Sound Off: Your comments 2/5/09
Editor's Note: After Thursday night’s AC360°, many of you had opinions about the stimulus package and just wanting President Obama to get on with it. Some people wrote in to say Republicans “ should be ashamed” of themselves as they had 8 years and got us into the current economy mess and should step aside and let the Democrats fix things. Many of you asked for a list of those bailed out companies that gave huge bonuses for possible boycott.
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Listened to President Obama's speech to the Democrats. One thing that struck me is this, "how can the Republicans justify nit picking over a few million dollars when they gave away 350 billion without any accountability whatsoever?" I think it is irresponsible to the Republicans constituents that they are not fully cooperating on the stimulus package and are choosing instead to use it as a political platform for their party. Shame on them.
Please get rid of that flashing "breaking news" banner on the bottom left of the screen. It is constantly on. Most of the time the "breaking news" is things you've been reporting on all day. Many times the breaking news is rather meaningless. Every sentence the President utters is not breaking news. Why don't you save that term for when new or big news actually breaks? It loses its meaning when it never goes away. Also, the bottom of your screen is far too busy with the moving images. I'm flipping channels more b/c it bothers me so much.
Republicans ought to be ashamed of blocking the stimulus package with tired old Reagan ideology – ideology that Reagan did not even follow. We elected Obama and Democrats – let them do their job to create a country that actually functions for the welfare of its people.
From Canada I watch with dismay how insensitive the senators are with reality of the economic situation. If they can’t pass a stimulus package, I hope they will get the message when the masses chase them out of those chambers. If they have memories they should remember the French revolution.
I get the feeling that our economy is like the airliner. They are asking us which landing strip we want, but we are already in the Hudson. We need a pilot with calm, we need to accept our reality and get the individuals to safety. (Too late for the stimulus.)
Please investigate and report which companies paid out excessive bonuses with bailout money from the American people. I think the American people deserve to know so they can boycott those companies if they wish.
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I live in Erie, PA, hometown of Tom Ridge. Our senators are Spector and Casey. There was a sad story in our daily paper today. There was a tiny article titled "Suicide victim identified". His name was Jack Frost. I did not know this man personally but I had heard that he was a good and kind man. He owned a small donut shop named "Jack Frost's Donuts" that had been started by his grandfather in 1929. His donuts were famous in Erie because they were the best donuts ever and reasonably priced. He was only 50 years old and leaves behind a beloved wife of 28 years and two children. I am heartbroken over this! It never occured to me how his business must have dropped off recently. While our elected officials bicker like kids, and while all of us try to cut back (on things like donuts), people are leading lives of quiet desperation, probabaly too proud to ask for help (or a bail out). This wonderful man took his life! This is a sad time in America. People are losing hope.
Anderson, I thoroughly enjoy AC360 and especially when you have the various astute panel weigh in on various news topics. I thrive on keeping an open mind when I get their feedback but I'd like to ask you a question when it comes to addressing topics that President Obama has made public.
Why is it that when there's discussion and your very bright and articulate Amy Holmes is on the panel, she's appears as if it's difficult for her to call the President, "President" and she just says "Obama".
It would be nice to ask her, I've noticed all others reference the President as President Obama and it shouldn't matter whether you're Republican, Democratic or LIberal. He is the President!
I'm just asking....thanks.
I'm frustrated with the banks increasing credit card rates. I know they need money but they are abusing customers who struggle to make payments which often occur from job loss and medical problems. They raise interest rates and their minimum payments on credit card debts far and refuse to lower them. It just defeats efforts by customers to pay off their debts and is tremendously discouraging. It probably will back-fire on them with customers going to bankruptsy. I'm referring especially to Bank of America which received their huge bailout money. This is their thanks and solution, a bad one. Also, when citizens are told to talk to banks about lowering their rates.,Banks refuse. I'm referring here to my experience with Bank of America and Direct Merchants Bank. I'm sure others are having the same problems. They'll reduce rates to debt reduction agencies but not to the consumer individually. And debt reduction agencies charge too much. Banks are already getting huge interest rates. I yearn desperately for the old days when interest rates were capped and banks were more friendly and helpful. Banks need to reorganize and find other ways to meet their needs than punishing customers. Thanks for listening.
i have been sending e-mails to all kinds of people to tell my story maybe this just might reach somebody,me and my wife got laided off work same job same time,we have lost are vehicle could'nt afford payment,got word from a source that the factory we worked at is very close to closing the doors,to get help you have to be flat on your back,we went to are local food pantrys i tell you what felt just like a begger,never felt so low,going from having money to barely having any,sometimes can't eat ,can't sleep just ,my wifesaid we just need to keep faith and wait it out,i know help is on the way,we have faith in are new president obma,we just hope it comes soon thanks for reading from john.
