It's a deja vu again. After the unprecedented security breaches that led to the attacks of 9 / 11, our government decided that the problem was not not have adequate communication between the police and other government agencies (FBI-CIA link broken), but simply Do not 't have enough government agencies. Therefore, we had a commission to report on a number of years he found the attacks could have been avoided if a lot of holes had been patched before, and if the notes from one organism to another has been better received or heard so more complete. Long before the report of the commission of the 9 / 11, however, we started a new agency, Homeland Security, giving oversight of certain existing bodies and the responsibility to coordinate with others.The Budget for 2007 was $ 35billion DHS, for 2008 is $ 39 million, and for 2009 is projected at $ 41 billion. (DHS Budget Request 2008). The budget of the FBI (which is within the budget of the Department of Justice) LTo 2007 was $ 6 billion for 2008 $ 6,500 million for 2009 projects $ 6.8 billion, representing just under one third of the total budget Department of Justice in any given year since. The budget of the CIA, is, of course, an expense secret.Granted, securty in this country are higher than they used to be, but the budget of the DHS, including FEMA, the Coast Guard and some federal agencies and other is enormous and far exceeds (by 40%) which combined budgets of agencies that have been pulling them away from DHS. And we all know how well they did during Katrina Homeland Security – increased costs due to poor planning, decisions Abyssmal shopping, etc. tab by Hurricane Ike is already in a severe scrutiny, and only in recent years that our emergency agencies have been criticized as to buy the wrong thing, responding too slowly, and so on. If you remember some pre-existing major disasters dating back to the DHS, as the San Francisco earthquake of 1989, FEMA was the site quickly and responded well and the long-term disaster relief unpredictable, as it did for Northridge, CA earthquake two years later. That the responses have not been as well coordinated or as effective in predicting storms in recent years raises the question whether FEMA and other agencies could have been better organized in accordance with the old configuration with less information and a larger string with smaller, more nimble agencies of the federal budget by the largest disbursement purchasing.The 2008 is $ 627 billion dollars for the combined line items, the Department of Defense and the continuing war on terror. These figures do not include any of the funds allocated to DHS HTE, and even greater than our annual expenditure on Social Security (which has traditionally been the largest expenditure that was both directly financed through contributions and investment in the it). The number three largest budget item is to combine the interests of the national debt and Unemployment / Welfare – along with $ 585 billion.In look at our budget, understanding that DHS took some hits this year with Ike major troop withdrawals in Iraq until it is dealt with at the end of 2009 the best, and that the deployment of troops in Afghanistan are increasing – it is easy to see that the Department of Defense / War on Terror theme for 2009 will grow. Given our economic situation, we expect that the item of interest on the debt (especially with numerous bailouts funded by the Treasury) increase significantly, with unemployment approaching 8%, the unemployment / welfare also rise.Looking that big picture and the reality we have many agencies within the Department of Justice (Antitrust Division, U.S. Attorneys) within the Treasury (Financial Crimes Enforcement, Office of Thrift Supervision) and the Securities and Independent Exchange Commission, all of which are under the direct control of the administration and the funds have been combined now $ 18 billion, the question is, what are each of these entities and agencies to the police our financial institutions? Once again, we have learned during the S & L crisis that financial institutions are not the police. We have learned during the energy crisis, which actually was not a lack of resources, was that energy companies got into the market speculation that caused its collapse. We learned through many failures of private pension plans that employers in many cases taking advantage of the retirement funds of employees against the current market risk and investment that should have been borne by shareholders and subject to shareholder vote . All these circumstances are still factors that contribute to our current financial crisis. We are monitoring markets when price spikes. We should have learned to energy – but when housing prices soared tip and turnover, there was a clear indication that speculation was going on, and the suspicion of price manipulation. Instead, we look at the borrowers, in most individual cases of individuals who had no market power, and very probably were victims of imperfect market information. The SEC, the Federal Housing Authority, and of course the major lenders should have been exploring this. Anti-trust of the Department of Justice should have been looking at the wing. Instead, probably through an appalling lack of leadership at the top that says the state's coffers are being fed, and even if it is artificial stimulation, is the economic stimulus – not fully explore. Foreclosures began to happen when outside the standard rate, our government agencies should have been the research, and indeed many have been doing just that. However, the Justice Department was mired