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March 11, 2005
No one's life, limb or property is safe when a legislative body is in session
The passage of this bill is part and parcel of the reason the political affiliation best describing me these days is anti-incumbent.
I mean, this thing is getting grief from the right, the left, the middle, and the predicate (hey, Jeff, there's some more love for you). There is broad-based opposition among the public. And the thing passed the Senate 74-25.
Here's the redstaters' biggest take on the matter:
The record number of bankruptcies in America is not the fault of consumers so much as it's the fault of credit companies willing to extend credit to pretty much anyone, independent of their means or station. When I lived in Brooklyn, one of my roommates was unemployed for almost a full year. After six months of unemployment, he did an experiment and saved all the pre-approved credit offers he received. The result: in one month, this unemployed 26-year old was offered almost a hundred thousand dollars in preapproved credit. That the bankruptcy bill does zero to address this corporate malfeasance -- a major and easily-addressed cause of the bankruptcy rate -- is absurd.
In response to this, I have only one word of wisdom and advice to everyone who reads this thing:
Every time you pay a finance charge on a credit card you carry, you're giving money to the SOB's who, given the option, would be a loan shark and throw you into debtor's prision so they can line their pockets with your dough.
Pay off your credit cards. Aggressively. And, while you're at it, avoid using your check card under conditions that would require you to pay fees that would go to the big banks and the card companies. Do whatever you can so that these pricks don't get the satisfaction.
And oh yeah, as my father used to say, when your congresscritters who voted for this thing come up for reelection, "throw the bums out."
Posted by Chuck at March 11, 2005 11:24 AM
Comments
I think this is one of the biggest things I can point to when friends ask me why I'm not a Democrat because "Bush is so terrible." I don't like many of the decisiosn he's made, but I don't believe the solution lies in flocking to another party.
a LOT of the folks in power seem to be (?) playing the power game on every level.
It makes me wonder, sometimes... what IS the best response? as individuals and communities of individuals? Dive into local politics and start there? I don't know.
--Jeff
Posted by: Jeff at March 11, 2005 11:52 AM
oh wow, please do not get me started on politics. i can't even properly comment on this because it would take too long and too much space. i'm sure if you know me long enough you will figure out my opinions on these things rather quickly as i can't not talk about them if they come up.
Posted by: Celestia at March 11, 2005 01:15 PM
We get this way a lot as people, don't we?
We have a rather broad political diversity in our bible study at church - a couple of prototypical Christian conservatives, a couple of prototypical pro-union Democrats, a couple of political moderates in between, and then me, who is just politically weird. "Moving on" is a punch line to a joke anymore, around us - we find ourselves compelled to keep from dragging into political debates so much.
I don't think this, for me, is about the politics so much as CREDIT CARD COMPANIES ARE EEEEEEEEEEEEEVIL.
Celestia, grab me on the IM one evening when you feel like just ranting and raving, and we can rant and rave together. :)
Posted by: Dr Chuck at March 11, 2005 05:22 PM