Turn Off the Noise and Start Creating

Turn off the noise “God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.”
-The Serenity Prayer

Let’s talk about current events. There’s a lot going on in the news right now. The 99% (aka Occupy Wall Street) movement. A backlash against big corporations, government bailouts, politicians who promise to change things and then don’t do anything, and a lack of jobs in our country.

Listen to the protests, and you will be instantly sucked in. It seems everyone has a side; a story to tell. Now, you must make choices. Are you a “liberal” or a “conservative”? A 99%er, a 53%er, or a 1%er? (No one will own up to the latter.)

I’m here to tell you: Not only does this stuff not matter, but it’s a distraction preventing you from changing the world.

In the rush to label ourselves and prove that we are “different” (or the same as!) others, we’ve forgotten one thing: We all stand here together. And if there are problems with this world–our society–then it’s up to us to go out and fix them.

Oh yes, there were things the government did wrong. And big corporations. I’m not saying to ignore it–I’m saying stop getting caught up in it.

What would happen if, instead of engaging in a debate where no one’s mind gets changed and enemy lines get drawn between your friends and you, you simply opted out?

What if, instead of watching TV and getting furious about those damn liberals or those hopeless conservatives, you spent an hour working on your business?

Jobs

Let’s talk about the lack of jobs–since that seems to be a sticking point. There are 50,000 monthly readers of this blog. What if half of you went out and said, “Today I am going to make a difference in the world by hiring someone who needs money.” And then you went out and hired someone to mow your lawn. Once. Or clean your house. Just once!

“But Erica, I don’t have the money to do that.” Then I suggest you start by ending your cable TV subscription and selling your TV. That will get you the money to hire someone. And it’s a thousand times better than a handout.

Together, just from you and others reading this post, we could create 25,000 jobs. Oh sure, they’d be temporary jobs. But instead of taking your money and handing it to a big corporation like a cable company, you’d be handing it to a real, live person–your neighbor, or someone who lives in your city. And that person would be eternally grateful for a hand up, instead of a handout.

And who knows how many of those jobs will stick around? Hey, it’d be nice to have a few extra hours a week to work on your business. So hire a babysitter for the kids and do it. Hire a house cleaner. Do you understand how grateful your babysitter or house cleaner will be for that job? Marilyn, our housekeeper, looked at me recently with almost-tears in her eyes, and told Brian and I that she loved us. That she was so grateful to be saved from a terrible desk job where she had a boss who constantly yelled at her.

You and I…we’re better bosses than that. We’re the entrepreneurs. We’re the job creators. And if there are no jobs, we’re the ones who need to step up and make those jobs happen.

So ignore the news. Ignore people posting protest photos on Facebook. Instead of getting sucked in to endless drama, and debating back and forth, go out there and figure out how to create a job instead. Get that fire in your belly. You deserve better. You need to learn how to start that business, not just for you, but for your family and your community.

The world is counting on you. And right now, we need you. We need your help to make America what we want it to be. We need your help to lower the unemployment rate, to help good, deserving people get jobs, and to make this world a better place.

Turn off the noise and start creating.

Recommended Reading:

How To Hire An Employee. My epic step-by-step guide to finding an amazing person to help you. No more excuses.
Find the Path Toward Your Perfect Day. What do you really want to do with your life? Follow these steps to help get clear…
What Money Can’t Fix. It’s really eye-opening what problems money makes go away…and what problems remain, or get worse…

Halcyon says:

10/12/2011 at 2:13 pm

I agree with your basic premise with regards keeping out of politics and avoiding complaining in general. But occasionally, I think it makes sense to join the fray. I.e. voting. To me, the scope of the current dialogue makes it worth some time – if for no other reason to allow for informed voting. Thanks for taking the time to address.

Sarah Russell says:

10/12/2011 at 2:19 pm

Honestly, I think there’s room for both – both the direct actions that make a difference in one specific person’s life and indirect actions that change the systemic issues that will affect many.

I can hire one person, yes, but I can also protest to help draw attention to a system that benefits the few at the expense of many. By helping to bring about change at a larger level, I can help many more people than I could ever afford to take on as employees.

Interesting food for thought, though 🙂

Erica Douglass says:

10/12/2011 at 3:21 pm

> I can hire one person, yes

Good! Tell us who you are going to hire and what that person will do for you! Perhaps you may even find some leads here in the comments. I am sure there are others reading this who would appreciate the work.

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Tom Welsh says:

10/12/2011 at 4:19 pm

Sarah,

Yes, I agree with your perspective that there is room for both!

Thanks for sharing this.

Reply

Tom Welsh says:

10/12/2011 at 3:11 pm

Sad that you consider legitimate, creative, non-violent dissent as “not mattering” and a “distraction.” Many participants in occupy wall street are risking what little they have – and their own freedom and health, at the hands of the police – to come together with others and speak their peace, to participate in a time-honored tradition of public dissent and demonstration of their grievances…a tradition which has given you and me and all of us many hard-won victories that too many of us take for granted as we go about our lives. Your elitist viewpoint completely ignores masses of people among us for whom the idea of “go and hire a housekeeper or a gardener” would sound like something from another planet! Take a few moments and watch PEOPLES’ coverage of the events taking place in cities across the country..see them..hear their voices and then tell me their actions don’t matter

Erica Douglass says:

10/12/2011 at 3:15 pm

Tom, that’s the real issue I press up against regularly. If creating jobs is seen to be a tool of the “elite”, we are never going to get out of this mess. It’s up to us to fix the structural problems of our economy. It’s our responsibility. And one of the things we need to get over, as a society, is that unemployment is someone else’s problem to fix.

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Parnell Springmeyer says:

10/12/2011 at 3:49 pm

Tom,

Erica is a close personal friend of mine (we are co-founders) and I can assure you she is far from elitist! That woman has created more jobs and contributed more to the economy than 20 people (or more maybe) of the 99%!!

I’ve been in the position where I could barely make rent, worked a really hard restaurant job, had no health insurance, rarely bought the things I wanted, and ya know what? It *was* hard – but instead of go around complaining that it’s corporation X’s fault or senator Y’s fault I realized one very important thing: to make any lasting change I had to change myself and my point of view.

All of those protestors are pushing so hard against a system they themselves created and contributed to! Corporate interest SERVES a market segment, in order to change corporate interests you first have to change the market – the market is the operating society and a society is served by its government which is in turn made up of its people. If people want to see this legitimately fucked up shit change, they gotta stop contributing to it! Stop buying into crazy ass student loans! Stop purchasing things that don’t agree with your sense of ethics! Is it hard sometimes? Yeah! Do you have to Do-It-Yourself sometimes? Fuck yeah you do.

It’s easy to place blame on the top 1% – but what is supporting the pyramid’s capstone?!? Not more capstones!

I blame the individual. Build something that creates lasting change – that will make a difference.

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marti garaughty says:

10/12/2011 at 3:25 pm

Well said Erica, if every journey begins with a single step this is a great example of something anyone can do!

Benjamin Kerensa says:

10/12/2011 at 4:57 pm

I was a bit disappointed to see this post because it makes very little sense. The Occupy protests have caused change with most recently the CEO of Citigroup saying he understands the protests and that banks need to re-earn trust and so do businesses.

When a Wall Street CEO admits to wrongdoing I consider that alone to be a lot of change.

Tom says:

10/12/2011 at 5:12 pm

He did not admit to any wrongdoing.

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Mark says:

10/12/2011 at 5:19 pm

First I have to say congratulations to you and your success. I have also been pretty successful and like you I am only 27 years old. However, after reading your recent blog post I noticed a big problem. You seem to believe that the OWS movement is asking for handouts. I am sorry to see that you think this, and even more sorry to see that you are posting on issues without doing research. These are signs to a downfall in success. Watch out because success is not a permanent situation.

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Kristal says:

10/13/2011 at 11:00 am

That’s the main problem….CEO’s just talk. That is not change. Talk is cheap. And the protests are just talk as well. When those people get tired and go home, nothing will have changed. The only thing that will change the system is for us (the customers) to make it unlucrative for large coporations to cheat people. We need to protest with our pocket books by refusing to buy from companies that provide poor customer service and poor products that break after a few years. We need to reward those companies that know how to treat a customer and make great products and services. Change will happen even faster if we combine our purchasing power and building our own businesses to create an environment where ethics are rewarded with profit, and unethical behavior is rewarded with monetary loss.

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Jason Baudendistel says:

10/12/2011 at 5:09 pm

Awesome post I am starting to make progress on my web business. I do agree that action and a gameplan do everyone way more good than complaining.
http://www.jasonbaudendistel.com/

Tom says:

10/12/2011 at 5:11 pm

I am in the “almost/nearly 1%” category. I have started and still own/run three businesses. I am proud of my hard work and effort. No one handed me anything, I started with zero dollars, a great idea and passion.

In the past ten years, I have hired 30 employees.

I hired someone just last week to come to my office and help with writing more content. I am interviewing two more people tomorrow. On Monday, I hired someone to do remote work for me (she is in FL, I am in NJ). I have contacted Whoosh about links.

I appreciate each citizen’s right to assemble and to speak their mind. It’s a privilege we have in the United States. In this case, their energy (my opinion) seems severely misguided. Some people “are where they are” because of some hard times. I can empathize as I have been there, and feel I am now helping others.

However, others are in a tough spot due to bad decisions. Bad decisions can be great learning experiences and even become turning points for some. But whining never helps.

Complaining is the denial of responsibility. And blame is just another way of excusing yourself from being responsible. It’s your life. Do something.

James says:

10/13/2011 at 8:33 am

Hi Tom,

I am a copywriter and ghostblogger. If you or anyone else here needs a hand, shoot me an email to palmerwriter@yahoo.com.

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Cherelle says:

10/12/2011 at 5:17 pm

I agree.

Carol Tice says:

10/12/2011 at 5:27 pm

Looks like great minds think alike…I had something similar to say on Entrepreneur’s blog…you can click the link I left on my name to see my post. 200+ comments later, I’d been called a lot of names, but I’m with you. The barrier to entry to starting a business has never been lower, thanks to the Internet.

Great companies have historically been created in hard times like these. Somewhere out there is the next Walmart, Nordstrom, Apple…let’s get to it!

Erica Douglass says:

10/12/2011 at 5:44 pm

Hi Carol,

Great article! Yes, I see you got a lot of comments too. One of the commenters on your post said something I wanted to highlight:

“In order for a business to get started, you need capital to run it. No $$ = no business.”

That has to be one of the biggest myths surrounding starting a business. I’d love to see more articles addressing this. (I’ve written a couple of my own: http://www.erica.biz/2008/how-to-start-a-business-with-no-money/ for instance…but the myth persists.)

-Erica

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Mike Jr says:

10/12/2011 at 5:33 pm

Erica, it appears that OWS is actually creating some income and jobs: http://blogs.dailymail.com/donsurber/archives/44229

Amazing how they are using Ebay. Isn’t Ebay a big evil corporation?

lisa says:

10/12/2011 at 5:38 pm

I was going to leave a long message, citing Joseph Stiglitz and Elizabeth Warren. And, both of whom I believe would support your thesis about personal responsibility and being the change we want to see. However, I think that is a post that’s better off on a political site rather than here.

So, actually, what I want to know is if you’re still moving to Austin now that Californians can still be Amazon affiliates 😉

Erica Douglass says:

10/12/2011 at 5:46 pm

Lisa, yes, I am. Thanks for asking! I’m here in San Diego through next month…I was on a 1-year lease that expires at the end of November, so I will be moving then.

Sadly, the bill that was passed was only for a 1-year moratorium on the Amazon issue. Hopefully California gets this one right for the long term.

-Erica

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Susan says:

10/12/2011 at 5:38 pm

I don’t think I’ve commented here before but bravo, Erika!

#thatisall:)

Shawn says:

10/12/2011 at 5:46 pm

The OWS is not about self-actualization or even primarily about “creating jobs”, its about economic justice and democracy. Why should I or my school teacher mother pay more taxes to run America that General Electric or Warren Buffett? And yet we do and so do you. I pay taxes, there – fine – should I also pay additional 5$ taxes to Bank of America to help cover it’s executive bonuses and bad decisions? Erica, I appreciate the things you are trying to do (Let’s do things in the world!) and I would suggest that success in your/my field is dependent on a large platform of general economic well-being that is being increasingly degraded. No one is an island and so we must care about the way power operates. WE the People! The numbers say most of the value in America is created by the people who get the least benefit from their labor. Most of everything is owned by a very few relatively. That’s not democracy whatever it is. I’m sure when the Colonies started buggin’ King George he said: “What a bunch of whiners!” This is also not just happening here but all over the world.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/13/2011 at 7:40 am

I wasn’t going to reply because I firmly believe that it’s impossible to change anyone’s mind on this issue but I sincerely wish that when people talk about this that they at least take a modicum of effort to speak the truth and to know somewhat that of which they speak.

You wrote: Why should I or my school teacher mother pay more taxes to run America that General Electric or Warren Buffett….really…seriously dude?

You also wrote: should I also pay additional 5$ taxes to Bank of America…first let me correct you, it’s a $5 per month fee…a whopping $60 per year for the convenience of using ATMS nationwide. You could always get off your duff and actually go into a bank. Or better yet…it is YOUR choice to use BOA. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you banked elsewhere. If YOU choose to use their services then YOU have to pay their fees. If you don’t like it..go elsewhere!

YOU are responsible for your position in life. Want to rise up? Then seek to educate yourself and “create” something instead of consuming. In the time it took you to write that comment you could have come up with an idea..or better yet, I hear people like the OWS complaining and demanding and blah..blah..blah.. I have yet to hear a single protester ask anyone, even in an open forum like this, what they need to do to improve their position and become a more productive (financially secure) person.

Why not ask for idea instead of demanding that which you are not entitled to? If distribution is what you seek, then create something and share it with whomever you choose.

Maybe if you developed an idea, created a product, invested your time and money into it, and created a profit therefrom, you’d understand what Erica is talking about. I’m willing to be that you’d feel a bit different about giving away your profits as well. I’d almost guarantee it.

So do us all a favor. Turn off the tv, unplug from Facebook and create something other than a protest sign and seek to generate revenue instead of siphoning it from others.

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Personal Finance Source says:

10/13/2011 at 12:11 pm

I hope you do understand that it is a Democracy and you can vote with your dollars. If you don’t like the fact that Bank of America is now charging a $5 per month ATM fee then take your money and use a different bank! If enough people did that they would realize it was a bad executive decision and drop the fees. A recent example was Netflix. They hiked thier fees, lost customers, decided to break up thier service into two companies, lost more customers and since decided not to break up thier service. If they would have lost enough customers, they also would have been forced to reevaluate thier fee hike. People vote with thier dollars. Enough people must be ok paying the higher fees. Supply and demand at work.

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Seth says:

10/12/2011 at 5:54 pm

I agree completely. The only thing I’d add is to encourage everyone to disengage from the political process entirely.

If you want to vote, just vote with your dollars and vote with your feet (move). Like what Erica’s doing with the move to Texas.

You make the world a better place by improving your own life and building the world you want to live in. Not by using the government to threaten force and ultimately physical violence against those you want to impose your viewpoint on.

I’ll leave you with my favorite story of the “build the world you want to live in” principle in action:
http://www.nasonart.com/personal/lifelessons/manwhoplanted.html

Shawn says:

10/12/2011 at 6:20 pm

Unfortunately the politcal process is necessary for a functioning democracy — even in the hill country of Texas.

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Paul says:

10/12/2011 at 6:05 pm

Really good stuff Erica. The current economic situation is not as bad as many think it is. No, really think about it. Most of us who read this post have a computer, home, and a job. Most politicians, and news-makers are looking for things people want to read or hear about.

People want to read of hear the miseries of others… and it will always be so. Today, tomorrow and forever.

I do agree on your starting an online business…it could be very beneficial and yes…possibly others to help you become successful.
And in turn help others become financially stable.

Capitalism at it’s best.
Paul

Mary says:

10/12/2011 at 6:16 pm

I get what you’re saying Erica and I support what you’re doing.

Shawn says:

10/12/2011 at 6:17 pm

Paul, America is not represented by people who read this post. Only the strivers with computers like you and me and Erica. I agree that media-career whores love finding bad news you’re saying that People like misery? Really?

