NOTICED
Yes, we noticed...
Politicians, corporations, and many individuals have a compelling reason to mistake the facts, over embellish the truth, or flat out lie in order to gain  something. Politicians misuse statistics and corporations misuse data. We are Noticed.org and we have NOTICED that mistruths and purposeful mistakes are not good for our society, health, and overall well being. We are fighting back by giving the world wide community this outlet of truth and to send a NOTICE to all those who misuse information to beware.
Misuse of Information. – A public servant is guilty of a misdemeanor if, knowing that official action is contemplated or in reliance on information which he has acquired by virtue of his office or from another public servant, he:
I. Acquires or divests himself of a pecuniary interest in any property, transaction or enterprise which may be affected by such action or information; or
II. Speculates or wagers on the basis of such action or information; or
III. Knowingly aids another to do any of the foregoing.
... and now, you noticed.
Latest Notice - Letter to the Government
To Whom It May Concern:
I have never written to the government before, but I have a few questions I would like to ask. Hopefully, I will get a clear response that would indicate to me that someone actually read this letter. I will try to be as brief as possible.
I am a 47 year old mother of four children, ages 26, 20, 19, and (almost) 15. I have been married to the same man for over 21 years. He is 20 years my senior and is now retired after spending over 30 years in the printing industry. I am currently employed in the healthcare environment, and anticipate remaining in this field for at least another 20 years. I have worked full-time all of my life, save for the maternity leave of the children.
In addition to working full-time, I am also a full-time student at the local community college pursuing an AAS degree as a Paramedic. I am due to graduate this year. I have been a full-time student for almost 2 consecutive years while working.
My husband and I have had our financial ups and downs throughout our marriage, but have always managed to make ends meet. We pay our bills, pay our taxes, make sure the cars are in good repair, and manage to feed and clothe ourselves and our children. We are responsible adults, and are hoping to instill the same values in our children.
What brings me to write this letter to you is because I feel that the “average” citizen of this country is being persecuted financially. I know I can only speak for myself and my family, but we have never filed for bankruptcy (and while there is still a breath of life in me, we never will), we have never been late on our mortgage, and we have proven our creditworthiness.
While I understand that this country is in sad financial shape right now, I feel that it is wrong for the financial institutions to take advantage of those of us who have consistently met their financial obligations over the years. Here is just one example of what I am talking about: I had a line of credit with a local lender of $10,000. I had never “maxed out” this card, and had had this card for at least 2 years. Suddenly, the line of credit was reduced (the bank states that they sent a letter—I never received one) to UNDER what my current balance was. Guess what; I was now over my credit limit, was hit with an over-the-credit-limit fee, and because my credit was reduced, my debt-to-loan ratio (ie, creditworthiness) was increased. Of course, this adversely reflected on my credit score. This incident happened in September of last year. I contacted the creditor and complained and was told that they would file an appeal and that I would be notified of the results via letter. I am still waiting for a response 4 months later. I do not expect to receive one.
That being said, other citizens in this country must be experiencing some of the same “persecutions” that myself and my family are. I am sure that I am not the only one. Those of us who did not overextend ourselves and remained fiscally responsible through all the ups and downs of the economy are still standing. We may have had to make some adjustments in our personal lives; maybe had to forego some of the luxuries that this nation has to offer, but are still “keeping it all together”.
We (those of us who fall into the category I described) ARE THE BACKBONE of this economy. We are maintaining what little stability there is left. We are not afforded any “breaks” or incentives (i.e., the people whose homes are being foreclosed upon due to either poor planning on their part, or the lenders’ obvious reckless disregard of the credit system) to continue meeting our financial responsibilities. I guess we are supposed to “feel sorry” for those who have abused the lending rights, and throw a little cash around to “stop the crying”.
My husband and I do not earn a tremendous amount of money. Between my full-time job and his pensions, our average gross income annually is roughly $48,000. And 3 of our 4 children still live at home. We do whatever is necessary in order to make ends meet from month-to-month.
Frankly, I am SICK of hearing about the automobile woes, the housing woes, the banking woes, the lack of employment, and the Stock Exchange’s drama. What would be refreshing would be to see those of us who have been consistently adjusting to the ups-and-downs of the economy be given some form of a break or incentive. At the very least, stop us from being persecuted!
Here’s a thought—instead of bailing out the automakers, let them bail themselves out. The reason they are not able to sell their products is because the products are too expensive. So no one buys. And the product sits on the proverbial shelves. Would it not be better to sell the existing product even if the automaker incurs a loss than to not sell it at all? Many things would happen as a result: the automaker would get at least something for the product, and they would at least start reducing some of their debt; by selling some of their vehicles, they may be able to reduce some of their overhead expenses, further reducing their debt. And I’m sure there are numerous tax incentives for the automaker who incurs a loss.
