Hurricane Isaac: Katrina, Part II

After being in a heightened state of anxiety for most of the past ten days due to the 24/7 reporting on the approach and devastation surrounding Hurricane Isaac, I feel compelled to give my first person narrative as one who experienced Isaac first hand.

My 90 year old father and 84 year old mother have been 35 year residents of the State of Louisiana, living in the New Orleans metro area, approximately 25 miles from Slidell, Louisiana.

After losing a home in Arizona five years ago and political and quality of life issues there at the present time, after 45 years I have taken up residence with my elderly parents for both financial, and personal reasons as their part-time caretaker.

Which, at almost my retirement age with absolutely nothing left in savings to speak of, is no small task. I was mostly entertained over the weekend watching the reporting from the mainstream news media, especially the weather channel and Fox News.

One Fox report from Slidell, an area hard hit by the flooding which occurred, had a young, blond reporter wearing L.L. Bean hip waders, a powder blue (tight) t-shirt, manicure and spray tan standing in the middle of Old Town Slidell while the waters rushed by.

I hope she got her shots, but I guess her commander in chief was unaware that there are water moccasins in those waters, and those L.L. Bean hip waders weren't going to give her much protection in any event.

But such is the reporting on this major "natural" disaster.

The drama all began a week ago today, when the path of the hurricane was taking it's northwestern turn toward New Orleans.

Each and every hour the reporting confirmed the path, and those in the area started preparing for the worst. We were going to leave, as my parents had done for both Katrina, and Gustav before only this time my father was on thrice weekly dialysis, as he has congestive heart disease and has been in and out of the hospital at least a dozen times in the past year.

He has stabilized for the time being (this month), but we knew due to the severity of his condition, we couldn't go far so decided to "hunker down" for the duration, as one of my sisters who still lives in Arizona so aptly put it.

My other sister and brother-in-law, also long term Louisiana residents, decided to also do likewise since they, at least, did own a generator which my brother-in-law purchased during Katrina when he patrolled the neighborhoods with his neighbors during the month long power outages at that time.

He was born and raised in Pennsylvania, but became one of those dreaded gun-toting Southerners within a few short years of moving here.

My parents truly do not get out much anymore as both suffer from heart disease...my mother merely to the store and back, or to my father's dialysis appointments. Short trips, mostly, to places she is familiar. Due to also his debilitating arthritis, my father stopped driving years ago.

I went to three stores looking for "D" batteries since the entire community was out. None at Wal-Mart or Walgreens. I got the last two at the local Radio Shack.

Why is it that all flashlights require "D" batteries, anyway?

There were lines and lines at the gas pumps. And, surprise, surprise...only Supreme was available at $4.25 a gallon.

There were recurring messages here to report any and all "gouging" to a local enforcement agency. I just wonder how many reported those out of control gas prices...up over $1.25 a gallon from where it was a month ago around here.

Then the grocery stores.

When the power goes out, there is no electricity for those ovens and stoves, or crock pots. So I bought tuna, canned chicken, snack crackers, energy bars, water, bread and peanut butter.

My father is on a special diet due to his dialysis, so other than the peanut butter which was a no-no, I thought we were set for the long haul.

I decided to go to the local bookstore to get a book, just in case.

Walked in about 7:00 Monday night and all the shelves were covered with blue tarps and plastic wrap. The store was closing and wouldn't reopen until after the storm had passed.

We decided that as soon as the electricity went out here, we would all go to my sisters where there would be a room air conditioner.

Six of us in one room for the duration, since my niece had decided to stay at LSU and attend the Hurricane parties there. Of course, the real brunt of the storm had yet to come.

Tuesday passed, and we waited...as did everyone...there were no cars on the road, all who were leaving had left on Monday or Tuesday morning and there was an eery quiet that night as we waited for it to make landfall.

I was up until after midnight listening to the progression.

It hit around 12:30 and it was windy for an hour, and then silence again.

Isaac had gone back over the Gulf again, waiting... I slept on the floor that night since my parents house is surrounded by trees...pines, oaks, and number of other varieties. Huge trees that had also experienced both Katrina and Gustav during their ownership, and for which they merely got a new roof for Katrina.

But then they were not living where there was the most damage that time.

My father was a wood technologist, and bought this house in the late 1970's due to its brick construction, and an old 100 year oak on the property which he liked.

The builder had built the house for his son, who had died in an auto accident when they were looking for house to live in.

I, asthmatic that I am, had stayed in Arizona when they moved, but had visited since my children were babies almost annually until a divorce.

Living in Arizona, I had experienced our annual monsoons (now haboobs?) and flash flooding. The desert isn't used to quite so much rain, and there is nowhere for it to go in the parched ground which is the Arizona desert.

But this was unbelieveable.

Almost 24 straight hours of gusting winds, and pelting, horizontal rain. I had also been here during Gustav in 2008 (my mother had two heart attacks that year). The winds were much stronger then, but it only lasted about six or seven hours.

We were fortunate. We never lost power, although the neighborhood looked like a tornado had gone through it.

The rebuilding has started, although Slidell and the surrounding communities are still under water. And the heat now is unbearable, even to a former desert dweller who isn't used to the off the charts humidity which is also a result of the storm.

Traffic was backed up for miles on Friday, with all those who left returning to survey the damage to their property.

The Lakefront took a huge hit, and the rivers are swollen and overflowing, with a number of dams in danger of breaking.

Life goes on.

But the question I would have liked to ask those reporters, and photographers with all their equipment and spray tans, and the manufactured dramas in many instances...

Why is it that science can now create life in a test tube, created the nuclear bomb, put a man on the moon, and can seed clouds for agricultural purposes in order to make rain - but at this point we don't have the technology to redirect or stop a hurricane?

Or due to all the coincidence with this hurricane which occurred...not to be a conspiracy theorist or anything...but with the timing of this during the Republican convention (as with Gustav), seven years to the day after Katrina, and with all those out of work and with the oil companies continuing to use any excuse imaginable in order to continue to bleed the public dry at the gas pumps.

Maybe, just maybe, perhaps we have the technology to create these hurricanes for "economic" and political reasons?

Where is that female reporter in those hip waders, anyway?

I watched part of that convention...at least the end...and I have only one observation with all the hoopla and celebrating that went on.

As with the many here that suffered through Katrina, and seeing the literally hundreds of dollars per month my parents pay for their medications in order to survive, and what I have experienced personally in the years since Katrina...

No, we are not better off than we were four years ago...or even ten years ago...

This tragedy was definitely not a Katrina, Part II...the government did not fail the citizens of New Orleans THIS time.

But as an aside, in order to assist my parents and myself as an Arizona homeless refugee...

I'm working a temp position that pays me what I was making in 1982, with no benefits, the only position that I had been able to find, and which is not at all in my field of expertise (corporate law, and then subsequently leisure travel & tourism, which just about died with 9-11, and Katrina here).

And what's broken politically, can not be repaired as easily as the Louisianans will rebuild after Isaac...

Not by a long shot...

HookerGate: Secret Service Scandal Over Colombia Connections

It was reported in the mainstream media this weekend that Barack Obama's visit to Cartagena, Colombia for the "Summit of the Americas" has been marred by reports of several Secret Service agents apparent dalliances with local prostitutes, one of which reported to local authorities she had been denied payment for services rendered.

This story is deserving of its own media headline: HookerGate

Maybe this is why the President really was never intended to be involved in global dealings on foreign soil in the first place - rather using his ambassadors to represent the American people and its government at such conventions.

So that the President then remained in Washington while Congress was in session in order to serve the American people and fulfill his Constitutional function.

This summit is in its sixth year, which means it was started when President Bush was in office.

And appears it seems to be another attempt by the globalists to redefine "America" as "the Americas."

Since the entire summit was to be devoted to discussing joint concerns over national security, the economy, and trade.

Although it was reported that part of the summit was devoted to putting pressure on our government in order to "legalize" the drug trafficking (another "free trade agreement", maybe?) Not "decriminalize" adult use, but "legalize" it apparently so that there can be free and open commerce (and taxes) levied on all that heroin, cocaine, meth and other pharmaceuticals that are the largest export of many of those South American countries.

Wonder how that ties into the good old USA and its national security?

But getting back to "HookerGate," during this report and after the GSA scandal of the Las Vegas expenses which also was reported this past week, I wonder what the tab to the taxpayers will be on this one (including those "entertainment" expenses).

These weren't even American prostitutes, so that money went to stimulate the South American economy basically.

Quite recently while I was residing in a Western state recovering from the after effects of one of the hurricanes in the South a few years back, a state which has a heavy military presence, including an academy dedicated to training America's military - I had the unique experience of viewing up close just how our tax dollars are being spent for our national security.

