Forum Post: What do you think this movement is asking for?
Posted 13 years ago on Nov. 4, 2011, 8 a.m. EST by onemoe
(78)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
What is needed is some suggestion and or clear demands for DC. We are dealing with a very concrete lot there. Here is a suggestive list of issues to be addressed.
- An end to ARM's these loans were used incorrectly by banks to get people into houses that the banks knew would have issues . These loans are great if you are a seasoned professional investor but for most people they are merely a way of skirting the qualifying process and end up being a bad deal for everyone but the bank.
- An end to IRA's and a return to guaranteed pensions. Anyone realize that all IRA's really are is a way for corporations to tap capital that was previously unavailable to them. So basically IRA's fund big bonuses and if the market conditions are right you may get to retire on those funds. But as is more likely you will lose a percentage of your retirement funds by participating. And of course if you are not a government employee you really have no choice because almost every corporation in the world has gone that way now. Just another way that we get used.
- Block entry of goods from countries that have no pollution controls on their factories. If we as a people have been supportive of EPA regulations for pollution then how can we allow goods to be imported from countries that do not support the environment. Not only does this practice harm the environment but it also kills manufacturing in America by allowing our companies to go abroad and then import back to the USA. Not only do our companies do this but they even lobby congress for free trade agreements to make the practice easier for them. For manufacturing to return to America we need to do this.
- End lobbying. Why should anyone be allowed to pay millions to have teams of people trying to influence our elected officials? It's just wrong. Our system was set up to allow people to collect names of constituents on a list who want something handled in a particular way. It's called a petition. That's how elected officials should decide which side of an issue they are on. If their constituents feel strongly enough about an issue they should petition and if still ignored call for a recall of that official.
- Reduce federal salaries and benefits. This requires no explanation.
- Encourage Dr.s to establish their own practices rather than being hired by a corporate practice. Would need to review some tort reform for Dr.s so they can afford their own malpractice insurance, which is one reason they go for the corporate practices. Getting the corporations out of this field would reduce the need for higher income levels (in a corporate setting you have to add profits above and beyond DR and Nurse salaries) thereby reducing the cost of basic family care.
- Let the Mexicans in. Charge everyone entering from Mexico a 1000.00 dollar fee to establish a tax ID. Do the same for the ones already here. I mean lets face it they are here and we need them to pay their share, something they would more than likely be glad to do if they had the opportunity. This card does not give them citizenship it would merely let them be here in a legal sense and allow us to collect the extra revenue that their presence requires.
- Maybe give tax breaks to any of the 1% that uses their money to support local improvement projects. Like fixing the streets in their town or building a civic center, or homeless shelters any project that would require a bond election would qualify and other projects could be added as needed. I'm tired of seeing all this effort and the media still reports that the desires of the group are not cohesive or well defined.
When people ask for something it works better than asking for everything or nothing.
We have been mislead by Reagan, Bush Sr, Clinton, Bush Jr, Obama, and nearly every other public figure. Economic growth, job creation, and actual prosperity are not necessarily a package deal. In fact, the first two are horribly misunderstood. Economic growth/loss (GDP) is little more than a measure of domestic wealth changing hands. A transfer of currency from one party to another. The rate at which it is traded. This was up until mid ’07′ however, has never been a measure of actual prosperity. Neither has job creation. The phrase itself has been thrown around so often, and in such a generic political manner, that it has come to mean nothing. Of course, we need to have certain things done for the benefit of society as a whole. We need farmers, builders, manufacturers, transporters, teachers, cops, firefighters, soldiers, mechanics, sanitation workers, doctors, managers, and visionaries. Their work is vital. I’ll even go out on a limb and say that we need politicians, attorneys, bankers, investors, and entertainers. In order to keep them productive, we must provide reasonable incentives. We need to compensate each by a fair measure for their actual contributions to society. We need to provide a reasonable scale of income opportunity for every independent adult, every provider, and share responsibility for those who have a legitimate need for aid. In order to achieve and sustain this, we must also address the cost of living and the distribution of wealth. Here, we have failed miserably. The majority have already lost their home equity, their financial security, and their relative buying power. The middle class have actually lost much of their ability to make ends meet, re-pay loans, pay taxes, and support their own economy. The lower class have gone nearly bankrupt. In all, its a multi-trillion dollar loss taken over about 30 years. Millions are under the impression that we need to create more jobs simply to provide more opportunity. as if that would solve the problem. It won’t. Not by a longshot. Jobs don’t necessarily create wealth. In fact, they almost never do. For the mostpart, they only transfer wealth from one party to another. A gain here. A loss there. Appreciation in one community. Depreciation in another. In order to create net wealth, you must harvest a new resource or make more efficient use of one. Either way you must have a reliable and ethical system in place to distribute that newly created wealth in order to benefit society as a whole and prevent a lagging downside. The ‘free market’ just doesn’t cut it. Its a farce. Many of the jobs created are nothing but filler. The promises empty. Sure, unemployment reached an all-time low under Bush. GDP reached an all-time high. But those are both shallow and misleading indicators. In order to gauge actual prosperity, you must consider the economy in human terms. As of ’08′ the average American was working more hours than the previous generation with far less equity to show for it. Consumer debt, forclosure, and bankruptcy were also at all-time highs. As of ’08′, every major American city was riddled with depressed communities, neglected neighborhoods, failing infrastructures, lost revenue, and gang activity. All of this has coincided with massive economic growth and job creation. Meanwhile, the rich have been getting richer and richer and richer even after taxes. Our nation’s wealth has been concentrated. Again, this represents a multi-trillion dollar loss taken by the majority. Its an absolute deal breaker. Bottom line: With or without economic growth or job creation, you must have a system in place to prevent too much wealth from being concentrated at the top. Unfortunately, we don’t. Our economy has become nothing but a giant game of Monopoly. The richest one percent of Americans already own nearly 1/2 of all US wealth. An all-time high. More than double their share before Reagan took office. The lower 90 percent of Americans own less than 10 percent of all US wealth. An all-time low. Still, the rich want more. They absolutely will not stop. Now, our society as a whole is in serious jeapordy. Greed kills.
Those of you who agree on these major issues are welcome to summarize this post, copy it, link to it, save it, show a friend, or spread the word in any fashion. Most major cities have daily call-in talk radio shows. You can reach thousands of people at once. They should know the ugly truth. Be sure to quote the figures which prove that America's wealth is still being concentrated. I don't care who takes the credit. We are up against a tiny but very powerful minority. The rich have more influence on the masses than any other group in history. They have the means to reach millions at once with outrageous political and commercial propaganda. Those of us who speak the ugly truth must work incredibly hard just to be heard.
Do you actually think anyone reads this when you post it over and over again?
Who me or modest capitalist who was so kind as to post the nonsensical ramble above? I just want my little message to resound. There has to be a direction or we throw away a lot of what is also good about our society. We can make positive changes and keep the art the freedoms the kindness that is actually what makes up this country. Just yelling boo capitalism or boo greed is not going to change shit. But I think I'm done with this now any how
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