MUST VENT

What the heck is going on with the bailout? Frankly, I am opposed to it, but I am starting to wonder... If it is so urgent to the stability of our economy, like Congress keeps insisting, why did they vote it down? Now I am just a dumb voter, but if it sooo important... You know, I am starting to think that maybe we were right all along. They jumped the gun on this and can't quite back off after the fuss they made, but can not bring themselves to force it either. POLITICIANS, UGGH!

Why can't they just admit they might have made a mistake? Politicians will never say they were wrong, the best they can muster is political correctness speak - "circumstances changed", "all the information was not available at the time" or (my personal favorite) "I was for it before I was against it". A politician will deny, deny, deny in the face of overwhelming evidence, before ever admitting they are actual human beings that make mistakes. I can only speak for myself in saying that I would have far more respect for a person that will come out and just say "I was wrong, I am sorry and will learn from my mistake".

It is called being a GROWN UP and accepting responsibility.

The act of trying to justify bad decisions is immature and something I expect from my child, but hope to teach her better. In my nations leaders, I expect - wait - DEMAND - more than a childish response when they find they are wrong about something.

TOO BIG

You know... the more I think about this banking crisis, the angrier I get. When WAMU went under last week, JP Morgan was the benefactor that came in, bought them out and saved the day - at least that is how it appeared on the surface. The government did not have to come in and pay through the nose to keep all those people employed and prevent the taxpayers from footing the bill; however, JP Morgan is another one of those tremendously large companies. So what happens if JP Morgan goes under in six months??? Unless someone else dumb enough to spend billions buying a failing business purchases them, then what?? Will JP Morgan continue the same practices that got us here in the first place?

Not everybody is going to pay you back.

Not everybody is going to maintain a job.

Not everybody cares about their credit rating.

This is why we have credit ratings and credit checks. USE THEM, PEOPLE!!

You do not need an MBA to know...

No credit - loan in small amounts... see how they do with it.

Bad credit - THINK TWICE, THINK SMALL.

Capitolism is a great system. It encourages people to strive to do better, but it needs limits. Companies like Wal-Mart, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, JP Morgan, Exxon, Chase Manhattan, etc... the list goes on and on. They are so huge that if anyone of those failed and went under today, the fallout would be disasterous. Just think for a minute about the number of people that depend on these companies for work, the effect on the stock market and the domino effect that could follow- other businesses depend on these big ones for their business. At least if these businesses were forced to franchise, instead of going public with stock, each location (ie. Wal-Mart) would operate, sink or swim, independent of the others. If one failed, the others and the overall economy would be uneffected. The failing store and its owner/operator would be out on his or her rear end and there would be no "golden parachutes".



If one failing bank is so big that it effects the entire country's financial stability, then something is seriously wrong. If the leadership in this country continues to do the "same old - same old" - it is exactly like pulling the peanut butter and jelly out of the cupboard daily and expecting a ham sandwich to eventually pop out of your ingredients. Companies need to be downsized small enough that they do not have the potential to set off a fiscal panic through the entire U.S. It seems that these businesses have evolved into monopolies and have entirely too much influence over the economy and the legislature.



"In 1912, the United States Steel Corporation, which controlled more than half of all the steel production in the United States, was accused of being a monopoly. Legal action against the corporation dragged on until 1920 when, in a landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled that U.S. Steel was not a monopoly because it did not engage in "unreasonable" restraint of trade. The court drew a careful distinction between bigness and monopoly, and suggested that corporate bigness is not necessarily bad."



This decision in 1920 could not have anticipated the explosion of big business that was years down the road. Quite frankly, the 1920 Supreme Court was wrong. It is that very "bigness" in business that has us where we are today. The taxpayers are becoming active particpants in what should be private enterprise. Instead of being the referees, they are the players. This is not the role of government. They need to figure out how to fix the problem instead of perpetuating it by enabling the wrongdoers to escape the inevitable failure of loaning money to EVERYBODY. The "unreasonable" restraint of trade referred to by the Supreme Court is something Wal-Mart has been accused of several times and by numerous entities, but still nothing has been done.



I used Wal-Mart as an example, but they are by no means the only offender. There are many of these huge conglomerates, some of which you have probably never heard of unless you are an investor, but they are out there and our economy could be jeopardized by any one of them.



Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice. shame on ME!

BANKING CRISIS

This morning, for those who have not heard, Washington Mutual (aka WAMU) went under and was bought out by JP Morgan after the government began seizing assets. Something I had not heard before was that John McCain predicted this banking crisis three years ago and attempted to address it at that time. McCain was quoted on Fox this AM as saying in 2006 something to the effect of ... the sheer size of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the impact of these companies could have on our ecomomy and having so little oversight is frightening.

He predicted and wanted to do something to prevent what is happening this very day in 2006. Hmmmm... Isn't the economy the one area that the Obama camp happily claims is McCain's Achilles Heel - the area that McCain is the least knowlegable?? I wonder where we would be if the rest of Congress had listened to John McCain back then; I hope they are asking themselves the same question.

I am glad he focused in on a key element in the banking problem - the SIZE of these companies. When the fall of a single company can have a devastating effect on the economy, it is too big and should be broken up. Look at ENRON. My sister-in-law lost a small fortune when ENRON collapsed and it had a huge impact on the economy, not to mention the thousands of people that lost all their retirement - hundreds of thousands of dollars that belonged to hard working average Americans who counted on the money set aside for his/her "golden years" -gone in an instant.

It is funny; I was not very thrilled with John McCain as the Republican nominee. I have a real issue with his posistion on illegal immigration and am always very skeptical of anybody that appears too close to Ted Kennedy, but I am one of the many that is being drawn in and more satisfied with his name on the ticket. His choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate and his dead-on analysis of the economy prior to this election cylcle is making me much more at ease.

BAILOUTS

I think most of America on both sides of the political isles are in agreement on this one. We are sick and tired of government bailouts and the CEOs and executives running these businesses into the ground walk away with the "golden parachutes" while at the same time asking the taxpayers to fix the mess they leave behind.

I have another beef with this mess. Has anybody else been noticing for the last several years the advertising "no credit -- bad credit - no problem, we'll get you the loans you need!!!"? I have been complaining to my husband for years that there is no way a business can stay in business by issuing bad loans. These companies spend thousands of doolars on paper and postage sending PREAPPROVED CREDIT CARD APPLICATIONS to everybody and anybody, job or no job and sometimes to minor children; I know this because my son received a pre-approved credit card application when he was only fifteen years old.

Come on!! Are we all really shocked that so many of those people with bad and no credit defaulted?? The mortgage companies were deliberatly marketing to high risk clients.

Really... No job - no problem! No credit - no problem! They offered loans and credit cards to anyone with a PULSE.

I am no business major, but you don't have to be one to see that this was a disaster in the making.

I hope that every person that is tired of this ridiculousness will contact the legislators in his or her state and ask that before they go ahead with this bailout, some serious restrictions need to be put in place regarding the marketing and the criteria for loan approval, not to mention the rich ride off into the sunset by the executive that ran his/her company into the ground.

Ike and the Texans

As a Texan, I have to say...I love Texas and have been watching Ike closely. I have family in the Bay area and was concerned about their safety. I have been praying for all the effected residents. It truely saddens me to see fellow Texans suffer this kind of loss and damage to their homes and businesses.

That being said, I feel strongly that I have to comment on the people that chose to stay and ignore mandatory evacuations. That was pure stupidity and for those that did so, you should be ashamed of yourselves. When you decided to stay in a danger zone, did you for a moment think about possible consequences? Authorities estimated that more than 100,000 people ignored the evacuation orders; the area 911 centers received over 4,700 calls for help and the Coast Guard made 23 rescues. After Ike passed over, people were interviewed by the media - bragging about toughing it out. Every person that ignored mandatory evacuations potentially put some first responders life in danger because you wanted to be able to tell people about riding out the hurricane. Shame on you.

The 23 people that had to be rescued, you shoud be required to PAY for the cost of your rescue, plus fined for putting the RESCUER in danger. Did you people ever think about them or their families, their children?? The Coast Guard, National Guard, Firemen and Police are people with families that love and depend on them. How incredibly selfish to stay in danger and jeopardize the lives of other people because you were too narcissistic to go somewhere safe for one night. It probably never even occured to any of the 100,000 people that when they chose to stay, someone else might have to risk their own safety.

