Week 4, March 2010
Before we get all starry-eyed thinking Bank of America has turned some corner towards being helpful to struggling homeowners, let’s be clear: Bank of America has agreed to reduce the principal balance of certain mortgages because of a settlement agreement with the Massachusetts Attorney General regarding its portfolio of what was deemed to be predatory loans purchased along with their acquisition of Countrywide Financial. See here for more about that. For some reason I feel obligated to begin today’s message with that because I saw many headlines yesterday declaring how BofA had begun some new program as if we should all be so proud of them. As one who reads between the lines in the financial news, sorry… I’m just not buying that line of propaganda over here. Considering BofA— along with our other largest banks— didn’t get shut down by the FDIC and have its assets divided up and sold off because the American tax payer propped them up as another “too big to fail” entity, it’s just not such a heartwarming story from my perspective. Am I glad some 45,000 homeowners may be helped? Without question. Am I pissed that more than two years after most of the nefarious and downright duplicitous behaviors of our banking behemoths have been glaring in the light of day that we still don’t have a financial reform bill for the president to sign? Yes, I am. I don’t know how to make it more clear: The banking industry will not reform itself until it is forced to by the law. And it’s up to the citizens to demand this from our representatives in Washington… ‘cuz they’re supposed to make the laws FOR US.
See here for an example of a certain revered publication not mentioning the settlement BofA agreed to until the eighth paragraph.
To contact me about financing your dream-home click here.
Weekend Wanderer’s Events
…finding the treasures in your town and beyond.
Two for This Weekend:
Oakland Running Festival: From their website: Experience all the sights and sounds that Oakland has to offer at the new Oakland Running Festival featuring Oakland’s first marathon in 25 years! Runners will begin on Broadway, race along Piedmont and College Avenues, pass by beautiful Lake Temescal and then tackle the hills of Montclair. After a breathtaking view of the Cities by the Bay, runners will journey through the vibrant neighborhoods of Dimond, Fruitvale, Chinatown and historic Jack London Square. Then it’s a final lap around sparkling Lake Merritt and a sprint to the finish at City Hall.
Soweto Gospel Choir at The Paramount in Oakland: From their website: The Soweto Gospel Choir was formed to celebrate the unique and inspirational power of African Gospel music. The 26-strong choir, under the direction of David Mulovhedzi and Beverly Bryer, draws on the best talent from the many churches in and around Soweto. The choir is dedicated to sharing the joy of faith through music with audiences around the world.
Help Your Fellow Living Beings:
Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company: From their website: (DAYPC) is a multicultural group of teens that create original performance art pieces, in collaboration with professional artists, that combine hip-hop, modern, and aerial dance, theater, martial arts, song and rap. The productions are a dynamic, creative forum for the young people to express their fears, hopes and strategies for confronting challenging personal and social issues. The company has performed locally and nationally since 1993 for over 20,000 audience members annually. Performing dance exhibition Asylum THIS WEEKEND at Laney College!
Two Weekends from Now:
Yonder Mountain String Band at The Fillmore: From their website: Yonder Mountain String Band has always played music by its own set of rules. Bending bluegrass, rock and countless other influences that the band cites, Yonder has pioneered a sound of their own. With their traditional lineup of instruments, the band may look like a traditional bluegrass band at first glance but they’ve created their own music that transcends any genre. Dave Johnston points out “What could be more pure than making your own music.” Yonder’s sound cannot be classified purely as “bluegrass” or “string music” but rather it’s an original sound created from “looking at music from [their] own experiences and doing the best job possible.”
Pic of the Week… from my phone camera:
A view from Oakland last Sunday