This can potentially be a big problem. Not the bailout, but what happens if they’re NOT bailed out. The obvious implications range from direct affect of the employees who were not the orchestrators of the bad company business plan, and further down the road to suppliers of the automakers who can’t sell their widgets and beyond. There is certainly a lot of blame to go around. It’s easy to point the finger at the high level executives who mismanaged the company so badly that it’s all about to crumble into ashes. Those same executives who flew to Washington to ask for billions in bailout money, all flew on private jets to the tune of $20,000 per person! Listen. I know people out there can afford that kind of luxury and I applaud them for it. But if you’re flying somewhere to beg for money because you screwed up your company, and you fly on a private plane at the cost of $20K a head, you have some pretty damn big balls! I bet those are company jets. If they were personal jets it’s one thing, but I doubt it.

The executives aren’t the only people to blame for this mess though. Take a good look at the UAW. The United Auto Workers Union. Here you have a group that looks out for the employees and makes sure they get the most they can out of the employer. Unions in the past did a very good job of forcing employers to change bad working condition, pay them properly, give them health benefits etc. The problem now is that they continually try to suck the company dry. They do this while the executives try to set things to their benefit. It’s a major tug of war with both sides playing hardball. The unions have a very strong lobby. They’re very influential when it comes time to vote.

Here’s the problem as I see it. They both need each other to have a successful, viable company. They both need to work together so they ALL have jobs tomorrow. I’ll bet dollars to donuts that is the main underlying problem with the auto industry in this country. They need to start viewing their relationship as partners and not adversarial. I heard yesterday on the news a UAW representative said something to the affect “We’re willing to acquiesce a little to help things along.”  I wanted to reach through the screen and slap this guy in the head. I have news for the UAW… YOU HAVE NO CHOICE! you are not in the position now to be willing to acquiesce “a little” for the greater good. If you want a job tomorrow you HAVE TO make changes and give back some. American Airlines did it and stayed out of bankruptcy and didn’t go running to uncle Sam for a loan. All the Pilots, Flight Attendants and ground crew unions went to their people and they all took cuts in pay, worked longer hours etc. They changed their business model and now they’re operating without taxpayers help. They are far from being free and clear of troubles, but they’re handling it themselves… ALL of them.

The mind set needs to change in the auto industry as it does in society in general. In general we have this me first, at all cost attitude and that’s going be our downfall if things don’t change and change fast. Look at things in a global perspective. Our economy starts to dive and the world economy follows. Before you start thinking we’re the lynch pin for the world, forget it. Get over yourself. We are part of something much larger than just ourselves and when we all start to realize that and work with that in mind we can truly start to grow and advance in a reasonable, safe and solid way. So far we were building a beautiful house on a substandard foundation. The form over function theory never works.

After readiing and hearing a lot on this latest economic crisis and thinking about it, I’ve come to the conclusion that we should NOT bail out GM, Ford and Chrysler. I know there are workers who will be directly affected and lose jobs. Some are only qualified to do those jobs they lose. I know. But giving the big 3 money doesn’t fix the problem. We all learn from our failures. Isn’t that why we don’t fix everything for our children? Don’t we let them fall and get themselves back up on their own at some point? These are adults we’re talking about. There’s a lesson in each tough time we face. We grow through our tribulations. Times have changed and the mentality of society needs to change along with it. Bankruptcy isn’t the end of business. It’s just a restructuring of business. Maybe that’s exactly what they need because obviously what they were doing all along hasn’t been working lately.

What do you think? Should we bailout GM, Ford and Chrysler?

Since I’m not Keith and I don’t usually keep my opinions to myself, I’ll summarize Keith’s commentary like this. Hey California! WTF is wrong with you close minded idiots!!?? That would be those idiots who voted for Prop 8. Grow the “F” up already!

OK… got that off my chest. Now why not watch the video, leave a comment if you like, and certainly share this with everyone you know. Don’t worry I have plenty of bandwidth so I can handle the traffic.

