Genma Speaks

Entrepreneur/ Writer/ Radio-Host

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Why Walk Saturday in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, Oct. 25th?


Because of my granddaddy, Daddy, I have become active with the American Cancer Society. I asked my good friend Ronni to share her story here today.

By Veronica Gliatti
Breast cancer kills.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in American.
1 out of 4 women will be diagnosed and 1 out of 3 in the state of Tennessee with breast cancer.
Infant girls are born every day without the foresight to know what they might be facing in the years to come.

To eradicate cancer, all types, the key is awareness for prevention and funds to research cures. This walk, Saturday, sponsored by the American Cancer Society is to accomplish both. It is aptly called Making Strides against Breast Cancer.

I waited to get involved in this after the fact, after I began treatment for cancer. I have been in treatment since October 2007 and will not completely finish till November of 2008. Do you want to make that same mistake?

I got the news I had a cancerous tumor in my right breast in September 2007. My life was forever changed. Thus began a year with marks on my calendar for doctor appointments, surgeries and chemo therapy sessions. I could not work, could not function without the aid of many drugs to combat the side effects of the drugs needed to kill any remaining cancer cells in my body after a mastectomy. I kept waiting for what the media calls, ‘the good drugs’ but they never came. The reality of battling cancer is to kill a bad cell; many good cells get killed in the process. Along the way, the spirit gets spit on too.

Thus, I choose to take on this cause, raising money and awareness for breast cancer research. My goal is simply that, to make the future prognosis of this horrible disease easier, more timely and the cure within our reach. Each dollar counts, each person walking represents another survivor and every few represent another death at the hands of this diagnosis.

My team is called Make Some Noise. I believe we must all do this, start a chorus that can be heard by everyone, near and far that sings of hope, and of live. Please care enough about this issue to give it a moment of your time; a dollar from your pocket change makes us one step closer to a cure.

If you wait till the day you hear the words “You have cancer” you may have waited a second too long! We need to recognize this disease causes financial hardship on families, an emotional drain on marriages and a killing of the spirit of live. Please walk with me, if not ‘in person’ do it in spirit - in the memory of all the lives that have been lost battling breast cancer in the wonderful land of the free.
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Monday, October 20, 2008

Engaging the Community's Involvment with Young People and the Oasis Center



I spent Monday morning sharing with the Willis Group about the importance of their contributions to the United Way. The donations made to the United Way help the youth of Middle Tennessee and the Oasis Center. My daughter, Hurricane Alexis, is gearing up for her fourth year of baking pies for the Oasis Center. Alexis became apart of the Oasis' family in Aug of 2005. As a mom of a teen that has benefited from the generosity of others, I am compelled to share my gratitude and my story with others.

Since that time, I have spent many hours sharing locally, regionally, and nationally about the good deeds of the Oasis Center. For more information about the Oasis Center go to www.oasiscenter.org.

To schedule a speaker (or me) from the Oasis Center for the your church or civic group contact, Kay Haygood (Faith and Religious Groups) or Hal Cato (corporations or civic groups) you may reach them at 615-327-4455.
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Sunday, October 19, 2008

General Colin Powell Shares his Views


In a move straight from the set of the Maverick, General Colin Powell endorses Senator Obama. General Powell, respected by Demos and Repubs alike, broke with the Repub Party and stated that he was voting for Obama. Powell is not the first but he is one of the most influential Repubs that have thrown their support behind the Senator from Illinois.

Here is a quote from the interview:
"Mr. McCain says that he's a washed up terrorist, but then why do we keep talking about him? And why do we have the robocalls going on around the country trying to suggest that because of this very, very limited relationship that Senator Obama has had with Mr. Ayers, somehow Mr. Obama is tainted. What they're trying to connect him to is some kind of terrorist feelings. And I think that's inappropriate. Now, I understand what politics is all about, I know how you can go after one another and that's good. But I think this goes too far, and I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for."

The next two weeks of this campaign will be a nail biter for sure. I am stocking up on my popcorn. Watching how the crazies on the left and right on the don't-believe-a word-they-say-news spend Powell's endorsement is going to be entertaining for sure.

Endorsements for the most part do not matter, but this one can not be overlooked by either side of the isle. As my granddaddy would say, it ain't over 'til it is over.
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Friday, October 17, 2008

Second Saturday Ladies







Last fall, I got the opportunity to cover the wonderful Second Saturday Ladies for Inspired Living Magazine. I revisited them to do a 'bread drop'( take bread to the church) a few weeks ago and I thought it would be great to introduce them to the blogsphere.