Great show, I've been watching it every night and I think you do a great job, very intellectually stimulating. On last nights show you talked about getting to basics and explaining how a bill works to people, I could only think of Schoolhouse Rock, check them out on Youtube, haha. I really like Taranasaurus Debt, pretty much sums it up how our ecomony is going.
Why did we bail out AIG anyway? The criterion over who got bailed out and who didn't was probably who was CIA and connected organized crime and who wasn't. No bailout is going to work when the CIA is out of control. The CIA is into every tiny part of government, so there is no way the President is going to know what is going on. He has to guess like the rest of us what the CIA is doing with our government, except he gets to be pressured every morning with their biased report. We want our country back. Do you work for the CIA? Does your company? You won't print this because you know the CIA bought out your CNN long long ago. You are traitors to the American people. When they start marching us off to concentration camps you will regret covering for them.
what i don't understand is why in the midst of a recession and while talking about a stimulus package that will put this country more in debt . we are still sending money to other countries. i can understand helping our allies and the people of our allies . but to be sending 20.3 million in aid to the people of gaza is just sad. there are people in this country losing jobs ,homes, and in some cases their intier lives because the money has run out . i guess my geustion is this, why are we writing checks to other countries some of whom aren't even in the UN. why are we not taking care of our own people first? i don't see were we have all this money to be sending it over seas.
Mr's. Obama, Reid, Biden and Emmanuel,
How is $4billion to ACORN ( an charitable organization) going to create jobs? Sounds like a payoff in getting Obama elected.
Why are 300,000 illegal aliens getting construction jobs to work on OUR infrastructure. Send these people home as well as aliens on work visas. Put AMERICANS to work in their chosen fields!
Why do we need Hitler youth?
I just watched a debate between Eric Schmidt (Google) and Steve Forbes. Both participants were top notch and the discussion was intelligent and polite.
Anderson, why are these guys on Larry King and not a part of your programing. King got the best of you on this one.
Chris Raboin
I have to agree. It's really easy for GOP to throw money at their pals on wall st., but nearlly impossible for them to respond to voters. Hmmm...what does this tell us? That Obama is on the right track. And if the press will back off this insane inflated measure of 'what does he do 1st 100 days?' which came out of the 60s assn. of JFK, and give this Pres. some time...as it seems the voters are willing to do...then I think we will see a change in business as usual. We need to see a younger GOP/Dem Congress before it all falls into place.
So tone down the rhetoric(you reporters are included in this) and just look around and tell us what's happening. We can decide what we want to go with, without institutional advice.
Anderson, What is it going to take for capital hill to GET IT? We are in this economic mess
1) because of NAFTA, 2)because most everything is now made in China. Jobs are now gone because we have nothing to make & sell. We have become the buyers. We have been sold out by the lawmakers. Consider this analogy, the total dollar amount we used to have circulating in the USA has now been cut down to one tenth of what it used to be. That is because the other 90% of the cash flow is now in foreign countries. Spending all this money in the USA will not bring that cash flow back. The only way we get it back is BUY MADE IN THE USA ONLY. Start making those things back in the USA. STOP IMPORTING THOSE ITEMS. The largest retail giant (Wal-Mart) purchases all the goods from outside the USA. Even that will take time to recover. Please help drive this message to those thick headed lawmakers. DOESN’T ANYBODY GET IT?
WHAT CAN YOU DO? WHO CAN YOU CALL ? WHAT GOOD WILL IT DO?
I would like every person in congress, (HOUSE & SENATE) to live on $400.00 per week like many of us do until they turn the economy around and get cash flowing and jobs back for all of us here in the USA. NO the decimal is in the correct place. $400.00 per week.
