TARP 2 - More Of The Same ?

Another TRILLION dollars for a stimulus package plus the other $350 billion from the original TARP?
Why?
Even Biblicaly speaking, Wall Street should not be given more money.

Proverbs 13:11 "Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but one who gathers by labor increases it."
Forget about the bank's losses, what about all those people who lost much of their life savings in their 401k's?
Maybe the banks should have to suffer for their years (or centuries) of greed.
If the working man has his money, the banks will be in business to service it's customers - not steal every fraction of every penny through ridiculous fees and interest penalties.

That's why I say we should focus on the profitable credit unions. If a credit union used restraint and has shown a profit - give them the money and allow them to buy the toxic assets from the old banking firms at whatever price they decide to assets are worth. (Only profitable companies should qualify for the program.)
The money would be local and the one who did the best would be rewarded the most.
Matthew 25: 14-30 "...Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has ten talents.... . Throw out the worthless slave, into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Hmm... sounds like like an apt punishment.
Let Madoff and his ilk share a cell with "Tiny" and "Cousin Ray Ray" in San Quinten - not some country club type prison in Connecticut. Maybe then they will know how it feels to have done to them what has been done to many of us.

Those old-money families have robbed our country long enough. Let THEM eat cake!
Exodus 22:25 "If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest."
I have no problem with a serviceable interest - banks and the rich have bills too. But double-digit rates keep many in debt for life. Many have become modern-day sharecroppers and indentured servants. Those H&R Block Rapid Refund loans should be made to be illegal.
1 Timothy 6 : 9-11 "... For the love of money is a root of all evil..."

We need to cut some of these programs that encourage many to grow ever more dependent upon the government.

If people are taking more than they're giving, they should be cut off from government benefits.

I'm all in favor of a very strong defence - but let's buy the best we can maintain. If a Humvee is a death trap - maybe it's not the best purchase for our guys overseas. Maybe the MRAP should be standard - regardless of prior government contracts and back-door deals.

The states need a lot of money (http://www.cbpp.org/9-8-08sfp.htm). Forty six states and the district of Columbia are projected to have budget shortfalls of $350 billion - $370 billion by the end of fiscal year 2011.

If we get rid of the middleman (the current usurious banking system) and loan the money directly to communities through their profitable credit unions, restore about 25% (an arbitrary number) of each worker's 401k losses, and give the states the amounts of money equal to their projected deficit (plus another one billion each to fix any unexpected need) - we could accomplish twice as much with half the cost. And we will have more control of our ability to repay the loans that are being forced upon us.

As for Pelosi and Reid? Let THEM eat cake too.

Let Go Of That Tiddy

My paternal grandparents had 30 sibling between them.
Both families were close to each other and among themselves.
So... I have a lot of cousins.

One of my older cousins took in her niece when the girl's father died.
My cousin gave her niece everything my cousin never had while growing up.
Her niece grew up having all of her material and financial needs (and most of her wants) met by her benevolent aunt.
The girl had her first child as a senior in high school.
As the girl was unable to provide for her child financially - she joined the Navy right out of high school (leaving her son to be raised by her aunt).
When the girl returned home from the Navy, she had another son with her.

The aunt gave up her own bedroom for the sake of her niece and grand-nephew.
The aunt was now paying most of the bills for her own daughter, her niece and two grand-nephews.

After five years of having to sleep on her family room couch - my cousin asked me why her niece could never seem to move out and support her children and herself.

The problem was that my cousin had made her niece's poverty too comfortable.
While my cousin would pay her tax bill every April - her niece would receive an Earned Income Tax Credit.
So her niece was actually paying negative taxes.

In 2004, the financial burden of such tax credits was estimated to be $36 billion.
With the recent stimulus packages - some people are actually being paid to be poor.
People who actually have a tax burden are being asked to subsidize the comfort level of another person's poverty.

Do I hate the poor? Nope.
But I hate poverty.
Like in the case of my cousin's niece - it's time for many to let go of that tiddy.

Get Back On "D"

GDAWG - "John, it does matter what everyone else does!"
Lebron drove to the basket with a floater...
Gasol came in from the weak side...
Lebron missed the shot but was fouled...
The referee failed to call the foul...
The Cavaliers stayed under the rim complaining to the refs...
The Lakers executed a fast break for an easy two...
The Cavs (still upset from the previous miscall) forced a shot and missed...
The Lakers remained poised and scored another two points...
The Cavs panicked and made one emotional mistake after another...
The Lakers scored again...
By the time the Cavs recovered from their just (but misdirected) complaints, the game was out of reach.