Paul says:

10/13/2011 at 7:15 am

No…what I really wanted to say is people like to read other peoples miseries. This makes them feel good about themselves. Shawn, middle average Joe and Jane America is what I am referring to.

Reading this post has nothing to do with it.

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Shawn says:

10/12/2011 at 6:18 pm

“Advocates of capitalism are very apt to appeal to the sacred principles of liberty, which are embodied in one maxim: The fortunate must not be restrained in the exercise of tyranny over the unfortunate.”

BERTRAND RUSSELL, “Freedom in Society”

Brad says:

10/12/2011 at 6:19 pm

One thing I find is lost in all of this is that businesses don’t go into business to hire people.

Businesses are supposed to make profits even non-profits want/need to bring in as much income as they can as efficiently as they can to survive and grow.

If a software package or a machine can do what would otherwise take 10 people every business should choose the software or the machine.

That’s why hiring is still flat but corporate profits have increased by 20%. The recession has forced companies to trim the fat and be more efficient.

You can also thank the current legislation for passing Dodd Frank to “punish the banks and protect consumers” that directly led to the new $5.00 debit card fees at banks.

It’s not the banks fault. They have to make share holders happy. Don’t forget that share holders are largely individuals who own shares of these companies in their 401(k) or mutual funds not some other fat cat bankers.

I also think that most of the 99% that I’ve seen interviewed that are out of work seem very much too prideful to take some available jobs. One I saw interviewed was a cook in NY that said he couldn’t find work. There are hundreds maybe thousands of restaurants in NY and more near by. It doesn’t seem possible that he can’t find work as a cook in NY city.

Laura Cowan says:

10/12/2011 at 6:29 pm

Honestly when I saw your email about this post I thought “Gulp, I haven’t been keeping up on those protests because I’m too busy working on growing my business; what have I missed?” How refreshing to hear someone talk about how we are the ones who need to fix this mess one step at a time. I’m working on it!

Tom Welsh says:

10/12/2011 at 6:42 pm

1.Coming together to voice our grievances and engage in peaceful protest is not the same thing as whining.

2.My impression, and I could be wrong here, is that most folks are experiencing Occupy Wall Street via the MSM. I urge you to check out peoples’ media (self)-coverage, via Livestream or Democracy Now, just to name a couple. Google Chris Hedges’ essay on “ketchup,” a participant in OWS. I am impressed by the self-organizing, respectful, and creative collective communication and decision-making mechanisms people are putting in place.

3.We enjoy what we enjoy because a lot of people who came before us had way more courage than I could muster to put their lives on the line for something bigger than they were. This is the spirit that I see personified in NYC and across the country. This is living actualization of the principles on which the USA was founded. Watch peaceful protestors broken and bleeding at the hands of the NYPD and maybe ask yourself what would cause you to care enough to go through that.

4. Thanks for the opportunity to share and see what we think.

Amy Flynn~ @allaboutenergy says:

10/12/2011 at 7:37 pm

Shawn, the U.S. was created as a REPUBLIC – not a Democracy where 51% percent can control the other 49%!! It was created as a Republic with 3 branches of Gov’t and checks and balances, all Gov’t elected officials were representatives of the PEOPLE. That has been eroded and changed with a few choice Amendments and legislative acts. We actually have TWO United States, both legally and geographically. The United States of America (the Republic) and the United States (a Legislative Democracy). Google for more info on this. The wrong belief and thinking (perpetrated by the media calling the US a Democracy) that the USA is a Democracy is hurting the country and all of our rights.

Erica’s recommendations are spot on. It is UP TO US to change what we don’t like and to make a difference. She is totally correct in saying if we stopped allowing our energy to be sucked in to the protests and the the activist events and used that energy to TAKE ACTION RIGHT IN OUR OWN LIFE to make a difference we would be impacting the situation more.

The big banks, the government, the big corporations have power because WE GAVE IT TO THEM. The 99% handed the power and the ability to be corrupt to them because they wanted to be taken care of. NOW that 99% has to take it back by action. Protests are fine for bringing attention to an issue – but the REAL impact would be as Erica shares, cutting off all cable TV and turning that thing off. Imagine the ouch the big cable companies will feel if the 50,000 readers of this blog discontinued their cable. Imagine the freedom and POWER you will feel in doing so! (I know – I turned MY cable off a year ago and even though I hadn’t watched it in two years, I felt so much LIGHTER AND FREER by severing that relationship.)

Another important aspect to all of this is that we have entered into a period of Shift. We have entered into a period of increasing chaos on this planet. Chaos always precedes shift and change. Even the planet is undergoing chaotic changes (increased volcanic action, increased earthquakes, extremes of cold, heat, drought, floods). The structures that were created out of greed, deceit, control and domination are falling apart. The economies and the currencies (created out of greed) are collapsing, governments are failing worldwide and all that we have been familiar with will be gone. IN IT’S PLACE NEW will be created. And it is UP TO US who are alive on this planet now to create the new.

Do we want a new economy based upon fairness, cooperation and dare I say it, love? (Erica’s housekeeper feels LOVE and GRATITUDE for Erica and Brian) Do we want Governments that are based upon cooperation and structured to serve, not control? If so, then WE have to embody that energy and that way of being. We have to BE that which we wish to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi accurately said: “BE the change you wish to see in the world.” He did not say “Shout about or carry signs about the change you wish to see in the world”.

Erica offers some solid ideas on how we can, right now, BE that change and I applaud her.

kara rane says:

10/12/2011 at 7:38 pm

Hi Erica-
interesting-BOLD advice*!
A suggestion to savvy investors >> buy ART. Balance your Soul, and thus contribute to a healthy world. (Fact: viewing art is transforming, healing..)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/kararane
much kindness~

Amy Flynn~ @allaboutenergy says:

10/12/2011 at 7:48 pm

As a P.S. to my long comment. During a period of chaotic energy, we contribute most and experience PEACE the most when we focus on what is HERE , NOW, IN FRONT of us – our present moment. If you are on Wall St, that is your present reality moment, if you are in front of your computer, that is your present moment. The energy of chaos does not feel very good.

How are you BEING and what are you DOING in YOUR present moment is what creates your reality. As mentioned, chaotic events are going to increase in the world and the country — do you want to feel this chaos inside of you and experience it in your life? If not, operate grounded in certainty, joy and peace and take actions in your present moments that in are in alignment with not only what you want to create and experience – but most importantly how you want to FEEL.

Rick Ray says:

10/12/2011 at 7:57 pm

Hi Erica,

One of your best posts to date! It resonates well with me, since I don’t have a TV or a cable subscription to cancel. I wish more people would turn off the noise and get a life! I didn’t even know about “occupy wall street” until the other day during a skype call with one of my JV partners.

We can all do our part with providing employment, even temporary, and your suggestions are real jewels. Thanks for your post. I look forward to the next one.

Rick

Martha Giffen says:

10/12/2011 at 9:15 pm

You are right about the noise. We always have a choice! On the job issue, I have always thought it a wonderful thing to be able to give people employment. That is the beauty of being an entrepreneur. We are creating on so many different levels. LOVE this post Erica!

Shawn says:

10/12/2011 at 9:30 pm

Hi Amy,

No need to lecture me about US history — I have a degree in it LOL!

What worries me is that the suggested retreat into your own self-actualizing bubble plays right in the hands of the status quo do-nothing problem.

We have a major financial inequity problem that’s getting worse and turning off cable is not goign to fix that.

I find it interesting (ironic) that you mention Gandhi. He would we sitting day and night with the OWS folks — in fact he did just that when it was the Raj in the 1% power seat.

Gandhi advocated collective* non-violent political action together with personal “right action”

Also we did not “give” corporations power — they stole it. They bought and they keep steeling and buying it.

What Erica said is that the protest “don’t matter”. I’m very sure that Gandhi would disagree.

Christine says:

10/12/2011 at 11:02 pm

“Why should I or my school teacher mother pay more taxes to run America that General Electric or Warren Buffett? And yet we do and so do you.”

When OWS started, this was what I thought it was all about. Taxes and the bail-out situation. I completely agree with this part.

When you go to the 99% site, I get annoyed with all the student loan complaints. No one forced you to take that student loan. You made that choice, and should have made a plan fo paying it back. You know when you borrowed $25k that it was going to be due someday.

I think it is crazy that I, a small business owner that has created 4 full & part time jobs, should pay more than GE in annual taxes! I completely agree with Erica, and I do look for ways to create even more jobs.

The majority of the new jobs right now are created by entrepreneurs! Give us a break!

James says:

10/13/2011 at 6:16 am

As someone who graduated during the LAST recession, when the tech bubble burst, I can tell you we DID have a plan. That plan was to easily and quickly find a job making more than enough to live on while also paying off our student loans. If I had it to do over again, I would have done a lot of things differently, including possibly not going to college at all, but to question why people did what people have done for decades in this country is a tad unrealistic. We didn’t know any other way to do it.

Now I’m not one of those who think that all those student loans should be forgiven. I’m not a deadbeat. I want to pay my own way. I just can’t, and it isn’t even entirely my fault. You go through life planning for things to go a certain way, following the rules, and then you get out and suddenly find that overnight those rules have been changed. That’s what those kids are feeling right now.

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David says:

10/12/2011 at 11:13 pm

Great article, Erica!

Cable news channels (all of them) are propaganda machines. It’d be great if we could drive the voter participation percentage down to the single digits. That would send a real message to Washington that we are not falling for their false paradigms.

I could ramble on more but instead I’m going to create!

Donald says:

10/13/2011 at 12:18 am

Erica, you need a reality check.

Raj says:

10/13/2011 at 12:33 am

Even better, we could advertise a few freelancing jobs on job portals to get some valuable content to our blogs. Its been a long time since I watched even half an hour of TV continuously, and I am quite fine! In fact, I am using my time much better now.

sharon akinoluwa says:

10/13/2011 at 12:44 am

Responsibility is the price for greatness.We must all rise up and make the desired change happen.The challenges of life are opportunities for breakthroughs.Friends, there is no challenge fee-zone in life.This is the reality of life.

Nasrul Hanis says:

10/13/2011 at 1:30 am

this is such an encouraging and motivating words! stop all the talking and start creating something!

i can feel your words and let’s strive for a better future for ourselves and our nations!

Victoria says:

10/13/2011 at 1:59 am

I am totally agree with you and I am so glad that you have the courage to say it and to help people to realize how important it is to change our focus to the important and practical things that can change our society.

In other words, the change of our society depends totally on us, we are the society and we have the power to change the systems with our actions but in order to do that we have to be awake and conscious of the external powers that want to manipulate us and make us do what they want for their convenience. We can use our freedom to choose what we think is best for us and for our society.

I think Erica that you would love to read Rudolf Steiner’s Social and economic models. If you are interested here are the links to two of his books that contain what He said about this:

The renewal of the Social Organism
http://wn.rsarchive.org/Books/GA024/English/AP1985/GA024_index.html

World Economy
http://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/WorldEcon/WldEco_index.html

Dale says:

10/13/2011 at 6:16 am

Erica,

I don’t pay much attention to the media either so I understand how ignoring the news can lead to gains in personal productivity. I also agree that we need to take more personal responsibility for improving the outlook for our personal lives and the outlook for our nation.

But, you have to remember that all of the freedoms that you currently enjoy (e.g. the right to speak you mind, pursue happiness and vote with your feet/dollars) were won for you by people who did NOT disengage from politics. In fact, many people fought and died for YOU in several wars and social movements. Don’t pretend like their sacrifices “do not matter” to you today.

They do matter. There was a time when women were not welcome in business and could not vote. These changes occurred because people engaged in the political process.

If your only reaction to our broken political environment is to leave town every time a stupid law is passed you are going to eventually run out states to move to!

Anyway, thanks for starting this discussion. This is exactly what we should be debating right now. This topic is much more important than 90% of the “news” in the mainstream media.

Martin says:

10/13/2011 at 6:22 am

Glad you entered the minefield, Erica – I share your views on how useless and self-absorbed these kinds of protests are.
I had spent the first 20 years of my life being de facto a government slave in one of the former Eastern Bloc countries – no good :))
Free enterprise does not mean only big business or an effort to take advantage of your fellow men – it’s obvious that you understand that perfectly.
Good luck with your business – if you have no Czech connections, here I come… 🙂

Stephanie says:

10/13/2011 at 7:01 am

I’m not a strong advocate for either side, but I found this article yesterday really intriguing. It really showcased maybe occupy wall street isn’t about people who want to showcase their unhappiness, but their desperation.

The article shows using charts of why people are so angry – some facts to consider are income inequality. We are ranked 93rd in the world for income inequality (behind China, Iran and India), social mobility is at an all-time low (and that most people have no problems with social inequality, so long as they believe they have a chance at the American Dream), and the nation’s highest earners have paid the lowest taxes they’ve ever had.

Please read this article, as not everything is as clear cut as we sometimes assume.

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-wall-street-protesters-are-so-angry-about-2011-10?op=1

Paula Pant @ Afford Anything says:

10/13/2011 at 7:25 am

Hi Erica –
I love everything you write; your insights are pure gold. How funny that you wrote this. I’ve been building my own business — a blog that’s rapidly growing — for the past 7 months, and I’m ready to start hiring people (any great WordPress experts in this crowd?)

I recently wrote a post about this EXACT topic, and almost overnight it became my second-most-popular post. It seemed to resonate with a lot of people. I typically think its cheesy to include a link in someone else’s comments, but I genuinely think this is relevant and contributes to the discussion, so for those interested, here it is: http://afford-anything.com/2011/10/03/the-entrepreneur-mindset/

The OWS movement is a divisive issue, so I avoid discussing it. I simply tell people — my readers, my friends, anyone who will listen — to take the reins. We disempower ourselves when we believe someone else needs to create a job FOR us. We empower ourselves when we realize we can create our own.

Cheers, Erica!

Erica Douglass says:

10/13/2011 at 9:44 am

Hi Paula,

Epic post. I absolutely loved it (and shared it on Twitter and FB.) You’re a great writer and you’ll go far in the blogging industry. In fact, your blog reminds me of mine a couple years ago!

Watch what I’m about to launch with erica.biz–I think you’ll want to model it. Of course, I am modeling others who have been successful with this idea. And you will get the benefit of applying it far earlier in your blog’s life than I did.

-Erica

Reply

Andrea says:

10/13/2011 at 7:38 am

Cut the cable in a sign of protest? Most people I know get their internet access from the cable company. So stop reading your blog and others? Not terribly practical in this day and age. Perhaps we should purchase our internet from a Mom & Pop provider, uh, do you know of one?

Following that logic…When enough people cut thier cable in protest, then what happens? The cable company won’t need as many employees and more people are out of work.

Thankfully based on the commenters they can pick up a cleaning job or mow someone else’s grass.

I do like the comment that said to vote with your dollars. That’s going to make the difference. Dont bank with the big guys, find a small credit union. Find a small biz to be your internet service provider. Then they can get too big to suit your tastes and you can knock them down a size too.

Erica Douglass says:

10/13/2011 at 9:46 am

Hi Andrea,

Check out the book Economics in One Lesson: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0517548232/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ericadotbiz-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0517548232 or you can find it for free one. In particular, read Chapter 1, the Broken Window Fallacy, and the chapter about the myth of full employment.

Suffice it to say, that any money not invested in a cable company, that is invested directly in a person instead, goes much farther to help the community. This is only logical; after all, if you hand $20 to a person directly, it doesn’t have to go through layers of corporation, profit, and shareholders before reaching the end person–who will then benefit more from it. It’s a far more efficient economic structure. And I strongly agree with pulling money out of big banks, etc. This is something I plan to do as soon as I move to Texas.

-Erica

Reply

James says:

10/13/2011 at 8:46 am

Thanks Erica for this insightful post. You’re right, all this stuff is a distraction that binds me creatively and keeps me from doing what I know I should be doing. You and Carol Tice both offered good advice, rather than what we’re hearing from conservative politicians: “stop whining”, “get a job”, “why don’t you all become billionaires like us?”

Still, I don’t know that making someone your maid for a week is going to help the bigger picture get any brighter. For that we need to get the white collar jobs that have been outsourced back. We need to make things in this country again. Small business just isn’t in a position to offer those things, at least until they become big business. For those big changes we need government, since the corporations won’t do it out of the goodness of their hearts.

