OpinionMay 24, 2010
Speak Out 5/24/10
LEAVE it to columnist Mike Jensen to blame the victim. In a recent column, Jensen wrote that "Much of the underpinning of the subprime (mortgage loan) fiasco was the issue of people buying things they could not afford." No, Mr. Jensen. Much -- indeed, most -- of the blame for the subprime fiasco rested squarely with Wall Street wizards who packaged worthless loans called credit default obligations or, even fancier, synthetic credit default obligations, got cozy rating agencies to give them undeserved high ratings and sold them to unsuspecting buyers who began to go belly up when the inevitable defaults began. ...
Blame Wall Street
LEAVE it to columnist Mike Jensen to blame the victim. In a recent column, Jensen wrote that "Much of the underpinning of the subprime (mortgage loan) fiasco was the issue of people buying things they could not afford." No, Mr. Jensen. Much -- indeed, most -- of the blame for the subprime fiasco rested squarely with Wall Street wizards who packaged worthless loans called credit default obligations or, even fancier, synthetic credit default obligations, got cozy rating agencies to give them undeserved high ratings and sold them to unsuspecting buyers who began to go belly up when the inevitable defaults began. Sadly, only about a dozen or so people realized that Wall Street had gone crazy and reaped huge profits by investing in credit default swaps, essentially betting that the subprime CDOs would collapse, as they did. Jensen can continue to regurgitate Republican talking points if the wants, but the real fault here lies not with Main Street but with Wall Street.
Awards for all
I would like to thank the Kelso School District for a wonderful school year. The new superintendent is caring and student-oriented. He is like a breath of fresh air. However, I would like to tell teachers everywhere that if you have an awards ceremony for your students, please make sure every student walks away with something, especially small elementary students who are just beginning to understand what is expected from them. Some students may not excel like others, but they show up for school every day and do their best. To me, that deserves an award. It breaks my heart when I see every student in a classroom get called to the front to receive an award and there is one student who is left receiving nothing. When ribbons are given for races on Play Day, they make sure every child receives a participant ribbon so every child gets something. Why can't that be the case for classroom awards?
It's a keeper
"SHOE" is the best new comic strip you've shown in a long time. Let's keep this one.
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Hungry or obese?
I would like for someone in the know to explain how many people are gong hungry in the U.S. and how many people are obese. I think the overweight outnumber the hungry. Being hungry does not mean someone is malnourished or underfed. It only means that the natural inclination to eat and to be hungry is normal.
War on drugs
KUDOS to this newspaper for printing the article "U.S. war on drugs has met none of its goals." Prohibition didn't work for alcohol, and it's not working for drugs either. Money spent in the so-called war could be put to much better use in our country.
Too much noise
REGARDING donating television sets to nursing homes: What I observed in the years I worked at nursing homes is that stroke and ill patients confined to bed do not want to listen to blaring noise. TVs should not be left on constantly day and night. Just think if you were one of these people in bed. Would you want to listen to noise?
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