There is something different about the ladies of Second Saturday. There are no committees to delegate God's work and no annual fund raising luncheon chairperson to acknowledge their good deeds; no gala, yearly ball, fancy invitations or awards to pat each other on the back for a job well done. They are ladies on a mission, a band of sisters, serving sandwiches and love every Second Saturday.

Like most good causes, Second Saturday started from someone's personal trail. The journey began in Vanderbilt Hospital waiting rooms where families sit and wait for hours, even days, on end for their loved ones. Joan Gregory and a friend had both experience the saga of hospital waiting room and a losing a loved one. With her firsthand experience of the stress and misery of hospital waiting rooms, Joan decided to bring cheer and joy to others with a simple bag lunch and a note of encouragement. Thus began a women's ministry.

"We started out with 10 lunches at first...then 25...then 35 sack lunches," says Joan. "Our very first outing was on the second Saturday of the month."

Since the first outing to Vanderbilt Hospital and its eight intensive care waiting rooms, on the second Saturday of each month, like clock work, a group of ladies deliver sack lunches to everyone waiting in the the intensive care unit.

Nearly twenty five years later, over 20,000 lunches have been served. Each sack contains sandwiches on fresh bread, homemade cookies. fruit, mints or candy and a special note card from the Second Saturday ladies: "We realize that IC rooms and situations you're facing today can be very stressful...it is our prayer that this lunch brings a smile to your face."

Many of the ladies who participate bring their children and grandchildren to learn the art of serving others. The second generation of this ministry is already in training.

The ladies of Second Saturday believe that God chose them to do this work, and it is not about one person. More than making lunches, they are feeding souls. Through simple sandwiches, the ladies are reminding people who are hurting of God's unfailing love. Second Saturday has received thousands of thank you cards and notes, and many people have started similar ministries in their hometowns or churches.

The Second Saturday ladies are a breath of fresh air to everyone in our great city. The families that they touch monthly, in turn touch others. When Daddy was ill and I spent many hours by his side, the work of the women, came to mind often. I longed for them to walk through the doors and say hello. I would have loved one of their famous bologna sandwiches. My time at home with my granddaddy helped me to appreciate the ladies gift of caring for others all the more.

If you ever want to spend time with Second Saturday Ladies, by all means stop by Woodmont Hills, 3710 Franklin. They meet every Second Saturday at 8:45am.

For more info go to www.woodmont.org
Photos by: Russ Corley
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Thursday, October 16, 2008

Say it ain't so; Joe's no plumber


Joe Wurzelbacher, "Joe the plumber", learned a big lesson this week about pollies and the media. Both will stroke your fires when they need air time and flatter you to no end. But the minute they smell the smoke they helped create, they spend the rest of the time throwing gasoline on the fire. "Joe the plumber" needs a fire truck from Engine 212 ASAP.

"Joe the plumber" (as he is know in affectionate and despicable terms at the same time) welcome to fifteen minutes of fame. Joe's name was mentioned twenty six times during the presidential debate on Wednesday night. Thursday morning, Joe was in desperate need of an press agent and a few talking points. By the way, Joe's name is really Samuel which he will probably start using again. He was declared the winner by many, including me, of the final presidential debate. Anytime a plumber consumes the attention of a candidate that has never met him, you are the winner.

The clip of Joe asking the Demo candidate about his tax plan and how it would hurt "his business" was shown hundreds of times by every crazy pundit on cable and network news. He was the toast of the town. But it does not take but a few seconds to burn toast. After a minute of vetting Joe, it has been revealed that Joe does not own a business, does not have a license to do business, and is not required to have a plumber's license. Hold up, wait a minute! I am okay with his questioning taxes and the like, but please have your crap together. Do not give the stupid pundits any reason to make you look like an idiot. It will not be long before we see an exclusive of a few customers who are unhappy with the work that Joe has performed in the past. Say-it-ain't-so-Joe before long, Joe will need a fire hydrant outside his home.

In the pest control industry, we can not service a client's home or business without being certified or licensed. We can not operator a business without a charter which must be inspected by the state. We can not advertise our business without meeting these litmus tests. This is the law. So how is Joe making his money, the pest control operators are asking?

