Stock Market Psychiatry

I have an idea for what to do with some of the money from the bailout plan that's supposed to help fix the financial mess we're in. Congress should enact a law that provides money for mental health professionals to provide care for the folks on Wall Street.

I mean, every time I read something online or in the paper about the stock markets, I always see words associated with feelings. For example, today's paper had an article, "Post Election Slide" (Long Island Newsday, Combined News Services, 11/6/08) about yet another stock market tumble the day after the election. Words like, "jitters", "worries", "concerns", "nervous", and "loss of confidence" permeated the piece as they seem to do in every article about bad days on Wall Street. Good days reflect the "confidence" and "optimism" in the folks who buy and sell stocks and such.

I like to think of myself as a smart guy. I always did well in school, but Economics was never my forte. All of that supply and demand and stuff just confused the heck out of me! In my simple world, I know that as the stock market goes, so too does the rest of the economy. "Bad-feeling" days affect how much I'm paying for gas at the station and for cheese at Waldbaum's. Face it; we're at the mercy of people's emotions. People buy and sell because they're "jittery" or "nervous". They obviously need help, and we've got to get it for them.




That's why Congress needs to act now. Even with all the goodwill that's emanated from the election, these stock market speculators are still "worried." They obviously haven't shared in all the optimism that has come out of the events of the 4th. I think it would be a wise investment to provide them with the help they need. After all, $ 700 billion is a lot of money. When compared to what it's cost to bail out the banks, this venture would be miniscule in comparison.

And who knows? It just might do some good to get these people in touch with their feelings. Why do their feelings seem so manic? If these mental health professionals can break through with even some speculators, their rosier outlook might give them more confidence, causing the financial markets to go up, and everything would be alright.

So contact your local Congressman (or woman)...okay, Congressperson, today! Tell them how you feel. It's silly to even think that our pocketbooks are at the mercy of all such fluctuating "feelings". These people need help to reconcile their feelings, and get happy. Maybe then things'll get a little easier around here.

The Quick Fix Rebate Joke

The economy seems is in a shambles. The housing market is faltering badly, financial markets are falling, and the price of consumer goods has risen drastically. And what have our leaders, in a 'bi-partisan' manner, proposed to fix it? A tax rebate. That's right, our President seems to think that giving us a check (anywhere from $300 to $800 for an individual, double that for a family) will miraculously pull us away from the impending recession that we all already feel. It's a joke that I don't see as being funny.

Politicians like those who serve us presently have become so out of touch with the pulse of America. They think in simple, traditionalistic terms. They wish to appear like the great old uncle or grandpa, throwing his change at us when we were kids. This action of handing out a paltry sum of money will elevate their status in the public eye. They still believe we're the largely apathetic populace we've been for the past seven years. But, hope has come. There's a light at the end of the tunnel. Most of us have finally caught on to these shenanigans and won't be fooled by this disengenuous gesture.

Since Bush became President, money has been no object. The recession of 2001 brought us all a $300 rebate. Defense spending skyrocketed, even before September 11th. We've wasted billions and billions of dollars on wasteful endeavors, such as the war in Iraq (www.nationalpriorities,org/costofwar_home )and record pork barrel spending that's plagued Congress for the past decade or so.

In the meantime, millions of Americans live in poverty and millions more struggle from paycheck to paycheck, week to week. Our children are being left behind, doomed to failure as school districts are forced to follow mandates without the requisite funding. Our infrastructure is in serious need of repair. New Orleans has become a symbol of the disgraceful manner in which we take care of our own.

$275 million a day is spent on the war in Iraq (see National Priorities.org). There are much better uses for our collective money. 301 million people live in the United States. That's not even a day and a half of war. Imagine the boost to the economy if every citizen received a million dollar rebate. That would surely be a remedy for the economic state we're in. Yet, we continue to spend all of this money over there when we need it so badly over here.

Mr. President, you can keep your $300. It wouldn't even last me a day with my bills. Just do me a favor...stay out of it!