High Court Asks Administration to Weigh in on Predatory Lending Case

A SUPREME COURT order this week forces the Obama administration to make a decision: either save consumers tens of billions of dollars at the expense of debt collectors, car loan specialists, and student lenders, or defend those financial entities.

In a one-line order, the justices on Monday asked Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, the legal representative for the federal government in Supreme Court matters, to file a brief in the case of Madden v. Midland Funding, “expressing the views of the United States.”

In Madden, a class-action case, borrowers argued that loans sold by a bank to a debt collector should be subject to the usury law in New York state, which limits the interest rate that can be charged. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, and Midland Funding appealed to the Supreme Court. Legal experts are following the case closely, since it could, after nearly 40 years, herald a return to prominence for state-based usury laws, a key safeguard against predatory lending.

https://theintercept.com/2016/03/24/high-court-asks-administration-to-weigh-in-on-predatory-lending-case/

UNITE!

Is it a new day in America or just, another day in America? I do believe there is a difference in the manner in which we express this sentiment.


In America we have roughly two political parties. We have the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Those parties dominate the landscape and do not allow any other party that might have the desire to form an opportunity to do so. Democrats are generally recognized as Liberals, Progressives, and Centrist. Republicans are generally recognized as Christian Conservatives, Fiscal Conservatives, Tea Party radicals, etc. You may notice at this point the fact that even the parties are divided ideologically within their own structure. Politicians of course couldn’t be happier with this arrangement; they fundraise according to their ideology. The two parties miss the point…Divided we fall.


In America we have the right to disagree with these politicians. We have the right to Lobby or Protest if we disagree with decisions made by politicians or when we wish politicians to provide legislation to improve the quality of life in this nation. Yes, the constitution actually gives us the right to lobby and protest, of course that appears to be under assault these days. It appears the powers that be have decided to control the manner in which we protest and the manner in which we lobby Congress, the Supreme Court, or the President. We are prohibited in many ways when we decide to protest, we are arrested many times because of infiltration by groups that sometimes appear to be a part of law enforcement or paid agitators. So protest, but remember to bring bail money and have a good lawyer waiting in the wings just in case. If you’re wealthy, you might decide to use lobbying to get what you want. This is an altogether different manner in which we are allowed to petition the government and the courts. We can sit down in the politicians’ office, or meet and greet them at a fine restaurant, or on the golf course etc. and one on one discuss our grievances. We are divided even when it comes to something guaranteed by the constitution because of inequality. So again, even in this undertaking we are divided.


Speaking of protest, let’s look at how we are divided when it comes to protest…how many organizations take to the streets or the web etc. to protest? Let’s look a bit closer at this. If I am a member of Green Peace, I might agree to protest with 350.org. If I am a member of Code Pink, I might agree to join with many other groups that might be protesting a given issue. If I am a member of BLM, I might join with groups that are protesting inequality in the criminal justice system due to racism, or any number of other groups whose goal will connect in some manner to the goals of the group. Why, when we agree are we still divided, why do we need to form a plethora of groups to try to get justice in this country? Why can’t we UNITE and come together as one?


In America we are struggling to save what is left of our democracy. Even former President Jimmy Carter (pray for his victory during his battle with cancer) said this nation no longer appears to be a democratic republic. In his words, America has no functioning democracy. We are operating more like a Plutocracy or something to that effect.


In America, the USA, we are in the primaries that will help decide which candidate will run for the coveted office of President of the nation. It appears we will continue to be more divided than ever. How can we unite under one banner? How can we bring the citizens of this country into agreement? I call upon the many protest groups in this nation…I plead with you, PLEASE unite. A meeting of the minds is necessary, we need leaders of these factions to come together, bring their issues to the table and hash out an agreement that would allow us all the opportunity to unite under one umbrella, protesting together, working together, solving issues together etc. If we do this we can settle the issue of which candidate will be better for this nation in the fall election. United We Stand, Divided We Fall.

Lazy Federal Workers!