As a business owner in the pest control industry, I would not want an unlicensed, non-certified person representing me or my industry. No, Joe was not speaking for his industry but we are going to forever associate him with plumbers. By the way the national union for plumbers release this statement to The Hill.com


Plumbers union rips McCain on ‘Joe the Plumber’
By Chris Good
Posted: 10/16/08 03:54 PM [ET]
United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry (UA) says Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) "manufactured outrage" over Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama's (Ill.) tax plan in last night's debate by invoking the now-famous — or infamous — "Joe the Plumber."

"Last night John McCain made Joe the Plumber a household name. His manufactured outrage on behalf of Joe would be a lot more believable if his economic plan had anything to do with helping working people deal with the economic crisis," UA Assistant General President Steve Kelly said in a statement released Thursday afternoon.

The UA union claims to be the first organization of any kind to endorse Obama in the presidential race. It did so Jan. 9, 2008.

Joe Wurzelbacher, the now-famous Toledo, Ohio plumber who sparred with Obama over taxes at a campaign event in his hometown, is not a UA member, a UA staffer told The Hill.

The UA staffer claimed that Wurzelbacher is a member of the Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC), a non-union trade group that has endorsed McCain.

Gail Raiman, vice president of public affairs at ABC, stated in an e-mail that Wurzelbacher reportedly works for Newell Construction in Toledo, Ohio, which is a residential contractor. ABC, Raiman stated, “represents commercial and industrial contractors, not residential contractors.”

Neither Wurzelbacher nor Newell Construction is a member of ABC, Raiman stressed.

The UA staffer noted that Wurzelbacher does not hold a plumber's license in the state of Ohio, though Wurzelbacher says he does not need a license as he works for someone else.

"Unlike McCain's, Obama's outrage for the middle class is real. He will turn us in a new direction, not keep us on the same, tired old path of the Bush years," Kelly said, going on to blast McCain's tax proposal.

"McCain's plan gives massive tax giveaways to CEOs and mega-corporations while leaving working families out in the cold. At a time when our economy is bleeding jobs, McCain also opposes investment in infrastructure spending, which would create good jobs and help put our economy back on solid footing."

Geez. I thought it was crazy killing bugs and dealing with the industry's big bug stompers, I can not imagine the sh**, I mean fallout the plumbers will be dealing with because of their new found media star, Sam...I mean Joe. So much for calling a plumber for the truth.

Go vote, then call a LICENSED pest control company.
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A Plumber won the Final Debate of 2008



Joe Wurzelbacher, "Joe the Plumber", was the clear winner of the final debate of the 2008 Presidential election. I thought that it was befitting since so much poop was thrown out that a plumber was truly needed to flush out the truth. As always, I strongly encourage you to check facts before you repeat a statement from either candidate.

A partial list of the major blunders from Factcheck.org are listed below:

Spin and hype were apparent, once again, at the third and final debate between McCain and Obama:

* McCain claimed the liberal group ACORN “is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history ... maybe destroying the fabric of democracy.” In fact, a Republican prosecutor said of the first and biggest ACORN fraud case: “[T]his scheme was not intended to permit illegal voting.” He said $8-an-hour workers turned in made-up voter registration forms rather than doing what ACORN paid them to do.

* McCain said “Joe the plumber” faced “much higher taxes” under Obama’s tax plan and would pay a fine under Obama’s health care plan if he failed to provide coverage for his workers. But Ohio plumber Joe Wurzelbacher would pay higher taxes only if the business he says he wants to buy puts his income over $200,000 a year, and his small business would be exempt from Obama’s requirement to provide coverage for workers.

* Obama repeated a dubious claim that his health care plan will cut the average family’s premiums by $2,500 a year. Experts have found that figure to be overly optimistic.

* McCain claimed that Obama’s real “object” is a government-run, single-payer health insurance system like those in Canada or England. The McCain campaign points to a quote from five years ago, when Obama told a labor gathering that he was “a proponent of a single-payer health care program.” But Obama has since qualified his enthusiasm for Canadian-style health care, and his current proposal is nothing like that.

* Obama incorrectly claimed all of McCain’s ads had been “negative.” That was true for one recent week, but not over the entire campaign. And at times Obama has run a higher percentage of attack ads than McCain.

* McCain described Colombia as the "largest agricultural importer of our products." Actually, Canada imports the most U.S. farm products, and Colombia is far down the list.

* Obama strained to portray himself as willing to break ranks with fellow Democrats. His prime example was his vote for a bill that was supported by 18 Democrats and opposed by 26. Congressional Quarterly rates him as voting with his party 97 percent of the time since becoming a U.S. senator.


