Salem Community Patriot
4 - December 18, 2009
The Word Around Town...
Letters to our Editor
Some Positive News
our formerly compromised economy, universal
health care, or any other topic one brings up.
Here’s a partial list of positive economic news
2. The NYSE closing total was 7,949 on
on the American front that Rush, Savage, and
Obama’s first day in office. On December 14,
laughing-boy Beck won’t be telling you about.
it stood at 10,472 before active trading began.
Nor will Malkin, Coulter, or Ingraham be writing
And before people shout that stock totals aren’t
about these points anytime soon. Keep in mind
the most important factors or harbingers of total
that the following is mostly bad news to them, but
economic stability (which is true), just think back
glad tidings to us Main Street residents.
to Inauguration Day last January when the market
1. With the December 14, $20 billion
dropped to the aforementioned 7,949 and all the
repayment by Citigroup to the government from
conservative Websites and media (principally,
President Barack Obama’s Troubled Asset Relief
the noxious FOX “News”) jumped on the “Blame
Program stimulus bailout package granted earlier
Obama” bandwagon. They’ve certainly been
this year, the total refunded monies from all
quiet lately, gnashing their teeth behind the scenes
recipients total about $140 billion, with much
and hoping for another downturn to give them an
more to come (see bailout.propublica.org). This
opportunity to blast him again. There is very little
is because an important facet governing TARP
“pro-America” left with the conservative media, as
dollars was the laundry list of onerous restrictions
they report gleefully both vocally and in print at
and rules that came attached to the payments, in
any and all bad news, much of it fabricated, and
an attempt to force the “saved” corporations to
down play all the good.
return as much of the revenue as they could as
3. The House last week passed major new
they slowly recovered from the recession. This
regulations governing Wall Street in an attempt
included ceilings on the bonuses and perks that
to prevent the meltdown of the past few years
could be granted to the affected companies’ CEOs
from recurring. The legislation will create a new
and other high-ranking officials. Obviously,
federal agency to oversee banking transactions, as
the entire $341 billion won’t be repaid to the
well as give the government the authority to break
Treasury, nor was it ever expected to be, but with
up under-performing or law-breaking corporations
all the bank closings of the past two years, it’s
before they can threaten our economy with
nice to know that the plan wound up rescuing
another recession. This is a brilliant move that
some of our largest financial institutions (Bank of
should be applauded by rank-and-file investors,
4. Finally, third quarter 2009 reflected the first now to actually formulate the plan mandates
America, JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, et
along with everyone else who watched in
overall economic growth since second quarter and to draft rules interpreting the Act governing
al). And we’re off to a good start re: getting a large
trepidation over the Bush years as corporations
2008, reflecting higher spending (up about 3 such mandates. Hence, the actual costs for
percentage of it back; current estimates being
like Enron and MCI WorldCom were dragged
percent) and a spike in consumer confidence. such operations won’t be really known when the
that after all paybacks are collected, the total
into court for various serious wrongdoing, as well
It’s too early to have unbridled optimism, pending vote occurs.
governmental cost will be reduced to about $140
as financial institutions that went belly-up due
however, as the holiday spending forecast is In the House Bill, the call is “to increase
billion.
to incompetence and malfeasance, taking many
frugal and unemployment, due to understandable quality and reduce growth in health spending…”
Obama is earmarking the returned windfall
customers’ non-FDIC savings with them. The
cautiousness by American businesses in hiring (Affordable Health Care for America Act, page
to job creation programs, a no-brainer with the
Senate will take up the bill after New Year’s and
until they’re sure that there won’t be a “double 4, Line 21). How in blazes is that happening
current 10-percent unemployment rate. It’s
hopefully Obama will have the enactment to sign
dip” to the recession, is forecast to remain in when the largest group of senior citizens ever is
notable that Republicans in Washington are
in January. And despite everyone remembering
the 9-10 percent range through next year before approaching their highest cost of health years?