I was forced to live in basically weekly rental rooms during that time due to not knowing how long I would be there (work was scarce, and I was ill a good portion of the time), and having fled from Arizona after the National Guard was called out in 2006 in order to "secure" the Mexican border.

My home for over 45 years.

A political refugee.

I had had several thefts within my last six years living there, and the political climate was not at all healthy and becoming worse by the year.

During this time and in two such rental situations, I met quite a few of the ladies who frequented when many of those soldiers returned home for either redeployment, or reassignment.

Some young, some older.

Most of them very nice, and very willing to share their stories of just why they needed the work. Some were supplementing their lowered wages in this economy which they received from their "day jobs."

Of course, my tax dollars were going toward their living expenses, but at least these were American hookers and my tax dollars were being used to stimulate the local economy.

Not so with HookerGate.

While the Republicans continue to worry what people on unemployment, welfare or food stamps spend the taxpayer dollars on, maybe their energies could be better spent elsewhere cleaning house or putting in some measures to ensure that those dollars are spent a little more wisely.

Ending this rather pointless war might me a start...and truly initiating national security, rather than regional security...because we have gotten in bed with so many other nations in the past and eventually been bitten in the rear.

But it seems turnng a blind eye to the invasion in this country and resettlement of foreigners without those foreigners even having an inkling of just how our country differs from theirs is being rather deliberately undermined.

Maybe those that wish to limit those expenditures so that taxpayer dollars are not spent on alcohol or sugar laden foods might see there may be higher priorities here...much higher...

I wonder, how much in medical expenses also might be needed after HookerGate since it doesn't appear these were "escorts" or "call girls."

The news simply labeled them "South American prostitutes."

Perhaps the number of these summits also needs to be addressed, and just who should be attending so that we are not also being taxed for several government employees and individuals who appear to be charged with performing the same functions?

THIS is where our money goes? To stimulate South America's economy?

ObamaCare: The White Elephant Is Still In The Room

There has been much publicized in the mainstream media this weekend about the upcoming Supreme Court review of the controversial (and much contested) bill passed by the Obama Administration during the first year of his four year term in office.

Nothing much has changed.

The white elephant is still in the room...the United States Constitution.

This legislation not only flies in the face of that historic document and beacon of freedom in America.

It desecrates it.

Somehow, I find it rather odd that this legislation was passed at all. It also seems so very strange that it would be a black, "Constitutional" lawyer who would be behind this legislation, and his party "of the people."

Almost seems like it was ordained that way before the election was even held.

What better way to attempt to fool and re-educate the public that this bill will be one which the people will benefit, by a party supposedly known to be more representative of the people, than the Republicans - the party of corporate America.

Just who will benefit from this legislation....hmmm...

The medical community. The insurance and financial sector. The lawyers. The politicians.

The big four.

Who will be the victims?

The American public.

I listened today while some of those "political analysts" spoke of just how difficult this review would be, and how both sides can see it going either way. Using every tool in their arsenal in order to back up the positive merits of this legislation.

Which, way back when, was presented to the public with a carrot and stick.

The carrot? No insurer can refuse to insure those with pre-existing conditions (no mention of any governmental regulation on just how MUCH those insurers then can charge individuals seeking insurance after a death sentence diagnosis, or chronic illness, or on the level of profits and money those insurers will be making hand over fist if Washington can shore up the "search and seizure" portions of the bill which enforcement of that individual mandate will involve).

Many of the Democrats and Republicans keep citing the "commerce clause" as being the fundamental linchpin in whether or not this legislation will eventually be deemed Constitutional.

Using past "judge made case law" as their argument as precedence.

I've got news for those media pundits, lawyers and others who continue to murky those waters.

The Commerce clause as it was written was intended to protect the individual Americans FROM the corporate, and protect state funded industries from "foreign" (outside the U.S.) or domestic (outside the state) undue competitition across state lines.

Meaning, it is the clause that gives Washington the power to "regulate" those insurance companies, huge medical clinics, and health care networks.

Problem is, due to all the monies Washington has poured into the "tech" industry, including medical technology, unfortunately the mindset seems to be that it is now the American people that will need to pay the piper for Washington's past largesse.

Since so many Americans are living longer (although those actuarial tables have changed little the past three decades) or due to the fact that there will be a larger aging public with the baby boomers, than there was with the World War II generation (if we all don't die from starvation, or homelessness first).

The Commerce clause gives Washington the power to "mandate" that Americans (individually) must purchase health insurance OR ELSE?

Hardly.

The insurance sector is also simply another branch of Wall Street and the financial sector. And many of those national insurance companies are not even domiciled in the United States, those "free trade" agreements have become so generous to foreign countries the past thirty years.

I see that individual mandate as one included in order to gradually phase out Medicare over time and turn the entire "life and death" decisions over to insurance companies (foreign or domestic).

Without having to give any of those monies the boomers, especially, have paid into that program over the years since 1964.

Another banner year in legislation.

While then also raising the Social Security age at the same time in order to marginalize as many of the boomers under those programs as possible.

My question, though, is this...

How in the world does Washington believe or expect that Americans, especially those over 40, who are now homeless AND jobless (due to the mortgage mess, and tax credits now given for hiring younger workers to those national corporations) will be able to afford to buy health insurance, no matter what the price.

When their unemployment is running out, and the job market shrinking (except those jobs which would be created by passing this legislation in the public sector (enforcement) and private sector (a few insurance agents, since most of those "cut rate" programs will be "buy online," without involvement of a human, I assure you).

Just how can Washington justify this legislation, given that in many states throughout the nation those older workers contributed to both the building, and budgets of those hospitals through their property taxes, and the tuition for those doctors through also those same property taxes at local universities?

Except, of course, for all those foreign doctors who are being trained in U.S. medical schools from India and South America, for lower wages for those corporate health care networks.

Will Washington be putting all those homeless and jobless Americans who do not or cannot comply with the mandate in the privatized state or federal jails, in order to at least make their revolt beneficial to another corporate campaign donor.

The White Elephant lives on...still.

If this law is upheld by some legal slight of hand by those black robed arbiters of Constitutional understanding (using case law, rather than intent, as their standard) - do Americans who have contributed to Medicare since 1964 get their money back so that they can pay those cut rate premiums? Or the Social Security that won't be collected by all those boomers who are not wealthy enough after this past ten year economic tsunami given to their next of kin as suvivor's benefits?

I hope that is also deliberated this week.

The "taking" of the cash for fraudulent purposes, without refund.

Corporate Suicide: Employees Assets or Liabilities?

After an eye-opening experience at the hands of a big box retailer for whom I had been employed for the past two weeks assisting them with a move into larger, more spacious digs at an area strip mall, it occurred to me that there seems to be mass corporate delusion in this country insofar as why we are where we are economically.

We have large, national retail corporations which somehow have gotten the idea that their employees, the faces which serve the public in most instances, are instead of an asset, actually more of a liability...or profit generator...

Or at least one of their expenses which bears scrutiny and continual monitoring...

If you haven't heard of the TALX forms (as in "talks"), you might want to look it up, along with the FTC complaint which was filed against them and a NY Times article dedicated to their agendas when employees are terminated or laid off.

They have been retained by many Fortune 500 companies whose sole purpose is to drag out and/or deny outright employee claims for unemployment compensation.

At most companies, you are requested to fill out and "consent" to a screening by their representatives of your personal history, employment history, and each and every dollar you may be receiving for public assistance both prior to employment, or thereafter if your employment is terminated for any reason whatsoever.

A third party contractor, as it were, so that you are forced to deal with them through the unemployment offices, rather than the company directly.

Which scenario can and appears does lead to the "whose on first" game during those unemployment interviews or hearings.

So far, several states have now made moves to curtail their activities but many have not. But this is a booming industry and business in this bust economy, to be sure.

Below you will find the links.

As one who worked in the labor/employment law field for many, many years and for probably the foremost labor law attorney in the nation (who was responsible for counseling Wal-Mart stores management through his retirement, eventually sitting on the Board of Directors), I certainly can see where this might be appealing to many national chains.

After all, there are quite a few fraudulent unemployment claims; however, for every ten there is the one employee who ends up living on the street while this process works it way through the unemployment review process.

And one in which it clearly takes a lawyer in order to assist such an employee, which of course then reduces his benefit amounts considerably. Or leaves him dependent on relatives for his day to day living, or out on the street until the conclusion of the government "process."

But maybe that is the point.

Each and every government office that denies claims or benefits from unemployment, or social security, Medicare, or whatever does so with the caveat "you can always hire a lawyer."

If you can find one for those minor claims but claims that mean the difference between life and...you know...

I know that during my tenure in the field of labor/employment law, this was not the case...

