What To Do About "The Rich?"

So what to do about the wealthy and business interests? (Please don't ask me what to do WITH them, as that would be a temptation I might not be able to resist.) We need some "balance" in the system. We'll never eliminate their tremendous influence(s ), but as I noted in other articles, post-Depression times diminished some of their influence and gave the "un-rich" a better chance in life. The rich were still the rich, but other folks had some influence and protections, too, and it benefited America as a whole, as more people moved into the middle class. To be fair, I would even argue that some of the changes from the New Deal on got out of balance, too, especially by the 1970s, and they had to be corrected (and some things still need to be corrected), but since that time, the system has gotten far out of balance again, and the "un-rich" have actually lost ground in many ways. Again, you have to remember, if you use Medicare and Social Security, what would your life be like without programs like these? These programs, and programs like them, were basically opposed by the wealthy and business interests. They aren't perfect programs, and I've never argued that they are, but where would many folks be without them? Now, we need to move beyond those programs to provide health care for other (non elderly or non poor) Americans, too, for one thing. I don't advocate throwing the baby out with the bath water, as we need some combination of private sector/public sector medical care.

Well, just to prove that I'm not totally one-sided, I heard it mentioned the other day that de-regulation of various products/services hasn't worked. I guess most folks think of oil/gas/nat. gas, airlines, banks, etc. Well, de-regulation DID work, for awhile, but the big boys learned how to consolidate and get around competition, especially in the energy field. Now they've really got us, and they're not about to let go, in my opinion. That's why it takes government to protect the interest of the public at large. On the other hand, from the New Deal until the Great Society and a while later, government grew too large and inefficient in many ways. Again, the flaws of humans. The public isn't stupid, and it (we) saw that there had to be changes, and along came Reagan who effectively articulated the need to curtail government. He got some things, but met heavy resistance on others. He was not the ideologue that Democrats tried to portray, but was much more moderate and was willing to compromise. Now, we've had about 30 years of anti-government sentiment and deregulation (which actually started with none other than Jimmy Carter), and as I said above, the big boys have frequently, but not always, found a way around competition (once again, the flaws of humans; we think we have solved a problem, and we may well do so for awhile, but there's always someone out there figuring how to circumvent the new system), so in my opinion, we've got to reverse course, to try to get the cat back in the bag. Advocates for a particular philosophy, like Reagan, for instance, may come across as being one-sided, but they aren't always like that. They hit hard, but then are willing to accept a more moderate approach. I hit the "rich" and their cohorts hard, because, in my opinion, these are VERY ruthless people, who only understand strength (like Reagan hit the Soviet Union, because they only understood strength). If you blink, that's it; they'll win every time. I may sound harsh at times, but just remember what happened to me, and unfortunately, that was NOT an isolated incident.

We need to keep updating our government programs, because, just like when you put that new lock on your house, and you thought, "Whew! Now we're safe," there are unscrupulous people working day and night to find out how to crack that new lock. Likewise with government programs, there are people, not all of them rich, figuring how to get around the laws and reforms to beat the system.

To "Air" Is Human

Okay, you caught me! I know it should be "To Aire Is Human." Hmm, why does that still look wrong? Anyway...


We have people who bash government inefficiency; we have people who bash private sector inefficiency. The idea that any human developed entity will always, or darn near always, run smoothly is just not in the cards. Certainly, politics can openly come into play in government agencies and programs, but politics gets played in the private sector, too, and in our every day lives; we just don't always call it "politics," or maybe at times, we don't recognize it to be politics.


Regular readers know that I have supported certain government programs, and in fact, I wish there were a couple more available to support, like health care for all Americans. While I support these programs, I've NEVER claimed that they are fault free. In fact, I openly say that we need to deal with the flaws and abuses in these programs. Sometimes, supporters of government or supporters of the private sector can't bring themselves to admit that there are indeed flaws in the systems dear to their hearts. I certainly don't always buy into how badly run government programs are, especially when I see how well the private sector has managed mortgages, credit, and the financial system in general. They've run these things so well, that the stock in many of the companies involved in these concerns have dropped by at least 50% in just the last month or so. The point is, human beings are in charge of private sector endeavors, and human beings are in charge of public sector endeavors, and thus we come right back to the title: "To Air," or is it "To Aire?" Oh, you know what I mean!

