Dave – I agree that First Street (where the U.S. Capitol is located) might have been a better choice for a protest site than Wall Street.
Dave
on October 25, 2011 at 5:26 PM
I just don’t get the anger toward Corporate America. Maybe I am missing something, but a corporation either survives or it dosen’t by offering a product or service that people want or need. If they do it efficiently, they make a profit and if they don’t they eventually go out of business. They have to perform and play within the rules.
Our federal government officials tax people who are productive (the more productive you are the more you are taxed) and then they spend money that far exceeds what was collected by borrowing 40 cents of every dollar spent with no plan to change that.
Now explain to me why we are so upset at the corporate world?
Em in Philly
on October 25, 2011 at 1:03 PM
Just a quick comment. The city taxpayer tab in Philadelphia in “support” of the “occupiers” is nearly $425k as of today (overtime for police, safety, sanitation, etc.)
How in the world is this helpful? I think each of them should be handed a bill for a thousand dollars (or two or three). The city is already revenue-strapped, and these folks are using resources without paying for them.
Complete hypocrites, I say.
Sorry for the rant – but I just saw the pricetag on the news this morning, and I’m infuriated as a working (under $50k) and homeowning (i.e. wage AND property tax-paying) citizen of Philadelphia.
Who’s going to foot the bill for the occupiers? Take a guess.
Good point, Em. I think I saw some protesters in Chicago scrubbing the sidewalks around the park they were occupying, but that seemed to be an isolated case.
People have to realize, banks do share part of the blame for all of this, as does the government. But they fail to recognize that none of this could have happened without us acting irresponsibly as well.
We ran up the credit cards, we bought houses with no down payment on adjustable rate mortgages, we spent more than we made, we let our families get just as overleveraged as the banks and now we blame everyone else.
We have to remove the log from our own eye first.
I have a great post on my blog today entitled “Dear Occupy Wall Street, a Letter by Dave Ramsey” that goes even more in depth about all of this. You can find it here (http://www.cfinancialfreedom.com/CFFwordpress/?p=625). This one is getting a ton of traffic so it has obviously struck a nerve.
I posted another one last week that is a letter from a college student that takes issue with the whiners and tells what hard work and good decisions he has made in order to start succeeding in life. You can find that one here (http://www.cfinancialfreedom.com/CFFwordpress/?p=572)
I teach participants in my Celebrating Financial Freedom course that we as Americans have to start practicing the personal responsibility and common sense that was the standard in decades past and stop blaming everyone else for our own messes.
Keep up the great writing Matt!
“When you help me with money, you help the world prosper”- J.M. DuMont
Thanks for writing, Jason. Something else that would help people make more responsible financial choices is if our public schools taught personal finance. Kids need to grow up learning how to navigate our economy wisely.
Patricia Caswell
on October 25, 2011 at 12:13 PM
I agree that it all comes down to personal responsibility with one caveat. All persons that enjoy the freedom and opportunity in this country need to pay their fair share. Corporate America does not do so. The upper income echelon do not as well. Let’s close the loopholes and even the playing field.
Yes, vote with your dollars! Unfortunately, America is for sale as long as our politicians are supported by Corporate America. Perhaps that needs to change as well?
Patricia – I agree that one thing that’s needed is some serious campaign finance reform. The system should not allow politicians to be swayed by corporate support.
Dave – I agree that First Street (where the U.S. Capitol is located) might have been a better choice for a protest site than Wall Street.
I just don’t get the anger toward Corporate America. Maybe I am missing something, but a corporation either survives or it dosen’t by offering a product or service that people want or need. If they do it efficiently, they make a profit and if they don’t they eventually go out of business. They have to perform and play within the rules.
Our federal government officials tax people who are productive (the more productive you are the more you are taxed) and then they spend money that far exceeds what was collected by borrowing 40 cents of every dollar spent with no plan to change that.
Now explain to me why we are so upset at the corporate world?
Just a quick comment. The city taxpayer tab in Philadelphia in “support” of the “occupiers” is nearly $425k as of today (overtime for police, safety, sanitation, etc.)
How in the world is this helpful? I think each of them should be handed a bill for a thousand dollars (or two or three). The city is already revenue-strapped, and these folks are using resources without paying for them.
Complete hypocrites, I say.
Sorry for the rant – but I just saw the pricetag on the news this morning, and I’m infuriated as a working (under $50k) and homeowning (i.e. wage AND property tax-paying) citizen of Philadelphia.
Who’s going to foot the bill for the occupiers? Take a guess.
Good point, Em. I think I saw some protesters in Chicago scrubbing the sidewalks around the park they were occupying, but that seemed to be an isolated case.
Wow, I could not have said it better myself.
People have to realize, banks do share part of the blame for all of this, as does the government. But they fail to recognize that none of this could have happened without us acting irresponsibly as well.
We ran up the credit cards, we bought houses with no down payment on adjustable rate mortgages, we spent more than we made, we let our families get just as overleveraged as the banks and now we blame everyone else.
We have to remove the log from our own eye first.
I have a great post on my blog today entitled “Dear Occupy Wall Street, a Letter by Dave Ramsey” that goes even more in depth about all of this. You can find it here (http://www.cfinancialfreedom.com/CFFwordpress/?p=625). This one is getting a ton of traffic so it has obviously struck a nerve.
I posted another one last week that is a letter from a college student that takes issue with the whiners and tells what hard work and good decisions he has made in order to start succeeding in life. You can find that one here (http://www.cfinancialfreedom.com/CFFwordpress/?p=572)
I teach participants in my Celebrating Financial Freedom course that we as Americans have to start practicing the personal responsibility and common sense that was the standard in decades past and stop blaming everyone else for our own messes.
Keep up the great writing Matt!
“When you help me with money, you help the world prosper”- J.M. DuMont
Thanks for writing, Jason. Something else that would help people make more responsible financial choices is if our public schools taught personal finance. Kids need to grow up learning how to navigate our economy wisely.
I agree that it all comes down to personal responsibility with one caveat. All persons that enjoy the freedom and opportunity in this country need to pay their fair share. Corporate America does not do so. The upper income echelon do not as well. Let’s close the loopholes and even the playing field.
Yes, vote with your dollars! Unfortunately, America is for sale as long as our politicians are supported by Corporate America. Perhaps that needs to change as well?
Patricia – I agree that one thing that’s needed is some serious campaign finance reform. The system should not allow politicians to be swayed by corporate support.