Thursday, July 30, 2009

Bailouts

President Obama
Members of Congress
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500-0004
(202) 456-1414

Mr. President and Members of Congress:

Sirs:

I have gotten myself in pickle and looking for some help, let me explain my problem to you.

Several months ago I applied for and received a credit card with a sizeable limit and started to buy things I wanted, not necessarily needed but just wanted. Made a few loans to family and friends and took a couple of vacations and a few trips to a local casino. Before long I had maxed out this card and was making minimum payments but still wanted more stuff. I then applied for another card and it was approved. So now I was able to buy more stuff, and I did, before you know it I was in need of another card and then another. Now I can’t make the minimum payments on these cards and all my other commitments are behind, facing bankruptcy and foreclosure on my home.

I am in need of a stimulus /bailout package. I believe about 5 million should do it and I do have a plan of action in place.

First I plan to take my family (Wife, children, brothers and sisters, their families and cousins and their families, on both sides you know, in-laws, out-laws and such) an on an extravagant vacation somewhere in the South Pacific, big expensive resort, with all the fun in the sun things to do, all expenses paid by me of course. About 3o days of this would tire us all out and we would head home. (Air fare, first class, both ways also paid by me) When arriving back home after such a tiring and stressful trip I’ll need to rest up, just chill out and get myself ready to go back to work (if I still have a job) I had no vacation time available so did not receive any compensation while on vacation. Do you think they might give me a big bonus to help me out even though I wasn’t doing my job?

Sincerely
Joe Q Public
Anywhere USA


IN GOD WE TRUST
NOT SO MUCH IN YOU ANYMORE

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Foreclosures

U.S. plan to stem foreclosures runs into a dense labyrinth

THE NEW YORK TIMES LOS ANGELES

Somewhere on Earth, there must be a more difficult task than this: persuading American mortgage companies to lower payments for homeowners who can no longer afford their loans.

But as Karina Montenegro struggles to accomplish this feat for a troubled borrower, she strains to imagine a more futile pursuit. .

Montenegro, an intern at a local company that seeks loan modifications, dials Washington Mutual to check on the status of an application for a homeowner whose income has plummeted. She endures a Muzak-scored purgatory on hold. Syrupy-voiced customer service representatives chide her, for landing in the- wrong department. She learns that the documents her company sent in have simply vanished - for the third time since November.

"I don't know what happened," says a customer service officer. Who identifies himself as Chris? "I don't know if there was a glitch in the system, whether it was transferred from one call center to the other."

Think of the documents as being part of a pile massing inside the bank, Chris suggests. "This pile is not going to be moved forward at any point in time."

c. Montenegro and her colleagues suffer these sorts of excruciating exchanges all day long. It is a potent indication of the of difficulties afflicting the $75 billion taxpayer- financed program created by the Obama administration in an effort to avoid foreclosure for as many as 4 million distressed homeowners.

Under the plan, the government offers mortgage companies $1,000 for each loan they agree to modify, then another $1,000 at year for up to three years.

Hanging in the balance is more than the fate of individual home owners. The administration portrays its mortgage program as a crucial piece of its broader effort to restore vigor to the economy. If the effort fails, foreclosures will continue to surge and home prices will probably keep falling, sowing fresh losses in the financial system and threatening to crimp credit anew for businesses and households.

Yet in the four months since the Treasury Department announced the program, millions of new homeowners have slipped into delinquency and foreclosure. For now, progress is constrained by the limited capacities of mortgage servicing companies, said
Michael Barr, assistant Treasury secretary for financial institutions. He offered the first signs of the administration's impatience with the institutions that control home loans.

"They need to do a much better job on the basic management and operational side of their firms," Barr said. "What we've been pushing the servicers to do is improve their infrastructure to make sure their call centers are doing a better job. The level of training is not there yet."

The administration still does not know how many mortgages have been modified under the program. Barr estimated the number at "over 50, 000," explaining that precise figures must wait for a soon-to-be-completed tracking system.

By the end of August, the program should produce 20,000 loan modifications a week, Barr said.

Tom Kelly, a spokesman for JPMorgan Chase, which now owns Washington Mutual, affirmed the administration's criticism.

"We've done a lot," he said, noting that the bank has added 950 loan counselors since the beginning of the year, bringing the total to 3,500. "But we've got a lot more to do."

Two days in Los Angeles, where a loan modification company allowed a reporter to listen as its agents contacted mortgage servicers provided the firm not be named Starkly illustrated the problems.

The company charges homeowners $3,000, typically upfront, as it seeks to persuade lenders to rewrite loan documents so as to lower monthly payments. The company says it refunds the money when it fails to secure a modification.

For Montenegro, a college student at the University of Southern California, her summer job makes for fitting, symmetry... In
High school, she worked as a clerk at a Washington Mutual branch in Downey, Calif., which specialized in mortgages that invited customers to make such tiny payments that their balances increased.

Many homeowners did not understand the terms: Once they owed a lot more than their house was worth, their payments spiked. Now, that day has come, and Montenegro is working the other side. She calls WaMu, as the bank is known, trying to cut deals.

