USA Today reports on the front page today that the banks you & I are subsidizing with our taxes are still spending millions to lobby Congress. There’s also a page 10 sidebar about the specific efforts of Merrill Lynch.
You remember ML, don’t you? The ones who whined & moaned because they didn’t get on the same dole that Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers & AIG did?
Lynch’s lobbyist (or one of them) is quoted as saying that they have a right to lobby policymakers.
Correct me if I’m wrong—but isn’t that lobbying for legislation that permitted banks, brokerages, mortgage firms, etc. to engage in wildcat investments based essentially on nothing but the greed principle—isn’t that what got us into this mess?
I mean, they bought/lobbied their way into the greatest financial crisis in 75 years, one that's still washing over the economies of every country in the world, & they still think they have the right to continue—on our nickel—to cajole Congress into legislating more ways for these institutions to clip us?
Am I the only one who thinks it’s whacked that CityBoAPNCFargoCapOne & Co are using MY money to wheedle policymakers into letting them raise fees, cut back services & generally make it harder for me to do business with them?
Folks, next time you’re hit with a higher ATM withdrawal fee, or wait an hour to speak with the single loan officer working in the branch—just remember that you actually helped that institution buy influence to legalize charging more for less.
Capitalism—goniff!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Vox populi, vox dei
I'm sitting here, 18 minutes after NBC announced that Barack Obama is to be our 44th President. McCain is conceding (and for once he's admonishing his followers on their poor behavior) with greater grace than he ran his campaign. I knew he had it in him; I'm sorry it took him this long to let it out.
They just splotted the state of Washington blue. I can't think that they've actually counted my vote--not all those black oval blobs, and I was feeling kind of, you know, unimportant about it because the decision was being made without me.
But here's the thing: my vote was there, is there, on record. And if it took them days or weeks to get them all counted, mine would be right there to help shape the future.
I really think we did a good job today. So, well done, America.
Carry on.
They just splotted the state of Washington blue. I can't think that they've actually counted my vote--not all those black oval blobs, and I was feeling kind of, you know, unimportant about it because the decision was being made without me.
But here's the thing: my vote was there, is there, on record. And if it took them days or weeks to get them all counted, mine would be right there to help shape the future.
I really think we did a good job today. So, well done, America.
Carry on.
Civic responsibility
So, armed with photo ID & a utility bill proving I do indeed reside here (haven’t got around to getting a Washington driver’s license—probably subconsciously unwilling to make that ultimate commitment) I showed up 45 minutes ago at the Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Bellevue to perform my civic duty.
I also had a book to read in case of long lines.
Now, considering that Metro Seattle is supposed to be the Silicon Sound, as it were, a hotbed of high tech, imagine my surprise at discovering how…manual the process was.
I had to check in with a young woman at a table, who found me on a list & then directed me across the room to another set of people behind tables, specifically to “Bob”. I’m guessing Bob was about 103 & very methodical about looking you up on his rolls. I showed him my company badge because my name is in BIG LETTERS. He still had trouble finding me.
As he flipped through the pages, I pointed out my name. He instructed me to write my name in another book & then handed me a very long paper ballot, printed on both sides.
I completely freaked out when I realized that the voting “booths” were entirely open & cheek-by-jowl next to one another. I could have cribbed off the ballots of the man & woman to either side of me if I’d wanted.
Then I obsessed over making sure I filled the little ovals correctly—all fully covered, nothing extending outside the line.
I’ve NEVER had a ballot that had to be marked like that. & I’ve been voting for a while.
Also interesting was the way the ballot was “organized”: instructions, state measures, county measures, federal offices, state offices, county measures, judges, city measures. I think this is the first time voting in three states that the office of President of the United States hasn’t taken precedence.
In fact I pretty much had to HUNT out the candidates for Leader of the Free World.
Well, I made my way through the maze (skipping over the county measures about which I know nothing; ditto the judges), rolled up my paper & walked back to the entrance to the hall, where there was this shredder-looking machine that sucks up your ballot. Not sure what happens to it after that, except that it’s going to be a tedious process going thru them to record all those black oval blobs.
