As the wrought iron grip of tyranny continues to spread over the nation with the President forcing his will on the American people, we must not forget from where he came. Yes, right here in our own back yard where we keep the rest of our compost. Of course, more and more, we are learning that our own Governor appears to have spent a good share of his time digging for treasures in the heap as well.
Before you judge me as being mean spirited, I am not disparaging these two men without cause. The news of this week was enough to send any freedom loving American into a fit of anger. The worst of them of course is our beloved President. This man feels he has the right to tell a religion based hospital that they must provide free birth control and abortions. Excuse me? I have always said that this man believes he is mightier than the Almighty, but this is taking it to an extreme. Mr. Obama, just who do you think you are? It is one thing to mess up the lives of 300 million American people, and though God is an awesome and forgiving force, rest assured, God is not a push over. Unlike you, God tells Satan what he will do, not the other way around. My advice to you Mr. Obama, is to come back down to earth and pick a fight with someone your own size because no matter how big you think you are, this is one fight you will lose. If you choose to challenge the creator of man, you will prove to many others what I already knew - that you are not a good person and are not interested in doing good for anyone except yourself. Enjoy it while you can because eternity lasts a long time.*Author's Note Below
Now, Mr. Quinn. Unlike our President, I give our Governor kudos for all of the work he has done for our troops. The Governor has really stepped up and supported our soldiers as much or more than any leader - certainly more than our President. I also give the Governor kudos for calling out Blago before anyone else ever suspected this crooked Governor of any wrong doing. Governor Quinn began to show his support falling off very early in the process if you watched close enough. That is about the end of my support for Governor Quinn. Everything since has been boilerplate Democratic party tax, rule, spend.
The latest came this week when Governor Quinn announced a plan to have all gun owners in Illinois register and pay a fee for their firearms. I am sure he is doing it to "save at least one life." My first thought was that I should rush out to register my guns and pay my fees before the lines get too long. After-all, once the 150,000 gang bangers in Cook County hear about the new law, the lines will be down the block. Then I realized, that's right, gang bangers have illegal firearms. So my position now is simply, Mr. Quinn, when you can prove that all of the gang bangers have registered their firearms and paid their fees, call me. Until then, I'll just say no thanks.
Here is the thing. Once you register, the state now knows what you own and where you keep it making it easier for them to take it when they decide to confiscate it...and be sure that day will come. Here is the other thing...suppose your legally registered handgun is stolen and used in a crime, the police recover the gun, but not the criminal. Who do you think the police and the lawyers will be going after? You are now at the very least, held liable because you failed to secure the firearm properly, causing it to be used to hurt or kill another person. Don't think it will happen? Are you really willing to take the chance?
The US Constitution gives citizens the right to keep and bear arms. It does not say that citizens must register arms with the government and pay a fee. It does say however, that citizens have a right to protect themselves from a government that has gone wild. If the government can control your right to protect yourself from the government (we are not talking about building an militia here), wouldn't you be giving up this right by registering your firearm?
The Governor will say it is to protect people from getting hurt needlessly by keeping track of who owns firearms. Are people really that stupid? It serves two purposes, it raises revenue and puts government in control of citizens rights to bear arms. Once again however, the law abiding are the victims. Those who follow the law would pay the fees and suffer at the hand of government. It is the gang bangers, the killers and the thugs who are doing the killing and none of these people will be standing in line to register their handguns and pay their fees; and neither would I. In all honesty, I do not personally own a gun, but this is my choice. I do however, fully support the right for every law abiding citizen to own a gun if they so choose.
Governor Quinn, I think you need to take another look at the US Constitution. It's cold this weekend and the football season is over. Let me know how it turns out.
*Author's Note:
After posting this entry, it occurred to me that people of all types may read this. Unfortunately, I am concerned that some people who may not be quite stable may read this blog and misinterpret my intentions. Because of the nature of the two subjects, I felt it necessary to add this note.
My statement that "eternity lasts a long time", is simply meant to say that, as with the rest of us, Mr. Obama will be called upon to answer for his actions on judgement day, which I hope is many years from now. I do not support, encourage or wish any harm to come to this, or any American President, past or present! My lack of support for his policies is clear and obvious, but like it or not, he is the President of the United States and the only way I would encourage anyone to challenge his authority is through the democratic process, which takes place this November; by voting for his whoever challenges him.
I believe that an act against an American President, by an American citizen is an act of treason. An act against an American President by a person who is not a citizen of the United States, an act of terrorism. Furthermore, my position on gun control is in support of the American way of life and the rights of the American people. I believe that people who carry their argument to an extreme and use their rights to commit acts against the country they claim to love, only serve to fuel the argument for those who wish to take away the rights of law abiding citizens.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Fueling the Occupy Movement
By now everyone has heard about the Occupy movement sweeping the country with their radical activities and their disorganized antics. From what I can see, this group is made up of a mix of people from all walks of life. The most notable of the members are those that are pushing for socialism, fueled by the democratic party. This small sect is demanding that government take care of them, cradle to grave, by taking money from the rich and giving to those who refuse to do their part - thereby balancing out the classes. The people in this group have no idea what their message is or what their goals are. They just shout their mantra about punishing the rich.
