Political Nonsense

Billy Bragg is a hero of mine and at least half his facebook posts are enlightening comments on issues of the day. I've enjoyed some spirited political conversations with people whose views are on either side of mine lately. So, you know, this occurred to me:

I am beginning to think that a person who has the following characteristics:

1. Doesn't spend more money than he has and has largely avoided credit card debt and overdraft fees
2. Has obtained health insurance and makes some effort to stay well
3. Cares for his children and likes to see them more in summer and take them on vacations
4. Believes gay marriage is a basic civil right
5. Is not a major corporation and/or bank that the free market has left an abject failure
6. Favors lower taxes, including property taxes and estate taxes
7. Is against more death in unwinnable wars

has no further reason to support Barack Obama. Longer school years? RUFing kidding me? More Afghanistan? Throw another bad idea out there. Forget it. I am unsubscribing from your twitter feed and facebook page. I am barfing up the kool-aid.

The longer school years was just the last straw:
"That (extra) month makes a difference," the president said. "It means that kids are losing a lot of what they learn during the school year during the summer. It's especially severe for poorer kids who may not see as many books in the house during the summers, aren't getting as many educational opportunities." (full article)

Is there not already summer school for the kids to whom this applies? Schools and teachers are already under enough stress. I am young enough to remember school in June and how pointless and empty it seemed by then. I can't imagine what it would be like in July. What useless facts I lost over the summer I more than gained in relaxation, social interaction, and vacations. I can't believe I'm siding with Kansans:

"It's been tried," (Kansas state education commissioner Diane DeBacker) said, describing one instance of a Topeka-area elementary school that scrapped year-round schooling after just one year. "The community was just not ready for kids to be in school all summer long. Kids wanted to go swimming. Their families wanted to go on vacation." (ibid.)

Duh! I thought I was too cynical to be bitterly disappointed. Turns out I was wrong. FAIL! DISAPPROVE!

Still, I'll probably vote for Obama in 2012 just because the Republican option will be so incredibly much more totally repulsive. Palin? As if. Pawlenty? Ick. Minnesotans know firsthand the damage he would do to cops, schools, homeowners, cities, bridges, etc.

The sad thing is, I think Obama is trying and I share many of his goals. However, as with any ideologue, there are too many unintended consequences to everything he's trying to legislate.

If you limit the fees banks can charge to delinquent customers, banks do not just say, "Aw, shucks. I guess we'll make less money now." They start charging fees and higher interest rates to responsible customers. News flash: I worked at a bank. Banks are not your rich friend who loves you and wants to help you out. Banks are an entirely profit-driven business who encourage their employees to project the illusion of caring. Especially when it means getting more of your money. If this were a speech I would say, "Let me repeat that" and repeat the sentence before that last one, so read it again.

Like banks, health insurers will also not simply shrug their shoulders and accept their new, more charitable and less profitable role as envisioned by Obama. I have paid thousands for (mostly) private health insurance over the years and have barely broken even on the gamble and then only because my appendix burst. Correct me if I'm wrong, but when Obama's ideological health care bill kicks in I'm betting my premiums will eventually go up without any corresponding increase in coverage. I get the sense from reading the articles that I will be financing the care of those less fortunate and those who do not take particularly good care of themselves to an even larger degree than I already have been.

I hate the hundreds of trillions of dollars in bailouts for failing companies and their overpaid CEOs. Like the wars, they began with Bush and I had hoped Obama would end them. Fuck! How cynical do I have to become about government and politicians before I am never again disappointed? Answer: Extremely. No. Extremely was not enough. Answer: Completely. Tell me why I'm wrong. Please. Someone. Anyone.

She Has My Old Job

While using the drive up ATM in the drive up service area of the bank where I used to be a teller, I overheard a young woman talking to a customer over the intercom. She was using the exact - and by exact I mean it was almost word for word what I would have said in the same situation three years ago - techniques that I used to help the customer improve and expand his relationship with the bank. I felt proud of her. I figured I probably taught the person who taught the person who taught the person who taught her. (Yes, there is a lot of turnover as the people who are not that good burn out and the people who are good get promoted rapidly.)

First she mentioned that the customer's money could be working harder for him - a good opening with a benefit stated right away. "Yeah, I keep most of that somehwere else," he replied. The next thing I didn't quite hear, but I assume it was some mention of the benefits of having at least some of your investment money and/or long term savings at the same place where you have your main checking account. (I, for example, might have mentioned that a savings account is the least expensive form of overdraft protection.) This is called "overcoming objections" and when it's done just right, a second benefit can be thrown out as well. (Features tell, but benefits sell!)

He said he would think about it, by which he meant he would forget all about it and take no further action. She mentioned that bankers were available inside and could make the changes right away in about five or ten minutes. "No, I've got to get going today." She said she could have a banker give him a call, to which he said "sure." She confirmed the best number and time at which to reach him, sent out his receipt for the transaction and thanked him. Perfect. She'll be on the beach in Hawaii (as I was, did I mention?) in no time if she keeps that up.

As much as I'm glad I'm out of retail banking, mainly because of rude customers who had no respect for anyone, I did like the element of helping the decent people better manage their money and avoid fees they didn't have to be paying and that's exactly what the woman I heard was doing. The fact that employees like her (and formerly me) are given incentive pay, regular reliable raises, free trips, encouragement, and promotions for doing so is a big part of the reason that bank's stock (with which I was also compensated, btw) split shortly after I left and continues to ascend even in the current crisis. Building deeper relationships with existing customers certainly works better as a guiding principle than buying a bunch of bad debt!