Still, I like what you and everyone else has said about being the change you want to see in the world. I have heard other stories come out of this mess, stories of ordinary people working to make their own little corners of the world better. If we could all do that, we might just turn things around, and I think OWN is a part of that movement.

Moo says:

10/13/2011 at 9:03 am

What are these 99%ers, 53%ers and other people you’re talking about, Erica? Is somebody protesting something? Whatever, I’ve been busy writing. Who can afford a television if they’re not making money? This post makes no sense. Moo?

Shawn says:

10/13/2011 at 9:05 am

Dear Barry Cunnigham,

You ask me “really – seriously?” when I ask why should I or my school teacher mother pay more taxes to run America that General Electric or Warren Buffett

Yes! Barry seriously – please answer the question this time.

I don’t “syphon” anything — how dare you use me as made up fox-new straw man! I run a hich tech firm and have hired many hightech, high-pay jobs over the last 2 decade and my mother teaches the future Americans how to read. So we do they get a pass while we get the invoice, Barry?

You lecture: “Then seek to educate yourself and “create” something instead of consuming”

How presumptious of you! I put myself through college (with fed loan help and 2 jobs) got a MA raised two kids and created a business. I just care about what this country is turning into more than you evidently who seem to think anyone with a problem with power abuse is a whiner.

Those “the OWS complaining and demanding and blah..blah..blah” people are the SAME people that brought you Womens Vote, Emancipation from Slavery, Civil Rights, etc.

It’s funny that EACH case here was followed by a group of fat elitists who called them all “whiners”. Just like Ganhdi was a called every name in the book.

Enjoy your freedoms Barry — someone paid the bill for you by getting in the street.

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” – M. Gandhi

Barry Cunningham says:

10/13/2011 at 9:30 am

Hey Shawn…if things are going so well then why whine about a 5 buck fee?

And your argument completely loses any validity when you compare some non-voting, self proclaimed socialists and anti-communists (fake anti-capitalists I might add) to those who actually suffered through slavery and civil rights. I don’t see any “strange fruit” hanging in Zuccotti Park and I know for certain that none of the OWS crowd arrived there in chains, stacked one on top of each other and watched the ill fed to sharks.

Nice try…weak..but nice try and as such, the argument fails miserably. Gotta go make some money! So I can gas up my boat for the weekend trip to Bimini! Life’s great!

Reply
cheryl bray says:

10/13/2011 at 10:08 am

Shawn,

You are so right. This nation needs to seriously brush up on their history. I don’t think most people have a clue how we got to where we are today and where we’re heading if things don’t change. This is not just a down economic cycle. We didn’t accidently get where we are today. The rules of business, politics and money have changed greatly in the last 30 years and we are on a very destructive path. I respect the fact that some folks don’t feel comfortable protesting in the streets themselves, and certainly, somebody needs to keep the wheels of business moving. But not understanding and respecting those who DO GET IT and our fighting for you and I to be able to continue in our jobs and support our families is short sighted at best. People just don’t think this is about “them”. They don’t have the historical context.

Reply

VAL says:

10/13/2011 at 9:07 am

Erica,

First, great to have you back!

Completely agree. This post would make any sense to any reasonable Entrepreneur – it’s common sense!

However, I also agree with Andrea who mentioned a very good point, yes, divest in the unnecessary with caution. When you unsubscribe to cable services and the like, it directly affects the revenue of said ‘evil’ corporation which directly in turn affects lives and jobs of the people who actually do the work – not the executives at the top of the organization. Corporations are comprised of actual people. Invest in your local services and that will keep your neighbor employed.

Second, we all agree that change needs to happen – but, it is highly unlikely groups of protesters are going to cause any real change (Other than lip service – for the sake of PR) from any corporate board. Corporate boards are comprised of shareholders who want their investments to make as much healthy profit as possible.

If people want to make a difference, they should consider divesting in the stock market, 401k plans, funds, money markets and cease using credit cards to purchase miscellaneous things they don’t need (Banks make a fortune on the interest rates).

Everyone wants change (Including me), but not one of us knows of a plausible solution, nor a realistic plan to implement change.

We all have to take responsibility and make it happen ourselves. Having said, I’m going to hire a new programmer and a new Business Developer to contribute!

Maria says:

10/13/2011 at 9:38 am

Loved this post! I love how you push people into focusing on what they can do, instead of being in a state of reaction, fighting, whining, etc.

The world needs more action, not reaction.

Sean says:

10/13/2011 at 5:00 pm

Erica – All I have to say is Amen! I could get more creative and make myself sound a bit more important but what’s the point? You said it all perfectly.

Maria – I love what you said – more action, not reaction. Amen again!

Reply

Benjamin Kerensa says:

10/13/2011 at 9:46 am

Erica,

In my recent blog post about your views on the Occupy protests you commented and said my facts were not straight on calling you a millionaire and that you were not a consultant.

How does this add up to truth? Your own site indicates you do consulting and you often talk about travelling to do seminars and talks which is consulting.

http://www.erica.biz/consulting/

Further a interview you did also shows you talking about a millionaire?

Erica Douglass says:

10/13/2011 at 1:05 pm

Hi Ben,

My primary income is not from consulting; it’s from running Whoosh Traffic. If you do the math, you’ll realize I never was a millionaire (although sometimes interviewers like to paint me as such.) I’m pretty up front about that, and there was an engaging discussion about it right after I sold my business. Essentially, after taxes were factored in, I didn’t have $1 million cash, so the general opinion was that I wasn’t a millionaire as I didn’t have $1,000,000 in liquid assets. I accepted that (I still made out rather well 😉 and haven’t called myself a millionaire since. (And if I have called myself that, please accept my apologies. I tend to be pretty careful about these things, but it might have slipped through. I have talked openly about selling my business and the income I received a lot.)

-Erica

Reply

cheryl bray says:

10/13/2011 at 9:58 am

Erica,
You make some relevant points regarding how we should all focus on our own business goals and thereby create more opportunities for ourselves and others. But you appear to lack a historical understanding or respect for how you as a woman and US citizen gained the benefits that you now enjoy. You now have the right to vote because someone stood up for you at some point in history. Without a doubt, that woman was scorned and rejected by many because she was trying to change the status quo. None of the rights we now enjoy were freely handed to us, or to black Americans for that matter. You now have the right to an education, own your own business and property, play sports, pretty much enjoy the same rights as men because someone left their daily responsibilities to fight for what they thought was fair. You seem to be equating protestors with the guy on the street corner asking for a handout. On the contrary, most of those protesting have jobs, and are losing income while away from their jobs, so that you and I and all American’s can enjoy economic prosperity on a level playing field…It’s a complex topic but the rising income disparity in the US and the increasing concentration of wealth at the top is not a long term benefit to the economic stability of the U.S. You are looking out for your own bottom line while someone else is looking out for you. You just don’t seem to realize it…

Kathy says:

10/13/2011 at 10:09 am

You are completely missing the point. Occupy Wall Street is not about jobs versus entrepreneurial spirit.

It’s about a few Wall Street bankers that took down the economy based upon shady practices, unethical decisions, and fraudulent business methods. It is about the politicians that allowed this to happen. It’s about laws that were changed to allow bankers to invest our money for their own profit. The effects are far reaching, including job reduction, foreclosures, and the reduction of the buying power of the American public which DOES decrease the larger market for entrepreneurs selling products… making it less likely that entrepreneurs can hire more people.

Those “whiners” on the streets of New York and elsewhere are the people who are working to raise the awareness on a larger scale of the macroeconomic situations that exist, the unfairness of it, and the nepotism that will prevent YOU from fully succeeding in your dreams. And the rest of us who are not receiving bailouts, subsidies, and government support. (fyi, banks, oil companies, and large agribusinesses all have a leg up on entrepreneurs because of government support)

We are not working in a free market economy. It is socialist. But it’s not socialist in the way the media portrays. Big business gets the handouts while you’re working 80 hour weeks on your business.

I’ve been working in entrepreneurial situations since I was in junior high school. I get the picture, and I know what you’re saying. But it doesn’t give us license to ignore a large portion of our population who are not necessarily entrepreneurial, who need experience, healthcare, or whatever. It doesn’t give anyone the right to ignore the larger economic picture.

To do so is arrogant, prideful, and small minded.

Stephy says:

10/13/2011 at 11:37 am

I’m working on my business, AND Im supporting the protests.

Its nice to hire someone to wash my windows, but there are thousands of unemployed people in my city looking for steady work to feed their hungry children, pay their rent, put clothes on their butts, pay off student loans or another bill gaining interest. These people need real, steady income jobs. What do you think they are, a bunch of immigrants looking for odd jobs to stay under the radar? I can barely support myself with my income, let alone hire someone to do weekly crap for me. I have to feed myself and them? It’s not going to happen.

I already have no cable, no TV, use a free phone service, and connect to the net with other peoples wifi. How many corners can one person cut? My expenses include eating, putting a roof over my head, and transportation. I need new clothes because a lot of my seasonal clothes from last year dont fit anymore, but I suck it up and look like a jerk wearing ill fitting clothes because I cant afford it. Your suggestion is great for the people who are well off because most likely, they aren’t getting caught up in the hype of the protests because they aren’t affected by any of the issues being protested.

So instead of asking the 99% to sell their TV’s and give each other work…. maybe you should ask the 1% to take some of their millions and hire people… because they’d actually be able to pay them something that makes a difference.

Personal Finance Source says:

10/13/2011 at 12:05 pm

I have to agree that it is time to start taking action. People need to quit complaining about thier circumstances. Get out there and start creating value and money will come your way. If you read the We Are the 99% blog, most of the people on thier are complainers who think they are entitled to jobs or money. I am not in the richest 1%. Far from it. But I don’t consider myself one of the 99% either because I am out creating value, getting paid and taking responsibility for my own life rather than blaming others for my problems.

Jane M says:

10/13/2011 at 12:33 pm

By all means, do something real and create change at a local level. But do not ignore the news, do not stay silent, and do not forget about the bigger picture.

What if everyone in Egypt, Syria, and Tunisia had taken your advice this year? Would it really have been better for them to ignore the 1% of their society that was oppressing and profiting from the ‘regular’ citizens of their countries? Should they have just stayed at home? Do you really think those protests did nothing to change the world?

If everyone takes your advice to “ignore the news” and we all remain apathetic when we see or experience injustice, that leaves a big open window for people in power positions to grab even more for themselves at the expense of the rest of us. Then one day when you finally turn on the news, you’ll find a propaganda channel and discover that all your rights, freedoms and privileges have been taken from you.

You want to try building an online business in a place where the government has the right to revoke internet access any time they want? Where they could throw you in prison for having an opinion?

Let’s be vigilant now to ensure that doesn’t happen.

Cosmic Connie says:

10/13/2011 at 12:44 pm

Stephy and others above said it all quite well. But I’ll add my two-cents’ worth.

I think the Wall Street demonstrators — and those in other cities who are part of this loosely knit “movement” — are making a lot of people uncomfortable for the same reason that (if you’ll pardon my drawing on my own experiences) snarky bloggers who criticize the self-help industry have made some of the self-help/motivational gurus and their followers uncomfortable. Both the bloggers and the demonstrators, by pointing out lies, hypocrisies and corruption, pose a threat to their targets’ cash cows, not to mention the carefully constructed worldviews of their targets’ followers.

True, there are whiners in every protest movement, people all too willing to play the victim. OTOH, some of the rich bankers and stockbrokers whine as well because they’re so misunderstood by the unwashed masses, and some of the selfish-help gurus whine for much the same reason. And they all whine when they get indicted or imprisoned. And so it goes.

Regarding the “Occupy” demonstrators, my sense is that many of the folks who definitely are NOT part of the fabled “1 percent,” but are jeering at the demonstrators, are probably feeling pretty insecure about their own futures. Dismissing the demonstrators is a way of whistling past the graveyard, pretending they’re not scared and hoping against hope that they won’t be the next to fall on hard times. (Again, this is somewhat akin to self-help gurus — and especially their followers — blasting critical bloggers for being un-evolved, jealous losers.)

As others have noted here, it’s not an either-or situation with the protesters. There are shades of complexity. One can be a reasonably successful entrepreneur and still be sympathetic to the protesters and angry at a corrupt system that hurts all of us and ultimately stifles entrepreneurship.

I’m keeping up with the demonstrations to the best of my ability and giving the protesters encouragement any way I can, but I am still working my butt off to make a living. When my primary book business took a hit during the recession (something one of your pals crowed about on his blog, by the way, though he later took that down), I didn’t sit around and blame the government, the Wall Street bankers, or for that matter the targets of my hobby blog. I adapted and found alternative ways to make a living doing what I love most: writing. But I’m not complacent about it and take nothing for granted. I’m doing all right these days, but still can’t afford to help someone find career fulfillment cleaning my toilets and scrubbing my floors. If that stuff gets done, my partner or I do it.

And while I applaud entrepreneurship and the idea of making lemons out of lemonade, it simply is not that easy for everyone. No matter how positive an attitude one has, not everyone can or will be an Internet millionaire or any other kind of millionaire. Sometimes it’s largely a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Not everyone will even be in the position to offer employment to others. That shouldn’t keep any of us from trying, but we also need to know when to give up and try something else. I don’t see you as elitist, Erika, but I do think your post overlooked a few salient points. One of these points is that there’s a lot of gray area between protest as a crutch and protest as a real force for change.

Shawn says:

10/13/2011 at 8:44 pm

THANK YOU

Reply

Shannon says:

10/13/2011 at 2:09 pm

Wow, you almost lost me a while back with your post about leaving California. This one threw me over the edge. If it hadn’t been for people walking the streets “whining” we wouldn’t have women voters, African-Americans would still be sitting at the back of the bus, etc. But apparently all that matters is your business. Funny, my husband makes his money (gulp) through the stock market and yet we vote and think beyond our own personal interests to the world at large. The idea that if I throw $50 at a neighbor to clean my house I’m suddenly creating a job is ludicrous.

Unsubcribing…

Erica Douglass says:

10/13/2011 at 10:10 pm

Let’s look up the definition of “job”:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/job

job1 ? ?[job] Show IPA noun, verb, jobbed, job·bing, adjective
noun
1.
a piece of work, especially a specific task done as part of the routine of one’s occupation or for an agreed price: She gave him the job of mowing the lawn.
2.
a post of employment; full-time or part-time position: She was seeking a job as an editor.

So yep, I am creating a job.

You want people to create long-term jobs? I encourage others to start small. Hire someone once, or to help you out once a week. As you grow to trust them, they can work more for you.

I encourage this because I know many people reading this blog have never hired someone before. That’s what I’m here to help with! Asking people to hire someone once is a lot easier than asking everyone to go out and hire a full-time employee. And it puts food on the table for someone who might be struggling.

Let’s create jobs however we can, by helping each other.

-Erica

Reply

RevRon says:

10/13/2011 at 2:47 pm

Interesting perspectives here, from both sides. I have to agree with the notion that it’s not an either/or situation, as there are whiners on both sides of the fence here. The one thing that sticks in my mind, however, is a sense of gratitude that there were a bunch of “whiners” a couple hundred years ago, who stood up for what they perceived as abuses of power and influence. Were it not for the “whiners” of that generation long past, we’d all be having Tea at 4PM and bowing to the crown.

When something is as broken as our economic system has become, you either do something to change it or attempt to distract yourself with the minutiae of your own life, to the extent that you can write off others’ noble efforts as being inconsequential. Let them eat cake…

Ugg boots sale says:

10/14/2011 at 1:00 am

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Shawn says:

10/14/2011 at 9:54 am

hey Barry — Yikes you’re so superior. My point is that without people getting in the street and “whining” about injustice there would still be “strange fruit” hanging around. But you don’t see the connection. MLK was called a commie and a whiner, aqnti-american and every name in the book/

I wish I could be glib about the outrageous rip-off of the American people like you.

Have fun on your boat.

but before you go… KATHY really said it well…

“You are completely missing the point. Occupy Wall Street is not about jobs versus entrepreneurial spirit.

To do so is arrogant, prideful, and small minded.”

