|
Think about it... On TV in the Newspapers and Magazines, the "Financial Experts"&
nbsp;OFTEN "blame the Home Owners" being Foreclosed on for: 1) Getting into a Mortgage they could not afford. 2) Getting into a House they could not afford. 3) Getting in to a Bad Mortgage. Such as: "Pay Interest Only", "No Money Down? No Problem!", "Bad Credit? No Problem!" Only now is Wall Street AND President Bush getting the blame for this mess. Remember that video clip when Bush was on TV saying "...by 2010, Minority Homeowners MUST increase by 5%" (or words to that)? Clearly Bush Jr. was still not very popular and wanted to do OR is that 'say something' to make himself look good. When I saw the video clip, I had one question: Why did he say "Minority Homeowners MUST increase"? He will be out of the office in 2009....unless the 2008 voting system gets screwed up. Leading to MORE Questions: "Minority Homeowners MUST increase"? Not to sound racist...but, what does that mean? Since when did he care more about 'Minority Homeowners'? Especially in the same sentence? What happens IF "Minority Homeowners does NOT increase"? Any guesses? I would love for one to ask Bush 'what does that mean'? Come on News Journalists! Put that "Degree in Communication" to REAL Use and ask him "REAL Questions". Not those 'Scripted Questions'. MY guess: America will look racist when it comes to Homeownership looking more like it's for 'Whites Only'. Let's say that IS the case. For me, a 'Minority Homeowner', you have no idea how often Non Blacks give ME that 'YOU own a house?' reaction. (For more on this: Read my 'VERY Disturbing Blog - "The Color Of Money."') True: Many American's wanted to own a House to call their own. Enter the Wall Street Plan to let that happen: "Sub-Prime Mortgage Lenders". Those "Sub-Prime Mortgage Lenders" came running out of the wood work - thanks again to Bush AND Wall Street. Many 'Minorities' with Low Income, Poor Credit, No Money to put down...were still led into the scam created by Bush AND Wall Street. Can you say "Ponzi Scheme"? Soon after that Video Clip of what Bush Jr. said, "Foreclosures" were making their way into National News. Why? Those monthly interest payments to Sub-prime Mortgage Lenders went up. $1,000 per month, for example, went to $2,500 per month! Those in the Low Income bracket were hit First and HARD. The Foreclosures surged from there. We saw Wall Street still gain more points in the mean time...until the bottom fell out (CNN's Special: 'Mortgage Meltdown' can tell this better in more detail than I could). Clearly, we know the "Financial Experts" already knew this. They tried time and time again to put the blame more on those that got suckered into the Sub-Prime Mortgages. And, said less about why Wall Street 'really' kept going down. By then, Bush Jr. is out of the picture. He said little to nothing about helping those loosing their homes. Meanwhile, "Bear Stearns" got a NICE bailout? The "Financial Experts" often said '...the Home buyer got into mortgages they could not afford'. Did they say why it happened? They did not say enough of why it happened. They ARE "Financial Experts". Right? I'm not a "Financial Expert" but, I pay much attention to the news. Did you? I noticed the "Financial Experts" RARELY blamed 'just one more party' that obviously FEW of them will ever Blame: The Employer! Did you see THAT? Yes. The Employer RARELY gets the blame! You gotta ask yourself: Why do the "Financial Experts" RARELY speak of them? They do not want to face being incriminated themselves. Think 'Implication'. So they try to steer away from that...in hopes no one will catch it. Or fall into a sink hole. But this is no ordinary Sink Hole... No one wants to go down there...people just walk around it. Are you fearful to look? What's the problem? It's a Sink Hole and too many 'capable people' don't want to go down there? OK. Come on. You know it's true about the Employer. Just because you land a job that pays well enough to buy a house...sooner or later THAT employer may look at you...correction... "WILL look at you" and say "we are trying to save money...no raise for you". The 'no raise' can go on for months or years. The words "Don't touch my paycheck!" will be respected by SOME Employers. As for the rest of us, the employer will just 'smirk'. This year "Home Depot" announced they are closing 15 Underperforming stores. Google for more information. January 2007 was this: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/03/AR2007010300553.html Think about those mergers, too. NEVER believe every employees job is secure after two companies merge. NEVER believe the PR Person when said "Everyone's job is safe" or words to that to make it sound like 'no one will get terminated.' Imagine how I felt when a guy in a bussiness suit showed up at MY job to tell me "...you have been locked out. Gather your things and leave the building. I will escort you out." HE earned more money than ME!! Since that day in June 2002, I rarely trust people in Business suits! As is the situation for my Fulltime job - 'no raise for months' became "no