Not Iraq. Not Afghanistan. The one going on in the Comments section of this blog. Grow up guys. you are all dumping on one woman. Does it take all of you to prove one female wrong?

Talk politics, issues, etc. Not the crap that seems to have taken over.

It makes me wonder. Those commenting about real issues provide some great reads. Really. I am impressed with the quality of most of the comments. The give and take terrific…..re real issues. Keep it up and walk away from Diana.

I appreciate Diana is hard to take on occasion. So are some of you guys.

I like Diana. Consider her a friend. Difficult though she may be. When she is off and running, I look the other way and do not hear.

She has been in Key West 3 weeks. Leaves tuesday. She has rented a condo for a year so will be back and forth.

In three weeks, I have been with her two times. For dinner each time. The first night she arrived and last night. Both evenings enjoyable.

Diana easily makes friends. Don’t laugh. Obvious when she makes friends. People open up to her immediately.

Diana is an outstanding researcher, developer of the facts. She has given me a hand on a couple of things. She knows how to dig.

What amazes me is Diana is not sharp tongued. Though she does come over that way in her comments. She is soft spoken. Amazing the difference between reading her and speaking with her.

Drinks first last night at Louie’s Backyard. Diana does not drink. A cheap date in that regard. Stopped afterwards at VFW for a sandwich. Diana does not eat. A shrimp cocktail. A cheap date foodwise, also.

By the way, Diana does not require me to defend her. She is capable of doing such very well on her own. As some of you have already discovered.

I just gave Diana 300 words. Have non-Diana information to share. Must do so swiftly. Tammy’s for a manicure later in the morning.

I cannot keep up with them. I will go home immediately after dinner. They make an evening of it. Aqua, the Monkey Bar, etc. Till the wee morning hours.

Venezuela continues to go down the tubes. The citizens continue to suffer. Again, I ask why they have not revolted in the past four years.

First out of toilet paper. Then food. Now doctors and medicines.

Thousands of doctors have left. To surrounding countries. Most to small nearby islands. The toilet paper, food, etc. had something to do with it. However, it was the authoritarian government headed by Maduro that motivated them. They are making less money. Feel safe and secure for themselves and their families, however.

Patrick – i looked up that blog comment date that you pointed out for me to check about hacking, but there were no comments on that date. can you check again and let me know. some days i do not read Louis’ blog, so i can miss what all of you commenters have commented. i swear that i will never type the word hack in this blog comments. or whackos referring to Fred, Charles, Leonardo….who did I miss? Not you, Patrick. IMO you are not in that category.

From 5/22/17, Let them eat Cake.
Beginning of copied comments. Easy to find, they are right there.

Diana on May 23, 2017 at 10:26 am said:
Leonardo, I’m not so sure Patrick can be honest!

Reply ↓
Charles on May 23, 2017 at 11:07 am said:
Leonardo,

The fair taxation of unearned income. A great topic to debate.

A silver spoon adult in fact will have dividends taxed at a very favorable rate if they are qualified dividends, as most are. Non-qualified will not receive a favorable consideration. As you obviously know qualified dividends are taxed at the long term capital gain rate of 15 percent.
But what about the average Joe, drawing dividends for retirement income. A brokerage account funded with after tax dollars after working all those years saving taxed at earned income rates? Is there a fair way to separate the two scenarios?

The taxing of Social Security is another good topic to debate, I’ll save that for later.

Reply ↓
Leanardo on May 23, 2017 at 12:56 pm said:
Indeed. Taxation is the Republication’s Achilles heel as they are totally disingenuous about who is really going to pay taxes and get a haircut (read you and me if you work) and who gets welfare, read trust fund babies and multi-millionaire corporate CEOs, just like Trump. Wonder why that is?

Not that Democrats would save anyone nay tax money either. But at least they admit they are taxing everyone for their social schemes whereas the Republicans lie about it.

I agree that there are some great youngsters today and hopefully they will continue to good productive lives. They are our future and they certainly have their work cut out from them. But, I also see a lot of the opposite. The divide seems to me like it is greater today than when I was their age.

It was called workfare and I/we were involved in it. It sounded like a good idea, train and pay workers. Had to work 1/2 day, 3 days a week. 1 person out of 20-30 we had was any good and went on to work for us full time. The others were useless and even refused to do any work. They still got their welfare payments though. So we just stopped being babysitters. Ours wasn’t the only business to have this problem. Same happened in our local trade school. Very few kids were interested, mostly the kids were babysat.

As far as corporations, they just have to abide by the tax laws. The laws were corrupted by our politicians and lawyers. Large corps hire a lot of people. There is fraud in the system, but, it appears to me that this admin is the one that is trying to stop the fraud if the dems would like it.

Not sure I can be honest ! Hmm, OK. I sure as hell don’t lie.

This is it.

Reply ↓
Leanardo on May 23, 2017 at 2:06 pm said:
“There is fraud in the system, but, it appears to me that this admin is the one that is trying to stop the fraud if the dems would like it.”

Seriously Patrick? How can that statement above be true when Trump places Goldman-Sachs in the Treasury, wants to repeal the Dodd-Frank law, end net neutrality and might as well also ditch the fiduciary rule?

Explain to me how any of those ideas help the little man? They certainly help sows more fraud and corporate abuse but that is to be expected as Trump is a corporate insider.

The ways things are heading now I expect another BP Gulf level disaster and a 2008 Great Recession 2 under Trump.

