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Why aren’t banks lending money?

The big banks have just received billions of dollars in government money to lend out to people around the country who need a helping hand.

Don’t forget that they have been given free money and the ability to borrow at .25% despite being proven to be one of the biggest credit risks by losing billions of dollars during deregulation in the last 10 years.

Are there any new banking programs for people who need a lower rate in these troubled times?  Or did these banks just pocket the money so they can ride out the storm in a nice government shelter while the rest of us are forced to swim the tidal wave?

We have a good income.  We make our payments on time.  We’ve been making payments on all sorts of debt for many years.  Now is our chance to consolidate that debt at a low interest rate, deducting that interest from our taxes, and possibly have the ability to make improvements on our house.  If that isn’t enough to get a loan, I don’t know who in the world would qualify.

Take me to the land where everyone is a millionaire–even the millionaires who were saved by a government bail-out–because it seems as only the wealthy deserve “equal” treatment.

Richard Zuercher

Baby!

OK, it’s been a long time since I have posted anything and I thought what better time than now to show some beautiful pictures of my child-to-be!  Enjoy!

Richard Zuercher

Baby Scream

Baby Profile

Boise State & the BCS

BSU deserves to be in the BCS over Utah.  Here’s the argument:
1.) BSU had a harder schedule than Utah
- BSU defeated more bowl eligible opponents than Utah (8 wins vs. 5 wins)
- BSU only played 3 teams with losing records, Utah played 6.  Each played an FCS school of which I have not calculated stats.
- BSU had a more rigorous non conference schedule than Utah (at 9-3 Oregon, 6-6 Bowling Green, at 6-6 Southern Mississippi vs. 8-4 Oregon St., 3-9 at Michigan, 3-9 Utah St.)
2.) BSU has superior Statistics than Utah
- BSU ranks 12th in ppg, Utah ranks 15th
- BSU ranks 13th in ypg, Utah ranks 31st
- BSU ranks 3rd in scoring defense, Utah ranks 12th
- BSU ranks 16th in total defense, Utah ranks 18th

The counterargument is thus:
1.) Utah defeated 3 teams in the top 25 (BYU, TCU, Oregon State – all at home), BSU defeated 1 (Oregon – on the road)
2.) Utah defeated 2 10-win teams (BYU, TCU), BSU defeated none.
3.) Utah had a stronger conference this year

All very good arguments but…

Even if no one buys this argument (I really do think that Utah deserves to be in a BCS game this year), there is no excuse for not allowing BSU to play for the big money too!  Selecting the “best” teams to play in the big bowl games based solely on how much money they will make is NOT the way to do it.

What else does BSU have to do? Ranked higher, better record, better stats, conference champ.  There will never be parity in college football until all school are given a fair chance to play.

Pew Research and MSNBC Verify My Theory

Read this article from MSNBC.com to understand why excluding cell phone data for national polls is inaccurate.  Good job me!

Richard Zuercher

Polling Data Isn’t Accurate

Many polls in the US right now are reporting a very close race between Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.  The way these polls are conducted by private corporations and media outlets like Gallup, Rasmussen, CNN/Time Warner, and MSNBC.  (visit this website for the most and most recent polling results) The method in which these companies collect polling data is not available to the public for proprietary reasons. 

However, we do know that these pollsters collect data largely by using computers to dial telephone numbers.  After the computer has dialed a random number, then a researcher asks the person on the other line what they think about the election.  They ask questions like: “Are you a registered voter?” “Are you supporting McCain?” Etc. 

But there are many drawbacks to this method.  As recently as 2003, many households have abandoned the trusty landline in favor of a cell phone.  Instead of one phone number representing an entire household–where the man of the house usually answers the researchers’ questions–phone numbers represent individuals. 

Also, computers are not allowed to dial cell phone numbers as per FCC regulations.  Therefore, fewer and fewer people are in the pool of possible respondents.  Cell phone-only households have increased from 3% in 2003 all the way to 16% in 2008 according to MediaMark Research.  What does this mean?

It means that pollsters are asking the right questions to a non-random sample.  A whopping 16% of the population is immediately excluded from the sample because they no longer have a landline–myself included.  So who are the people without a landline?

Young people.  Women.  Travellers.  People with little access to relaible telephone service–AKA poor people.  And who do these people tend to favor in the Presidential election?

Barack Obama.

So if we assume that the polling data that comes out puts the Presidential race at a dead heat, then which way will the people actually vote?  My bet is that Barack Obama will have a surprisingly easy victory in November because people are not expecting an extra 16% of the population to lean toward the Democrat.  I’m not saying the ALL of the 16% will vote Democrat, but it is safe to assume that a majority of them will.

Let’s all get out there and vote.  Lets prove the country wrong!  This is NOT a dead heat.  We Americans will CHANGE WASHINGTON by electing Barack Obama the next President of United States of America.

Source:

NY Times

Where’s John?

Look at this picture of President Bush signing the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act.  Where is John McCain in this picture?

 

Zuercher

A Good idea from Governor Palin!

Palin finally had a great idea!  She wants the federal government to disclose all of its spending–including insurance payments, grants, loans and contract spending.   Wouldn’t it be cool if they had a website for all of this stuff.   What would the government call it…how about USASpending.gov?  That sounds AMAZING. 

What?

No.  Really!

Ok, she was just a little too late.  It seems as though USASpending.gov is already up and working.  Where did this come from?  It’s a government website that discloses its spending.  Well that’s a great idea.  I wonder who got this awesome thing done.

Who would do such a thing?

Who has the experience of being a “Mover and Shaker” of Washington?

Tom Coburn, John McCain and Barack Obama. 

Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act

Thanks but no thanks governor.

Read the article from cnn.com about how the governor is going around presenting this as her own idea. What gets me is that Palin is SO inept at Washington politics that she doesn’t even know that these things are getting done by responsible and experienced leaders.  What I don’t understand is why McCain isn’t on Obama’s ticket. 

Zuercher

CEO Pay

Dear readers.  Please read this article from cnn.com about how much CEOs and Corporate board members will make for running their companies into the ground. 

Am I the onlyone here that thinks that these people should be put in jail for what they are doing?  I am a shareholder of many large companies because I am responsible and have a mutual fund.  My mutual fund buys stocks in other companies and holds them while their values increase (hopefully). 

However, the boards and the CEOs of these companies make millions and millions of dollars for running these companies.  I may make a couple of hundred or even a thousand dollars for my modest investment.  That’s ok.  I’m all right with making a marginal return because I have a marginal investment.  But what about these people who are “managing” my money.  They have ZERO at stake.  They are not going to starve.  They make millions of dollars for NOT BEING STUPID.  I wish I could make that much money.  Maybe I’m the one who is stupid for thinking that a multi-billion dollar corporation will try to make sound financial decisions. 

Is there someone I can sue?  I really want to hold these CEOsfinancially and personally responsiblefor voting themselves these huge bonuses while I am the one who loses money.  Don’t the shareholders come first? 

Zuercher

Honor Killings

Please read this article from MSNBC.com about the “honor killings” of two teenage girls who wanted to choose their own husbands.  The penalty for going against tribal tradition–buried alive.

Coach Z