Our Government has Sold Out America!!!

Today may be the saddest day of my life. Today is when I realized the lies they have told us about the function of Government. Our elected leaders are controlled by lobbyists, and only worry about how they "appear" to their voters. Today is when our economic policy demonstrated that the rich matter, and we're just the slaves to provide the money for their whims and schemes. We're just suckers for the rich to pluck.

One Congressman said "we will just have to learn to live within our means". Especially if the bailout results in the loss of your job. You will learn to live on nothing. If your job is connected to the Defense Department you will probably lose your job...I've already lost mine, and my husband is only 3 months away from the end of his contract. There are no more defense jobs.

The 800,000+ jobs lost so far this year aren't coming back! These jobs have been shipped overseas, and as long as our Government gives employers a tax break for it, this trend will grow. We'll all be willing to work for a lot less now so we can complete with the enforced child labor of a third world country. The American Dream died the second we woke up from this nightmare on Wall Street....and the worst is yet to come!

Bailout Round 2

We don't even have to see the next version of the bailout plan to know it will only give Wall Street more, and taxpayers less. A lot less. Republicans will demand even less regulation on the masters of this disaster, and absolutely NO capital gains tax.

I must say, Bush and Paulsen are learning how to market the whole thing better. They now have all us minions properly "afeared" for our lives. We should be grateful they're letting us give them all our money so they can "save" us from certain disaster.

I say if our Government bails out these criminal businesses, it proves that the FREE MARKET does NOT work! And they better do something about it. The natives are getting restless. How do we let these incompetents run our lives?

What about regulations against an instituion being "too big to fail"?

Yeah, we need more deregulation. Wall Street will take care of us.

Bailout Failed!!!

Wow! Who would have thought the Republicans would vote this down? What bothers me is that they didn't do it for the "people", they did it because they didn't get even more deregulation of Wall Street, and get rid of ALL capital gains taxes on the obscene profits they will be making. What a deal!

I'm just glad it failed. Maybe Obama, or some actual independent economists could put forth a more reasonable plan to ease the credit crunch. Surely Wall Street isn't the only way. It's time for our representatives to come up with a real solution, not new ways for Wall Street to rip off Main Street.

My fear now is that they will add what the Republicans want to get it passed. Let's hope calmer heads prevail, and somehow they come up with an entirely new plan. There is no way to make the Paulsen plan work no matter how much money they give away!

Republican Swindle

Try as the Democrats might to be "nonpartisan", the Republicans are going to blame them when the Paulson bailout doesn't work, and they will also blame them if they don't agree. Let's face it, the Republicans have this game down, all blame goes to the Democrats. I just can't understand why the Dems can't come up with an alternative plan that actually makes sense. No matter how much lipstick they put on this Paulson pig it will still be a pig!

One would hope that Obama could present a sound, common-sense plan that makes taxpayers money an investment - not a gift. Why can't we just loan the money directly to only stable banks for a reasonable interest to get the economy flowing? Why do we have to buy bad investments so these corrupt companies can raise new capital to gamble with?

The Republicans "new" plan eliminates all regulation over these corrupt companies, and eliminates ALL taxes on the very rich. This is to encourage the rich to invest. They don't need encouragement, they're just licking their chops to get at it!

The Republicans want to give these corrupt investment banks FDIC-like insurance, so that the next time they fail THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE BAILED OUT BY TAXPAYERS MONEY!!! No messy Congressional intervention. Who is going to set the premiums for these companies, and who will determine the payouts on claims? Once again the taxpayers will have to pay for corporate corruption when bad decisions are made. What happened to all investments are a risk?

More trickle-down theory! Where's the trickle that's been coming since Reagan? When do you think it will get here - we could sure use it!

This bailout is wrong on so many levels. Why is the market only free for the super rich?

Bailout Fraud

There is no way the pathetic bandaids Congress is trying to put on this bad idea can make it into anything other than a bad idea.

Why can't we use the people's money to supply the "new" credit the country needs to sound banks? Why do we have to let Wall Street do it again? How does that make sense?

Free market also means free to fail, they MUST fail or prove the entire system is a failure.

Paulson made $500 million as CEO of Goldman Sachs, until he was the Secretary of the Treasury. Is he really the person we trust to "fix" this mess?

Open Letter to Senator Obama

Dear Senator Obama,

You have a unique opportunity to become a real leader in this election. I pray that you seize the opportunity.

1. I’m tired of people saying no one understands the economics of our country. This is only because our laws and regulations have to be vague enough to allow for loopholes for the people who caused our current economic problems. The basics of sound economics are actually very simple. Transparency of a house of smoke and mirrors means nothing. Sound basic bookkeeping principles are transparent by their very nature. I suggest you mandate a total restructuring of our accounting practices.

2. You know buying bad debt makes absolutely no sense, and is totally contrary to good economic principles. Bailing out the people who profited from this fiasco so that they can do it again is insanity! Instead of buying bad debt so that these unscrupulous companies can raise money for “good debt”, and actually profit from their crimes, we should be using the money to set up a credit agency – possibly use Fannie and Freddie since we own them now. If we the people make the new “good” loans, we will actually make money, which we could use to reduce the national debt, and we’ll be INVESTING IN AMERICA – not bailing out unscrupulous investors.

3. Secretary Paulson was one of the foxes before he was the Secretary. I’m sure he has personally profited from all of this in the past, and probably will again in the future. How can you trust his judgment to fix this mess ethically? A blank check with no possibility of review? How is that even American/legal?

4. These businesses need to face bankruptcy – it’s the only way to get back some of the money they’ve stolen. There should be criminal charges against all the executives and managers involved with these companies.

5. I feel that the country is being railroaded into making this decision before anyone gets a chance to think this plan through. Fix in haste, repent in leisure. Just what did Paulson say that scared everyone into lockstep to approve such an outrageous plan? The people have a right to know. I think a lot more thought ought to go into this plan. How much damage could be done before a new President could stop it?

6. Jobs: You really need to stress your plan to create millions of new businesses and jobs developing the alternative energy projects necessary for energy independence. Promise to create jobs rebuilding the crumbling infrastructure of our country – again jobs that can’t be shipped overseas, and investing in our country. And then actually keep those promises.

7. I hope you will prove that you aren’t bought and paid for by special interests and stand up for the people of this country who really have no other say in the outrage that is being forced on us.

8. You have to wonder how “we” bailed out some companies last week to the tune of 900 billion without question. I believe this quick bill is only being used to raise the limit on the national debt and give Paulson unlimited powers. Our government is structured so that one person cannot have such sweeping powers, I expect you to protect our country from the fundamental dismantling of our government and it’s checks and balances.

9. Don’t forget that McCain was one of the Keating 5. How can anyone use the RTC as a shining example of how the system has failed before and we survived to go on to even bigger failures? Wow, just imagine the next one!

I know I’m not an “expert”, but then I believe the “experts” are the problem. The fact is it should be simple, it’s only made complicated to con the people.

Thank you for considering my thoughts.