tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post5492473133336768764..comments2023-10-17T04:51:08.765-10:00Comments on KauaiEclectic: Musings: Tough SellJoan Conrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-61968570913025951892008-10-01T09:04:00.000-10:002008-10-01T09:04:00.000-10:00From Thomas Frank's column today in the Wall Stree...From Thomas Frank's column today in the Wall Street Journal:<BR/><BR/>There is no way to measure the number of people who took out mortgages they knew they couldn’t afford, of course, but for what it’s worth, a 2007 report by the Mortgage Bankers Association reports that the FBI estimates “80 percent of all reported fraud losses arise from fraud for profit schemes that involve industry insiders.” That means the lenders, not the borrowers.<BR/><BR/>Just imagine the flights of fancy that the theory of borrower malevolence and Wall Street victimization requires conservatives to take: All these no-account folks, you see, got together and forced investment banks to engineer subprime mortgages into highly leveraged securities. Then they tricked all manner of hedge funds and pension funds and financial institutions into buying these lousy products. Just for good measure, these struggling homeowners then persuaded bond-rating agencies to misrepresent the risk associated with these securities.<BR/><BR/>Now imagine what such a fantastic scheme, if true, would mean for capitalism itself. This economic system, glorified by all, dominates the globe today, bidding prices up and down, forcing entire nations to change their ways to better suit its needs, and yet it is so fragile that when challenged by the weakest members of society and a handful of community organizers it simply crumbles. Thank goodness the Soviets never figured this out.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-10488477191950682982008-09-30T22:54:00.000-10:002008-09-30T22:54:00.000-10:00> One lesson in all this mess is clearest of al...<I>> One lesson in all this mess is clearest of all: That the American Dream, if it is limited to buying a house and spending lots of money, is a fragile dream.<BR/><BR/>My own version of the American Dream doesn’t involve buying anything. It involves getting a good education, working hard, and having the same chance as anyone else to succeed or fail. It means becoming a liker of people and a lover of great ideas and a traveler in the world. It means seeking to participate in the arc of great events as life moves from birth to death. To achieve any small part of this American Dream means more than what I own. <</I><BR/><BR/>BRAVO!!!<BR/>*stands and applauds*Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-30378987267158811032008-09-30T17:21:00.000-10:002008-09-30T17:21:00.000-10:00From the Angry Bear blog:There are many incentives...From the Angry Bear blog:<BR/><BR/>There are many incentives for reckless lenders to cut a private deal with reckless borrowers, not least of which is the cost of a default on a mortgage. Some people will have to start renting an apartment, as they should have done while saving up a proper down payment in the first place. Where is the shame in that? Only in the minds of the haughty.<BR/><BR/>One lesson in all this mess is clearest of all: That the American Dream, if it is limited to buying a house and spending lots of money, is a fragile dream.<BR/><BR/>My own version of the American Dream doesn’t involve buying anything. It involves getting a good education, working hard, and having the same chance as anyone else to succeed or fail. It means becoming a liker of people and a lover of great ideas and a traveler in the world. It means seeking to participate in the arc of great events as life moves from birth to death. To achieve any small part of this American Dream means more than what I own.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-82693185392221758902008-09-30T09:41:00.000-10:002008-09-30T09:41:00.000-10:00Dredging up the past that everyone knows?. Obvious...Dredging up the past that everyone knows?. Obviously the chief doesn’t “know” it and a lot of people are still in the dark as to the witch hunt. Read the whole book and the joke of the Chief’s weekend newspaper column is all the more galling to those who know what happened. Most of the stuff in the book- and I’d advise reading it in total- was unreported and/or wildly spun by the government’s lap dogs in the local press a the time.Andy Parxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15398587036690312685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-23756293105482456212008-09-30T07:35:00.000-10:002008-09-30T07:35:00.000-10:00Dear Anonymous;Wilson has been out of prison for f...Dear Anonymous;<BR/>Wilson has been out of prison for four years now, and the sex offender registry shows him living on Oahu. However, it also says: "The information displayed may not be current because the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center has not received a required up-to-date periodic verification of registration information from this offender."Joan Conrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-53571546922664550742008-09-30T07:26:00.000-10:002008-09-30T07:26:00.000-10:00Regarding ʻKPD Blueʻ and the Serial Killer coverag...Regarding ʻKPD Blueʻ and the Serial Killer coverage, why do we have to find out that this murderer is out and probably back in Kauai from a book publishing that has thankfully been posted piece by piece on a blog site ?! <BR/><BR/>And, yes, Summers is correct...they covered for him. <BR/><BR/>My question is: What does the new Chief plan to do about Wilsonʻs terrorizing freedom? Does he qualify as terrorist? Or since he hasnʻt trespassed to protect burial sites, heʻs not so bad? <BR/><BR/>Should the public protect themselves once again by posting fliers? Women must be warned and better yet, Hawaii visitors should know.