How was the game lost?
By focusing on something they couldn't change instead of relying on their skills to reach their ultimate goal.

GDAWG - "...then why fight the American Civil War ... a Civil Rights Movement...?"
That's a different argument.
Those situations (your examples) are like telling the Cavs that their field goals only count as one point while the Lakers' count as two.

GDAWG - "...that standards are lowered, solely, for 'da Blacks'..."
Well... (as with everything) IMO - the lowering of some standards may serve in the best interest of the institution.
i.e. - Female police officers may be able to quell some situations by calming some suspects instead of having to over-react. The same could be said for some Black officers in some situations. A shortcoming in one area is compensated for in another.
A female or Black doctor who is substandard is of benefit to no one.
A Female fire fighter who can't do the job endangers everyone.
The same could be said for anyone who is substandard.
As far as admitting an under-represented minority into a University who fails to meet minimum standards? Nope.
Have them be matriculated upon completion of any remediation done at the JC level.
If the prospective student shows a level of acquired knowledge to be able to compete at the university level... fine, their admittance is guaranteed.
If not, maybe they should try a different school.

GDAWG - "...False Flag operation..."?
Am I creating a problem or destroying any institutions or property and blaming it on a supposed enemy in order to serve my desires?
I'm not sure I get this one.

In short - Stop fighting over the crumbs while you're missing the meal.

Libertarian Surge ?

Will;
A Black President,
plus a Black leader of the GOP,
minus the Southern Strategy,
equal the Libertarian Party becoming a viable option for many racists?

Not that the Florida leader of the GOP represents all white or Republican party members,
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/local/article973513.ece
(As evidenced by the related comments to the paper's original post)
but as Joann @ 12:15 PM states;
"Of those 2,000,000 who attended the inauguration, I'm still concerned for the 14 who had to miss work!" -
maybe Post-Racial doesn't equal Post-Racism.

I'm still waiting to see how the '09 version of Cleavon Little's "Bart" (Blazing Saddles) will handle such situations.

Now That's What I'm Talking About

"I have devoted many years writing about schools, but much of the time I'm writing about poverty" Jay Matthews -Washington Post

Or the effects of poverty on one's ability to do well in school.
No, not just financial poverty, but social poverty as well.

brohammas hipped me to this guy (Geoffrey Canada).
He didn't blame.
He didn't complain.
He didn't beg .
He didn't wait.
He just did.

http://www.hcz.org/home

California's Critical Mass

I love California - it's simultaneously both the best and the worst place to live.
With it's scenic beaches, deserts, mountains, farms and cities - it seems to have anything any demographic could want.
With the Biblical equivalents of Sodom, Gomorrah and Babylon (San Francisco, Las Vegas (okay, it's not really in Cali., but it's a quick Southwest flight away) and Los Angeles), pleasure can be found by all.

But has the Golden State lost it's luster?
Can the state support 15% of the country's population in such a dense (the 11th most densely populated state) area?
Can residents continue to pay an additional 7.25% to 8.75% income tax (city, county and state)above their federal taxes?
Can the state overcome it's 9.8% unemployment rate?
Can the state's government continue to function with it's ever increasing financial deficit?
Can the state that was created from a dream continue to exist while maintaining an adequate quality of life for it's residents?

Water
Even though most of the state's major metropolitan areas are near the world's largest body of water, drought seems to be the almost perpetual state of being.
With the expectation of a third year of drought (and with no El Nino in sight) - of the state's top ten reservoirs, only the Don Pedro reservoir is above 50% of it's capacity.


Food
The second of the necessities to maintain life could be harmed by the first.
The state is a huge supplier of agriculture products. Four of the top five counties in the US (in terms of sales) are in California's Central Valley.
All those crops and animals need potable water (but in some cases, "grey water" will do).
But with no water...

Shelter has lost 49% of it's median peak value (from it's high in 2007 of $484,000 to it's current valuation of $249,000). But it's still cheaper to rent than purchase. Using the landlord's general rule of thumb (a house should cost 15 times the annual rent on a property) - rents usually run at 3% of a home's purchase price. But the costs to buy a home are generally double the going rent (add to the purchase price; taxes, insurance and maintenance and the real cost is closer to triple). Rents reflect what a person can actually afford to pay - not what they can afford to borrow. So the housing slump still seems to have a bit lower to go.