By the looks of the final results of the general election a good number of Americans think the same way I do. Or at the very least they thought Barack Obama and Joe Biden would do a better job that John McCain and Sarah Palin. It was an electoral landslide for Obama. Needing only 270 electoral votes Obama walked away with 364 to McCain’s 163. There was a 7 point difference in the popular vote. A very reasonable spread. Not huge but reasonable. Here are some basic breakdowns of who voted for Barack Obama:

• Vote By Sex - Male 49% Female 56% - It would seem he reached Hillary Clinton’s female vote.
• Vote By Age - 18-29 66%, 30-44 52%, 45-64 50%, 65+ 45%
• Vote By Race - White 41%, African American 95%, other ethnic 65%
• Vote By Income - under $100k 55%, $100-$200k 48%, above $200k 52% This surprised me a little given his tax plan to increase taxes to those making $250k and more.

His message of “Change” really hit home with the american people. This is truly a historic time. Not only because we now have the first black president in history but because of the promise of what can be. What we need is a fundamental change in how our government does business. We can’t keep going the way we have been for so long. Ideals put in place long ago have changed and so must it’s people. They way Washington works needs to be revamped and that’s what Barack Obama brings. He brings the hope of a new way. A level headed man who thinks before he speaks, has a good command of the issues and the sense to hire the right people for the right position no matter what their political slant is.

I for one am looking forward to what can happen but I’m cautious at the same time. He still has to navigate the garbage in Washington. I actually feel proud to have a president that isn’t such an embarrassment. He is the perfect person to represent us going into the future.

By David S. Hilzenrath
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 1, 2008; D01

At the Beverly Hills office of criminal defense lawyer Edward M. Robbins Jr., anxious new clients are showing up with an unexpected problem.

The clients put money in Swiss bank accounts, where it was supposed to stay secret. But now those depositors fear the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department will gain access to their bank records, Robbins said.

“They’re coming in from the cold. They’re nervous,” Robbins said.

And with good reason, the former federal prosecutor said. A lawyer who specializes in tax cases, Robbins thinks the government is gearing up to prosecute large numbers of Americans for failing to disclose foreign accounts on their tax returns and evading taxes on income generated by the accounts.

“If I were one of these guys with 10 to 50 million in my account, I’d be having an aneurysm,” Robbins said. “It’s an extremely dangerous situation for these guys.”

The legendary secrecy of Swiss banks has come under fresh assault lately from U.S. and European authorities who say their citizens have used the privacy to hide assets and dodge taxes.

The U.S. effort to capture back taxes targets Americans who hold undeclared accounts at UBS, one of Switzerland’s largest banks. The developments could put UBS in legal jeopardy and undo the reputation for confidentiality that has helped make a small nation in the Alps a magnet for international deposits.

UBS, which also has extensive operations in the United States, has been under investigation by the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“UBS takes this matter very seriously and is working diligently with both Swiss and U.S. government authorities, consistent with Swiss law and the legal frameworks for intergovernmental cooperation and assistance,” UBS spokesman Mark Arena said by e-mail.

Over the summer, the IRS won permission from a federal court to demand that UBS turn over the identities of an estimated 19,000 American clients who have failed to disclose their Swiss-based accounts on U.S. tax returns. It remains unclear what has or will come of that effort. Swiss law restricts the bank’s ability to breach client confidentiality. Swiss law also gives clients the opportunity to oppose the release of their names through a judicial process that could slow any disclosures.

“All of these names have to be checked, and each case has to be looked at,” Swiss embassy spokeswoman Emilija Georgieva said, declining to say whether the Swiss have turned over any identities to the U.S. government, yet.

Washington lawyer Martin Lobel, chairman of the Tax Analysts information service, said the Swiss government appears to be “using the legal process to delay until people forget about it,” and he predicted that “nothing much is going to happen.” Even if the IRS got the names of 19,000 UBS depositors, the agency couldn’t handle the volume, Lobel said.

However, Robbins said it appears that criminal prosecutors at the Justice Department, as distinct from the civil lawyers handling the IRS demand, are gaining access to such details through a parallel investigation. The Beverly Hills lawyer said he recently contacted the Justice Department on behalf of a new client and was told a prosecutor already had the client’s name.