Among her clients is Vladimir Vishmid, who owes $490,000 on the mortgage for his three-bedroom home in Sherman Oaks, Calif. Vishmid's income as a self employed computer engineer has plummeted, making it hard for him to make his $2,542 monthly payments. He is current on his loan, he says, but behind on his car insurance and utilities.

Software on Montenegro's computer logs the details of the three applications her company has already submitted for Vishmid. Chris, the WaMu representative, is telling her to send in No.4.

"Personally, I'd submit a new file," Chris counsels. "I'm telling you honestly, anything over 30 days is a new submission for us."

For Montenegro, "honestly" is one of those words marinated in so much irony that her eyes roll. Two weeks earlier, she called the bank to check on the file and was told it was being reviewed. Now, it has disappeared.

"So, if I wouldn't have called, we wouldn't have known?" Montenegro scolds.

"It would have just sat in the queue and nothing would have happened," Chris says. "I wish I had a better explanation."

In the same office, Montenegro's colleague, Sean Milotta, has run into a problem on a loan billed by American Home Mortgage Servicing. Though the borrower appears eligible for the Obama administration plan, the company refuses to take an application because the loan is owned by an investor who is unwilling to absorb a loss.

In another office down the hall, Ramin Lavi, 27, has picked up the file of Alice Descovich, who is seeking to shave down the $708,000 she owes on a mortgage serviced by WaMu for her home in Alameda, Calif. As the interest rates reset higher, she can no longer afford the $4,400 monthly payments.

A note in the system shows that the bank confirmed receiving documents on April 29 – pay stubs, tax returns, a letter disclosing her hardship, bank statements. Since then, the company has been waiting for WaMu to review the file.

But when Lavi calls, a representative coolly discloses that the application has been rejected because one document, a proof of insurance form, is missing. He must start over.

"The file had been submitted properly, and you didn't put the pieces together," Lavi says, his body quivering with anger. "I'm not going to stand in line again for another six months."

He demands to speak to a supervisor, but the representative says no supervisor is free. He hangs up and redials, hoping to land in a different-call center eventually, he reaches Chase's executive offices, where Becky takes over the call.

"We're not taking cases now," she says calmly.

"Why was I transferred to you?" Lavi asks.

Becky does not know. He implores her to keep the file open while he faxes in the lone missing document.

"Impossible," she says, warning of "the sheer amount of papers coming in."

Another agent, Lee Wasser, props his feet on an adjacent desk chair as he waits on hold for more than 20 minutes to speak with GMAC Mortgage.

His clients, Dean and Nancy Piercy, owe $380,000 on the loan for their home in Shasta Lake, Calif. A logger, Piercy has lost work hours, making it hard for them to keep up with their $2,048 monthly payment - soon set to rise.

Wasser has already negotiated a solution: GMAC will accept only $270,000 in repayment, allowing the couple to get a fixed-rate mortgage from another bank.

But that suddenly is in disarray. The Piercys have been making .their payments, but GMAC has been putting their checks aside, holding the money as "loss .mitigation fees," until their application is completed. It has notified credit bureaus that their loan is more than 90 days delinquent, which has lowered their credit score, disqualifying them for the next mortgage.

Wasser reaches GMAC's loss mitigation department. He asks for the delinquency to be removed from their status-But that must be handled by a different department: customer service. He is transferred there, where Jessica picks up the call." “We are not going to amend," she says, after a strained back and forth. If Wasser wants it otherwise, he will have to talk to loss mitigation.

"I just talked to them five minutes ago," he tells Jessica. "No, you didn't." "Are you accusing me of lying?"

Wasser asks for Jessica's employee identification number, but the line goes dead. Jessica has apparently hung up...


Well it appears as though we haven’t given our LENDERS enough money, someone needs to call President Obama, (our Spender in Chief) and have him reach deeper into our pockets and give them some more. Like gluttons they have to eat (spend/hoard) until their pants buttons pop off and then the leftovers can be used to help home owners. I think this is part of the “spreading the wealth” that is to heal the economy. The spreading seems to be going one direction “UP”!

Once again I have to question the “Retention Bonuses”. Now this is so we can retain the “Best of the Best” to guide us.
If they are that damn good, why did this happen while they were at the helm steering the boat.

Steven Smith
Veteran/Patriot
GOD BLESS AMERICA, LAND THAT I LOVE

Monday, June 29, 2009

Ileagle Aliens

Well, my opinion, amnesty for Illegals is an attempt by President Obama and the Democrats to permanently steal our country from us. Think of it, make them legal,give them rights, social security, (yours, they haven't put in a dime), welfare,food stamps, the VOTE, and where will their loyalties be, who will benefit? To me, that's the same as Iran fixing an election!! That would be buying votes, the same as Oprah did, prior to the election.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Socialism is not the way to go

National Headquarters
American Medical Association
515 N State Street
Chicago, Il. 60654


Sirs
I beg of you to consider this proposal of a patriotic American who believes that this is the best country to live in despite all our faults.