They must stay on that income until they get this NAFTA SHUT OFF and return TRADE TO OUR COUNTRY. BUY USA ONLY Ask them how long it would take them to SERIOUSLY consider turning around the country so that they could be back at their higher wage.
We neeed to use the idle manufacturing and workers to make solar panels, wind turbine, and like components, ect like we did with the car companys in WW II that made equipment for the war effort.We need to use tax incentives , and new laws to overhaul, every house ,building, ect in America first then the rest of the world.Cheap and abundant energy and then turn up the food production in USA to sell and feed the world.Every new building needs to have at least 2 solar panels ect with tax incentives.Retro existing buildings starting with big business and goverment buildings first.The goverment can invest in lowing the cost long term for energy and in turn create new technology.This can be done if Big buisness, Goverment, Wall street, ect. WORK TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOOD WITH OUT HOW CAN WE MAKE A PROFIT ON THIS? ATTITUDE. IF we had started to invest 1.5 trillion $ to do this,instead of pork and corporate welfare bailouts, we would already see many idle factories and workers returning to work, with many real new jobs created in all fields.We can lead the world out of this mess with long term, new energy and food cost reductions for every person on the planet.
dont congress get it they are working for the american people it is NOT ABOUT DEM OR REP they have to put that aside they all need voted out
Subject: The Birk Economic Recovery Plan
I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.
Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in
a "We Deserve it Dividend".
To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000
bona fide U.S. Citizens 18+.
Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman
and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..
So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.
My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a
We Deserve It Dividend.
Of course, it would NOT be tax free.
So let's assume a tax rate of 30%.
Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes.
That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.
But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.
A husband and wife have $595,000.00.
What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?
Pay off your mortgage – housing crisis solved.
Repay college loans – what a great boost to new grads
Put away money for college – it'll be there
Save in a bank – create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
Buy a new car – create jobs
Invest in the market – capital drives growth
Pay for your parent's medical insurance – health care improves
Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean – or else
Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks
who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company
that is cutting back. and of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.
If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of
trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( "vote buy" ) economic incentive that is being
proposed by one of our candidates for President.
If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every
adult U S Citizen 18+!
As for AIG.
� Liquidate it.
� Sell off its parts.
� Let American General go back to being American General.
� Sell off the real estate.
� Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.
Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't.
Sure it's a crazy idea that can "never work."
But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!
How do you spell Economic Boom?
I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion
We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington
DC.
And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because
$25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.
Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest.
Kindest personal regards,
Birk
I went to Yahoo.com to check my mail and noticed a headline from the AP that read "Obama worried about justice for the terrorist" Why is he so worried about justice for the terrorist when he shows no concern over the lives of Americans that have died at the hands of the terrorist.. He states what a christian he is but all his comments are aimed at the poor terrorists. I thought he was an American but sounds more radical muslim with every utterance of justice.
He is my president and as an American, I am duty bound to line up behind him. bu8t nothing changes the fact that all of his bold promises meant nothing but hot air and our resession turned into a dression. something no one but the poor understand, And the press is bought and paid for so we shall never here the drepression word from them
Please send this to The President.
" You have admitted that you screwed up. Not a problem – we all do.
But don't screw up again by reneging on your promise to the Americans about getting rid of the 'pork' which is the reason why majority of the public is against the stimulus.
Stay firm in your conviction that passing on the 'pork filled' package now will only encourage more and this shameful practice will never end. The time is NOW to stop this while the public is still with you & trusts you. Please don't squander this chance."
What will the Stimulus Bill do to help those of us that are retired and living on Social Security and a modest retirement check. I have not heard any discussion on this subject.
Marc
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's home district includes San Francisco .
Star-Kist Tuna's headquarters are in San Francisco, Pelosi's home district.
Star-Kist is owned by Del Monte Foods and is a major contributor to Pelosi.
Star-Kist is the major employer in American Samoa employing 75% of the Samoan work force.
Paul Pelosi, Nancy's husband, owns $17 million dollars of Star-Kist stock.
In January, 2007 when the minimum wage was increased from $5.15 to $7.25, Pelosi had American Samoa exempted from the increase so Del Monte would not have to pay the higher wage. This would make Del Monte products less expensive than their competition's.
Last week when the huge bailout bill was passed, Pelosi added an earmark to the final bill adding $33 million dollars for an 'economic development credit in American Samoa '.