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment for this story. The IRS did not respond to repeated inquiries.

The curtains began to part on UBS late last year when a depositor named Igor M. Olenicoff, a California real estate billionaire, pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return. Then, in June, a former UBS employee pleaded guilty to helping Olenicoff conceal $200 million and evade taxes of $7.2 million. The former banker, Bradley Birkenfeld, gave investigators details of how UBS allegedly catered to wealthy Americans, potentially violating U.S. banking and securities laws, according to a Senate report.

As described in Senate and court records, UBS bankers allegedly helped clients set up sham companies in offshore havens such as the Bahamas to conceal the identity of account holders. To solicit new clients, bankers not licensed to do business here traveled to art shows, yachting competitions and other upscale events in the United States, falsely declaring at times that they were entering the country for pleasure.

They were trained to avoid and detect surveillance by U.S. law enforcement; one internal training document prepared them for the possibility that they could be “intercepted by an FBI agent.”

They allegedly kept American clients informed about their investments by carrying account information to the United States in encrypted form. They allegedly advised clients to misrepresent withdrawals from their Swiss accounts as loans and to tap their Swiss funds by purchasing jewels and art while traveling abroad.

In one instance, Birkenfeld used an American client’s funds to buy diamonds. Then, the banker snuck the stones into the United States in a tube of toothpaste, according to a statement of undisputed facts filed in connection with his June guilty plea.

When Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, convened a hearing on the subject in July, he estimated that the abuse of offshore havens worldwide costs the United States about $100 billion annually. The U.S. government isn’t the only one concerned. Last month, when representatives of 17 nations met in Paris to discuss international financial transparency, German and French ministers said Switzerland should be added to a blacklist of tax havens, the Swissinfo news service reported.

About 20,000 U.S. clients have about $18 billion on deposit with UBS in Switzerland, and about 19,000 of the clients have not disclosed their accounts to the IRS, the Swiss bank has told Senate investigators, according to a July report by the subcommittee staff. By Birkenfeld’s reckoning, such accounts generated about $200 million of annual revenues for UBS, according to court records.

Called to testify before the subcommittee in July, a top UBS official invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. But another UBS executive expressed contrition and promised the bank would cooperate with U.S. authorities.

“UBS genuinely regrets any compliance failures that may have occurred. We will take responsibility for them. We will not seek to minimize them. On behalf of UBS, I am apologizing. I am committing to you that we will take the actions necessary to see that this does not happen again,” said Mark Branson, UBS’s chief financial officer of global wealth management.

Some Americans familiar with the situation say UBS could strike a cooperative posture secure in the knowledge that the Swiss government could protect its clients. Still, UBS could be forced to choose between violating Swiss law and its stringent privacy protections or defying U.S. law and putting its U.S. business at risk. In his Senate testimony, UBS’s Branson noted that almost 32,000 of the company’s 80,000 employees were based in the United States.

James Nason, a spokesman for the Swiss Bankers Association, said, “UBS itself cannot decide to hand over client data because then it would be violating Swiss law.” Any Swiss bank “waits for instructions from the Swiss authorities,” Nason said, adding, “Switzerland doesn’t allow fishing expeditions.”

Nason put blame elsewhere, saying, “Attacks on Switzerland usually come from countries that have a relatively low level of taxpayer honesty.”

Beverly Hills lawyer Robbins represented Olenicoff, which might help explain why, as he related, about 20 other UBS clients have turned to his law firm. In New York, attorney Bryan C. Skarlatos, who specializes in criminal tax law, said his firm has been approached by dozens of people who hold offshore accounts at UBS and other banks. They wanted to come clean with the IRS before getting caught up in a crackdown, he said.

Whether or not the Swiss officially give up clients’ secrets, the U.S. government could have other ways of getting information. For example, bank employees have an incentive to expose tax evaders to the IRS, Skarlatos said, because whistle-blowers could receive 30 percent of the money they help the government collect.

Staff researcher Julie Tate contributed to this story.

Does this change your mind about the election? Does this video warrant voting for John McCain or at the very least disqualifying Barack Obama from the race? What do you think will happen if he is disqualified before the election (which won’t happen, not enough time)? What do you think happens of this is settled while Obama is in office? 

