Comments on: Wall Street Losses Hurting Montana State Pensions
By Billy on 10-31-09
I suppose the primary solution to the money shortage problem would be to put tax or fee on the people?The people are obligated to cover government debt?
Benefit funds were lost because of bad investments and we guarantee the benefits will get paid out?
Sending a big fluffy pile of stimulus money might fill the state retirement fund right back up?
Were not going to be able to afford to live here if this keeps up.
http://www.mybudget360.com/how-565-million-households-live-52000-median-household-income-in-2009-crushed-by-a-decade-of-debt-a-decade-of-lost-wages-and-financial-debt-servitude/
By Buffalo1 on 10-31-09
now we can see what big money America and their GOP enablers really meant by their ‘trickle-down theory’ ...
the endless tentacles of Wall Street and the Corporate America free-for-all is not the solution ... it’s the problem. The de-regulation emphasis that began in the Reagan administration has produced companies that became too big to fail ...
now we/our government have to sort/suffer through the rubble. the irony is so thick you can chew on it.
By senator blutarski on 10-31-09
Wall street has looted our economy not once but twice! The first time through criminal greed and the second time through bailouts that were started by the Bush administration and continued by the Obama administration. Not one more dime of taxpayer money should be given to these criminals. Let them suffer the consequences of their actions!
By Billy on 10-31-09
Nov 18 Kalispell
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?
Keynote Speaker: Joan Veon
http://www.womensgroup.org/
By JohnGalt on 11-01-09
The real problem is government overpromising. Why should government employees receive a guaranteed retirement when everyone else has to take their chances? Why should Montana taxpayers have to “pour $175 million” into the Montana Public Employees’ Retirement System over the last four years? No one “poured” any money into my 401(k) over that period other than me and my employer. Why should I have to prop up state employees’ retirement?
By Billy on 11-01-09
John I read your point. But they only need a little bit from each one of us and we will hardly notice it. A small tax on your 401-K would be the easiest solution.
We can’t run a state government without paying employees, and we need to attract good employees with good retirement and good medical benefits so these good employees will not leave and go and find other jobs.
This bureaucracy will be with us for a long time.
We could turn their retirement program over to the One World Government for administration.
Very economical ! Banking, Health Care, Retirement and Law Enforcement all at one convenient location.
We can readjust every ones status for more equality.
OBH for change.
By Billy on 11-01-09
From http://www.propagandamatrix.com/
Chairman of the Department of Economics at George Mason University: Politicians Are NOT Prostitutes … They Are Pimps
Washington’s Blog
Sunday, Nov 1st, 2009
“Yet Americans continue to imagine that the typical representative or senator is an upstanding citizen, a human being worthy of being feted and listened to as if he or she possesses some unusually high moral or intellectual stature.
It’s closer to the truth to see politicians as pimps who force ordinary men and women to pony up freedoms and assets for the benefit of clients we call “special-interest groups “
By Scott on 11-02-09
Thanks congress for repealing the glass steagall act and thanks congress for passing the fair housing and credit act. You have now #!@#@!$@ up every facet of the American economy. This is what happens when we let “government sort through the rubble”.
Wait until the 5 year ARM loans come to fruition next year folks(thanks fair housing and credit act)
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/10/15/the-next-housing-catastrophe-waiting-to-strike.aspx
You are going to see the housing market drop through the floor and OUR home values will tank.
I guess on the bright side the local government will decide to reassess our taxes due to the lower home values right?
By Vud on 11-03-09
Scott:
Are you referring to the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977?
————————————————————————————
“The CRA “requires banks to help meet the credit needs of the local communities in which they are chartered,’ regardless of income levels.”“
“The law was enacted to prevent banks from denying loans (home, small business etc.) based on the poverty levels of certain neighborhoods — a practice known as redlining.”
“In other words, yes, the law was designed to promote lending in low-income areas.
It was not, however, designed to promote risky, sub-prime loans. In fact, the CRA penalizes banks for reckless and irresponsible lending practices.”
http://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/rules/6500-2515.html
By Billy on 11-03-09
I can see something positive in building an appropriate “we/they” distinction during a societal collapse—the distinction between your local community and predatory outsiders. JWR http://www.survivalblog.com/2009/11/letter_re_some_ground_truththe.html
By Buffalo1 on 11-03-09
Right, Billy. And the ‘outsiders’ are Big Money America and their Republican enablers in government.
Reagan said: “government is not the solution; it’s the problem”. This initiated a de-regulatory frenzy removing government regulatory oversight on many forms of business. Clinton couldn’t do much about this because he went ‘all in’ on health care and then couldn’t keep his zipper up. The Bush/Cheney administration was run like a corporation - with Big Money America in charge. Oil and gas people were running the Dept. of the Interior. Financial cronies were running Wall Street. Bush’s old Texas buddy was running the Dept. of Justice so they would look away from the questionable legal basis for many of their activities. A director of an equestrian organization was heading up FEMA when Katrina hit ... and so on ...
