Working 9 to 5 .....

It's almost 9 AM Monday morning, and it feels like my mind is racing faster than NASCAR was running at Fontana yesterday. I have read the San Diego Union-Trib, my ever shrinking newspaper, and had my morning coffee. Jerry got up earlier today. Lately, he has been sleeping in until 9 or 10, but today he was up shortly after my early morning rising. I always prepare the coffee the night before, so whoever is up first simply turns on the urn. We pre-programmed it for years, but anytime the electricity was off for a few minutes, our coffee might be made at any time and always when we didn't want it. Now, we just add turning on the coffee pot to the routine of turning off the exterior night lighting and de-programming the security alarm.

It is always at this time of the day I check our personal on line bank account, pay bills and try to get my brain to focus on what other assignments must be handled today. There is $1.06 in our checking account, so that means I have to stop at the bank to make a deposit on my way to get a haircut. Since we are leaving for a 5 day trip to North Carolina on Friday, I will get the haircut out of the way now. This insures that unexpected demands later on the week won't prevent me from getting it accomplished at all. I tend to postpone hair and nails when business calls.

I note that the bank has still not given credit for my phone pay to Macy's. I recently made a $500.00 payment, and the bank took two payments from my account. Macy's claims they didn't get the payment, and the bank claims they sent it to Macy's. I have now asked the bank to prove where the funds were deposited, and am waiting for the proof. Since I have to stop there today, I will talk with Patty and see if she has been able to find out what happened. I also have to drop off a corporate financial statement to her for the purpose of renewing our credit line.

The status of the banking industry has me quite worried these days. It's as if the whole lending community is collapsing. I know our small (in comparison to Citigroup and Bank of America) community bank is in trouble. It's not a good day when you see your bank in the headlines. Apparently, our country is on the edge of nationalizing banks. Scary!

I think we are going to have to look at a lot of areas before we really find the solution to our economic problems. So far, the government is addressing the obvious such as banks failing, auto industries failing, etc. I compare it to medicine. If a doctor continues to treat the symptoms but ignores what is causing the symptoms, eventually the patient will die. Government needs to begin with self examination. I would raise some questions such as "Who decided that it was OK unionize "public servants?" "Who could have ever thought that government should have pension plans that allowed some retirees a higher annual income than when they were working?" "Why wasn't the social security system good enough for public employees?" After all, private working citizens are required to pay into social security and accept the return. Perhaps the government knew they were running a "Ponzi Scheme" with social security, so they wanted to protect themselves by creating Mercedes pension programs for public employees? Who could have ever thought that the private sector could create enough jobs and make enough money to support people who are employed by government forever and ever? What legislator made it a law that even if stock values drop public employees pension plan values cannot drop? Now that is really crazy. Isn't it? I am sure 401(k) owners right now would have liked that protection.

I guess I am asking..."Are we really a government of the people, by the people and for the people or have we a government out of control whose interest is in the growth and protection of government?" If of the people, then I vote for immediately passing federal, state and local laws that require all "public servants" to participate in the social security system and eliminate other "pension" opportunities for new employees. I also would pass local, federal and state laws that prohibits "public servants" from being unionized. Unions were a necessity when they were formed years ago before effective labor laws were developed. Employees are now protected by labor laws, and the unions have outlived their purpose. Unions are simply working as lobbyists for politicians who support them. Maybe the "fat cat" unions could empty out their coffers and rescue the economy.

Well...I am going to sign off before I get labeled as one of those radical right wingers. See how my mind races if I let it run free when it needs to be focused on today's responsibilities. Working 9 to 5 .....