My short answers are: No, it doesn’t change my mind about the election. I still like the idea of Obama as my President. I’m still going to vote for him. No, it doesn’t warrant voting for John McCain. You should vote for the person you want in office and NOT for someone who you have fundamental, ideological differences with. Yes, if this is true and Barack Obama is NOT a naturally born citizen then he should be disqualified. Just because it’s the law. What’s right is right. That doesn’t mean I don’t think he’s the best man for the job, because I do. But circumventing the laws instead of changing them is just wrong. If this is settled BEFORE the election - and again I don’t see it happening in less than 6 days - who gets the DNC’s nod for presidential nominee? Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton? I think it should go to Hillary Clinton. This is a moot point because it’s not going to happen. Courts just don’t work that fast on anything. Now what happens if this is settled AFTER the election and Barack Obama wins? Then he gets removed from the position and Joe Biden gets the presidency. Seems right at least logistically speaking doesn’t it? Then who does he pick for a VP? man my head is spinning with all the “if’s.”

Personally I don’t think anything is going to happen with this. It will go the way side just like the 9/11 conspiracy theories. No matter how strong the case is it will go away. The overall good of the country is more important than something this small. And it is a small thing people. For those of you who are jumping up and down now, relax. If true it is wrong, by the law, but it’s small and doesn’t change who Barack Obama is, and he is the best man for the job right now.

Ok, now that I’ve given my totally biased opinion, here’s the Yahoo article in full. You can also find it by clicking here.

In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released last night, the number one concern about McCain was Palin’s perceived lack of qualifications.

Today Show/NBC News graphic

This morning, NBC’s Political Director Chuck Todd explained McCain’s “Palin problem”:

“Speaking of Palin, her numbers have plummeted in our poll. For the first time, she has a net-negative fav/unfav rating (38%-47%), the only principal [candidate] to carry that distinction. What’s more, 55% think she’s unqualified to serve as president if the need arises, which is a troublesome number given McCain’s age. (Have worries about McCain’s age risen because of Palin? Seems to be the case).”

Personally I really find it hard to believe this is a shock to people. Everyone was surprised when he named her as his running mate. I’m sure she was just as taken back when he asked her. I call it as soon as he came public with her as his running mate he lost the campaign. No question at all. Sarah was his pick for a few reasons. #1 - To satisfy the republican party’s conservative base. #2 - To go after the disgruntled Hillary Clinton voters. #3 - To light a fire under his dying campaign. The choice was NOT about picking the best person to be Vice President. It was gamble of a choice to election and nothing more. If you ask me I think it’s sad too. The John McCain everyone has know over the years - The Maverick - is not the man running for president this year. This John McCain is just trying to win at all costs. Sarah Palin was ONLY a strategic gamble to win the election. Here’s a bit from the article from John McCain about Sarah Palin:

Obviously, the McCain people aren’t loving this and Politico reports that the candidate himself says he’s “amazed” by the reaction to his VP pick. Politico writes:

“She is a governor, the most popular governor in America,” McCain said. “I think she is the most qualified of any that has run recently for vice president.”

“I’m amazed. I’m amazed. Which is better? Serve 35 years in the United States Senate and say you’ve got to divide Iraq into three different countries, or be governor of a state and a reformer and give people their tax dollars back and bring about reform in the way that your state does business? Which is better?”

That statement just smells so typical politics, particularly republican/Bush politics. “Let’s just keep saying the sky is green. Eventually everyone will believe it.” He thinks if he keeps running around saying she’s more than qualified to be VP, and in worst case scenario, President, everyone will eventually buy into it too. He must really think so little of the American people to sit there a feed us that line of BS. Well, I guess it’s not so unfounded. Bush and company did it regarding Iraq, so John is only working off previous precedent.

Anyway, it’s not like you don’t know how i feel about this election, John McCain and Sarah Palin. I’m just happy that most people are starting to open their eys and see things for what they really are.

