Non-partisan political comments

[FRE]

Sorry... the bailouts started during the Bush administration.

Right. And when Obama continued the same bail-out program which George II started; Obama got blamed for it and George II didn't. Also, a fact which is often overlooked is that much of the bailout money has already been repaid.

The bail-outs probably saved us from a severe depression, although one cannot prove that in a mathematical sense because economics is not an exact science. We cannot turn back the calendar to see what would have happened with no bail-out program.

It would have been better if the bailout program hadn't, at least to some degree, rewarded the Wall Street people who gambled with the economy and instead provided more assistance to ordinary people. But, no program is perfect.

 

[FRE]

Given the thread....


I hope we find a proper and workable solution to the problem of the disadvantaged in this country that is not a burden to the country in financial or social measures.

That would be very nice, but sometimes we have to accept financial burdens; it's an unfortunate fact of life. Noblesse oblige.

 

[FRE]

I have saying that and saying that!!!

And in that, you are quite right! At least there are a few things on which we can agree.

 

[FRE]

We're not talking about "disadvantaged." We're talking about C-R-A-Z-Y people.

Well, surely we can agree that mentally ill people, sometimes known as crazy people, are disadvantaged.

 

[B_starinvestor]

Really? MADE them give loans to people who couldn't repay? Who made them do it? If that is the case, why didn't it happen here in New Mexico?

Actually, the gov't did create programs directed at low-income people and they delivered the program through banks (born in Community Reinvestment Act - and later added to the Act) - if a borrower qualified for these loans, the bank had to extend the credit.

And they did do it in New Mexico.

 

[TomCat84]

Actually, the gov't did create programs directed at low-income people and they delivered the program through banks (born in Community Reinvestment Act - and later added to the Act) - if a borrower qualified for these loans, the bank had to extend the credit.

And they did do it in New Mexico.

Something Dubya took credit for when home ownership rates were at all time highs, and when the bubble was causing our economy to fir on all cylinders. But now when everything goes to shit, the GOP blames it all on "libtards" and "Democraps"

 

[FRE]

Actually, the gov't did create programs directed at low-income people and they delivered the program through banks (born in Community Reinvestment Act - and later added to the Act) - if a borrower qualified for these loans, the bank had to extend the credit.

And they did do it in New Mexico.

True, but what I meant is that here in NM, there weren't the default problems that occurred in many parts of the country, the reason being that banks had the sense to make sure that people receiving loans were qualified. I guess that I didn't make myself clear. That proves that banks were not forced to make unwise loans.

Because there weren't the default problems, real estate prices here dropped much less then they did for the country as a whole.

 

[conntom]

And in that, you are quite right! At least there are a few things on which we can agree.

Good. we start by finding common ground and maybe in time we will find more understanding and workable solutions we both buy into. This is good. This is progress.

 

[conntom]

True, but what I meant is that here in NM, there weren't the default problems that occurred in many parts of the country, the reason being that banks had the sense to make sure that people receiving loans were qualified. I guess that I didn't make myself clear. That proves that banks were not forced to make unwise loans.

Because there weren't the default problems, real estate prices here dropped much less then they did for the country as a whole.

The drop in real estate prices is also a function of how high they got as related to demand. Parts of Mass were hit much less than others depending on this factor.

 

[conntom]

That would be very nice, but sometimes we have to accept financial burdens; it's an unfortunate fact of life. Noblesse oblige.

I used the word financial BURDEN not financial COST. There is a difference.

 

[maxcok]

Do you think it will provide provisions to stop congress from doing things like.....oooo I dunno....maybe FORCING banks to make BAD loans....

Then the banks make it worse with how they handled bundling these bad loans up...no doubt....but

Can we put the blame on the people who started this. The democrats. Yayyy....we're democrats ...we're so good and thoughtful...we'll MAKE those big bad banks give loans to all you people who can't repay them.....

And MAX....dude.....do not being chocolate ice cream into this. I love that stuff!

Non partisan: I like all flavors of ice cream except strawberry.

If you think I'm going to waste my time and energy discussing economics with you, you are sadly mistaken.
I'd sooner discuss philosophy with a toad.

Conntom couldn't even make ONE post here without partisan sniping.

Tells a lot about his character, no?

When all you've got is (poorly) regurgitated partisan talking points it's kinda hard to go off script.

C'mon....a thread with that title was begging for one!!! lol... laugh a little!

Deflection. Passive aggressive little prick. If this ain't blatant trolling, I'm the Dauphin of France.

 

[Calboner]

I think all right-thinking people are sick and tired of normal, decent people who are fed up with being told that they are sick and tired. Well, I'm not! And I'm sick and tired of being told that I am.

