Real Estate Madness

I don't know if my area is that different from others, in that home prices seem stuck on expensive. It's my assumption that desperate owners are waiting for their personal bailout. I think there is a reason that has not already occured. Home prices in my area rose about 150% in 5-6 years. A one acre building lot went from about $10,000 to $55,000. Some are still asking $69,000 for an acre building lot. If there were readjustments in prices, it's only been about 9-12% so far, of prices inflated 150% over just a few years. I heard the other day that this real estate craziness also affected farmers who had leased land to raise crops on. Greedy sellers would refuse to allow planting after previously agreeing to do so. That problem has receded somewhat, which means local agricultural businesses should have a better year. A lot of people are actually relieved that the bottom has dropped out of the real estate market. It's the get-rich-quick speculators and real estate agents dreaming of squating over gold-plated toilets who aren't so happy.

Despite what wishful Realtors have been promising for the last 3 years, I don't see those price peaks returning soon, if ever. It is completely unrealistic to price an average property at $250,000 in a rural locality with an average salary of $35,000 a year. There just aren't that many employment opportunities.

The urban sprawlers can't be allowed to force others to build infrastructure around their desires. It's not my concern if someone does not have a job where I live. It's not my obligation to pay for them to live where I do, just because they think they have that right.

If people want city jobs, they need to live where they work or near mass transportation that is already available. They have a choice, rural wages and rural living or city wages and city living. It's abundantly clear that their city jobs and rural living strategy only works if subsidized by others. Most people would consider that a parasitic relationship. I certainly do.

Unemployment Hits Main Street, Hard

I was visiting with friends (work-related) at a business yesterday afternoon and 5 guys came in looking for work within 30 minutes. The guy there said he'd never seen anything like it in his time. People come in just long enough to keep their unemployment checks coming, but this seemed different. These guys coming around wanted to work. You could tell by the questions they were asking and how they were setting it up to come back and ask some more. I'm thinking both guys I knew have worked around there for 20 years or so.

My fear is that it hasn't even started yet. Once it becomes clear that the US and global government is helpless to correct the situation, we'll have a sharp bottom and a probable depression. The only thing the government has done thus far is reverse any true corrective action, and labeled it as just too painful to consider and mostly politically unwise. The politicians are killing us.

Snapshot of Subprime Scam; Nobody's in Jail Yet

Here's a Wall Street Journal story that gives some insight on just how crooked the scams were that created the current credit crisis. That woman makes more on disability and welfare than a lot of people working their butts off make. As I've said many times before, someone needs to go to jail, soon. And, no more bailouts.

Amazing; Racism In US Senate

There is no constitutional tolerance for racism in US government, period. It's called equal protection under the law, and it doesn't just apply to any particular race. In fact, there are clear federal laws against discrimination based on race or gender. The appointment for president-elect Obama's senate seat is clearly political, so let's stop pretending that it isn't. We are to believe that the two most superior choices for that seat in the entire state are black? Won't it be even more amazing if the third most qualified person for that position also happened to be black, and the fourth, and the fifth? They can count up to ten and you'll never see a white male. We used to call that racial bigotry. If the best candidate truly is black, great. However, the public can not honestly believe that the US Constitution is not being blatantly violated by unlawful appointments purely for personal gain as agreed to in smoky backroom deals?

US Economy; The Ship Sinks

As politicians and corporate executives try to convince the citizenry that the situation is not going to get any worse, the situation gets worse. Somehow, the powers that be keep insisting that the sham can go just a little further. It's over. You can't base a national economy solely on consumption and have dumbed-down public schools at the same time. This country isn't even producing a large volume of critical thinkers. The thinkers in public schools are pounded into the ground before they can get out of middle school, and the bully adults and children think it's hilarious. The average American driver is so stupid, that they can barely keep operate a car, and that can't do that safely.

The US is going to have to completely restructure the public school system. That means rehiring all teachers and getting rid of the dead weight, no matter what race or gender they are. The death grip the democrats and republicans have on public policy has got to end. It's become a criminal enterprise, not public service. The voting system is going to have to be reformed and uniform through out all 50 states, so we have no more stupidity like in Minnesota. Only then will there even be a starting place for recovery, I don't care how many TV sets anyone can sell.

The G.W. Bush Presidency; Worst Administration Ever

As expected, as the worst presidential administration in US history comes to a close, the weak attempts to alter reality are in full force. What did President G.W. Bush not do wrong? For the GOP bots out there, that insane 28% who approve of this disaster, I say I am almost as strongly opposed to most democrats. One reason I have a special insight into Bush is that he's almost a carbon copy of a person I know with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. The irrational refusals to process information that may be contrary to current opinion and the obsession with categorizing everyone as either lifelong friend or lifelong enemy are dead giveaways. I've noticed that someone has put a stop to psychological profiles about Bush being made public. He's got something seriously wrong with him.

Broken Arm and Ribs, Prison for Thrown Shoes

There was a time when I would think the man would have more humane treatment in US custody. That is no longer the case.

Must One Always Beg Government to Perform Appropriate Role??

How is it that Britain and the US eagerly attack some cultures, while ignoring Somalian pirates who are a direct attack on the global economy and stability? Must the public demand action for every little issue before anyone does anything? The US government didn't give that much leeway to the Branch Davidians.