In fact, my boss treated me with the utmost respect, and listened to my point of view on many matters as an employee...

He, in fact, counseled that the employees were an employers greatest asset, and that in order to develop a loyal and dedicated workforce you did need to make the effort to treat them with both respect, and compensate them adequately for time worked - whether in the form of direct compensation, or "shares" of the profits of the company - for those lower paying positions also.

Reducing the "golden parachutes" as it were for top level management, and instead using those sums to compensate the "boots on the ground" at the store levels.

And All the way to the lowly janitor (or sanitation superintendent).

Profit sharing has gone the way of the dinosaur, although in order to feel any type of "ownership" of your job and the company, that clearly is the route that develops the best workforce.

401(k) plans and pensions don't have a direct impact on performance, or "ownership" status.

Sam Walton understood that, at least during those early years.

Before the banks and politicians got involved.

In fact, most of those early Wal-Mart employees became multi-millionaires as Wal-Mart grew and expanded throughout the country from its roots as a rather small, family run business in Bentonville, Arkansas.

And this entire debate over health insurance also has its spins with employers begging for "relief" from those huge health care costs.

Funny, though, in all my years of employment it really was I, not the employer, that paid those premiums for the most part. If not for my own, definitely for any dependent or spousal coverage I might need.

I got a better rate due to the "group" plans I was under, but still paid nonetheless.

So there was little out of pocket expense to those employers.

It really is the small businessmen that need that relief, those with few employees, and I just wonder why the small business administration or private sector isn't offering low cost health insurance to small business owners as part of their coverages and "mission."

That certainly would be one solution to the amount of uninsured we now have.

Along with bringing back those charity hospitals that were built with donations, (many of which have progressively been "privatized" after being built with donations or taxpayer grant monies and sums) or those community health hospitals built with all those property taxes back in the 60's and 70's.

There were earmarked sums on my property tax bills for those hospital costs, believe me, for over twenty years at the county level.

It seems to me that the corporate mentality is that employees are just another "fixture" or method in which to up corporate profits, with all the company tshirts that are sold (at their cost) or those covered parking fees...or gym memberships...

At least for the low to mid level employees.

I wonder, do they even consider just why it is that employee unions came into being to begin with?

Could it be that those sweatshops of the past which have disappeared for the most part here, are being used by modern day corporate America in China and Mexico instead as a thumb in the nose to the American workers?

Surely, that cannot be the case...

Or could it?

No wonder those ballyhooed reports on the number of unemployment claims are now hitting the papers and getting lower (artificially, of course)...this is, after all, a BOOM industry - outsourcing "managing" unemployment claims defense to third party (corporate) subcontractors.

By the way, all these articles are easily searchable and in the public domain, but I have included the links just to educate yourself while looking for those few, very few, jobs that are around in most states throughout the nation at this time....

The workplace certainly HAS changed....but is this a positive change, I wonder?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/us/04talx.html?pagewanted=2
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/talx.shtm


And here is an article on a Chinese manufacturing plant that highlights some of the points made in this article about just how this outsourcing is killing both the U.S. economy, and undermining the American workforce...at the cost of the many, for the benefit of the few...there IS a middle ground, and Constitutional remedies if Washington would only "rewind."

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/apple-sweatshop-problem-16-hour-days-70-cents-172800495.html

Gas Gouging Election Year Market Manipulation?

It has been so very interesting to listen to the mainstream news media commentaries on the horrendous increases which have occurred in the prices Americans are now forced to pay at the pump in order to get to work, run to the doctors, or take a much needed and overdue vacation.

Many of the pundits have offered up such half baked rationalizations it has been incredible, especially in the last few weeks.

A few short months ago, gasoline was at $2.60 a gallon at most stations off the interstate exits.

Less than thirty years ago, it was still at a little over a $1.00 a gallon, having made a 100% increase from ten years before.

There is no logical explanation at this point to why Americans are paying through the nose to power their automobiles.

Except greed.

Both corporate and governmental...

Even Obama's excuses seemed rather flimsy during his recent speech at the Daimler plant.

How much war related gasoline is being consumed by the government keeping all those Humvees, drones, jets, and ships in foreign ports equipped which Americans are paying for both at the pump, and through their other taxes and this mammoth ever-escalating deficit?

The higher the gas prices go, of course, the higher those state and local gasoline taxes also go.

This added tax is not tax deductible at this point even. In other words, those sales and use taxes are not deducted from the amount of discretionary income most Americans get to, say, pay the mortgage.

This is an election year, and all those election coffers need to be stuffed, after all, by most of those oil companies and their lobbyists, too.

No matter that you no longer have any income to pay for that unregulated utility bill, or that house that is now going into foreclosure.

The monster must be fed.

And fed.

Yada, Yada, Yada: Truth vs. Political Fiction

Recently I had a few moments to watch some of the prime time election coverage on two of the major broadcasting stations (Fox and MSNBC), although have attempted to insulate myself as much as possible from the coverage, such as it is.

Unfortunately, I am one of the literally millions out of steady work, or working part time or for far less than my resume would justify in this progressive, unconstitutional America we now live in.

With all the spins as one who has been majorly impacted also progressively, I'd like to add my truth as opposed to the fiction that has been the mainstay of our media low these many years, and never more so than in the past three to four decades.

The Republicans are offering up more of the same this election cycle.

More fascism in the form of corporatism.

All major contenders from that side of the two party aisle hold those beliefs when it boils right down to it in one form or another.

Even Dr. Paul with his positions of a "private" banking system in this country ala the Federal Reserve.

Which was, of course, created by Congress back in 1913 so how it could be "private" rather than publicly governmentally created, I'll never quite understand.

And this is a major position of his, and it would seem all Republicans for the total lack of accountability and control which has been exerted over the Fed's policies.

I'm experiencing a sense of deja vue this election cycle.

Even the candidates appearances look similar to the last cycle. Newt Gingrich and Calista physically could be John McCain and Cindy visually.

Mitt could be Mitt from last election.

Ron Paul could be Ron Paul from last election.

The only deviation from the script is Rick Santorum. Who could not be Mike Huckabee. But Huckabee got another gig on Fox and he isn't in reruns quite yet.

As far as the Democrats - well, let's just say that this is a rerun from last election cycle.

Mr. Obama is criss-crossing the country trying to get re-elected, and seems he is making more and more of those public news conference speeches such as the one he made at the Daimler plant in North Carolina today.

Was an interesting speech, if I do say so myself.

In it were rerun positions insofar as developing "new energy sources" and explaining away the huge spikes in gasoline prices Americans are now facing, on top of their homelessness and joblessness which was bad last election cycle, but has considerably worsened the past four years with more and more finding themselves "outsourced" or "insourced" or just plain not needed anymore.

He referenced that the United States has "2% of the world's oil, and uses 20%."

Prices are based on supply and demand, or so it was represented.

I wonder if this war actually did end, and we truly did stop our involvement in the Middle East which has gone on now for over 3 decades, if that demand would lessen.

I mean, how much oil does your average Humvee or tanker use in a week over there? Or jet fuel for those drones or fighters? Or fuel for all those ships at sea in foreign ports?

I wonder what the figures are for oil consumption for the British - the "owners" of the huge major oil company in which that billion dollar settlement for the Gulf oil spill was recently announced. Which costs of settlement, of course, will be paid by the American people once again at the pump.

Oil which is refined in Britain, and then sold back to the American people at higher prices as a result.

How much of our oil do foreign governments or foreign domiciled companies own, I wonder? How much of that precious 2%?

Also stated during this campaign stop was the huge increase in the number of cars in China now requiring fuel, and more excuses about just why we continue to remain in the Middle East for this "new" reason.

Since so many Americans have lost their jobs due to most of our manufacturing base being absorbed by China and thus raising the economies of their country's population, I guess I don't wonder much why China would need so much oil for all those new cars they are buying.

They've actually got our jobs and money, for the most part so that they can afford those cars.

But this was left out of Mr. Obama's speech.

Slams were taken at the "Republicans" who are now supporting entering another conflict in Syria, which were recently made by Mr. McCain, the senator from my former home state.

We certainly do like using that war card also each and every election.

For ones we are currently involved in, or those which we can manufacture for the future to keep all those members of the military busy for decades to come.

Somehow also tying it into protecting America from those terrorists who apparently don't like us being in their country for well on three decades and counting.

Yada, yada, yada...and so it goes...

I had been away for a few hours each day working at the only job which I could find which hardly suits my resume, but with gas now at almost $4.00 a gallon (my father remembers gas at .28 a gallon, and I when I started driving .33) I had to do what I could just to afford the gas I currently need to keep looking.

I'm helping one of those major retailers move from its old location to a new strip mall location off the interstate. It will remain nameless due to a confidentiality agreement I was requested to sign prior to being offered the job moving boxes and boxes of merchandise and stocking shelves.

