Corrupt Politicians

Why can't the House and Senate develop and implement ethics rules that will prevent the members of these 2 bodies from being so corrupt. For instance, members of committees have huge influence on bills that will significantly improve the lives of their constituents, but perhaps negatively impact the profits of companies or industries, that provide huge contributions for the re-election campaigns of these House and Senate members. A Quid pro Quo- between the health insurance companies impacted by the health care reform bill and contributions to House and Senate members who try to block this reform; especially the Public Option.

How long will the voters of Indiana and Connecticut vote for Bayh and Lieberman who have promised to block the health reform bill despite the fact that a large majority of Indiana and Connecticut voters want the health reform bill and the public option. However, Bayh, his wife is making big bucks from a health care company and he accepts large contributions from the health cre companies; like Lieberman who has accepted millions of dollars for his vote.

When will people get excited enough to do something about the corrupt politicians in the House and Senate.

Frontline-PBS program

Obviously, Brooksley Born should be President of the U.S. The Treasury Department, the Senate and House of Representatives have twice in 10 years led this country near the brink of financial disaster. The tax payers had to pick up the tab in 2008. The wealthy arrogant white males seem to be too greedy to think of the Country first and their bank accounts second.

How many times are we going to let people like Greenspan, Sommers, Robert Rubin, Tim Geithner lead us into a financial whirlwind before we learn that we need rules and regulations in our financial system that work.

The wealthy white guys always cry and moan that they pay too much to the IRS; now we know they should pay considerably more income tax just to make up for all the havoc they create in the financial and stock markets.

FiNANCIAL REGULATORY REFORM

Chris Dodd wants a super regulator to regulate banks and other financial institutions. That's like asking a fox to guard the henhouse. He and others in the Senate and the House want the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a department of the Treasury to regulate banks. It is and will be supervised by the political corrupt. Can you imagine the Bush Administration controlling the Bank Regulators? They would eliminate all banking regulations that did not please the big banks and the big contributors to political campaigns

To have the banking industry, one of the most important industries in our country to help foster business, to have it under the control of politicians is stunningly stupid, and a stunningly simplistic fix for what the House and Senate perpetuated in the first place.

Chris Dodd is supposedly on his way to defeat in the next elections for his blatant lies, lets hope he is gone before he can do more damage to the country. Senator Schummer of NY is an ally on this issue; time for him to go as well.

When lawyers become politicians, and get elected to either the house or senate, then you know that this country is in serious trouble. Economics professors who are bought and paid for by big banks are also problematic.

Grassley, Baucaus, and others in the Senate who owe their elections to the health care industry, are examples of why term limits are necessary to keep this country moving forward and the rich and wealthy from corrupting influence.

How about the politicos who have forgotten how to figure their taxes correctly and laugh it off when caught. If the framers of the tax code can't do it right, how are we, poor common citizens expected to get it right.

Then we have John Murtha, called one of the most corrupt politicians in the House or Senate for a number of years, continues on his merry way. The House and Senate have ethics laws that can't stop the corruption. Why should they, the go into office poor as their constituents and come out as wealthy as those who contribute to their re-election campaigns. And we thought Russia, China, Mexico were run by the corrupt.

Health Care/Bank Regulation

I favor a public option for the health care reform plan; why should anyone's health depend on the stock price of the health care companies; why should our health care premiums continue to increase by double digits annually, our level/ amount of coverage be reduced annually and the health care executives receive millions of dollars in salary and bonuses.  Indeed, why do insurance companies spend millions of dollars on lobbyists? Why is it not a conflict of interest for members of the senate and house health committees to receive millions of dollars from the health care companies ;  i.e. Charles Grassley, Max Backus  the most egregious examples of corruption.  

However; there is a problem that most voters understand, the inability for the Senate and House to control costs; prevent fraud and provide adequate supervision; e.g., the waste and fraud in Medicare, the waste and fraud in contracts given in the Iraq war.  Indeed, the waste and fraud in the Defense department budget.  Further, the lack of transparency and control and supervision in the recent financial crises.  Taxpayer funds used to save Citibank, Bank America, AIG, without any restrictions on salaries or bonuses or criminal charges.

Why is the Post Office always over budget; why can't it downsize like private corporations to get back in budget,  Why does the Senate and the House want control over bank regulatory agencies? They already have demonstrated they don't have a clue about banking when the repealed the Glass Stegal Act, failed to regulate mortgage companies and allowed Wall Street to increase the amount of risk on their balance sheets by 300 percent.  Do we want another administration like George W. Bush's to allow unfettered capitalism so taxpayers have to pick up the costs of another financial crises.

So, if Obama would take the lead on the health care plan and provide for cost control, enough administrative supervision to prevent fraud, and require those people who do not follow preventive health practices suggested by their doctors to pay higher premiums, then perhaps the health care plan will work and not run the US into a financial quagmire.  Smokers pay higher health and life insurance premiums, why not obese people and adult onset diabetics. Require premiums based on body mass, weight over healthy levels, sugar levels in blood tests.

