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Democracy Works
Submitted by occupation blog on
6 Comments
Defaulting on the people is the real problem.
Submitted by SWARMtheBANKS on
Bankers have a simple rule they follow, The restructuring of any debt first requires a Default.
People can encounter any number of life changing situations, such as a medical emergency, caretaking for a family member, job loss beyond their control, victim of a violent crime, and this life changing event can require the renegotiation of a debt.
However the banks won't talk to someone unless they first declare a default, in essence calling themselves unfit, vile, a loser, someone to be pitied and looked down on, someone who should be grateful for any loan they may get in the future and therefore pay A LOT MORE in interest rate charges for that loan.
If we the people can change that one sentence up above in bold to "The restructuring of any debt DOES NOT require a default" Many good things instantly happen.
First, it will mean that anyone with a legitimate reason for restructuring a debt will be allowed to apply to do so without having to default first. Defaulting is like having a GPS surgically implanted that announces ones arrival wherever they go as being a lowlife, deadbeat, irresponsible, not to be trusted, unemployable, unrentable, UNTRUSTWORTHY.
Every day bankers label as untrustworthy people who have lost jobs to take care of an ill family member. Bankers simultaneously make long term loans to people even as they invest in the outsourcing of businesses that help generate new loan requests!
A student loan is taken out for 50K and it has now become clear that even if a job is earned after graduation, it will be for far less money than that size of loan could justify. Restructuring the student loan without first requiring a default would be the perfect compromise otherwise that 50k loan can eventually grow to 100,000 to 150,000 dollars by the time all the interest payments are factored in.
If however, a student loan is restructured without a default, the debt can be renegotiated with no penalty. A 50K student loan could be restructured with a lower interest rate. How about 1.9% instead of 11.9%. Is 55,000 to 60,000 total debt owed better than owing 100,000 or 150,000? Plus there's no default!
The debt can be further restructured so that until there is income, there is no debt obligation. That's pretty reasonable no? And with a super low interest rate attached, the debt will never grow uncontrollably.
This is a such a reasonable solution in which no one can complain that someone got something for free, and it stops the pathetic and insufferable actions of a banking community that continues to suck out significant portions of wealth from main street. This in turn frightens corporations from hiring anybody since they know fewer and fewer people have any wealth to buy their products and services with.
While the above scenario was about a student loan, mortgages and credit card debt should also be restructured without default as well.
www.occupynews.net, www.swarmthebanks.com, www.bankprotests.com, www.parallelforeclosure.com, www.unfairforeclosures.com, www.daily-protest.com, www.bloggersagainstchasebank.com www.robotsagainstchase.com, www.credit-protector.com
Energy Corporations - Reform Required! Reform LA DWP
Submitted by losangelesenergyblog on
The most profitable corporations are Energy Corporations.
#1 Exxon Mobile Projected profits 2011: $32.3 Billion
#3 Chevron Projected profits 2011: $19.8 Billion
( Source: http://247wallst.com/2011/01/06/the-most-profitable-companies-for-2011/ )
As for the City of Los Angeles, the Department of Water and Power (LADWP), a department providing energy utility services in the City of LA, pays its employees 20% more salaries than the other City of LA Departments that have been struggling with short staffing, furloughs (temporary layoff), etc.
The LADWP employees are also receiving much better benefits such as full reimbursements on college degree educations, and even bonuses. You can read more in this 2007 article by DailyNews, the story is still true today: http://www.dailynews.com/ci_7040820
LADWP is allowed to Monopolize the energy market in City of Los Angeles because it is protected by the City Charter (City's Constitution, if you will).
Better law (such as Green House Gas law) is required to control the Energy Industry. In times of great environmental concerns, the company must at least spend its profits to Save the Planet, not for paying bonus or premiums to its employees.
In places like Portland, they offer "Renewable Energy Options" program, which allows the customer to choose green energy source. ( http://www.portlandgeneral.com/renewables_efficiency/renewable_energy/de... ) This helps reducing Green House Gas (GHG) and develop Renewable Energy sources.
Engergy providers like LADWP, So Cal Edison must invest more in such programs that help the planet, and improve environment for everyone. No more premiums and bonuses!!
The Corporatization of America
Submitted by U.S. Citizen on
THOUGHTS OF A U.S. CITIZEN
The Corporatization of America
By U.S. Citizen
Be afraid, be very afraid. There is a bad moon on the rise. And, the moon is almost full. They’re baaaack—the captains of industry and the robber barons. While our democracy has never been perfect, our grand experiment is on the verge of ending in failure. The Citizen’s United case just helps legalize the already destructive influence of money on our government. We have a government of business, by business and for business.
This corporatization of America and The Second Gilded Age are the results of bipartisan efforts. Our government continually puts corporate interests over the public good.
The failure to enforce the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, rising costs of healthcare and the increasing inability of people to afford medical treatment and the Medicare Part D legislation which is a giveaway to the pharmaceutical industry and the healthcare legislation which is a giveaway to the insurance industry and fails to meaningfully address rising insurance and healthcare costs and mandate benefits, the deregulation over the last 30+ years in the financial industry and the failure to pass legislation to fix the problems, failure to develop policies to address energy, environmental protections and climate change, failure of our regulatory agencies to properly regulate because they are co-opted by the industries they’re supposed to regulate, the lack of full and nuanced coverage of issues by the corporate media, the privatization of our military and, in some cases, the arrogance and hypocrisy of our foreign policy, insurance company abuses are part of the same problem—the undue influence on our leaders by lobbyists and large corporations. We have gone beyond laissez-faire capitalism to predatory capitalism or monopoly capitalism. We need a return to regulated capitalism or entrepreneurial capitalism. We need a campaign against corporatocracy. We need democracy, not corporatocracy.
“I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country.” Thomas Jefferson, 1816
“We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both.” Louis D. Brandeis
democracy working
Submitted by JessicaRachelle on
please cite one instance of democracy in government actually working, any where, in the history of the world, ever.
democracy working
Submitted by JessicaRachelle on
Democracy... while it lasts is more bloody than either aristocracy or monarchy. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide.
John Adams
Democracy is the road to
Submitted by JessicaRachelle on
Democracy is the road to socialism.-Karl Marx
...we are guaranteed a republican form of governance in the Constitution.
Republic=free from all things public.
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