My suggestion is that the AMA get together with all other medical groups, such as: Hospital associations, insurance providers, Pharmaceutical Companies, and the rest in the business health care and providing benefits and assist the government in a plan to lower cost, and provide health care to all.

I believe this would be in your best interest. My thought is you will soon be working for the government and your profits will be reduced more than would than if you design an acceptable, reasonable, and cost effective plan that you, the government and the people of this great nation can live with

One idea would be to help small businesses to provide affordable benefits to their employees. Maybe a national association that would allow small busyness’s to then be a group as big companies are now.

I know that a lot of the expenses for the high cost of medications are for research. If we come up with a way to cut these cost and help lower the total cost to individuals then maybe we can lobby for grants and subsidies from the government to help with the cost of research. With the lower cost to individuals, and affordable health care for the masses I truly believe there will be more donations from the people and business’s to help these cost remain affordable to big business, small businesses, and the individual.

Just cutting the fat, and I’m sure you can find some throughout the industry; I believe we can keep the government out of the system and things will be better for all.

Please don’t start with cutting jobs, that’s something we don’t need. You may be though to make payroll cuts and agreements with union to help with the overall changes. If we can lower cost, maintain present levels of personnel, sell this plan to the government and the people, we may keep the government from taking over you business as they are in the auto industry. I pray that you give this proposal and at least discuss it within the industry and see if you can help save our country.

Steven Ray Smith
Wounded Veteran of a Foreign War
Patriotic citizen of this great country
Believer that we can help ourselves (act fast before President Obama becomes your boss)

P.S.
If you believe you are immune to the fallout from this administrations’ plan for the socializing of health care system then you are comparable to the fool that becomes his own lawyer !!!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

FORIEN AFFAIRS

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Well I know everybody wants out of Iran and Afghanistan and nobody wants to start another war, but we have, what I perceive is a serious problem, an idiot in North Korea threatening our very being. We need to slap this, Kim Jong Il, upside the head, shove our finger in his face and tell him straight out, “SHUT YOUR FACE, BACK OFF WITH THE THREATS”.

I believe that as secretly as possible we should arm Japan with nuclear weapons and subs with nuclear rockets, this just to keep China in check, then we tell Kim Jong Il, stand down, get rid of your nuclear weapons, or we will take you out. Tell China, you had a chance to intervene and didn’t, so stay out of it now, sit back and watch.

Now the hardest part of all this is being able to do anything secretly. For the sake of a story, being first to report, without regards to our loyal and faithful service men and women, our liberal media advertise our every movement. Badgering Military leaders for info that they don’t need. Using leaked material to scoop their competitors. As far as I am concerned, anybody using information about our military operations, without consent from the military leaders that affected, are traitors and should be treated as such. This is the same as selling top-secret information to foreign countries and being branded a spy. Both are done purely for personal gain, with total indifference to any consequences of their actions!

Monday, June 22, 2009

HEALTH CARE

Let’s talk health care.
I do not think nationalizing health care is the way to go, my opinion, but I haven’t heard anything good coming out of the countries that have it now. I have heard people from Canada and England say nothing good about. I do have a good friend that said he works with someone from Australia that says they like what they have down under. I have heard Canadians say that they come across the border into the United States to get treatments they are not allowed in Canada and they speak about long lines, long time to get appointments, and once you get to a certain age you are no longer worth the trouble or expense to treat or medicate.

I still haven’t seen or heard anyone tell me that the nationalized / socialized health care will apply to one and all, rich, poor, “important”, “famous”, and all government officials and employees. Of course they have money to hire private health care people, ah, wait a minute, I forgot about sharing the wealth, duh, by the time all the rich and famous and the politicians share theirs with me,I should get a BIG raise, but after the increase in taxes my take home will probably be less.

Friday, June 19, 2009

PETA

Well, I am not a fan of our President but, PETA has taken the spotlight off him for the moment. He swatted a fly, how many of us haven't, including members of PETA?What's next,we ban the sale of fly swatters and boycott the manufacturers? What about fly strips, raid,and other sprays?

I believe we have a lot more to worry about with this administration than the swatting of flies.

He is swatting down your RIGHTS, FREEDOMS, AND SELLING OUR COUNTRY TO THE MIDDLE EAST. His intentions,I believe, are not to save our country but to get us so deep in debt that we can't get out and then the big oil producers (Saudi Arabia and others)will buy it up from China and others that need this oil. (that will probably be held for ransom until they sell their American interest to them).

Then they WILL destroy America. (or try) If it gets that far I'm sure there will be a fight and we will win. There are some ideas we might want to keep in place. Let the liberal media and cohorts in congress go ahead and share their wealth with the rest of us.

I wonder what it will take for the American people, including our liberal media and Hollywood types,who believe they will be immune from the consequences, to wake up and smell the roses. We need some one to take a stand and fight for our rights and our freedom. Keep the pressure on "Fox News Network" seems you are the only ones speaking our for the interest of all the people.