Roomin' House Blues

A Modest Essay on Extraordinary Paychecks Here is a an essay on the vast disparity of incomes.  Compare the incomes of hedge fund managers to ordinary workers (or for an even greater contrast, a worker in a third world country) or even to the well paid, like the President or TV personalities, you will see what a vast amount of money Wall Street is raking in. This essay was sent to me by Public Citizen.  ( http://www.citizen.org/Page.aspx?pid=183 )

This Morning the PICO National Network sent me a reminder email that tomorrow is the national call in day to demand AG's hold banks accountable for the foreclosure mess.  Read below: Tomorrow, on March 29, we have the opportunity of a lifetime to save millions from losing their homes and hold accountable the big banks that caused this crisis. Right now, the 50 state Attorneys General are in critical negotiations with the big banks. The outcome of these negotiations could mean the difference between millions of struggling homeowners finally getting the help they need from their lenders, or the big banks continuing with business as usual, foreclosing on families needlessly. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, and other big banks could easily walk away scott-free, if thousands of us don’t call our Attorneys General tomorrow. Read 5 reasons to call your Attorney General tomorrow The time is now to collectively fight back.  We can work together to demand that the big ...

I keep getting wonderful email to share with my readers.  I know that speculation in commodities is a dangerous thing.  My Grandfather had a prosperous meat market in Seattle that he lost gambling on the commodities market.   So I'm publishing this email  from: Greetings, Did you know that you could do something about rising food and gas prices? Wall Street lobbyists are betting you won’t speak up. The Dodd-Frank financial reform bill tasked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) with creating rules to curb excessive gambling in markets like food and gas, but Wall Street speculators are trying to get in the way. In 2008, food and gas prices hit record highs and those prices are creeping up again. Excessive gambling played a role in those price spikes, and now the CFTC is at work on ‘position limits’ that will put a lid on the amount of gambling. Now it’s your turn!  The CFTC needs to hear from you. Please take five minutes to urge the CF...

Here is a letter I have received on actions to stop the foreclosure crisis:   On March 7, the first draft of a proposed settlement from the the 50 state Attorneys General against the big banks for their rampant mortgage fraud went public.    The AGs probably thought that starting with a  middle-of-the-road proposal  full of potential loopholes would be a good way to start negotiations. But the big banks and their supporters have already started crying foul, trying to slip out of any real enforcement, punishment and restitution for the millions of homeowners they owe. This means that it’s time to kick into high gear our push for a “settlement that fits the crime.” The state Attorneys General are expected to begin negotiations with the big banks this week.  While the final details will take weeks to hammer out, the opening salvo will determine what stays on – or gets kicked off – the negotiating table. That’s why we are planning a  Nationwide Call-In ...

Both middle income and low income Americans have been abused gravely by our financial system.  Our financial sector has grow from 20% to 30% of our economy, causing huge national debt, a roll coaster on the investment markets and a growing burden to the majority of Americans as our financial tycoons figure out how to take money borrowed from abroad and turn it into profit on our backs.  One of the best things our recent Congress did is pass a financial reform bill.   Now there is a Americans for Financial Reform Coalition asking for use to fill out a survey to advise them on what financial regulations to press for.  Please follow the link and take a minute to fill out the questionnaire. http://ourfinancialsecurity.org/