Is our Government doing everything it can?

The American Government is so complex that I will not even try to explain some of the many tasks that it has to take on, if I even fully understand them myself, but one thing is for sure, if our economy is flowing strong, the American people are confident which leads to a happy society to put it simply.

The American economy in my opinion, has started to get out of hand since the Tech Boom of the late 1990s  and has continued to down slide ever since. Wall Street has had its major challenges with not just the United States investors, but with the rest of the World as well that have gambled on our rising corporate infrastructure, and the banking industry has played a major role in the down turn that we are facing right now.

In our Government’s defense, it has certainly tried to avoid the situation we are all in as far as mortgage foreclosures and the escalating unemployment rate, but are the right plans of relief in place to better our future?

Which is more important?

Do we vote to save Wall Street or save the American people? Of course the majority would say to save the American people but unfortunately, Wall Street is one of the major reasons that we have the opportunity to live a prosperous life in most cases but there has to be a happy medium.

Programs launched by the Government such as the EESA program (Emergency Economic Stabilization Act), and TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) were without a doubt, geared towards the relief of banking institutions that directly affect Wall Street. The EESA some say was a bust and is now winding down to a close but The TARP program is very much alive.

In my opinion, the TARP program was a needed program, and I do admire the direction that Barack Obama is currently going in with his plan to take left over monies and put it in to highways, bridges and small business loans to create more jobs in America but I believe that an added statement to that plan announced by President Barack Obama should be; and now that the banking industry is taking a positive turn, it is time to focus on the American people now with a direct positive focus towards the program that was designed to relieve the current mortgage pressures!

What is the HAMP program?

The HAMP program (Home Affordable Mortgage Program) was designed to help people with their mortgage woes as far as modifying mortgage loans and/or lowering monthly payments to survive the financial storm that they were, or are in currently. Participating banks and mortgage lenders, which took Government bailout monies, agreed to give people a chance to get out our their mortgage debt and the plan made claims that the target was to help 4-5 million people.

Elizabeth Warren, who is a Harvard Law professor-turned-crusader for Main Street who shares company to a growing list of experts, is calling for the Obama administration to scrap its failed foreclosure-prevention plan in favor of one that would actually help troubled homeowners keep their homes.

She has recently made stabbing statements that the current HAMP program has only helped a little over 10,000 people successfully modify their mortgages permanently which is only a little under 5% in the first three (3) month trial plans Nationwide from the original estimated target goal.

I believe the reason for this is because the participating banks had no intention to truly help the people for fear of risking their own bottom line.

I have personally have spoken with a few people that have gone through these so-called loan modifications, and they tell me that if your income or credit profile has changed that you would be turned down which was the case with them.

Well doesn’t it make sense that if you are late on your mortgage that you are going through a financial crisis, that your credit profile would in fact be blemished?

I do have to ask, what was the purpose of the HAMP program then?

What do we really need to cure this economic problem in my opinion?

As far as the banks:

It’s not like the banks willingly helped the people, they got paid, so I think the Government should modify their own plan and force these banks to exercise the loan modification program to truly help people to get their money’s worth!

The estimated numbers for foreclosure is expected to rise to over 8 million in the next few years and that will truly hurt!

As far as our Government:

I do admire the attention that Barack Obama has given this as far as his new jobs program, and again, I think he is on the right track by using left over TARP monies to create new jobs and to have money to lend to small businesses but is that enough?

I did like one thing that John McCain said in his campaign trail which was; lower taxes for the American businesses so that they can afford to stay in business and do better things for their future and their employee’s future!

Is this a possible supplement to the lending that would possibly allow these businesses to stay in business?

President Barack Obama said that it is time for Change, so I do hope that he continues this fight and realizes some of main ingredients to accomplish this, and to get our Country back on track! END

As always, your comments and feedback are welcome!

Cya next time!

Ricky Z.

You can read in most of the major news syndications in the web this week that President Barack Obama has a new plan in store for creating new jobs in America. He is urging Congress to spend unspent dollars from the bank bailout fund to put towards more useful things such as building bridges, highways as well as funding small businesses and more.

Is this finally a good plan on the horizon?

On Dec. 9^th, the President made some statements regarding badly needed jobs in America.

The president said that he is hoping for bipartisan support to use the TARP program (Troubled Assets Relief Program) to help small businesses and to bring down double-digit unemployment numbers which would be a great success.

This program has served its original purpose he said, and the cost has been much lower than we had expected, giving us a chance to pay down the deficit faster than we had thought at the time we initiated it and also allowing us to invest in job creation on Main Street rather than on Wall Street.

