The current financial crisis is like the tsunami that hit Indonesia in 2004.  The ocean waters receded like the values of peoples homes and investments.  People stood idly by and watched with amazement at this unprecedented event and were washed away – they, like their money – never to be seen again.  And this, my friends, is where and how it all began for me.

Perhaps like many of you, I bounced between CNN, Fox News, and the local channels to try’n estimate exactly what was going on.  As there was so much information – much of it conflicting depending upon what news outlet you’re watching – I felt like I was in this vortex of half-truths.  So I turned my attention to the economists and found more of the same.  Some where optimistic because their party was in power.  Others where pessimistic because their party wasn’t in power.  So I turned, yet again, to another source – the library and my own good judgement.  But I went a step further.  I began to read – learn – our history.  I read 1776, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, The First American – Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Jackson (crook), A. Lincoln, The Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution (twice: once in DC and the replica copy I purchased), Economic Facts & Falacies by Thomas Sowell, Stealing From Eachother by Browning, The Forgotten Man (an outline of the Great Depression), A Patriots History of The United States, and many, many more.

Sifting through the mountains of evidence, opinions, and my own observations, I have concluded that Ronald Reagon, while an imperfect man, was quite right when he said, “Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.”

While I am reluctant to use the term ‘propaganda’ (as we’ve all been bombarded with political correctness), it does fit the narrative.  Whether controlled by Democrats or Republicans, it is the politicians themselves who vie for your vote with outlandish promises and seduce us with terms like ‘Hope & Change.’  But in the end, it’s more of the same and quite probably worse.

Common sense and a taste of history has led me to conclude that the financial crisis was not the fault of the banks.  Sorry, I know that’ll be a VERY unpopular and potentially damaging conclusion I’ve reached.  But as John Adams once said while defending British troops who participated in the ‘Boston Massacre,’ “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”

And the facts are these: The government – the politicians – write the rules and sets the regulations that the banks have to play by – that we the people have to abide by.  And before you damn me all to hell, ask yourself one question, “Who went to jail?”  Laws were bent, twisted, stretched, and manipulated to conform with the laws on the books.  The banks conducted themselves greedily and unscrupulously.  But they didn’t, near as I can tell, break the law.  Bernie Madoff did go to jail for a pyramid scheme (not unlike social security, welfare, and so forth).  But the true villains here are the politicians who write the laws that create the damn problems in the first place!

Again, more government isn’t the solution, it is the continued problem.  The banks, no matter how much the politicians on BOTH SIDES wish to villify them, didn’t create the problems!  The government did.  But don’t take it from me.  Do your own homework.  And if you do, please do not make the mistakes I did at the front end.  I went with an agenda certain that a particular party was to blame…and I was gravely mistaken.  Read – learn – with an open mind…but do it honestly.

In closing, with my compliments to JFK, in his words, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

Russ and Jill are AWESOME! They assessed our needs, were mindful of our budget, and gave us a marvelous product!

Congratulations! We were so honored to witness such a romantic proposal. Thank you for a memorable day! (in referrence to the Winestyles party that we hosted for our clients) (their grand child Devin)