Reply ↓
Diana on May 23, 2017 at 2:27 pm said:
Partrick – I don’t think you are a very good judge of who you think you are. In fact, in so many things you sir continuously show particularly BAD judgement. Your comments about not lying are the perfect example of that!

end of 5/22/17 copied comments

These are your statements I was referring to. You didn’t comment on them today [ or before] so I’ll assume they were from you.

You previously made comments about someone posting under/using your name. To me thats someone hacking your account. As I said before that may not be the correct term.

Patrick, Thank you for showing me what you have been talking about. I did not type those comments. Someone must have just typed in my name and used a different email address. Also, on May 23 at those 2 times, I was not even online at those 2 times. So that is the proof. However, there is now a Lynn that posts comments. Lynn is my (Diana) evil twin.

I have no dog in this fight. However, I will point out one thing that I am relatively certain of (and perhaps an opinion or so)….

The repeal of Dodd Frank’s most certainly will be a benefit to “mom & pop” consumers. I have worked 25+ years in the banking industry, primarily on the commercial side but also more recently in executive Mgmt/market president for both community banks and larger regional type banks.

I guarantee you that the regulatory burden from DF has caused significant reductions in approved lending and even applications for the benefit of consumers and small business. Historically, community banks have funded the majority of small business lending – a lending subsection that is typically of higher risk – with the thought being that community oriented banks and their loan officers know their clientele better than larger banks. While the second part is debatable, community banks provide significantly more funding to that area. In my opinion, larger banks simply have more stringent underwriting guidelines on such credits.

Regardless, and sorry to ramble, but the burden of DFs is dramatically disproportional for smaller institutions. Therefore, access to credit for consumers and small business is continually less. Borrowers are either turned down, the process is too inefficient so they walk away, or they have heard enough that they do not even apply for credit.

Without getting overly political, perhaps it is not all bad. After Bill Clinton came to the conclusion that everyone deserved to be a homeowner despite not possessing the basic attributes of standard underwriting merits – the market took full advantage of the new lack of disciplined underwriting requirements. DF came along partly because of rouge lenders on the front lines (originators coaching applicants on how to state income, placing them in poor and risky products, etc.) and the these poorly underwritten or under acknowledged risky loans were pooled and sold in packages to quaisi gov’t agencies. Then the world crashed….

The Goldman Sachs appointments are no different than Hillary’s connections and appointments (and donations to their “cough cough” foundation. People typically surround themselves with whom they are comfortable with when they have the ability to. Politicians make their own rules.

Once again, I apologize for my ramble, but I do enjoy the bickering! I actually believe KW could use more dialogue from the right side of politics. (And I mean right as in smaller government, not bigger religion). Thanks, Mark

Once 2008 happens again we’ll see how our return to “Trickle Down” worked. Been there done that, still recovering. No argument from me that Hillary was Goldman-Sachs but Trump promised to Drain the Swamp not add to it!

Why can we not find a BETTER way not the same old tired junk from the Republicans and Democrats! Time for a new American Party!

Wow- who published that study? I wonder if any partaisanship involved back then?

My statement (and I believe I explained the background) was from being directly involved. Let’s see, the bank’s have prospered since 2010? Would that coincidentally line up with just after the economic downturn? Hmmmm…

My description of what happened was spot on- from the end purchasers- Sallie Mae & FM, to Banks taking shortcuts- whether thru incentivized producers or banks simply knowing they can sell the paper. In Bill Clinton’s desire to be the common mans president, he believed everyone should be a homeowner. (I am obviously not a Clinton guy, but I do not despise him. Over time, I have come to the conclusion that all/most politicians are greedy, egotistical SON’s regardless.)

Finally, why are there fewer community banks than ever before? Talk too some of them. I guaranty you that the regulatory environment will be brought up soon and often. I am sure that I’m not among the best and brightest. And I certainly do not wish to be involved in polotics. But, I do believe a free market is best served to maintain a viable business moreso than our esteamed gov’t.

I do not wish to argue but this whole situation is basically played out as normal economics.

Mark – there is plenty of discussion as to why the number of community banks have failed, much of it available on the internet. Most non-partisan opinions specifically conclude that it is NOT Dodd-Frank, but rather economics of scale, i.e., Big Banks have muscle and they’ve taken over. This can easily be explained with the change of Banking regulations and the absence or enforcement (lack thereof).

We saw what deregulation of banking is capable of in the 2000s, I don’t think it wise to go back to that, nor to incorrectly try and change the facts to support doing so. Partisan banter can dangerous, altering (or ignorance of) facts and reality to support that is reprehensible.

Every child (or thief) in the world would like to see rules and regulations reduced or eliminated so that they can have their own way. This could also be said about Bankers.

If you really are a banker (exbanker?) – I’m sure you’d love to see all regulations on Banking) reduced. But would you also allow all regulations reduced on your heart medications?

Regarding your last paragraph- yes, in general I believe it is best to leave government of things when possible. Our govt still has marijuana classified the same as heroine.. of people feel the need to buy a home, I’m not sure our govt should be involved.

In my very novice opinion. The what should be “conservative ” party- republicans- is being overrun by the religious right. While I am getting older, etc., perhaps I have been wrong but the country was founded on freedoms…

Mark – if you start your own blog, I won’t ever comment.
Leanardo – you can’t even do ‘simple math’ – Dems only want the vote from the poor masses. Some Dems are rich as are some Reps. Maybe Leanardo is merely a fantasy.