He also said after a White House meeting to a group of Republicans and Democrat congressional members, “I am not going to rest until every American who is looking for a job can find one”

Is Barack Obama doing a good job so far with his current efforts?

It is in the news lately that his approval rate is going down in certain areas. I will never say whether I am a Barack Obama supporter or not but I will say this,

Any President who would have went in to office at the time that he did would have faced the same problems such as he is going through, and I do admire that he had big confidence going in and was willing to take a stab at making a difference in the American economy as well as other matters that were major issues at the time and are now currently.

Let’s just hope that his plans that are on the horizon will have a positive effect on putting people back to work!

What about the banks?

It should be apparent by now that the banks that have received the bailout money in the last 13 months was not a real success. It is true that some of these banks are reporting profits which will pay some of the Government loans back, but what about all of the promises that were made to help the American people with their current mortgage debt?

Wasn’t it Barack Obama that made eloquent speeches that he would see to it that people would receive this much needed help, and to also twist the wrench to some of these banks to ensure that the people would get help modifying their mortgages?

The actual numbers are terrible as to the people that have actually received that type of help and it is in my opinion that Barack Obama needs to stay on the pursuit of making his original statements more of a reality for the people in need! You can read more about percentage facts related to this in part 2 next week.

Again, whether I am a Barack Obama supporter or not, I agree with his plans to create jobs and I will fully support his positive efforts, but I think that there has to be more of an emphasis on what these banks are doing with the Governments money!

I hope you will visit me next week for Part 2!

Also, I welcome any feedback to what I have wrote in this article by commenting below.

Cya Soon!

Ricky Z.

President Obama has made some very eloquent speeches to the American people about this new bill and has told Americans that it is an attempt to ensure that all people will have a fair healthcare plan in place to make sure that people get the care they need for themselves and their families as well as attacking current pre-existing conditions and other health goodies such as mammograms that do not get covered by some of the current insurance companies.

It all sounds good but what is the price?

Well on top of the price tag that has been estimated to rise to the 1 Trillion mark, the healthcare plan has some teeth attached to it. The proposed plan will have penalties attached to it. American citizens that do not choose to obtain health coverage could face stiff fines as well as possible jail time in some cases and it will all be policed through the Internal Revenue service according to the Joint Committee on taxation. Under the questioning from Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), committee’s chief of staff Thomas Bartold said that the IRS would take you to court and undertake normal collection proceedings for an individual mandate penalty to the tune of up to $1900.00 and President Obama stated that this would not be a form of a tax increase.

Things are heating up in Washington!

The new healthcare proposal is causing a heated battle in Washington and as usual the Democrats and the Republicans have different views on where this plan will lead to. The Democrat party is expected to have the majority vote when it comes time to get the new healthcare plan approved which was a major concern on Wednesday as the Republicans gained two wins in the Virginia and New Jersey Governor race but Democrats said the outcome would not sidetrack President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority, a sweeping healthcare overhaul.

The fact is that even with the election turnout this week, Democrats will have 258 seats in the 435-member House, where 218 votes are needed to pass the healthcare overhaul bill so the task of the Democratic party will be convincing the skeptical Democratic waverers that the healthcare bill is a needed to ensure a majority vote.

What would this plan do for the Medical industry?

Many doctors all over the United States are already screaming “Socialized Medicine” and have made many different statements such as stating that it may time for early retirement from some of them. Many doctors fear that by adding literally millions more to their client list. Some also say that it would cheapen the quality of healthcare that people receive because of the amount of people waiting to see the doctor. England for instance adopted a Government ran healthcare plan in 1948 which gave free healthcare and medicine to all of their citizens. They have since revised their plan to include small fees for doctor visits and such but the plan just doesn’t work. The fact is that people are still waiting several months to receive necessary medical procedures which cost them their life in many cases and many doctors here in the United States say that we would be heading down the same road quick!

Would it be another form of Government control?

Some people say that the proposed healthcare plan would be a direct conflict of our United States Constitution. The Federal Government would have records from birth until death of all of your medical and healthcare activity. Who would be able to access all of your information submitted to the database in which you would be a part of? Just about everything you do in society is a matter of public record so do we want to strengthen that? All good questions!

Now I will admit one thing, we need a healthcare overhaul and we need it quick. There have been failed attempts by Clinton and Bush in the past to change or overhaul the healthcare system and we defiantly need a plan in place that will care for the people as well as be something that will not break the Federal bank but it is in my opinion that this newly proposed plan is not the ticket!