My hours were recently cut, however, due to "over-scheduling."

So far I haven't seen a single item which will be sold at this particular retailer that has been American made.

All so far bear the stamp, "made in China."

And who ultimately owns this major retailer?

Bain Capital (aka Mitt Romney).

As I said...yada, yada, yada

Foreclosure Propaganda Continues

Last evening while browsing the internet, I came upon an article that was written addressing the foreclosure situation, and listed the top ten states with the highest foreclosure rates for February.

This article was written by a site know as "24/7 Wall Street" which took a few positions that seemed rather self-serving to Wall Street, to say the least.

It represented that "nine of the top 11 states with the highest foreclosures" were judicial foreclosures states, because of the amount of time it takes for the banks to foreclosure with the complexities involved.

Contrary to most of the reports in the mainstream media listing the states with the highest foreclosure rates thus far after this five year federal and state taking of American's properties, which lists Nevada, California, Arizona, Georgia, Utah and Florida as highest (the majority of which are non-judicial foreclosure states), 24/7 Wall Street's list was as follows:

Florida
New Jersey
Illinois
Nevada
New York

Why the discrepancy, and spins on judicial vs. non-judicial foreclosures?

I can only assume 24/7 Wall Street has an agenda, that is certain.

It is no surprise that Nevada is on both lists. The loss of jobs in the gaming industry, particularly, has resulted in many Americans living in that state to lose their homes when they were unable to keep making those payments.

Vegas is hurting, since in a bad economy few people have much money for entertainment or gaming. And the glitz of Vegas is somewhat off putting to many Americans to begin with.

Florida either.

Since many of the retirees have seen their Social Security payments cut or those cost of living increases delayed. And with many also in the tourism industry, another hard hit during this recession, high foreclosures would only stand to reason.

But it is rather doubtful that the new figures have anything to do with judicial foreclosures states having higher rates.

Simply that those states are now catching up due to the still joblessness of many Americans, high cost of housing there, and fact that since there is a longer foreclosure process and time between serving notice and the banks taking of the home, five years later those states would be catching up to the non-judicial foreclosure states, such as Arizona, Nevada, California and Georgia, that for the past five years have led the lists.

At least with a judicial foreclosure, an American homeowner would have the fundamental right to request a jury determination under our Constitution, if he has any investment or equity in that home whatsoever.

And place his case before his fellow Americans.

Not so in those unconstitutional non-judicial foreclosure states.

And guess who will be the largest beneficiary of the recent settlement Mr. Obama announced over the mortgage mess and foreclosure abuse which has transpired the past five years?

The states.

That's right.

It was the states that actually "settled" with those banks - of course, after being fully aware, I'm sure, of the illegal lending practices which were going on in their states for literally decades.

Of course, mortgages backed or underwritten by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not included in this "settlement."

The feds have indemnified themselves it appears, since Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were, after all, created by Congress.

What corruption.

And definitely appears the American people aren't buying.

Either this latest settlement, and that piddly $2,000 the states also negotiated for their now homeless citizens.

The market isn't rallying in any fundamental way.

Unless those states plan to sell those homes to all the foreigners and immigrants they continue to request under those state resolutions to take also those "jobs Americans don't want."

You know, all those Canadians buying winter homes in the Sunbelt states at bargain basement prices, or East Indians, Mexicans or South Americans under those free trade agreements and visa waivers...

Adding Insult to Injury: Obama Settles With The Bankers

As one who was affected by the mortgage banking crisis (and other unconstitutional property "laws") in my home state of Arizona way back in 2006, I was amazed to hear this afternoon that Barack Obama held a rather large news conference in order to announce that the federal government has come to a "settlement" with many of the major banking concerns (primarily located in the West) whose practices led to the loss of untold thousands of American's homes these last five to six years.

First of all, I'm scratching my head wondering just where in the Constitution it affords a president to act as a lawyer on behalf of the American people in this "class action?" It does seem rather odd to me, and don't remember a time in our history when a President has exercised such "authority."

Prosecuting and putting some of those individuals sitting on those Boards of Directors or CEOs and CFOs in jail for a very long while on charges of fraudulent lending practices, or other clearly criminal charges, yes.

But engineering a settlement outside Congressional authority even?

Just where is that duty of office in our Constitution?

It was bad enough when during the honeymoon phase of Mr. Obama's presidency he appointed the former CEO of Countrywide in charge of negotiating refinances for homeowners who were still in danger of losing their homes back in 2009.

Part of the terms of this deal is the payment of a few billion in fines, which apparently is going to be earmarked to offer to homeowners who were foreclosed on "inappropriately" $2,000 as repayment for the loss of their home.

More money also will be set aside for refinancing.

Of course, if the terms of those loans remain the same as the ones which led to this travesty I just wonder how this is going to help most of those homeowners who are still receiving those foreclosure notices.

If non-judicial foreclosures remain the rule of law in many states throughout the nation, just what power does the average homeowner in default due to the continuing joblessness and piss poor economy have against the banking industry still, and their lawyers?

Let me get this straight.

The Federal Reserve who owns all of these banks (created by Congress) poured billions of dollars into these banks during the bank bailouts in 2008-9, which was to be used to ease up credit (which never really happened, but simply afforded the big box banks to buy out the smaller banks) - and now Obama has orchestrated the return of SOME of those monies in order to pay to fund more refinances, and payment of $2,000 to those for which it is "too late" and lost their homes this past five years.

Don't get me wrong. Mr. Romney's "solution" of letting the foreclosures hit bottom so that investors or corporate limited partnerships can scam some of those hot properties for rentals was far, far worse.

Talk about socialism and shifting the wealth around to the politically fortunate.

But I guess it played well for those in the Beltway in the room when he made this much publicized announcement.

But seems to me the current market conditions and all those still empty homes across America are demonstrating a vote of "no confidence" on Main Street.

First Person Perspective: Why Americans Are Unemployed

Due to all the massive spins which continue to be bantered around among Mr. Obama, the challengers, and the mainstream media, as one of those currently unemployed, I thought I would address this situation from a better, more clearer, perspective.

As one formerly in the middle class for a good part of my life, but who is at over 50 no longer from a personal perspective just what has transpired to place me in this position post 9-11 and our current economy.

My former home was for most of my life in Arizona. It is no longer, and has not been since the National Guard was called out to help secure the border in 2006 during the Iraqi War and subsequent surge when, according to media sources, then President Bush was offering border agents extra pay and bonuses if they would go overseas to secure Iraq's borders, rather than our own.

An initial move to the Midwest proved to be futile, since as an asthmatic during the summer months it was rather difficult to breathe during planting season and was a much harder adjustment at over 50 than it had been when I had lived there a short time during a spouse's graduate studies many years ago.

So I headed South, where I have extended family only to be then caught there during one of the major hurricanes in 2008, and living in weekly rental rooms at that point. Whatever the amount of equity I got out of my home upon an enforced sale, was pretty much gone after the medical bills and living expenses while I was then recovering and added expenses of then subsequent moves. This was my second move in less than a year.

It took over a year to even start to feel a bit better, and another move back West (not to Arizona, however) where I could recuperate until my lungs healed. I am deathly allergic to mold and when all those roofs were pulled up to replace, the mold which had grown out of control after the hurricane was then released in the air, and I got the mother of all lung infections.

While West and recuperating, on my good days I attempted to seek help from the Social Security office.

But since I wasn't old enough to claim my benefits, and wasn't injured to the point where they could determine it would be "permanent," nor missing a limb, I was shown the door and advised I could hire a lawyer and challenge their decision in front of a government Administrative Law Judge. That would take about a year, I was told, to go through the "process."

I continued to deplete whatever savings I had left while I continued to heal, and then found a job after nine months of looking sporadically when I could in a call center during a ramp up. A third party provider for a major cell phone carrier.

I was there all of four months before there was a massive layoff of almost all the people who were hired during that ramp up due to a slowed economy.

Especially the older workers (over 35), and any and all where drug testing, or misdemeanor offenses could then be used to whittle down the workforce (even though drug testing and background checks were undertaken upon filling out those lengthy application forms).

In the state where I was working, medical marijuana use with THC in the bloodstream during the testing period was a cause for immediate dismissal. So were juvenile possession and misdemeanor criminal offenses, although in some people's cases occurred decades before, or even misdemeanor traffic offenses. The older, of course, you got the more likely it was that at one point in your life due to the shear number of laws on the books there was something there that could be used.

Especially since in most states at this point, there are no statutory expungements for criminal offenses, even misdemeanors. With progressively also more and more victimless civil offenses now classified as criminal.

This was not a right to work state, but as of yet this center was not unionized.