Lose the UAW! Imagine the amount of money saved there. There are certainly plenty of people out there willing to work for much less than the unions are demanding their workers be paid. It’s amazing to me that unions are even still in existence. They may have had their place 100 years ago, but this country has advanced well beyond the value of organized labor. Now, if someone feels that they are being treated unfairly, all they have to do is to contact the media and they’ll take over from there. I believe that the original founders of organized labor would turn in their graves if they saw how convoluted it has become. Now, it’s just another expense to pass on to the consumer.
On a personal note, my family’s “newest” car is now 10 years old with over 166,000 miles on it. Is it my choice to continue to drive this vehicle? Yes and no. I know that I cannot afford to replace this car with a comparable model. If I could, I would have done it already. And because I cannot afford to replace it with a car that is similar, I choose to continue to drive what I have. In my opinion, this is what the “average American” is doing right now. Out of necessity, we are forced to “hold what we got”, so to speak. This flies in the face of “good ol’ American Capitalism”, doesn’t it? It’s pretty sad.
And the housing lenders: Who is to blame for that? You can start with the consumer. Out of greed and the need to “keep up with the Jones’s” the consumer (hmmm….capitalism again…) just HAD to have the best. Hang the expense. The thought process was that yes, it was expensive now, but as the consumer earned more money, then the housing would be less expensive. What REALLY happened was that the consumer did earn more money, but because of the “new-found” wealth, determined that the “old best” wasn’t good enough anymore. Bigger is always better, right?
And the lenders agreed with the consumer. In fact, they then made it even easier for the consumer to buy. Why any lender would lend more money on a product than what it was worth (i.e., the 125% of the home’s value concept) is beyond me and is reckless and irresponsible. The lenders should be made to bail themselves out also. But no, myself and countless other citizens that ARE responsible have to shoulder the national debt. Meanwhile, when the drama dies down (and eventually it will) both the lender and the irresponsible consumer will sail into the sunset unscathed. The consumer pays their “7 year” bad debt flag on their credit report, and the lender reorganizes their company. And the rest of us, who did nothing wrong, pay the price for a much longer period.
I think the unemployment numbers are a little skewed. People are losing their jobs, granted, but there are jobs to be had. People just have to “suck it up” and find a job. Make a job. Whether you are a bank president or a worker at McDonalds, you have a job! The pay is very different, sure, but those of us who WANT to work and NEED to work CAN find a job. Oh, but of course, the government will pay for unemployment for a period of time, so the same person who is living in their-soon-to-be-foreclosed-upon home that they could ill afford to purchase in the first place, can drive to the unemployment office in their $600 per month vehicle (did I say it was financed for 72 months?) to pick up their unemployment check after marginally looking for a couple of jobs that week that they knew they were overqualified for (and “colored” their application to reflect it). And the best part: those of us who are working are footing the bill.
And what’s going on with the “interest rate”? The average American sees that the interest rate is going down. And down. And down. But still, the amount of interest paid on a home loan still hovers between 5-6% (with good CREDIT). The citizen sees that the Federal Reserve is lending to banks at a near zero rate, but yet the banks will not reduce their rates to the citizens of this country. Instead, the bank borrows from the Fed and just holds it. And how is THIS supposed to help the economy?
And another thing, there is now more talk about another stimulus plan to boost us poor citizens of the United States. But apparently, the concern is that if additional monies are circulated to the general public, then the public will not use the money to boost the economy (in other words, spend it). Of course we won’t. At least those of us that are responsible probably won’t. We’re all running so scared now, that any additional funds that we happen to get will either be saved for an even worse day than today, or used to pay bills that were due yesterday. Further, any financial stimulus that is provided will be additional expense to the taxpayers, so exactly just HOW is this going to accomplish anything?
Is everyone who is in government, whether it be on the local, state or federal level not seeing this? The rest of us “average citizens” do. We feel powerless and helpless. We are at your mercy. Re-elections do not seem to work. And the United States is circling the drain……
******************************************STOP THE BLEEDING!!**************************************************
I would love some form of response from you with regard to this letter. If a form letter will be generated to me, then save the postage (and my taxpayer dollars). A form letter will generate the same enthusiasm and response from me that I afford all junk mail--the kitchen garbage can.
Thank you for your time and attention to this letter. Respectfully,
Cheryl L. Lockwood
and yes, I noticed!
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