FJM Blog

By Ceasar I. LeFlore III

As it concerns Proposition 8 and the black evangelical community of California; it appears that there is problem with them fully “embracing the change” as they were encourage too do during a series of concerts designed specifically to court them during the recent presidential election campaign.

The Embrace the Change concert tour of 2007 featured some of the biggest stars in contemporary Black Gospel music and was part of a larger effort by the Obama campaign and the DNC to attract people of faith, especially black values voters; and get them to buy into a concept of extreme change in America without ever specifying exactly what change would mean. They would soon find out that some change is going to be a tougher sell than they expected in the black community.

The rejection by blacks through Proposition 8 of a liberal court’s re-definition of marriage may potentially cause some curious battle lines to be drawn between segments of his massive constituency, even in the black community, before President Elect Obama is sworn into office in January of 2009.

California went overwhelmingly for Barack Obama in the presidential election. His 24-point victory was the largest winning margin of any modern presidential candidate, to include former California governor, Ronald Reagan. Obama did so well in part because he brought a whole new wave of African-American voters to the polls. Black voters represented more than 10% of the huge election turnout in California; up more that 4% from 2004.

This huge black turnout for Obama proved to be both a blessing and a curse for California liberals who celebrated Obama’s victory, but are now mourning the passage of the ballot initiative to amend the California constitution to ban gay marriage which carried by only a slim four percentage point margin. Blacks voted over 70% in favor of the ban, which clearly made the difference in the passage of the initiative. Liberals and gays are now extremely angry with African-Americans for their positions on same sex marriage, and are charging that homophobia is a major problem with blacks who should know better because of our own struggle for civil rights. Some blacks agree with them.

Gay activist LaDoris Cordell recently wrote in Salon.com:

As an African-American lesbian who has been in a loving relationship for over two decades, I have been made well aware of the black community’s discomfort with things gay. Our long and courageous history in the forefront of the struggle for civil rights notwithstanding, the leadership of black America — politicians, ministers, business leaders — has not been as outspoken as it could be and should be on the issue of gay rights. Homophobia and traditional religious teachings play a role in our silence. But the roots of our discomfort, I think, go deeper. Sadly, some African-Americans believe that it is only we who should benefit from the gains achieved by the civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. They fear that to allow the gay community to enter the doors of opportunity opened by our struggle, to permit gays and lesbians to share in the fruits of that movement will diminish those benefits for the black community. Truth is, there is more than enough to go around.

Black evangelicals have responded to this type of rhetoric with some of their own by saying; “don’t equate my skin with your sin.” They don’t see resistance to gay marriage as being a problem born out of fear, and they don’t see homosexuality as a civil rights issue. They see it as a moral issue.

So what will President Barack Obama do to calm this growing storm over the issue of gay marriage; and how will he continue to placate some of his black base who may not be quite clear on where he stands in this discussion. It really is difficult to know, since he wouldn’t allow himself to be pinned down on the issue during the campaign. But in a letter to the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, Sen. Barack Obama stated his opposition to the California constitutional amendment.

As the Democratic nominee for President, I am proud to join with and support the LGBT community in an effort to set our nation on a course that recognizes LGBT Americans with full equality under the law. That is why I support extending fully equal rights and benefits to same sex couples under both state and federal law. That is why I support repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy, and the passage of laws to protect LGBT Americans from hate crimes and employment discrimination. And that is why I oppose the divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the California Constitution, and similar efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or those of other states.

I don’t think that letter from President Elect Obama represents a change that 70% of black voters in California are eager to accept, but Obama is apparently determined to make them to do so, whether they like it or not.

One of the biggest stars to participate in the Embrace the Change concerts was Donnie McClurkin, a self-proclaimed ex-gay who “counsels” young people on how to convert from homosexuality. Barack Obama responded to McClurkin on Meet the Press with the late Tim Russert by saying:

I do not believe being gay or lesbian is a choice.  And so I disagree with Reverend McClurkin.  But understand, Tim, part of what I hope to offer as president is the ability to reach to people that I don’t agree with, and the evangelical community is one where the Democratic Party, I think, we have generally seen as hostile. … There’s a problem of homophobia in the African-American community. I will go into churches, I will go into meetings with ministers and say, “I disagree with you on these issues. This is not how I interpret my faith.” But the fact that we’re having a conversation, I think, allows the possibly that I will change their minds, make them more tolerant of these issues.