decrying the move, claiming that the returns
both the terrible scope of the just-concluded
slowly picking up via renewed employing. Instead, Obama expects to reduce Medicare by
would be better utilized in paying down some
recession, as well as our collective anger at the
It’s still a long way from the Bill Clinton years, $500 billion while lowering the inclusion age
of the deficit. Of course, anyone with a brain
rampant lawbreaking by many corporations over
but a huge improvement from the laissez-faire to 55 on top of this? If Mr. Klessens can name
knows that if Obama targeted the money to deficit
the past decade, not one House Republican voted
economic oversight of the last administration. any time in history where the government has
reduction, the GOP would then be screaming
for the measures, and the Democrats can expect
Here’s hoping that our progress continues, forcing improved the quality of anything and reduced
about the 10-percent unemployment rate. With
nothing different from the Senate GOP next
Limbaugh and friends to work even harder at costs at the same time, I will send him a Romano’s
the “Party of No,” you just can’t win, whether it’s
month.
making everything sound disastrous. Pizza Supreme.
The charge there is no jail time is wrong.
William F. Klessens - Salem
Currently, Americans have the freedom to have
PREMIER ROOFING & PAINTING
health insurance or not. This is not a “free ride”
if they pay their own way and are healthy; it is
By Jonathan Lee Answer to Klessens
simply a choice. When I was laid off in 2005,
603-890-9019 603-235-5731
I would remind Mr. Klessens that denial is only
in five months, I racked up a $3,000 COBRA
a river in Egypt, not a fact. The penchant of those
fee for insurance. Pay that or the mortgage? It
FULLY INSURED FREE ESTIMATES
with few facts is to ridicule and denigrate the
turned out, because my family only had <$1,000
“opposition” like Saul Alinsky—I get that. But to
in actual use, it was better not to pay the COBRA
not seek the facts, and the truth, is an abdication
fee. Such an action is illegal under both the
of our role as informed citizens.
House and Senate’s plan. It would be called a
Residential & Commercial Interior & Exterior Painting
Clearly, Mr. Klessens hasn’t read any of the
“willful act.” The Baucus Bill specifically requires
Rubber (EPDM) Roofing Interior Trim Work
health care bills directly, only from politicians’
fines and jail time to be imposed upon such
lips and the other sources of “news” he watches,
people. So, we lose the freedom of choice. This
Fiberglass Shingles Water Damage Repair
demonstrating once again the benefit of the DNC’s
is not fiction and is in the bill. This bill is one that
Composite Shingles Wall & Ceiling Repair
weekly Talking Points virtual meeting with the
the Dems will pass in any shape because they
Chimney Repair
White House, SEIU, ACORN, and the networks.
know, once in, more rules can be imposed as time
Mortar Work
Unfortunately, we don’t have a final bill to review,
goes by.
www.premierroofingnh.com
so no one really knows what’s in it. Both bills
specify hiring an administrator 18 months from
continued on page 5 - Answer
Salem, NH Youth Baseball
P.O. Box 1915, Salem, NH 03079 • www.salemyouthbaseball.net • 603-974-0800
Salem Youth Baseball would like to thank the following sponsors for their generous support of our 2008 season
Sign and League Sponsors:
J Michael’s Sport Pub Rockingham Christian Church Weathervane Seafood
Pellerin Vinyl Siding Salem Co-operative Bank
99 Restaurant
The Logue Agency The Meat House
Teams Sponsors:
Essex Orthopaedics & Optima Sports
Enterprise Bank
Parkland Medical Center
Granite State Baptist Church
MAG Mortgage
Rooney’s Welding
TransMedic
Granite State Refacing
M&G Appraisals
Ace Machine
Joel Cadoret Public Insurance Adjuster
Northeast Rehab
Genesee Auto
Thank You!
If your business would like to sponsor
a team for the 2010 season, please email
FundraisingDirector@salemyouthbaseball.net
for your sponsorship packet.
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