raise for years". In fact, I saw my wage go down more and more. The CEO is laughing - in private - at my daily struggle to make ends meet. And I thought I will have the job for a solid 30 years or more with no Financial Troubles...EVER! Many employers know they can save money and pull stunts by pushing people out BEFORE they can save enough to retire or are about to retire. Again, the CEO (that authorized such action) is laughing...in private. Are you READING this AMC/Loews? No wonder many people leaving the USA for Europe seem to love it and want to stay there in Europe. Why? Most of the Government Body there got it right! America. THE Greatest Country On The Planet? You would think - A) "Get another job." Still looking. B) "Get a second job." I have that, too. C) "You must be doing something wrong if you are still not getting paid enough." Interesting. No one can tell me what it is I am "doing wrong". D) "You have just got to go to the employer with the attitude you will get the job." Really? They will look at me as if I am high on drugs or something. No wonder I can't get a Girlfriend, either. See "C", again, for the "same typical response". If 'a','b','c' or 'd' were 'Irrelevant'. You would ask "Did you ask for a raise?" Um...Yeah! Many times (at my Fulltime Job). I do that extra effort just so it looks good on me, too. As the Corporate Thugs look to 'save money'...you can go the extra effort to look good to them for the 'extra work you do'. Careful! The Corporate Thugs may just see you as 'Cheap Labor'. Optional: See "C", again, for the "typical response". Let's not forget...just because (in my situation) I have worked the same trade for years does NOT mean I will get paid more money based on experience, elsewhere. In fact, many emlpoyers ARE reluctant to pay more money to someone applying to a new opening at their company. And...they may look for cheap labor. It's as simple as... Employer: "How much are you getting now?" And you tell them. You know it is low...but you tell them 'the Truth'. You expect them to feel sorry for you and pay more. Especially if you know that the job you are after IS Double in pay (for example) than what you get from your current employer. Guess what? This CAN go both ways. Some employers WILL feel sorry for you and pay you more. It happened to me once. But the job was not for me anymore. I know I am not the only one that has said it. That was a time when many could say that...but not anymore and not as often? I know many lucky people that broke out of the LOW Pay Bracket. Most of them are Immigrants. Most of them are Non Black. An Immigrant in a High Income Bracket? 2 Possibilities. 1) Light Skin Color. A known fact. 2) The company wants to pull a fast one and say "This is one one of the Jobs Americans will not do." Really? I have applied to that job...more than once. I have sent a resume 'in confidence' as requested. No repsonse.  Later, the listing appears again. You will re-apply.  STILL no response.  Sound familiar? It's funny how "Affirmative Action" can 'backfire'/'raise it's ugly head'. As for other employers (We KNOW who they are), you can read their minds: "You make $8.00 an hour and you want to work for us to make more?" Typically, the employer is afraid to hire you because they feel you will not earn enough from THEM and you will dump THEM for a better paying job that comes along. If that's true, those same employers should tell the truth about 'Competitive Wages' with their "Now Hiring/Join Our Team" postings. Watch closely. When a new place opens up such as a "High End" Shopping Mall. Do you ever 'expect' the pay to be $18 an hour? $20 an hour? Surprise! It's far less. Such as $8 to $10 an hour! Only those in "upper management" will get the BIGGER bucks. So, the next time you fill out a job application for a job set to open soon, NEVER expect to get paid much more that $10 an hour. A manager may get slighly more. Salaried! But the hours ARE long. Still expect to earn enough to save for a house when you get that new job, now? Better not get your hopes up. Just keep the words 'Competitive Wages' in mind. You will be surprised what the pay REALLY is. The difference in wage may be no more than a nikel. Annual raise no more than $1 to $2 dollars per year. Interesting. It would NEVER do with a CEO when it comes to competitive pay! The CEO and those like them see as much as $10,000 AND more for an annual raise! Those below that rank $1 to $2 dollars per year annual raise. Ever notice that? "The Old Boys Network" has never changed. And, it may NOT be just CEO status, either. Factor in "skin color". Ever notice the CEO (often a white male) - after getting a Golden Handshake/Parachute - gets a BIGGER house to move into OR build? BOTH? An In Your Face Question: Why IS a CEO NEVER EVER approached by a 'Collection Agent/Debt Collector'? Ever notice the 'Collection Agent/Debt Collector' would rather come after YOU for money owed...instead of going after your (former) Employer (that dropped you and never bothered to give YOU a 'Golden Handshake/Parachute')? - Just because the Stock Market closed