Why SHOULD Wall Street tumble today?

Wall Street SHOULD tumble despite the AIG bailout

Anything other than a “Wall Street tumble” would be a deception on the public. Why? Because there is no financial benefit for the investors of our nation when the “Fed” bails out another business gone amuck. It’s a generic band-aid, initiated to continue the perpetration of a century long façade. Let me say this again loud and clear… the Federal Reserve is NOT a government entity. Our government leaders have no say in how it operates, and no jurisdiction over it. So how does it have any authority over the use of YOUR tax dollars?? And yet it was the tax dollars of U.S. citizens pledged for use of the Federal Reserve for this AIG bailout and the so-called $70 billion cash infusion that occurred yesterday.

I’m having a hard time understanding how so little financial intellect can be present in the minds of our media reporters? They can get heavily involved in what celebrity was caught kissing whom, what crime rate is on the rise, whether or not a woman or a mother is fit to run a big business or serve in a major government position, but they can’t see the asinine proposal of our tax dollars being given to a foreign entity to bail out another big business gone amuck?

Since when did business failure deserve a reward? Let the consequences happen as they may to these big businesses. Give the American investors pause for more prudence in their investment decision making.

Why is it that our nation’s leaders are allocating our tax dollars to a non-governmental entity to bailout a company most of us could care less about? Since when does failure to operate a business properly merit the pity and hard-earned dollars of American citizens? I know of hundreds of business owners who have made mistakes in running their business; and not only does no one come to their aid one iota, but because they are self-employed business owners, even in a crisis they are unable to get access to simple financial benefits such as food stamps or Medicaid (that even illegal immigrants can get) when necessary! The irony is that small and medium sized businesses contribute the largest portion of tax dollars to these programs than even large corporations- yes more than Merrill Lynch and AIG put together! Do we simply discount or forget that these struggling businesses may have had a wonderful 5 year run previously in which they contributed to the economy by providing honest jobs to dozens of employees, tax dollars, vendor service dollars, etc?

Stop the insanity. Get educated about what’s really going on and then voice your opinion in these matters to the government leaders just as fervently as you would cry for help to save your family, your home, and your freedom.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Legal Slavery in Our Borders

Opinions abound concerning the conspiracies that may have been present during the run-up to the Great Depression. Regardless of your beliefs concerning these conspiracy theories, you must acknowledge that several privately-held companies benefited greatly from the results of the Great Depression upon the people of the United States, in general.

How often does history repeat itself?

Current headlines read:
“Fed’s Regulatory Powers May Expand After Crisis”
“Fed Expands Lender of Last Resort Role Even As It Draws Line on Bailouts”
“WaMu’s Decline Values Lender Close to JPMorgan’s Takeover Offer in March”

If you are aware you will see these headlines as ominous indications of the future.

How much more power can be consolidated in the overgrown giant we know as the “Fed” before it owns us lock, stock, and barrel? Or, is it already too late to even consider that?

As the Fed grabs for more control at each and every turn (notice that, in the long-run, the results do not generally help the public but specific, private shareholders of entities shrouded in mystery), and as super-giants such as JPMorgan and others grow in leaps and bounds by buying smaller entities for a steal at the expense of the public, the question must be asked: Was our current situation engineered from the beginning?

How much imagination must one have to believe that the Fed and its “coordinators” intentionally made credit far too easy to obtain in our society in an effort to run-up prices (which empties the pockets of the public) and then intentionally began a series of credit-tightening (which inevitably results in defaults) in a concerted effort to relieve the American public of its hard-earned wealth (while leaving the public holding with a rather enslaving bag of debt)?

History may well tell the true story (albeit re-written to please its authors), but today one can only guess at the intentions of those in true power. Today’s best advice could be stated “Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing”, in an effort to put all individuals on notice that the actions of the Fed and its consorts may not be in your best interests.

But how can you possibly avoid this uninvited impact in your life? GET OUT OF DEBT, even if it represents a small interest rate on your home, eliminate it. As long as you are paying on debts you are playing in their game. You can’t get out of the game until you get out of the debt. Debt requires you to pay interest on air. This is in addition to the heavy interest you pay on the “air” of our governments spending in the form of taxes and the so-called social security income (which is also a tax, folks, not an entitlement). You might as well be paying a fee for every time you exhale rather than be in debt. At least that provides you with a necessary freedom.

This may sound trite, but my emphasis here is to get you to realize just how enslaving this national debt and reliance on the Fed is. And I do mean SLAVERY. You are required to work through May just to pay your portion of taxes to the government. While it may not be the same as the 20 year requirement for indentured servants in the South, it’s still is a heavy toll. I hope that my sharing with you these alternative views may help you realize that you may be participating in game that you never wanted to play.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Would I Pay This Person?

“Would I pay this person’s paycheck before my own mortgage?”

As an employer, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to make awful hiring mistakes. I can’t really blame the individuals and their weaknesses, because I feel like it’s my responsibility to properly vet those issues during the interview process. But I’ve recently had an epiphany that I actually chose to act on and it’s made all of the difference in the world. This recommendation applies to both the employer AND the employee.

To Employers, if you are not in love with them, don’t hire them. This is your business, your livelihood we’re talking about here. As a small or even a medium sized business you’re susceptible to financial volatility. Clearly things do not always go rosy and there may be a time when you get paid last, or even not at all while you keep your staff on so that you can get to the next paycheck. So there are two issues that you need to consider here. One of them you need to consider before you hire them and the other you need to consider after you hire them.

1) Before you hire them, you’ve got to look at their attributes and literally ask yourself the question, “Would I pay this person’s salary before my own mortgage?” Why? Because frankly such a decision may need to be made at some point in the future. Even if you never have to make such a decision (and let’s hope that you never do) you still should only reward your unique risks and responsibilities as a business owner with quality individuals who enhance your work path, not detract from it. And if you aren’t able to see how they would be an attribute to the financial strength of your business and the tasks that you need accomplished, then don’t hire them.

Don’t run your business like a popularity contest. You are the president/CEO/Owner of a business, not the President of Please Like Me, Inc. You owe it to the rest of your team members to ensure that you do not bring on anyone who compromises the strength of your company’s financial standing, because if your company isn’t profitable everybody suffers. If you aren’t in love with them when they are supposed to be putting on their best behavior and only have to “fake it” for a few interviews, then for crying out loud, what makes you think it’s going to get better when they are in the midst of the daily business stresses and handling critical responsibilities?

Remember, the enemy of best is good. Don’t go with the “good” prospective employee just because you need to fill a position. That will cost you a lot of money and headaches in the long run. Be patient. Wait for the “best” person to manifest your wish list requirements to you. In today’s economy, being able to offer someone a job is an asset that should be appreciated by any prospective clients.

2) After you’ve hired them, you have every right to expect them to proactively contribute to your bottom line. In other words, each employee you have on board should be a revenue generator in some way or another for your business. If not, you cannot afford to have them.

So how does this apply to employees? Well for starters it gives you great insight into the thought process of successful business owners. And after all, isn’t that the kind of company you want to work for? Keep in mind that you’re obligated to work and then get paid. Your employment should only be contingent on your value to the company for which you work. This does not mean you have to be perfect. Plenty of businesses aren’t and they still manage quite well. But you do need to realize that for every task you slough off or perform incorrectly you are costing your employer money. And if they didn’t have to pay for your errors or inefficiencies, they just may be able to pass some of the wealth on to your salary. The question is does your work ethic and capabilities merit you being paid prior to your owner’s own mortgage? The answer is only a “yes” if they can’t afford to do without you.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.