There is another group within this movement who we do not hear much about. These are the people who have worked hard their entire lives and are now being victimized by government and the banking industry. Unfortunately, this group will not be successful within the Occupy movement because they have been overshadowed by the socialist radicals who have pirated the organization. It is this group though, which has a true gripe against the "system" as the banking industry has transitioned over the past 20 years from a friend of the community, into a much darker, more punitive industry; not unlike the IRS. That is, they will gladly take your money, but do not expect anything more!
There was a time when your neighborhood bank would work with you through hard times, assisting with financial planning, loan repayment and so forth. Those days are gone. Over the past several years, the federal government has provided the banking industry several tools to assist homeowners with mortgage modifications. The federal reserve has allowed banks to borrow money for free, and recently announced that they will continue to allow banks to borrow money for free. That means the interest and fees banks charge you for the loan will essentially flow to their bottom line. Now, try to modify your mortgage.
In my case, a business sale gone bad (because of government restrictions) had resulted in me assuming a significant amount of debt. The government's role in this was that I could not legally require proof of citizenship or residency from the buyers. When the buyers skipped out on the business and the lease, my attorney informed me that I could not take action against the buyers because they did not have legal authority to be in the US. The debt is now legally mine. As a responsible, albeit, pissed off American, I have been paying the debt and will continue to pay the debt until I die.
The banks role in this mess is when they refinance my home, which was almost paid off, at a rate of 7.75%. They did not require any proof of income, tax forms, nothing, just a signature. In hindsight, at the time the house was worth far more than the loan so the bank had little risk. While I question the banks ethics in the process now, I accept responsibility for signing the paperwork back then.
Today, times are tougher, bills are higher and values lower. At the end of the month the bills just barely get paid and debts are not being reduced. The high mortgage payment is what seems to be causing the problem, so I assume, if I can modify the mortgage, I can work toward reducing my overall debt. Now I should add, I do not live extravagantly - basic cell phone, no home phone, no air conditioning, 1000 sf home, 1 car (paid off), basic cable/internet ($24/mo. combined).
So I call my mortgage company, which is also my bank and request to apply for the home loan modification. They ask me if I would consider selling my home? I explain that this has been my home for 20 years and I do not want to sell my home. They ran some numbers and told me I cannot afford my home even under the home loan modification program, that my only choice would be to sell my home. I told them that their answer was not acceptable - I know what I can and cannot afford. I have not missed a payment, though I have been a week or two late, but have never missed a payment. Then I was told that my only option was to sell my home or eventually face foreclosure - again, never missed a payment and now they are threatening to take my home.
This is the banking industry hard at work for it's customers. After all, why would they want to modify a loan which they are collecting almost 8% on? My question is, with the millions of foreclosed homes in their inventory, why would they not be willing to take a little less each month if it will keep on less home from being foreclosed? If they truly care about their customers, why would they be so willing to put a person out of a home they have lived in for 20 years? If their Actuaries can tell me today that I cannot afford my home at my current income, why couldn't they tell me this 5 years ago when I refinanced and was making 1/3 of the salary I am making today? Does the banking industry not have a fiduciary responsibility to protect their customers financial interest?
There was a time when the banking industry assisted their customers reach their financial goals. There were personal bankers who spoke to the customers with $10 in their accounts the same way they spoke to their customers with $10,000 in their accounts. Over the years this has changed and the banking industry has become not only a collector of debt, but a significant creator of debt. Where they at one time would provide cashiers checks for free to their customers, they now charge $5 or more. At one time they would use discretion when charging overdraft charges. I actually was charged $35 for overdrawing my account by 35 cents.
If banks cared about their customers, why don't they provide classes to teach people how to create a household budget? Why don't they provide free Quicken software? The provide free Turbotax software, but that is only so their customers will direct deposit their refund checks into their bank. If they cared about their customers, why don't banks take more of an interest in helping their customers out of trouble during hard times rather than punishing them?
I find it sadly amusing how banks treat their customers no different than the government treats the American taxpayer. Interestingly, the government does not treat the banks the same as they treat the American taxpayer. In fact, the bank I have been dealing with would not be in business today if the government had not provided them a significant bailout a couple years ago. Think about it...the bank went to the government and said, "I cannot make my payments, can you give me money so I do not lose everything?" The government said, "sure, how much?" This past weekend, I went to the bank and said, "I can make my payments, but it is becoming increasingly difficult, can you work with me to make it easier?" The bank said, "Take a hike!"
