Eventually. Americans will discover that Washington DC is broken. In my era, if an item was broken, it was repaired by what ever means possible. Eventually, Californians will discover Sacramento is broken, and again, if the item is broken it must be repaired. The question becomes how can we accomplish these more than desperate repairs required to bring this nation back into financial solvency.
First and foremost, the era of spending what one does not have must come to an end. Secondly and equally important, stop spending tax funds to relieve financial pressures that have been perpetuated by fraud and greed, but if necessary to stabilize an economy with these ?bailouts”, structure a loan demanding the full asset value of each and every institution receiving tax funds. As I have said, I may not be the brightest light bulb in the lamp, but if I spend more than I have, I get a non-so-friendly reminder from my financial institution that levies a penalty and a strict no-no to me in good and hasty order.
If I am late in rendering funds that I owe to a commercial establishment, I cannot use that institution”s goods or services until I have made good on my promise to pay them what I owe.
Is government any different? It shouldn”t be. After all, aren”t these the folks who permitted the commercial and financial institutions to levy penalties and the rights to inform me, in no uncertain terms, that what I am doing by ignoring purchasing more than I can pay for a no-no, usually via nasty letters and annoying phone calls? Maybe there should be a national toll phone number we can call to tell the hallowed government of the United States of America that what they are doing now, and have been doing for too long, is not according to the same laws you and I must adhere to.
Folks, our legislators at the local, state, and federal levels simply do not obey the same laws you and I and each and every American must. Government simply must not ?bailout” the perpetrators who”s greed caused this mess in the first place. What we do when we so called, ?bail out”, these people is rewarding them for a monumental mistake brought on by simple greed that eventually will cost each and every American, from the youngest infant to the eldest retiree thousands of hard earned and saved dollars.
I have a novel idea. Instead of electing more of the same, and I speak of Obama and McCain, I say toss every serving legislator in the Congress of the United States and the resident of the White House out into the street.
We might even consider tossing out the serving Supreme Court Justices. Force them out of office, and for Pete”s sake, forget Republican and Democratic ideology and begin to think American again. Let me clue you into one fact. This nation was built not on the ideology of political parties but the stamina and sweat of average Americans seeking freedom from an unrepresentative government.
Maybe it is time for us to put Americans back into power in Washington DC and in each and every local, state, and federal office across this country.
You know, I usually try to place a little humor in my musings, but today, the whole mess just doesn”t become funny in my mind. Greed got us to where we are, government has no business bailing out greed.
Put the Chief Operation Officers and Board of Directors of each and every commercial entity who are kneeling in Washington DC, groveling for our money, in prison where they belong and gather all their assets and let treat this bailout like loan. Maybe I would consider such legislation, but handing fools and corporate greed seven hundred billion tax dollars doesn”t seem too bright, now does it?
Sherman D. Baker is a resident of Kelseyville. Opinions are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Lake County Record-Bee or its management.