Without any oversight from our government during the Bush Administration, home loans were handed out at will ... ARM’s, as Scott mentioned, were provided with ridiculous terms on the back end. We purchased two mortgages during this time frame, and since we have our own business, we did not have to prove that we had any income! They had a special category for this called ‘Stated Income’!! Bankers/Wall Street folks sold/re-sold these paper assets. Insurance was provided by AIG ... then the bubble burst, and here we are.
Once again, we are the government. We elect who we want to represent us and dictate what we want from our government. This is our country. Do we want our government to leave all up to Big Business America? Will Big Business America take care of us? Will their wealth ‘trickle down’ to the rest of us?
Let’s look at some numbers:
In the late 1890’s, JP Morgan - the ‘bankers banker’ at the time and one of the wealthiest folks in America - had a personal wealth that was about 20 times the wealth of the average American citizen. After the ‘Reagan De-regulatory Revolution’, U.S. CEO’s earned 140 times the average worker’s pay. In 2007, near the end of the ‘Bush Revolution’, the average S&P 500 CEO earned in 3 hours what a minimum wage worker made in an entire year.
I don’t know about you folks, but I want a government that will help make sure that my family and I have a fair shake. I surely don’t want a government that is more interested in the needs of the wealthy. You can’t play poker with someone who has all the chips and there’s no betting limit.
The Democrats are light years away from being perfect. But at least they’re not these new Republicans (from Reagan forward) who’s only real interest is to allow Big Money America to mine this country and it’s people for all it’s got. The rest of their activities as portrayed by Rush/Fox News is smoke/mirrors to try to keep them elected.
By Billy on 11-03-09
Great post Buffalo1. The disparity between the rich and the poor is now the greatest right here in USA.
That might have something to do with all the taxes, overrated health insurance costs and compound interest.
While they pump our money into Wall Street, supra national banking giants and insurance corporations..
Have you ever noticed Law Enforcement goes after the weak and defensless and leaves the Fat Pigs alone. The poor of this nation fill the prisons to a greater extent than anywhere else on earth.
We can carry only so much on our backs before we buckle.
By Scott on 11-04-09
Oh you mean the fat pigs like Madoff? Isn’t he somebodies wife in prison now? He made quite a bit of money during the Clinton and Bush administrations didn’t he?
By bluedog on 11-04-09
Scott. You’re debating with people who’ve never made a payroll in their life. From the sounds of their arguments, most of them, likely, are unemployed or unemployable. (no…selling firewood by the side of the road is not a career Woody.)
They are victims of the “man”. There is nothing you can do for them, so just walk away. Continue to live well…it’s the best revenge. It drives them nuts.
By kalispelling bee on 11-04-09
bluedog, do you notice a difference between what you posted and what others did? You are the only one who has to impugn other readers. It would be refreshing if you could learn to play well with others.
By Billy on 11-04-09
Good evening bluedog.Have you seen the Fall of the Republic? It’s not red and blue.
Scott; You’re right about Madoff. How does he rank ? Do you think he was the lone swindler? Does Leona Helmsly count?
By Billy on 11-04-09
People need to stop having alegiance to their political party they need to have alegience to the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and what has made our Republic so special, the basic human rights and dignity that every citizen of this country inherently has.
By Billy on 11-04-09
bluedog; Please excuse my spelling on my last post andI forgot to say Alex Jones said this in his new video,
FALL OF THE REPUBLIC.
How many would watch it?
The engineering of a high-tech police state.
THEY project the Left/Right paradigm.
By Billy on 11-05-09
bluedog revels at the thought of us firewood cutters hunkered down under our load and cursing the MAN sitting in his easy chair enjoying the good life that we drooling, knuckledraggers will never attain. He is like a Prince of the middle class.
By bluedog on 11-05-09
geez….so far I’ve pissed off unemployed hippies and Aryan Nation wannabes in one post. Mission Accomplished!
By Buffalo1 on 11-05-09
I normally just ignore these stupid comments from ‘the dark side’ ... but, I just sat down with a cup of coffee, so what the hell, let’s give em some of their own medicine ...
wannabe what bluedog…? You? Sorry to use a line in a movie, but I’d have to ‘go full retard’ to do accomplish that ...
I’m too busy ... gotta get that firewood in ... get hay in the barn ... get the boy his first buck this year ... things we do here in Montana and some reasons why we love living here ... vs. mining the country for all it can give by selling real estate, subdividing more land, and telling the folks that the economic benefits from all this will ‘trickle down’ to the rest of us ... which of course is just pissing down our backs while you’re telling us its raining ...
By Billy on 11-05-09
Good morning bluedog;I thought you were just going to walk away.
Do you need a copy of Alex Jones’ FALL OF THE REPUBLIC video?
Let me know.
The views expressed in the comments section do not reflect those of the Beacon.