Clothing
If Global Warming is true - clothing may not be an issue.
But California clothing companies like Levi Strauss, The Gap and Guess? may have a hard time getting the cotton for their products.

Air is more necessary than anything mentioned above. But California's pollution still seems to be a problem. Using Ozone as a measurement - Five California metro areas are among the highest the country's top ten in terms of pollution (LA, Bakersfield, Visalia, Fresno and Sacramento). A Huffington Post article states that more people die in California from pollution related causes than from automobile accidents.

Even though California has the lowest per capita energy consumption rate in the country - can it do more?

The Weather - Earthquakes seem to be the most common Act of God in California. In fact most people don't even notice one below a 3.8. But these earthquakes are the main concern behind the lack of nuclear power plants (and their desalinization benefits) in the state. But what about...

Mudslides!

Wildfires!

Tornadoes? (Riverside, California)

The hurricanes usually produce little more than good surf.

Inner city crime usually gives some parts of California a bad rap. But according to the FBI, only Oakland is in the top ten of our country's cities with the highest crime rates. But this is balanced by Mission Viejo, Chino Hills, and Thousand Oaks being among the top ten safest places to live in the country.

Like the rest of the country, it would seem that the state is more dependent on water than anything else. But with little hope for an increase in the supply of water, can the state survive?
Maybe every newly built home should be forced to have a cistern system like they do in the Bahamas.
Otherwise, the California Dream may quickly turn into a nightmare.

I Don't Like Lil' Wayne

Not that his music sucks - it's just not for my generation and my current station in life.
But in my weekly "Teach Me" session with a young cousin, the Katie Curic interview was one of the topics we discussed.

Even though Wayne likes that Herb and an occasional sip of that Lean - overall, he came across as likable.

Miss Katie ?
No, not in the same way Morgan Freeman had to refer to Miss Daisey, it's something different.
You can tell he's from the South - it seems that everyone here calls their elders "Miss" or "Mr." - followed by a "Ma'am" or "Sir".
When my cousin asked "Why?" (he's originally from San Diego) - I explained that (like good manners) it shows the respect that one has for them self.

Weed/Lean
I asked my cousin if there was a situation where he would use either.
"Nope, that's not me.", was his reply.
"But what if a group of people said that you'd be 'cool' if you did" I asked.
"I'm already cool." he replied.
I've been asking him this same question since he was five - always with the same answer.
But this kid is actually "already cool".

Straight A's
This was nice to hear.
Even Lil' Wayne saw the importance of getting good grades.
This cousin just got yelled at by his useless mother for coming home late because he was at an after school tutorial session.
"You don't do homework" she yelled.
"How do you know? You're never here?", he replied.
She was mad,
but he was right.

Who's You're Daddy?
Today, this topic hits home with more kids than not, especially in the African American community.
For my cousin, it's no different.
But he (Lil' Wayne) used what he had to the best of his abilities.
"But you always help me" my young cousin said.
That may be true - but knowing and having the help of one's real father would have a greater impact.

(An aside;
Maybe more mothers should take a course or two in leadership skills.
-Many don't seem to understand that being bossy isn't the same as being the boss.
If someone is really running things, there is rarely a need to yell. You should be like E.F. Hutton - your words should carry so much weight that people will strain to hear your whisper in a crowded room.
-Respect lasts longer than fear. Kids will outgrow childhood fears. Without respect, that fear is useless.
-Kids learn best by watching and hearing. If all they see is an ineffective method of coping with bad situations - that will ultimately limit their skills in handling problems that they may encounter in their future.
An occasional "No" is the best thing you can tell your child.
And on and on...)

Eric B. and Rakim
"I came to overcome before I'm gone
By showin' and provin' and letting knowledge be born
Then after that I'll live forever - you disagree?
You say never? then follow me!
From century to century you'll remember me
In history - not a mystery or a memory
Called by nature, mind raised in Asia
Since you was tricked, I have to raise ya'
From the cradle to the grave, but remember
You're not a slave
Cause we was put here to be much more than that
But we couldn't see because our mind was trapped
But I'm here to break away the chains, take away the pains..."
(Follow The Leader Lyrics)

After Lil' Wayne, we switched to Eric B. And Rakim.
I had him listen to and read the lyrics.
I asked him who had better lyrics.
"Lil' Wayne", he replied.
I guess it's a generational thing.