Republicans-The Party for stupid people

I can't believe the republican party?  They remind me of the KKK, building a base of the craziest, ignorant, and rabid nut-balls in the country.  William Buckley must be turning over in his grave to have the party taken over by the most ignorant people in the country.

I am neither a member of the democratic party nor do I vote a straight  democrat ticket.  But, I have a problem now; I can never vote for another Republican in my life time unless someone with a hint of intelligence becomes a republican candidate.  

But the bigger problem is the  republican's in congress and in the senate are feeding this frenzy. The birthers, the anti-health reform idiots  are encouraged to disrupt any open discourse.  

Bohner, McConnell, Imhoff, Cantor, want to keep this country in recession, even push it into a depression to get back into power.

Infinite Wisdom of the Politicians

Senator Charles Schumer from New York wants to merge the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency(OCC) and the Office of Thrift Supervision(OTS) into one bank regulatory agency and give this entity the sole responsibility of examining all of the nation's banks. This has to be a joke or he is an idiot.

Who was responsible for examining Bank America, Citigroup, Wachovia? The OCC.  Who was responsible for examining Washington Mutual, Indy Mac, Superior Bank, Country Wide, AIG, Golden State. The OTS.  

What do all these banks have in common; they either failed or required massive government government intervention in the form of government bailout (TARP) money to survive.  The politicians want more power placed in the Treasury to consolidate their power. Why do they want power( greed, money to finance their political campaigns, a way to retire wealthy at tax payers expense.

The last thing the american citizens need is more power in the hands of this administration or another one like Bush 43".

The FRB is independent of the administration as is the FDIC.  We need to keep it that way.  The politicos are responsible for the massive financial failures in our banks; they enabled the banks to fail through bad legislation.

The politicians always want to blame someone else for their blatant acceptance of the big banks requests for more powers, less consumer protection, and more risk and payoff.  

Schumer, Phil Graham, are stooges for the big financial institutions that is costing the taxpayers and the future taxpayers billions, trillions of dollars.  Geithner even evaded paying taxers like many of the "best and brighest" in Washington DC.  

Do you need any more information in order for you to write your senator or congressman to tell them you want independent bank regulators, not stooges for the politicians in office.

Politics and Politicians

We are now involved with a great financial disaster, testing whether this nation or any nation can long endure. The republicans gave away billions in the first TARP give away and never required oversight or supervision or requirements of the receiving company.  Now, with a new president in office, obviously representing the opposing or democratic party, the republicans are arguing for a smaller bailout package.  It appears to me that they would like to see the country go into a deep depression so they could blame the democratic party, thus, giving a better chance for the republican party to get back in power.  It is as if they think they live in a different world, caring less for their constituents than themselves.  

Why should we pay taxes to the government so these politicians can do what ever they want with our funds without consequence.  Bush cut taxes while we were throwing billions down a rat hole in Iraq.  He set us up on a path to financial disaster.  He single-handedly pushed the middle class into the lower class with the changes in the bankruptcy law, and the changes in the way credit card companies can gouge their customers, the way in which Sallie Mae can ruin student's lives and eliminate the possibility of a college education for many.  The democrats sat on their hands letting the Bush Administration do whatever it wanted.  The change needed was not only the need for a new type of presidential administration, but term limits on the members of the house and senate.   I am not sure we got a change with Obama, he picked some of the same old boys that were in the Clinton administration.  

CNBC-

I used to watch most programs on CNBC if I happened to be off work for the day. But Larry Kudlow has really irritated me to the point that I can no longer listen to him blather on how great the rich people are. They pay most of the taxes, they make the economy grow, and yada yada yada. The trickle down theory is true of the tax rate is 65% and its lowered to 35%. But when the tax rate is already 35% and lowered further, there is no trickle down effect.

Kudlow is always complaining about Obama's policies; how the tax rates will go up for the rich which he thinks will stall any future economic growth and keep the U.S. in a recession. I see a lot of tax returns, and I see a lot of wealthy paying very little or no income tax. The tax code is working exceedingly well for them. I think we have seen enough of the huge amounts of wealth accumulated at the expense of the taxpayers. We, the taxpayers have to keep their companies afloat because? Fraud, greed, stupidity. These appear to describe Mr. Kudlow as well. It wasn't that long ago we got all got taken in by Enron, Worl Com, Health South, etc. How many times do we have to buy the Brooklyn Bridge before we understand what is happening.

I have nothing against making a lot of money through hard work, producing or selling something people want or need or fantastic good luck. But, the rich folk use their influence to change the tax code to benefit themselves; so they can hord their money like Scrooge McDuck. They lobby the politicians so they can fatten their wallets at taxpayers expense. Hell yes, everyone would like to be rich; that is why George Bush was elected twice. The voters thought the tax breaks would help everyone equally. Suckers! Read " Free Lunch" and get a taste of what you are up against. Without daddy Bush, George would still be selling liquor to indians.

President Sarah Palin? Is this real? Are there that many idiotic voters in this country to even consider voting for this person. Republicans tricked us with George Bush, if they are able to trick the voters again, this country is in deep deep trouble.