as I would like.  I promise though, every post will be important, current, relevant and helpful.

Seems the banks and other lenders who seemed to need this huge bailout or relief don’t really need as much as anticipated and provided for.  But, makes you wonder . . . when over the weekend we learned that a few more banks have failed and now the count is up to 130 (and will continue through the end of the year).  Remember that this is more than FIVE times the number of banks that failed last year.

What is going on here.

The truth is that the few big financial institutions that are left are eating a LOT bigger piece of the money-profit pie.  Instead of needing more money they are paying the TARP funds that they got from the government back (with a profit no less).  To the tune of tens of billions of $$.  Means that the total TARP funds available should be even higher than announced right?

Good for them (the big banks)  I guess and too bad the regional and smaller banks are taking it on the chin.

Bottom line here:  Obama and the democrats smell something pretty good for them.  They think they have just found at least $200 billion that is already in the budget (yeah, that $1.5 trillion or so  deficit we are faced with) and is NOT going to be used for its intended purpose.

What does any government (city, state, county or federal) do with money they have left over each year?  Oh, come one . . . have you ever heard of them returning it?  Gotta find a way to spend it . . . and fast!  That’s the attitude in Washington.

Of course Obama just had the big confab last week on unempl0yment and tomorrow he is going to talk about how he wants to deal with this horrendous continuing problem (Tuesdays seem big to him lately — Afghanistan and now unemployment).

But the $200 billion?

Republicans want to use the funds to pay down debt.  Makes sense.

Democrats want to use the funds to increase employment.  Makes even better sense right now.  We are, after all, not of out the recession woods yet and unemployment is still 10%.

Spend the $$ on improving employment.

We need it.

But do it right.

No more of these projected ’saving or creating jobs’ deals that take months and years.

Get some (or most of the $$) into the hands of the needy masses right away.  Do it like they did during the depression.  Hire the infrastructure workers directly by the government and bypass the private sector (could save many months and still let the big contractors bid the jobs to save $$).

If this works we get the infrastructure improvements we need (some of them anyway –fix roads with pot holes, bridges, dams, levies etc.) much faster and the government puts people to work NOW.  Then later (I know that is a scary thought)  government employees can be transitioned to the private sector as the economy picks up.

$200 billion?  That is a lot of jobs Mr. President.

Hope you are reading this Obama, Pelosi and Reid.

Stay the course, spend the $$ and put people to work before Christmas.  What a great present that would be to this great United States of America!

thanks to flickr’s ciaran mcGuiggan for the photo

This is to be expected I suppose with the continuing weakness of the Dollar.  You sell the same, or perhaps a few more, number of products overseas at the same price in local currencies and you are going to get more $$ in return.  This is particularly true of the companies mentioned above because they have a big presence in countries like China, India and Brazil where last quarter’s (or 2009) GDP estimates are MUCH greater than those in the U.S.  For example, China’s economy is expected to grow at a rate of over 8% in 2009 (negative 2.4% for the U.S.) and Brazil’s GDP grew nearly 8% in the third quarter, or more than twice the GDP growth rate for the same period in the U.S.

Governments and people alike are spending in these countries.  And they are buying great consumer products made by American companies such as those I mention above.  Cause for joy?

Tack on to this a DOW that is well above 10,000 (even with a 100+ point loss in the last two days of last week).

Sounds pretty good doesn’t it?

Maybe so, but I am concerned about a few things . . . like Obama’s public satisfaction ratings dropping below the 50% level in two major polls this week.  I think that these polls are forward looking (6-12 months) just as much as the markets normally are (and here I feel I must remind you that they are still WAY below levels from two years ago).  Hold on here buckaroo!

Tack on to that a few other parcels of data such as the unemployment rate at post-depression highs, the real unemployment rate about 17.5% (adding in those job-hunters who have just quit looking or have taken part-time/underpaying jobs), almost ONE IN FIVE AMERICANS un- or under-employed, more than 120 banks have failed this year, lenders are being more restrictive, consumer confidence is low, and credit card companies are raising rates (in the face of record low rates from the FED) and they are adding all kinds of crazy fees for dumb little things (you know what I mean if you have read a CC statement lately).

This has been a good year as far as market equities go (since March 9’s low anyway) but after any kind of Santa Claus rally there is bound to be  a big dose of concern and dubiosity.