Additional Link For Animal Lovers

Seems people liked the "Animal Lovers" link, so here's another, to a place right here in Cleveland. I go at least once a year, but I'm reluctant to return, because I'm afraid they might keep me. (Okay, I'm joking..... Hey, whose that guy with the net outside my door?)



http://www.clemetzoo.com/index.asp

For Animal Lovers

I'm sure everyone remembers Alfred Hitchcock's movie, "The Birds." Well, the actress who starred in the movie, Tippi Hedren, has done quite a lot to help protect the world's animal population. Here's a link to a great site; I think you'll be impressed, ENJOY:

http://www.shambala.org/

A Little Bit Of Gilligan In All Of Us?

One of my all time favorite shows is "Gilligan's Island." The castaways were the writers' attempt to broadly represent American society in the 1960s. With that in mind, there's got to be a little bit of Gilligan in all of us; HOPEFULLY!!! Gilligan really tried to do the right thing and help others as much as possible. While he bungled almost everything he touched, much like yours truly, he also represented the "every man/person," who, no matter how hard they try, always ends up right back where they started. I'm sure many of the "un-rich" of today's American society can relate to that. Many Americans are working harder than ever, foregoing vacations and sick days, working more than one job, with many couples both holding down jobs to try to make a decent life for themselves and for their families. Meanwhile, the top income folks keep soaking up the money. I wish I could say, "Soaking up the money like a sponge," but even a sponge has a limit to what it can soak up; with these folks, there's no saturation point. Maybe even Mr. Howell wouldn't be happy with today's wealthy, as even he showed a kind side on occasion. He had plenty, and that was in the 1960s, when it could be argued that business people and the wealthy had nowhere near the domination that they have in today's America.

Anyway, to all of the "Gilligans" out there; those who try hard, those who take a step forward, but then a step back, those who help others in many ways, large and small, those who give, even when it hurts, A SALUTE TO YOU!

In case you missed this one about television shows:

http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2007/03/reminiscing-about-television.html

"Oils" Well For The Wealthy

Well folks, if you think that the wealthy oil investors will relent and give us a break to save the country from economic peril, don't hold your breath. They care about one thing and one thing only....MONEY!!! Actually it's there overblown egos represented by money. Forget patriotism or any other such worthy traits, they pledge THEIR allegiance to themselves and money. There's so much money sloshing around in their coffers that this oil and gas stuff has become a game to see how high they can get it. That's why it has to be taken out of their hands and controlled like we do with another necessary commodity, water.

Water caused a lot of problems for many people years ago, as the people who controlled it, controlled each of their respective areas of the country. Government got smart and took control of water to give everybody a share without the gouging of the water barons. Oil and gas are now so much a part of our daily economic lives, we're really in a pickle. The Bush Administration believes in all of this free-market crap, and if you were pretty well off, I suppose you'd see that in your own self-interest, too. So this administration has put a twist to a well known saying, "Don't just do something, stand there!!!"

While I can't pretend to know what's been going on behind the scenes, have we put ANY pressure on Bush's buddies in Saudi Arabia to increase production? If I understand it right, the international agency that reports on oil and gas production is now seriously worried that the people with the oil are making so much money, that they will actually CUT BACK production to keep the price skyrocketing. Welcome to Mr. Bush's America.

I've run this before, but unfortunately, it NEVER goes out of style:

http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2006/12/oil-and-gas-prices.html

Did The New Deal Ideas Destroy America?