But as one who formerly worked in that field, I can certainly see that day coming fairly quickly, which may be why most call centers are now "outsourced."

There may be a reason at some of those locations they are jobs Americans don't want, or can't have for just such hiring practices.

Of course, the working conditions there left much to be desired from a labor/management perspective, and from what I understand there have been lawsuits which filed over failure to pay employees for time worked, and also mandatory overtime not paid.

My time came for the boot primarily because I believe I asked far too many questions for their comfort as having worked in the labor relations field for many years. Or maybe because I was one of those "older" workers targeted anyway since my style of customer service was foreign to their management.

During my training I was warned not to become a "target" by the instructors, in failing to follow the dress code or grievance procedures, which procedures were similar to those in the military - using the "chain of command" verbiage to explain them to the new hires. Meeting with anyone in Human Resources was the last step in the chain.

Although it wasn't my real choice of job to begin with, but one taken out of shear desperation and necessity. For a little over minimum wage, after over twenty five years banking, legal and travel industry experience.

I moved again, due to the inability to get work to a state that had a little better unemployment rate.

I signed up with two or three local job centers and completed all their testing.

It is not that I am not computer savvy, having owned and managed my own website based small business for several years, and having also taken continuing education classes through the years.

I had worked with some senior students at DeVry who developed my website in 2004, and also worked with me during the process so that I could subsequently maintain it for a product line of children's footwear I had developed before the economic and political roof caved in Arizona and throughout most of the nation in 2005-06 and as a single mom with teenagers working from home.

In over seven months, only one or two referrals for minimum wage positions in this "lower" unemployment rate state.

That's it.

I also started combing the ads and internet myself.

I went to one company that was looking for sales personnel for a cruise line packager. I had worked for a major vacation packager in Arizona prior to a layoff in '99 when they deemed the rent too high there, and moved to Coral Gables, Florida - another high humidity, hurricane prone state in which at that time I could not live with also an asthmatic daughter who would not have done well there (nor as a divorced mom, could move there without "court" permission, I was told, due to a shared custody arrangement with my ex for our minor children).

There I was informed that it would cost me $500 for their training materials, and then $200 to rent desk space at their offices annually. I was then to receive a 20% commission on my sales, from the 10% commission the company made from the cruise line company, and would be paid after the cruise line company was paid by the customer prior to their departure.

I figured on a $2,500 cruise (standard) at 10% commission for the agency, my 20% of 10% would be $50.00. I would get $50.00 for each cruise I sold. They would get the rest. Hours of calls, and hand holding until that ship finally departed (especially after this latest cruise line sinking) and I would receive $50.00.

Less taxes.

I got one call the other day from an agency I had basically written off.

It was a one day assignment, but the agency needed to know one important question first.

Did I have an IPhone, or smart phone capable of taking photographs, and then emailing them from my phone?

I, of course, at this point unable to really afford even your basic flip phone (although trouble shooted those IPhones for two months), had to tell her no, I did not.

But I did have access to a digital camera that I could download and then email.

That wasn't what the client wanted.

So sorry.

Wake up, Washington...and the state legislatures...there is much, much more to this than meets the eye.

Or those candidates can even begin to comprehend.

Or just maybe, they do know and not to be politically incorrect or anything...

But Obama, Mitt and Newt just may be like those little Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil monkeys (deaf, dumb, blind) I remember from childhood. (Of course, that children's analogy sure isn't used in "politically correct" America anymore)

Or maybe, in this stage managed political arena we now live in where politicians resemble more and more "B" movie actors...

The director(s) in global corporate America, simply don't give a ****...

People are now nothing more than commerce, after all...

Barack Obama's 60 Minutes Interview: Politics As Usual

Although I rarely watch television, due to my present circumstances I was unfortunately exposed to the recent 60 Minutes interview with Barack Obama on national television last evening...

As a boomer, I keep wondering why a President of this country now has the time to conduct such interviews.

Although 60 Minutes has been around for a long time, I don't remember former presidents using the network as a forum in order to promote their agendas, or defend their political positions other than seizing the airwaves for one of those addresses that seem to also be getting more and more frequent.

During this interview, Mr. Obama had the audacity to claim that the problems in the banking industry that have been facilitated by BOTH political parties' unholy alliances with Wall Street, which now has a global focus rather than a national one, prior to the "financial reform" undertaken by Congress was not in any way "illegal," and postured, in a roundabout way, that if it were not for all the steps this Administration has undertaken in order to get financial reform addressed by Congress, these loan shark rates and terms would still be continuing...

Say what?

As one who was progressively stripped of her home and any and all property rights she had over her titled property, I found this excuse to be absolutely untrue and also one of the most arrogant statements made by a president ever.

Banks in the West, especially, were marketing loans which were not even based on the U.S. prime or currency, but on British LIBOR rates, a currency which is one and a half times that of America's piss poor dollar at this point.

Those loans are still being marketed throughout the country, and also to our kids for those outrageous student loans, last time I checked. In fact, this Administration has continued to promote refinancing and also re-education in order to get more and more Americans into those bogus loans, it appears...

And to state that the banks in this country, without such legislation and steps taken by this Administration, were not operating in a fraudulent and illegal manner is just too incredible to believe.

After all, we were created as a sovereign nation, and marketing financial products throughout the country which were not even based on our currency is and was not only illegal, but actually treasonous - and do not see anywhere in our Constitution that provides that our federal government was and is to coin and print money, and "value" it, with a created U.S. Treasury that was charged to so do, how this could be.

Unless it is a "global" free market that is the focus of this Administration, and this Congress, rather than a domestic one, regulating foreign ownership of America's key industries, and also its economy to protect America and Americans is supposed to be our federal government's focus. Not facilitating and encouraging a massive global takeover of our banking industries, and Americans homes and land, which appears to be the case more and more.

These "addresses" conducted on mainstream television are getting better and better with each one progressively...

And Mr. Obama has held himself out to be a Constitutional lawyer?

Just what IS going on at Harvard, I ask? And who is in charge of its law curriculum?

Are foreigners buying out our colleges and schools of higher learning even, at this point?

George Washington's Wisdom

While reading of the ongoing demonstrations throughout the country by the Occupy Wall Street protestors, it occurred to me that Wall Street, and those bankers are not the sole criminals but co-conspirators (although even the word conspiracy is being ill defined in this country) of the majority of politicians in Washington.

The continued desecration of this country and its founding principles has been, of course, a joint venture between the bankers and those in both mainstream political parties leadership, with the corporately "organized" Tea Party appearing once again without a clue as to just when and where this country began this freefall, or just how to shift gears at this point from the progressive globalism agendas.

It is Washington in bed with the European bankers and our continued alliances with them that has continued to bite this country in the butt, so to speak, and ballooned our national debt and compromised this country's sovereignty and national security in the process.

Let's hope that the masses who are now gaining strength begin to see the forest for the trees, and not their individual grievances, but the "globalism" versus "sovereign America" economic and foreign policies that have got us here.

The Jobless And Form 1040

From all reports in the mainstream media again this week, it appears that Washington's priorities are once again something that needs immediate attention and review.

Instead of televising Obama's speech at the UN General Assembly once again heralding the U.S.'s unconditional support for Israel during the debate over Palestine's bid for statehood, with the new jobless and foreclosure figures in perhaps domestic concerns might take a front seat, rather than back seat, to Israel and its national security concerns which have been ongoing, after all, since World War II...

I mean, as one who was alive during the '67 war over borders and boundaries, Israel has been in the news consistently ever since...as has the Middle East and our continued involvement there...

Also, all those debates and televised campaign stops could be delayed until oh, say, at least six months before the next election, rather than a year and a half....

It occurred to me as one who has been fundamentally affected by what is wrong in Washington once again this past week, that what may be needed is an emergency pow wow of the powers that be that addresses some needed changes to Form 1040 before next April 15th in light of the ever increasing jobless and homeless Americans.

Many of those affected who no longer have jobs or homes are now living with relatives, if they have family so far that have not been impacted to such an extent.

Many of those living with extended family are now dependent on them for a roof over their heads, or food on their plate (since, of course, even food stamps are not available to people unless it is based on "household" incomes, with even the minimal Social Security payments outside the maximums in income or assets which qualify many for the program.

I have had to take residence with my elderly parents during some months since leaving my home state of Arizona five years ago, when this economic tsunami/foreclosure mess started after having owned my own home for over twenty five years.

Or, rather, it actually owned me in the end.

Both have heart disease, one in advanced stages, are in their 80's and live on their minimal social security payments, and a small pension received for forty years of work in the non-profit sector primarily. Both are on special diets due to their heart disease, but they have had added expense feeding me also as another mouth to feed, although do attempt to do some of the things both of them are unable to do at their age, and with their health issues.