Ah huh, times are great for employers (who are still in business)  . . . they can hire the best talent out there on the cheap, and they are cutting costs in other ways too.

However, you and I know that this is not a great time for consumers or workers and it sure as heck isn’t a good time for government (spending our tax dollars for the next five years this year).

Truly, this is all a tough read economically right now.

If you read or hear about highly positive thoughts from economists in the next couple of weeks you had better check who they are working for (banks, lenders, GM, or others with TARP $$).

If you hear or read about highly positive vibes coming from any politician in the next couple of months you had better check who they are working for (and it ain’t you my friend!).

Two problems reign supreme  now: unemployment and public (the government’s) debt.

If President Obama and Congress don’t get a handle on BOTH of these pretty quick then you had better lock the barn doors and hide the chickens.

This isn’t a gloomy forecast . . . it is more of a warning of what could be ahead IF . . . . . .

And, IF you want change you had better be calling and writing your elected leaders to get to work on the two problems noted above.

It doesn’t take a genius to recognize this (I am sure you do) but our elected leaders are rarely genuises (as history has amply proven).

That means you know what to do even if they don’t!!

thanks to flickr’s danoxster for the photo

Here is the reality:

Factories closed.  Warehouses shut down.  Homes in foreclosure.  And more.

Unemployment at 10.2%.  That means nearly 16 million Americans are unemployed (the highest in history).  Add to that those who have quit looking or have taken part-time or low paying  jobs and the percentage soars to 17.5 and climbing.  A total of 190,000 jobs were lost in the past month. Imagine the entire population of a medium sized city losing their jobs in one month.  Imagine the entire population of sixteen of our smaller states without work.

Consider that we have now had 22 straight weeks of employment decline in our wonderful United States of America.  The longest streak of loses in 70 years! Ah, but who seems to be counting?

Consider that 7.3 million of our fellow citizens (and probably several that you know quite well) have lost their jobs since December of 2007 when this recession started.  I can think of ten myself without straining.  Ah, but who seems to notice?

Consider that the average workweek is only about 33 hours and that average  hourly earnings are only $18.72 (including of course the many bankers, investment managers and politicians who have become rich while the real work force strangled on their greed and self-interest).  Ah, but who seems to care?

If you do not have a good friend who has lost their job in the last two years then you are an exception — an exception that likely means your own head is dangerously near the chopping block.

This is frightening stuff.

And yet congress works the weekend to pass a deficit numbing health care bill.  Our President makes the extraordinary Saturday visit to congress to push his agenda.  The like of Microsoft, Eli Lily and Boeing announce layoffs of thousands more people.

When will it end?

The stock markets hit new 2009 highs earlier today, oil is trading at around $80 per barrel, interest rates are so low that saving any money is worse than going to Las Vegas for the weekend with our your available cash.

When will it end?

The President  talks with congress, congress talks with each other and nearly one out of five Americans are under- or unemployed.  Two people on my street have lost their jobs already this year.  What about looking around your own street?

The real unemployment numbers?  Yeah, they are horrible and include people we all know.

Families are in danger of losing their homes.  Mortgage failures have not peaked — not by a long shot with this kind of continuing unemployment.

I get tired of writing about it.

But . . .

Our leaders are not leading.  They debate with no purpose, they argue for the sake of argument, they blabber on TV just to get a few more votes, they get sick and  benefit from the best medical-care available at little or no cost, they vacation and travel on taxpayer $$, they sleep soundly at night, they . . . just . . . don’t . . . seem . . . to care!  They talk but they don’t act.

Call, write, email or fax.  Join the growing number of Americans that are angry about inaction or misguided action.  Vote out ALL incumbents and press new electees for term limits.

You think this is a joke?

Wait until next year when the economy falls off another cliff because there have been no real fixes for the biggest problem of all — unemployment.

Jobs, jobs, jobs . . . when will they get it!

thanks to flickr’s shoes on wires for the photo

Houston (and Washington) we’ve got a problem.

I have been writing about the unemployment problem for, well, like . . . forever.  Today for the first time I heard that the Guy in the Oval office is floating the idea of a THIRD stimulus just to work on it.  Problem is that the elements of the stimulus he is suggesting, like extending unemployment benefits, don’t really address the problem.  They do pay off voters though (is he thinking about the mid-term election next year?).