Shawn says:

10/14/2011 at 9:56 am

THANK YOU~

KATHY

TOM WELSH

COSMIC CONNIE

STEPHY

CHERYL BRAY

Helen Maupin says:

10/14/2011 at 11:40 am

Not interested in whining, so here is how I employ people in my business —
1. hired “cash” helpers (house keeper, accountant, web site developer);
2. barter arrangements (web site management, social media, desk-top publishing, graphic design for book covers, strategic and business planning);
3. creative collaborations (research and development, e-book writing, journal articles, paper books, software design).

I, long ago, discovered that I cannot do “it” alone so know the people I am looking for are looking for me.

Matthew says:

10/14/2011 at 1:18 pm

Very much inspiring, not just for American people but to all races. It serves as an mind opener to each of us to do something to help other people. I am one of the lucky person who got a good and stable job because of Ms. Erica, and I very much thankful for her. I pray that God will bless her in every endeavor that she will undertake 🙂

Usman Uddin says:

10/14/2011 at 6:01 pm

Hi Erica,
I recently launched my blog at beginideas.com for this main reason. Our founding fathers formed this country for the sake of freedom. We should all try to be entrepreneurs, as much as possible, to help change the world. It’s patriotic. It’s freedom.

Marc says:

10/14/2011 at 11:25 pm

You hiring a cleaner or someone to mow your yard makes you a consumer. It does not make you an employer. You need to learn the difference. Congrats on doing your part as a consumer. We are citizens of a republic that allows commerce to thrive. That is the dividend of a stable political environment. Something that was quite rare in most of the world until the 20th century. As an employer be thankful for the people who “have been caught up in it”. As an employee be thankful for the people who “have been caught up in it”. It would be a good thing if more people would be caught up in it.

I have to agree with a previous commenter. You are looking at this from an elitist perspective. This country has decades of a shrinking middle class. Concentration of political power and wealth into an ever tighter fraction of the population.

I see a lot of wannabe rich people complimenting this post and almost talk about giving out jobs like it were charity. A job is not charity or gift from an entrepreneur. It is a contract between employer and employee. Both parties coming together in a market to trade one unit of value for another. If you are an entrepreneur and you are doing well, then be thankful you live in a country where people are going out there and trying to get back some representation and tax dollars that were taken by a few elite corporations that own the politicians lock, stock and barrel.

A commenter above mentioned that the big banks have power because we gave it to them. We didn’t give it to them. They schemed and tirelessly worked for years to swindle away that power. It wasn’t given. It was taken. There is a difference there.

I don’t fault people here for being optimistic and taking care of their own business. That is all fine and well. But to ignore the larger picture is to be short sighted.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/15/2011 at 6:18 am

Man do I wish that people spoke of that which they know…

” hiring a cleaner or someone to mow your yard makes you a consumer” … oh really??? Maybe someone should tell the government that. My lawn service, my pool service, my housecleaner, and my yacht provisioners ALL get weekly checks and all have been receiving those checks for years and all get 1099 forms from me each year. While they are different than the people I pay in my office, they are indeed being paid by me to do a job. I’m pretty sure that if you asked them they would be quite grateful for their employ.

“You are looking at this from an elitist perspective” …that’s unadulterated BS and quite presumptuous. I am a black man whose father was a Jamaican immigrant who 50 years ago started his own business and built it into something. There were no handouts. He learned a trade, received some valued mentorship and busted his hump and made something of himself. Myself, I have had several businesses. A couple have failed but the others have prospered. I have worked 7 days a week / 10 hours per day for 10 years to get what I’ve got and to make sure that I was financially secure. My toys and viewpoint are not derived from an “elitist perspective”, but rather from the life experience of knowing that there are no limits on what one can do. So excuse me if I look at the OWS crowd as indeed being whiners. There’s nothing holding them back except their ideology.

A declining middle class, if that’s true, is a result of those in the middle class not preparing and making sure they are relevant in today’s global economy. Having a Sociology degree isn’t of much value in today’s world. What is making the middle class shrink is global competition. We don’t need an abundance of sociologists. There’s not a huge demand for political science majors…the middle class that is shrinking needs to wake up and make themselves competitive and relevant.

When I post a job I get tons of applications from people who can’t spell…can’t write with clarity, have no real experience with ecommerce, can’t write simple HTML, can’t create or edit simple graphics, can’t formulate ideas that are of value…basically they can’t compete in today’s world.

What is needed to succeed is now way above the reach of most who have not kept pace or adapted. Government handouts won’t change that.

If the OWS wants to change something why not occupy a friggin library and LEARN how to compete in a global economy.

“wannabee rich people”… hmm…I’m not sure what that means exactly. You see most people I know don’t describe themselves as rich or poor. That designation isn’t important. What matters is freedom. I work so that if I want to sail my boat to the Bahamas on a whim…I can. If I want to fly to watch the Dallas Cowboys play…I can. If I want to surprise my wife with a trip to Paris..I can…if I want to give my daughter a new BMW..I can. I don’t need to worry about it. I just do it. That’s what I work for. The ability to enjoy the freedom and luxuries that I want to without worry.

Does that make me rich? I guess it’s all a matter of perspective. But when you say “wannabee rich” as if it’s a bad thing…all I can say is man I love my life and I will make sure that I keep doing what I’m doing so I can continue enjoying this life. If that’s “wannabee” then I’d wear that badge proudly.

Lastly, you wrote that “A job is not charity or gift from an entrepreneur. It is a contract between employer and employee”. I agree in part. It surely isn’t charity or a gift.

However, I beg to differ on your contractual comment. Here in Florida we thankfully live in a right to work state. Basically we have no contract. You get paid for doing a job. Pure and simple. If you are no longer needed or no longer wanted, you are let go. I don’t need to keep an employee on indefinitely. There is no contract they are under my supervision and direction.

In closing, let me just say that early in life I had the PRIVILEGE to work with some of the biggest corporations in the world. They paid me for the job that I did and the job I accepted and I did not have a problem with seeing their bottom line swell.

Their profits motivated me to start my own business and now I watch my corporation’s bottom line move progressively upward.

The bottom line is this, ANYONE with the right education and training can reap the rewards of today’s marketplace.

Unfortunately you can’t do so by hanging out in a tent in New York, hoping to take it from someone else.

Here’s a challenge to anyone feeling otherwise or anyone at OWS or any of the other tent cities… if you want to learn how to make it in today’s economy and you’re willing to invest in yourself and you want to take the guidance of people who know how to guide you, then stand up, dust yourselves off, comment here, and I’m 100% sure you can be given the advice and mentorship to make you more productive and relevant in today’s economy…and you won’t need a handout.

I’m willing to be there won’t be many who take me up on this offer as it’s far too easy to write silly anti-capitalist comments than it is to look in the mirror and see the real problem.

So…any takers?

Reply
Marc says:

10/15/2011 at 6:39 pm

Barry, those people you pay with 1099s are not employees. They are paid as contractors who are taxed themselves, as I’m sure you are aware. 2011 is the first year that 1099s are required for all $600+ contractors beyond just business and trade. And chances are most people don’t pay more than $600 for a single house cleaning or yard mowing. You are essentially consuming a service provided by someone else’s business.

I live in Florida too. Just because Florida is a ‘right-to-work’ state doesn’t mean there is not a contract between employer and employee. If you wind up in court with an employee on the other side, you will find out very quickly that there is an implicit contract between employer and employee. Taft-Hartley has no bearing on that. Right-to-work rules deal with union organizing in particular. Not contracts.

People aren’t asking for handouts. People want some fairness. The rich people in this country pay a 15% flat tax. It’s called long-term capital gains. If most of your money isn’t taxed this way, then chances are you aren’t really rich. You are protecting the people who make their money this way from paying the same tax rate as everyone else though. Meanwhile all the wannabee rich chumps are complaining about paying graduated income taxes since they are paying themselves as labor and not 15% flat tax capitalists with plenty of deductions. Truly, you are chumps spouting dogma that allows the nation’s wealthiest to pay at lower tax rates than everyone else.

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fyishawn says:

10/15/2011 at 10:30 am

Thanks Marc,

Well said.

PS: Barry has a boat now. Proof thug capitalism works and all is well!

Barry Cunningham says:

10/15/2011 at 10:39 am

Why is it that you OWS supporters find a reason to ignore fact. And it’s beyond me how I practice “thug capitalism”…whatever that is.

So you’re saying anyone who busts their hump and makes a few bucks is practicing “thug capitalism”.

Gotta love the ad-hominem attacks.

p.s. had a boat for years dude.

Reply

Shawn says:

10/15/2011 at 11:36 am

Barry, Barry!

This is not about *you*. I am NOT saying that about *you*. Noone is protesting *you* and your accomplishments. Once again you miss the whole point. I’m just commenting on the fact that OTHERS a small few manipulated and stole pension funds (etc etc) in a wholesale rip-off of the American Dream.

What concerns me about you is that now that you have your piece of the piece ot the pie you get all condescening of folks who don’t and are still fighting. You’re self-satisfied. It only worries me that you can’t see beyond your myopia –or perhaps beyond the bow of your own boat.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/15/2011 at 1:03 pm

Shawn…open up your perspective. I’m not talking about me. I’m saying ANYONE with the right education and drive can pull themselves up and become financially self-sufficent.

Sure, there may have been some who exploted the system…but the energy is wasted complaining. At the end of the day there’s only one way to change it and that’s by taking personal responsibility.

I’m not at all being “condescening” [sic]…I’m offering an alternative. Instead of pointing fingers, warranted or not, these people should be doing something to make themselves more marketable.

And btw…aligning with socialists and communists will NEVER help them further their plight. We’re in a society of Capitalism and that won’t change. Not without a coup of some sort and I doubt that’s going to happen.

So what if I said..Hey..ok..I get it. People feel the banks screwed them over. Ok, Point taken.

Now that the OWS and others have made their point what’s next? Take money from others and distribute it? Ain’t gonna happen. So what’s a real solution? Falsely “create” millions of jobs out of thin air that solely serve to build union payrolls? (you have to be honest and admit that’s true)

How about this. What if all of us Capitalists agreed to fluff up the jobs bill and allow billions of bucks to be spent on infrastructure and teachers and cops..etc…with the sole caveat being that none of the new hires are allowed to join any union.

That’s a poison pill and you know it. So let’s call it truthfully. This isn’t about jobs. It’s about political stucture. Want to get the money out of politics, then make every new job a non-union job.

You’ll quickly see the evil snake truly raise it’s head.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/15/2011 at 9:14 pm

Hey Marc..thanks for joining in with another ad hominem attack. It’s so nice of you people to resort to such silly tactics.

You wrote ” The rich people in this country pay a 15% flat tax. It’s called long-term capital gains. If most of your money isn’t taxed this way” dude..anyone with an accountant knows how to utilize capital gains for tax benefit.

I have been involved in real estate for 20 years before moving on to several other businesses. I taught people about capital gains and have published articles about cg. So I am truly aware. By the way…as I said above, I don’t call myself rich…never would.

I just want to keep earning until it’s time to count the toys and see where I end up. Then I’ll leave it for someone else in my family to determine where they stand.

My subs and my employees are paid in certain ways specifically to make tax reporting advantageous. For both parties.

Far from being a “chump”, what my position is that people who are complaining/protesting don’t seem to be doing much to get ahead. Like I said above, a sociology degre more than likely won’t put you in a position to be financially successful.

My point is underscored by what my life experience has shown me. Both my own and those i have worked closely with. I’m not sure what you’ve been exposed to or who on this post you are referring to, but I personally have helped many people unchain themselves and achieve great success…in a number of different businesses.

You say people want fairness? Ok, then get out and do something to make sure that you are part of the better financial side? I have not heard one OWS supporter say anything other than take from someone else.

Let me ask you a question…I’ve worked very hard. I have made the proverbial pie, I have eaten of the pie, I have shared of the pie and I gladly help those who want to make their own pie.

I simply find it appaling for anyone to say that my family, my grandchild, my wife, my mother..etc…should have to come behind someone under a tent.

I don’t mind providing assistance but I’ll be damned if I’ll simple allow anyone to take from me. In eseence what the OWS crowd is saying is that they are more deserving than my family and those I care about.

No one seems to discuss that. When you demand “fairness” it’s not fairness that occurs. It is taken from people I love dearly…and that is not fair at all.

People assume that if you have some degree of financial success then enough is enough. I don’t nearly have Buffet style money but what I do have is already set aside. Ther eis already someone who is going to need it…and the smiles from the cradles are MUCH more deserving than the complainers/protesters in tents.

My job in life is to take care of my family. Not protesters who are not marketable. And if I do choose to offer more assistance (which I often do) there are very good charities that I support. I know they do good with our donations.

RevRon says:

10/16/2011 at 6:14 am

Barry, to paraphrase a famous line, thou doth protesteth too much, methinks. Demanding the status quo, especially when that status quo prevents most people from realizing their dreams no matter how hard or smart they work – is not an “elitist” mindset. Rather, it is the mindset of one who so desperately wishes to be numbered among the elite that they are willing to ignore some pretty destructive consequences.

I have to admit that I am simultaneously amused and dismayed by such insistent defenses of a situation that is so grossly unfair. Amused, because I know that people who are comfortable with their affluence don’t feel the need to broadcast about it, and dismayed because the vast majority of those who defend systemic abuses are the very ones being hurt, and who are apparently willing to perpetuate those abuses. Whether they do so out of ignorance or because they value their perceived image over actual circumstance, the results are equally self-destructive.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/16/2011 at 6:37 am

RevRon..you miss my point. I’m not the one protesting at all. Your claim has missed the target. Let me reiterate, for now the 4th or 5th time…

Those of you who feel that ” that status quo prevents most people from realizing their dreams no matter how hard or smart they work ” simply have no idea, marketability, education…to make it work for them.

Maybe, as Ercia originally said here, that is the question protesters should be asking. Instead of demanding the taking of funds, why are they not asking for education and direction how to become more financially stable.

I know that there is great opportunity here. If people are, as you say stuck no matter how hard they work, maybe…just maybe..they are working on the wrong thing. Have you even thought of that?

All I am saying is that personal responsibility and internal drive to overcome WILL help people succeed. Yes, there are some who are more fortunate than others but that’s ok.

Instead of loathing them use them as standards. For instance i have seen a ton of videos from the OWS crowd. They obviously understand how to use video. Why not start a business taking wedding videos, or how about filming depositions, or perhaps even a video blog…there are literally dozens of ideas for someone to capitalize on.

Yes, you have to have the skills, but obviously some of them have that. Instead of calling for the fall of the US, the abolishment of Capitalism…and living in a tent on a street. How about putting efforts into something meaningful?

That’s what I’m saying and have been saying. Don’t accept your lot in life as someone else’s fault…get up and turn things around. I simply will not accept from you or anyone else, that “no matter how hard you work” that you can’t reach a better financial position.

It all depends upon what you’re working on.

RevRon says:

10/16/2011 at 8:05 am

Sigh… Let’s try again & see if it makes a dent. The demands aren’t for the “taking of funds” (though it is quite understandable that you would need to couch the argument as such). All that is demanded is for an approach based in fairness, rather than Social Darwinist opportunism.

Ultimately, I choose as standards those people who strive to live by principles of integrity, compassion, and fairness. Typically, those who do their best to emulate the central characters of their faith, rather than provide only empty lip service to their teachings.

If you honestly believe that the protesters are calling for an end to capitalism, I fear that a severe state of cognitive dissonance might render your participation in an honest dialog difficult, if not impossible. If, on the other hand, that dissonance is intentional rather than cognitive, the most reasonable assumption would be that you have no interest in such dialog. To be honest, the tone of your comments leads me to believe that the latter is the case.

Bootstraps are great for pulling one’s self up, but to assume and/or imply that everyone even has those bootstraps is either delusional or cynically manipulative. And for the record, I’m doing just fine (though far from being part of the 1%), have a good education and a viable business.

Bottom line is that no matter what level of success I achieve, I feel a deep responsibility TO (not FOR) my fellow human beings, and find the broad dismissal of the very real concerns voiced now by a majority of Americans to be condescending, arrogant, and ultimately very short-sighted. Your mileage may vary.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/16/2011 at 8:32 am

RevRon…Huh??

I’m not couching an argument..I’m listening and watching what these people are actually saying!!