The answer to the question is, "No!" The New Deal and the later government programs did not destroy America, and I would say that they strengthened America. First, I'm NOT arguing that the New Deal or any other government initiatives are sacrosanct or perfect; they were/are not, but neither are all private sector endeavors. The general trend from the New Deal on into the 1960s was to try to make America a fairer society. Many of the programs intiated during those times helped millions of Americans move solidly into the middle class, but they stepped on the toes of many in the upper reaches of American society. There are some valid criticisms of many of these programs, but after all was said and done, the rich ended up still being the rich. The thing was, the expanded middle class gave even more stability to the country. Workers at many jobs earned wages sufficient to raise and support their families, and job-related benefits began to grow, too. All of this bothered the hell out of the rich and their want-to-be rich supporters, so here we are today in an America where the rich almost totally dominate; wages for workers, in terms of purchasing power, fairly stagnant for quite some time, and many households requiring more than one income to have a decent lifestyle, or to even survive, in some cases. Many job-related benefits have been or are being cut, including health care. All the while, the incomes of the upper sector of our society having been increasing at an alarming rate. They were the rich before, and they couldn't spend it all then, but now.....!!! Executives making hundreds of times more than the average worker!!! We really need to think folks; what kind of a country do we want? If you're living a fairly decent existence right now, just think what kind of lifestyle you might have if YOUR wages/benefits are the next to hit the chopping block, or if the economy takes a substantial hit. You'll relate very quickly to what I'm saying THEN, but we need to act BEFORE those things happen.

Keep Your Eyes On Pakistan

There's more turmoil in Pakistan, as I'm sure you're heard or read. Now, there's turmoil in many places around the globe, so why is Pakistan important? They have nuclear weapons! It is an Islamic country with a divided view of the world, part of Pakistan is more what I'd guess I'll call "westernized," and more interested in secular government, and part of Pakistan is more fundamentalist Islamic. It is an interesting country, with the Pakistani government not actually being in control of the entire country, as certain regions are still controlled by tribal chieftains, just as they have been for centuries. During British colonial times, when what is now Pakistan was a part of India, the British, too, failed to get control of many of these areas.

Musharraf is a military man who came to power in the late 1990s and who has been dictator ever since, although with some moderation at times. I have no idea how many Pakistanis want "democracy," how many want Musharraf's continuing rule, or how many want a more Taliban-type of government, with strict Islamic interpretation of every day life, the thing is, I believe we could find out who actually gets or keeps control very soon.

For us, the situation is critical, because not only does Pakistan have nuclear weapons, but Musharraf has been an important part of combating Islamic extremists. We're left with giving Musharraf some support, but not so much that we anger everyone else, and make ourselves look silly. After all, the Bush Administration has seemingly finalized it's reason for invading Iraq by advocating democracy for the country. Now, if we're seen as propping up or strongly supporting a military dictator, what kind of signal are we sending?

See:

http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2007/05/importance-of-pakistan.html

America: Land of Billionaires & The Rest Of Us

Today's Plain Dealer listed the following statistics and information, provided by Holly Sklar, co-author of "A Just Minimum Wage: Good For Workers, Business, and Our Future."

Number of billionaires created in America since 2000........184

In 2006, for the first time, the Forbes 400 (richest Americans) had only billionaires. This year, it says, there are 482 billionaires, but also 47 million Americans without health insurance.

Since 2000, the number of additional Americans living below the poverty line: 5 million.

The poverty line for one person in 2006: $10,294.

The price of two pounds of caviar on the "Forbes Cost Of Living Extremely Well Index:
$9800.

Earnings for the highest paid hedge fund manager in 2006: $1.7 billion!!!!

Earnings for the highest paid CEO in 2006: $647 million!!!

Earnings for the average worker in 2006: $34,861 (the article notes: "with vanishing health and pension coverage)

Average income of the top 1% of households: $1.5 million (presumably in 2006)

In a separate article about dergulation of electricity in Ohio, the article pointed out that Ohio's utilility companies want to be able to tell their investors (that is, their RICH, and want to be RICHER at the expense of Ohioans, investors) that they'll be able to charge more for electricity and that means more profits, which means more dividends and higher stock prices, which means mo' money, mo' money, mo' money!!! These rich #$%&*# are just squeezing the doo doo out of us! I can't wait for the next election!

Salute The Veterans!

No matter what you think of the war in Iraq, or the war in Afghanistan, or the Vietnam War, or any other war or conflict that has involved American military personnel, or for that matter, even in peace time, we owe a very deep respect to the men and women in uniform who serve or who have served this country. Thousands have lost their lives, many thousands more were wounded or injured, and none came home unscathed emotionally. The freedoms we enjoy today were bought or protected with the blood and emotional sacrifice of many brave Americans. So, forget momentarily the politics of war and conflict and give a big THANK YOU to the American military personnel, both past and present. Whatever your beliefs, a moment of silence or a prayer certainly would be appropriate.

Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are!

