1 Not everyone can afford to retire and write a BLOG like some people do :-)

2 I wonder what that would be like.

3 I was watching the news the other night and they had a special on about that town this summer that was taken out by the tornado.

Guess what, not one person they interviewed bitched about not getting free stuff.

They actually said things like, we are moving on, we are rebuilding, we are helping our neighbors build.

Shocking, I know.

4 Can we film that and buy TVs and DVDs and send them all the New Orleans?

5 One N.O. upper-middle-class owner of a few single family residence rentals who was wiped out after her insurance corporation failed to rebuild the houses she had faithfully paid premiums on for many years said, "Take a good look at my face. This could be YOU after the next hurricane."

She wasn't complaining about FEMA freebies, she was complaining about private companies not honoring their insurance policies.

6 Well, that's ONE person compared to the tens of thousands who are still waiting for government help -- and demanding government help.

7 Insurance kompanies have ruined health care in this country and you want to pick on the government?

For example, you may believe those first-time home buyers whose mortgage payments are being increased tremendously don't need our collective help. Just a simple "don't increase existing mortgage payments for a year" law wouldn't cost a penny yet it might prevent half of the expected foreclosures.

You probably think "THEY" are being punished, but if you think about the effects of massive foreclosures across our nation you'll realize that we're all in the same boat (even those of us who haven't had a late payment ever in our lives).

Note: Your "truth filter" requires a "k" instead of a "c" sometimes :-)

8 Wrong. Insurance c-ompanies are HEAVILY regulated -- in other words, they charge what they charge BECAUSE GOVERNMENT TELLS THEM TO DO SO. Anyone who tells you otherwise is simply lying. Government sets the coverage and the rates, NOT the companies!

Wrong about increasing payments -- you may think it won't cost a penny, but what about the company who loaned the money who has expenses that increase? When they can't meet expenses, they go bankrupt, and then *I* have to pay for the bad loans.

I'm not against helping people -- I'm against GOVERNMENT forcing others to help people -- that's just wrong, no matter what.

Thanks for the note on the filter, I'll check that out.

9 "you may believe those first-time home buyers whose mortgage payments are being increased tremendously don't need our collective help. Just a simple "don't increase existing mortgage payments for a year" law wouldn't cost a penny yet it might prevent half of the expected foreclosures."

Hey "Ann"

They were the dumbasses that bought more of a house then they could afford, they should get zero help. Maybe they will learn next time to buy what they can afford.

They were the ones that had the contracts in front of them, they were the ones that did not read said contract. They were not forced to get into said contract, nor forced to sign the contract. They were adult enough to lie to get bigger houses and payments, they should be adult enough to pony up to the bar and face the consequences.

10 And people say I'm heartless!

11 Re: the filter --- _you_ can write insurance c_om and America -- just us posters can't.

12 Well, it's certainly true in health insurance that our wholly-owned subsidiary (Congress & the White House) make sure that government cannot compete in the marketplace -- like get volume discounts like WalMart does. Private insurance c-ompanies are the biggest rip-off and the biggest reason why I can get a doctor appointment in Denmark for $60 and $40 in Japan, but the same treatment in the U.S. costs $200 or $300. And, BTW, I made a telephone call for an appointment without any long delay, so please don't fall for that "socialized medicine" crap about long lines for service. Check out the current issue of AARP Bulletin to see how budget cuts have destroyed the good service we used to get from SSA.

Before you make up some abstract esoteric claim about banks going bankrupt check out the current Wall Street earnings report. Bank of America reported today $5 billion in PROFIT, down from $8 billion last year. I think those poor CEO's can sacrifice their bonuses for another year :-)

If government doesn't help then who will? You?

Hey, I read those junk mail ads from mortgage companies -- big bold print that advertises 1.5% interest rates with very affordable monthly payments. Then you read the tiny 4-point font at the bottom that says 1.5% for one-month only; interest rates adjust MONTHLY; capped at 9.5% -- gee, 9.5% in 4-point footnote with giant 16-point blue-colored font advertising 1.5% rate.

Please don't try to tell me the government made the mortgage companies do that.

Yes, first time home buyers make mistakes -- and to miss an 8% point difference is a very stupid mistake. But doesn't an 8% difference seem even a little bit unfair to you?

Regardless, think about the value of your 401(K) pension and the value of your home and keep in mind that while your net worth falls, all we needed was for the government (or banks themselves) to reign in some of their excesses until the situation improves.

13 All I really need is for government to get the hell out of my way and let me be free. That's all I ask. And that's as "fair" as you can get. And YES, people should be absolutely free to make stupid mistakes -- and take risks -- and suffer the consequences of that risk.

No, GOVERNMENT is the source of the vast, vast majority of problems in America, not "evil corporations."

And YES, if government doesn't help *I* will. But right now I have to give nearly half of everything I earn to government to mismanage, so I don't have much cash to spare. If you don't believe it will work, check out America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. People do VASTLY better without government interference, every single time.