What are your thoughts? Voice your opinion!

I am just presenting some facts as well as opinions about the Obama healthcare proposition but we need to talk about this. Please feel free to comment as to your thoughts on this because after all, it is supposed to be We The People!

What is the best choice for us all?

Ricky Z.

Well folks it’s time to get this party started! I will be bringing you my best and worst opinions every week here in the Me Zone. I hope that you will jump in on the conversations by commenting on the posts. The people of Northwest Indiana need to voice their opinions as to what is going on in their communities as well as the world and I for one would love to hear your thoughts!

I may put in a quickie post from time to time but you can expect to see the main posts come out soon.

If you would like to see something posted in the Me Zone, please contact me, Ricky Z and I will look in to it. Contact HERE

Bye for now!

Ricky

Last Friday, the US Government offered up to $17.4 billion in loans to the big three. Ford surprisingly said that they were not interested and that their liquidity would hold them for awhile. The stock market rose as a result of this which is a good thing, and several families appreciated the fact that George Bush did something good for a change in my opinion to help the American people because he sure did have many people in Congress against this bailout but was that the right decision?

What is the score now?

The UAW’s Maurice Davison in a meeting in Indianapolis refuted claims made by the Republicans in Congress that say that the US automakers should fall to the same employee pay structure such as their foreign rivals. Davidson also alleges that Southern lawmakers are representing the interests of the foreign automakers and says that it is an attempt to lower the wages on the automakers that are in production in the USA but what lowering the wages be the right answer?

The overall fact is that the USA automakers are behind the eight ball so to speak, being that they’re told labor cost was calculated at $71 per hour opposed to the Japanese automakers at $49 per hour which is a very big difference which is reflected in the total price of the cars that we pay for as well as the future of the USA automakers employees. It is also a fact that as a result of these figures, USA automakers are being forced to try different types of employment options such as non-unionized pay for certain types of jobs and plants. New jobs available at some of the plans include a starting wage of approximately $15 an hour which is in the area of what the Japanese automakers are offering our people such as the new Honda plant in Greensburg Indiana which has a starting wage of $14.85 per hour. All of these facts are well and fine but what should we the people think or do with all of this going on?

What did they think was going to happen?

I say that all of this is just a bunch of crap! We should’ve never been in this predicament in the first place! This all could then avoided if the people that were in Congress in 1985 cared about the people rather than their pockets when it came to allowing Japanese automakers to set up shop using labor rates and conditions for their employees to be under the standards that our big three along with the UAW have built for their employees for years. The USA automakers are a major contributor to not only the US economy, but to the future of our well-being in my opinion as far as the jobs that are created surrounding the industry and the future of America itself. With all of the mind power in the Government, you mean they did not know that this would happen? Who is running this store anyway? I do agree that there needs to be some changes in the UAW but this is not the way it should have happened! Who is our Government rooting for anyway?

The trouble with politicians being elected into office so frequently is that many things slip through the cracks, and many things certainly did here that led us to this point. It is directly the blame of the US government that all this came about says me! I guess when they allowed the foreign automakers to come to our land, they never considered the fact that 20 years later the foreign automakers would have better statistics overall as far as fewer retirees and the nonunion set up for their employees which would directly kill the big 3 pound for pound, or did they?

What can We The People do?

Well we don’t have too many options here the way I see it. It kind it gets confusing when you look at the rate of inflation vs. the price of an automobile in the USA these days, as well as many other goods made by American manufactures as well. I have always backed foreign trade in moderation to keep the world economy falling as well as good relations with other countries but enough is enough. In my eyes the American Government has built a monster with foreign trade acts and now it is taking its toll.

People always buy automobiles but who will they buy them from? It is a fact that if every US citizen and decided to quit buying foreign automobiles, the Japanese manufacturers would close up shop and go back to their land to make their money. I think that would be pretty course but would it be any different than what our government has done to our automakers? But wait a minute, tax base that has been instilled upon our USA businesses overall is forcing many to seek foreign refuge as far as cheaper labor to compete with the market which again was a result of foreign trade actions.

The Bottom Line!