I am over the age of 25, needless to say, as are many young adults also in this situation due to the dearth of jobs in their fields (although some of those degrees given today are quite unbelieveable).

Perhaps what is needed is another dependency exemption without age limits?

Forget the sums that would be provided to help under unemployment.

I was informed this week that my former employer in the State of Colorado and is licensed to do business there, whom I had worked for four months before being unilaterally "laid off" for all intents and purposes, had advised unemployment that I had, instead, "resigned." After almost eight weeks of receiving absolutely nothing while this was "pending investigation." I'm wondering if those jobless figures based on the Unemployment Claims filing have any truth to them at all, if this is what is occurring to many who have filed for their "temporary assistance."

As one who formerly worked in employment and labor law, this was no "resignation" under any true definition of the word, but an "enforced separation."

This was an employer that has been in the local newspapers in the community in which I formerly was residing for failing to pay its employees consisently week after week, and who also was giving employees unpaid time off when their call volume was down.

There were only five individuals left in my training class of 80 when they finally got to me, of course, after I questioned laying off 350 people after hiring 600 only three months prior.

I guess it was that question that sealed my eventual fate. And I suppose an employer who is having trouble meeting its payroll, is going to use every excuse imaginable in order to skirt around having to shell out for that even lesser unemployment amount...and this was a center that had a contract for a major national cell phone carrier, at that.

Try telling your landlord that you can't make the rent payment, because your employer was having several slow days that week.

I mean, if those in Washington are actually working at this point, rather than two-thirds of them attending fund raising events, and making campaign speeches, or are hard at work rewriting that tax code so that at least the instruction manual for completing a 1040 doesn't weigh more than a pound or two, rather than the ten to fifteen it does now, maybe this little problem has already been taken into account in some of those backroom meetings - what to do about those now jobless dependents?

I hope I hear something on CNN or Fox about it soon...because my elderly parents could certainly use a tax break so that at least they don't have to pay more taxes on that Social Security they had been receiving...

Which also looks as if it too is going to be reduced, for again "budgetary reasons."

While the war, of course, continues...and the insourcing and outsourcing for the "global good."

Banks Issue Flurry Of Default Notices to Homeowners in August

It was reported in the mainstream media that the banks have begun issuing a flurry of default notices to homeowners in August.

So much for the pleas by the President to arrange to work out refinances or better lending terms with the literally thousands of homeowners still who are facing foreclosure, especially in the Southwest, West and Florida, after the latest Washington manipulated boom and bust cycle in which many homeowners were forced into refinances under those "teaser" loans, or even British banking rate terms such as the LIBOR London interest rates.

I guess the time for understanding, or even compassion or integrity has passed.

Gee, I wonder if this has anything to do with Obama's proposal to turn bankers into landlords, and let them "lease out" those properties they are ready to foreclose on to the homeowner who has been scammed out of his property by this boom and bust wave, and the increasing costs of ownership which have also rise far above the cost of living, including in those states with all those property taxes.I wonder just why those banks would be now moving more quickly to initiate those foreclosure actions - to threaten those homeowners into those "lease" agreements, whatever THEIR terms might be?

This should really stimulate the home buying market for those few still in the market to buy into these "New Age progressive" loans and loan terms...

The Obama Solution: Lenders As Landlords

This past week there was a news report released by the mainstream media that Barack Obama has arrived at a solution to "solve" the mortgage crisis and foreclosure mess, especially in the hardest hit states of Arizona and Florida, by turning Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the mortgagee on a great many of those properties, into landlords.

It was also reported that input into this proposal by the public would be accepted until September.

Instead of actually addressing the true problems and just why the housing market isn't rebounding with the public expressing their free market dissatisfaction with the manner in which most of those properties are sold, with overly restrictive terms and conditions on those loans, and at usurous rates at that, the Obama Administration's agenda appears to be to corner the market on private land and home ownership in this country.

Or shift those properties over to all those investment groups so that all land is eventually "corporately" owned, and "managed".




The greed of the banks and the foreclosure industry at this point is truly incredible.

And make no mistake about it, in both Arizona and Florida the foreclosure industry is very big business, and both states have a very long and illustrous history of land and real estate fraud.

Just imagine all those LLCs and limited partnerships of doctors, lawyers and other high income individuals who will eventually purchase those bargain basement mortgages on entire developments if this "suggestion" becomes law.

Gone will be all private land ownership in this country eventually, as has been the agenda it appears with the progressive agendas of placing management companies and lawyers in charge already of large developments under those covenants already sold with homes in which "homeowners associations" throughout the nation have become the norm. Where the freedom to even paint your home the color you wish, or make improvements now involves a "corporate" or "committee" decision of your neighbors, or the non-owner management companies.

I wonder, just why are Americans turned off at this point with purchasing a property only to find out they truly have no "ownership" rights to speak of in any manner whatsoever.

And just why was this "announcement" buried by most news readers and reporters, when it has such monumental impact with respect to its "legality?"

And all appearances to the contrary, the Democratic Party is clearly as "corporately" focused as Mr. Romney's definition of "people," only this time fundamental private property rights and ownership rights are the targets to this Administration.

Placing them now under banker's control as the "landlords."

So THIS is where all that stimulus money will eventually be spent? Purchasing all the land and homes of Americans also now affected by failed governmental policies who have lost their jobs, and will now be losing their homes to the banker landlords?

When many of those banks who offered those Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae loans are controlled by foreigners through their stock ownership?

Outrageous.


If you agree that this is outside the intent for private property ownership, with banks not as lenders but as landlords, contact the Federal Housing Financial Administration at FHFAinfo@FHFA.gov.

Standard and Poors Rating Makes Americans Even Poorer

With the announcement of the downgrade in the U.S. credit rating by Standard & Poors, the globally focused arbiter of credit rankings of most of the developed and even undeveloped nations of the world, of course Wall Street today took a huge dive, causing many an American, I would imagine, to head for the medicine cabinet and their Pepto Bismol.

In fact, in one of the local papers today there was an editorial cartoon which illustrated two baby boomers standing next to each other with one reading the headlines and commenting to the other, "There goes our retirement savings. At this rate, we'll have to have multiple jobs until we're 90!...with the next panel paning back showing the very same individuals standing in the unemployment line with the other one responding, "I admire your optimism..."

This latest news is once again being used by both political parties to continue to spin those plates in the air, even now many placing the "blame" on the Tea Party while using this latest crisis, of course, for their own election ends - including those claimed "Tea Party" candidates. We've got a third party, alright, but simply another to bring into this three ring circus.

Standard & Poors, whose roots harken back to the 1800's, is now headed by a gentleman who was born in Jakarta, India.

So I guess this downgrading could have been predicted by those in Washington.

I mean, India does have a great deal of our IT jobs, and was also formerly a British holding, which has had off and on conflicts with Pakistan, the country which bin Laden sought refuge and was killed by those Navy Seals, and the country in which Ms. Bhuto was killed a few years back after her extended exile, and who was also educated in Britain...Hmmm...

Not that I believe there is any truly political motive or bias and media spinning going on here...but...

I wonder, since our deficit is merely a paper debt to the Europeans funding our Federal Reserve, without any offsets, just who has been doing the bookkeeping for Washington all these many years?

I'm sure many of those foreign bankers are now scamming some of those rock bottom stocks also right about now, further being given an opportunity to facilitate a "corporate" takeover.

Another boomer and friend recently wrote me who also has a history similar to my own, and is now on the unemployment line.

Worked for over 20 years in the legal profession, about ten more in the travel industry, early in their career in banking and insurance, with also some work in the health care field thrown in for good measure and further diversifying their career portfolio.

All of those employers, of course, paid unemployment on their workforces behalf all those years he was working.

Got his first unemployment check today after working at an hourly position for less than six months before he was eventually laid off from there after a "ramp up."

He is now living high off the hog on $90 per week, less taxes.

While listening to the news hearing that his mortgage interest rates just might increase, and his retirement funds, or what he has left after using it during his unemployment which is basically gone, is now worth even less.

And is pretty much resigned to the fact that all those 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000 dollars withheld from his paycheck for Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid most likely he will never, ever see.

Not with the dollar and America being downsized and downgraded.

And just think, with that great American invention, the computer and international online banking, those foreign moneylenders and bankers don't even have to pay for that expensive paper or ink anymore in actually printing our currency.

Why The Boomers Are The Largest Segment of The Unemployed

This past week during the mainstream media coverage of the Weiner Saga and Casey Anthony highly publicized mock trial, there were mixed in reports on the continuing budget political in-fighting and fiasco, and an associated report on the boomers and how retirement for them may be postponed - until most of them are likely dead by 80.