First, this is a good article:



http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20071110&Category=BUSINESS01&ArtNo=711100314&SectionCat=BUSINESS&Template=printart

When are Democrats going to start standing up and getting some accountability about these soaring prices? If they don't start soon, I'm of the mind to support some third party effort by a group that at least has some principles and some BACKBONE!!! Some group that wants to start taking back this country from the robber barons who are firmly in control now. In my opinion, Democrats in Congress spent far too much valuable time chasing after Gonzales, the former attorney general. They need to take action on things that make a real, definable difference in people's every day lives. So Democrats, come out from wherever it is that you're hiding!!!


Just a further note: Natural gas is also climbing higher, and it has absolutely nothing to do with what is fast becoming the nonsense of "supply and demand," the mantra of the wealthy interests of this country. Natural gas is at near record storage levels.

We May Well Have The Upper Hand

Folks, with all of the problems going on in the housing market and the credit industry, maybe we've got 'em right where we need 'em. Now's the time to negotiate. I recommend being as tough as they have been. Don't be afraid to remind them that this is alllllllll the free market. If you're paying outrageous interest charges on your credit cards, tell 'em, "Lower the rate, or I'm NOT paying the bill." Got a problem with your mortgage payment? Tell 'em, "I want this adjusted, or I'm NOT paying the mortgage." Let me tell ya, the credit industry is bleeding BILLIONS of dollars. How much more of this they can take, I don't know, but when they have people down, they keep their foot on their throat, and it seems only fair, in a free market, that we do the same in return. Now, if you don't owe much of a mortgage or credit card bill, DON'T take my advice and risk anything, but if you owe a lot, it might well be worthwhile giving your creditors a call. They don't want foreclosures, because they usually can't their money back, especially in the housing situation today. Credit card companies will scream that you'll ruin your credit, but if you're sinking already, it might be worth the risk.

A few days ago, there was a knock at the door. When I opened the door, a guy identified himself as being a representative with my mortgage company. He quickly added, "There's no problem with your mortgage. And I'm not here to change your mortgage terms." I quickly replied, "You can't anyway! It's a legal document." He just looked at me. Then came the crux of the matter. He was here to try to get me to take out the plan that pays off the mortgage if you die. I told him bluntly, I'm not taking out anything, that's they're problem. I'm not interested." I'd say mortgage companies are scared. So scared that they're sending people to knock on doors to try to get them to take coverage that will pay off the mortgage if a death occurs. If you're in a credit pinch, you've got leverage. USE IT!

The Mindset We're Up Against

Just a couple of things, the Plain Dealer ran an extensive article about the personal finances of Ohio's two U.S. senators, Voinovich and Brown, as well as the several local representatives in Congress. They used financial advisers to analyse and make suggestions as to what they see in each person's spending and savings habits. The one that struck me most was about Senator George Voinovich. He is worth nearly three million dollars and has much invested in municipal bonds for various Ohio cities. According to the financial adviser, the senator has committed a "no-no" by investing most of his retirement money in municipal bonds doen't earn as much money as other investments. I believe he said that Voinovich would better protect his retirement income if he diversified more, and had far less in municipal bonds. Well Mr. Adviser, maybe George just wanted to back some local projects in his home state. Is that so bad? Oh, I know, if it isn't about money, money, money, and the bottom line, folks like you can't comprehend it. Besides, George shouldn't have to struggle too much on three million. Do what you think is right, George! Pay no heed to these money grubbers!

Then on CNBC, the network had Dick Armey, the former Republican House leader on to comment about plans by Democrats to raise taxes on the rich to cover changes in the Alternative Minimum Tax (aka AMT), among other things. Well, in case you haven't guessed, Mr. Armey is against the Democratic plan. When one of the interviewers asked Armey about the ever increasing income divide in America and whether he favored some way in the tax code to help close it, he dodged the question completely, spouting some nonsense about 1840 and how working people then were advised by some smuck to feel gratitude toward the wealthy for giving them jobs!!!! (I took that to mean the same for us today.) What a bunch of bull! These two stories show the mindset we're facing, along with oil prices that are soaring, putting more money into the accounts of the wealthy, but depleting the pockets of average folks.

See:

http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2007/06/you-wont-need-time-machine.html