Damn Beggars Wasting Money

My charity goes to charity organizations. It doesn’t go to beggars on the street. Reason being is that I don’t trust the people on the street. If I give them a dollar, how do I know they’ll use it for their needs (food, shelter, ect…) and not their wants (alcohol, drugs, etc…). With charity organizations, my money (hopefully) goes to people who will use the money in the most beneficial way.

I bring this up because I came across two distinct examples of beggars wasting money today. The first comes from the auto industry who begged Congress today for some of the bailout money that is being handed out. Apparently, the company CEOs flew to Washington in their corporate jet. According to the Consumerist post, a first-class flight would have cost $800 while the private jet for GM alone costed $20,000. The gaul of these CEOs who have messed up the American auto industry to flaunt their wasteful spending is almost comical.

The other example came from my friend Joseph who pointed me to this article. I had heard that the Triborough Bridge in New York City was being renamed to the RFK Bridge after Robert Kennedy. With New York City asking the federal government for financial aid and the rumors about putting tolls on ALL the bridges to reduce the deficit, I would expect Bloomberg (New York’s mayor) to be pretty tight on what the city is spending money on. Renaming the bridge isn’t a big deal. It’s a name. Apparently, it’s more than a name. It’s a $4M cost to change all the signs. Couldn’t we wait to rename this bridge?

Why can’t we sell the name of the bridge? The Google Triborough Bridge. Sounds good, and profitable, to me.

America Has Spoken

Tonight is historic. Watching the United States elect the first African-American to the highest office in the land is incredible. I’m excited for the future.

One of the television commentators mentioned how Obama’s victory makes a statement to the world that the actions over the past 8 years of the US and our president might not be reflective of what the US wants. I think it’s a valid point. Our voice is represented by our vote. The landslide victory, the low presidential approval ratings, and the Democrats capturing of the House and Senate, points us towards one conclusion. America wants change (even though that word has gotten SO annoying). And we got it. Personally, I’m excited to see what that change could be.

Our children might ask us one day where we were when Obama was elected. My answer is pretty lame. Either I was in Negotiations (course I’m taking), or I was at home on the couch. Either way, as I watch Obama give his acceptance speech, I keep on thinking that I SO want him to succeed, and yet worry tremendously about his troubles ahead. The Democrats will have the House, Senate, and the presidency. No more complaining. It’s time to do something. Let’s hope their actions can match their rhetoric.

Don’t Kid Yourself, It’s ALL About the Money

Hillary Clinton made a direct appeal yesterday to the world for more donations. What was that you ask? You thought Hillary dropped out of the race? Well, she did. But she’s in debt. Of the $22.5 million of unpaid campaign debts, $12 million is owed to Hillary Clinton. She financed the tail end of her campaign when funds were running low. That didn’t seem to work out so well. I’m not going to get into politics here and which candidate I like or dislike (I dislike all of them). I would like to talk about the pure chutzpah/cajones/gaul of Hillary Clinton to ask for more money.

Let’s say I was a donor to Clinton’s campaign. I’ve given money to help Clinton get into office. I never expect to see a penny back from that donation. Whether Clinton wins or loses, my donation was just that, a donation towards a cause that I believed in. But now, the candidate that I gave my hard earned money to is asking for more. And why? So she can get her money back. What about the money I gave?! How come Hillary isn’t giving donors back money from HER pockets? This is how I would feel if I was a donor (which I am not).

She’s got some nerve. But I’m not surprised. She’s a politician. It all comes back to watching their own backs, and watching their own bank accounts. Don’t kid yourself. It’s ALL about the money.