(Lots) of Room(s) at the Inn(s) ...

Originally Posted By dshyates

Here is an interesting article regarding the loan company that took my house.

<a href="http://www.lieffcabraser.com/loan-servicing.htm" target="_blank">http://www.lieffcabraser.com/l
oan-servicing.htm</a>

The rich do keep doing what makes them rich. Like stealing peoples houses and making american families homeless.

 

Originally Posted By dshyates

And this isn't about the sub-prime issue that is sinking the economy. These guys are simply theives who bought my loan from wells fargo. Then all the sudden they started calling saying we were late. During the loan transfer period from Wells Fargo to Litton. Then they wouldn't tell us how late. Then we would think we were caught up. then then they would hold our checks charge us big late fees, and without the processed checks we couldn't prove we paid. Then they would put 7 months of checks through at once (causing a banking train wreck, I know bad choices by not having all the money there the day they attempt to torpedo your account, but it was always such a mess it was difficult to know what had or hadn't cleared.).

 

Originally Posted By dshyates

Litton loans has class action lawsuits against them in 26 other states. Now I know it was probably a bad choice for me to let Wells Fargo wholesale my loan to them. But it is proven these guys are crooks and ruin peoples lives. And when someone owns your loan and are intent on taking your house, it is rather difficult.

 

Originally Posted By RoadTrip

<<and (barring severe physical or mental incapabilities) they are where they are because of the sum total of decisions (and indecisions) that they have continuously made.>>

Nope.

Kids born into middle-class families learn middle class ways. They are raised to put importance on school. They speak English the way those in authority expect it to be spoken. They are surrounded with role models showing them the way to succeed. Their parents have the networks needed to get them into good schools and to get them good job opportunities when they are out of school.

The poor are frequently born into families where no one has ever held a job. Virtually no importance is put on school and the great majority do not graduate. They speak street lingo that cannot be understood and is looked down upon by those in authority. They are surrounded with role models showing them how to fail. Many grow up in neighborhoods where the only income any kid knows is what comes in the mail from the welfare department. Their parents have the networks needed to get them into drug dealing or at best a kind word from the probation officer.

It is a miracle that any of these kids born into poverty become successful, yet many of them do. It is a total mystery why so many kids of the middle class become unmotivated losers, but many of them do also.

I was lucky. I was born into the middle class. My mother had one degree; my father had three. I grew up with local business and political leaders being invited to my parent’s home for social occasions. When I went to college my Intro to Finance professor asked if I could please have my father come and speak to the class. Being a typical kid I wanted to crawl under the table. The others in class were enthralled and gave him a standing ovation.

In spite of all these advantages I left school during my senior year. My (ex) wife lost the job that was supposed to allow me to finish. I quit school to work and support us. I always intended to go back to school. Like so many with good intentions I never did.

But I had that good middle class upbringing. I had the knowledge I needed to succeed with or without a degree. I knew people that would help me along the way. People who wanted to mentor me without my even having to ask.

I've worked hard, and so has my wife. Neither of us has a college degree, but each of us earns close to a 6 figure income. We have become successful.

Sure. Part of it is due to our own hard work. But more of it is due to being raised in an environment that supported success. It is due to having the connections needed to succeed. It is due to having people all along the way willing to help me when I needed it.

I am not the only one responsible for my success. Dozens of people starting with my parents and continuing on through high school teachers, college professors, supervisors at work, etc, etc. are largely responsible for the success that I have.

When I see comments like the one I quoted to start my post it makes me sick. Partly because it is mean-spirited and cruel. Partly because it is just plain wrong.

 

Originally Posted By dshyates

In the USA over the next 90 days over 7 million families will lose their homes. All for the same reason and all at the same time. I find it difficult to believe that it was the poor who organized their forclosures to make the banks look bad. I don't for a second believe that it was the decisions of the poor people that have caused this oor they would have done it years ago, but the decisions of the loan providers and regulators. In other words, the rich guys. They changed the rules that protected the people and the country as a whole for quick profit without any regard for who or what they were hurting. This is the mantra of the neo-conservitives.

 

Originally Posted By dshyates

All with copious amounts of blaming the poor for being ignorant enough to allow themselves to be victimized by national banking institutions like Countrywide. 7 million families are becoming homeless because of rampant greed among the rich and people blaming it on the choices of the poor. Rich, truely rich.

 

Originally Posted By SuperDry

<<< By in large, my premise still holds true. >>>

It's also true of people that play musical chairs, and of people that have money because they won the lottery. That doesn't mean that everyone that's successful made good choices and everyone that's not made bad choices.

 

Originally Posted By RoadTrip

^^^
And the many, many people who have money for no reason other than that their parents had money and they died.

That is the number one reason why in America the rich get richer. Rich kids inherit from rich parents and start out far ahead of anyone else.

 

Originally Posted By Sport Goofy

<< 7 million families are becoming homeless because of rampant greed among the rich and people blaming it on the choices of the poor. >>

That's a bit much.

There's blame on both sides of the coin.

Here in San Diego, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a realtor or some other person who is betting on their "investment" property to make them a millionaire. The idea that real estate is a lottery ticket pervades the entire population out here. It really is sickening. The same people who can't wake themselves up from last night's hangover to get to their $15 an hour job on time seem to find lots of energy to give their 1200 sf craftsman a complete ghetto makeover.