I do not normally throw out blanket criticism and I am sure there were a few people that had a legitimate reason to stay, but not all 100,000. As a taxpayer, I am ticked off that we will be paying for the stupidity of the selfish. as a person, I am ticked off at the harebrained decision that could have left many people mourning the loss of a son or daughter, brother or sister.

To those that did have a rightful reason to stay, I am sorry that your neighbors are idiots.

Palin charging rape victims for the Rape Kit

I looked at this issue closely because I have spent hundreds of hours of my time volunteering as a crime victim advocate, specifically - rape victims. The left is going crazy because Wasilla was charging rape victims for the cost of the exam during the Palin mayoral term- according to a newspaper article out of Alaska.

Part of my role as an advocate was to assist crime victims in utilizing the resources available to crime victims, including the Crime Victim Compensation Fund. Of course, I am in Texas... but I checked - Alaska has had a CVCF since the 1970's. A Crime Victims Compensation Fund reimburses victims of violent crimes for certain expenses incurred by the victim that were related to the crime; including medical expenses. The money does not come out of the taxpayers budget; it is paid for by criminals. When a person is convicted or granted a deferred adjudication and ordered to pay monies like a fine, court costs, probation or supervision fees, etc... part of that money collected goes into the fund. Who better to pay for the crime related expenses than the people perpetrating crimes??

Until quite recently, it was customary in Texas (or at least in my neck of the woods) to bill the victim and then they would be reimbursed by the CVCF. As recently as 2005, I was arguing with a local hospital that wanted my client to sign a document accepting responsibility for the rape exam - even after the legislature determined that victims would no longer be expected to do so. While the Alaska newspaper reported that most municipalities and state police agencies in Alaska were paying for the exams, it failed to mention that all across the country the expense and payment for rape exams has been hotly contested.

The other part of the story that caught my attention was that the stories fail to mention if Palin instituted this policy? if it was already in place when she took office? or like other jurisdictions I have seen - did the investigating agency make this decision independently? Some want to beat her over the head with this, but unless she was a micromanager, I think it is unlikely that she knew about details like this. This would have been a line-item in a department budget and, as Mayor, she was overseeing several departments - all with separate budgets.

This Crime Victims Compensation Fund was set up in the 1970's, long before Palin took office. I did not notice where any of the other articles or blogs about Palin billing victims mention that it was her idea to do so or that they got their money back.

September 11

On September 11, 2001 the world changed. For days after, I could not focus on anything, my mind was in a complete tailspin.

I cried a lot, prayed a lot and thought about all the families that lost a son, a daughter, a brother or sister or a friend.

I thought about all the police and firemen, in their attempt to save lives - gave their own.

I thought about Father Mychael Judge - a man that served both the Lord and men. Father Judge was a chaplain to the fire department and was giving last rites to a fireman killed by a falling body.

I thought about the survivors that will live with the unimaginable horror burned into their memory for the rest of their lives.

I thought about the people that jumped from the windows of the World Trade Centers in a futile attempt to escape the smoke, fumes from fuel and the flames consuming the top floors of the skyscrapers.

I thought about the NYPD and FDNY that lost so many of their own and yet they kept serving and working.

I still think about the children that lost parents, some lost both. My heart continues to break for them.

I thought about all New Yorkers and prayed for all.

I thought about my friend, Elaine and her son enlisted as a United States Marine and what this would mean to their family. He was among the first deployed and was injured when his helicopter crashed. He continues to serve our country today. Thank you Timothy Hale-Booth and all our military.

I thought about Rudy Giuliani and the leaders that had to step up and deal with a disaster beyond imagination.

I learned what sorrow older generations felt when Pearl Harbor was attacked.

When I think about September 11, it all comes rushing back. The fear, the sadness and uncertainty of what would follow - it still haunts me today.

Now, seven years later - I still mourn for my neighbor's son that was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Michael Luke Boatright was weeks from completing his service. He left behind a loving wife (his high school sweetheart) and three small children.