Make them more tolerant?!? Is this change we can believe in, or change we will be forced to believe in?

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By Ceasar I. LeFlore III

Thanksgiving dinner with my family this year was both humbling and bitter sweet. 

Of course it’s always a blessing when a family as large as mine (7 brothers and sisters and their families) can come together and celebrate the faithfulness of God and to thank Him for the abundant blessing we have as citizens living in a free country.  It’s humbling when I consider how good God has been to us; and this year my family seemed to be more happy and hopeful than I have ever seen them.  How sweet it was to see everyone so excited, exchanging hugs and stories, and eating more food than should be allowed. 

But Thanksgiving dinner was also bitter sweet because of what appeared to be the main reason for much of their joy this year.  The election of Barack Obama as President of The United States was huge, as could be expected, for a large, black, democratic family like mine.  Oh my God, they were crazy out of their mind happy, and hopeful; validated in their relentless trashing of Bush and McCain, and holding extremely high expectations as to how wonderful things are going to be for “the little man” now that Barack Obama is in charge.  

At one point my older brother, Preston, took control of the table conversation to make an inspirational and prophetic declaration of just how great 8 years of Obama (re-election unquestioned) will be for the nation.  With no real Obama track record to reflect on to substantiate his proclamation of coming greatness to the White House, prophet Preston had to remind us all of the joyous days of Bill Clinton and then contrast them to the dark days of Bush as the central thesis of his inspirational talk.  Perhaps that’s why he looked at me so strangely when I suggested that “his cabinet member selections seems to indicate that even  Obama himself is nostalgic for the Clinton era and is intent on giving brother Bill a third term.  Why didn’t we just elect Hillary and cut out the middle man?”  (What a waste of good cranberry sauce in throwing it at me.)

As the only conservative member of my family, I was the object of extra ridicule at the table this year.  Age and maturity has not affected my sibling’s ability to stick out their tongues and go na, na, na, na, na when they get the upper hand in a contest.  In the old days I could complain to mom and demand that she “make them stop”.  How disappointing it was to see her acting like a child right along with them.  (By the way mom, the turkey was dry.)

Well, I had to endure it.  They are my family and I’m happy to see them happy.  They have so much hope that things are going to get better with Barack, and I don’t want to see them disappointed and heart broken by what I fear has been a campaign designed to simply inspire hope in hope; masterminded by an iconic figure of dubious pedigree and suspect ideology.

I started praying, “Lord, I hope they’re right.  I pray that these next years will be wonderful for our nation, and especially for my family.  I do pray that Obama will have a wonderful tenure as our nation’s chief executive, and that prosperity and peace will spread across this nation in waves of abundant blessings. 

Preston, to his credit, did contend during his Thanksgiving speech that “God was going to give Obama every tool that he is going to need” in order to fix the mess that he believes this country has become.

Well, God has already given that to all of us.  The Bible says that “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”  I’m praying that Obama will give ear to those in this nation who fervently believe that ours should not be a simple hope in hope; but that our hope is in God, the foundation upon which this great nation was built. 

I’m praying that he does not attempt to turn this nation in a direction that dishonors God and his divine principles concerning how we should work and live.  That we don’t become even more dependant on government and lose our dependence on God; which in turn will cause us to lose our much cherished liberty and freedom. 

I’m praying that he will strike the right tones in his messages to our nation as he did when he called for more personal responsibility in his Father’s Day speech at last year, and that he will lead by example by not attempting to become our all in all by increasing the size of government through entitlement programs that takes control away from the people.

If my prayers are answered, then next Thanksgiving should be something really special, for all of us.

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By Star Parker

Now that Democrats have won the White House and have widened their margin of control in Congress, does this signify that American voters have moved to the left?

Many Republicans question this claim. And a new report from the Pew Research Center seems to verify that America is still a right of center as a country. But the picture gets murky when you look at the details. And this murkiness presents a considerable challenge for Republicans who are trying to figure out where to steer their party.

According to the just published report, more Americans today call themselves conservative than liberal, and the relative percentages in each category has hardly changed since George W. Bush was elected to his first term in 2000.

Thirty eight percent of Americans self-identify as conservative, 21 percent as liberal, and 36 percent as moderate. This compares to 36 percent, 18 percent and 38 percent, respectively, in 2000.

But taking a closer look at what this means leaves you scratching your head. You have to wonder what it means today to think of yourself as conservative.