I believe that greed has taken its toll and it’s not to be an easy task to get everything back on track but there is only one way to do it in my opinion. If people want to stop hearing about our USA automakers being in trouble, or American manufactures going out of business, then we need to take it upon ourselves to pick the leaders in our retail sectors. Despite what our US government has done to our US businesses in the last 20 or 30 years, we need to decide who will be the leaders. If people would like foreign manufactures to be on top, then keep buying their products including their automobiles. It is no secret, and there is no sense in hiding from the fact that we are in a recession and from the signs that we are seeing is a possibility of a nationwide depression being upon us and I do not believe that we will be a vote to avoid that sadly but what will pull our economy back in gear. The purchase of foreign products?

I will not put a Halo on my head and say that I never bought something made in a foreign country to save a buck but in times like this, Ricky says that I am not going to buy anything else made from foreign manufacture if I can help it because in the end I am an American and I will stand behind our American people and businesses. It would be a bold move by the American people to do this as well but it wouldn’t be that hard if you really think about it. We cannot act for today, but rather for tomorrow to better this Country as well as taking some of the decisions out of the hands of Congress. If we all stand together we can curb the outcome of what will happen to our American businesses including our US automakers!

I would love to hear what you have to say about this! Comments?

That’s all for now! Ricky Z.

(Part 1) By Ricky Z.

One thing I have always liked about NASCAR is that when you see the cars on the track, you know that the cars all have about the same type of engine and specs. NASCAR regulates the amount of horsepower and other specs to ensure that it will be a fair race for everyone. Is our Government following the same type of rules for our American Businesses and Workers?

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union for instance, was formed in 1935 to form a fair relationship between the companies and their workers. Through the 1900s the UAW focused on the American worker which brought a new dance to the way that companies treated their workers which has worked very effectively. They proved that unity can be a powerful way to get things accomplished with a majority type ruling and it started to spread to other industries as well. The UAW was also one of the first to organize African American workers as well as many other very important issues which was a clear view that they were acting on behalf of the people instead of what the rest of the United States were doing.

Sound like a good plan?

I say that it is always a good plan to force fair treatment for workers that are dedicating their lives to a company but who pays the price?

Although the UAW and other unions alike have proven that they can get the job done, I have always looked at our Government as being the Main Union for all of us. I do feel that we the people, or we the taxpayers I should say, have been bamboozled with what is going on today though! There has been so much manipulation in Congress and in the News lately that it is starting to make me sick!

It is a fact that the Big 3 (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) have had their ups and downs through history but why are they in the Government’s spotlight now? The Automakers bailout package is the main focus in the news currently and the gut of it is that Congress wants the big three to sharpen up the way they do business, and claim that if they continue to do business the way that they have been is a sure cry for bankruptcy and they are right in my opinion but what was the cause of this?

I say, why does the Government care?

It seems that our Government should have regulated the way that foreign car makers conduct their business here in the USA but they haven’t at all in my opinion! They surely knew that allowing the foreign car makers to set up manufacturing plants in the US. And by employing workers at half the labor rate, and with no union, would have its reckoning day and that day is now!

The Ford Motor Company has been going through some bold changes and everyone is upset at the fact that many jobs are being lost because of the bold move that Ford has taken in the last couple of years with the UAW. It appears that Ford is attempting to oust the UAW so that the new employee rates can hopefully bring them in the running with the success that the foreign car makers have had which sounds like a bad thing but if they didn’t they would be dead for sure. Is that a wrong decision?

I know one thing: There are sure a lot of people being damaged financially because all of this which affects families and businesses all over the Country and it is time to do something about this I feel! It’s not just the auto workers that are being affected by this.

Where am I going with this? What is the answer? What can We The People do?

All good questions!

Please stay tuned to Part 2 of this story as we will have it published next week, but in the meantime, we would love to hear your questions and/or comments on this subject thus far!

Ricky Z.!

I would like to introduce myself, I am Ricky Z. and I am very excited to launch the free speech section known as The Me Zone. We will be posting our first post tomorrow, 12-13-2008 and I hope that you will enjoy it  I do apologize if I come off as being a little sarcastic or brassy at times but I speak my mind and that’s all there is to it so fasten your seat belts!

I do occasionally find a few good things to talk about too… We’ll See!

You can expect to hear about topics such as politics, sports, and what is going on in the World today, plus a few added extras from time to time.

We will also be adding a few features in the months to come to add a little excitement to our section. We will post these features as they progress.

Please stay tuned to The Me Zone as I will feature a new column each week and I do very much welcome member comments no matter if they are good or bad so post those comments, I can take the good with the bad!

If you have any questions or concerns about The Me Zone, you can e-mail me here at the site at rickyz@nwime.com or contact the site by visiting their Contact Us tab located at the top of the homepage.

Cya Soon!

Ricky Z.