I’m not sure what you’ve been reading, watching and listening to. I could post tons of links to articles and videos where the OWS crowd calls for the end of capitalism…but it’s not going to get us anywhere.

Maybe that’s the problem with these people. The message is far from clear.

You mention “integrity, compassion, and fairness” as principles that you admire. Are you saying that those who have achieved financial success don’t maintain those principles?

Lastly, you say that “to assume and/or imply that everyone even has those bootstraps is either delusional or cynically manipulative”…I know that they do.

Assuming one is not affilicted with a disease, addiction or otherwise incapacitated, ANYONE has the opportunity to achieve success from a bootstrap level.

Education is free. Internet access is free at most public libraries, there are lots of programs and mentorships available…if one wants to build something they most certainly can. That’s not a delusion…it’s the truth.

I know it to be the truth because I am involved in several mentorship programs in my town. I see young people who with self-motivation and ambition work their way out.

I have a family member who was an abused wife, was divorced and left with 3 young children to raise on her own, her children all stayed in school, never got into any trouble and the oldest just graduated from Columbia, and now just passed her Series 7 and got hired by a big firm on Wall Street. Yep…the very place these OWS protesters abhor.

So please, the rhetoric is tired. Yes, it’s the truth. One can indeed attain a level of success in this Country without the need and demand for redistribution. Maybe you have not seen it.

But i have..and I’ve lived it. It’s easy for people to hold up a sign and say it’s not but before they say the die is cast against them maybe they should talk to people who have been where they are and ask them to show them the path out.

It’s a lot easier than spending nights under a tent.

And please don’t blame me for believeing that much of the OWS believes in toppling Capitalism. There’s way to much info out there where they state it rather succintly.

Shawn says:

10/16/2011 at 11:10 am

Barry, it looks like you’re doing a lot a great things (your blythe acceptance of outrageous power abuse notwithstanding)

Thanks Marc and RevRon. (Yes — he actually said the words “Education is free.” Wow I guess I missed that part when I paid student loans for 10 years and my two daughters are just starting to pay theirs — and will pay them for a lot longer)

Barry approves of the consolidation and abuse of power by the upper .01%. He approves of the buying of congressmen and judges. The thing he doesn’t get (because he’s so pleased with himself) is that the vast platform upon which his success is founded is high up in a tree and economic rapists like Mr Paulson and Goldman Sacks are chopping it down as fast as they may.

Barry’s individiual effort as a man (if you can see past the myopia and arrogance) are applaudable — they are just not enough.

But we need collective action, in ADDITION to personal right action.

Good thing MLK and Gandhi didn’t have a boat or an attitude like Barry.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/16/2011 at 12:10 pm

Shawn I’m sure you meant “blithe” and not “blythe” as you wrote. Wouldn’t want things to be any more confused than they already are.

Shawn I was talking about elementary and high school being free. As for your student loans…no one twisted your arm and made you take on that debt. Funny you don’t go after the schools for charging you an arm and a leg…but that’s another argument altogether.

But again…you denigrate and fall right back into ad hominem attacks. Can’t you make statements upon the merits?

I never said that I condone the ” buying of congressmen and judges”. Nope..never said that one.

I keep reiterating that nothing (other than addicition or some other impediment) is holding anyone back from success. How is that arrogant or myopic?

Speaking what you don’t agree with hardly makes for your constant character assasinations. (rather your attempt at such)

Not once have I said anything derogatory about you ..but you continue to attempt to punctuate your argument with ad hominem attacks. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with this “movement”.

You have had ample opportunity to respond here and everytime you do you attack me and speak in bumperstickers. Why is that?

Maybe because deep down you know it’s true. While it may be easy to strike out it’s much harder for intrspection. There is nothing that is keeping anybody back except their own ideology.

Want proof? 2 weeks ago I spent 10 bucks on a domain name. As much as I despise the OWS “movement”, I knew I could prove that capitalism works.

So I have recorded a case study where I created a site selling OWS t-shirts. It is now grossing in excess of $500.00 per day. It’s filled with everything the OWS stands for and they’re buying like crazy.

I gave the site to my daughter who is going to maintain the business and she’ll run it for as long as it has legs.

Total cost, 10 bucks for the domain, 10 bucks for hosting, and about 10 hours of time setting it up.

Like I said, there’s no excuse.

By the way, I love what MLK did. He fought to give us (yep..I’m black)…the same rights and opportunities as anyone else. We have them now and it’s a shame more don’t work to take advantage of them.

BTW…The word entitlement appears not a single time in his “I Have A Dream” speech.

shawn says:

10/16/2011 at 12:53 pm

Barry, Read Time mag. on OWS and you’ll see that you’re holding the wrong end of the stick on this thing — as a nation-wide, world-wide thing.

Conflating anti-capitalism with the whole of it helps you avoid the bigger issues.

SO again again — please answer me why should my school teacher mother pay MORE tax than Warren Buffett?

Barry Cunningham says:

10/16/2011 at 2:59 pm

1. I don’t need to read Time Mag when I can speak directly to the people and can watch and listen to what they say.

2. I don’t know what Buffett paid in taxes and I don’t know what you’re teache paid in taxes. I’m pretty sure that is not entirely the truth.

Buffet’s capital gains tax is based on a lot of financial variables. Not the least of which is his investment performance. I think people should actually read 10-k filings and pertinent SEC filings before going down that road. You would be much more enlightened.

Simply comparing the tax on investment earnings directly against simple 1040 style taxes is a deficient argument.

And FYI..I’m certain that the teacher named above did not COME close to paying more taxes than Buffett. I am 100% positive that her tax bill was no where close to WB’s.

I have the actual numbers Buffett paid and trust me, your teacher example couldn’t write a check that big.

Reply

RevRon says:

10/16/2011 at 2:13 pm

Barry, you said, “I never said that I condone the ” buying of congressmen and judges”.” And yet it was those very actions that facilitated the passing of legislation that has fostered the widespread and systemic abuses against which the OWS is protesting. You have obviously (perhaps intentionally) missed the entire point of the protests.

If you honestly believe that because _some_ people have been able to rise completely despite bad circumstances, _all_ people are equally capable of doing so, you obviously need to emerge from your own illusory bubble and realize that there are far more exceptions to that rule than adherents. Try as you might, you can’t realistically or honestly blame every individual for continuing to have a really rough go of it. And if, as I suspect, you realize that the opportunity of which we’re speaking is not universally available, and are mounting such a vehement defense merely to distract others, then I would suggest you’ve earned what minuscule “ad hominem” that has been sent your way (Which, for the record, is no more offensive than is the arrogant dismissiveness of dissenting opinions as being the product of misinformation or mis-comprehension. You’re just more passive aggressive about it.).

Shawn says:

10/16/2011 at 3:08 pm

Barry,

Here are the facts (and the opinion) of Mr. Buffett himself….

—New York Times 8/14/2011

OUR leaders have asked for “shared sacrifice.” But when they did the asking, they spared me. I checked with my mega-rich friends to learn what pain they were expecting. They, too, were left untouched.

While the poor and middle class fight for us in Afghanistan, and while most Americans struggle to make ends meet, we mega-rich continue to get our extraordinary tax breaks. Some of us are investment managers who earn billions from our daily labors but are allowed to classify our income as “carried interest,” thereby getting a bargain 15 percent tax rate. Others own stock index futures for 10 minutes and have 60 percent of their gain taxed at 15 percent, as if they’d been long-term investors.

These and other blessings are showered upon us by legislators in Washington who feel compelled to protect us, much as if we were spotted owls or some other endangered species. It’s nice to have friends in high places.

Last year my federal tax bill — the income tax I paid, as well as payroll taxes paid by me and on my behalf — was $6,938,744. That sounds like a lot of money. But what I paid was only 17.4 percent of my taxable income — and that’s actually a lower percentage than was paid by any of the other 20 people in our office. Their tax burdens ranged from 33 percent to 41 percent and averaged 36 percent.

If you make money with money, as some of my super-rich friends do, your percentage may be a bit lower than mine. But if you earn money from a job, your percentage will surely exceed mine — most likely by a lot.

To understand why, you need to examine the sources of government revenue. Last year about 80 percent of these revenues came from personal income taxes and payroll taxes. The mega-rich pay income taxes at a rate of 15 percent on most of their earnings but pay practically nothing in payroll taxes. It’s a different story for the middle class: typically, they fall into the 15 percent and 25 percent income tax brackets, and then are hit with heavy payroll taxes to boot.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, tax rates for the rich were far higher, and my percentage rate was in the middle of the pack. According to a theory I sometimes hear, I should have thrown a fit and refused to invest because of the elevated tax rates on capital gains and dividends.

I didn’t refuse, nor did others. I have worked with investors for 60 years and I have yet to see anyone — not even when capital gains rates were 39.9 percent in 1976-77 — shy away from a sensible investment because of the tax rate on the potential gain. People invest to make money, and potential taxes have never scared them off. And to those who argue that higher rates hurt job creation, I would note that a net of nearly 40 million jobs were added between 1980 and 2000. You know what’s happened since then: lower tax rates and far lower job creation.

Since 1992, the I.R.S. has compiled data from the returns of the 400 Americans reporting the largest income. In 1992, the top 400 had aggregate taxable income of $16.9 billion and paid federal taxes of 29.2 percent on that sum. In 2008, the aggregate income of the highest 400 had soared to $90.9 billion — a staggering $227.4 million on average — but the rate paid had fallen to 21.5 percent.

The taxes I refer to here include only federal income tax, but you can be sure that any payroll tax for the 400 was inconsequential compared to income. In fact, 88 of the 400 in 2008 reported no wages at all, though every one of them reported capital gains. Some of my brethren may shun work but they all like to invest. (I can relate to that.)

I know well many of the mega-rich and, by and large, they are very decent people. They love America and appreciate the opportunity this country has given them. Many have joined the Giving Pledge, promising to give most of their wealth to philanthropy. Most wouldn’t mind being told to pay more in taxes as well, particularly when so many of their fellow citizens are truly suffering.

Twelve members of Congress will soon take on the crucial job of rearranging our country’s finances. They’ve been instructed to devise a plan that reduces the 10-year deficit by at least $1.5 trillion. It’s vital, however, that they achieve far more than that. Americans are rapidly losing faith in the ability of Congress to deal with our country’s fiscal problems. Only action that is immediate, real and very substantial will prevent that doubt from morphing into hopelessness. That feeling can create its own reality.

Job one for the 12 is to pare down some future promises that even a rich America can’t fulfill. Big money must be saved here. The 12 should then turn to the issue of revenues. I would leave rates for 99.7 percent of taxpayers unchanged and continue the current 2-percentage-point reduction in the employee contribution to the payroll tax. This cut helps the poor and the middle class, who need every break they can get.

But for those making more than $1 million — there were 236,883 such households in 2009 — I would raise rates immediately on taxable income in excess of $1 million, including, of course, dividends and capital gains. And for those who make $10 million or more — there were 8,274 in 2009 — I would suggest an additional increase in rate.

My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress. It’s time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice.

Warren E. Buffett is the chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/16/2011 at 3:09 pm

RevRon..like I told Shawn above. Missing the point of the protests? Really??

Maybe they should come out with a unified, definitive statement with some resemblance of cohesion. I even saw one guy claiming he wanted the Country to be Maoist! Absurd.

I don’t have time to filter through the various protest issues. In one hour I have seen socialists, bank angst, abortion..you name it. I’m sure there are some who exploited the system. I don’t doubt that at all.

I wish you and Shawn well. Not looking to carry the flag. this has been fun and I hope all that works out for you. Tomorrow’s Monday, we’ll be docking soon and I have to prepare for the week ahead.

Carry on the fight. Let me know how it all works out for you guys!

viva La Resistance, let them eat cake and all that other stuff!

Ciao!

p.s. BYW…why do you insist that the opportunity is not available for all? I have clearly stated why I believe it is. Have Yet to see you say why specifically it isn’t…

Fivers World says:

10/16/2011 at 3:11 pm

Nice article

Martin says:

10/17/2011 at 12:21 am

OR you hire someone to mow your NEIGHBOURS lawn and get paid for it. Two problems solved with one blow. People need to understand that its all about creating FLOW. When money, products and services flow, when more transactions are being made over a short period of time then wealth gets distributed as well and everyone has it better.

Shilpi Singha Roy says:

10/17/2011 at 1:56 am

I enjoy reading your blog, and it is relevant to the daily life of the people now. I am looking forward to read more thoughts and ideas here in your site.

Marc says:

10/17/2011 at 3:23 am

Nice article Shawn. I also agree that Barry has been conflating OWS with anti-capitalism. Maybe Barry and his accountant has a method for friends and family to have their hourly wages taxed as capital gains. (Ooops, I’m sure that statement will be labeled an ad hominem attack.) Unfortunately, that really isn’t an option for most people who have to live off the sweat of their brow or back.
Also some nice points made by RevRon.

Lewis LaLanne aka Nerd #2 says:

10/17/2011 at 11:17 am

LOVE THIS STANCE ERICA!

One of my favorite entrepreneurial authors is Dan Kennedy and I remember him talk about this concept of creating jobs before in his Time Management book.

He talks about how dumb he thinks it is for you to do a job at home (landscaping, house cleaner, handy man repair, etc.) that you could pay someone $10. bucks an hour to do. Especially if you calculate that your time is worth far more.

You say that people will be grateful to have the jobs you open up. I agree. The thing I laughed at that Dan said is that if you’re mowing your own lawn or shoveling your own drive way, you’re stealing money from some local kid on your block who you could be paying to do this for you. Hahaha

Love your thinking Erica! Looking forward to coming back for more.

Life Compass says:

10/17/2011 at 4:52 pm

I think it would be wonderful if some of these OWS people actually worked together to create new businesses and opportunities. The best way to predict your future is to create it…not to rely on others to provide you with opportunities.

fyishawn says:

10/17/2011 at 5:21 pm

Dear Life Compass,

I think it would be wonderful if you actually worked to understand the very basics of what’s going on in the financial power world and that the best way to perdict the future is not through platitudes.

(sorry if that sounds harsh — I’m sure you are a very nice person)

fyishawn says:

10/17/2011 at 9:14 pm

ok Barry

You’re right. The system isn’t rigged for the ultra rich, and Warren Buffett got it all wrong, and the middle class isn’t shrinking, and education is free, and the interests of families and environment don’t *always* come after the interests of corporations — oh but you haven’t been bankrupt by medical bills (yet) so everying is cool, I forgot.

In the meantime I’ll go on creating jobs in the high tech sector *AND* supporting fair play and non-violent collective action.

And so well wow! you are now “…sure there are some who exploited the system” Huzzah! What Oracle of Delphi brought this (partial) understanding to you in the wake of your twin Evenrude outboard motors?

You think the “system” is sound.

You really out to get out more, man.

PS: I know it makes you feel good about youself to point out typoes [sic] but the real issues go unanswered in self-righteous complacency.

PPS: Apologizing in advance here for any typoes (sic) in the above — guess my grad school edication letttin’ me down again!

Ken Griffey Shoes says:

10/18/2011 at 1:11 am

collection of desktop devices, including meals blenders, wellness

Ken Griffey Shoes says:

10/18/2011 at 1:19 am

they’re able to hide inside a closet when not necessary. Withi

RevRon says:

10/18/2011 at 9:24 am

“BYW…why do you insist that the opportunity is not available for all? I have clearly stated why I believe it is. Have Yet to see you say why specifically it isn’t…”

Barry, to put it as simply as I can, your “belief” isn’t supported by statistics. Compare the numbers of those who are truly affluent against those who live at or beneath the poverty level. Now, perhaps it makes you feel better to claim that all those who aren’t affluent are either too stupid or too lazy to do what it takes to break through the poverty barrier, but such an assertion is disingenuous at best, and not supported by even the most rudimentary analysis of available data. Furthermore, to claim that the financial system is not clearly structured to favor those with greater wealth and power is indicative of either a profound ignorance or a vested interest in sustaining the abuses built into that system via the legislative “regulations” of the past 3 decades.

I realize that you would prefer that the protesters put forth a less convoluted assortment of issues, but the issues the country faces are inherently complex, and the scope of abuses is just too broad to fit on a single bumper sticker, as some might prefer. That is certainly not justification for ignoring or – worse – denying the well-documented existence of the abuses. Let them eat cake, indeed.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 9:37 am

RevRon..I’ve been busy enjoying a productive beginning of the week but you caught me as I was enjoying lunch so let me pound out a few strokes and answer simply.