The whole housing debacle demonstrates greed and misplaced values on both sides of the coin. People are going to feel the pain. Quite honestly, the pain is necessary. Real estate development is an enormous drag on our economy in the long run. It sucks dry resources and in terms of industrial output that contributes to the general health of our economy, generates nothing after the last bit of framing is nailed in place. Overdevelopment is a symptom of an economy that is sick on overconsumption and greed.

 

Originally Posted By dshyates

Those people in SD and across the country that were trying to make millions ion hteir "investment" property aren't the people that are going to be hurt the most and I personally don't care about their problems. But they really aren't the meat of they housing debacle. Your perception that this was caused by them is off base. The biggest portion and those to be hurt the most are the first time home buying families. This is the demographic that was targeted by the rule changed that lead to this and is a huge problem across the country. The speculators just jumped in to make a quick buck (most investment properties aren't sub-prime loans as most people buying investment property qualify for good interest rates) and it would work fine for them if it wasn't for all the first time home owners going into forclosure all around their investment properties.
No, its the 7 million families that were targeted by the friendly banks offering to help. And its the American families that are going to take it on the chin. God Bless the Banks.

 

Originally Posted By ADMIN

<font color="#FF0000">Message removed by an administrator. <a href="MsgBoard-Rules.asp" target="_blank">Click here</a> for the LaughingPlace.com Community Standards.</font>

 

Originally Posted By wahooskipper

Back to the topic at hand: WDW does, in fact, see a bit of a downturn immediately after the holidays. The Florida Resident special always turn up at that time so it is no surprise that once again they would be offering them.

Here is an interesting fact: The Walt Disney World laundry ships 1 million washcloths a week. Think about that one for a minute!

 

Originally Posted By mrkthompsn

So long as you have the drive to improve your life, improve your family's life, keep your family together, and enrich other's lives --- then you're rich, even if you don't have a dime.

But if you don't have the drive, and don't have the ambition, and spend your earnings and wealth fruitlessly (is that a word?), then you're poor, even if you have a million dollars.

Over time, the lazy and cheatful millionaire will lose it all, and the ambitious honorable person will gain it.

So my premise holds true. The rich get richer, because they do the things that keep them rich. Ditto for the poor.

Imagine this: what if the government taxed 100% of all income and taxed 100% of all wealth. That is, imagine they took everything from everybody, and then redistributed it perfectly equally, such that everyone had the same income, and was given the same amount of things. What would happen? The ambitious would become rich, and the inept lazy would become poor. Then, the rich would get richer and the poor would become poorer. It all has to do with ambition, or the lack of it.

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

<<So my premise holds true. The rich get richer, because they do the things that keep them rich. Ditto for the poor.>.

What a bunch of right-wing pablum.

Really. (Oh, and you'll notice I didn't derail MY thread here at all.)

The rich stay rich because money buys power and sustains the circle, which continues endlessly. The rich don't wake up in the morning having to worry about the most basic things like 'How to get medical care for my child? or How do I pay $4,000 in bills this month when I only will make $3,000?'

The poor stay poor because they simply don't have access to the resources the wealthy don't even have to think about. It's just there. Sometime, the poor are able to rise above it (the so-called 'American Dream') but 90% of the time (or more) they can't. The system is stacked against them.

I'm not poverty-stricken, thankfully, but I'm not blind to what's there.

I could go on here, but if you believe this ... well, I find your 'tude typical of many Americans today, which is why our country is falling apart.

 

Originally Posted By DouglasDubh

Actually, I think it's attitudes like yours.

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

^^I'll just thank the Spirit that we won't have George Bush for life like some people would love, I'm sure.

And, even though I don't pray (I don't like to waste my precious time on earth), I'll make an exception when it comes to the thought of Mike 'Praise the Lord' Huckabee running our 'Christian' nation.

Scary ...

 

Originally Posted By fkurucz

<<I could go on here, but if you believe this ... well, I find your 'tude typical of many Americans today, which is why our country is falling apart.>>

As most of you know I'm a pretty conservative guy. I'm educated (Masters degree). That said, every time there's been a Republican in the White House I lose ground economically (I especially got beaten black and blue under W's watch). The only time I really got ahead was when Bubba was prez.

I am seriously considering voting Democrat next year.

 

Originally Posted By mrkthompsn

Yep. Right-wing dribble. That's me. I prefer freedom, whether or not its consequences are good or bad.

And by the way, the poor (as badly as it is defined in America) absolutely have resources to leverage. By in large, they freely make decisions (daily) not to leverage them. And so, my premise holds true. They stay poor, because they do the things that keep them poor. There is nothing wrong with a hard day's work managing a Waffle House, even if that's not your cup of tea. Better that than mooch off grandma's social security checks.

 

Originally Posted By Brian Noble

mrkthompsn: you are so amazingly out of touch that it's kind of cute. But, if it helps you sleep at night, by all means just keep repeating "it's all their own fault---I have no responsibility" to yourself over and over.

Who knows? If you say it often enough, it just might be true!

 

Originally Posted By DouglasDubh

<^^I'll just thank the Spirit that we won't have George Bush for life like some people would love, I'm sure.>

Which people? I haven't heard anyone express that idea. Nor does that idea have anything to do with mrkthompsn's point.

I'm just thankful that attitudes like yours are not as prevalent amongst Americans as they are here on LP.