We often hear stories about lazy hourly wage workers who don't deserve an increase to $15 per hour. Perusing the news this morning I came across a very interesting article that I will display here with a link for your reading enjoyment. The article starts like this:

Have you heard about the federal workers who are refusing to do their jobs — while continuing to bill the taxpayers almost $1.5 million a year each?

That would be the 50-plus lazy United States senators who are refusing to fulfill their employment contracts and hold hearings on a new Supreme Court justice. They will continue to collect salaries averaging $174,000 a year — as well as coverage of total expenses of nearly $1.3 million a year each — despite nonperformance of their contracts.

You and I should try that in our own places of work. Good luck with that.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated Merrick Garland, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, for the Supreme Court. Senators, all from the Republican party, claim their refusal to hold hearings is a matter of principle.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/opinion-these-lazy-federal-workers-cost-us-dollar15-million-a-year/ar-BBqyXR7?ocid=spartanntp

Trump Rally in Cincinnati Canceled

First the Trump rally was on, then it was off, then the venue was being changed, and the story goes on and on...it appears people all over the country have decided Trump is not something they want in their front or backyard, and especially not if he has a podium and a stump.

Update: Donald Trump has scheduled a campaign stop at the Savannah Center in West Chester on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Previous report: Donald Trump is no longer planning a rally in Downtown on Sunday afternoon.

The Secret Service security supporting the GOP presidential front runner's campaign could not complete its preparation work in time to hold the event at the Duke Energy Convention Center, said Eric Deters, a local spokesman for Trump's campaign.

"Trump wants to come here, and the campaign is still looking to find a location for either Sunday or Monday," Deters said.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2016/03/11/cincy-doesnt-make-trumps-schedule/81666034/

Is this the beginning of the end for Trump?

Glass Steagall....Yet another reason to vote for Senator Sanders!

Why is this important? I feel the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 has led to many of the problems we in this country and around the world are facing today.

WHY IS RICK SNYDER STILL GOVERNOR OF MICHIGAN?

In a country where we prize democracy, how have we allowed Governors to become dictators. Why as we see what has happened in Flint Michigan, other cities in Michigan and across the country do we as citizens just watch it as if we are watching a TV Reality show? Reading the news this morning I came across the following article:

~~~~~
MI governor's aides urged switch away from Flint River

Two of Gov. Rick Snyder's top lawyers privately advocated moving the city of Flint back to the Detroit water system because of quality problems only months after Flint began to draw its drinking water from the Flint River and treat it at its own plant in mid-2014, according to a review of e-mails made public Friday by the governor's office.

Flint switched its water supply from Detroit to the Flint River in April 2014 in a cost-cutting move when the city was under a state-appointed emergency manager.

"They went out and asked tough questions of other people, but they were told the water was safe", Snyder said about Valerie Brader and Mike Gadola, who served as the governor's environmental policy adviser and chief legal counsel at the time.

"To anyone who grew up in Flint as I did, the notion that I would be getting my drinking water from the Flint River is downright scary", Gadola wrote.

A spokeswoman for the governor's office could not immediately be reached for comment.

The governor's top aides discussed Flint's water quality problems as early as the fall of 2014, the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News reported on Friday, citing emails released by the governor's office.

Top aides raised concerns about the water in the cash-strapped - and largely African-American - city of Flint long before its lead problem became a national embarrassment, their e-mails show.

~~~~~~

I continue to wonder why this continues to drag on after 2 years. Imagine if this were one of the following cities:
~~~~~
1. San Francisco — You'd need $124,561 to live comfortably in SF.
2. San Jose — You'd need around $115,515 here.
3. Washington, D.C. — $108,092 would be a comfortable salary in the nation's capital.
4. Seattle — $93,634 would be ideal here.
5. San Diego — You could be comfortable with a salary of $101,984.
6. Boston — $106,082 is what you'd need to be financially comfortable in this northern city.
7. New York City — To live comfortably, you'd need $131,365 in Brooklyn, $169,639 in Manhattan, and $116,907 in Queens.
8. Los Angeles — $102,061 would have you sitting pretty in LA.
9. Denver — $82,036 would be an ideal salary here.
10. Austin — Surprisingly, in spite of the high percentage of people earning over $150,000, you'd only need $72,912 to be comfortable in this Texas city.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2015/01/25/cheat-sheet-10-richest-cities/21394881/
~~~~~

How long would it take if one of these cities had been suffering with this problem? When if ever will this nation become a nation of, by, and for the people? I wonder...