So far we have had two stimulus packages from the White House and our beloved clowns in congress.  The first was for about $170 billion (put some $$ in our pockets too) and the second was about $760 billion (stretched out over three years and more).  Man, these guys spend $$ like an NBA star in their favorite bar!  Close to $ 1 trillion and what do we have to show for it?  Unemployment at 9.8% and rising.  What happened to the 8% max that Obama promised if we got the second stimulus?  Fifteen million of our neighbors and friends out of work.

Last month we lost 263,000 jobs and the unemployment rate only went up 0.1% .  You can believe that if you want but I think the dudes calculating this are stretching credibility.

Look, our economy needs to generate 100,000 jobs every month just to break even (due to organic growth in the labor force).  So losing 263,000 jobs really means that we fell behind last month to the tune of 363,000 and that sucks!  Based on that, next month we should hit or exceed the critical 10% rate and that will really suck!

From day one of this employment crisis our Chief Executive (including the Treasury and Federal Reserve) has done his best to approve plans that line the pockets of Wall Street and other financial firm’s executives.  The little guy really hasn’t benefited in proportion to actual need (and maybe not at all).

Talk about change.  Every stimulus should be focused on creating jobs– today . . . and it can be done.  Obama and his left wing crew have to loosen their tight-wad philosophy on ‘green-ness’ and create jobs for the greater good today.  Green can become a greater focus when the economy comes rolling back.

How?   Allow drilling and exploration in promising but environmentally controversial sites would help.  That would create a few hundred thousand jobs in about a month.  Start fixing/replacing our out-of-date bridges and dams.  There is another few hundred thousand jobs in the same month.  Eliminate the capital gains tax completely.  That stimulus  big and small business alike and would generate a few hundred thousand more jobs, but it would take 6 months or so to see them.  Fix our railways and bring them into the 21st century . . . say a million more jobs.  Pour billions into research in energy alternatives with bonuses for rapid implementation . . . here comes another million jobs.  And so on and so on.

Talk about change?  Hey, Washington D.C. change to thinking about us tax paying citizens.  Change to jobs not pet ‘green’ projects.

And, but the way we need stimulus that is not charity.  Paying out billions in more unemployment or sending checks for $600 per person thru the mail just won’t do it.  Any new money that is spent needs to go to jobs, not charity or transparent attempts to ‘buy’ votes and make us feel good for a month or two.  Spend the money for long term benefit of us voters!  If we are all smart we would still vote out all incumbents.  Sorry but I just have to throw in that ‘lasting’ solution to our problems every time I can.

President Obama, I call on you to halt uncommited funds from prior stimulus and add a bit to that.  Then commit those funds (probably $500 billion or so) to creating jobs today or tomorrow.  Do this now.  Not after the New Year.  Not after Thanksgiving.  Not after the October recess for the underworked clowns in the Capitol Building.

The kind of stimulus I am talking about would have a HUGE multiplier affect on the economy.  Working stiffs would start to spend their money confidently and fast.  Retailers would have to add jobs to meet the demand.  Manufacturers would have to add whole shifts for crying out loud (I like that expression).  The impact on consumer confidence would be huge!  Spending in all areas of the economy would increase and withing a year we would be back on track for 3-4% GDP growth.

It is not only doable . . . it is critical that it be done NOW!

So, wake up and grow up fast, Mr. President.

Get this done now.

Thanks in advance from my unemployed next door neighbors!

badrnaseem’s photo comes from flickr … thanks

Well, I tried to find the word in dictionaries used in that way.  Can’t be done — at least not by me.  The closest is an obscure usage regarding a fee on the London Stock Exchange.

Still, I like the word and whether they are using it correctly or not, I want to adopt it in a political and economic way.  Heck, I think it fits.

Here is how.

The party in power right now, the democrats, seem to be going in the opposite direction from the wonderful source of their name, democracy.

In other word, there is a contango in the relationship between the democrats and democracy.  And that is wierd.

Shouldn’t the democrats be supporting and framing our famous democratic ways?

Heck yes.

But that ain’t happenin’ folks.

