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Our Website Our Editor To Unsubscribe Table of Contents *Featured Articles Opportunities, Petitions and Feedback Commentaries from Our Members Jack Gilles on Selling Housing Mortgages Virginia Paulsen on Homebuyers Share the Blame Dick Burkhart on a New Global Financial System* Jack Smith: McCain’s Personal Attacks a Diversion Dick Burkhart’s Voting
Recommendations Liberals and Democrats Links to the Beef What Will Obama’s Grass Roots Organizers Do?* How Will the Depleted Republicans React? State and Local Links to the Beef 29 Reasons to Vote No on Proposition 1 Gates Report: Tax Reform Recommendations Nation and World Links to the Beef Two Opposing Responses to Our Financial Crisis* Avoid Foreclosures and Produce Affordable Housing* Our Liberal Spirit Our Political Priorities ·
Fair Clean Elections and Open Government ·
Fair Taxes and Competent Spending ·
Investment for Productivity ·
Quality Health, Education, Jobs, Income ·
Environmental Protection and Energy ·
Security and Equal Rights ·
Justice and Peace Everywhere ·
International Cooperation and Leadership Conservatives
oppose all of these Let’s End Our National Nightmare Let’s
Restore Our American Dream More
on Conservative opposition to our American Dream Washington State’s 4 Major Needs Federal Funding for Health
and Education ·
A
Progressive Income Tax ·
Replacing
Republican Legislators Quote of the Week Small Is Beautiful E. F. Schumacher
(1911-77)
Calendar of Events
Friday, October 17 – 19 at
Sunday, October 19 at 1 PM at
Sunday, October 19 at 7 PM at Highway 99 Blues Club (1414 Alaskan Way, Seattle) – Seattle NOW Blues Benefit: Polly O'Keary & the Rhythm Method, Suze Sims, Teri Ann Wilson, Stacy Jones, the Paula Maya, LJ Porter and Lady A & the Baby Blues Funk Band!. Sponsored by Seattle NOW and the Women's Voter Project. $10
Thursday, October 21 at Noon at
1026
Tuesday, October 21 at 5:30 PM at
K&L Gates (
Saturday, October 25 at 5-9 PM at Bell harbor International Conference Center (Pier 66, 2211 Alaskan Way, Seattle) – 28th Annual NARAL Pro-Choice Washington Liberty Ball Auction and Masquerade. $125. For more information.
Monday October 27 at 5:30
(registration and cocktails), 6:30 (dinner) at the Westin (1900 Fifth Avenue,
Seattle) – 15th
Annual Warren G. Magnuson Awards Dinner & Awards Ceremony
with special guest speaker Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama's brother. Sponsored by
November 12 – 14 – Green Business Bootcamp. Sponsored by Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability (NBIS). $500.
Opportunities, Petitions and Feedback
Communication with Our Members and Feedback
I have compiled all of my
commentaries on our economy into one document which is posted on
our website. I believe one hour
spent reading them will make you better informed than the vast majority of
Americans, including many of our congress members. Without
understanding our economic crises, their causes and needed solutions, you are
unable to act responsibly to correct the situation which affects all of
us. Dave Thomas
Take
a crash course (2½ hours) about our American economy (video).
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Commentaries From Our Members
Jack Gilles on Selling Housing
Mortgages
Just
before we left
Virginia Paulsen on Homebuyers Share the Blame
While we are all blaming banks, other lending institutions and Wall Street
for the current economic collapse, looking deeper is more revealing. Between 1980 and 2007 homeowners sold their
homes at the highest possible price, often making considerable amounts of money
beyond any investment in their houses. Home buyers without realizing their
economic limitations bought houses, often mega mansions, at grossly inflated
prices, leading to the housing bubble.
Home buyers did not read their mortgage contracts or seem to be able to do
the math about the full costs of a subprime, interest-only or ARM mortgages. The bottom line is that Americans who sold
and bought houses during this time have only themselves to blame for the
current economic crisis if they bought beyond their means. Unfortunately, their
decisions are having a far wider and deeper negative impact than just
themselves. Virginia Paulsen
Dick Burkhart on a New Global
Financial System
Demand
a new Global Financial System. The economy is global, finance is global, but financial
regulation is not global. Nor is there a sound global currency or system of
credit. It is time to push hard for a new global financial system. And
to include all countries in the design and governance of this system.
To insist
that this currency and credit be backed by real wealth – actual human and
natural resources or services. And that transactions in this currency be taxed
to support this new system. And that credit be directed toward the creation of
a sustainable economy for future generations.
This, not bailouts, will both "restore
confidence" and a sense of reality. Please communicate this to your
congressional rep and senators, as I have.
Dick Burkhart
Jack Smith:
McCain’s Personal Attacks Are a Diversion from Our Economy
Published by
I am a retiree who has saved all my life to prepare for a rainy day in
retirement. John McCain, Sarah Palin and their Republican friends have brought
me a downpour. In one month, my rainy day fund has decreased by more than 10
percent. At the loss rate they have created, I will be sleeping under the
bridge sometime next year.
Barack Obama has been spending a major portion of his campaign explaining
how he will deal with the difficult
37th LD
Democratic PCO Dick Burkhart’s Voting Recommendations
I. Federal Offices
President: Barack Obama
&n