John McCain came out hard in the first thirty minutes or so of the debate. Overall I liked who I saw sitting there. He was confident, knowledgeable, quick and hard hitting on issues. I’m not saying he was always right with those hits but they were affective. I even sat up a bit when John said “Sen Obama, I am not President Bush. … You wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago.” That, in my opinion was his best moment. Obama’s response was a little more tame than I would of liked but then that’s why I’m here and he’s there. Barack responded by saying “If I’ve occasionally mistaken your policies for George Bush’s policies, it’s because on the core economic issues that matter to the American people — on tax policy, on energy policy, on spending priorities — you have been a vigorous supporter of President Bush.” Then John McCain started down the typical road of attacking Obama’s relationship with William Ayers, ACORN and even hammered on about Rep John Lewis. It was during this point when John McCain started to lose me and it would seem a majority of the viewing public. I’ll say it again. John McCain - give me a reason to vote for you, not a reason NOT to vote for Barack Obama! That tactic is a last resort and it’s a loser mentality. That’s not the John McCain I know. Also, someone should remind Johna McCain that the camera is ALWAYS on. All his grimaces and faces were evident to the world. His disdain for Brack Obama still showed. That was just as disappointing as anything. I guess this happens when you’ve essentially been running for president for the last 8 years and you’re so close and watch it slipping away.

Barack Obama came out flat. He was on the defensive for the first half of the debate. Barack couldn’t seem to get on top of the discourse. That is until John McCain went negative as mentioned above. It was then that John showed his erratic angered side. As Barack Obama weathered the attacks he grew strength. Then as he found his stride. He hammered away on the economy, healthcare etc. McCain just didn’t have the juice. He shot his wad early then got angry while attacking Obama and never came back.

All in all I’d have to say Barack Obama won this debate for a few reasons. He had a command of the issues that are at the heart of worries across america these days. He was able to answer and correct all of John McCains arguments, false and otherwise. Lastly he kept his cool and poise. He still looked more presidential than John McCain. If you have to ask if that’s important, let me just point out the goober we have in office right now.

This sounds a lot like the Tom Cruise movie “Minority Report” where we have developed a technology that can detect hostile thoughts in people and arrest them before they even actually commit a crime. I don’t know a single person who saw the movie that didn’t enjoy it for entertainment value but thought it was an aberration of power and technology. Well, here we go people. This is a quote from the website I found the article on.

Last year, New Scientist revealed that the US Department of Homeland Security is developing a system designed to detect “hostile thoughts” in people walking through border posts, airports and public places. The DHS says recent tests prove it works.

Project Hostile Intent as it was called aimed to help security staff choose who to pull over for a gently probing interview - or more.

Commentators slated the idea that sensors could spot people up to no good from their pulse rate, breathing, skin temperature, or fleeting facial expressions. One likened it to the “pre-crime” units that predict criminal behaviour in the movie Minority Report.

I don’t know about you but this kind of thing worries me. While I’m fascinated with the technology and ability to do certain things, I also believe we’re headed in a scary direction. Remember the book 1984 by George Orwell? Big Brother is watching and if we’re not careful soon we may be in a position we don’t want to be in and it’s too late to do anything about it. 

You can read the whole article for yourself at the New Scientist Blog.

Truthfully, I don’t really care who you vote for but I do care that you DO vote! We all have our ideas and beliefs. We carry them into the election booth and vote with our hearts and minds. Here are two reasons we all need to get out there, pick a candidate, and vote. These are funny but sad as well. Remember… EVERY vote counts equally… even these votes!

Howard Stern had one of his guys go into Harlem in Manhattan and interview people about who they were voting for. Sal deliberately interviewed black people and asked why they were voting for Barack Obama. Some of you may not like Howard but this interview speaks volumes about what people know and don’t know. *note* minimal cursing

The next video clip is of some apparently drunk southerners on an ATV discussing why we SHOULDN’T vote for Barack Obama. *note* the “N” word is used a couple of times

I know these people don’t represent the majority of our country. But it does underscore how un-informed some people are.

Also I was trying to interjecting a little humor and levity into this heavily contested Presidential election. I hope you got a little chuckle out of this, I did. Now…

PLEASE get out there and vote people!!