cartoon by josephmdeleon

First, hurricanes have destroyed homes for centuries.
Second, homes have to be rebuilt that can withstand hurricanes.

FEMA first throws in trailers which they now call temporary cottages and they violate most zoning rules in a community.  The joke that FEMA plays on the families is that it says to them and their towns that they would sell the housing to the family if the town/city approved them.  Why would families and town/city accept housing that did not meet code?

The logic should be that construction of specific homes meet the highest standard to with stand hurricane winds.  Models should be designed and tested that can be prefabricated and manufactured on a massive scale to whatever level is needed.  There is not a lack of manufacturing power or workers in the USA to produce the quality housing stock needed to house thousands still not in their homes.

Similarly, government can back loans for rebuilding in areas where another barrier to rebuilding is employed.  However, with the creation of neighbor helping neighbor whole neighborhoods can be rebuilt.

Replicate Habitat for Humanity on a massive scale for the next two years.  Now that’s affordable housing.

Which approach would you choose?

cartoon by xkcd

• Stanford Group is shut down by regulators and the status of 8 billion dollars of investors money is unknown.
• Large Investors are able to sell and buy stock without being registered on the exchange.
• Madoff stole billions.
• The list goes on…..

What is the common denominator?  No transparency of the transactions.  Public companies should not be allowed to have any entity or individual buy or sell any investment instrument with it, unless it is registered within 24 hours of its signature.   Today the electronic filings with the SEC and electronic signatures, a filing is required.

Each entity and individual has the right to the knowledge of any transaction that has be taken against any company since the with holding of said information should be interpreted as providing a class of investors preferential treatment.

Congresses lack of action for making all financial transactions transparent provides an inference that said actions may continue.  It should be Congresses first and foremost action to set forth a resolution of bringing trust to the market.  Trying to resolve all aspects of the financial crisis when there are so many ideas and not any one assurance is not a “wait and see” option.

Pass regulations mandating transparency period and oversight authority to one government entity.  There is no reason for further debate.

Nonprofits are suppose to be conservative in their approach to investing and government let thousands of them down with the lack of enforcement.

Thousands of individuals who give millions to government in taxes and to charitable groups have conservative approaches to investing and lost billions because of a lack of enforcement.

Enforcement of the laws on the books today and requiring all financial transactions to follow the same rules is a great start.  Why does it have to be so hard to make everyone invest by the same reporting rules.

Whether you’re a nonprofit or individual it is important you convey how the current rules place you and your organization at risk and a disadvantage.

cartoon by M1khaela

It is time to create across the country mandated health care coverage.  When anyone says “oh, its still too expensive for the person to afford Health Care Coverage” I hear “I love having the person get sick because that makes my medical costs even higher and I love giving money to people I do not know”

Health Care is strangling America across the board.  All you got to do is look at the amount of the GDP that goes to health care.

However, it is time that everyone become responsible for paying something towards health care.  It is time that the federal government also creates a nationwide standard  for minimum care and insurance. Why, you might ask?  Because it is the right thing to do when YOU’RE ALREADY PAYING FOR IT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.  Responsibility means that everyone needs to be an educated consumer and shops for the best price and care.  An educated consumer is wiser purchaser.  Government has always been lousy at delivering consistent quality services when it is the only providers of the service.  However, creating a standard of care and a price for said care is not that difficult.

Government already pays billions for Medicaid, Medicare, SCHIP, Veterans Services and Active Service personal. Therefore, price the care and pool it with a nationwide insurance premium.  Every employer already pays the Medicare tax and its expected.  Every employee looks for health care to the degree they can obtain it in their job search. To be fair to all and to bring the living wage forward why not increase the minimum wage with an amount that must go towards health care.  If it is an increase in pay to the individual then there needs to be the mandate that employees show proof of insurance or it is deducted from their pay.

Instead of the employees getting the money and it might go to health care I would suggest any organization including nonprofits consider to have it as an employer tax so that it is clear that money goes into the government insurance pool that is managed in conjunction with the rest of the federal health care payments.