A detailed analysis of the debate is listed at www.factcheck.org. The debate was boring and for all the hype given to "whipping his you know what" and the "say it to my face" talk on cable-don't-believe-the pundits-news-networks, the candidates would not have gotten a crowd at my Catholic School playground. No street fighting here. No even a good school yard dust up!

I did appreciate the "kill him" comments being addressed or in this case, not answered. I think all grown men and women should be responsible for their actions. As for McCain's facial expressions, his looks would have made a blind man laugh. Only a few more weeks to go folks, hang in there. In the meantime, if you are looking for the truth call a plumber.

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Wednesday, October 15, 2008

It Ain't Over until It's Over


There are sure signs in the air that the talking heads and fake news pundits contracts are coming to a close. Every channel has someone declaring a winner and a loser. November 4 is over two weeks away. Being ahead in the polls does not make one a winner. First lesson in Joe Jackson's school of street fighting politics. It ain't over until it is over. You do not stop campaigning until the campaign is over. You fight to the end.

So what is my beef? We have given away common sense thinking to the 24 news cycle. Gloom and doom or psyche and fear. That is all we hear. McCain may act insane but he has risen from the ashes several times. In a million years, I would never have thought McCain would be the Repub select for 2008. Who knew? I know my man Romney is sitting at home going "what the hell happened?"

Do not forget about 2000? A winner was not declared until several months later. History has a way of revisiting the present.

My granddaddy would have never declared a winner before midnight on the day of election. And that was back in the days of the old trusted paper ballot. No tricked out voting machines in his day. Folks are out buying meat to barbecue already, planning their "galas" for the Demos sweep through out the country. How tacky is that! Mississippi folks know their manners...you plan a fish fry with fresh catfish (from the Delta of course)!

It ain't over til it is over! Got to run, today is the first day of early voting in Tennessee.

Just Vote!
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Sunday, October 12, 2008

Genma Holmes Speaks to McCain's supporter James T. Harris


Last week James T. Harris, a talk show host and McCain's supporter, made national news when he begged McCain to take it to Obama at a rally for McCain. I had never heard of Mr. Harris until the clips of him were replayed repeatedly. I was instantly intrigued and wanted to find out more about him.

Mr. Harris remarks were not something that many have not heard before. What made Mr. Harris stand out was the fact that he was a man of color in sea of white faces yelling "take it to him". The crowd, according to the pundits, were angry and upset. Two other men spoke of their frustrations with the McCain campaign as well, but Mr. Harris got most of the attention from the talking heads and media critics. He has been the subject of several talk shows over the last few days.

On Friday, several national radio programs played Mr. Harris remarks through out the day and left us with much to digest over the weekend. There were many theories on why he would say what he said to the crowd. The cries that he was a plant or paid by the McCain camp from people of color got my investigative juices flowing and I went to work. I did my faithful Internet research and decided to give him a call. I have always been one to get it from the source, the talking heads are paid to spew their mindless garbage and it is hard to know what is the truth from our news junkets anymore. Instead of spending the entire weekend waiting to see how this will be played out on Monday,I decided to ask questions why the topic was hot. God knows, this week, we will have something else to talk about.

Mr. Harris show is on the weekend lineup for his station, 620 WTMJ. After finding his time slot, I waited to see what the fuss was all about. I listened to the first hour of the show and called his producer the second hour. During the first hour, he took calls from only those who supported his statements to McCain. He shared about the level of hate mail and death threats that he was now getting. He asked his callers "did they see anything wrong with what he said"? Now that made me pause, because he stated at the beginning of the show he only wanted to hear from those who supported his statements. The lines were on fire, according to Mr. Harris. This gave me time to listen to his style and check out his website as well. He is a Repub through and through. He was raised in a Demo family but became a Repub later in life. In Nashville, Black Repub capital of America, he would be right at home.

I had two questions for Mr. Harris. I told the producer my first one and saved the second one for on the air. Our initial greetings were pleasantries and nicies (as I was taught by my granddad to say). Manners count when you are from the South. Besides he had the power to cut me off at any time. He mentioned he had a cousin from Mississippi who was concerned about his safety and I went there with the whole "I am from Mississippi too". You may laugh but that one liner has opened more doors for me than I can count. Back to Mr. Harris.