When asked if the Bush tax cuts should be made permanent, only 38 percent of those who said they are “conservative” said yes. And 50 percent of “conservatives” said they favor government guaranteeing health care “even if it means raising taxes.”

Although 71 percent of “conservatives” said they oppose gay marriage, only slightly more than half, 52 percent, said that abortion should be illegal.

Many Republicans point to the fact that traditional marriage initiatives won in all three states where they were on the ballot — California, Florida, and Arizona — as evidence for the conservatism of the country. But pro-life initiatives lost in all three states where they were on ballots — California, South Dakota, and Colorado.

What can be the message here for those vying for leadership of the Republican Party?

Some argue that the party should lighten up on the social agenda. The party is all white, they say, and there is no future without Latinos and blacks.

But consider the obvious. First, conservatives define the Republican Party. According to this study, 68 percent of Republicans call themselves conservative.

Second, it should be obvious from the above, that if conservatives are rooted anywhere, it’s more in the social agenda than in the fiscal and limited government agenda. Where in the world would the party be if the leadership tried to uproot from social conservatism?

Third, consider what is going on with blacks and Latinos.

In this same Pew survey, 25 percent of all Democrats called themselves conservatives. But among these same Democrats, 35 percent of blacks call themselves conservative compared to 21 percent of whites.

Why? Blacks are social conservatives. Blacks understand the havoc that moral relativism has caused in their communities. And, this is also the case with Latinos.

As was widely reported, blacks and Latinos voted for Proposition 8 in California, supporting traditional marriage, despite the majority of them also voting for President-elect Barack Obama.

So where is the logic in Republicans abandoning social conservatism in order to reach blacks and Latinos?

It appears that the message getting lost is the importance of limited government and fiscal conservatism.

Health care is almost 20 percent of our national economy. Too many are not getting what it will mean when bureaucrats will define what health care is and when the IRS comes knocking to check on the policy you bought. Too many seem to have forgotten that prosperity is created by individual freedom and creativity and not government programs.

These are tough times and families are under duress. Perhaps it’s tempting to think that opening the door to more government is a good idea. Particularly in an environment where every day another half trillion-dollar check is being cut in Washington for bailout programs.

When most Americans say they are conservative, they mean it. Too many, however, are forgetting that this means limited government as well as traditional values. We need new, energetic Republican leaders to get this message across.

(Star Parker is president of CURE, Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education (www.urbancure.org) and author of three books. She can be reached at parker@urbancure.org.)

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By Anthony Bradley

Worldmag.com

This old adage comes to mind when I hear the apocalyptic whining coming from many evangelicals about the Democratic Party’s control of the White House and Congress. It would seem that Christians, embracing Jesus teaching of being “salt and light” (Matthew 5:13-16), would consider joining the Democratic Party—as missionaries—to influence its direction instead of simply complaining about where things are headed.

Jesus’ teaching of salt (used in the first century as a fertilizing agent for barren soil and manure) and light (used in lamps to illumine dark spaces) should be sufficient motivation for many of the 65 million or so evangelicals to take on a missionary role and become the Democrat’s leaders, change the platform, and redirect the party’s agenda.

Over the next few years the Republican Party will likely ditch evangelicals altogether in favor of focusing on themes like limited government and free markets because running an election, in today’s America, on morally conservative values is the best way to lose. The era of the “moral majority” is now officially over.

Nationwide, there are about 42 million registered Democrats and around 31 million Republicans, according to data compiled by The Associated Press. Perfect! If 42 million evangelicals became missionaries to the Democratic Party, those mores would take over the party’s entire platform.

Instead of being salt and light and “shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16), we whine, throw rocks, disengage, retreat, run away, and hide from a suffering-oriented mission. It is easier to be reactive and throw rocks than to strategically and proactively engage. At the core, however, Christians have forgotten that the “culture war” is actually spiritual and what need to be employed are the methods and devices of the Kingdom. People need to be persuaded and changed from the inside out.

Daniel provides another forgotten example of being salt and light in a challenging context. Daniel remained faithful to God while being salt and light among the Babylonians. Now Democrats are far from Babylonians, but it seems like a workable strategy. Like Daniel, we are called to be in the world and not of it (John 17:4-6), so there are many organizations that Christians simply cannot join and influence for good reasons (James 4).

It seems that Kingdom-oriented, culture-redeeming, culture-transforming Christians would not only join agreeable organizations but would also join organizations to endure hardship and suffering in order to influence, change, and lead the culture. If Christians would begin influencing the moral ethos of both major political parties, where will this leave those opposed to Judeo-Christian values? Either in third parties or on the sidelines.