What has been truly laughable about all of this is the fact that the boomers, more than any other generation before, have paid in more to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid than any prior generation, or the ones following.

Medicare, after all, was legislation that was established and included with the Social Security overhaul of 1965 under Lyndon Johnson. So anyone who began working prior to 1965 and who has not retired has contributed more really than those born before during the prior generations.

And the boomers, after all, are the largest generation and then subsequently had the fewest children due to the "discovery" of birth control in the 1960's. And also due to those "Zero Population Growth" wackos and their agendas who focused on U.S. birth rates, (thus also Roe and its ramifications which have even been expanded affording almost unrestricted late term abortions even which were not addressed by those Supremes since that decision was handed down in the early 70's) now instead support unlimited immigration and taking in all those war refugees from all the wars we have been unconstitutionally involved with since the 60's, in addition to then educating the "brightest" and most "promising" young people from other countries at U.S. taxpayer's expense, rather than our own youth in the name of "diversity."

I hope AARP and Betty White get the message, with all those flyers and advertisements that most boomers began receiving at 50. We most likely will not live long enough to enjoy all those cruises or have enough money to buy all those low cost term and whole life policies, or even those much ballyhooed Medicare supplements.

It has been interesting to see how both political parties continue to portray Social Security as a "broke" program, and bad mouth these taxpayer funded "entitlement" programs which involve these also ever expanding tax rates taken out of their pay before they even get what is left.

I mean, in my immediate family and my ex-spouse's, there have been several members that unfortunately passed on prior to reaching age 62, much less 65 or 80. Both my spouse's parents passed away at 36 and 54 respectively. An uncle of mine at 60. A brother-in-law's brother at 48.

All had contributed during their lifetimes to those programs, yet had received not one penny of those benefits for themselves.

Few qualify for Medicaid, since you do have to be under the poverty level in order to qualify with no real assets left. In other words, you are homeless and most likely in ill health as a result, but at least part of your prescriptions are paid.

While we then also create more and more sick veterans who will need treatment for those PTSD drugs and counseling, literally tens of thousands in the past ten years alone from both Iraq and Afghanistan. I heard there are now 5 million less men than women in this country now due to this war - I guess a statistic that just thrills the average male noncombatant, in order to also, too, make room for more foreigners and immigrants to repopulate and re-educate in the "new" American history being taught in our schools.

Also missed is the fact that in most unemployment offices throughout the country, the people on those computers searching for jobs (and for one legitimate listing are about six illegitimate ones used for the ad revenues those job postings generate) are those over 40.

Perhaps the reason so many boomers are having trouble finding work has nothing to do with all those articles written by those job center employees or their paid writers, portraying most boomers as "not tech savvy" enough for the new job market, or not flexible enough to work under people less than half their ages, in many cases, and unable to resist parenting all those up and coming CEOs and higher level management personnel or giving them in politically incorrect terms the benefit of their literally years and years of experience and training many times filling the positions which are now denied them.

Perhaps it is the fault of many of those "post application" questions which you are advised during the online application process are "voluntary?"

Like those tax credit questions.

Are you Hispanic? (A "no" on this one will get you another drop down box where you can fill in what ethnic group or race you are other than Hispanic).

Are you under 40? (Used to be "50 or over" for those tax credits - maybe this is why there are so many blond 20 somethings on FOX as political analysts, "lawyers" and commentators?)

Are you a veteran?

Are you on Social Security, Aid to Dependent Children, or any other form of state or federal low income subsidy?

If not, even with those all important key words and enhanced resumes, your application will go to the bottom of the pile, never to be seen by those Human Resources personnel who basically read applications sort of like the average citizen searches the Internet, using only the first page of the Goggle results in order to make their purchase, or get their information. And then soon, you too will qualify when you can answer "yes" to at least that government subsidy question, but the jobs you envision will not at all be one in which you have any prior experience, or training most likely but those created under those "jobs" bills in order to work for your lower welfare "work" subsidy.

Obama and the Democratic Party are now stating that perhaps the reason so many are not working is due to "technology," and the fact that so many jobs have gone the way of the dinosaur due to the tech sector's time saving gadgets. Time savings that are not "passed on" to the public, instead the expensive costs of those gadgets upping the costs for most goods and services.

Of course, this position has been mentioned while the 2012 elections are in full swing, in order to garner the votes of those unemployed and underemployed, and after signing all those appropriations bills for those grants that have fed this sector lo these many years, and their outsourcing and jobs killing agendas. Not to mention also the security risks with Americans personal and financial information in their databases waiting for the next huge "hacker" story, in order to feed the identity theft "new jobs" sector using crime itself as a job stimulus.

Gee, the boomers came to that conclusion over thirty years ago when all those monies started getting earmarked for the technology sector at the cost of almost every other sector (other than medicine, another heavily dependent on those devices and computers to streamline the delivery of healthcare, of course, at higher and higher costs).

Maybe it is due to the fact that even most of those technology jobs that even are left, have gone to India then progressively.

While most of the construction jobs, those there are on these shores and not in Afghanistan or Iraq, have gone to the Mexican illegals.

And manufacturing jobs to China.

I heard several members of Congress from Arizona, my former home state, also were sponsors of a bill to provide unemployment benefits to Americans whose jobs were lost due to "globalization."

Is this insanity, or what?

The Weiner Waggers, Palin's Revere and More

This week the mainstream news media is at it again, dominating the airwaves with sensationalized news stories, and propaganda geared more toward ratings, than anything that truly might interest the American public, in this writer's opinion.

First there are what I like to call the "Weiner Waggers" and their subversive journalism.

I'm sure this week's "Saturday Night Live" will be a hoot, and have a field day with this one.

Mr. Weiner is a American of the Jewish faith, married to a Middle Eastern young woman that just so happens to also work for Hillary Clinton, Bill's wife.

I'm sure there is some real bonding going on there between those two women on those taxpayer paid trips to all those foreign ports of call on behalf of the State Department.

Mr. Weiner was, of course, recently married.

I find it strange that this brouhaha occurred just as the public was in the midst of continuing to question and address the bin Laden "burial at sea" and details surrounding that heroic event.

In fact, seems almost to have been concocted so fast - this "news breaking story."

And the pronunciation of Mr. Weiner's name certainly seems to be either intentionally mispronounced also to flesh out this story, since I've yet to meet another whose name is spelled in such a way, especially of the Jewish faith, and pronounced "Weiner" (as in Oscar Mayer) rather than "Whiner" (as in childrens' tales of woe, or rhyming with beer stein-er).

The fact that it seems politician's infidelity is become the norm and seems to be used as a segway after or during horrific Constitutional violations, press reports out of Washington, or whatever to an increasingly outraged public with the goings on in Washington lo these many years also seems rather odd.

Maybe he just simply irritated the Jewish population with the selection of his bride, who is not Jewish from all reports and is of a different religious and ethnic persuasion.

Or maybe he is in on this latest hoax and diversion.

I mean, also from all reports he has sponsored bills for increasing visas also for foreign models to this country (as if we don't have enough American models, most on Fox it seems promoted to "political analysts" or "lawyer"), although who knows if that one is true, either.

And then there was Ms. Palin's version of the Paul Revere tale, with a lot of "shucks" and "by gollies" thrown in for good measure.

Darn those British for even thinking about "takin' away our guns," hence Mr. Revere's warning.

Nothing about that Declaration of Independence and just what the true "grievances" of those patriots were, or the fact that America had already pretty much declared their intent to break free of Britain due to also its history of governmental abuse, increasing taxation, and its partnering with its "favored subjects" in order to rob from the poor, and give to the rich to make them much, much richer with titles and baronies, giving away or demanding both their homes and land, and then even the fruits of their own labors as that 16th Amendment and the increasing eminent domain abuses for purely increased tax revenues demonstrate now in this country.

Not that simple little "indirect" tea tax.

Mimicing the Britain of the 18th century once again.

But, gosh, America it was simply those guns and arms the British wished to confiscate.

Thrown in to all of this was also the release of a report that indicated that Americans at the present time have the lowest taxes since the 1950's.

Federal, state, local or statutory?

No breakdown was provided.

I guess we are forgetting all the literally tens of thousands of laws that have been implemented since the 1950's that now mandate (such as ObamaCare intends to do) the purchase of its "favored subjects" products BY LAW OR ELSE you can simply pay a fine to the government, or be arrested if you do not now also budget whatever income you have left according to the U.S. Congress's will and edicts (or your own state, who gave the federal government back in 1913 power it was never, ever intended to have - at least without the consent of the governed in those "passed" amendments).

Those, by any stretch of the imagination, also count as "taxes" too.

But Ms. Palin's version is more exploitive, and inflammatory (and incorrect).