in investigations against himself for the politicization of the agency, U.S. attorneys were demoralized and not at all clear what antitrust case is encouraged to explore. Yes, the SEC should have been at the forefront at this time. Obviously, when banks begin to fail or suffer huge losses, one wonders about what was happening with their projections of earnings, loan portfolios. The cost of the bailouts in the hundreds of billions now.So, is the answer for a commission to study all this and create a kind of public-private finance in what McCain would call a Mortgage and Financial Institutions Trust (CNN, 19/09/08) to work with the private sector "to identify and correct weak institutions before they go bankrupt?" Are you kidding? Now, our government will micromanage banks, perhaps infusing cash before going out of business? What's holding these institutions accountable? What about the millions of homeowners who lost everything in the past two years as falsely inflated home prices dipped and the sub-prime loans spurrious escalation in the price? Exactly how many homeowners have been allowed to successfully renegotiate or block rates with current creditors over the past two years? Exactly how many middle class Americans will be able to do that this year? Yet at least one of two major lenders who broke the rules and is spread too salvaged! No need for our government in bed with the financial institutions through a commission and a new super agency to spend more of our tax dollars. The relationship and is very welcoming. Look at the size of the federal budget includes revenue and cover those costs – and fills the gap loans increasing. As our real incomes are reduced, as more unemployed workers move to temporary or sustained unemployment due to layoffs and reductions, which contribute less, get more. If we are more agencies in place to solve the structural problems with the regulatory oversight – we spend and borrow more as a country. We're going to perpetuate the evil itself that got us into this mess – loans when they have nothing to borrow – the attraction of investments based on growth projections for speculation. Yes, this article is written by a fiscal conservative. Well, the truth is that now is the time to be fiscally conservative. Our government has been throwing around the OPM for years – and has used measures such as projected revenues from increased consumer spending, income, property value, to obtain money from other people. I can earn over $ 200k per year. I do not pay taxes at a percentage of earning $ 75-100k to pay – and Trump, Donald, and T. Boone Pickens' the world pay less than me. Our government will be giving them tax breaks and bail out their bankrupt companies – but the last vestiges of the middle class will pay the price. As Carly Fiorina, McCain's campaign chairman, said – neither John McCain nor Sarah Palin would be qualified to run a company, and now we need people in our government who are willing to make tough decisions not to create new alliances private by the government to continue to concentrate wealth and minimize loss of business – to return our economy to the fundamentals of capitalism in a democratic society.We have to do the steps the federal government is currently taking, but we must insist strict compliance with existing laws at present and much stricter controls on financial transactions. The loan market has become extremely difficult for borrowers qualified for ordinary citizens, so if we do not fix this is the American middle class and all but the wealthiest to continue to bear the burden of bad decisions and will continue to pay in the government's bailout tab.
Rodney Crowell Outsider Rock Music CD Review Rodney Crowell, very talented Rock artist has released him latest album titled Outsider and Wow! It’s good.
I wish it weren?t the case but, it?s not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can?t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Outsider. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.
Outsider is a nicely varied, mix of 11 tracks that are very well written songs by this clearly superb artist. Most of the songs display a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Clearly drawing from what I can only imagine are him own real life experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions like love, heartbreak, pain, failed relationships and unattainable romance. They?re all here.
Listen and I think you?ll agree that the song choices are excellent, the production is outstanding and Rodney Crowell is clearly in top form.
While this entire album is really very good some of my favorites are track 1 – Say You Love Me, track 4 – Dancin’ Circles Round The Sun, and track 9 – Things That Go Bump In The Day
My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 10 – Shelter From The Storm. Wow!
Outsider Release Notes:
Rodney Crowell originally released Outsider on August 16, 2005 on the Columbia label.
CD Track List Follows:
1. Say You Love Me 2. Obscenity Prayer, The (Give It To Me) 3. Outsider, The 4. Dancin’ Circles Round The Sun (Epictetus Speaks) 5. Beautiful Despair 6. Don’t Get Me Started 7. Ignorace Is The Enemy 8. Glasgow Girl 9. Things That Go Bump In The Day 10. Shelter From The Storm 11. We Can’t Turn Back
Personnel include: Emmylou Harris (vocals); Will Kimbrough (electric guitar); Steve Fishell (steel guitar); Jonathan Yudkin (fiddle); John Mock (tin whistle, concertina); John Hobbs (organ); Tony Harrell (keyboards); Michael Rhodes (bass guitar); Eddie Bayers, Shannon Forrest (drums).
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