14 Yes, working people pay 43% fed tax (28% income + 15% SSA payroll taxes) while the non-working (ie, "rich") Americans pay only 15% tax on Capital Gains. And that's not even counting sales taxes -- a far greater percentage of poor and working people's earned income goes to sales taxes than rich CEO's huge stock options ("capital gains").

I hope you'll agree that this situation has been created by corporate lawyers, not grass-roots public demand. Lobbyists are paid by rich CEO's not average working people, so please don't blame the government.

I still don't think you're getting my point though. You say "suffer the consequences of that risk" and I'm telling you that GOOD PEOPLE are already being hurt if the GREEDY mortgage companies are allowed to foreclose on first-time home buyers who can afford 6% interest, but not the 9% interest they weren't expecting.

At least please let me know whether you realize how YOU will be affected by the oncoming 2 million home foreclosures coming in the next quarter -- after there already is an 18-month backlog of homes for sale on the market.

And please let me know if you think 9% rate in a 6% market (a 150% overcharge) isn't just a tiny little bit unfair? (eg, super-super greedy by the sleazy mortgage companies who interrupt your dinnertime with annoying telemarketing calls)

Side note: America was still an agricultural nation back in late 1800's and early 1900's -- the world has changed upside down and sideways since then ... things are very different now ... you have heard the term "globalization" haven't you? That word was unthinkable before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the rise of Windows (PC's with modems & email), followed by the World-Wide Web (1994) and a popular user-friendly browser (called Netscape (1995) running on top of the Internet (TCP/IP)... Netscape (Firefox) makes our conversation in your BLOG possible. People in the 1880's & early 1900's couldn't even dream of the world we live in today.

PS-- Who invented the Internet? AARP, a special project for the GOVERNMENT. If it werent'f for government support, we'd still be networking computers over proprietay networks like IBM's SNA and DEC's DE_C_NET or Microslop's NETBUI.

You seem to take government contributions for granted, just because you don't have to pay $60/month royalty fee to some company for the use of the "open protocols" TCP/IP.

Maybe you would feel better if you wrote a check for $60/month to Salvation Army and pretend that's your payment for your use of the Internet.

15 Oops .. the Internet was invented by university professors (inexpensively) under grants from DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), sill a GOVERNMENT-sponsored program.

Since you obviously enjoy paying private corporations $45-60/month for your Internet connection, I think it would only be fair if you donated $45-60/month to New Orleans Salvation Army, since your Internet service wouldn't be possible at all without a selfless group of dedicated university researchers collaborating on a project "bigger than themselves" (which wasn't some bogus political war in Vietnam or Iraq).

16 I'm sorry that we will continue to strongly disagree. You see, I trust people. I believe in people. You, based on your statements, believe people are stupid and incapable of doing, well, anything, without government forcing them to. That's sad, but that is the position of the Democrat Party today.

I think any agreement between two people to exchange goods and labor is fair if they agree (without government forcing them to). I think the internet would exist even if government hadn't spent a dime on it. How much did the government spend making Windows?

I believe we would be much more technologically advanced if government were 1/100th of it's size. More people would be better off, there would be more "middle class" and more "rich" people. Paying money to the government will always have worse results than NOT paying them.

17 Would you really want to live in a world where everybody watches only FOX news, everybody belongs to the Republican party, and all the Christians wear Ku Klux Klan hoods?

2 points: I wouldn't want to live in a 100% leftist world and just because SOME Christians joined the Ku Klux Klan doesn't de-legitimize ALL Christians.

That's why 2nd Timothy Chapter 4 Verse 7 is my favorite scripture -- even if SOME Christians have become as extreme as SOME Muslims are, I have kept the faith in the Love that Jesus Christ wants our world to have.

Sorry, you are just wrong about the Internet. IBM, DEC, Honeywell, H-P, and every other company promoted their own, proprietary networking system. Essentially a "tower of babel" to communicate with other vendor's computers. Microslop is the most CLOSED proprietary system in the world, and they use their monopoly power to destroy competitive products -- thus diminishing user's choices for better products.

I agree about government being far too big.

Let's bring back Eisenhower and start reducing the size of government by tearing down the military-industrial complex that wastes almost as much money as the INTEREST our federal government pays every year for the money it has BORROWED to pay for military excesses even the Pentagon hasn't requested.

18 Obviously we're not going to agree. I suggest that I trust people to do things based on freedom, and you suggest they will all be Klan members. That's just sad.

You can give one example where companies compete. GOOD! That's great! Okay, how about hard drives? Somehow they managed to come up with quite a standard there without government.

You want to reduce government, there's just one choice for President in 2008: Ron Paul.

19 I said Klan members are not an excuse to lump all Christians into one lump sum and say they are ALL bad (as you claim ALL Muslims are bad, without exception).