--Lord Elpus

 

[maxcok]

Actually folks, there are any number of reasons why this beautiful city has been crumbling the last few years, including the intentional underfunding of the City Pension system, along with a boost in benefits (to avoid actually paying workers more in salary) being chief among them. What's odd is that at the same time our finances were going down the drain, our fair city was booming, and becoming more sophisticated and cosmopolitan. . . .

Not the least of the reasons the infrastructure has been crumbling for more than a few years is that the city has historically been run by developers and developers' whores (politicians). The developers were given sweetheart deals left and right and made out like bandits. Had they been required to contribute to updating the infrastructure in exchange for their massive profits things would be very different. Once again, all about greed. Downtown is so overbuilt. I wonder what's gonna happen if they ever sell all those empty highrise condos and tie into the 90 year old sewer system, the one that already continually blows, spewing effluent on the downtown streets and into the bay.

I hope you've finally solved that pension mess. What a fukn joke! Greed plus magical accounting. Again.

If I were to leave the east coast.... SD would be my choice. Beautiful city, incredible weather. The only thing is the ocean is on the wrong side of the city!

And therein lies the problem. Shivering eastcoasters with their aggressive assholish attitudes deciding to migrate en masse everytime the Superbowl is televised in January. Transplants have completely ruined the laid-back nature of the town and turned the freeways into LA-style parking lots. In the time I lived there, nearly 30 years off and on, the population more than doubled. So many natives and long time residents like me (and FRE I suspect) finally had enough and fled for greener pastures.

Please, stay in Boston. We have MORE than enough Boston twats here complaining about how everything is much better in Boston and how just fantastic the Patriots and Red Sox are

See above.

I lived in San Diego from 1978 to 2004. As a result of inadequate social programs, there were mentally ill people who were homeless. They were dressed in rags and would avoid other people. Often they would be mumbling to themselves or talk to parking meters. That was the result of Reagan's tossing them out of mental hospitals without providing any alternatives. Is that the sort of thing you favor?

Werd.

 

[maxcok]

I think all right-thinking people are sick and tired of normal, decent people who are fed up with being told that they are sick and tired. Well, I'm not! And I'm sick and tired of being told that I am.

--Lord Elpus

"I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired." - Fannie Lou Hamer, Civil Rights Activist

(also Monica, White Tie Affair, et al)

 

[TomCat84]

Not the least of the reasons the infrastructure has been crumbling for more than a few years is that the city has historically been run by developers and developers' whores (politicians). The developers were given sweetheart deals left and right and made out like bandits. Had they been required to contribute to updating the infrastructure in exchange for their massive profits things would be very different. Once again, all about greed. Downtown is so overbuilt. I wonder what's gonna happen if they ever sell all those empty highrise condos and tie into the 90 year old sewer system, the one that already continually blows, spewing effluent on the downtown streets and into the bay.

I hope you've finally solved that pension mess. What a fukn joke! Greed plus magical accounting. Again.

And therein lies the problem. Shivering eastcoasters with their aggressive assholish attitudes deciding to migrate en masse everytime the Superbowl is televised in January. Transplants have completely ruined the laid-back nature of the town and turned the freeways into LA-style parking lots. In the time I lived there, nearly 30 years off and on, the population more than doubled. So many natives and long time residents like me (and FRE I suspect) finally had enough and fled for greener pastures.

See above.

Werd.

I swear, every time I see some California license plated car plastered with various east coast sports teams, I wanna ram my SUV into their rear bumper. The only worse people are the Zonies during the summer.

 

[justasimpleguy]

East Coast people are dicks. For sure.

 

[maxcok]

^ Hey, what's wrong with dicks?

 

[FRE]

The drop in real estate prices is also a function of how high they got as related to demand. Parts of Mass were hit much less than others depending on this factor.

True enough. However, if there hadn't been so many reckless loans made, and if higher down payments had been required, there would have been fewer defaults and the real estate market would not have dropped so much. The fact that prices became unrealistically high contributed to the problems. Here in NM, the prices never became so high and the drop was much less.

The cycles cannot be totally prevented, but sound lending policy would tend to dampen the swings.

 

[FRE]

^ Hey, what's wrong with dicks?

Nothing's wrong with dicks!! I like dicks!! Why is it that your album and gallery has only cactus plants and cartoons posted? I haven't posted that sort of thing.

 

[D_Harvey Schmeckel]

East Coast people are dicks. For sure.

Pardon me, sir, for taking issue with your generalization. But as a native Virginian with a brother who has been in Boston 35 years and sisters who lived up there for various amounts of time, I would have to say the "for sure dicks" seem quite contentrated in the urban northeast. Virginians are very polite by and large, certainly no less so than people away from the East Coast. I haven't gotten culture shock from general goddamned hateful meanness ANYWHERE in the US but Boston and vicinity. The drivers, good God almighty! Rural New England is just fine though, loved the winter I spent in Vermont.