Well, damn. Crow got himself caught up in the Obama.con craze and now look at him. It's going to take me a week to get all the red paint out of his feathers but at least his beak isn't blue anymore. I might have scrubbed it a little too hard though..He's sulking and keeps muttering about Barbara Ehrenreich's" latest news about the 'nouveau poor':
'Foreclosures in Greenwich CT! A collapsing market for cosmetic surgery! Sales of Gulfstream jets declining! Niemen Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue on the ropes! We read of desperate measures, like having to cut back the personal trainer to two hours a week. Parties have been canceled; dinner guests have been offered, gasp, baked potatoes and chili.'
Obushma is making me more than a little nervous with his plans to continue the same financial policies as our soon to be not missed current administration. If the money continues to go to the banks so they can hide it, bury it, buy other banks with it or compensate themselves with it then it's not going to be available for the people who need it.. and I'm not talking about the socialite who needs a new dyed rat bikini to wear at Cannes this spring. It's probably past time to just plain nationalize the banks and get it over with.
Worker productivity keeps rising, only to be rewarded by declining wages, elimination of health care benefits and cancellation of pensions. Meanwhile, downsizings and offshorings of American jobs are rampant, and part-time work is the new norm. We need stronger unions.
Then perhaps, there'd be room to talk about having development funds available for new green industries. It's just my opinion. Crow's not talking to me right now but if you have any ideas let us know.
The one part of the proposed stimulus that makes the most sense is the increased funding to local and state governments, which face the prospect of slashing their budgets to non-functioning levels. The thing is, that used to be something the federal government just did, so if it's just a temporary measure, it won't do much. Especially if it's compromised from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteWell, I've got my fingers crossed.
I am loathe to admit with the move, Lily, and a big writing deadline that I have not read a newspaper since 2008. I feel so out of touch. I must start reading news again. I am off to NY Times.com to read something just so I don't feel like such a ostrich that is determined to bask in the feelings that Obama inspires in me.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say to this is, how right you are. I am still hopeful that Obama will grab the last of the tarp and make sure it ends up on main street.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love crows red feathers.
I know that I was particularly gratified to learn that Citi, who could find no money or way to help us renegotiate our mortgage, has the money to buy another bank or brokerage or whatever it's buying.
ReplyDeleteThat's okay. They can have our house. I hope they know that this yard is a bitch to keep up with. They'd better watch for the fire ants...
President-elect Barack Obama asked outgoing President George W. Bush to request lawmakers to unlock the second half of the bailout package approved last October.
ReplyDeleteBut many are echoing their concern about where the money is going and I quote from Democratic senator Ben Nelson “What we really need is something with more details so that we can truly make those decisions about how the money is gonna be spent,"
it’s a concern.
The first tranche was channeled into direct type bulk payments to recapitalize banks and rescue companies (at the insistence of many leading economists) including American International Group Inc and Citigroup.
I think there is real risk the new stimulus package to be approved by incoming president –elect Barrack Obama will be far less effective unless the financial system is itself cleared of the mess with accompanying adequate regulatory control into the future.
I understand the need to do something quickly for Main Street but unless it’s backed up by a sound financial system that helps small business and householders hang in to their houses it won’t be sustainable.
Best wishes
I'm convinced that the TARP is the biggest fraud in the history of crime. I'm optimistic, but very reserved, about the Obama administration. I'd just like to remind him that we elected a Democrat, so he needs to govern like one.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm sure he'll govern like a Democrat.
ReplyDeleteWhen Obama was in the Illinois Senate, he was asked by a group of very concerned citizens of Illinois to help them with a problem. They weren't rich, they weren't asking for much. They wanted Obama to step in and introduce a law that would force Exelon to make public ANY leaks coming out of their nuclear facility. They did this because they found out there had been a leak and it was covered up. They all lived close to the facility and were concerned about what this leak would do to their health.
ReplyDeleteObama, who needed to put through some type of legislation to make it looked like he gave a rats ass about the publics safety and welfare, went on TV and made a speech about how he was going to help them. He then started to write some legislation...and then the Exelon CEO's got in touch with Obama and offered him a great big fat contribution to his campaign for U.S. Senate.
Suddenly, the legislation was changed from Exelon being mandated to give such information to Exelon being able to decide for themselves whether they wanted to release that information. In fact, the legislation eventually became so watered down that it couldn't even pass and now...Exelon could continue to hide any leaks (it's amazing what a campaign contribution could buy you, ain't it?)
Of course, while campaigning in the Primary race, he lied and said he passed legislation which said that nuclear facilities would have to give out that information...but the media didn't care to report on it much and the Obama supporters didn't want to hear it, anyway.
Of course Obama lied his way through the campaign! He lied when he said he wouldn't vote for the FISA Bill if it had telecom immunity. He lied when he said he would support the LGBT community, he lied when he said that he would help those who really needed the help in this financial crisis (the homeowners).
Oh, and lest we forget...Obama also voted for Cheney's Energy Plan. I'm sure the big oil companies are pleased as punch to see who's sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office.
It's going to be four years of a lot of disappointments wrapped up in excuses and forgiveness every time he stabs his supporters in the back.
ben - I'm ticked off when I hear phrases like 'libraries are non-income generating' entities. I mean what do we pay our taxes for anyway?
ReplyDeleteI have my fingers crossed too.
belette - Truly, you haven't missed much with staying away from the news. The only essential thing to know is that the Repubs and Dems have been doing a two steps down and one step up ever since Reagan which has led us to our current predicament.
