Who Has The Oil Money
Have you heard? As of yesterday, the US geologic survey has estimated that their might be as much as 40,000 barrels of oil a day flowing up from the Gulf of Mexico. That is more then twice the amount ever reported by BP. If I wasn’t convinced that BP wasn’t telling us the truth before yesterday, I am now.
It’s all about the money, and BP doesn’t want to give it up, or pay it out in the hundreds of law suits it will inevitably be facing. In the few cases that have been filed so far, BP is all ready trying to have the cases moved from Alabama, and other Gulf coast states to more” friendly” states where they think that they would stand a better chance in the court of public opinion as well as the civil and criminal courts.
Instead of admitting the obvious, and honestly trying to help states and Gulf coast communities capture the oil as fast as possible, BP is electing to drag its feet on the clean up, and to run to what they consider to be safer havens. The morel and ethical neglect that BP is showing for the people, the environment, and even toward our government is not shameful, but down write disgusting.
Congress is now considering legislation witch would lift the cap of 75 million that a company has to pay for an oil spill clean up, and passing legislation that places no limit on the amount of liability an oil company can have. If it is passed, this might be the only way that BP will eventually step up to the plate, take full responsibility for the spill, and spend the billions it will take to get the mess cleaned up, and compensate the hundreds of thousands of people whose way of life and livings are effected by their negligence. Passing this new legislation is the hope of tens of millions of honest hard working Americans who believe more then ever, that big business should be held fully accountable for their errors and no longer be given a free pass, or simply a slap on the wrist.
The question then becomes, does the congress have the stomach to pass this kind of legislation, and if so, will the president sign it. Will the legislation be so watered down with loop wholes that it sounds good when put before the media, but have no teeth in the court of enforcement? Let’s not forget, that many states rely heavily on the investments of the energy industry to keep their economies growing. Let’s not forget that many members of congress receive and except healthy donations from the energy industry to their political campaigns. Lets not forget, that if congress doesn’t have what it takes to do the responsible thing, and pass legislation that is clear and fully enforceable, that they to can be easily replaced.
Save money at the pump
Many consumers use credit cards when buying gas, but if you want to save money, try paying in cash. In some cases, you can save up to 5 percent on your gas.
I want to be a bill collector.
I understand, that getting a letter or a call from a collections agency can be a frightening experience, and that some collectors and their agencies cross the line in an attempt to collect a debt, but for all the bad ones out there we should remember, there are more and more of them cleaning up their act, and following their state and federal laws. As much as I don’t like some of the tactics that a few of them use, we have to keep in mind that there is an enormous amount of pressure on the collectors and their companies to bring in the money for their clients. If they don’t deliver the money, they won’t get more work, and like any other business, from a business point of view, it’s all about the reputation and level of service they provide for their clients.
Let’s face it; most collectors are probably nice people. They usually work for lower wages, and their only way to make any money is by getting a commission. They are expected to “sound” like they know the law, when in fact, many collectors are only high school graduates. The collectors take and receive as many as two hundred calls a day, listening to every possible story we can imagine as to why the person on the other end of the phone got into trouble, or why they simply don’t have the money to pay. They listen to people who are stricken with cancer, in an alcohol treatment program, divorced with three children, and in today’s world, many people who are out of work, and just trying to survive. I would like to give most collectors the benefit of the doubt, and believe that the majority of them really do care. About their fellow person on the other end of the phone.
Collections are regarded as a fast paced high pressure position, and most collectors don’t last more then a few years. They often receive few benefits from their employers for doing a thankless job. Sometimes, we need to cut them a little slack, that is as long as they don’t try and bully us around.
If a collector is nice to you, and willing to listen to your story in an attempt to help you set up a payment plan, make a settlement offer, or is willing to go the extra mile to get your account removed from their call and letter campaigns, let them know you appreciate their help. If on the other hand, they are rude condescending or threaten you, immediately file a complaint.
Tell us about your collections stories on our facebook group http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid=293613045670 and if you need help with a collections problem, call us at 877-969-3463 or www.directcomplaint.com and go to the Consumer Complaint Center.
Discount Warehouse Shopping
Have you ever noticed, that you don’t always save money by shopping at one of those so called discount ware houses?
I have noticed a pattern when I go shopping at one of those places, and it’s not good. First of all, most people end up spending much more then they can afford. I think this is because so many things are only available in bulk packaging, and it doesn’t take many items to go over the planned budget expense. The way that things are stacked up and laid out is designed to make the shopper feel like we are getting a great deal, and well, it usually works.
The hardest part of the shopping experience for most people is the comparison shopping they need to do to determine if they are really saving money, it’s not easy to comparison shop when you are buying ten cans in a package instead of one, and the ounce size of the cans is different. Because most of the boxes, cans, jars, and fruit or vegetable bags are in larger sizes, it is almost impossible, not to mention time consuming for the average consumer to know if they are truly saving any money.
What do you think, tell us about your shopping experiences?
Prescription drugs
Yesterday, the senate passed legislation that prohibits the importing of prescription drugs from other countries. It seams the drug companies made a deal to contribute 80 billion dollars over the next 10 years to the new health care bill, and for their support, they are being rewarded. When we are sick, and we need our prescriptions filled, it’s hard to argue the cost of the medicine when we need it most. Let’s face it, the pharmaceutical companies have us over a prescription bottle, and the contributions they and their lobbyists make to political campaigns don’t hurt them either. As consumers, we won’t feel the 80 billion that the companies pledged to health care, but our wallets sure will feel the cost of medications going up, and not down. If I am not mistaken, I remember the president telling us on the campaign trail, over and over that we should be importing prescription drugs from other countries if the pharmaceutical companies won’t lower their prices. I think the administration and the senate just gave us a dose of politicks as usual, and a holiday gift package of empty promises.
Student loans
Has anyone noticed that interest rates for college student loans have not gone down? I thought that our president pledged to increase the amount students could get for aid, and decrease the interest rates. What happened? The interest rates that most college students are paying this year is from 1% to 5% higher then they were last year. In these tough economic times, banks are taking advantage of our most vulnerable and most needy college students, and our government is letting them do it.
Mortgage rates may be down, and the Federal Reserve is holding money borrowing rates from bank to bank at historic lows, so why are college students being set up for uncontrollable financial bleeding, and credit failure when it comes time to begin repaying their loans. It just seams to me like this is another way for the little people to be squeezed.
Get more for your money
Many of your favorate stores offer special pramotional hours, when prices are even lower. Some of the stores even offer extra bonus dollars when you check out, or if you use the store credit card. Shop early, and use your smarts, if it's not what you want or need, don't buy it.