I grant that change would not be immediate, but it’s worth it in the long run. Is it not odd that Christians are willing to be missionaries among the world’s religions but shy away from being missionaries to the nation’s culture forming institutions? No political party will ever share Judeo-Christian values unless Kingdom-oriented, missionary-minded Christians put down the rocks and take up their cross and “go.”

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Did you know that according to some Barack Obama is not the first black president. Please read the following excerpt and follow the link to an incredible story. Here is an excerpt from the New York Times article by Beverly Gage:

Will Americans vote for a black president? If the notorious historian William Estabrook Chancellor was right, we already did. In the early 1920s, Chancellor helped assemble a controversial biographical portrait accusing President Warren Harding of covering up his family’s “colored” past. According to the family tree Chancellor created, Harding was actually the great-grandson of a black woman. Under the one-drop rule of American race relations, Chancellor claimed, the country had inadvertently elected its “first Negro president.”

To read the entire article click here

To see pictures of the extended family click here. You be the judge.

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By Ceasar I. LeFlore III

President Elect Barack Obama owes President George W. Bush an apology!  In fact, he owes him a huge apology that should be accompanied by a significant expression of gratitude and appreciation, which he should extend to President Bush on behalf of a grateful nation as one of his first official acts as our new president.

For the past few years, opponents of the war in Iraq, especially those who like President Elect Obama were regular participants in the bash Bush for everything frenzy, have often accused the President of making us “less safe” because of his courageous decision to invade Iraq and depose it’s murderous, terror supporting dictator, Saddam Hussein.

One by one the war detractors have come forward and for their own personal and political reasons, repeated the talking point / sound bite lie claiming that because of Iraq, the president has made us less safe, and that we were actually losing the war.  Barack Obama said it.  Hillary Clinton said it.  Harry Reid said it.  Nancy Pelosi said it.  And all of the nut jobs with Code Pink and Moveon.org have said it, and sometimes in some extremely repugnant ways.

Well, I think it’s safe to say that these doomsayer opponents of the war have been wrong. We are far safer than we were before, and the facts prove this to be true.   Since the beginning of the war we have had not one single attack on the American homeland.  Not one.  Even in the face of stinging rebukes and stiff opposition to almost everything he tried – from wire taps to the surge – the president pressed on with a steely determination to protect this nation; which he viewed as the paramount responsibility of his presidency.  And he did a fantastic job of it; just ask Osama bin Laden if you can find him.

A recent national intelligence estimate reveals that Al Qaeda, which once struck fear in the hearts of Americans at the mere mention of their name, now has little too no operational capacity to strike the United States in any significant way, and their leaders have mostly become cave dwellers and are being killed by our brave soldiers in dramatic numbers almost every day.  Plots to do violence against our homeland have been repeatedly discovered and foiled, and just seven years after the tragedy that was September 11th; most Americans go throughout their normal everyday affairs free from worry, fear, and anxiety over being attacked, again.  Thank you, Mr. President.

Things are not only better here, but in Iraq and Afghanistan as well.

Violence is down all over Iraq and the Iraqi Army is now manning over 600 brigades of Iraqi soldiers – not Republican Guard hit squads – that are stepping up to defend their own homeland.  In defending his decisions and his handling of the war, President Bush said “Iraq was supposed to be the place where al-Qaeda rallied Arab masses to drive America out.  Instead, Iraq has become the place where Arabs have joined with Americans to drive al-Qaeda out. In Iraq, we are witnessing the first large-scale Arab uprising against Osama bin Laden and his grim ideology.”

It has been reported that our forces are at the point of impacting over 85 percent of the insurgent network in terms of detaining, capturing or killing leadership, and neutralizing their capability to conduct operations against the Iraqi people.  Without a doubt the citizens of Iraq will remember George Bush and the United States Military for the liberty and freedom that most of them are experiencing for the very first time in their lives.     Surely, that’s a good thing for them and for us as well.

I think it’s time for President Elect Obama to “man up” and admit that the surge worked, and that America is a safer place because we were blessed to have a president during a turbulent period in world history who put the safety and welfare of his people above his poll numbers and legacy considerations.   I hope that would be an example of courage that a President Obama will be willing to emulate.

