The Common Sense Party

If they ever establish a party and call it the Common Sense Party, I believe those individuals would have a chance to win. Why because that is exactly what is lacking in so many of our politicans today. They either never had or lost the ability to utilize common sense.

People are wondering how the economy got in the mess it is in. Well for starters, the politicans began deregulating everything. The first I can remember was the S&L industry. The taxpayers had to bail them out. They broke up Ma Bell into all of the little Baby Bell's and guess what most of them have combined into Teenage Bells and are merging with cellular providers. Guess we dodged a bullet on that one. The airline industry is a great example of deregulation at its finest. I don't think we have stopped bailing an airline out since deregulation happened.

Banks initially operated within specific areas and no farther. I remember when they couldn't operate outside the state they were established in. Now, Bank of America is everyone because they have merged with just about every small to medium sized bank in the region and beyond. Banks also couldn't sell insurance and now everyone sells insurance. Banks holding companies also have investment firms operating along side their own investment department.

Mortgages were only for those who had money and could afford to borrow. Most individuals could only borrow from loan companies. These companies didn't make mortgages but lent money for just about everything else. Their interest rates were higher than banks but they were dealing with higher risk. Banks only made mortgages to account holders and only if you were a great credit risk.

That has all changed. The greed mongers thought up new and creative ways to make money and if they were a little on the shady side, they called up their friendly neighborhood congressman and asked for a little favor. Regulations were dropped or severely crippled and oversight became a thing of the past. The old trickle down theory. If you eliminate the regulations that are strangling businesses, they will make more profit and that profit will trickle down to their employees who will have a better standard of living.

Wrong!!!!!!!!!! The only thing it did was increase the profits for the businesses which in turn created large bonuses for the senior management so that when they decided to move to another industry they could trade their silver parachute for a golden one or even a platinum one. Leaving the employees high and dry still working for the same salary.

The only thing that trickles down is crap.

But I digress. The Common Sense Party would be founded on the premise that if it doesn't make sense and does more harm than good, you just don't do it. If it benefits the few to the detriment of the many, you just don't do it. In other words, we return to the values that this great country was founded on. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, freedom and justice for all. Sounds very pollyana but at one time not too long ago this country valued these things. A couple of world wars were fought for the protection of these ideals.

Yep, The Common Sense Party. Sounds like a winner to me. But then I can remember when......................