Sure, they were elected in a democratic election (sort of if we forget the implications of a flawed electoral college).  But they don’t want that same democracy to work in either the Senate or the House of Representatives . . . and it really doesn’t seem that the democratic Executive branch wants it either.  Is our current government really democratic . . . if it is then I am a cockatoo!

These democrats want to use their strong advantage in congress to ’slam dunk’ their agenda on the American people.  I don’t oppose the agenda, I just oppose they way they are going to force it without any ‘other’ opinions being considered.  Demit, the democrats don’t have a monopoly on intelligence or anything else for that matter.  Political decisions are ALWAYS ecnomic ones.  Usually they favor the party in control (or even the individuals in control), but almost NEVER the people.

What is wrong with listening to us?  Why don’t they want to take the time to do things right and let the right (republicans) have their say on amendments to health care, environmental, tax, educations, stimulus spending (or not) and other issues?  Why not take the time to make all legislation right from the start?

I don’t care what happened in the past.  This President (and his cohorts elected recently) promised change.  To heck with the ideological mistakes of the republican past.  Yes, they pulled the same stuff whenever the could.  And yes, they aren’t trying too hard to contribute this time . . . most of them just do nothing and complain (same old, some old political garbage).

Well, get of fyour lazy butts you misguided republicans and start at trying to help.

Well, (part II) sit down from you pompous platforms of leftist and socialistic ideals you misguided democrats and start listening to the PEOPLE as well as you partners on the right who should try harder to be the LOYAL opposition.

Let the decisions be made.

But make dem sure that everyone’s voice is considered and that the majority doesn’t force feed trash to the minority.

Be more democratic you democrats.

Demit!

Be more responsible and intelligent you republicans.

Demit, again.

Give us all something we want and not something you THINK we want.  Listen to the people on the streets, listen to everyone.  Make sense of the mess you have created and do it now.

Demit, again.

I hope we, the people, get together next year and two years after that and two years after that and VOTE ALL ENCUMBENTS OUT OF OFFICE.  If we had only one or two term politicians then most of this ‘political’ crap we have to live through would be done with.

We, the people have a responsibility in all of this too!  Vote responsibly and make sure your voice is heard!

Demit, finally.

Thanks for the photo to flickr’s glasswindow

Now, we are NOT in another great depression (yet) but it is fair to call our current circumstances a great recession (as many already have).

Sure companies are doing better because they have cut costs dramatically (mainly by letting our neighbors and friends — and some of you? — lose jobs).  But can they increase sales?  Can they grow once the stimulus, bailout and clunker programs end?

Yes, that is the big question.  What will happen when all the government money runs out?  I don’t want to think about it either, but someone has to.

Only a few months ago, President Obama  predicted a budget deficit increase of 7 trillion $$.  Yesterday the White House bumped it a little (their words?).  Up nearly one third (2 trillion more $$) to 9 trillion $$.  Yikes what will this burgeoning Socialist administration accomplish in 4 years?  THAT is something I really don’t want to think about . . . yet someone must.

Add in the cost of healthcare reform and cap and trade carbon costs and anything else the uncontrolled Democrats want and we could be bankrupt by the end of Obama’s first term.

I liked him at first (thought I remind you that I did NOT vote for him — I currently never vote for incumbents or anyone that will give a legislative and Executive majority to any party — and by the way, you should take the same avenue for improving our nation’s governance).  But, now I am not so sure.  He is a celebrity President and hardly ever talks without a teleprompter and that worries me.  He may not be as smart or sharp as his friends in the liberal media portray.  Nothing like great potential to ruin one’s real achievements!

Remember, I have made it clear I am for change:  health care needs it, energy policy needs it, politics need it, and much more too.  But not too much at once and do it with open and frank debate not acrimonious ideological dissension.

Back to the economy.

The Commerce Department gave us some new data  today.  Here is some of it for for you to digest and I suggest you take Lomotil first.

We now have four straight quarters of GDP decline behind us.  The last two quarter declines of 6.4% and 1%  represent the biggest back-to-back declines in more than fifty years!  Further these four straight quarterly declines represent the only time this has occurred since 1947!!

Also the current recession is the longest and the most severe (in terms of GDP decline) since WWII.

