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October 9, 2008 Opinions |
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—Editorial—
Even Though The Government Passed A Bailout, Don’t Bail Out On Your Community
There are very few things as scary as the possibility of an economic meltdown. After all, our jobs, our homes, our children’s education, and our retirement are at stake.
Even before the recent passing of the $700 billion bailout there has been nine consecutive months of job losses in the country.
Experts say two-thirds of the economy is derived from consumer spending, and nationwide retailers are expecting a 50 percent reduction in upcoming holiday sales, their most lucrative time of year.
We watched as the stock market plunged 778 points after the first bailout was rejected. And even after the second bailout bill was passed, the market continued to drop.
As the stock market plummets so does our confidence in our nation’s fiscal strength and the banking systems. It makes us wonder if it’s time to start hiding money under the mattress or in a jar buried in the yard.
Economic experts are saying that we are in a recession, and a lot of people are worried that with a weak economy we will have a weak military presence.
This country made it through the depression without a meltdown in our Democratic process and still remained a global peace keeping force.
Oil prices have escalated over the last two years, further burdening people. Food costs continue to rise.
While the working class struggles, the bailout rescues the large financial corporations, banks, investment and insurance companies. They are the ones who contributed to the economic crisis we are facing by over lending to people who didn’t have the means to pay it back. Fortunately, not all financial institutions engaged in this, but for those who did, high interest rates, balloon payments and extreme payoff penalties made it almost impossible for anyone to get ahead.
And of course, the working class taxpayers, not the fat cats on Wall Street, are the ones who will carry the burden of their failures.
Understanding how we got into this mess is important, but figuring out what we can do here in our own backyard to help the situation is paramount.
Even though the government passed a bailout, don’t bail out on your community. If there was ever a time that the words “Buy Local” meant something more than just a marketing campaign, the time is now. Local businesses need our support now more than ever if we want to maintain a viable and productive community.
Of course there are some things that just aren’t available here, but every time you get on the Internet and add an item to your cyber cart, please ask yourself if this is something you could buy locally to help support the economy of the community that you live and work in.
Support your local farmers and ranchers by purchasing locally grown food. Support your local grocery stores rather than making an out-of-town run to the chain store giants. Hire local contractors. Save gas, eat at local restaurants. Support your local hardware, gift shops, auto dealers and clothing stores rather than giving your hard earned money to some faceless store in cyber space where you will never see a return on your investment. Every dollar you spend in Baker County is an investment in your community.
For every item you buy elsewhere, that income is lost to the independently owned business down the street, until it can no longer continue to survive. When a business closes and the owners have to move from the area to survive, it affects our schools, our city and county governments and our livelihoods. A town cannot exist without these entities.
We can’t solve the world’s problems, and we can’t bring back the nation’s economy overnight. But we can utilize the resources we have available here and put money back into our local economy. (DS)
—Letters To The Editor—
County Payments Restored
To The Record-Courier:
County payments are part of a promise made to rural communities in exchange for shutting them out of their forests. The restoration of these payments is long overdue, but it is welcomed with great relief. These communities represent the backbone of Oregon and deserve to have the promises made to them kept.
Ultimately, the long-term answer isn’t government assistance, but giving time-dependent communities access to stable, family wage jobs that will free them from dependence on political games in Washington DC.
Senator Ted Ferrioli
Salem, Ore.
Another Bad Contract
To The Record-Courier:
This is local level, in your face, Letter of Intent, Signed by the County Commissioner’s with the U.S. Forest Service - Department of Agriculture. This Letter of Intent called a MOU (memorandum of understanding), gives authorization of the whole process, to the USFS & USDA by giving them “Lead Agency Status.” Do our elected officials become subservient to an executive agency ? The process is in motion to bring about, all actions to come under the control of The Federal Arbitration Act.
This Federal Arbitration Act in section 2. In part calls for, Preemption of state law. “any state law that disfavors the enforcement of arbitration agreements will be preempted by the FAA”. This is outside the Rule of Law, respect for the Rule of Law, protection of people and their property, and the oath of office they have sworn to uphold.
On a local level the economy, culture, history, the Americans with Disabilities Act are not being protected and preserved. The USFS and USDA must agree to first uphold the present statutes, and go by the letter of the law. Not to abrogate federal, state, and local laws. This will be the only acceptable process, and the only process that recognizes the authority of the local elected County Commissioners.
This is another bad contract, with no Transparency and Accountability
By Roy H. Barnes
Retired OSP
Why Do Democrats Want To Disarm The American People?
To The Record-Courier:
Yes I will be glad when this President election is over and done. Hopefully the right one will win! Glad to see that there are many that see through Obama and the Democratic party’s views on what is right for the American people. I don’t want to see this great country turn over to the far left and socialism. To you who think this is only my opinion, please check the record for yourself. Yes, Obama has said he supports the Second Amendment. He lies, and his record says so. He supports what he calls “Common Sense” gun laws, which include total ban on handguns, ban on sale, transfer of ALL semi-auto firearms, ban on right to carry permits, ban on firearms kept in your home.
Why do the Democrats want to disarm the American people? I have my own theory that would scare you! It’s not just Obama, most of the Democratic party in Washington are on this same role. It became very apparent during the Clinton era. Have we forgot that gun-owners and NRA fought him over the same thing? Check out www.gunban obama.com. Every time the news is on I hear Obama is mixed up with another dirty dog. Acorn, a shady lending outfit, which he was taught and teaches, which happens to be one of the problems with the coming BAILOUT. Obama is up to his eyeballs in so many dealing, and bad judgement that I personally cannot trust him as President!
Now the Mayor of New York wants to change the law from two year office to three so he can run again. Richard Mell, the Chicago Mayor wants to change gun laws to suit himself. All Democrats - Get the picture? Obama said if elected, the first thing he will do is sign the “Freedom of Choice Act,” which gives abortion rights at ANY level. He calls himself a Christian, but like Herod in the Bible, he believes in killing babies.
I could preach a sermon on this subject. Ladies, God loves you, but you’ve missed something. NO ONE denies you have the right to your own body, but the child the mother is carrying is not part of your body, he/she, is a completely different human with the same rights for life as your or me! That’s why it’s considered murder not just with Christians, but in God’s eyes also. One of the Ten Commandments states, “You shall not murder.” All who deal in abortion agree with it including Sen. Obama without repenting will stand before God in judgement for this act whether or not you believe.
One last thing, the BAILOUT, who’s really at fault? Could the fault be us the people for not being up on what our Representatives are doing, being too lazy to see if they are working for us or getting fat off us? Even then, sending the same fat cat back to office to do it again. Think about it! www.nraila.org
Richard Fox
Baker City
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