How many of you watched the movie Forrest Gump? Assuming the majority of you did, do you think Forrest was the dumbest man around or the brightest? Did any of you see yourself in him? We could just as easily ask ourselves about real life people/organizations/companies and if they are really that dumb or do they think we are that dumb.
I just found out that General Motors, one of the Big Three automakers on the verge of bankruptcy, spent over one million dollars over the past three months lobbying Congress. In total, $22 million was spent to lobby Congress by the top recipients of bailout money.
Let’s see if I can find something that I can better relate this act to readers with. Let’s see. How about this? I am on the verge of bankruptcy. I am several months behind in my mortgage payments, 2 months behind in my car payment and I just received word my taxes and insurances are all going to double next month.
So, what’s the best thing to do? I’ve been here before and got out of it but I can tell you the last thing I would have ever done was to spend a few thousand dollars to go to the state capital and lobby politicians in hopes I can get a break on my taxes.
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I heard on the radio this morning that 2/3 of all mortgage foreclosures are going unreported and the banks are holding back the resale of all these properties simply to artificially keep the value of real estate higher than it should be. While I normally could give a hoot what any bank did to run their business into the ground, wasn’t the whole idea of bailing out the banks to liquidate these assets and get money flowing again? This is YOUR tax dollars at work.
Not only did the banks receive TARP money that was supposed to be used for loans to keep money flowing, they hoarded it and refused to lend it. Isn’t that what banks do? Isn’t that how they make money? We have people with money eager to spend it and the banks won’t sell foreclosed property.
Now that makes you go hmmmmmmmm!
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Also heard on the radio the other day. I was listening to a conversation between two people and one guy was representing a local electricity producing company. He was selling a “smart grid” system for people to use on their homes. This “smart grid” is supposed to tell you, right down to the penny, exactly what things in your house cost what to run and offers ways to save money.
Not too many specifics were shared during this interview, like the cost of the “smart grid” or exactly the “average” savings buying one would give consumers. Being a bit on the geeky side, I thought about these “smart grids”, not from a perspective of saving the planet, global warming, carbon footprint or so much saving money as just fascination.
I listened further and found out that if people would use more of these “smart grids”, it will not only save the planet but will create well over 1,000 jobs just in the Miami area alone. WOW!
On the saving side, I don’t know how much money I can save by purchasing a “smart grid” and taking the full Monty on this. On the expense side, I got to buy the “smart grid”, replace all my light bulbs in my house, buy a new television, never use my computer again, replace my air conditioning and heating systems, etc. Once I’ve done all that, so that I can fully realize the savings, my electricity rates are going to go up because, for one, someone’s got to pay for the 1,000 new jobs in the Miami area alone.
Also, rates will go up because demand for electricity from oil and coal fired plants will go down. You know. The old supply and demand thing. And because now I’m paying more for my electricity, the money can be used to build more wind farms and solar panel fields all across the countryside. This all costs a lot of money and so I got to pay for it.
I think I’ll just pay my .75 cents for my old reliable incandescent light bulb and remember to shut the light off when I leave the room.
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I read yesterday where Pennsylvania now has somewhere around 16,000 black bears, having quadrupled in numbers over the past four decades. I guess that hunting thing isn’t quite wiping out bears in the Keystone State.
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Yesterday I was reading a very touching story about Susan Cenkus, who returned to Benton Falls in the Chilhowee Campground area of Tennessee, where she lost her daughter to a black bear attack three years ago. It was so said to hear her recount the events. How she sacrificed herself in hopes to save her children and how it is her Christian faith that has gotten her through it all.
I thought it was a very fitting story and then I got to the last sentence of the article:
Monte Williams of the U.S. Forestry Service told media representatives the attack was unusual, adding, “Black bears usually don’t attack people.”
Is it some kind of law that every time a human is attacked by an animal that the media has to end it with this disclaimer at the end of every story? If they must do this, then why not add just a bit more to the statement that could actually be helpful? Why not word it this way? “Black bears usually don’t attack people, HOWEVER, there are known instances and we should remind people that anytime you enter the woods where black bears are known to roam, always be prepared!” And then give them a resource where they can learn how to be prepared.
Tom Remington
