Pardon Me, Is That a Concrete Block You Just Dropped Into My Teacup?

Close to Home

Partner Amy was elected Marion County Family Court Judge last night.  In so many ways, this has been a very emotional campaign.   My brother Dave Born was defeated by dearest Amy in the primary. 

The Regular Season Starts Now

I really enjoy reading Michael Moore, and listening to Michael Moore.  He is smart, he has a sharp mind, and he usually uses reason rather than buzz word blather.  This week he’s gloating, and it’s unbecoming and steps outside of reason.  His website (michaelmoore.com) is somewhat more controversial than he is, and he sends periodic emails to a large mailing list (me included.)  His Monday email (correctly) predicting the presidential election result (not that that was some amazing prognostication) positively gushed.  He quoted conservatives who called President-elect Obama “the most liberal senator” (he’s not, but he’s in the top 10 or 20%) and lauded the fact that after 28 grueling years, the Reagan era has come to an end.  He ends with the conclusion that we have arrived at “the Promised Land.”  Come on, Mike, you’ve been busting your ass since “Roger & Me” to present an alternative viewpoint to corporate dominated media and money-talks mentality.  (I’ll deal with Obama’s truckload fundraising in another post soon.)  But “the Promised Land”?  All we need to do is trust Obama & Company, and lie down in green pastures amidst plenty, yadda, yadda?  What total bullshit.The candidates have come through the gantlet of a vicious campaign, they have earned their laurels?  So did Warren G. Harding.  If they were a football team, they would have finished training camp and the exhibition season, and now the season is about to start.  NOTHING that ANY candidate for ANY office has done so far has benefited ANY citizen in ANY way.  It is DAY ONE.  Take a vacation, guys.  Monday the 17th, the WORK starts, what actuallly COUNTS starts, and NOTHING that you have done so far means ANYTHING to ANY of us.

A tidbit about the bailout of banks

About half of the billions of bailout money for banks will be used by the banks to pay dividends to shareholders.  In other words, select persons who made bad investments are protected from losses, and WE (taxpayers) are paying them their investment income.  Perhaps it is a legitimate observation of President-elect Obama that his administration will “redistribute wealth.”  However, a more accurate description is that his administration will continue to redistribute wealth, only in different ways.  How about the earnings of the folks laid off from the banks or brokerages?  None of the bailout money will help them. How about Joe & Jane Lunchbucket, the banks’ customers?  They deposited their paychecks from a company which uses the same bank on Tuesday but the deposit wasn’t posted until Friday.  In the meantime, they wrote five checks, including a car payment and house payment to the same bank.  Three of the checks bounced because the deposit hadn’t posed, and those were paid by “courtesy overdraft protection” for which the bank charged $31 per check as an “overdraft fee.”  Will they be bailed out?  I don’t think so.  And the bank officers, will their pay and benefits remain the same?  Will they be doubling up hotel accomodations when they do business travel?  Nope.  The couple who take home $40,000 per year together, no medical insurance, but make too much to qualify for medicaid, now the wife needs $1,200 per month for medication, will they be bailed out?  Oh, please, give me a break.  Or is this all an exercise in the Viking Motto?: I Got Mine.

Pippa passes.

R