How much have you contributed to help rebuild the homes that were destroyed by the fires in Southern California? Or Katrina? Zero. I thought so,

I think you trust the people to do nothing except look out for their own selfish interests (and count their blessings that an "act of God" doesn't take away their life savings).

If you saw Russell Crowe's movie "A Brilliant Mind" you would know that the Nobel-prize-winning mathematician he played made a breakthrough discovery in game theory in 1953.

In simple terms, "If we all four (guys) go after the very prettiest girl, then there will be one winner and three losers. But, if instead, we collaborate our efforts, we each can get a date with one of the four attractive girls, and thus have four winners."

It is an important foundation for modern economic theory. The disk drive companies also were led by IEEE Computer Society (a NON-PROFIT professional organization) who recognize the value of standards (ie, regulations or "rules" or "laws").

Sometimes good things happen without government intervention, but I think your answer to the Southern California/Katrina question is most revealing.

20 You have already decided my answer, so I guess there's no point in providing the real answer, is there?

21 You wrote:

"And YES, if government doesn't help *I* will."

What have you done to help the people in New Orleans/San Diego who need help?

22 I'm not sure why you answer a question, then ask me to answer it. You have already decided, magically, my thoughts and actions, based on your mind-reading abilities. I see no need to correct you because you have already decided the answer. If I were to tell you an answer that contradicted with your pre-determined answer, I'm quite sure you'd claim I was lying. Instead of trying to upset your delicate sensibilities with the truth, I'll just let you continue life in the world of your own creation in your own mind.

23 Why are you so embarrassed about answering this simple question? I wouldn't even know you if we passed each other on the street. And it looks like this discussion is essentially a private one between you and me; it's not like I'm trying to use your soap-box to corner you and make some big splash in the Blog-O-Sphere :-)

I'm just trying to point out the flaw in your assumption that people in need will magically get the help they need without some organized (government or non-profit NGO) way of helping them get back on their feet.

Right-wingers used to whine about "lazy, non-working welfare moms". Now they are blaming victims of natural disasters for trying to mooch off of others.

What will you do if your insurance c_ompany cancels your home owner's policy? Sell your house? Who will buy it if they can't insure it?

You dump all the blame on the powerless at the bottom of the economic totem pole, while the powerful who run insurance c_ompanies get a free pass from you. Why is that?

24 Sorry about the insurance c-ompanies spam thing, I can't figure out how to get that out of there.

As for freedom, I just happen to like it. I don't put blame on anyone for things they don't do. I simply like freedom. I like people to be free to help others. Today's government HATES allowing people to be free to help others. I think that's wrong. And with insurance c-ompanies, the primary reason they do ANYTHING they do is because government forces them to. And again, that's just plain wrong.

25 It may be a ".com" filter. I'm not sure why anyone would try to advertise in your political blog, it would seem to backfire if someone tried to take commercial advantage of a discussion blog like yours.

How about 'dem tax-averse, Libertarian, selfish, "less government, more for __MEE___" Orange County voters who got caught with their pants down -- only two Vietnam-era helicopters to fight the fire -- even AFTER a similar fire disaster happened in 2003, those freedom-loving tax-averse citizens voted down a local tax to buy new fire-fighting equipment... so they ended up MOOCHING off of San Franciso and Arizona fire-fighters after their fires got out of control.

NOW those rugged individualist Libertarians want govermint help.

Hope they enjoyed their tax-savings :-)

BTW, 2/3 of Americans say they received no benefit from Dubya's tax cuts.

(At least you were able to fix the "ica" filter. Thanks!)

26 Well, it's not a ".com" filter -- just when i type "insurance c_om".

Don't worry about it. As a computer programmer I know how hard it is sometimes to fight the syntax to get a computer to do what you want it to :-)

27 It's automated spam, they don't care where the links end up. There's lots of them that advertise for insurance c-ompanies (go figure).

28 Wow! I would report them to Homeland Security, They are about the only govermint agency with funds to pay staff to do stuff anymore. And spam is the #1 threat to Internet bandwidth.

Still, what do you think about those tax-averse libertarian San Diegan's who voted down a tax increase to pay for modern helicopter/ariel attacks on the small forest fire that was getting out of control. Their Fire Chief did the honorable thing and resigned after the votes were counted. If people aren't willing to pay for their own protection, then it's futile to try -- he didn't delude himself into thinking he can protect them or, worse, collect a handsome Fire Chief compensation package for his family, while pretending to help them.

The really sad thing about that is, if San Diego had bought more modern equipment, possibly they might have contained the fire and prevented damage to neighboring counties who DID pay for more modern fire-fighting equipment.

Worse, they ended up MOOCHING off other fire departments to pay for the fire protection they have been neglecting for over thirty years now.

When I hear "less government, more for __MEEE__" I always think of free-loaders like the San Diego voters who voted to tax their neighbors for the necessary equipment to fight their fires.