On to the next crisis! The government shutdown. Do you want a fix that keeps DC in business until Oct 31, or Nov 21? Those are our only choices . . .

Photo above - would you prefer to have the next government shutdown this month, on Halloween, or at Thanksgiving?

The story thus far: America is $37 Trillion in debt. Republicans want to increase deficit, but create another shutdown showdown on November 21st. Democrats want to increase it the debt even more, and accelerate the next shutdown crisis to Halloween. All this is completely true. See link below.

Okay, my first priority – giving thanks that the Fed cut rates by ¼ point yesterday. I’m warming up the car right now to go house hunting (insert sarcasta-bang here). It’s also possible that the interest rate on my credit card will come down from 22.25% (national average for retail purchases) to an even 22.00%. Think of all things I can buy with THAT windfall. Chase Manhattan Bank, I’m looking at you! And by the way, did you finishing moving into your new Park Avenue headquarters yet? 60 stories high, which cost $3 billion.

There are no good guys in this mashup of govt shutdowns-fed funds-and wickedly expensive corporate palaces. Everything politicians do is calculated to up get votes in the next election cycle. That’s how we got $37 million in hock to China and Saudi Arabia in the first place. Everything Wall Street and too-big-to-fail banks do ends up draining our savings so that we can probably never buy a home.

I wish I could tell you that I had a solution, but unlike politicians for life in DC I’m not certain of anything. Anyway, here’s an experiment I’d like to try:

1 – insist on a government funding measure that covers a complete budget year. No more of this 3 or 4 weeks at a time $hit. Budget and operate normally. If you’re going to borrow money, tell us how much up front, and how much it’s going to cost us. Like a mortgage or car loan.

2 – let the next “too-big-to-fail” bank actually go down. Pay off those innocent depositors with FDIC insurance coverage, so they don’t lose a dime. But don’t bail out that bank. Don’t spend tax money bribing another bank to merge with it. Don't let the bank execs hang onto their lavish office suites. Just let potential buyers of that failed bank pay whatever the actual market value is. Crowdsource the solution.

I don’t think either of these scenarios will be a world-ending catastrophe, like the media is constantly claiming. The media should just tell the truth instead of taking sides. Stop hoodwinking us.

Stop buying stuff that we can’t afford, and allowing poorly run companies go out of business . . . these are hallowed American traditions.

I’m just sayin’ . . .


Democrats unveil funding alternative to counter GOP in shutdown brawl