Is it me or has everyone lost their minds

[Keithc8]

I was just wondering if everyone has gone crazy with this bail out thing. Now the Governors of several states want a trillion in bail out money. Can people not live within their means and run the government within its budget. People makedeals and promises that there is no way they can honor down the road and then want the tax payers to bail them out.
The AIG, Banks, auto industry, state governemnt and who knows who else want money. The government just keeps printing it and handling it out and we will all pay down the road. Our money is slowly becoming worth nothing. China could break us right now if they wanted to as if we are not already broke.
We are going down the tubes and fast with this crazy stuff. We have to draw the line somewhere and some of these people are going to have to learn to live with less or work harder. I know it is a crazy thing to think that in this spoiled and lazy country that some people might work more than 40 hours or get dirty doing it. We have to many people drawing checks of the government that are perfectly fine to work or help in other ways. Our children are in big trouble thanks to us for being so greedy and wanting everything even though we might not be able to afford it . God forbid that someone put 25 percent down on a car or home these days which use to be the norm 25 years ago. My father-in law paid for his land and lived in a mobile home for 5 years to save money for his house and then built it and did not owe a dime. You do not see this anymore in this time of instant gradification. I want what it took my parents 20 years to get right now when I get out of college attitude has got to go.
Just me ranting but something has to be done because we are in big trouble as a country and with no plan. This next guy plans to just spend more government or should I say tax payer money on a bunch of programs as well. This will be big trouble in the next three to four years for us all. Oh hell what do I know, I guess I will just build me a cabin in the woods and become a hermit.
Happy New Year and I hope things get better some how, Keith Carft

[elmariachi]

Keith,

Just be lucky you don't live in the big city. The "entitlement" attitude here (Houston) would gag you. They are all mortgaged to the hilt, two new financed cars in the driveway, credit cards maxxed out, and wanting one of those free refinance deals from the FHA to bail them out of their bad mortgage. I am afraid it is only going to get worse as this new administration gets busy spending money we don't have on roads and bridges and public works. They tell us we need to go green and reduce the number of cars on the road, but they want to build more highways. Go figure. For those of us who have worked and saved long, its going to be painful. Frankly, I think us and our kids are screwed.

Jim

[Prof]

Keithc8,
Well-said and perfectly spoken.
Right on, brother..keep on speaking it straight up like that!
Paul

[mpanten]

in a word, yes, they have lost their minds, im so angry it's hard to post a rational thought. In my opinion it's time to storm the capitols with pitch forks

[LuvDaBlues]

I'll second that guys,

Everyone now-a-days wants it now, and maybe pay later. In my industry, architectural design, if the Owner/Developer had a dream, they knew to pay for the design when the design was complete. Then competitive bid the construction, which would be financed. Now-a-days they do not have the capital to fund the design, so they will finance along with the construction. So small firms such as mine, 2 people, are hung out 3-6 months before we even see a check, if we even see the full amount. I've had to pull cash from my savings to hit payroll.

If an individual, company or government can't afford the cost, work-earn-save until then.

Keith, imagine one of our firms/companies goes bust due to clients failing to pay. Do you think any of the governments (local, state, federal) would bail us out. Hell no, they would think we were going to give ourselves a year end bonus.......... WAIT, that's what the banks are doing! Where do I sign up?????

[lineslinger]

Pretty good rant.

You are correct in observing this govt. we elected has created a scenario that our kids, grand kids and great grand kids will be compensating for.

It has gotten to the point where the greed of the few outweighs the need of the many.

[rtstrack]

Keith,

I think the main problem is that CEO's of public companies, Govenors & Presidents are all managing and making decisions for the SHORT TERM. CEO's do what is necessary to get that multi-million year end bonus, Govenors do what ever it takes to make their voters happy NOW, so that in a year or two they can be re-elected or move on to the senate, etc. Presidents have an 8 year term limit, assuming re-election, i really can't imagine that their focus is on what the country will need in 25+ years. No one, in my three examples, is held accountable for the long term. Now take yourself, a private businessmen, who needs to weigh the bottom line TODAY, while not sacrificing service & craftsmen ship that will harm your future business. You have skin in the game, and not one of these others do. So what if Ford or GM goes under, every prior and current CEO has gotten their millions. So what if a state files for bankruptcy in 8 years, the governor has moved onto bigger and better things by then. The President? forget it, he's off dedicating his library or pawning off his speeches for a million dollars a pop. Just my rambling thoughts.