I hope that one day, the one good thing that came out of September 11 will come back without requiring another attack. In the days and weeks following that horrifying morning, Americans came together to stand as one nation. Political parties did not matter. Skin color did not matter. For a time, we were truely one - we cried together, we prayed together, we grieved together. Strangers were helping strangers. People from all over the country gave their money, their time and their blood for New York - for fellow Americans. This is my prayer in memory of all those lost September 11, 2001.

Illegal Immigration

I am curious to see if illegal immigration makes it back into the headlines during the election. I am oppsosed to any further amnesty and am disgustesd with our federal govornment for failing to stop or deal with it. As a Texan and Border Stater (?), I see a lot of immigration issues up close and personal. I want to be perfectly clear, I am not opposed to legal immigration - what I oppose is the flagrant disregard for our sovereignty, laws and national security. If I commit a felony, I will be prosecuted. Period. Why is our federal govornment allowing this to continue unadressed?

I may have a biased perpective - because my husband is in construction and has not been able to charge a normal cost of living raise in ten years. He can not because he is having to compete with illegal immigrants that live in a house with twenty other guys and can charge a lower price for the same work; so my American-born husband has been working for ten years without a raise in pay. Essentially, he is making less than he was ten years ago due to the rising costs of materials and gas. So, admittedly, I have a pet peeve about this issue.

Pet peeve aside - wrong is wrong. My ancestors fought in practically every military conflict this country has been involved in, going back to the Revolutionary War. I am pretty sure that our founders and forefathers did not come to this country, some died for this country, just so we could hand it over to another country (ies).

It is PAST time for our elected officials to get with the program.

ATTENTION CONGRESS: ENFORCE OUR LAWS, SECURE OUR BORDERS, DO YOUR SWORN DUTY TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION

The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence. The Constitution of the United States of America

Sarah Palin

I have had several people ask me what I think of Sarah Palin this week. One person that asked is a hardcore, far-left liberal. She thought I would not like her because she is a woman and the feminist that asked - she knows I am conservative. Her shock was evident when I said that not only do I like her, but I like her better than I like McCain. She was very surprized, so I explained... I would vote for a black man or a woman - just not the ones whose views and policies are polar opposite of mine.

Many Liberals seem to be under the misconception that they have an exclusive on being so sophisticated that they could vote for a minority (gender or race), while we conservatives are so archaic that we should be appalled that Sarah Palin would take on such responsibility while having five children at home. It appears to me that she has the full support of her family and is more qualified for this position than Obama or Biden. In fact, she has more executive experience than McCain as well.

I say "many Liberals" because there has been some rational thought among the opposition. Susan Estrich wrote an article for Fox News, http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,416102,00.html in which she points out the media bias against Palin and the hypocrisy of those suggesting that a Palin should be home raising her kids, yet never question a father's ability to be a father and president. The part that strikes me is that the party of the "feminists" and the "sophisticated, open-minded" people are the very people attacking her because she is a woman. They are the very people that usually accuse conservatives of being racist or sexist. If Republicans chose a black man to be the running mate, would they begin screaming that a Black man is unqualified? It certainly leaves one to wonder...

About Palin, one pundit said they thought she hit a homerun, but added - "in this first inning". The implication being that she has only been in the spotlight for a short time - I completely agree. I am very impressed with what I have seen so far, but you never know what will pop up after a few weeks... I am eager to see how she does for the long haul!

WELCOME

Welcome to my new blog! I hope that you participate in this open discussion of issues facing Americans today. I will limit this discussion to rational, intelligent posts - vulgar or abusive posts will be removed. Opposing views are welcomed, but I ask that when posting you tell us WHY you believe the way you do. "Just because" is not a rational or intelligent reason for a position on important issues; The why is important.

My position is that of a conservative Christian point of view. I have a strong belief in Jesus as my Savior - so I am pro-life, but I believe in certain exceptions. I am a gun owner and believe it is my constitutional right to do so. I believe in the rule of law. That being said, I am a compassionate conservative. I have volunteered thousands of hours with a victim services agency, I donate money to other community service agencies and my career is in public service.

I am happily married, a parent and a taxpayer. I believe that elected officials have an obligation to serve the constituency - not themselves. I am an educated Southerner that does not believe that geography determines IQ. I live in the real world and feel that plans, expectations and agendas should be realistic. I hope that you will join me in rational discussions about issues that effect you and me alike.