up for that week or month or YEAR...does NOT mean my job (or anyone else's for that matter) will give the long Overdue raise. The CEO's will get it in the form of a Bonus...Weekly, Monthly and/or Yearly. - Just because the company gained profit after laying people off and sparing my job from getting cut...does not mean I will get a raise. I just do the work of two people (like it or not) and still get paid the same as if my duty is ONE thing - not two. Let's cut to the chase. If you were in a similar situation...How fast do you get a new job? Is the pay higher or the same when you get it? Is a car required? On Public Transit? Nearby or further away? How long do you keep it? Can you save for retirement at this job? Working hours good? Did a Temp Agency such as "Aerotek" take their time to return your call when you enquired about a temp job of interest you applied to...only to be told (after several calls left on their voice mail) by a REAL person who finally answers the phone: "The Job Is Already Filled"? BEEN THERE, TOO! (Read my old Blog - Aerotek - The No-fly Zone!) How long until the position you just got gets "outsourced" (for cheaper wage/labor in another country) or given to an Immigrant for low wage like that last one you lost? Don't forget, that CEO got a Bonus. You and your new co-workers got directions to the nearest unemployment office, again. 'Refinancing' IS a problem. One can try to apply for a low rate and only be told "You don't qualify." "You must do this or that to qualify. " Now it gets more messy for those trying to keep thier home....when 'trying to qualify'. Don't qualify? Good luck when you "still" don't see a raise at work and not get a LUCKY break when playing the lottory...while trying to refinance. Do you owe on the equity bill, too? So many questions! So many problems! Again, Skin Color! DON'T forget the Skin Color! Remember, many 'American' jobs looking to hire can still decide who to hire and fire based on race. It's not always easy to prove, however. Pay Scale can be just as Discriminatory on Sex as well. Is the Male or Female paid more or the same? Too often...the Female is still paid less than the Male. Factor in "Skin Color", again. Remember Bank Of America" when they made news claiming they paid out too much money in serverence pay and wanted those "laid off employees" to pay some of it back? Any guesses to how many 'FORMER Emplyees' owning a home used that severence pay to help pay for the mortgage on their home? Did the same thing happen to the other CEO? Nope. Remember Xerox fired off a round of layoffs during the Christmas Season years ago? Or this! Radio Shack sent out Layoff Notices in the form of an Email? Ford Motor Company? General Motors? Verizon! Can you hear me NOW? There are Airlines having their planes Outsourced outside America! Just think all of those American 'Hourly Wage Jobs' are shrinking here and are going to low wage countries. What's Boeing REALLY doing about keeping jobs in America? How many Hourly Wage American Workers owned their own Home? How many WERE saving to buy one? Remember when thousands of flights got cancelled in the name of 'inspecting' planes? Delta? American Airlines? You, the customer lost income being stranded somewhere...while planes got serviced. Let's not get off topic...but you gotta wonder: Who got compensated for loss in income? How many of those planes were inspected here in America? Was the pay good? Was the worker spared another month or two of struggling? How long until those airlines will stick it to you with inflated Airfares to pay for all of that revenue they lost - while the CEO never ever took a pay cut? Hey! JetBlue! I did not expect you to offer me $11 an hour to "multi-task duties" such as sell tickets, guide planes in to the gate, fuel, clean then push planes from the gate - after all of that servicing (including 'de-icing' in Winter, of course) - with that Tractor. I expected $15 to $18 an hour just to start! Yes, I DID tell my freinds of the job and the pay just as your female recruiter suggested. My friends declined the low paying job. They can't save for a house at that wage, either! The skies just don't look 'friendly' anymore... Watch American jobs in the airline industry shrink here but grow outside America. That CEO will just get another Bonus...while more American Workers paid by the hour get screwed to the Unemployment/ Low Wage Jobs Line. In Boston, American Airlines is banning tips. The story: http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmJvc3Rvbi5jb20vbmV3cy9sb2NhbC9tYXNzYWNodXNldHRzL2FydGljbGVzLzIwMDgvMDUvMDEvYW1lcmljYW5fYWlybGluZXNfdG9fZW5kX3RpcHNfZm9yX2Jvc3Rvbl9za3ljYXBzLw== The ban may have been lifted...but the story - with others like it - will be a part of history. Forever. So, remember: Foreclosure? Don't just blame the Buyer/Mortgage Lender...blame the Employer. Also, don't for get to read my VERY Disturbing Blog "The Color Of Money" about the 'reaction/response I get' from mostly Non Blacks about MY being a 'Minority Homeowner'.
Trackback(0)
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