Further we are still losing jobs at an alarming (though improved) rate.  We actually need to ‘create’ about 150,000 jobs every month just to keep up with the growth in the work force (due to population and immigration).  Yet we are losing over 500,000 jobs a week (that’s new unemployment claims and must be offset with new hires to get the actual damage)!

Dang, this is worrisome.  Couple it with that fact that in the not so distant future our National Debt will EXCEED total GDP (Obama’s 9 trillion $$ remember) and you have a disaster in the ‘closet.’  How the heck is the government even going to make debt paymenrts?  You know, like most of us have to on our mortgages.

Is the U.S. debt headed for a ’subprime’ rating because income is going to be so much smaller that just even the debt (forget the principal amount)?  Think about what happened to a big part of the real-estate market in the U.S. in the last 2-3 years.  Does the comparison concern you?

There is much that we can do to mitigate the looming disaster, but of course that must wait until Obama returns from Martha’s Vineyard and Congress returns from their embarrassing and revelatory vacations of townhall meetings and expert avoidance of answering any real questions.

The question now is:  will they do anything substantive when they return.  Anything to brighten the future of our children and grand-children?  History does not give us much hope.

Confused?  Don’t be.  Things aren’t nearly as rosy as the administration and the Democrats (and much of the media) are telling you.

Be prepared for further bad news and decline.  What’s the risk in that?  Nothing . . . it is the smart thing to do.

thanks to gagilas for the flickr photo

They used what they grew or trapped or hunted or harvested and that was about it.  And they were happy and content.  Don’t forget the odd part because that may have been crucial to their contentedness.

Not now.

Why can’t we learn from our ancestors?

We need to give back and quit just taking.

The problem is that we just don’t want to and it starts at the top.  President Obama and Congress want to spend more than they make from taxing us (to the tune of trillions of $$).  And we want to let them (we elected the democratic majority didn’t we?  But the Repubs haven’t been any better for years!).

We have to moderate spending (publicly and personally) and use what we have and no more.  How hard can that be?

It isn’t going to get easier if we don’t act now.

Sure markets are up all over the world, including the U.S.  But the news isn’t all good.  The Conference Board let us know recently that leading economic indicators are up for the fourth consecutive month.  So what?  The bad stuff is hidden in the overconfident headlines that the media glombed onto.

Six of the ten leading indicators were up.  True.  But what about the ones that were down? Not so good.

The biggest negative was consumer expectations.  Followed by real money suupply (how can the consumer be confident if the money isn’t there to spend — yeah and on stuff they can’t or shouldn’t afford).  And the third?  Building permits!!

Yikes, what got us into this mess.  Money freezing up and the housing debacle and consumers running for the shed.

Why are we so stupid as to think the government can throw trillions of our $$ at these current problems and bail us all out long term.

Let me give you an example that will resonate.

The feds pumped $3 billion into the clunker program and around 600,000 cars were sold (or will be by tomorrow).  The feds also gave first time homebuyers and $8,000 credit (and that expires in November) and that’s a few billion $ more.

A shot across the bow of the recession that will end up being a shot in the foot~!

So what will happen in the next few months.  I’ll tell you and you can check back and chastise me in those few months if this doesn’t happen.  It is so dang predictable because Congress and the President are more interested in voting polls than in what is good for our country.

We are going to see a BIG drop in new car sales and a BIG drop in first time homebuyers because the feds stimulated them to all buy quickly without really considering the long term (or even mid-term) implications for them or the government’s debt.

And what will that do to the economy?  Fro crap’s sake it will help justify the NEXT wave of stimulus and bailouts (that some of our leaders are already talking about) as the recession refuses to go away.

More debt.  Like heck do we need it.

I’m not saying we all have to go live off the land, although it sounds good to some.  Shoot, that would be impossible with 307 million people.  But we can learn from our nation’s original inhabitants and just ‘use only what we have’ and wait for anything else until we can get it without going into debt or stealing from out children and grandchildren.

If you don’t need it and can’t afford it, save.  If you want it too bad, borrow it from a neighbor (assuming they will let you).  Don’t steal.  But you can dream . . . that is always authorized in my economic scheme of things.

Give back to the land and the people and stop this selfish consumer driven ‘better that the joneses’ drivel.

Enough is enough. You make up your mind to do this and force our leaders to follow.