My first question was how does it feel to receive hate mail and death threats the same way Obama gets? Oh, yes I did. I think it is important to understand what others feel and maybe just maybe we can give each other grace. We discussed what he meant about taking Obama on and hitting him where it hurts. My concern with him was that he can say one thing to an audience and the audience may have a different take on the meaning of those words. In Mississippi, an angry crowd of white folks was never a reason for black people to celebrate. We went home and locked our doors and prayed. Many people(black and white, Jew or Gentile)can recall what happens when you see a group of angry folks getting together and wanting to make things happen. My granddaddy told us enough stories that I do not have to go looking for a group of angry people, black or white.

My second question, why he did not wear the attire in his publicity photos to McCain's rally? In his publicity photos, he would have been mistaken for a Muslim easily. He said his wife told him not to wear that. He went on to state that he was in line and one of the organizer recognized him brought up front.

I tried to load the radio link on this post but could not get it to cooperate with me. Hearing it first hand is so much better and you can come to your own conclusion about him. In the link I am providing, if you move the dial button to almost half way, you will get our ten minute conversation. He was pleasant with me.

My concern comes from my years of being a Mississippi brat. You do not agitate a group of angry folks and do not think violence will not happen. If we are going to have a campaign, let us do it with out the mob mentality. Remarks like "kill him" and "off with his head" should be saved for your children football games where cries of dissent are respected and welcomed. Okay, yes I do get rowdy at my kids games but I do not view the opposing team as terrorists.

Whether you are a Demo or Repub the rules are the same. Race baiting is becoming a familiar theme in too many elections. Mr. Harris did not give me an answer about why he did not wear the publicity photo clothing to the event. I have a strong sense that he would not have been on the front row, nor would he have been given a mic to share his views. Less than three weeks left to in the campaign season. Thank God. I do not think I can take any more.

James T. Moore 10-11-08 Hour 2
http://www.620wtmj.com/podcasts/jamestharris/30846109.html?video=pop&t=a
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Monday, October 6, 2008

The Eyes of the Nation Are on Nashville


For the last several months, Belmont University and the city of Nashville have been preparing for the Presidential Debate. There will be viewing parties across the country and throughout our great city. I will be inside seeing the debate live and in person. I have gotten several calls over the weekend asking me to attend several meet and greets, I mean donor parties, for the Presidential Candidates. To meet Obama with Governor Bredesen at his home is going for $2500 and to meet McCain a cool $1500.

I told the supporters since I am still counting my pennies left over from the Wall Street mess, "thanks, but no thanks". I did managed to throw out my media credentials with Inspired Living Magazine and will be able to get a few photos snapped for the media outlet. Daddy would be proud. Not one cent spent to hob nob with the few people with money left in the city.

I will be updating throughout the day on the happenings around the city. Hopefully, no one will suspend their campaign before Tuesday or no late breaking news that the sky is falling.
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Friday, October 3, 2008

She stayed on her feet!


Through out the night, I received texts and emails asking how was Governor Palin doing in the VP debate? My answer was the same to everyone, she stayed on her feet. Biden never really knocked her down. She was charming. She put her pageant skills to work and because expectations were so low, she held her own. My granddaddy always said never underestimate your opponent. And the shoes and suit were cute.

Now putting all that aside, I have learned to listen to the candidates but check the facts immediately. As soon as the debate was over, I checked several trusted fact checking websites and here is what I got in summary:

Biden and Palin debated, and both mangled some facts.

* Palin mistakenly claimed that troop levels in Iraq had returned to “pre-surge” levels. Levels are gradually coming down but current plans would have levels higher than pre-surge numbers through early next year, at least.

* Biden incorrectly said “John McCain voted the exact same way” as Obama on a controversial troop funding bill. The two were actually on opposite sides.

* Palin repeated a false claim that Obama once voted in favor of higher taxes on “families” making as little as $42,000 a year. He did not. The budget bill in question called for an increase only on singles making that amount, but a family of four would not have been affected unless they made at least $90,000 a year.

* Biden wrongly claimed that McCain “voted the exact same way” as Obama on the budget bill that contained an increase on singles making as little as $42,000 a year. McCain voted against it. Biden was referring to an amendment that didn't address taxes at that income level.

* Palin claimed McCain’s health care plan would be “budget neutral,” costing the government nothing. Independent budget experts estimate McCain's plan would cost tens of billions each year, though details are too fuzzy to allow for exact estimates.

* Biden wrongly claimed that McCain had said "he wouldn't even sit down" with the president of Spain. Actually, McCain didn't reject a meeting, but simply refused to commit himself one way or the other during an interview.