(At least no prissy Republican women in their Republican suits sitting there as “poll watchers” checking for any Dem-looking voters they can intimidate out of casting their ballot. [& I know they were ’Pubs because they had little badges SAYING so.] As they were in Virginia the last time I voted on the day instead of absent. That was enough to make me cast my ballot as an absentee ever since.)
I got an “I voted” sticker, & noticed that it’s also stamped “farewell to polls”. & now I understand why most of Washington votes by mail. If there’d been more than the ten or so voters there when I was, all this to-ing & fro-ing would have been utterly chaotic. As would getting one of those “privacy booths” (as they’re referred to in a Seattle Post-Intelligencer report); there was no traffic direction, it was every voter for him/herself.
I have to say I’m not even whelmed by this. As with the state-run liquor stores, Washington is managing to make Virginia look positively progressive in the process of electing our leaders.
Still, as gobsmackingly early 20th-century as this experience was, I am fully aware of how precious & hard-won this right is. & I’m grateful for the opportunity to be counted, even by the black oval blob.
I also had a book to read in case of long lines.
Now, considering that Metro Seattle is supposed to be the Silicon Sound, as it were, a hotbed of high tech, imagine my surprise at discovering how…manual the process was.
I had to check in with a young woman at a table, who found me on a list & then directed me across the room to another set of people behind tables, specifically to “Bob”. I’m guessing Bob was about 103 & very methodical about looking you up on his rolls. I showed him my company badge because my name is in BIG LETTERS. He still had trouble finding me.
As he flipped through the pages, I pointed out my name. He instructed me to write my name in another book & then handed me a very long paper ballot, printed on both sides.
I completely freaked out when I realized that the voting “booths” were entirely open & cheek-by-jowl next to one another. I could have cribbed off the ballots of the man & woman to either side of me if I’d wanted.
Then I obsessed over making sure I filled the little ovals correctly—all fully covered, nothing extending outside the line.
I’ve NEVER had a ballot that had to be marked like that. & I’ve been voting for a while.
Also interesting was the way the ballot was “organized”: instructions, state measures, county measures, federal offices, state offices, county measures, judges, city measures. I think this is the first time voting in three states that the office of President of the United States hasn’t taken precedence.
In fact I pretty much had to HUNT out the candidates for Leader of the Free World.
Well, I made my way through the maze (skipping over the county measures about which I know nothing; ditto the judges), rolled up my paper & walked back to the entrance to the hall, where there was this shredder-looking machine that sucks up your ballot. Not sure what happens to it after that, except that it’s going to be a tedious process going thru them to record all those black oval blobs.
(At least no prissy Republican women in their Republican suits sitting there as “poll watchers” checking for any Dem-looking voters they can intimidate out of casting their ballot. [& I know they were ’Pubs because they had little badges SAYING so.] As they were in Virginia the last time I voted on the day instead of absent. That was enough to make me cast my ballot as an absentee ever since.)
I got an “I voted” sticker, & noticed that it’s also stamped “farewell to polls”. & now I understand why most of Washington votes by mail. If there’d been more than the ten or so voters there when I was, all this to-ing & fro-ing would have been utterly chaotic. As would getting one of those “privacy booths” (as they’re referred to in a Seattle Post-Intelligencer report); there was no traffic direction, it was every voter for him/herself.
I have to say I’m not even whelmed by this. As with the state-run liquor stores, Washington is managing to make Virginia look positively progressive in the process of electing our leaders.
Still, as gobsmackingly early 20th-century as this experience was, I am fully aware of how precious & hard-won this right is. & I’m grateful for the opportunity to be counted, even by the black oval blob.
Monday, November 3, 2008
First Tuesday after the first Monday
It's election eve--way scarier than All Hallows in my book. This time tomorrow, God willing, the political commercials & soundbites will be over, Sarah Palin's Neiman-Marcus wardrobe will be up on eBay (yeah, like THAT'S gonna happen) & the political signs littering the landscape will be pulled up, probably by teen vandals on community service.