Everyone is not guaranteed affluence. That’s just a simple fact. However, as I said, other than affliction or medical malaise, everyone has the opportunity to be successful beyond the poverty level.

The poverty line in 2010 for a family of four was $22,113…or roughly a head of household earning $10 bucks per hour.

What I am saying is that with a modicum of sincere effort, coupled with the right mentorship, supported by ample drive and ambition…there is NO way that someone isn’t capable of doubling or even tripling their economic standing.

Are they going to be millionaires? Who knows, but what is most assuredly certain is that it doesn’t take a lot to move way beyond the povery level.

Affluence, depending upon the person measuring it, is variable. I’m sure the person making 20k per year with two kids would find themselves way better off making 70k per year and that is certianly attainable by anyone except those with addiction and medical issues (I’ll continue to qualify that statement)

As for the protesters, I am not even following it anymore. It’s inconsequential to me. I’m too busy to keep up with the shenanigans.

Not discounting them, it’s just not on my radar screen anymore. It was a novelty and interesting to watch at first…but now it simply bores me.

RevRon says:

10/18/2011 at 10:25 am

Well, Barry, old boy, far be it for me to interrupt your most important activities with something as boring as a what amounts to class warfare against the middle class and the poor. You obviously place more credence in your “belief” than in empiric evidence (still waiting for you to “qualify” your statements – and repeatedly restating your “belief” doesn’t suffice). I’ve known and known of too many people who did everything right, put forth way more than a “modicum of effort,” and still found themselves victimized by financial institutions that played fast and loose with what little regulation they allowed to be imposed upon them. Perhaps you just never condescended sufficiently to acquaint yourself with such people. Perhaps you just looked the other way. Or perhaps you’re one of those who yearns to be perceived as a 1%-er, and dons the appropriate facade. I don’t know, and it really doesn’t matter. The denial of truth is the same.

You frequently and casually toss out the “people with medical issues” as a disqualifier. Perhaps they should eat aspirin, as opposed to the unwashed masses’ cake, eh?

For myself, I intend to “keep up with the shenanigans” – particularly those which created the incestuous financial system that has necessitated the protests. You go ahead and enjoy your day. Just be glad that there were people who had a different attitude some 50-odd years ago. Without them, you’d still be sitting at the back of the bus.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 8:44 pm

I mention affilicted because we should take care of them for they have a reason and sincere need for continuing assistance.. Never said I was part of the top 1%, and lastly, equating civil rights with taking of money not earned is pathetic at best.

And as for those who you say you’ve known who toiled and found themselves victim..just how is that?

Did someone twist their arm and make them sign a promissory note? Did someone force them to take on additional debt…and most importantly, have they thrown their hands up and just said screw it, I’ll take from someone else?

Whatever..carry on and march with your flag. Like I said below. It’s time for me to now move on. Spent way too much time on this blog.

Good luck to you and your resistance!

Reply

Shawn says:

10/18/2011 at 11:20 am

RevRon,

Nice points. The thing is with Barry is this a “faith” issue with him, and the first rule of faith is don’t confuse with facts. He’s not intersted in statistics — nor what Warren Buffett has to say on the subject.

He’s self-satisfied. All is well and everyone’s a moron but him.

Let them eat cake?? SO funny (!) Barry would say that — the last time the world heard that happened when the people (AKA “whiners”) chopped off the heads (literally) of the ultra-rich in a bloodbath (c.f., French Revolution).

Let them eat cake??

A classic Newport WASP couldn’t have said it any better.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 11:50 am

yawn!

RevRon says:

10/18/2011 at 12:01 pm

Shawn, I disagree with one point you made. People who are truly self-satisfied aren’t prone to being obsessive about defending their viewpoints, and tend to base those viewpoints upon rational information, rather than unsupported “beliefs.”

I place great value upon my own faith, but I also look to the real world for verification of that faith’s foundation. If that in which I have faith won’t stand up to scrutiny alongside the circumstances of our physical existence, it needs to be re-examined with a more objective mind.

Shawn says:

10/18/2011 at 12:09 pm

RevRon,

ok – good point – accepted

I was referring to people who hold a faith position without reference to reason or reality –like people who see Jesus’ face in a tortilla — which reminds me of Barry’s view on the (ongoing) theft of the American dream. Only it’s his own face he sees in the tortilla.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 12:19 pm

still yawning

RevRon says:

10/18/2011 at 12:34 pm

Shawn, I actually overlooked one possible mindset that would lead someone to so eagerly dismiss the whole protest movement. I forgot to note the type of person who would find the business of profiting off of other people’s financial misfortunes “to be quite fulfilling and quite financially rewarding.” You know… like people who fairly salivate at the notion of paying 25 cents on the dollar to purchase a foreclosed home. I think I need to go take a shower about now…

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 1:08 pm

Now you rang the bell!! Shower up buddy! I have purchased properties in 20 different states over the last 20 years and yep. almost all of them have been distressed properties. Somebody has to buy them? I’m not involved in the debt transaction. That’s between bank and borrower. So I’m not even party to that nightmare.

I’m the guy they call when they need to liquidate. I’m the guy who has to come in and clean up the mess, the carcasses of dead animals, the construction and renovation (Oops…there’s some people I’m employing..can’t be all that bad eh?)

We’re not talking late night infomercial crap..that’s for wannabees. I’m talking wholesale redevelopment. Yep, I buy malls, office buildings, houses, apartment building…NEVER paying more than 50% on the “perceived” dollar and then when the props go back on the market you bet your a@# I make a substantial profit. I’m not Habitat For Humanity (although built a few of thos ein my time as well)…I am in business to make a profit and i’m proud of it and i never, not once have had any employee or subcontractor refuse or complain about the check they received.

So while you shower, I’m buying! And you are right on another note…I am indeed salivating. There’s nothing like going down to the Courthouse and picking up a property on the judges gavel.

Oh and before you start the rant…a lot of these props are ones that HUD , Fannie Mae and local Gov’t have called us and literally BEGGED us to buy. Why? Because we improve communities.

So save it with the “profiting of others misfortunes” BS. Doctors get paid because people are sick, Lawyers get paid because people need legal help…Business is business.

I never foreclosed on anybody. I’m just there to pick up the pieces when everbody else has moved on. I don’t have contact with Lawyers, courts or borrowers. They just call me with a price, I wire the money and then get to work rebuilding.

And in today’s economy business is booming. What do you want me to do? Stop anwsering the phone? Stop employing people because the property we’re working on used to be somebody else’s home?

C’mon..get real. Know about any good deals where you live? I’d be interested if you know of any. And I’d even throw ya a bone for turning me on to a great deal. Oops..that’s another way I pay people..dayum..everytime I turn around I’m finding ways to employ people.

Must be something in that water you’re about to shower in.

Reply

Cosmic Connie says:

10/18/2011 at 12:42 pm

There are winners and losers in every economy and in every type of economic system. And no doubt there are people who have benefited greatly from the Wall Street mess and the real estate crash, e.g., predatory real estate investors to whom the word “foreclosure” causes a nearly Pavlovian response. Just sayin’…

I’m not denying that a capitalistic system, and the American system in particular, offer more opportunities for advancement than most other systems — in theory, anyway. But it’s easy to sound arrogant when defending capitalism, particularly in the context of a discussion about OWS. Waving yacht ownership like a banner, and jeering at someone for justified complaints about unfair bank fees, do not help the case for capitalism. They just make the commenter come across as a caricature of an arrogant capitalist.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 1:16 pm

Hi Connie…not sure if you have ever bought a foreclosed property before but there’s no such thing as a “predatory investor”. You see the banks sell the properties AFTER they have foreclosed on the borrower. The investor is not a party to the transaction of the loan nor the repossession of the home.

They call us in to liquidate AFTER they have taken posession. So the whole “predatory” moniker isn’t quite correct. You may have a beef with some lenders, but when we get the call, it’s just numbers and addreses.

Someone has something to sell and they look for someone to buy it. The borrower is long gone when the banks make the call to us. So there is nothing for us to prey upon.

As for being a “arrogant capitalist”…I wouldn’t say arrogant, I would just say happy capitalist. I don’t wave yacht ownership like a banner but at the same time it’s nothing to be ashamed of either.

As for bank fees, I said my piece on that. If you don’t like what someone charges no one is twisting anybody’s arm. Go ahead and voice your displeasure by changing banks. You can’t really take advantage of someone if they have options.

I change funding all the time. If one source is charging me too many basis points I just find the source who is willing to deal and provide me with the terms that I want.

Heck..I even do that on Saturday mornings at the farmer’s market.

I think where you really err above is when you say that some “jeer against justified complaints”. I guess some of us simply don’t feel that the complaints are indeed justified.

Doesn’t mean we’re arrogant. We just have a very, very, very different perspective.

Reply

RevRon says:

10/18/2011 at 1:42 pm

Barry, Your rationalization reminds me of a drug dealer I once heard state that he was only providing what the customer wanted, and that somebody would sell it anyway, so why not him? Why not profit off of human suffering; it was their fault anyway, right?

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 1:56 pm

Dude..do you just live for arguments? Seriously..is there nothing capitalistic that you agree with? C’mon…so you’re saying that buying an asset that the bank wants to liquidate is akin to drug dealing? C’mon dude, that’s why it’s hard to take you guys seriously. I poke fun and joust with you guys but you’re really reaching.

You do realize that people buy and sell stock and futures everyday and 50% of those sales is because someone lost.

Hey it’s really unfortunate that the borrower was foreclosed on. But once the property has been repossessed, what do you expect the new owner to do with the asset?

Once they offer it for sale is no one expected to purchase the asset and invest their dollars to earn a profit? I don’t understand? Instead of useless insults, say what you mean.

Answer the question. Once the unfortunate borrower has had the property repo’d…and once the bank seeks to remove the blight from the neighborhood…is everyone supposed to pass on the deal? I don’t understand what you are saying?

Please clarify without bmperstickers and attacks and clearly state your point. I wan’t rationalizing, I was stating the nature of the transaction. Do you believe or envision that our end of the transaction should be different?

And remember, before you answer, I’m not involved in the loan so I have no remedy of modification or forebearance for the borrower..so please state what you expect business people who buy, renovate and re-sell foreclosures and other distressed properties to do once the liquidation phase has begun.

Reply

Cosmic Connie says:

10/18/2011 at 2:04 pm

Thanks for your response, Barry. I have a general idea of how property foreclosures work. What I was trying to communicate is that some people have profited very nicely from the rash of foreclosures resulting from the economic meltdown, whether or not they were directly involved in the loan transactions or the repossessions. And it’s not surprising that a person who profits in any way from the foreclosure mess would be disinclined to be sympathetic to the OWS protesters.

Whether an investor is “predatory” or not depends, I suppose, on perspective. Maybe some investors are more like scavengers than predators. I guess it’s all part of the natural order of things. It does seem clear to me that you are far enough removed from the human misery behind those distressed properties that you can afford to look at them just as addresses and numbers. But that’s just business, I guess.

No one is advising you to stop answering your phone in this booming (for you) economy (as you suggested in a response to Ron above), nor am I demanding that you stop being a happy capitalist or stop enjoying your boat, but yes, Barry, I’m afraid you do come across as arrogant in some of your responses.

OMT: I agree that people have the right and ability to close out their accounts if they don’t like their bank’s policies. One problem is that many of the bigger banks are pulling the same sorts of stunts, so it may be harder to find one that doesn’t charge outrageous fees. However, there are still alternatives (smaller banks, credit unions, etc.), and I still have enough faith in the free market and in competition — yes, even where banks are concerned — to believe that consumers have a fighting chance.

But hey, at least Ron and I got you out of that yawning jag.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 3:13 pm

Connie, I enjoy mixing it up often on blogs and forums with guys like shawn and RevRon because it’s easy to push buttons. These guys get on rants and don’t answer specific questions.

While unfortunate that the borrower lost their home, ther eis no shame in running a business that actually improves neighborhoods and employs a lot of people. If you have ever had the bad luck of living next to a blighted property then you know what I mean. If you haven’t, maybe you should ask the neighbors how they feel about the vacant, overgrown property that sits in ruins on their bloc. Or perhaps asking city code inspectors and zoning officials how they feel about the despair that the vacant and sometimes boarded property becomes.

Call the police and ask how many times they’ve run vagrants and crackheads away. Once you see that side of things you see that the liquidation of foreclosed properties, commercial and residential, is greatly needed and encouraged.

As for addresses and numbers, yes, that’s all they are to me. How could they possibly be anything else. I get a fax or an email with an address and a price. My estimator goes over and tells me the cost to repair, my sales team tells me what we might fetch for the re-sale, and my funding source tells me what my cost of money will be.

Then the numbers get entered into some software and a number spits out. Then that numbe ris faxed back to the bank and it’s either a deal or not. Most of the properties I’ve purchased have been bought site unseen.

Many have been re-sold as is before the ink is even dry on the 1st set of documents..it is all simple math.

The seemingly arrogant stance that you may see is the fact that I’m not buying it when people like those other guys say that people like the OWS crowd are shut out.

It’s simply not true. As a part of my business I have traveled the country teaching people how to do what I do. I always tell them there’s no genie in a bottle. There’s no magic pill. But if you’re willing to work hard and learn, then sky’s the limit.

Both of the naysayers absolutely refuse to believe that. There is something wrong with such an unsubstantiated stance to not believe that people can turn their lives around. They simply believe that the “man” is keeping them down.

It’s just not true. I’ve shown people how to move up in life and many I have mentored have done just that. Yes, some fail..but the OPPORTUNITY is there for everyone.

Maybe the OWS wants to drill it into people’s heads that you can’t make it and that you need the government to take care of you.

Personally that’s a fool’s game to me. I have NEVER let anyone tell me I couldn’t do something. My father made sure I knew that as a young boy and I told my daughter the same thing.

It’s not by any means easy, but the opportunity for success is certainly available to everyone and the gov’t does’nt need to redistribute someone else’s money.

Lastly, I believe the BOA debit card fee is $5 per month. I say if you can’t afford the $5 bucks you have 3 options.

1. Change banks
2. Don’t apply for or use a debit card
3. Get off your duff and go to the bank and get money when you need it.

I can’t believe that people are bit ching over the fact that they can basically go to any bank, grocery store, mall, gas station and get cash 24 hours per day and that $5 per month is “outrageous” for that convenience.

I have accounts at banks that I NEVER even go into. Everything is done online or via ATM. I’d gladly pay $60 bucks per month, never mind the piddly $60.00 per year rather than standing in lines at banks.

I guess I would look at it as my time is worth more than $60 bucks per year. It would cost me more than that to actually go to a bank and stand in line.

Sort of like standing in front of a microwave warming something up and complaining it takes too long. Maybe some people have either forgotten or are not aware of how convenient things are today vs. just a few years ago.

But, given that the OWS wants welath re-distribution it’s easy how the “gotta have it crowd” sees ATM fees as “outrageous. It’s just a shame.

Reply

RevRon says:

10/18/2011 at 2:15 pm

Barry, if you feel good supporting an enterprise that profits greatly from others’ misfortune, so be it. I’m certainly not here trying to get you to change your value system; merely reflecting upon a set of values that I find sorely lacking, and that are at the core of the OWS protests. I, for one, did not accept the pusher’s rationalizing his actions by stating that the market already existed, any more than I accept yours that you’re merely coming in after the fact. One has the choice between profiting from a toxic system or striving to improve it. We simply choose differently.

It’s no surprise that you would disagree with the protests, since they are devoted to eliminating the cynical opportunism that makes some businesses so lucrative at the expense of a great many people’s well-being. I’m a big fan of capitalism, but not of Social Darwinism. I support a form of capitalism that isn’t geared toward the victimization of those with the least influence. Your mileage may vary.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 2:50 pm

RevRon..I’m not sure if you missed it, but aside from the usual rant that we’ve come accustomed to..you STILL didn’t answer the question. So let me re-state it.

Once the unfortunate borrower has had the property repo’d…and once the bank seeks to remove the blight from the neighborhood…is everyone supposed to pass on the deal?