I wonder if the average American is as stupid as those lawyers in congress and the house are? The bailoutlout money will profit big conglomerates. They can hide lie and cheat about their loses and scam us out of the economy stimulus. Give the money back to the American family where it came from. Let us use our spending power to rebuild America. I agree there are many state and federal projects that should be given funds to complete, overhaul, and enhance America.
Build the electric fence to control illegal aliens and the warlords taking over southern California. Most of all I would shut hollywood down for their corruption of the human mind and morals.
I agree with the person complaining about all the graphics at the bottom of the screen and the constant "Breaking News" graphic – its gotten to be a joke. To report on the same news that has been reported on all day is not "breaking news" – how will we ever know when you really have breaking news when you call all your news that?
CHENEY’S COMMENTS ON TERRORISM
With absolute monomaniacal simplicity unclouded by any thought former Vice President Dick Cheney predicts a high probability of a nuclear or biological attack on America and lays the blame on the broad shoulders of President Obama.
Swimming in a Boiling gulf stream of spilled blood Cheney feeds still more fuel rods into the belly of the Nuclear power plant he and former president Bush heated up to the trembling pressure point. The trembling needle, the clanging bells, ominously warns us that that the reactor is a hairsbreadth away from exploding.
Cheney advises our new President that running a power plant is “tough, mean, dirty, nasty business.” When the pressure builds shove in more fuel rods, build cast iron walls, stride across the world like a colossus, hurl down your thunderbolts, step on the frenzied ants, pull the wings off the flies before the wind carries them Westerly. Don’t be timid. Using a megaphone preach the religion of democracy to the ants below. Never apologize to the ants you step on because that is the price ants must pay to become like us, enlightened like us.
For eight years the efforts of Cheney and Bush increased a raggedy band of al-Qaida assassins into an army of over one billion angry minds and hearts now focused on avenging scraps of bloody garments, smashed skulls, hooded bodies in orange jumpsuits bent over in coercive interrogation positions, their minds and bodies twisted into pretzels; to avenge the victims massacred at wedding parties and floating on pools of blood—their twitching bodies sending out ripples to every part of the world.
Through time and space, flabby leaders, social liars, and cowards have led us to the pressure cooker on the verge of exploding. Obama knows that the law of physics requires that a pressure cooker trembling on the verge of exploding will explode if the flame beneath it is not extinguished. Obama is wisely, carefully reaching for the flame regulator. My hope is that he reaches it before the pressure cooker blows.
President Obama is following a plan that was put together by many top ecomonic financial minds. What makes the anti-plan law makers think that they have the knowledge, that they know better than these top financial advisors? Have they spent thier lives studying, thinking, working financial topics? NO!! It's arrogant to think they have the correct answers without having the expertise knowledge to this complicated issue.
Ok, let me begin haha...first thing this stimulus pkg proposing to give 15,000 to first hombuyers is 2 me a crock...shouldn't it be given to the already struggling homeowners who r losing their homes left and right cuz of either health or loss of jobs? Why should first homebuyers get this on such a week market taking over someone elses home cuz they are already getting a great price on the home someone put many hours and love into fixing it and trying to buy it til all this crap happened. My daughter has worked so hard is 35 and has become very sick which doctors don't know what to do with her...where is her stimulus pkg...Losing her home and cars because she is too sick to work at the time. Makes me sick to my stomach that there is no help out there for the ones who have truely been trying and have done so til now!
I have been such a cynic with politics for most of my adult life. I rarely voted; quit watching the news and reading it; believed that most politicians were greedy and that it didn't really matter what I thought.......Mr. Obama has inspired some type of "American" renewal inside of me. I actually feel like doing something for this country and my community now......I hope he is truly full of integrity, for my hopes are certainly high right now.
I think Dick Cheney is about to create some terrorist plot and blame it on Alqueda! He is suspect to me in the 9/11 catastrophe. It seems he knows too much on how terrorists will react next. Especially when speaking of Obama, the one president that all nations like, and no one can find fault with him except DICK and his GOP cronies.
Please tell me how the credit crisis is the fault of people borrowing more than they can afford?? I'm tired of hearing that it is somehow the fault of average Americans. And please, will someone please remove all media attention away from "Joe the Plumber"