ReplyDeleteutah - I've watched and tried not to judge but now we're a week away from his inauguration (which I applaud for the same reasons so many do - who ever thought we'd live to see the day?) but he's surrounding himself with a lot of familiar names and faces. Hillary has been the most heavily lobbied Senator by the arms industry as has ever been seen. Leon Panetta, former Senator, former Chief of Staff to Clinton and Director of the OMB prior to that, has no experience in Intelligence and will be running the CIA. Where's the difference with having someone experienced only in domestic issues any more qualified for his position than Brownie, a former judge of horses, running FEMA? Not much. Then what does Timothy Geithner as his Treasury Secretary say about our President-elect? Simple: He believes in change, just not too much of it.
ReplyDeleteI like Crow's red feathers too but he's still going back for a turpentine rinse later.
lisa - I really sympathize. Wells Fargo (our bank since the hostile takeover of First Interstate in 95) sent us a letter to say they'd just bought Wachovia - not that we'd be getting higher interest on our savings. Citi sent a collection agency after us for a debt we'd repaid on the east coast years before. We had to provide proof and thank goodness we were able to.
ReplyDeleteThey should have just used the TARP to fix the mortgages in the first place. You already know how to deal with the fire ants.
lindsay - You put it very well and we're in close agreement. Another problem I'm seeing is the fact the Treasury has been printing so much money so fast that the country is in imminent danger of having the currency fail. If we were in a Third World country the IMF would have had us in receivership by now.
ReplyDeletecdp - Crow was so angry when the TARP bill went through I thought his beak would explode. I remember Paul Krugman's comment about having passed that Wile E. Coyote moment when he realizes he's run off the cliff but tries to sneak back hoping Gravity isn't paying attention.
ReplyDeleterandal - Yeah, we're all afraid of that.
ReplyDeletemary ellen - Wow! Thanks and that was worth a post all of its own. So there really is another politician from Illinois who deserves federal accommodation of a different type. I didn't know the details but I'm certainly not surprised. I agree it's going to be four years of disappointment for so many who deserve better, work for better and voted for better than they're going to get.
ReplyDeleteObushma - hehhe.
ReplyDeleteand I echo CDP's sentiments almost exactly.
pagan - I thought that was a good one too :-) Remaining cautiously optimistic is about the best we can do.
ReplyDeletehi susan!
ReplyDeletemy take on the economy is it's in real trouble, and nothing meaningful can be done until it stablizes. and the way we are pumping money into the system makes me fearful for the future too.
"green" will happen when it's cheaper than the alternative, and we are getting closer and closer to that vector point.
sad to say we'll only ride bikes because we can't afford SUVs anymore, but it could happen.
all obama needs to do is put us in the right direction. once that happens, things usually fall into place. good begets good.
sera - Welcome back! I know you're right about good begetting good. I have a long term habit of worrying about the worst possibilities just so they don't occur.
ReplyDeleteLet's just say I'm cautiously optimistic about the future and well aware we're all ultimately in Safe Hands.
Susan... It feels like he's pulling a bait-and-switch on us with respect to some campaign promises.
ReplyDeleteI won't apologize for the guy, damn it if all those who voted for him don't have egg on their faces now. I read yesterday that he's even caving on his proposal to add more accountability and transparency to TARP by allowing CEOs to fund their private jets with the money. Apparently, not doing so would eliminate 44 thousand jobs in a Kansas Dems district. Politics as usual.
i listen to the stock market reports as i drive my 15 year old econo vehicle to work (it's too cold, and there's too much snow to walk now... no public transport) talk is all doom and gloom for the big corps. and i listen to people at the office of the oil company where i work, talk about their upcoming vacations to the tropics, and the motorhomes and 5th wheel trailers they're doing cost and feature comparisons on. after all, the old one is a couple of years old. but they worry about the value of their oil stocks plummeting while they're getting their manicures and working out in their home fitness rooms. they're an odd bunch, living in million dollar homes and shopping at WalMart. nobody's worried about losing their homes or their jobs here.... yet. oil is god here, and they can't believe that gods die. and Alberta has been so prosperous for so long, no one here thinks it'll happen to them.
ReplyDeletei don't know what it takes to make change. i've always thought it was up to the people... isn't that what democracy is all about? but when the people can't see beyond the windshields of their hummers, what hope is there? i want to believe Obama wants to make a difference, but regardless of how he tries to drive the machine, it's still the same machine. he can't drive a hummer as if it's a smartcar.
spartacus - Once again we went through an election cycle where the choice to be made was bad and worse. The highlight of the whole thing after two wearying years of all campaign, all the time was seeing a black man accept the presidency. It went downhill the minute he walked offstage.
ReplyDeletegfid - I have to make an effort to read the latest news and editorials every day. It's not fun but I feel it's a responsibility to learn what I can. You have my sympathy having to spend your work days among that lot but none of us is immune from hearing the arrogance of bloated ignorance. One of the doctors I work for is a racist gun nut. Today he refused to treat a patient when he learned she was an illegal alien and he wouldn't get paid. He was voluble about it in a pretty public area as well but someone else did treat her.
ReplyDeleteDemocracy is up to people but I believe that concept isn't what's happening here in the US. It's just the name of the shop and Totalitarianism is the reality. Sounds as though it isn't too different there.