What EXACTLY do you think should be done with the non-performing asset?

Reply

RevRon says:

10/18/2011 at 3:14 pm

Actually, Barry, aside from the usual condescension that we’ve come to expect from you, it obviously STILL hasn’t sunk in with you what I think needs to be done, and I have to assume that your failure to comprehend is an act of intentional obfuscation.

Rather than put a band-aid on the symptoms of a problem while continuing to perpetuate the problem itself, I think we need to restructure the financial system in such a way as to help eliminate the groundswell of foreclosures. The lenders can well afford to work with homeowners more than they have (in many cases, foreclosure proceedings are initiated when a single payment is missed), though the fact that their profits and executive bonuses wouldn’t be as high as they are at present pretty much eliminates the possibility of their doing so unless forced through regulatory action. Ultimately, it is that very regulatory action that needs to be taken, and which will effectively drive predators (or more accurately, as Connie said, scavengers) out of business and allow more homeowners to keep their homes.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 3:25 pm

As usual blah..blah..blah..you refuse to answer a simple and direct question. are you sure you are not a politician?

Distressed properties will always be around. I have been in the biz for over 20 years. It’s never going away. It’s more abundant now, but they were always there and will always be there.

It’s nice to live in NeverNeverland where the utopian view is that the big bad banks will have to eat the losses and let the borrowers slide, and in fact..many, many have for years…but it still doesn’t get you out of the question which you purposely avoid.

So I’ll pose it again. Once the unfortunate borrower has had the property repo’d…and once the bank seeks to remove the blight from the neighborhood…is everyone supposed to pass on the deal?

What EXACTLY do you think should be done with the non-performing asset?

Maybe this time you will SPECIFICALLY answer the question posed before you.

I know you wish that the big bad banks would be made (by someone) to just leave Mr. and Mrs. Non-Payer in the property…but that’s not my concern. As I said, they are long gone by the time i get the call…so I’ll ask again…

What EXACTLY do you think should be done with the non-performing asset?

RevRon says:

10/18/2011 at 3:45 pm

Barry, you either prefer obfuscation to the actual exchange of ideas, or you are incapable of understanding a relatively simple concept, which I have related several times. Either way, it is obvious that no answer – save for an endorsement of a business practice that I and many other people find abhorrent – is going to satisfy you. And frankly, that doesn’t rate very high on my list of priorities.

There’s nothing Utopian about striving to deal fairly with people, or to structuring a financial system so as to foster that fairness. Of course, such a concept will be threatening to the predators and scavengers, because if the mechanism is geared toward fair dealings, they will be out of business. To be honest, that is EXACTLY what needs to be done, and is what the OWS protests (the original topic of discussion, in case you’ve forgotten) are all about.

Now, if you want to continue pretending that your question hasn’t been answered, please feel free. My hope is that the “non-performing assets” will become a rarity, rather than a widespread and lucrative commodity. But I can see where that would be distasteful to you.

IMO, this dialog won’t really go anywhere from here. You’ve presented your case, as have I (well, to be honest, you have pretty well made my case for me). So I’ll leave the final rant to you. Enjoy.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 4:48 pm

RevRon let me break it down so even you can understand it (Isn’t that how obama said it..?))

In any event..AFTER..AFTER the bank has taken the property back. (Yes, I understand that you want the bank to have some regulation to stop that…hmm..ok) But with the millions of vacant reposessed properties sitting out there. How would you liquidate them? It’s very simple and I scrolled up and saw nothing that answers that in any orf your responses.

If I missed it then point it out. If not for businesses like mine that facilitate bringing properties back to market…how would you suggest the liquidation and re-marketing of these properties gets taken care of?

Nothing being obfuscated there…just a simple question, which you have not provided any answer for.

Reply

Cosmic Connie says:

10/18/2011 at 3:55 pm

Barry, as it happens, I live with RevRon (for going on 18 years now) and it is a huge mistake to dismiss him as a “naysayer” whose buttons are easily pushed. It is also a mistake to say that he refuses to try to understand the way the system works. I think he understands it very well. (And he enjoys mixing it up too, as you can tell.)

As Ron and several others have pointed out here, the OWS people are not all hollering for redistribution of wealth, nor are they asking for government handouts.

I do, as it happens, have a rudimentary understanding of the disadvantages of blighted neighborhoods so it isn’t necessary to explain that to me. Yes, distressed properties will always be there and something has to be done with them. But I think you are glossing over the points Ron made and those that the OWS protesters are trying to make.

Point taken about the conveniences we have grown to expect with our banks. But really, it *is* about the principle as much as the amount, and banks already stick us with so many fees. However, as you noted and as I mentioned as well, people have options. In any case that $5.00 fee is basically a symbol and only one very small part of what the OWS protests are about.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 5:05 pm

Connie if you live w/ Rev Ron I applaud you. You have the patience of Job!

Maybe the problem here is I have no idea what OWS protesters you have talked to and you have no idea what OWS protesters I have talked to and seen. The ones I have talked to are heavily soicalist, marxist and communist leaning. The majority of the rest are union shills.

So maybe we’re looking at two drastically different images. I’m seeing basically nothing but redistributers and commies. Self-designated i might add.

I also see a lot of people who hate the country and I see a lot of people with their hand out.

Did the banks screw up..no doubt. Is there some reform needed…no doubt. But until this whole redistribution crap and money grab from others is removed, you’ll see nothing but disdain from people I know.

Want to change the banking laws..fine! No problem. But there’s not a need to tax people to do that.

If we’re talking Steve Jobs type money or Warren Buffett type money that’s one thing (there aren’t enough of them..but that’s another argument).

My problem is a government mandating what someone has to ante up. It’s also a very slippery slopy. This time it’s top 1%. What happens next time when it’s top 10%?

It will never ever work with taxes on the top 1%. There’s simply not enough of them. It’s a smokescreen. I guarantee they will want to grab even more.

Am I wrong? I’m not even in the same galaxy as Warren B or the late Steve Jobs. Probably will never be (I’m not an inventor)..but I have the opportunity to be.

My concern is when they realize the top 1% isn’t going to be enough. What then? What happens when they want to take it all the way down to 10%?

I’ll tell you what…mas exodus from the US and this country will look like something that Snake Pliskin hangs out in.

I for one will NEVER stand for it. Never going to take the future from my grandchild to give to some underachievers. I already have charities and tithes.

Reply

Shawn says:

10/18/2011 at 4:20 pm

Connie, — yeah I can fully afford the 5$ from B of A but its just the snip of DNA of the bigger theft operation going on.

Barry has no real interest in the bigger picture.

He wears his platitudes and bragging like a big howdy belt buckle at the country fair.

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”

? Upton Sinclair

Shawn says:

10/18/2011 at 4:24 pm

Barry, I’m still awaiting anxiously your critique of Warren Buffett’s take on all this.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 4:52 pm

1.Warren Buffet is in the uber stratosphere. His choice to pay what he wants. The dude made $62 Mill last year. He obviously has the jack to pretty much burn cash in his fireplace if he wants. Funny now…decades after he’s made his cash, he can sit back and say..hey take more of mine.

I have a deal for you. If I should ever be so blessed to make $62 mill per year, I’d be happy to spread some seed around. Until then the gov’t can bugger off.

Your Upton Sinclair quote doesn’t work…I haven’t drawn a salary in decades.

Reply

Shawn says:

10/18/2011 at 5:02 pm

ok Barry — I just wanted to hear you say it. Warren Buffett is got it wrong.

Ok then just replace “salary” with “boat” then it applies to you PERFECTLY.

See ya on FOX Barry! LOL — not the news part — I’m referring to The Simpsons.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 5:10 pm

never said WB was wrong. What I said was it’s his choice. Focus on the word choice and you will get my meaning quite clear.

As for the Simpsons..love that show. very successful. Would absolutely love to be on it! Seth has made a ton of cash drawing comic characters.

Had a great time watching an episode being recorded some 10 years ago. Cherished memory meeting the cast. I heard they make something like $400,000 or so per episode. Now that’s some serious capitalism…so if they ever signed me up ya bet your a@# I’d be there with bells on.

wow..even your insults underscore capitalism!

America…what a great Country!

Reply

RevRon says:

10/18/2011 at 5:31 pm

“But with the millions of vacant reposessed properties sitting out there. How would you liquidate them?”

I’ll try and make it simple enough that even you can understand, Barry. Perhaps even clear enough that you’ll have a tough time ignoring it – again. There are millions of foreclosed homes out there. And for virtually every one, there is a family that has lost their home. Perhaps it would be worth considering establishing a program to at least attempt to match the two up, rather than allowing economic vultures to snatch the homes up for a song and sell them at a nice profit. Perhaps even assist the displaced families to pick the homes up for a song. Banks get their money back, families get another chance at the American dream, and nobody gets hurt… well, except for the vultures. THAT would be an exercise in both fiscal responsibility AND good faith on the part of the banks. The vultures can go find something else to try and scam.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 5:52 pm

Now we’re getting somewhere. You finally answered the question. You can scroll up and see that you never answered it before. So let’s look at your answer.

If I am reading correctly, what you want is for the banks who have repossessions to seek out others (who already have been evicted..evidencing bad credit risks) and lend them money yet again. Am I reading that right…surely you’re not saying that.

1. Who would be giving these people the loans?
2. Where would the money come from?
3. Who is going to fix these homes up?
4. Where is the money going to come from for the repairs?
5. Who is going to pay the tax liens (IRS comes first buddy!)
6. Who is going to remedy and pay for code violations?
7. Where is the money going to come from to pay for the remediation of the code violations?
8. Who is going to pay the back taxes on the properties?
9. Where is the money going to come from to pay the back taxes on the properties?

And most importantly, what do you do when the same people don’t pay again ( it happens..I have bought and sold the same property multiple times)

It’s easy for people to sit on a perch and wish for nirvana. But in reality they usually don’t know the half of what goes into these deals. They see us take these properties for a song, and then they see the re-sale price and somehow think it’s a “scam”. Your words exactly.

There’s nothing vulturistic about it. It’s business and numbers pure and simple and it certainly isn’t a scam. a scam would connotate something illicit, even illegal..in fact one party would be damaged.

In the foreclosure resale business no one is scammed. Like I keep saying…the borrower is long gone. The banks tells us they have something they want to sell, we make an offer and all parties agree and get it done.

The bank is happy, the neighbors are happy, we’re happy and our new buyer is happy.

So in OUR transaction there is no damaged party and there is nothing predatory and there is nothing vulturistic.

If you, or someone could somehow solve items 1-9 above, and the other issues I didn’t even mention, then that would be great. I have no idea how you would ever get that done.

And even if you did, the old homeowner would still be on the outside looking in.

You see, i have absolutely no culpability and I have completely clean hands. Your beef is with the bank. Good luck with that.

When your ilk gets done beating up on the banks, and all the other options fail miserably, I’ll still get the call.

That’s the reality of the situation. You see, I can stay completely on the sidelines letting the politicians and protesters battle it out. I’ll let them do all the nasty things to each other.

I’ll let people like you accuse the banks of being predatory…but it’s real hard to point the fingers at us. We’re just waiting by the phone for the banks to call us in.

Nothing “scammy” or predatory about it. It’s like calling in the cleaning crew after the murder. (we’ve actually bought properties in that situation as well)

We’re completely arms length in nature so the scam or scavenger label really doesn’t work. You see no one is ever scammed and it’s surely not scavenger work.

We actually fix the carcass and put meat back on the bones. I can’t apologize because we get paid handomely for it.

So now you know how it works and now I know your ideology…which I’ll stop short of calling socialist since I don’t have your answers to 1-9…but if the answers involve taking money from individuals to execute the scheme…then the proverbial shoe fits.

If your beef is just punish the banks and make them pay, then like I said. I’ll let the politicians and protesters fight that battle. I’ll just be waiting by the fax machine at the ready…cash in hand to finalize another deal.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 5:54 pm

My reply is in moderation..guess they have a filter on length of comment..You’ll see it when Erica or her staff gets to it. Have a good evening.

Shawn says:

10/18/2011 at 6:09 pm

Barry,
You
said .. “never said WB was wrong. What I said was it’s his choice”

So he is right? What choice are you talking about?

What did you think of his *critique* (?) of the rigging of the system against the middle class by the upper 1%?.

You agree with that? or not so much? (Or you don’t care.)

PS: I think you mean “Matt” not “Seth”

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 6:26 pm

His choice to give more money if he wants to. Like I said..if I had his bank account I wouldn’t care either. Berkshire H has already made him so much money he’ll never spend it. But let’s get real..how many people are in WB’s zip code?

I don’t think the system is rigged at all. FYI, if you read the article and his published report, his “effective” tax rate was 17% because he had so many adjustments.

Even before I was making good money I NEVER paid more than 17% on a 1040 form. I spoke to a financial analyst (president of my fraternity years ago) and he told me how to set things up. Back in the early 80’s I was only making mid $50’s…and ended up not paying any taxes whatsoever.

The unknowing person has no idea how to adjust their basis to enjoy lower rates. It’s not a “rich” boys club only. You just have to have the playbook.

Thurgoood Marshall once said..to evade taxes is illegal, to avoid them is encouraged.

There’s a reason why he said that. So the whole argument, which WB later recanted and qualified more, is pretty much moot.

Remember the movie Shawshank Redemption when Andy was on the roof telling the Guard how to shield his income from taxes? Those prison guards weren’t rich and a locked up con with knowledge of the code showed them guards there how to protect their money.

It’s easy..and you don’t need a billion bucks to take advantage of the tax code.

I was talking about Seth Macfarlane who was called in on the Simpsons.

Shawn says:

10/18/2011 at 8:20 pm

Unfortunately someone, Barry, has to pay for things like the Navy and 7th Fleet that keeps the shipping lanes open for world trade.

Someone has to pay that bill. All they/we are saying is make it fair. That’s all. MAke it fair. It takes money to run the country and all those “primary and secondary schools” that you think of as “free education”.

Your capitalism as a smell to it. Your defense of the rapacious and blind eye to injustice discredits many of the worthwhile things I think you have to say.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/18/2011 at 8:26 pm

I can see that you guys want this to be personal. Unlike others who may get offended, I don’t.

Fight the good fight. Press on and all of that other BS. I hope it works out for ya.

I loved our time here together but it’s time to move on. See ya round the campus boys!

RevRon says:

10/18/2011 at 8:35 pm

“There’s nothing vulturistic about it. It’s business and numbers pure and simple and it certainly isn’t a scam.”

Barry, I wouldn’t expect you to answer any differently. Ironically enough, the “it’s only business” was a rationalization used quite frequently to justify the acts of organized crime organizations. It still doesn’t wash.

I’m not demanding some Utopian system, where everybody is coddled by the government; that’s your extrapolation, and it’s wrong. I do think that families who have faced difficulty – especially at the hands of predatory lenders – should have preference in the purchase of the foreclosed-upon homes over the scavengers. The details could be worked out to everyone’s benefit… well, everyone but the predators and scavengers. Obviously, the scavengers will disagree. And as you said, if the shoe fits…

The nice thing is that the real message of the OWS protesters is spreading, despite the vehement misrepresentation and denial of those who stand to benefit most from the incestuous relationship between supposed regulators and the financial industry. As more and more people come to understand and agree with the protests, it is becoming increasingly difficult for elected officials to hide. Those who manage to retain their offices will eventually discover that the old games won’t be tolerated, and will either begin representing their constituents above their contributors or find themselves out of a job. The scavengers will come next. Won’t happen overnight, but the die is cast.

And just for the record, having worked for some years in an investment advisory firm, I do know how it works, as opposed to how it is supposed to work, contrary to your allegations. You can peddle your condescension somewhere else. Perhaps you’ll even find some who will buy into it.

RevRon says:

10/19/2011 at 5:57 am

Barry, this is so far beyond personal. Please don’t trivialize it as such. It is about a fundamental choice, which does, in fact, offer a reflection of one’s values: Do we as a country strive to help economically challenged citizens keep their homes, or do we foster a system that clearly facilitates the removal of individuals from their homes, at great financial loss, and delivers those homes to financial scavengers?

