in response to soulight... The reality of it is....the Republicans have their typical playbook at work. They have told every Republican from City Council members to members of Congress and the Senate to say no to everything...especially anything having to do with the Stimulus money and any bill that helps the people of America. This way people get angry and think that the Democrats, who are the only ones trying to do anything positive to help, and this wonderful President, are doing nothing!
The Republicans have now succeeded in stopping extended unemployment benefits for millions of people and millions more of their family members. The Stimulus money went to the states, each state was suppose to create jobs, provide food stamps, extended unemployment, help with small businesses...but as it happened in Florida...Republican Governor, Charlie Crist, suffered from supporting the Stimulus Bill and the Republicans went out and found another person to run against him in the race for a Senate seat that he was bidding for.
Florida, although the governor was for the Stimulus funds...money for the state to do business, our State Legislature is a majority Republican and they make up the Laws and the way that business in conducted by the state. They said "NO" to everything but giving money to Big Corporations because they are the ones who give big bucks to their re-election campaigns. So Florida has stood stagnate. They have done nothing about jobs, they have done nothing...period!!! So, many people have moved out of Florida and many that stayed are suffering. We have the highest Foreclosure rate in the U.S. and the highest jobless rate!
The Banks, who are in cahoots with the Republicans and vice-versa, are not modifying any loans, they are holding up Short-Sales, they are not worried because in 2007, they saw the bubble was going to burst and they insured all of the mortgages at the high interest rates and if they foreclose, they get the full amount of the loan right away, then they get to sell the house on top of it. In a short-sale, people sell the house, but the remaining amount, depending on their circumstances, they will owe...even though the mortgage is insured, they signed an agreement to pay, so they are held to the full amount of the loan minus what the house sells for....and they tell the realtors what to sell the houses for. If you can get more, too bad, the banks won't let you sell it for more! It is crazy! On top of all of that, they did not need the "Bail-out money that the Bush Administration gave out! Henry Paulson, the treasurer under Bush, who worked for Goldman-Saks Investment Company before he became Treasurer...and his best friend, the CEO of Wells Fargo, and a few others...concocted this senario. The banks took this money, invested it right away, and doubled their money.
They also took the mortgages and bundled them with others and sold them to investors, but managed by the banks. Now, even if you qualify for a modification or a short-sale, you have to get approval from the investor before you can get a modification, which are far an few between, or a short-sale! It is almost impossible to do anything to help yourself. Their theory is why should we modify a loan, when we can foreclose and get the full amount of the loan now! There is no reason for them to do anything to help American citizens!
The Republicans are behind this also, because the more people hurt, the more they blame those in the White House, the majority in the Senate, and in the Congress...at this point, it is a majority of Democrats! People don't seem to care that the Republicans have offered no ideas and have said "no" to everything to help this economy. This is a game of politics and control. Money speaks, and now that the Supreme Court, a majority of Republicans, have ruled that Corporations can donate as much money as they want to any political party or group. They have raised millions since that ruling came down.
The Bush Administration siphoned over $2.2 TRILLION DOLLARS from the SOCIAL SECURITY TRUST FUND FROM 2000 TO 2008. They also took billions from the Military Retirement Trust Fund, the Federal Employee Retirement Trust Fund, the Railroad Retirement Trust Fund, All of the American Indian Trust Funds, and more!
Additionally, the Bush Administration borrowed from 12 foreign countries! He borrowed Trillions from China, Billions of dollars from the United Kingdom (England), Billions from Japan, and nine more countries. So, when President Obama took office, he was faced with a huge deficit from two wars, Loans from 12 countries with high interest rates, the residue from Hurricane Katrina...still suffering areas, and with Bush giving tax cuts to everyone in America, how do you run a country? That is why President Obama is allowing the tax cuts to those making more than $250,000. a year lapse. Most of the rich, and especially many Corporations, sent their money to the Cayman Islands and other off-shore non-taxing shelters so that they didn't have to declare their earnings over a certain amount. Then they had the tax cuts for the amount that they showed in American Banks.
We can thank the Republicans for all of the mess to begin with since when they were the majority in the Senate and Congress from 1996 to 2006, they de-regulated all of the banks and Wall Street that caused this craziness! Additionally, from 2000 to 2006, they had control of the White House (Bush), the Senate, and the Congress! The Bush Administration and the Republicans in power (majority) created a tax incentive Law that gave tax breaks to any Corporation that went abroad (over-seas to foreign countries) and "Globalized" their business! That meant less money in taxes for the Government, the MILLIONS OF JOBS SHIPPED OVERSEAS TO CHINA, INDIA, AND OTHER COUNTRIES...meant no money into Social Security because Americans lost those millions of jobs, and couldn't pay their taxes or had lower taxes due to getting a lower paying job and their taxes were less on a lower income.
The rich kept getting richer with risky HEDGE FUNDS AND OTHER TYPES OF RISKY INVESTMENT PRODUCTS! However, the scammers were out in banks offering bad loans, and in other financial institutions! That is why the crash came...during the Bush Administration's watch...yet, the Republicans are trying to re-write history and blame it all on President Obama and the Democrats in Congress and the Senate.