President Bush has often said that history will have to judge him and the decisions that he had to make.  Just as it was with Harry Truman, I believe that the appreciation that comes with time will present the Bush presidency in a much different light, particularly the decision to take our country to war in Iraq.  But history will also judge those who stood against the president during a time of war; especially those who continue to call him a liar because we still haven’t found the caches of prohibited weapons that President Bush and other leaders (Clinton, Kerry, and Edwards) feared would be used against us.

It’s interesting that while campaigning for president, then Senator Obama would often site intelligence reports that claimed that Al Qaeda was stronger now than it was before September 11th as a justification for criticizing the president’s decision to go to war in the first place.   Some would wonder why he would believe intelligence reports that make that claim which is proving to be incorrect; but would disparage President Bush for taking serious intelligence reports from this nation, and every other major intelligence agency in the world that insisted that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, to include a desire to attain a nuclear weapon.  It’s something to think about, to say the least.

As he leaves office, I believe that President Bush is vastly under – appreciated, especially when we consider the way he has fought to keep us safe.  I believe that we are safer today than we were on September 10, 2001, and for that I want to say, thank you very much, President George W. Bush.

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For Release: November 26, 2008
Contact: David Almasi at (202) 543-4110 x11 or dalmasi@nationalcenter.org

As yet another potential tax-related ethical lapse involving Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) surfaces, a member of the Project 21 black leadership network is calling for the veteran lawmaker to be removed as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee – at least until these serious allegations are fully investigated.

Bishop Council Nedd II, a member of Project 21’s national advisory council, said: “It’s galling that the head of the committee in charge of levying taxes has either a profound ignorance of tax law or a disinterest in adhering to the laws he wants others to follow.”

According to a report in The New York Post based on information uncovered by the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), between at least 1995 and 2000, Rangel received a “homestead” tax break on a house he owned in Washington, D.C. that saved him $1,728 during that six-year period.  Under D.C. law, the exemption applies only to primary residences.  The rules governing Rangel’s rent-stabilized apartments in his New York City congressional district, however, also require it to be a primary residence.

Rangel sold the D.C. house, which he purchased in 1971, in October of 2000.  D.C. officials did not provide tax records prior to 1995. Rangel obtained the rent-controlled New York City apartments in 1988.

“There seems to be no end to this story,” added Project 21’s Nedd.  “If he was taking the D.C. homestead deduction, that meant the house was his primary residence.  D.C. law exempts lawmakers from income taxes because it is understood that their first allegiance is supposed to be to their home states.  The D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue, Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau and the New York City Rent Guidelines Board must investigate what may be numerous violations of the law.”

This new allegation is just one of several tax-related problems facing the powerful tax committee chairman uncovered in large part by the NLPC.  Rangel allegedly has:

*  used congressional stationary to raise money for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at the City University of New York;

*  obtained a no-interest loan for a vacation villa in the Dominican Republic on which he initially did not pay taxes for rental income;

* undervalued a condominium near Miami owned by his wife and,

*  used a rent-controlled apartment in New York City as a campaign office.

Rangel is also accused of taking unreported trips at the expense of corporations with business before his committee and illegally storing a broken-down car in a congressional parking space.

While many of these alleged improprieties are under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, Nedd is suggesting Rangel be removed from his committee chairmanship until his record is cleared.  Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has thus far done nothing, and has called Rangel “very distinguished.”

Nedd said: “Rangel ought to be removed at least for now.  For a congressional leadership that pledged to bring ethics back to Washington, Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s apparent willingness to slow-walk her friend’s case is now blowing up in her face.  It’s only allowed time for further apparent abuses to surface.”

Nedd’s commentary about Rangel’s ethical lapses, “Rangel Ethics Mess Feels Like History Repeating Itself,” can be found at
http://www.nationalcenter.org/P21NVNeddRangel91008.html.

Project 21, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, has been a leading voice of the African-American community since 1992.  For more information, contact David Almasi at (202) 543-4110 x11 or Project21@nationalcenter.org, or visit Project 21’s website at http://www.project21.org/P21Index.html.

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By Frances Marie Smith

Pat Buchanan stated that we must now begin to explain to the America people the details on how we got into this economic melt down.  If the media begins to explain this in truth then lets begin in the late 1990s.  I happen to attend the Congressional Black Caucus events and the Late Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones  of Ohio and I were in a discussion dealing with predatory lending.  Well, I understood basic economic concepts and principles and realized that her crying in the wilderness would not change the nature of the beast.  I said "Congresswoman Tubbs, if Wall Street can't make money they will not lend."
 