Gotta love the Washington press corp, cable news and those other "waggers."

Fox's Huckabee Hilarity: Facts vs. Spins

Last night I had a few moments to watch briefly several segments from Fox's newest addition to its "conservative" line up on the evening edition of "Huckabee." It was eye-opening, to say the least, as one who is and has always been an American Conservative.

"Governor" Huckabee was introduced (hasn't he left office?), and began the show with an ad and promotion for Gulf shrimp and wisting the Gulf coast this summer since the cleanup has been completed, and the beaches are open and the shrimp simply mouth-watering.

Interspersed with a few comic moments regarding all the ways you can cook or barbeque shrimp, were promptings to "visit the Gulf" and such.

Then the "political" commentary began.

"Governor" Huckabee then went on to lambast Washington on its providing funding to the tune of over a half million dollars to "study shrimp" and their exercise habits using shrimp confined to a hamster's wheel to see just how that might improve, apparently, the taste and fitness of this seafood. Now, don't get me wrong Washington does and has spent outrageously in those earmarks for ridiculous and frivolous expenditures.

But does any American truly believe that those earmarked sums actually did go to provide for the scientific study of shrimp and their exercise capabilities, or rather their friendly campaign donor and his needs instead under the guise of this "study?"

Later in the show, the "Governor" then ran a segment with an old country singer, Ray Stevens, doing a little ditty that demonstrated just how he and his family could get out of debt using Washington's methods for balancing the budgets and providing for its needs in its "administrative" costs.

One such line when referenced printing whatever what was needed and then went on to call these sums "Obama money" and then referenced all the global corporate bailouts, and stimulus monies which have been provided by merely Obama (Congress actually) for such economic expenditures.

What was left out, however, during all the hilarity and pans to the studio audience laughing their literal butts off was that it was George Bush, and not Obama, that started the "stimulus" and bailout money train.

Does Fox and Mr. Huckabee actually believe that Americans memories are truly that short, or that easily propagandized.

Amazing how these ex-NeoCon Republican "entertainment" and political entities continue to get jobs on Fox such as Mr. Huckabee, Mr. Rove, and the like.

Not American Conservatives in any respect, but simply representatives of Washington and their respective self-interests in the name of "fair and unbalanced" reporting. I mean, I just wonder how their positions would jive with our Constitution since Mr. Huckabee is a hawk or was last election, although a represented "Christian" ex-pastor.

Whose only true contribution to last race was his oft-quoted remark that "Jesus would not run for political office."

Definitely not in 21st century America, or as one of the "New Age" Global Republican branch of the Global Socialist Party.

He wrapped up the show with an interview with three young Americans (less than 35) who had suffered during this economic disaster in the U.S., and lost their businesses, or saw the end clearly coming for their particular small businesses. All turned their personal tragedies and disasters into golden eggs by founding new businesses (and where did they get the funding for them, I wonder, since small business loans are almost non-existent for start ups in this economy?) - and did not hold their hands out, as Governor Mike pointed out, during their loss and new ventures for public "golden egg" assistance.

I wonder if Governor Mike has visited the local unemployment offices, and seen that most all in those centers are over the age of his "buck up" and become productive examples? And it never was disclosed just where their assistance and sums for their new ventures came from, or even their moving costs to start businesses in other states or markets?

Maybe Governor Mike should just stick to his food segments.

Since it does appear those are the only pieces with even a shred of research, or truth rather than just more political spin doctoring.

U.S. Jobs Report Is In: Bleak Prospects for Many

Well, the latest jobs report is in and the picture for the average American still seeking work in this depressive U.S. economy isn't pretty.

It was announced through the mainstream media that jobs are down over 9% since the last report.

Of course, you do need to double that figure since it is reported artificially lower than the true statistics, since those which are now unable to continue to collect unemployment, or have been denied benefits for whatever reason, or who owned their own businesses which have since gone under are not included in those statistics.

Recently, I had another of those "aha" moments those insurance companies (affiliated with the financial and banking sectors) advertise on most prime time and cable news stations.

As one who has a travel and hospitality certification from a now defunct travel school which was operated by American Express back in the 90's (who, I am sure, received government taxpayer grants for its operation, and in which my tuition was over $2,500 for my study), I recently stopped by a cruise line company affiliated with a Canadian website based travel company.

The franchisers of this retail operation had just recently opened, and were seeking sales and marketing representatives both at their retail location, and also mobile agents who worked from their home.

We discussed my background, having worked for over five years for a foreign domiciled vacation package retailer, in which eventually I moved from being one of their top sales agents to working in their yield management division and actually programming and developing packages for this company's U.S. market. I eventually left when this foreign domiciled company decided to move from its offices in Scottsdale, Arizona to Coral Gables, Florida for all non-reservation agent personnel for budgetary reasons.

Apparently, the rent in Scottsdale was too high although to many of us it was difficult to see where the rent in that particular part of Florida would not have been similar. Certainly, renegotiating their lease space or seeking cheaper digs would have been much more cost efficient, but then who was I to say?

The retail position this cruise company envisioned consisted of selling cruise packages under their banner with all the sales agents independent contractors, owning their own client base, as it were. Working at the franchise location merely consisted of paying a $500 up front "licensing" fee to this foreign based business and its U.S. franchisee. In addition, their share of any and all eventual bookings would be 60%, with the sales agent getting the remaining 40% (or 20% less U.S. taxes on that commission). These outrageous fees and costs, and low commission ratio was offset by all the access to the database and walk-in clients the retail agents would be receiving, and access to all the internet webinars which would be required to keep up to date on packages and promotions.

Although while I was there for over an hour not one individual came by or inquired about a future vacation.

The mobile agents (or those working from home) had it a little better.

Lower upfront costs (since the franchisee could not charge for desk space, apparently) of $200, and they then got to keep 70% of their commissions, with 30% going to the global parent company and franchisee. Although those not based at the company provided desks and computers would have to pay for their own marketing materials and such. Although, of course, could then write them off on their tax returns as independent contractors.

This is the new job scene.

Doesn't appear much research is also going into just what "new" jobs are actually out there, or just who is profiting off the backs of the unemployed. Including those selling their expertise in writing Facebook ads for the unemployed at $50 bucks and more a pop, who hang out at all those job center offices being funded by the many jobless too in the boomer and Gen X generation.

Since not a single individual in the job center office I visited recently searching on the 100 computers available was under 40.

Hope those statiticians and analysts start digging a little deeper into some of those "new jobs" created figures.

Fox recently had another propaganda piece on its pay station about some young man that held 50 jobs in 50 days.

One as a dietician.

Of course, with no education or certification as a dietician just wonder how he got THAT job?

Perhaps as a FOX employee researcher or "educator" whose real salary is provided by more public grants or stimulus monies?

Obama Hawks British War Strategy

It appears the hawk has replaced the dove during Mr. Obama's less than three year run as our nation's president.

During the British tour announced and undertaken post the "capture" and "death" of Osama bin Laden, Mr. Obama has been meeting with the British leaders and hawking his new conversion from his election positions and statements in 2008. Remember, at that time he was challenged as "soft" on war with his stances to end the War in Iraq as soon as "safely" possible, and get our troops back home and end this unconstitutional Middle East takeover in the name of fighting "terrorism" and also tracking down bin Laden.

The "new" British initiative which America and American troops are also expected to support?

Establishing "democracies" throughout the Middle East. Of course, the United States is not a democracy, nor was ever intended to be, but a Constitutional Republic honoring freedom of religion most of all, although with Christian-Judeo roots in its original intent and form. Not extremism in either of those two faiths either in supporting interventionist or even precipitated wars in order to "take over" other countries and their established forms of government, whatever they may be, but affording those people living within those sovereign countries to also stage their own revolutionary wars if "change" is truly needed there, with U.S. diplomatic and arms support if need be, of course if absolutely needed or necessary.

Not direct troop involvement, at any rate.

But no matter, it is clear that the "change" which occurs under a change in leadership in this country has no effect, and instead of abiding by the Constitution it appears a race to see which party can desecrate it even faster.

While all this was being announced, of course, the U.S. Congress and House of "Misrepresentatives" again passed the extension of the Patriot Act, that Act of Congress that was passed post 9-11 in order to fight "terrorism," once again ten long years after 9-11, and also after this recent "capture" and "death at sea" of the purported mastermind.

Where is the outraged citizenry who continue to be marginalized also under this unconstitutional provision and "in your face" violation of America's Bill of Rights?

Most likely on the unemployment line, or now without television sets in order to continue keeping tabs and watching the destruction of the late, great U.S. those founders fought so hard and shed their blood to watch our modern day political machines in bed with the unconstitutional agendas of World War II allies destroy.

Hail, Britainnia. Britainnia rules the Hill.