* Palin wrongly claimed that “millions of small businesses” would see tax increases under Obama’s tax proposals. At most, several hundred thousand business owners would see increases.

Always, check the facts. There is information more than what is mentioned above. Senator Biden looked very secure and was very respectable and Governor Palin looked confident and ready to show that she can think and talk at the same time.

www.factcheck.org
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Thursday, October 2, 2008

And the People Cried Out!


Many times in our history, the cries and groans of the people have helped shape policy and laws of the land. The Women's Suffrage movement lead to the Nineteenth Amendment. Cries, shouts, and mass protests from the Civil Rights era gave people of color the right to vote with the signing of Voting Rights Act of 1965. The outrage from many in the late sixties and early seventies helped end our participation in the Vietnam War. The voice of the people will always be heard.

The calls to Congress to vote against the Wall Street bail out are from people crying out "enough" with lies and trickery. I have seen one polly after another admit that they really do not understand what is being asked of them in the bail out package. If the people had not rebelled, our foolish pollies in Washington would have signed a blank check that our unborn children's children know will bounce. We would have given our country away, again, without accountability and transparency. The Secretary of Treasury emerged from a cave to ask us for money that sounded like a gazillion dollars. We are still trying to get our minds around the amount. Had we given in to his demands, that would have been truly naive on the part of Congress and the people. Because we did not give in to his demands, we are being blamed for the huge loss of market value on Wall Street this week. I am not buying what is being sold and seems like many others are thinking the same way.

We have overstretched our military and bankrupted our future trying to save the people of Iraq and constantly justifying the cost of a war that we should never have started. We did not ask enough questions and accepted what we were told as the absolute truth. Our shock from 9/11 allowed our emotions to be used and common sense was thrown out the window. Not this time. The back lash, from the misinformation and out right lies that lead up to the Iraq war, has created a country of skeptics who distrust our elected officials. The cost of the funding of the war is rarely mentioned when we discuss the financial mess we are in. Our pollies have developed amnesia about the daily cost of the war and all of our financial problems are now being blamed on color people who became homeowners. Please, give me a break. 10 billion a month to fund the Iraq war. Are we forgetting that many of the people who are losing their homes are over in Iraq or wounded veterans who can not go back to work?

The cries on Capital Hill that the sky was falling, only on Wall Street by the way, were met by a public that demanded more information and more accountability than we asked for when we were presented the same blank sheet of facts for Iraq. As a country, we are smarter, angrier, and tired of the mind games that are played with taxpayers' money. Our money. We are demanding facts and have realized that the fact presenters are not very good fact checkers.

Honestly, I do not know if the sky is falling. I do know we were told that if Wall Street was not bailed out 16 days ago, we would loose out country. Yet, we still own the country and the President is still residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Do I believe that we are in serious financial trouble? Yes. Do I believe giving billions upon billions to one neighborhood street is going to solve our crisis? No.

We bailed out the airlines after 9/11 and we are now being charged for a pillow to fly. We bailed out the automotive industry at one point and we are having more recalls than ever before. Bailing out large industries for the sake of our country, rarely benefits the country. The airlines and the automotive industries are going belly up, jobs are disappearing over seas and workers are being forced out with early retirement options to save the executives at the top.

I called my Senators and Congressional representatives. I am not happy about the financial crisis. I want our country to be safe and financially strong. I suggested that the financial experts do what I do at my home and in business when things are tight, I get on a budget and stick to it. Sounds elementary but it does work.

I left my money in the bank but I am asking more questions of my financial advisers than ever before. I am becoming more educated about my retirement investments and if it does not sound right to me or my kids then you need to keep explaining. If that is too much to ask, I can always go else where with my money.

I am against the bailout as presented the first, second, and third time. I do not understand the bigger picture because it did not make sense. I do agree that something must be done but what, I can not answer at the moment. How it will affect my children's children children, that I do not know either? Hopefully and prayerfully we will get through this crisis, our country is strong and resilient. In 2009, we will have new elected officials with a different mindset on how to handle a crisis and taxpayers' money. Prayerfully. Some of the financial advisers from Wall Street would now make excellent pollies. They would be able to explain to us what happened to all our money when they were working on Wall Street. Then our country will have pollies who can read our country's financial portfolio and understand hogwash from the Secretary of Treasury when it is heard the first time. Hopefully, this will help hold up the sky when it starts to fall again.
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