I would like to say that it was my tax money that bailed them out, but in reality because of my losses I have not paid much in taxes for the past few years, but there are many, many taxpayers who had paid in to the government so Bank of America can be around to put more hard working people out of their homes for another day.
There is another group within this movement who we do not hear much about. These are the people who have worked hard their entire lives and are now being victimized by government and the banking industry. Unfortunately, this group will not be successful within the Occupy movement because they have been overshadowed by the socialist radicals who have pirated the organization. It is this group though, which has a true gripe against the "system" as the banking industry has transitioned over the past 20 years from a friend of the community, into a much darker, more punitive industry; not unlike the IRS. That is, they will gladly take your money, but do not expect anything more!
There was a time when your neighborhood bank would work with you through hard times, assisting with financial planning, loan repayment and so forth. Those days are gone. Over the past several years, the federal government has provided the banking industry several tools to assist homeowners with mortgage modifications. The federal reserve has allowed banks to borrow money for free, and recently announced that they will continue to allow banks to borrow money for free. That means the interest and fees banks charge you for the loan will essentially flow to their bottom line. Now, try to modify your mortgage.
In my case, a business sale gone bad (because of government restrictions) had resulted in me assuming a significant amount of debt. The government's role in this was that I could not legally require proof of citizenship or residency from the buyers. When the buyers skipped out on the business and the lease, my attorney informed me that I could not take action against the buyers because they did not have legal authority to be in the US. The debt is now legally mine. As a responsible, albeit, pissed off American, I have been paying the debt and will continue to pay the debt until I die.
The banks role in this mess is when they refinance my home, which was almost paid off, at a rate of 7.75%. They did not require any proof of income, tax forms, nothing, just a signature. In hindsight, at the time the house was worth far more than the loan so the bank had little risk. While I question the banks ethics in the process now, I accept responsibility for signing the paperwork back then.
Today, times are tougher, bills are higher and values lower. At the end of the month the bills just barely get paid and debts are not being reduced. The high mortgage payment is what seems to be causing the problem, so I assume, if I can modify the mortgage, I can work toward reducing my overall debt. Now I should add, I do not live extravagantly - basic cell phone, no home phone, no air conditioning, 1000 sf home, 1 car (paid off), basic cable/internet ($24/mo. combined).
So I call my mortgage company, which is also my bank and request to apply for the home loan modification. They ask me if I would consider selling my home? I explain that this has been my home for 20 years and I do not want to sell my home. They ran some numbers and told me I cannot afford my home even under the home loan modification program, that my only choice would be to sell my home. I told them that their answer was not acceptable - I know what I can and cannot afford. I have not missed a payment, though I have been a week or two late, but have never missed a payment. Then I was told that my only option was to sell my home or eventually face foreclosure - again, never missed a payment and now they are threatening to take my home.
This is the banking industry hard at work for it's customers. After all, why would they want to modify a loan which they are collecting almost 8% on? My question is, with the millions of foreclosed homes in their inventory, why would they not be willing to take a little less each month if it will keep on less home from being foreclosed? If they truly care about their customers, why would they be so willing to put a person out of a home they have lived in for 20 years? If their Actuaries can tell me today that I cannot afford my home at my current income, why couldn't they tell me this 5 years ago when I refinanced and was making 1/3 of the salary I am making today? Does the banking industry not have a fiduciary responsibility to protect their customers financial interest?
There was a time when the banking industry assisted their customers reach their financial goals. There were personal bankers who spoke to the customers with $10 in their accounts the same way they spoke to their customers with $10,000 in their accounts. Over the years this has changed and the banking industry has become not only a collector of debt, but a significant creator of debt. Where they at one time would provide cashiers checks for free to their customers, they now charge $5 or more. At one time they would use discretion when charging overdraft charges. I actually was charged $35 for overdrawing my account by 35 cents.
If banks cared about their customers, why don't they provide classes to teach people how to create a household budget? Why don't they provide free Quicken software? The provide free Turbotax software, but that is only so their customers will direct deposit their refund checks into their bank. If they cared about their customers, why don't banks take more of an interest in helping their customers out of trouble during hard times rather than punishing them?
I find it sadly amusing how banks treat their customers no different than the government treats the American taxpayer. Interestingly, the government does not treat the banks the same as they treat the American taxpayer. In fact, the bank I have been dealing with would not be in business today if the government had not provided them a significant bailout a couple years ago. Think about it...the bank went to the government and said, "I cannot make my payments, can you give me money so I do not lose everything?" The government said, "sure, how much?" This past weekend, I went to the bank and said, "I can make my payments, but it is becoming increasingly difficult, can you work with me to make it easier?" The bank said, "Take a hike!"
I would like to say that it was my tax money that bailed them out, but in reality because of my losses I have not paid much in taxes for the past few years, but there are many, many taxpayers who had paid in to the government so Bank of America can be around to put more hard working people out of their homes for another day.
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