Campaign 2010

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Stick to the issues please.

KEEP IT CLEAN – If a candidate wants to inquire into the source of a personal attack(s),
your IP address can be obtained through legal means.

Stick to the issues please.

KEEP IT CLEAN – If a candidate wants to inquire into the source of a personal attack(s),
your IP address can be obtained through legal means.

Stick to the issues please.

KEEP IT CLEAN – If a candidate wants to inquire into the source of a personal attack(s),
your IP address can be obtained through legal means.

Stick to the issues please.

KEEP IT CLEAN – If a candidate wants to inquire into the source of a personal attack(s),
your IP address can be obtained through legal means.

Stick to the issues please.

KEEP IT CLEAN – If a candidate wants to inquire into the source of a personal attack(s),
your IP address can be obtained through legal means.

Stick to the issues please.

KEEP IT CLEAN – If a candidate wants to inquire into the source of a personal attack(s),
your IP address can be obtained through legal means.

Stick to the issues please.

We can’t allow 5 top financial monsters to strangulate the economy again….
Jay St. John
April 18, 2010

The SEC finally is charging Goldman Sachs with derivative fraud. Of course they deny any wrong doing. Let’s me just say anytime the SEC makes charges, they usually stick.

What’s a derivative? Warren Buffet called them financial weapons of mass destruction. Investors would bet against the housing market, and other markets by buying inexpensive insurance policies that paid off big. Derivatives are complex, so complex that even many of those dealing with derivatives don’t understand them. Evidently, this is the way the financial monsters dealing with derivatives like it. If derivatives are kept arcane, those in the know can swindle their way to billionaire bonanzas.

Thanks to Texas Republican Phil Gramm who drafted legislation which passed in 2000 named the “The Community Futures Modernization Act” encouraged by President Bill Clinton and Alan Greenspan, allowing financial markets to operate credit default swaps with no federal regulations. This type of financial instrument was outlawed in 1907 which caused the stock market to crash yet the republicans brought it back – go figure.

Who deals with derivatives? A handful of financial monsters control the entire estimated 50 trillion dollar market. The top five banks now hold nearly 96% of the entire derivatives market. It appears that the top 5 financial monsters have been borrowing our money and using it to play in the big derivatives casino, for which these chosen ones know the rules and the rest of us don’t. So, they make their pile of money and we lose ours. They become so rich they don’t know what to do with their money and we lose our jobs, our homes and our businesses.

The derivative market must be strongly regulated and there is a strong bill in the Senate to do just that. The Republicans, under the guidance of Mitch McConnell, has 41 Republicans behind him to fight the bill, which he claims would encourage more bailouts. Of course, this is ridiculous, the purpose of the bill is to prevent bailouts in the future. Could it be that McConnell wants these financial monsters to continue fleecing Americans so these banks can make a mint? Could it be that McConnell thinks this would make the banks so thankful they would continue pouring campaign cash into Republican coffers?

I dislike government regulation, but in this case we must regulate derivatives. At the very least we should not allow any company that handles derivatives to work with other aspects of finance. We should Separate real banking (deposits and loans) from gambling casinos (derivatives). This is going to be the most sweeping set of reforms since those put in place after the Great Depression and I think we’re going to have very broad support for this, after all it’s very hard for anybody to argue the devastation that this greed has caused.

For once I finally agree with President Obama who said he would veto any legislation that does not contain strong derivative regulation. That’s the way to go. We can’t allow these financial monsters to strangulate the economy again.

Fifty Years of Math 1957 – 2007 (in the USA )
April 13, 2010
Jay St. John

Last week I purchased 2 double cheese burgers and a coke at Burger King for $3.33. I gave the counter girl a 5 dollar bill along with 8 cents inchange. She stood there holding the 5 dollar bill, the nickel and 3 pennies while looking at the screen on her register. I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me 1 dollar and 3 quarters back, but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and almost cried.

Why do I tell you this?
Because of the evolution in teaching math since the 1950s:

1. Teaching Math In 1950s – A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

2. Teaching Math In 1960s – A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

3.Teaching Math In 1970s – A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Math In 1980s – A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Math In 1990s – A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers, and if you feel like crying, it’s ok)

6. Teaching Math In 2010 – Un hachero vende una carretada de maderapara $100. El costo de la producciones es $80. Cuanto dinero ha hecho?

Running for second term..

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