Hillary Clinton! One of the most Liberal Senators in Congress!

On certain issues:

Hillary Rodham Clinton is a liberal Democrat on domestic matters, and Bernie Sanders is a socialist. They voted the same way 93 percent of the time in the two years they shared in the Senate.

In fact, from January 2007 to January 2009, Mrs. Clinton, representing New York, voted with Mr. Sanders about as often as she did with the like-minded Democrats Ron Wyden of Oregon and Barbara Mikulski of Maryland.

In many of the cases in which she differed with Mr. Sanders, who represents Vermont and is also running for the Democratic presidential nomination, Mrs. Clinton went with the crowd. She voted with an overwhelming majority of her colleagues, including Republicans. Her positions on the votes that differed from Mr. Sanders represented policy differences, but they may have also reflected political calculations by Mrs. Clinton, who was preparing for a presidential run in 2008.

The 31 times that Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Sanders disagreed happened to be on some the biggest issues of the day, including measures on continuing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, an immigration reform bill and bank bailouts during the depths of the Great Recession. Mr. Sanders, who formally kicked off his campaign Tuesday evening in Burlington, Vt., was opposed to all these actions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/28/upshot/the-senate-votes-that-divided-hillary-clinton-and-bernie-sanders.html?_r=0

Look before you leap folks....

Government Corruption and Bernie Sanders

First Robert Steele:

Is this a precursor describing where we are headed in this nation?

All over the nation we are seeing bit by bit problems with state and local government. We have environmental catastrophes like Porter Ranch, the Gulf Oil Spill, the Flint, Michigan water catastrophe along with water problems and pollution problems throughout the nation. Our infrastructure is crumbling with none of the elected representatives caring about it or being able to do anything about it, and more and more we are reading stories like the one I am about to share with you. What is happening in the United State of America?

CRYSTAL CITY, Tex. — Packs of dogs roam the streets in this small town about 120 miles outside of San Antonio, and dozens of vacant homes and businesses have their windows barred or boarded. The city council, which is supposed to run the government, has only one member not facing federal criminal charges, and the city manager, also charged, has been suspended. In recent weeks, the water from some residents’ faucets gushed out black.

“It’s, like, this poor town,” said Tomasa Salas, 55, as she waited in front of city hall to pick up plastic jugs of water. “There is good here, too. You just got to dig really deep to find it.”

The confluence of poverty and suspected political corruption have made Crystal City a national emblem of a small town gone bad, a place where nepotism festered for so long that the FBI had to bring in nearly 100 agents to clean it up.

“If this is a wake-up call for all other towns and cities and other municipal areas, thank God,” said Councilman Joel Barajas, the only council member not to face a federal charge.
The FBI has long waged a war against corruption in small towns across the country, but the problem seems to have grown particularly acute in the southern and western parts of Texas. In recent years, the feds have charged county officials involved in bid-rigging and kickback schemes, law enforcement officers who sold drugs they seized to other traffickers and even a state judge who took bribes for favorable rulings. The FBI’s San Antonio Division launched 23 public corruption investigations in 2012, 51 in 2013 and 64 in 2014, authorities said.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/this-might-be-the-most-corrupt-little-town-in-america/ar-BBqo43Y?ocid=spartanntp

Now that we have Citizens United, this can only get worse. When will we as citizens begin to recognize the fact that our government is and has been corrupt for a long time now. Members of both parties are on the take, and in my personal opinion this has gone on far too long, and by the way did I mention Citizens United is going to cause this to become exponentially worse?

Should we as citizens stand up and confront these problems? I say yes and it is about time we start. Occupy was a beginning, we need to reorganize and begin again to confront this situation.

Question...

My question is this? Did every person posting at DU vote for President Obama in 2012? Did every person posting on DU vote for him in 2008? If not, why not?