The absence of right.

Here we go. I am a business CEO and for the last decade I have been letting the business as usual be “business as usual”. Rather than look to the future and be innovative, competitive, trend setting I have been very comfortable with “business as usual”. Many of you would call me the government and you would be right. I am actually the big three auto makers I have failed to provide a quality product. I have failed to be innovative and seek alternate technologies. I have failed to set the standards in all manners. I have been happy in the knowledge that the American people are basically dumb and will buy American because they have always “bought American” So now I am standing in the government bail out lines begging for funds so I can stay afloat.

Here we go again. I am the CEO of a major banking firm. I have become aware that most folks really don’t have a clue what I do. I have convinced the stockholders that I am worth 1-10% of their total profits because I am “that good”. I have encouraged questionable investments. I have failed in my due diligence with my customers and loaned them money that 20 years ago they would have never been considered eligible for. I put questionable customers into risky loans so they could buy homes they were under qualified for. Now the housing market has tanked, the people of questionable means have defaulted because they lost their income, yes some worked for the big three. So now I am standing in the government bail out line begging for funds so I can stay afloat.

Here we go again. I am the working person who was enticed by the bankers and the auto manufactures to “buy off” more than I can chew. I fell for those really “low” interest loans for my mortgage. I figured in 5 years I would be able to pay the balloon payment. I figured I would have no problem because I was assured by the banker that the interest rate would not “skyrocket” I was assured by the auto dealer that even with “bad credit, or no credit” I could get that new “American made” car. I never thought about tomorrow and was more concerned with my wants today. I did not develop a good saving habit. I did not right size my home to my needs and abilities, I did not drive my car an extra year or two. I just made sure I got my immediate needs satisfied. So now I am standing in the government bail out line begging for funds so I can stay afloat.

One more time. So I am the guy who has denied himself in one manner or another. Wanting things yes. Waiting for those things, yes. Driving an older car, yes. Buying a house I could afford, yes. Using a “conventional” loan that I qualified because I did save for the 20% down payment, yes. I have lost some funds as a result of the banking crisis, but not as much as most. I chose to be conservative in my investments. A 3% return was not as glamorous as the 12% but then when all tanked my fall was not as steep. So now I am watching the auto makers, the bankers, and the people who pushed the credit envelope for personal gain, standing in the government line begging for funds so they can stay afloat.

The problem here is I am not in the line. I am providing the funds for the line. It is my pocket that the government is dipping into even further to cover the people who did not do the right and prudent thing.
Furthermore what have we done to those who have tried hard to do the right thing, As it stands today if you’re a banker, automaker, defaulter of loans you stand a good chance of getting bailed out. If you’re prudent, conservative, patient you get to loose even more money.

The absence of right. We are rewarding wrong and penalizing right. We are encouraging business as usual and discouraging change of faulty processes. We are asking the people who try hard, to try even harder to support those who do the wrong thing. There an end. The right can not continue to cover all the wrong.

There is an end. If you’re the big three and you can not complete, goodbye. If you’re a banker who got your million dollar bonus just before the bank collapsed go straight to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200. If you’re the greedy American who had to have a bigger car, bigger house, bigger boat and did it by “creative” financing, go bankrupt, turn in all your “ill gotten” gains in and live within your means. If you’re the guy who did the right things the continue doing the right things. Also be vocal, don’t let the government continue to practice what King George III practiced “taxation without representation”. Let your representative know with all your words both written, spoken, and voted that there is an end and it has been reached.