Whatever happens at the polls--& in the ensuing court battles--I'm worried that we're just not going to get over the polarity this campaign engendered. More so than any election I can remember, there's been a level of incivility & unwillingness to even listen to anyone supporting "those" candidates ("those" being whichever side isn't yours).
Throughout the past couple of months, friends have been sending me NY Times articles, YouTube links, analyses, diatribes, exposés, cartoons--all anti McCain-Palin. I'm not saying they don't make pretty easy targets, but as I've told more than one of my friends: this stuff is being circulated amongst Obama supporters; of course we're going to eat it up.
But, while infuriating or amusing (or sometimes just lame), I didn't need these materials to influence my choice. & I suspect that neither did the other people on the distribution list.
Moreover, if any McCainite did receive any of these emails, I'm betting that if s/he read through the first graf the offending email got deleted right sharpish.
Here's the thing--at no point in this final campaign did I receive anything from an acquaintance that attempted to show the 'Pubs in a positive light, or Dems in a negative one. (I know it's out there because I've sought out some of the latter myself just to see what was out there, although I can't bring myself to go to a Murdoch-owned site--I do have some limits.)
My point (&, unlike Peggy Noonan, I can actually come to one) is this: we don't seem to be able to talk with one another, unless "we" have already passed some sort of litmus test. & I'm not seeing any kind of willingness to cross this divide, at least not so far.
(I'm also frankly scared by the Klan-like outbursts at McCain's & Palin's rallies & appalled that the candidates haven't told these louts that this kind of thing is unacceptable in the society that the Founding Fathers envisioned. These people have guns--what happens when their candidate doesn't make it to the White House?)
& I'm wondering whether, after tomorrow, we can find a way to put all this vitriol behind us & get on with the business of dragging our sorry economy's arse out of the tank, bring an honorable end to the wars we've been fighting for more than five years & restore our prestige in the eyes of the nations.
Speaking as someone who ALWAYS claps for Tinkerbell I have to say that I wish I thought we could, but I'm having a hard time envisioning it.
Meanwhile, get out there & vote, because decisions are made by those who show up.
Whatever happens at the polls--& in the ensuing court battles--I'm worried that we're just not going to get over the polarity this campaign engendered. More so than any election I can remember, there's been a level of incivility & unwillingness to even listen to anyone supporting "those" candidates ("those" being whichever side isn't yours).
Throughout the past couple of months, friends have been sending me NY Times articles, YouTube links, analyses, diatribes, exposés, cartoons--all anti McCain-Palin. I'm not saying they don't make pretty easy targets, but as I've told more than one of my friends: this stuff is being circulated amongst Obama supporters; of course we're going to eat it up.
But, while infuriating or amusing (or sometimes just lame), I didn't need these materials to influence my choice. & I suspect that neither did the other people on the distribution list.
Moreover, if any McCainite did receive any of these emails, I'm betting that if s/he read through the first graf the offending email got deleted right sharpish.
Here's the thing--at no point in this final campaign did I receive anything from an acquaintance that attempted to show the 'Pubs in a positive light, or Dems in a negative one. (I know it's out there because I've sought out some of the latter myself just to see what was out there, although I can't bring myself to go to a Murdoch-owned site--I do have some limits.)
My point (&, unlike Peggy Noonan, I can actually come to one) is this: we don't seem to be able to talk with one another, unless "we" have already passed some sort of litmus test. & I'm not seeing any kind of willingness to cross this divide, at least not so far.
(I'm also frankly scared by the Klan-like outbursts at McCain's & Palin's rallies & appalled that the candidates haven't told these louts that this kind of thing is unacceptable in the society that the Founding Fathers envisioned. These people have guns--what happens when their candidate doesn't make it to the White House?)
& I'm wondering whether, after tomorrow, we can find a way to put all this vitriol behind us & get on with the business of dragging our sorry economy's arse out of the tank, bring an honorable end to the wars we've been fighting for more than five years & restore our prestige in the eyes of the nations.
Speaking as someone who ALWAYS claps for Tinkerbell I have to say that I wish I thought we could, but I'm having a hard time envisioning it.
Meanwhile, get out there & vote, because decisions are made by those who show up.