After examining the debates over affordable housing and news reports that focused in on how mortgage companies were taking advantage of the elderly when it came to their only major asset, the rules of the game were change and now Wall Street came out with a product called "Sub prime" mortgages. These mortgages didn't just target only the elderly, who were the first victims of this dilemma, it targeted the masses—rich and poor alike.   
 
Who’s guilty?
 
 "EVERYONE"  not just Wall Street on this package, but Congress and other grassroots organizations who didn't have a clue on the mathematics of it all.  While in Dallas, TX I have been exploring various development opportunities and I noticed that one area of the City is growing rapidly while other areas are declining.  But it all boils down to the same concept; where there is no profit, there is no development. Since, there is no profit in affordable housing folks Americans will only have a "bait and switch game".
 
Until there is profit in affordable housing, developers, banks and others will not put the time or efforts into making the American Dream - owning a home a reality for many Americans.  The party is over, and now many Americans will feel the pain of this entire meltdown.   I have seen these types of cycles time and time again and the American public gets "Hoodwink" every time.  Until the Federal Government can create the tax-credits as well as municipalities and states begin to streamline some of the bureaucracy then, nothing will change when it comes to homeowner ship.
 
Examining steps in the right direction now:
 
The Federal Government can create - Affordable Housing Zones - (AHZ): would create
1) Tax Credits for Developers
 
then - Municipalities must examine the "Best Use" for the land with a comprehensive plan as well as a master plan approach -
 
2)  Developers must create Communities that allow for a step-up approach in housing
      a) lease options and/or bond-for deed allowing the tenant the opportunity to move up
      b) step-up provisions if the potential homeowner wants to move up within the Afforable Housing Zone
 
3) Streamline the Development process so that developers can create well "thought out" communities that include transportation needs,  schools, health care and other mix use needs
 
Other entities
4) Non-profits need to handle home buyer education and training,  on going conflict resolution, daycare and other social service needs under one umbrella.
 
5) Place all of the bad assets in a Trust like that of the RTC
 
6) Consolidate the banks, mortgage companies and bring back Glass-Speigal Act. - only the strong should survive.
 
7) Change the mark to market rules now.
 
Examine the offshore revenues in the insurance industry.  The insurance companies will come before Congress but their balance sheets only reflect what is on US soil and not off.
 
So, we must now go back to the basics in America.  Again - Home ownership Education is key.  Whenever the herd is coming through the gates you must get out of the way of the stampede.  The Economic melt down is a result of what I call the "HERD Syndrome" .  The HERD Syndrome allowed any and everyone to take part in the market place no matter what by any means necessary.  Many of the speculators and homeowners must share equal blame along with those on Capitol Hill and wall street.  My question to you is this… "Who was watching the house folks?"  No one!   I am not making the case to deny Americans access to building assets but I am saying that we must be responsible and/or good stewards over the assets we are about to receive.   The Tale of two dilemmas -   Corporate Tale is one of only greed and profits.  It’s the "ALL ABOUT ME SYNDROME".  Corporations such as banks, insurance companies, Realtors, builders and mortgage brokers get together and literally scheme on how to take your money from you.  They go on trips and don't deal with the ethical behavior of operating a business, they only deal with the bottom line which is profits.  If the Corporation makes an error then they go to their LOBBYIST, who in turns comes to your elected official and brokers a deal to get a bailout which is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.  (please read your constitution folks).
 
The American Taxpayer Tale -is gullible, sheepish and wants to imitate the Corporate CEO by living large.  They don't have a clue to the bait and switch that they are being lured into.  Once the American Taxpayer wakes up, then we have "Shay's Rebellion" at the voting booth.
 
So, until we begin to place ethics back into the way we do business in America, then nothing will change.  Americans will continue to fall prey to those in Corporate America and when the deals go down, the American Taxpayer will always be left holding the bag.
 
Alan Greenspan and Warren Buffet were delusional when they thought that the Corporate CEO was going to back off of their Compensation packages.  I listen to both of these men testify as to the CEO compensation packages being way out of line.  It’s the board members who are guilty for betraying the trust of the shareholders.  Instead of board governance, board members allowed CEOs to get away with bad management.  Congress needs to bring the board members before the "Mighty Throne" of Government.  Not just the CEO.  CEOs can't make decisions without someone placing them in check.  The boards of these companies have failed the American people and they need to deal with this dilemma front and center too.

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