[diegokid]

Whats worse is the common thought by the average Joe is that the money is free. I was talking to someone the other day who actually thought this is just free money. He refuses to acknowledge that our children will be paying for this. As an earlier poster noted the I'm entitled attitude is getting worse than it is in some european contries.

I fear it'll get worse before it gets better.

[FWB]

wow, sounds like you need to take some time and go visit the clinton library and massage parlor......ya know relieve some stress, read a few books.

Fred

[Snowsnake]

They say the CEO's received bonuses; Why? They're in breach of contract. The companies for whom they are employed are close to if not are bankrupt. In my opinon don't deserve a dime. Why should the UAW's take a pay cut when the Top Dogs are getting raises. Or a teller get laid off because his/her boss (legally) embezzled money and now the bank is broke.
Yes we are in part to blame, Nobody cares where the money is comming from as long as it keeps comming. But now it has come to a halt.... So now what ? If WE THE PEOPLE can come up with a solution I'm all ears. And if it takes venting on Cobra forum to get an answer the by all means do it !

[Nedsel]

I especially liked it last summer when the mo**er f***ers at Lehman Brothers gave themselves huge bonuses just days before declaring backruptcy. Whoops, we got ours, but it looks like you slobs who invested with us won't be getting any of yours, because we took it! Seems to be a pervasive attitude on Wall Street. Lotsa luck to the investors!

[trularin]

Ah yes, accountability.

[computerworks]

Mod Note....
...discussion on this topic can continue in The Lounge.

thanks

[iwantacobra427]

Did you hear that Citibank used millions of the bailout money to sponsor the Rose Bowl?

[HI Cobra]

Nothing surprises me anymore - WAKE UP AMERICA!

[Jamo]

Keith...you hit the nail on the head.

Personally, I think we ought to sell Hawaii to either China, Japan or Disney.

[HI Cobra]

Now that Hawaii is a president's birth place that probably won't happen,
at least not while sen. Inouye is still alive. The Japanese tourist market
has really declined and those that come don't spend as much money. The
Chinese might become the next tourist market, but not yet anyway.
Disney is planning a resort on Oahu (not a Disneyland type place)
so who knows what will happen here. I have my escape plan in place if it
goes to do do here. Most people here have two jobs to pay to live in this
high priced paradise. I do love the weather though.

Flip

[Jamo]

Obamaland?

[Ron61]

I feel that this has been in the happening for many years. College students defaulting on paying back student loans. Other people not paying back borrowed money and no one seemed to care. Attitude was changing from I am not responsible and I should have everything that I want and let someone, ( Taxpayer ), cover my stupid decisions. Then when Gray Davis, our former Governor and his P.G.& E. buddies were doing their thing and P.G.& E. cried bankruptcy and then a few weeks later the CEOS receive huge bonuses and the bankruptcy thread was forgotten, that to me was really the beginning of what is happening now. I really don't see this year getting much better and it won't until the Govt. will cut back on their tax and spend programs and all of their perks. The country needs to be taken back by the people and the only way to do that is to vote these crooks out of office. But no matter who is elected, promises won't be kept, and this is not going to end in a matter of a month or so. It has been heading toward this for several years and hand out generation is not prepared to deal with it. I am not an intelligent person and don't pretend to understand the Wall Street and Banking workings, but I haven't noticed any of the overpaid CEOs lose any raises or perks and bonuses for several years. The attitude seemed to be, Gee I may not get my $10 Million bonus this year so lets lay off enough people to make sure I am taken care of.
Students graduating from college and wanting to start as junior NCEOs instead of at the bottom and work their way up. The attitude if I can't have what I want, then I will just buy it and not worry about paying for it.
Sorry for the long post, but I just don't see any way out of this mess in a hurry no matter who is running things.

Ron

[Goopie 18]

Our local Merrill-Lynch office (now part of Bank America) just used some of their $20 million bailout money to keep two brokers from jumping ship and taking clients with them. One guy got $500,000 the other $1,000,000.