"Are You Great?"
Katie Curic asked Lil' Wayne.
Lil' Wayne answered "Yes".
I asked my cousin the the same.
"Not Yet", he replied.

"Yet"?
Maybe there's hope after all.

I'm Not A Victim

Indra Maghavan Writes, in response to me thinking that it's natural for some young white children to think being Black is cool - "Not to mention the brainwashing the poor kid is exposed to in school..."

@ Indra - But if the child from the superior white race can be so easily influenced by popular culture - even though they're are constantly bombarded by images that re-enforce the validity of his own culture -how is the negative influence of a minority's environment, family and the media so easily discounted?
Shouldn't the higher IQ having white kid be smart enough to realize that being Black is beneath him and is something to be avoided?
Or are you of the belief that one's environment can have the same impact as genetics?

brohammas Writes (but with a different intent on another post) - "... it would be akin to a white guy walking up to a black guy on the street and punching him in the nose..."

@ brohammas - I understand what you're saying.

But to give a different view;
I had a tenant who was always spending his money on crack and the local working girls.
He had a girlfriend and two children at home.
I would always stop by to drop off diapers and formula for the kids.
He got mad because he thought that me helping the kids was somehow taking from his manhood, or that I was trying to get with his girlfriend.
He told everyone on the block that he was going to shoot me.
He would always talk about how he was a Blood and how "hard" he was.
Upon hearing about such talk, I went to his (my) house and knocked on the door to have a discussion. (No, I'm not a thug or a "G", I'm just a regular guy.)
He stuttered, stammered and changed his story.
Was I a shooting victim? Nope.
His intent was to harm me, but he lacked enough skills (or real desire) to do so.
My response is to be/do better than anyone who would imagine to do me any harm.
If the choice is between victim and victor - I choose victor.

I would prefer to get everyone else to that level - not to join in the hand-holding Kumbaya singing hope that someone else will solve our problems.

"But UBJ, not everyone is capable of digging themselves out from their situation", some might say.
But that's why I'd like to see the intent of programs like Affirmative Action be to raise the level of those seeking to participate in any institution - instead of lowering the level required to be admitted.

"But UBJ, white women are the biggest benefactors of AA", others might quip.
Okay, that's nice.
But what does that have to do with getting more Blacks prepared to compete on the next level?

Since the biggest difference between success and failure is usually psychological - changing our mentality and motivations are what will determine our condition.

Rent

I make my rounds every day.
But at the beginning of every month, I'm particularly busy.
While I don't collect rent from many of my tenants, I still drive them around to take care of their errands or settle their disputes or just to visit.

This month kind of threw me off because of the digital switchover, and then it's postponement.
After connecting a lot of those little black boxes, scanning the channels and showing my tenants how they're used - Congress announced that the switch to digital won't take place until June.
What, wasn't four years enough notice to give people?
I know, an estimated six million people didn't have their boxes, but four years should be enough time to prepare.
My tenants aren't just ghetto, but "Country Ghetto" (their words).
If these people had enough sense and time to get a box, everyone should have.

The most interesting daily visit is to an old blind lady.
Every night, I make sure she has her dinner, has taken her bath, I sit and visit and then put her eye drops in.
Tonight we watched (listened to) the Temptations movie on ION.
She asked me if it was Black History Month. "yes Ma'am", I replied.
She then spoke about the times in which she grew up.
Her great-grandson asked about Segregation.
I asked if she remembers having to sit in the back of the bus or outside of a restaurant or on the Black side of a movie theater.
"Nope", she says, "We were too poor to do any of that".
I thought she was joking, but she was dead serious.
Too poor for Segregation?

But the rounds have gotten old.
Every month I think things will be better the next.
Every month, things are still the same.
Everyone I know needs something from me every time they see me.
I thought that I could quit after a decade - but no one seems to have changed.
In fact, I think they may be even more dependent on me.
I think I may have added another level of dependency to their lives.
Maybe the Bible was right when it said that we would always have the poor with us.
But I can't seem to communicate that it doesn't have to be them.