There is much more, but I must leave you with one last note...and it is a doozy! The Republican owned Corporations that own ALL OF THE MEDIA OUTLETS!!! FoxNews, NBC, CBS, ABC and more...ALL NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES, AND OTHER PRINTED MATERIALS ARE SYDICATED AND OWNED BY BIG CORPORATIONS, AND OF COURSE RADIO...Rush Limbaugh gets paid $50 Million dollars over a three year period to spew horrid lies, Glenn Beck gets paid $30 Million over a three year term to cry and lie on FoxNews by the same people who pay Rush Limbaugh. Our forefathers wanted us to have Freedom of the Press...as long as it was the TRUTH! NOT ONE THING ON FOXNEWS IS EVER TRUE...IT IS EITHER A MANIPULATON OF THE TRUTH OR A COMPLETE LIE!!! CNN HAS A FEW INDEPENDENTS WHO LIE ALSO!
So, my friend, we have been PLAYED FOR FOOLS BY THE REPUBLICANS DURING THE BUSH YEARS, AND NOW, THEY ARE HAVING THE ULTIMATE TANTRUM BECAUSE THEY LOST CONTROL. THEY HAVE CONTRIVED A WAY, USED BEFORE SUCCESSFULLY, BUT THIS IS AT A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL, TO TORMENT AND ALLOW TORTURE OF ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS BY NOT PITCHING IN, HELPING FIND SOLUTIONS AND WORKING HARD TO GET AMERICA BACK ON ITS FEET! THEY HAVE CONSORTED WITH EACH OTHER TO DO NOTHING SO THAT EVERY EFFORT BY THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THE MAJORITY IN CONGRESS AND THE SENATE, THE DEMOCRATS WOULD LOOK LIKE LOSERS. REPUBLICANS RAN UP THE DEFICIT AND THE TICKING TIME-BOMB OF LOANS TAKEN OUT FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, AND THE SIPHONING OFF OF RETIREMENT TRUST FUNDS WITH THE BABY-BOOMER GENERATION NOW STARTING TO RETIRE IN HUGE NUMBERS...AND USED IT TO CAUSE HAVOC AMONG AMERICANS WHO JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND!
NOT TO EVEN SAY ANYTHING ABOUT LEAVING TWO WARS IN THE MIDDLE OF A MESS, STILL COSTING US TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR, BUT WITH US IN A SITUATION WHERE IT IS SO BAD A MESS, THAT WE CANNOT LEAVE IT AS IT IS. THAT WOULD BE LIKE WHEN WE CUT AND RAN IN VIETNAM. ALL OF THAT MONEY SPENT AND 52,000 YOUNG MEN DEAD THANKS TO ANOTHER REPUBLICAN, RICHARD NIXON. YES, I LIVED THROUGH THAT RECESSION, ANOTHER BIG ONE AFTER RONALD REAGAN LEFT OFFICE, A SMALLER ONE AFTER GEORGE BUSH'S FATHER LEFT BECAUSE HE WAS ONLY IN FOR ONE TERM, AND NOW ANOTHER HUGE...HISTORY MAKING RECESSION...AFTER GEORGE W. BUSH.
BY THE WAY, THE STORY ABOUT DICK CHENEY AND ALL HIS SOCIOPATHIC AND MONEY-MAKING ENDEAVORS WITH HALLIBURTON AND MORE...LATER! I TELL NO LIES, I RESEARCH ALL OF THIS BEFORE I SAY A WORD, AND I WATCHED IT HAPPEN WHILE TRYING TO WARN OTHERS!
SO, IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE, VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATS! THEY CARE ABOUT ALL AMERICANS, THEY WANT CHANGE, THEY WANT TO HELP EVERYONE....BUT THEY ARE BEING LIED ABOUT AND NOW BIG MONEY IS BUYING THE REPUBLICANS BACK INTO OFFICE! WHAT A SHAME THAT MORE AMERICANS DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN THEIR OWN TOWNS, NONETHELESS, THEIR OWN STATE OR COUNTRY! WE ALL TRY TO LIVE OUR LIVES AND TRUST THE PEOPLE WE THINK ARE BEST TO RUN OUR COMMUNITIES! HOWEVER, ALL THAT GLISTENS IS NOT GOLD, MY FRIEND, AND THE GOLD GLISTENING IN THE HANDS OF THE REPUBLICANS IS THE SWEAT AND TEARS OF MANY OF AN AMERICAN WHO LOST THEIR JOB TO CHINA, WHO LOST THEIR HOMES BECAUSE OF TRICKY LOANS, AND LOST THEIR RETIREMENT DUE TO THE ROBBERY OF THE CENTURY BY REPUBLICANS!
PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO OTHERS! I AM SADDENED BY THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN AMERICA AND SADDENED MORE BY AMERICANS WHO LISTEN TO PURE LIES AND BELIEVE THEM WITHOUT INVESTIGATING IT THEMSELVES!