Start by throwing out  ALL incumbents.  You can do like I have done for the last couple of elections.  Never, never, never vote for anybody this is an incumbent!

Had enough?  Dang, wait until I start charging you to find out what is REALLY going on in our country!!  Then you can REALLY get mad!

thanks to flickr’s tokomabibelot for the photo from the Jefferson Building in D.C. it is Lakota Chief Ito-na-gaju, “Rain in the face” and how appropriate is that??

Today’s market drops (pretty much across the board) has been a wakeup call.

The recession is NOT over.  Not by a long shot.

Obama and his posse still have to get a handle on unemployment and use stimulus $$ where they are needed most (foreclosures, jobs, infrastructure, energy . . .).  This has all been ignored recently in the flood of news about the ‘health care initiative’ that is driving both Washington and Main Street.  Is everyone stupid??

Let’s remember where this all started.  The financial sector, dummy.

And despite recent run-ups and streaking stock prices, this sector is NOT feeling good.  They are suffering from the Swine Phluu.  A bunch of swine are running the banks and financial institutions and their cronies in D.C. are greasing the pan with OUR $$$$.  The same old story:  high risks (guaranteed by taxpayers) and high rewards (at least for the executives at the financial institutions.

But the bad news just doesn’t stop.  Over the weekend the FDIC closed 5 banks.  Including Colonial BancGroup which is expected to cost the FDIC (from their deposit insurance fund) mearly $3 billion.

And the band just keeps playing as the ‘Titantic’ failure of our financial system just keeps going down.  So far this year 77 banks have failed.  Last year there were 25 failures.  In 2007 there were only 3 failures.  Are you starting to see a trend here?

Here is the real kicker Colonial BancGroup is the biggest bank failure this year and it was a heavy real estate lender.  Think about that.

The real estate crisis is the gift (to incompetent executives and lowlife, longtern Congressmen) that just keeps giving.

To you and I?  Not so much!

Homes just keep getting foreclosed.  Jobs are being lost.  Congress is on vacation and the President is visiting Yellowstone Park with his family. I have family and friends that are wondering how to pay the utility bills.  Know anyone like this yourself?

It is only August for crying out loud (and I do quite often lately).  How many banks are going to fail in the next four and a half months? Are we going to hit a hundred this year?  Scratching at the bank failure bench mark set in the Great Depression?  Looks like it.

Thanks Obama and Congress.  Thanks for jumping the gun.  Thanks for taking August off while the country goes to heck in a hand-basket.  Thanks for spending Trillions to line the pockets of your buddies in industry and their greedy lobbyist cohorts.  Thanks for running up the debt (the national debt in July alone was bigger than most years in the history!!).  Thanks for setting us up for big tax increases, for giving yourselves raises when there are 15 million unemployed.  Thanks for fostering a system that practically guarantees you will get relected.  Thanks for nuttin’ chumps.

Term limits are needed more every day.  Stick that in you ‘craw’ and chew it all you  Senators and Congressmen who have been asleep at the wheel for 20, 30 and 40 years or more.

CHANGE!!  NOT JUST TALK!!

thanks for the photo to flickrk’s thetruthabout

The Prez recently admitted that he wanted a universal health plan by the end of the year.  He had been crying in the wilderness about a plan by August.  Now he seems to realize the enormity of the process and challenge.  Good for him!

I think we have hope.  If he can encourage the Democratic majority to get calm and listen to some ideas from the other side of the aisle sanity may yet rule.

However, and this is a big however, the Republican’s must come up with a vision of their own to add to the mix or just shut up (wonderful thought for both parties!).

They need to consider all options.  They  need to listen.  Then They need to legislate by committee and consensus until the Prez. stomps his foot at the end of the year.

No more taxes, no greater deficit, health care for all.  Is it possible.

Yes.  If Congress opens their doors and minds to all-comers and spends the time to put real, effective and affordable legislation together.  Of course industry has to pitch in (doctors, nurses, hospitals, insurance companies and so forth along with the public and ‘patients’).

Five months and it can be done.  Let’s just hope all of Congress takes the time to read whatever legislation comes out of the process.

They are knuckleheads (all of them really) but surely they can read and assess before voting.

If not WE will have to do it for them.

VIVA LA REVOLUTION!!!