As is so typical in nature, we have here a clear case of predation by a powerful group (the lending industry) upon a weaker group (millions of middle and poverty class citizens). Once the predator has made its kill and fed, the scavengers swoop in and pick at whatever is left. It is a truly symbiotic relationship, though the symbiosis doesn’t quite extend to the prey. Our choice as sentient, evolved (?) creatures is whether to follow our most basic and narcissistic instincts, with our personal gain being the sole objective, or to rise above those instincts sufficiently to improve the well-being of our society, including those who lack power or influence.

The choice we make speaks clearly to our values, as individuals and as a nation. As it stands now, we serve as a role model for the Russian Mafia, rather than the emerging democracies of the Arab Spring. I don’t accept that striving to better the lives of our citizens and setting a positive example for fledgling democracies is Utopian, and it certainly isn’t socialist. It is fair. It’s what the OWS protests are all about, and represents a threat only to the predators and scavengers who have so badly damaged the American dream. The closest this discussion has gotten to being “personal” is that you have aligned with and identified yourself as part of that group. And I, along with several others, have called you on it. It’s the same message being played out on Wall Street and in cities throughout the world. And intelligent people – including those who have perpetuated the milieu of predation – are beginning to realize that they ignore the message at their peril.

This has been fun. 🙂

Barry Cunningham says:

10/19/2011 at 8:40 pm

Dude..you need some serious help. In any event, like I said…I’m done here. Business and life is way too good to waste time in this imbroglio.

Good luck with all of that!

Reply

Shawn says:

10/19/2011 at 8:39 am

Ok — me too I’m out.

Barry has exhausted his capacity to discuss any topic not related directly to himself.

Shawn says:

10/19/2011 at 8:39 am

UNSUBSCRIBING

Layla says:

10/19/2011 at 11:51 am

Great post!

I agree both personal and community efforts are important!

Sometimes one can feel ‘powerless’ at the sight of big changes – in that case it’s important to focus on what one CAN do!
‘Small steps’ can be just the thing for someone who might be overwhelmed by other things…

For those who still feel empowered, by all means, still protest etc.! One does not exclude the other!!

I do hope there will be results obtained on a bigger scale too – by both ‘little things’ and ‘big gestures’ combined! 🙂

Susan says:

10/19/2011 at 8:50 pm

I think it can be both. Taking action, doing something different, and having a collective voice. Not everyone at the protests are unemployed.

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RevRon says:

10/20/2011 at 5:23 am

IMO, Layla & Susan have it nailed. There is rarely the need to abandon one’s quest for security and affluence, but sometimes, circumstances are such that people find themselves called to set aside their personal goals for a time to achieve something noble or to correct something that needs correction. Whether it be enlisting in military service, joining the Peace Corps, spending Saturdays volunteering at a shelter, or offering one’s presence to a cause such as OWS, those activities don’t have to dominate our lives, but they do help define those lives. And I think it is safe to say that having contributed one’s energy to something greater than one’s self actually enhances the ability to enjoy whatever one is able to acquire. Conversely, turning away from something (or someone) when we know in our hearts that our energy is needed can render even the greatest success hollow.

Erica, thanks for opening this discussion and allowing us to participate in it. It has been great. And Barry, as it turns out, I didn’t need any help at all, serious or otherwise. Take care. 🙂

Barry Cunningham says:

10/20/2011 at 7:25 am

RevRon..you just can’t help yourself can you…always poking…

Anyway, “joining the Peace Corps, spending Saturdays volunteering at a shelter, or offering one’s presence to a cause such as OWS” (not that I’d EVER be involved in the latter) are noble gestures for some.

But I live my life, and I am defined, by the old adage… “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime”

I have shown inexperienced people who were slaves to the grind or on the teat of the government how to “fish”. Their lives have changed and they have been extremely grateful. But what’s most important is how grateful I was in helping them overcome.

On a daily basis my network, thanks to social media, expands across the globe and I offer counsel to anyone who asks. You see I want anyone who wants to be self-sufficient to have the ability to learn and obtain guidance so they too can become successful “fishermen”.

For it is then that they understand how to help others do the same, just as I learned from some very adept “fishermen” before me.

The problem I have with government entitlement programs and specifically the OWS BS is that it’s enslavement to feed someone today if they don’t learn how to feed themselves tomorrow.

I grew up in a black community decades ago. It was right when the civil rights movement occured. My dad opened a business with government assistance and got us out of the hood and we all went to college and prospered.

I could go back to the old neighborhood and still see families who instead of learning to fish, opted to be fed. They still live in the hood, they still get food stamps and they have had generational enslavement by being on the dole.

My niece just graduated from Columbia and is now herself working on Wall Street for JP Morgan-Chase, My nephew went to college and for the last 5 years has been working on Wall Street with UBS.

Both of those kids came from broken homes. Both of my sisters were absued by their husbands. Both of my sisters never received a dime of child support. And neither of them took a dime of government help.

Now their children are both living examples of the opportunities this Country affords those who want it. Just as My Dad was and I am myself.

You see it’s easy for the media and others to trumpet despair. Herman Cain is absolutely right. People in the black community have been brainwashed.

They feel like they can’t get ahead and many want the government to take care of them. Unfortunately the OWS crowd is stepping into the same bear trap.

All ranting and adversarial jousting aside, want to know the reason for my cynicism and arrogance…now you know.

Good luck out there!

RevRon says:

10/20/2011 at 8:12 am

“Business and life is way too good to waste time in this imbroglio.”

And yet, here you still are, chronicling your own noble efforts to teach others (nice race card play, BTW) how to make money, while simultaneously deriding – and quite obviously missing the point of – others’ efforts. As I said much earlier, thou doth protesteth too much, methinks. But given the kind of responses you seem to get from the professionals in the real estate business, as well as your need to attempt to distance yourself from others in your field who are under some rather discomforting scrutiny, your defensiveness is probably understandable.

For myself, I tend to deal with my own occasional bouts of cynicism by searching for that which I have obviously missed; a better answer is always available, and I’d rather find that answer than wallow in bitterness, which is at the core of cynicism. Arrogance, by the way, is always a defensive action, used to compensate for insecurity, guilt, or other undesirable emotions. There is help for both, by the way.

Luck? I think that being able to provide a service that benefits _everyone involved_, and which doesn’t require anyone to suffer in order for my business to survive, is its own luck.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/20/2011 at 8:27 am

Hey revRon…I tried to be nice and move on..but you must love this. I’m proud of my business, I’m proud of my accomplishments and I’m proud of my family’s accomplishments.

I speak around the country, have a well established and large network of clients, followers, fans..etc …there are always naysayers out there. Fortunately, there are WAY more on the upside than the pittance of complainer sin my businesses.

One thing I’m not is in anyway insecure. The veiled attacks you attempt you must by now realize are like water off of a duck’s back.

As it seems you always need to have the last word, I’ll leave it for you to take another swing after I’m gone. Take whatever shot you want that makes you happy.

Think of me what you will. Luckily, I don’t need you as a client and even luckier for me is I don’t know you.

I guess I am guilty of one thing though. I have spent WAY too much time on this and people in the office are laughing at me for even engaging here.

They are right. This has no ROI for me and I have spent valuable time I should be spending elsewhere.

So, I’m out and I apologize to my team (they get this thread) for allowing myself to be dragged into this.

I owe them a lunch now since I swore I wouldn’t write here again. So darn…ya cost me a few bucks…

Off to grab some sushi and enjoy the south florida sunshine.

Peace…I’m out!

Reply

Barry Cunningham says:

10/20/2011 at 8:39 am

Hey revRon… one last thing…

Protesting too much? Hardly, I don’t protest at all. If someone wants to camp out in a filthy tent..go for it. If someone wants to wear Che Rivera t-shirts and sing Kumbiya…go for it. I don’t care what they do. I really don’t.

What my point here has been, don’t reach in my pockets to do so. I’m not in the top 1% and I don’t pretend to be, but what I do support is my choice to work towards being in that top 1%. and if God willing I ever get there, no one can say I never earned it.

I sleep very well. My wife sleeps very well..heck even my little maltese sleeps very well. Protest? Not me. I pray to Jesus in the morning and I thank Him at night for blessing me with a life that I love and i know that it’s because of He being in my life that allows me my sustenance.

I wish more knew Him like I know Him.

RevRon says:

10/20/2011 at 8:49 am

Water off a duck’s back, eh? Hope you and “your team” enjoy your lunch, Barry. It would appear that you now owe them two lunches. 🙂

Cosmic Connie says:

10/20/2011 at 9:40 am

Barry: Teaching others “how to fish” is a valid and dare I say a noble undertaking, unless of course one is simply peddling false promises – or “frauducts and flopportunities,” in the words of the Salty Droid blogger. Reference the posts on Salty Droid’s blog about the “and-you-can-too” Internet Marketing scammers. I think Salty, or at least some of his contributors, may have been a little harsh on Erica a while back, but he’s right on target with most of his stuff.

I assume you’re not in that “and-you-can-too” category, Barry, judging by your earlier mention that while you teach others to do what you do, it’s always with a disclaimer that there’s no magic pill, and not everyone succeeds. Indeed, if you’re just teaching them about real estate investments, there’s no way everyone can achieve the same level of success, especially since there’s a finite supply of real estate. However, it seems to me that when one gets into the area of making a living as a social media expert or some such thing, one is on shakier ground. If that gig works for you, more power to ya, but watch out for little fake robots, LOL.

You mentioned that your dad opened a business — with government assistance — and it was this that got your family out of the hood. Good for your family for overcoming their circumstances. Sometimes government assistance can reap good long-term results.

As I’ve noted before, though, to dismiss the OWS folks as a bunch of whiners who are asking for government handouts is either disingenuous or dumb, and you are obviously not dumb. Earlier you challenged Ron by saying that no one twisted anyone’s arm to get them to sign a promissory note. What about the people who bought their homes in good faith when they had good jobs, homes that they could afford at the time — but then they got laid off due to corporate mismanagement? Or they had unexpected medical bills, but their companies had dropped their insurance? There are hundreds of thousands of cases like this.

And there are lots of valid issues at stake. One cartoon is worth a thousand words of debate… http://imgur.com/ICTAa

Is protesting the best way to effect real change in this case? Maybe, maybe not. But I think it’s an important protest nonetheless, and it has spread worldwide. Even so, I understand how it is possible to be too busy making money and enjoying one’s life to pay attention to all of those people who are squatting in filthy tents.

Barry, I do find it interesting that in the discussion on this forum, you seem to have glossed over the misdeeds that created and exacerbated the mortgage crisis. Yet you are very aware of them. On several instances on your very informative Social Media newsletter, you wrote about the foreclosure mess, including some posts about one of the most notorious “foreclosure mills,” the Florida law firm of David J. Stern. And you speculated that Stern’s firm was far from the only one doing the sleazy stuff. You even cited an article in that leftist liberal rag, Mother Jones. And apparently you have worked with, or at least have endorsed, a law firm that helps people who are facing foreclosure. I can’t seem to access that firm’s Web site, but maybe it’s just my browser acting up.

Okay, go enjoy your sushi in that Florida sunshine, and don’t forget to thank Jesus for the fact that you’re right there in the epicenter of the foreclosure crisis in the US. As for me, I won’t make any false promises about disengaging from the conversation. I will probably continue to participate as I feel inspired. 🙂

And Erica: What Ron said. Thanks for opening up your forum to this…um…spirited discussion.

Barry Cunningham says:

10/20/2011 at 10:04 am

Connie I only came back here because you referenced a client. The attorney I spoke of is Eri Wesoloski from the firm Wesoloski Carlson. I normall don’t post links in blogs but his website most assuredly works. It is located at http://www.wesoloskicarlson.com/ and Erik is a great guy.

FYI..I too am a Fan of the Droid! I think raking in money with scammy products is a shame as well.

As regards for being a “social media expert”..I would NEVER make that claim. I also, as you can see on my site, don’t even offer for sale guidance on Real Estate investing any longer. It is not viable for most right now unless you have great experience and a supply of cash behind you. Right now real estate is one of my ancilarry businesses.

As you can also see from my site, I offer no products for sale whatsoever. I offer commentary, education and info for free. I don’t offer any kind of “frauduluct” or BS get rich easy BS. Why? Because there’s no such thing.

Right now all of my social media work is with big brands, local businesses and other corporations looking to engage with customers. I work purely on a retainer basis and I get compensated on performance.

As you have obviously been to one of my sites you can see that we are prominent, have great traffic and use our time to help foster communities based upon their stated criteria. I don’t work at all with individuals.

And don’t worry…you didn’t cost me another lunch. Just wanted to make sure that I made sure that my client you mentioned was represented correctly.

As for Sm being on shaky ground…no worries there. My main business has and always will be marketing. Real estate is a passion and an easy cash cow, so that’s why I have stayed involved in it.

FYI..when I said anyone can make it in one of my earlier posts I was in NO WAY talking about real estate. You can lose your friggin shirt if you don’t know what you’re doing.

As for promissory notes (which I have signed many) they don’t say “I’ll pay you unless I get sick, lose my job, or decide to join the Foreign Legion”. It’s a promise to pay.

I own a bunch of rental properties. My leases don’t say you have to pay rent only if you can afford it. They say pay me on the 1st, you get a late fee on the 5th and you get booted on the 15th.

However, in 20 years of renting out properties, I have only had to pursue about 15 evictions. So most people understand their obligations and even now, I only have a few late pays each month.

So I feel people sometimes may have extenuating cirumstances but good people, despite problems, usually find away to take care of their obligations. I do maintain that faith in humanity.

And BTW…I kind of like Mother Jones!

Brandons says:

10/20/2011 at 1:12 pm

Hi all,
I agree all of cause every one has there own point of view…
But i must say nice article to go through once.

EveryThingIDo says:

10/20/2011 at 4:11 pm

More chatter …

I am a business owner and I am an OCCUPY supporter. For a few reasons – but primarily because I believe our government, which we support, no longer represents us, the people.

Our own government favors the corporate donors. Government allows food to be genetically modified without labeling it as such, they allow drilling that pollutes our oceans and our bodies … they keep the truth from us, when radiation is falling in our rain, they control the media – for example Twitter has suppressed OCCUPY trending topic – it has NEVER trended … even while hundreds of thousands of people were marching …

I agree with Erica however … this stuff can suck the time out of you. I agree we need to pull together to make this a better place to live and work.

I am all for getting rich – but I do not believe the current or any recent administration has the nation’s best interest in mind. Look at how much money is spent trying to buy our votes.

If you stop for a moment, and listen to those protesting (people like me, a mom of three grown sons, all happily working and paying back their college loans) and if you leverage this new America … you too will find there is much work to do.

I say, let’s band together and start right here.

Maurice says:

10/23/2011 at 7:15 am

I have live that prayer for a long time and I love it.

Anonymous says:

11/10/2011 at 11:47 am

Etieno Etuk says:

11/24/2011 at 10:15 pm

All the craziness in the world doesn’t matter because they only act as distractions to creating your own world and your own economy. This is why I don’t recommend watching the news because it’s there to reprogram you to start thinking and yearning for all that negative stuff that’s put out on an hourly basis. Stop getting caught up in all the craziness.

I like your suggestion of offering people a hand up instead of a hand out. We can’t do everything but we can all do something. It all takes the 8-letter word. Can you guess what it is? DECISION. Make a decision today that you will make a difference in someone else’s life. You hold the key to someone’s deliverance. Are you just going to sit there and do nothing or are you going to get up and make the difference you created to make?

Thanks for sharing this, Erica! It has inspired me to work harder at being the best me that I can be so I can help others be the best that they can be.

Small Business Ideas says:

1/11/2012 at 5:21 pm

I often times get annoyed when I hear people complain about social inequalities and how successful entrepreneurs are fat cats. Many of these entrepreneurs started their businesses with nothing and no one believed in them, their success came after years of persistent struggle against an unfair system that favored the rich and didn’t have so much opportunities for the poor to be liberated. People seem to think life should hand-out success on a platter of gold, that is folly and these folks ought to see things the way they really are.

Erica you have made a lot of sense by stating that we on our part can actually create jobs for others if we are willing to, but that is easier said than done. Nice observation and your article is inspiring

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2/13/2012 at 12:57 pm

Get paid to click, it’s not get rich over night but in time. Get chances to win add prizes too!

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importexporthomestudy.com says:

2/24/2012 at 4:58 pm

I was wondering if it is still occupied?