<BR/><BR/>This is beyond unbelievable. Thanks goes to Tony Summers for his book and courage to expose this despicable farce. It is a wonder how these detectives came to be called detectives. And to keep their jobs stress-less, they put you on a list so you donʻt make waves. Believe it or not there are lists. For harassment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-64784371298122284712008-09-29T23:34:00.000-10:002008-09-29T23:34:00.000-10:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-19497713077851133772008-09-29T22:57:00.000-10:002008-09-29T22:57:00.000-10:00While his book has a great deal of truth in it, To...While his book has a great deal of truth in it, Tony has his own issues. He had a reputation as a bit of a stalker and now trashes the objects of his desires in this book.<BR/><BR/>He also has an explosive temper and personally threatened people in my presence. A vendetta would be right up his alley.<BR/><BR/>His book is interesting and informative, but Tony is no knight in shining armor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-79090159988576083302008-09-29T17:29:00.000-10:002008-09-29T17:29:00.000-10:00Typical Washington D.C gridlock prevailed once aga...Typical Washington D.C gridlock prevailed once again.<BR/><BR/>Hopefully Congress will be able to reach an amicable agreement on this matter within the next couple days. If not we’ll be probably seeing the economy falter further and more layoffs. There is even a possibility we may be facing another Great Depression. Especially since banks have severely curtailed extending credit to main street and other banks.The economy can’t recover or grow without banks extending credit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-11668600348572241352008-09-29T11:09:00.000-10:002008-09-29T11:09:00.000-10:00Joan,To answer your question KPD Blue, about old n...Joan,<BR/>To answer your question KPD Blue, about old news and expectation for change I would note the bad actors have never been held accountable because the coverage then was contentious and debatable, and now the facts are in. Now we know, for example, it was a sheet-feed manipulated into a conspiracy for political purposes. Some of these people are seeking political office and have never justified their past actions. <BR/><BR/>I'm not expecting a different outcome, but hopeful naming names, and keeping the names of bad actor in (what's the new aged lingo, oh yeah) "Top of Mind Consciousness" may translate into corrective action regarding support for these bad actors.<BR/><BR/>Old information was also put into context to reveal patterns formerly not apparent in the ongoing reporting. The Fren Grotto contract for instance was news to me, as was the reason for the departure of Film Commissioner Judy Drosd. Finally it is often constructive to view a forest from above the treeline as opposed to from within the forest itself to better understand the forest as a whole.Ed Collhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04478789139917889309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-88324102057134253782008-09-29T10:34:00.000-10:002008-09-29T10:34:00.000-10:00Ed, I agree that the corruption continues in full ...Ed, I agree that the corruption continues in full bloom, but if the coverage and discussion of the events at the time they occurred did not change things, why would we expect any different outcome from Tony's book? It's not like he has divulged any new information. Still, it may be new to some people, and so is valuable in providing a historical perspective for our present situation.Joan Conrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00172330100788007499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-14599570779907011352008-09-29T09:12:00.000-10:002008-09-29T09:12:00.000-10:00I have read Tony's book and while his framing in r...I have read Tony's book and while his framing in racist terms, in my opinion misses the mark, and there are some minor factual errors it is on the whole more accurate than say typical reporting in most dailies. As to why he wrote it it should be self evident. The corruption is still in full bloom but lagely dismissed as understandable as evident in Joan's comment "...not because the cops were necessarily crooked or bad, but hesitant to bust anyone who was a relative or a friend." Excuse me! Isn't that the definition of corruption differential treatment under the law based upon affiliation? <BR/><BR/>Tony had to rely primarily on Court records, because of County of Kauai secrecy that is still a HUGE problem as we speak, and many individual bad actors then are in positions of power as we speak. These problems are still with us manifesting themselves in a variety of ways and will not begin to be addressed by putting these events in the past tense creating the illusion that it is old newsand filed under, "dredging up the stinky muck one more time for those who perhaps never knew the details or, like me, prefer to have forgotten."<BR/><BR/>There are years of executive session minutes still have not released by the COK who is frightening tooth and nail to keep it that way. Both the board of Ethics and Police Commission remain dysfunctional (and that's putting it kindly). KOC has and continues to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars hiring outside attorneys to lose cases defending bad actors.<BR/>COK is more secretive today than ever and they knows that they have unlimited taxpayer funds to drag almost any issue out for so long that current events take on the patina of ancient history!Ed Collhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04478789139917889309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7875069982976812251.post-22379703398966592362008-09-29T09:04:00.000-10:002008-09-29T09:04:00.000-10:00Abercrombie and Hirono voted no along with Kuchini...Abercrombie and Hirono voted no along with Kuchinich. I can't get to both websites. I think both heve crashed. I guess the Bush doctrine of preemptive action doesn't fly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com