Year in review and how it affected you

"The Buck Stops Here" sign that was on President Truman's desk in his White House office which was referred to often by the President. Stated in his 1953 farewell address, "The President--whoever he is--has to decide. He can't pass the buck to anybody. No one else can do the deciding for him. That's his job.

Hope and change on better paying jobs
Today unemployment figures are trending up beyond 10.2% with a U6 figure of over 17% unemployed nationally. A year ago unemployment was 6.6% (source: Bureau of Labor Statistics) (current unemployment rates may be seen here)

Hope and change on gasoline prices
At todays average price of $2.639, a gallon of gas runs $.70 higher than last year. Bitterly remembering July of 2008 when gasoline prices topping $4, we forget that by the 2008 holidays, prices had dropped back down to a more palatable $1.929. (source: AAA)

Hope and change on housing
At the end of the third quarter of 2009 US foreclosure activity set a new quarterly record – up 23 percent from the same time last year. September 2009 saw a monthly increase of 29 percent over September 2008. (source: RealtyTrac)

Hope and change on federal debt
Last year the public was outraged at a growing national debt of $10.65 trillion. Today our government debt stands at over $12 trillion. Our new federal debt spread out to every citizen is over $39,000 each. (source: US Treasury) (see below “what’s the difference between debt and deficit?”)

Hope and change on federal deficit
A year ago the administration missed it’s target budget by $455 billion. A huge budget miss compared to $162 billion overspent in 2007. 2009 saw overspending beyond the budget in excess of $1.4 trillion (source: US Treasury)

Hope and change on the wars
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) saw 314 casualties in 2008 while 2009 has seen 144 casualties so far this year. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF, Afghanistan) saw 155 casualties in 2008 while 2009 has seen 297 so far this year. (source icasualties.org)

Hope and change for smokers
2009 saw the highest federal tax increase on cigarettes from 39 cents to a whopping $1.01. The additional 62 cent increase this year was added to fund the expansion of S-CHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program) that was signed into law in February by our President. State taxes range from seven cents to $2.75 per pack additionally. The price of a pack of smokes is now around $4.50 to $9.15 depending on where you live.

Hope and change on the dollar
One dollar — a year later — has nearly the same buying power as dollar in 2008. Annual inflation over this period was about 0.09%. However, the US dollar continues to drift lower against the euro. (source: currency converter)

Hope and change for the citizens
A shift in the United States has moved towards protecting illegal immigrants from prosecution whilst legal citizens may serve up to five years in jail if proposed mandatory healthcare fees aren’t paid. In 2008 the dream was still alive for anyone who worked hard to achieve their goals. In 2009 the government gave free money towards cars and homes for those who “qualified.” 

A year in review
A year ago people felt safe, jobs were abundant, gasoline prices were reasonable, government spending was lower, mortgage payments could be met, and war casualties were less – yet —  the previous administration was held in contempt.

What a difference a year makes.

“What’s the difference between debt and deficit?” – Think of deficit as how much money is overspent annually. Debt is the accumulation of the annual deficits.

A Fable Unfolded: ACORN and a Foreclosure “Victim”

By now you’ve heard the announcement from the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) regarding the  launch of the Home Defenders Campaign, which seeks to use civil disobedience techniques, complemented by mass communication (texts, emails, social networking, etc.), to cull wide grassroots support for victims of foreclosure in at least 22 cities across the nation.

One particular case has caught my attention. It’s the case of the Donna Hanks foreclosure story. The more I read about her situation, the more the story “changed.” Read on because the “end” of this post might surprise you.

Apparently Hanks, according to one news article, is a victim. She says the bank refused to modify her loan and foreclosed, kicking her out of the house in September.

To her pleasure, ACORN stepped in to protect her, calling Hanks a victim of predatory lending. Breaking the foreclosure padlock off the front door they entered the property. Hanks reclaimed her former home and changed the locks.

An ACORN representative stated,  “We are actually trespassing, and so this is a way of civil disobedience to try to stay in the house. Legally it’s wrong, but homesteading is the only means that she has left to stay in her house. And we feel as though this is the right thing to do at this particular time to save this family.” Read more here

So far, the story seemed to be consistent from one article to another. Then the story took a turn today.

Initially, Hanks had commented that there was new paint on the walls and there was evidence that someone had been remodeling. Read more here

The story would change by a high level ACORN representative who stated in the six short months since the home was seized, it had been extensively damaged, essentially partially gutted. The toilets were missing, and the upstairs ceiling was badly damaged. Read more here

Then today I read rumblings on the internet that she wasn’t exactly a “victim.”

Donna Hanks initially purchased her home (… South Ellwood, Baltimore, MD 21224) on 7/06/2001 for $87,000. She re-fi’d in 2005 for $270,000, went into bankruptcy in 2006, and this was the 2nd foreclosure. The $300 a month was actually the $340 a month she agreed to re-pay as she was over $10,000 behind in her payments. The house was sold in July 08 and they couldn’t get her out until September 08 after not paying anything for over a year. Read more here

Checking the property and court records from the links provided in the above article did indicate a person by that name lived at that address and the foreclosure dates check out as well. Should you be a nonbeliever and feel compelled, the above article gives links to websites that show recorded documents to verify the allegations.

My question is: Where did that $270,000 go that she pocketed before she became a “victim”?

This month ACORN demonstrators appeared at a Washington DC office that holds foreclosure auctions. Chanting “no sales here” they shut operations down for an hour.

Earlier in February, two bank executives from Rye, NY, and Greenwich, Connecticut respectively, resisting to help modify loans were visited at their residences by more than 300 people who showed up in an attempt to make their statement with slogans. Pitty their neighbors.

Demanding a moratorium on foreclosures, protesters have appeared in Boston, Detroit, Memphis and Cleveland to confront bankers. Read more here

To see a list of foreclosure statistics by state click here

Other articles of interest:
Foreclosures and illegals
https://willnevergiveup.wordpress.com/2009/02/21/foreclosures-illegals/

Illegal Aliens, the US Stimulus Package and the Age of Transparency Unveilled
https://willnevergiveup.wordpress.com/2009/02/05/hr-1/

Citizenship of Birth Entitlement to End
https://willnevergiveup.wordpress.com/2009/01/30/hj-res-6/

Tax Loophole Proposed
https://willnevergiveup.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/s-261s-261/

Information gathering on US citizens
https://willnevergiveup.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/hr-640/

Gun control legislation
https://willnevergiveup.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/hr-45/

Presidential term limits to vanish
https://willnevergiveup.wordpress.com/2009/01/10/hj-res-5/

Congress to meet in secret locations
https://willnevergiveup.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/h-con-res-1/

Social Security Funds for Native Hawaiian Healthcare
https://willnevergiveup.wordpress.com/2009/01/12/s-52/

What a Russian Newspaper had to say about our Obama
https://willnevergiveup.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/russia/